Lightning

Alex Kennedy goes 1-on-1 with Tyrese Haliburton, who opens up about getting traded, the Pacers' future, his offseason training, etc.

Tyrese Haliburton won’t let trade 'resentment' define new Pacers era

Not too long ago, T.J. Warren was the NBA's hottest topic in the Orlando Bubble. After putting up a career-high 53 points against the Philadelphia 76ers as the season resumed play in 2020, Warren seemed on the verge of becoming one of the league&rsquo;s most underrated three-level scorers.
However, nearly two years later, Warren has seemingly vanished into the background after his outstanding performance inside the Bubble. Two consecutive stress fractures in Warren&rsquo;s left foot have kept him sidelined for the last two years. Warren was supposed to return and suit up for the Indiana Pacers earlier this season, but then the same injury sidelined him until mid-March, when he was finally cleared for full basketball activities. The Pacers had no reason to play Warren over the final month of the regular season in the midst of their tanking efforts.
As he approaches unrestricted free agency this offseason, here's the big question: Was his Pacers stint lightning in a bottle? Can he produce at that level again?
Since Warren&rsquo;s foot became a problem, the Pacers began their rebuilding process, shipping out Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis in separate deals. Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner may be next on the chopping block with trade rumors consistently swirling around each of them.
Warren will be 29 years old in September. Does he even fit into Indiana&rsquo;s timeline anymore as they build around Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson and whoever is selected at No. 6 overall? It&rsquo;s doubtful, so now a bona fide bucket-getter will likely be available. If healthy, Warren becomes one of the most underrated, bargain free-agent options for any playoff team in need of a scoring boost.
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In 71 games for the Pacers, Warren averaged 19.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals while carrying an impressive 60.8% True Shooting percentage. Warren&rsquo;s expanded range to the three-point line led to a noticeable efficiency spike, which changed his career trajectory before the stress fractures occurred.
In the modern pace-and-space NBA, Warren knew his game had to evolve from a strong dosage of mid-range shot creation. During the 2017-18 campaign, Warren&rsquo;s shot profile featured only 8% of his attempts from downtown. In what would be his final season with the Phoenix Suns, Warren spent the 2018 offseason tirelessly working on adding a three-pointer, and it led to a 20% jump in volume. After getting dealt from Phoenix to Indiana, Warren continued to hone in on his scoring, keeping defenses honest with his variety of old-school mid-range moves to go along with a newly-added jumper from distance.
There&rsquo;s no doubt that Warren is one of the game&rsquo;s best mid-range scorers, consistently able to get to his spot while being unbothered by heavy on-ball defense. According to Cleaning The Glass, Warren ranks above the 90th percentile throughout his career for wings attempting the most mid-range shots. How Warren&rsquo;s game could change following his injury is a looming concern; however, if all checks out, teams should be lining up to sign him, offering their mid-level exception or more. Whether it be a rebuilding organization trying to push for the postseason or a contender needing one more piece on top of an already-strong rotation, Warren could fit into any role thanks to his easily translatable scoring ability.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nobody in the bubble was stopping T.J. Warren from dropping 53 POINTS last night 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/rS1Wf0azp4">pic.twitter.com/rS1Wf0azp4</a>
&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1289947809836224513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2020</a></blockquote>

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Teams will approach Warren with cautious optimism. If he checks out medically, this could be the new version of Malik Monk signing with the Los Angeles Lakers on a minimum deal. Maybe Warren could get more annual salary &mdash; potentially a one-plus-one with a team option &mdash; but there&rsquo;s no long-term security until he proves that he can stay healthy. At this point in Warren&rsquo;s career, it&rsquo;s impossible to ignore the injury concerns. The &ldquo;injury-prone&rdquo; label should rightfully be put on the former North Carolina State product, who hasn&rsquo;t played a full NBA season yet to date. (His career high is 67 games in 2019-20.)
Which teams could use Warren? There are many potential destinations that make sense for Warren, as he's a realistic target for any team willing to take a flier and he could fit with a lot of squads. Could you imagine Warren alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee? Or next to Nikola Jokic in Denver? Or playing with Luka Doncic in Dallas? What about Warren as the third scoring option in Los Angeles next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis?
Warren&rsquo;s career has taken such an interesting turn. From surviving the tanking Suns years to a full-fledged breakout for Indiana, Warren now faces an uncertain path for what&rsquo;s next. It seemed like Warren was headed toward a massive payday, but then injuries threw his future up in the air.
Even still, plenty of teams should be more than willing to take the risk on a score-first wing who won&rsquo;t break the bank financially. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if we look back on Warren as one of the NBA&rsquo;s best value free-agent signings this time next year.
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T.J. Warren's career has taken a much different turn than expected over the last two years. Is Warren a bargain NBA free agent?

T.J. Warren: A worthy high-risk, high-reward gamble in NBA free agency

Whatever small signs of progress the Sacramento Kings may have shown in stretches the past two seasons under coach Luke Walton, the end result has been the same as it's ever been.
For 15 straight seasons, the Kings have missed out on the postseason, tied for the longest playoff drought in NBA history.
While the Kings enter their third year under Walton with some intriguing pieces, led by lightning-quick point guard De'Aaron Fox and poised second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton, they know the questions won't stop until the drought does.
&ldquo;Obviously, you don&rsquo;t want to be part of that and be attached to that, but at the end of the day we just have to worry about what we can do,&rdquo; said Fox, who is entering his fifth season in Sacramento. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re out there, for me, I can&rsquo;t worry about the five years I&rsquo;ve been here or the 10-plus years before that. You just have to go out there and play."
The Kings went 31-41 last season and finished tied for 11th in the Western Conference, two games out of the play-in tournament. That matched the record of futility set by the Clippers franchise, which missed the playoffs 15 straight seasons from 1977-91 while playing in Buffalo, San Diego and Los Angeles.
This drought has been endured by only one fan base, in Sacramento, and as much as the Kings players want to get to the postseason for themselves, delivering that for the fans is also important.
&ldquo;Obviously, we want to allow our fans to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Haliburton said. &ldquo;We want to bring the Kings back to the playoffs. That&rsquo;s obviously the biggest goal. I don&rsquo;t think anybody wants that more than us."
The Kings have played well in stretches the past two seasons under Walton but have been done in by a handful of long losing streaks.
They lost nine straight games twice last season, putting themselves in a deep hole early and then ending their playoff hopes late in the season.
&ldquo;If you cut both of those in half, we&rsquo;re a totally different team,&rdquo; Fox said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re in a totally different spot. Everybody&rsquo;s happy. People are talking about us making the play-in, possibly make the playoffs, so that&rsquo;s a large chunk of the season. We just have to continue to do what we&rsquo;re doing and not let those three-game losing streaks turn into nine or 10.&rdquo;
THREE-GUARD LINEUP
The strength of the Kings is in the backcourt, especially after drafting Davion Mitchell ninth overall to join Fox, Haliburton and Buddy Hield. Because of that there has been talk of playing three guards at a time more often this season. That's something the guards welcome but they know that it can't happen unless they can hold up on defense and rebounding.
&ldquo;If we can&rsquo;t, then obviously the three of us won&rsquo;t be able to play together and coach is going to have to figure something else out," Fox said. "But we all want to play together.&rdquo;
DISMAL DEFENSE
One of the biggest issues for the Kings last season was on the defensive side. Sacramento's opponents shot a league-high 48.4% from the field, including 54.9% from inside the 3-point arc. The Kings allowed the third-most points in the league at 117.4 per game.
BACK IN TOWN
Throughout the offseason there was uncertainty about the status of Hield and forward Marvin Bagley III. Both players were linked in several trade rumors throughout the summer but are back for another season in Sacramento.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s part of the business we&rsquo;re in today,&rdquo; Bagley said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s stuff I can&rsquo;t control.
SCHEDULE STUFF
If the Kings want to get off to a fast start, they will have to have success on the road. They open the season with nine of their first 15 games away from home. Sacramento then ends the season with seven of nine games on the road, which could be a big factor if the Kings are trying to make a late playoff push.

Whatever small signs of progress the Kings may have shown in stretches the past two seasons under coach Luke Walton, the end result has been the same.

Kings enter season looking to end 15-year playoff drought

Yesterday, we <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/5-nba-teams-you-should-hammer-the-over-on-for-202122-win-totals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">covered the best NBA win-total bets to hammer the over on</a> and now it&rsquo;s time to flip the script and discuss the most intriguing under options available. With so many teams pushing the chips in for a 2021-22 playoff run, it'll be tougher for teams to separate from the pack. Which squads will ultimately regress or fail to meet preseason expectations?
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into the five-best under bets to make entering this season.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: UNDER 51.5 WINS
The Sixers currently find themselves in a tricky situation. The Ben Simmons drama has reached a new boiling point, as the 2016 No. 1 overall pick has officially requested a trade from Philadelphia. Although Simmons' offensive struggles are well-documented, his defense helped him finish second in the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year race behind Rudy Gobert last season.
Just now entering his prime years at age-25, Simmons has shown unicorn-like tendencies as a jumbo playmaker who can defend five positions on the basketball court. Simmons&rsquo; impact will be missed in Philadelphia, and it'll be interesting to see what the Sixers receive in return for him.
With the Simmons rumors reaching a fever pitch, plus the inconsistent availability of Joel Embiid over the years, taking a swing on the under at 51.5 makes sense to me. Do we trust Tobias Harris to carry an Embiid-less team on the nights he eventually sits out? Especially with a more jam-packed Eastern Conference than ever, I expect a small step back from the Sixers. Fifty wins feels like the ceiling to me, which means I'm hammering the under here.
ATLANTA HAWKS: UNDER 47.5 WINS
Atlanta caught fire last season when they moved Nate McMillan over to the head-coach seat with Lloyd Pierce&rsquo;s midseason firing. However, will that mojo continue over a full 82-game schedule? The Hawks have built a great infrastructure of talent around their superstar Trae Young. However, I feel like Las Vegas might be overestimating Atlanta after this recent run.
Maybe I&rsquo;m too pessimistic when it comes to the Hawks, but I need to see this success continue to fully buy-in. Reaching the near-50-win mark is a huge milestone for an organization that has been stuck in the lottery for years. Atlanta added more young talent in the draft, but didn&rsquo;t add any veterans into the equation.
I&rsquo;m going to play it safe and roll with the under on Atlanta. If Trae lights up the NBA in his fourth season, plus other pieces of their core take steps forward, I would be happy to be proven wrong here. There&rsquo;s a real possibility that their late-season run was lightning in a bottle, and that their win total will be in the mid-40s. In my opinion, 47.5 is a steep over to hit.
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INDIANA PACERS: UNDER 43.5 WINS
The Pacers were dealt potentially the NBA's worst hand last season with injuries. T.J. Warren only played four games. Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner dealt with various ailments. Caris LeVert had to sit out an extended period of time following his arrival (via the Victor Oladipo trade) because a cancerous tumor was discovered on a physical.
With Rick Carlisle back in Indiana as head coach, will the Pacers&rsquo; talented nucleus finally put it all together? I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-face-makeorbreak-202122-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have my doubts</a>, especially considering how much the East has improved. No longer will a team comfortably make the playoffs with a record around .500.
Indiana also feels like the most obvious team to hit the reset button midseason, especially if they get off to a slow start. Outside of Domantas Sabonis and LeVert, everyone could be on the table in trade talks. Warren is on an expiring contract, while Brogdon and Turner have been floated in trade discussions over the last calendar year. If Indiana floats around .500 or below, the Pacers would be wise to sell-high on those players at their last opportunity to receive positive value.
Although Indiana had only one down year, the East is now a beast. It might be too little, too late for this core to make a run, which leads me to feel comfortable hammering the under on 43.5.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: UNDER 41.5 WINS
Coming off their first playoff appearance since the Grit-n-Grind era, Memphis is bubbling with excitement to see if the Grizzlies can take the next step forward. Led by Ja Morant, Memphis has done a fantastic job of building around their young star point guard.
However, with the Golden State Warriors now back to full health, plus other young teams hoping to take a leaps (such as the <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">New Orleans Pelicans</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/will-the-timberwolves-finally-take-a-leap-forward-in-a-loaded-western-conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota Timberwolves</a>), Memphis will have to work even harder to return to the play-in spot they secured last season.
With how the Grizzlies have operated this offseason, it feels like they&rsquo;re content waiting to make a move &mdash; not getting antsy off of their early success after making the No. 8 seed. The Grizzlies&rsquo; main offseason additions were Steven Adams and No. 10 overall pick Ziaire Williams (plus they <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mem-agrees-to-trade-hernangomez-to-bos-for-dunn-edwards-pick-swap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired</a> Kris Dunn and Carsen Edwards today).
I&rsquo;m betting on a slight regression form Memphis, especially if they get off to a slow start. With Dillon Brooks recently floated in trade talks, it makes me wonder if we see the Grizzlies emerge as sellers at this year&rsquo;s trade deadline, which further pushes me to hit the under on 41.5.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS: UNDER 35.5 WINS
After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-76ers-asking-price-for-ben-simmons-is-too-steep-for-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">officially bowing out</a> of the Ben Simmons derby due to the 76ers' asking price &ndash; which is disappointing since Simmons would've been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a perfect fit</a> on the Kings &ndash; Sacramento seems destined for another disappointing season.
Buddy Hield was nearly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on draft night for Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell, so who knows how long he will remain a member of the Kings? Sacramento re-signed Richaun Holmes and drafted one of the most NBA-ready prospects in Davion Mitchell, but is that enough to really make a big leap in the West? I doubt it.
The Kings have a solid young cored led by De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton and Mitchell, but everyone else could be moved down the road. Hield and Harrison Barnes stand out as obvious candidates to be moved to contenders at the trade deadline, especially if Sacramento falls out of the playoff race before the All-Star break.
I&rsquo;m hammering the under on 35.5 wins for the Kings, and feeling pretty comfortable doing so, which would unfortunately extend their playoff drought to an incredible 16 consecutive seasons.

Which NBA teams will fail to meet preseason expectations? Here are 5 teams you should bet the under on given their projected win total.

2021-22 win-total odds: 5 NBA teams you should hammer the under on

Damian Lillard wants to win big right now. The Portland Trail Blazers know what&rsquo;s at stake during the 2021-22 season for their future organizational structure. With Lillard and his camp frustrated about the Blazers&rsquo; stagnation, it&rsquo;s of the upmost importance to figure things out quickly in the Pacific Northwest.
However, how can Portland realistically jump back to the top of a vaunted Western Conference?&nbsp;
During their magical run in the 2019 playoffs, when Portland ultimately reached the Western Conference Finals and got swept by the Golden State Warriors, it felt like lightning in a bottle. Ever since, Portland&rsquo;s disappointing playoff track record has tried Lillard&rsquo;s patience. Portland&rsquo;s superstar had to go supernova in the Orlando Bubble for the Blazers to even make the postseason as the No. 8 seed, only to be throttled by LeBron James and Los Angles Lakers in five games. Then, this past season, Portland lost in the first round once again to a shorthanded Denver Nuggets squad missing Jamal Murray and Will Barton.
So far this offseason, Portland seems content on running it back with their core. Re-signing Norman Powell to a five-year, $90 million extension had to happen after trading one of their top young assets, Gary Trent Jr., to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Powell. In 27 games with the Blazers last season, Powell averaged 17 points and 1.3 steals while shooting 36.1% on three-pointers. Powell proved his worth as a long-term piece to the Blazers&rsquo; puzzle as a snug fit alongside Lillard. Among two-man lineup combinations featuring Lillard, Powell ranked second in net rating behind only C.J. McCollum.
Although it was a disappointing conclusion to a season that showed promise, Portland&rsquo;s newfound starting lineup fared well in advanced metrics. The five-man lineup of Lillard, McCollum, Powell, Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic carried a +13.4 NetRtg in 370 minutes. This ranked No. 2 in the league for starting lineups in net rating, trailing only the Philadelphia 76ers' starters; Portland&rsquo;s well-balanced attack was 12-9 in the regular season post-Powell trade.
Outside of re-signing Powell to his $90 million extension, the Blazers have made some moves on the margins to improve their depth. Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore and Tony Snell were all signed to one-year deals. Zeller will provide competency behind Nurkic as a backup center, while Snell and McLemore can adequately space the floor and be versatile defenders.
Currently, here&rsquo;s how the projected rotation looks for Portland:
Starters: Lillard, McCollum, Powell, Covington, Nurkic
Second Unit: Anfernee Simons, McLemore, Snell, Nassir Little, Zeller
Is that enough for Portland to break through the middle of the pack in the West? Quite simply, no, it&rsquo;s not &mdash; even with the advanced metrics showing that their starting lineup was very strong. Losing to Denver the way they did helped push Lillard near his boiling point in terms of frustration, and those concerns are valid on his end. Signing three role players to bolster their second unit is nice, but it&rsquo;s not what&rsquo;s needed to really put Portland back on the map as a real threat to make a deep postseason run.
Lillard&rsquo;s longtime backcourt partner, McCollum, is the key to how Portland can necessarily retool around their disgruntled 31-year-old superstar.
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Portland&rsquo;s dynamic score-first backcourt pairing has finally run its course. Since Powell is more well-rounded, he's a better fit next to Lillard &mdash; providing stronger defense, capable playmaking and spot-up shooting. The super small-ball lineup between Lillard, McCollum and Powell will not hold up in playoff-style basketball, especially as teams out West continue to get larger. Portland now must dangle McCollum out there on the trading block to add the necessary size and versatility to keep Lillard content long-term.
What can the Blazers even get in return for McCollum, though? That&rsquo;s a tricky question, because it&rsquo;s fair to say that McCollum&rsquo;s contract doesn't have a ton of value at the moment. With three years, $100 million remaining on the deal, Portland will need to package McCollum with a future first-round pick, high-upside prospects or both to receive a difference-maker in return.
Two names stand out from the rest, in terms of fits in Portland: Ben Simmons and Pascal Siakam.
Simmons and Philadelphia seemed destined for a breakup, but Sixers GM Daryl Morey&rsquo;s asking price is astronomical (four first-round picks plus multiple players). If Portland were to flip McCollum (and other assets) to Philadelphia, Simmons arrives and helps take some pressure off of Lillard to create for others. Lillard can focus on getting buckets, while Simmons sets everything up and provides elite defense.
Although Simmons goes through terrifying moments on offense, his special blend of playmaking and on-ball defense can make up for it in the right situation. The 6-foot-10, 24-year-old point-forward can make magic happen in transition thanks to his court vision and elite athleticism. And on defense, Simmons just finished second in Defensive Player of the Year honors behind Rudy Gobert. Offering menacing perimeter defense, Simmons can freeze out top scoring guards from finding a rhythm. Also, with his size, Simmons can guard up to four positions. Simmons regaining his confidence and finding his true untapped potential seems impossible now in Philadelphia.
For Simmons and Portland, this could be the perfect marriage. Imagine a lineup featuring Lillard, Powell, Covington, Simmons and Nurkic. Although Simmons and Nurkic is a clunky fit in the frontcourt, the floor is spaced out for the Australian product to produce some damage around the rim while also helping Lillard immensely on both ends. Portland's defense has been their biggest weakness and he'd help a ton on that end of the floor too.
Portland's offer for Simmons would probably look something like McCollum, Little or Simons, plus two first-round picks. Yes, that&rsquo;s a high price to pay, but one that could help smooth things over with Lillard and give the Blazers a chance to make a leap up the Western Conference standings. It remains to be seen if Morey will budge from his asking price and accept an offer like this, but Portland has to try.
Siakam offers similar defensive versatility as Simmons, but he is more of a positive on the offensive end. The Raptors&rsquo; star would slide right into the Blazers&rsquo; lineup at power forward, allowing the Lillard-Powell backcourt to coalesce even further after promising results last season. In 56 games during the 2020-21 campaign, Siakam averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. A year prior, Siakam was a member of the All-NBA team as he grew into the No. 1 role following Kawhi Leonard&rsquo;s departure.
After Toronto drafted Florida State&rsquo;s Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, rumors started to pick up steam about Siakam potentially being shopped around to the highest bidder. Add on the Raptors also receiving another promising prospect in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade, Precious Achiuwa, and the frontcourt's long-term vision starts to form. After Lowry&rsquo;s departure to South Beach, Toronto&rsquo;s timeline is murky. They still have Fred VanVleet, but everyone else is a strong member of their young core led by ever-improving wing OG Anunoby. Siakam can certainly still be part of Toronto&rsquo;s long-term plans, but, similar to Portland, would it be in their best interest to move off Siakam&rsquo;s contract, which has $106.4 million remaining through the 2024 season?
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Similar to the Simmons trade idea, shipping McCollum to Toronto for Siakam would be a steep price. Potentially having to include a young player (Little or Simons) plus a future first-round pick alongside McCollum would be a big step, but one that might have to occur anyways with Lillard&rsquo;s discontent.
Although the Blazers are still a strong playoff team with their current roster construction, is another middle-of-the-pack finish enough to keep Lillard long-term? Lillard has already answered that question.
&ldquo;Where we are isn&rsquo;t good enough,&rdquo; Lillard said about Portland&rsquo;s roster during Team USA&rsquo;s lead up to the Tokyo Olympics. "I just think we&rsquo;ve reached that point where it&rsquo;s like, OK, but it&rsquo;s not enough. Do we actually want to win it all? Is that what we&rsquo;re shooting for? We&rsquo;ve got to do things to show that. We&rsquo;ve got to put action behind that desire to win at that level...
"I think if you look at our team as it is going into next season, I don&rsquo;t see how you say, &lsquo;All right, this is championship team, you just need a new coach,&rsquo; when we lost in the first round to a team that was hurt."
It&rsquo;s time to make an aggressive push to keep Lillard happy, or this could get ugly by this time next year (or sooner).

Will the Portland Trail Blazers be able to keep Damian Lillard happy? Should they run it back or make a big move this offseason?

Will the Blazers make a big move to keep Damian Lillard happy?

Since the NBA MVP award was introduced following the 1955-56 season, there have been 34 different players to earn the honor. Of those 34 MVP winners, 26 have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The only ones who haven&rsquo;t been selected to the Hall of Fame are either still active or not yet eligible (Dirk Nowitzki). 
Of the eight guys not yet inducted, seven of them are presumptive locks. There&rsquo;s no doubt that LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nowitzki will receive the call and be named among the game&rsquo;s immortal when their times come.&nbsp;
But that leaves us with one remaining player: Derrick Rose. Is Rose a future Hall-of-Famer?
Rose is one of the most polarizing players of the last 20 years. At his peak, Rose was certainly one of the game&rsquo;s best. While there&rsquo;s debate in hindsight about whether he was deserving of the 2011 NBA MVP &ndash; the vote would likely look much different today &ndash; there is no question that Rose was on a path of ascension toward becoming one of the NBA&rsquo;s best. He dominated games with his mind-blowing athleticism, and his high-flying dunks looked out of this world for a player his size. He was the key cog on the Bulls at the start of the 2010s. Chicago became a contender for the first time since Michael Jordan retired, mostly because of how good Rose was at such a young age.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s certainly a case for Rose to be in the Hall of Fame, but there&rsquo;s also a case against him being enshrined with the greatest players of all-time. Let&rsquo;s break down both.&nbsp;
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THE CASE FOR ROSE&rsquo;S INDUCTION
Rose was a player who undeniably changed basketball. He brought back an era of uber-athletic point guards, and showed that it was possible to be a successful team with the best player being 6-foot-3 and lightning fast. Rose was able to accomplish so much at such a young age.&nbsp;
In 2011, he became the youngest NBA MVP in league history at just 22 years old. This is where the argument that Rose belongs stems from.&nbsp;
Is it really right to keep out a guy who was considered to have the best season in the league at just 22 years old? Especially when there had to be an amendment to the NBA&rsquo;s collective bargaining agreement to fairly compensate a young player who&rsquo;s that good, that quickly (known as <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2019/01/28/anthony-davis-trade-rumors-pelicans-derrick-rose-rule-explained-designated-player">&ldquo;the Derrick Rose Rule&rdquo;</a>)?
No one should be making the argument that Rose was ever the best player on the planet; he wasn&rsquo;t (and if you&rsquo;re making this argument, you&rsquo;re foolish). But he certainly belonged in the league&rsquo;s top-five.
In Rose&rsquo;s first four seasons in the NBA, he averaged 21.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. And because he&rsquo;s still playing, he could continue to bolster his case. For example, if he added a late-career championship or two to his resume (like Dwight Howard last year), that could help him.
THE CASE AGAINST ROSE&rsquo;S INDUCTION
Just because Rose won the MVP award doesn&rsquo;t automatically make him a Hall-of-Fame player. Just because everyone that won the award before him is a Hall-of-Famer, and every player that has won it after him will be in the Hall of Fame, does not mean that he belongs, too. There&rsquo;s almost always an exception to every rule, and it seems as if Rose is the exception to this one.&nbsp;
Rose&rsquo;s flame burned so bright at its brightest, but it also burned out so quickly. Yes, injuries are the reason for that, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean he gets a pass for peaking at 22 years old and never returning to form. Rose does have that MVP award, and is a three-time All-Star, but he also doesn&rsquo;t have much playoff success to speak of to date.
What Rose has been able to do in the latter stages of his career makes for a great revitalization story. Rose has been a useful player on mediocre teams in Minnesota and Detroit, and this year&rsquo;s surprise New York squad. All this has happened after Rose was cast aside and essentially out of the league following a stint in Cleveland and being cut by the Utah Jazz after a trade in 2018. He&rsquo;s finished in the top-10 of NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting in each of the last three seasons, but that&rsquo;s not something that&rsquo;s ever said about guys that belong in the Hall of Fame. (This year, he received a first-place vote for MVP and it turned out to be the fan ballot; Rose has always had an enormous, passionate fanbase).
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Keep him mind, it&rsquo;s the Basketball Hall of Fame, not the NBA Hall of Fame. If Rose had some Olympic gold medals or an NCAA Championship on his resume, that would help his case. Instead, his two Team USA medals came during the FIBA World Cup, and while he played for the National Championship as a freshman at Memphis, the Tigers lost, and that entire season was later vacated by the NCAA after an investigation found that Rose's SAT scores were invalidated.
The truest indicator that Rose doesn&rsquo;t belong in the Hall of Fame is that if his first four NBA seasons are removed from his stat line, he looks just like a good-not-great player. From 2014 until now, Rose has averaged 16.5 points per game on 45% shooting to go along with 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists, while being a liability on the defensive end of the floor. That&rsquo;s hardly a stat line that deserves to be enshrined amongst the game&rsquo;s greats.&nbsp;
THE VERDICT
Ultimately, what Rose was able to do for his hometown team as a youngster was a story that you&rsquo;d expect on the big screen. But that early stretch of his career isn&rsquo;t great enough to justify how short it was. Had Rose gone two or three more great years before injuries got in the way, this would be a different conversation, but ultimately that&rsquo;s the reality of the situation.&nbsp;
Basketball Reference has <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/hof_prob.html">a Hall-of-Fame-Probability tool</a> that takes each player&rsquo;s stats, awards and achievements into consideration, and it tends to be pretty accurate when determining a player&rsquo;s Hall-of-Fame likelihood. It currently gives Rose an 11.9% chance to become a Hall of Famer, and that feels right.

Every other NBA MVP is either in the Hall of Fame or a lock to get inducted. Will Derrick Rose be enshrined with the game's all-time greats?

Is Derrick Rose a future Hall-of-Famer? The case for and against

Russell Westbrook has been a busy man.
He is currently averaging a triple-double <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-russell-westbrook-records-nba-leading-30th-triple-double-washington-wizards-wilt-chamberlain-oscar-robertson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since the NBA All-Star break</a>, producing 23.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 12.2 assists while shooting a solid 44.4% from the field in that span. He&rsquo;s transformed into the old Russell that everyone remembers from his days with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he terrorized opponents with his lightning quick speed, unbelievable intensity, explosiveness and high-octane style of play.&nbsp;
The Washington Wizards have gone 10-2 in the last 12 games, climbing to 10th place in the Eastern Conference. If the playoffs started today, that would put them in the play-in tournament with a good chance to play themselves into a postseason berth.&nbsp;
Coming to Westbrook's defense, Bradley Beal squashed all of the negative rumors about his teammate in a virtual My Brother's Keeper Alliance speaker series, <a href="https://theundefeated.com/features/bradley-beal-opens-up-about-the-wizards-russell-westbrook-and-social-justice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via ESPN's The Undefeated</a>.
"He's been great. It's been so ironic, because from the beginning of the year before the trade [for Westbrook], there's always the misconception of Russ. [People say], 'He doesn't get along with coaches or his team. It's just all about 'Me, me, me, me.' It's the complete opposite," <a href="https://theundefeated.com/features/bradley-beal-opens-up-about-the-wizards-russell-westbrook-and-social-justice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beal said</a>. "And, like, I love everything about him. He's a great character guy. And his approach to the basketball game is what helped me have the year I'm having. And it helped us turn the year around. His level of accountability, you want that. He pushes himself to levels that you don't even think exist. And to be on the other side of that, playing against him for years and seeing, 'Oh, how's he getting triple-doubles every game? There's no way he's getting it.' To actually see that night in and night out, he has a different mode. And it's all [mental]. And you can't teach that. It's either you have it or you don't.
"But what I love about him is that he tries to bring it out of everybody. He tries to bring it out of the 15th guy -- a guy who probably won't play that much. But when he gets that opportunity, he wants you to play exceptionally well. That's what I love about him. He just wants to win. He wants to be the best player he can be. He wants to uplift all his teammates. And that's one thing I stole from him is his mental approach to the game. I have a voice in my head and it's Russ saying, 'Keep going, B.' He's been terrific. I definitely tip my hat off to him because I can definitely see why he was MVP of the league."
It&rsquo;s nice to see Russell get some praise after seeing the nonstop hate he typically receives. A recent example of that came from Stephen A. Smith, who took the opportunity to <a href="https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/31167367" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disparage him for not winning an NBA championship </a>on the night Westbrook recorded the first 35-point, 20-assist triple-double in NBA history. Westbrook and his wife, Nina, had a beautiful response.
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Russell Westbrook on Stephen A. Smith "One thing I won't allow to happen anymore is let people create narratives &amp; constantly just talking shit for no reason about me because I lay it on the line every night and I use my platform to be able to help people all across the world." <a href="https://t.co/8oJi0E4dwT">pic.twitter.com/8oJi0E4dwT</a>
&mdash; Hoop District (@Hoop_District) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hoop_District/status/1377092719563137027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2021</a></blockquote>

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I love everything about the Westbrooks <a href="https://t.co/fRlOKc6RVq">pic.twitter.com/fRlOKc6RVq</a>
&mdash; Master (@MasterTes) <a href="https://twitter.com/MasterTes/status/1377088252541292548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2021</a></blockquote>

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But this week, Westbrook added the title of "producer" to his repertoire, as he released the trailer for a new two-hour documentary he produced on the Tulsa Massacre. It will debut on the History Channel on May 30 at 8 p.m. ET.&nbsp;
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Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre 5/30 at 8pm on <a href="https://twitter.com/HISTORY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HISTORY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/firelightmedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@firelightmedia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RememberTulsa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RememberTulsa</a> <a href="https://t.co/uxG2pzQbEm">pic.twitter.com/uxG2pzQbEm</a>
&mdash; Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) <a href="https://twitter.com/russwest44/status/1387112086011002881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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For me, personally, having grown up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I applaud Westbrook for doing this. My middle school, Carver Middle School, was literally seven minutes away from where Black Wall Street was. I grew up learning about this, but was surprised to hear that so many people outside of Oklahoma were unaware of what happened. I remember having discussions in classes at Syracuse University, and hardly anyone was aware of the Tulsa Race Massacre. It just wasn&rsquo;t being taught all around the country. People only recently became aware of it because of its depiction in HBO shows &ldquo;Watchmen&rdquo; and &ldquo;Lovecraft County.&rdquo;&nbsp;
In an interview with The Associated Press in March, Westbrook <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-basketball-russell-westbrook-media-social-media-169d49c0e8b2483ff15c4ae9cdd175f5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained why he wanted to do the documentary about what happened it Tulsa in 1921</a>.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was in Oklahoma for 11 years and kind of grew up in Oklahoma City,&rdquo; Westbrook <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-basketball-russell-westbrook-media-social-media-169d49c0e8b2483ff15c4ae9cdd175f5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in the interview</a>. &ldquo;I wanted to understand more about the origins of Oklahoma and Tulsa. I had been going to Tulsa almost every season, and I had a camp in Tulsa. I heard about Black Wall Street, but never really dived into it or understood the impact of the people and community.
&ldquo;Once I was able to learn the history and dive more deep into it, I was in shock. It&rsquo;s truly sad what happened to all the business and African Americans and people of color that had their businesses wiped away. Now, more than ever, I want to be able to show how history can affect our future. To make sure we understand our history and know that there were people that paved the way and had to struggle and things were taken away from them. I want to be able to share that with the world and the significance of Black Wall Street.&rdquo;
The Tulsa Race Massacre took place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when vicious mobs of white residents -- many of them deputized and given guns and ammo by actual city officials -- attacked Black residents and businesses in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has been called &ldquo;the single worst incident of racial violence in American history," as more than 35 square blocks of the district, at the time the wealthiest Black community in the country known as Black Walk Street, was destroyed.
Much respect to Russell Westbrook for bringing this story to the world.&nbsp;

Etan Thomas applauds Russell Westbrook for bringing the story of Black Wall Street to the world.

Much respect to Russell Westbrook for shedding light on Tulsa Race Massacre in new doc

Ethan Fuller breaks down the NBA landscape with over half the league hovering close to a .500 record.

NBA Sour Rankings: How to understand the spectrum of mediocrity

After beating the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat back-to-back, the Utah Jazz are now 22-5 and they&rsquo;ve won 18 of their last 19 games. Add reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to the long list of people they have impressed, as he had nothing but praise for the Jazz after they defeated his Bucks.&nbsp;
"[They're] the best team in the West," Antetokounmpo said. "It just looks fun. Like when I watch them play, it looks fun, it looks easy. It looks simple. For sure, they look like us last year, and man, when you're at that point and you're playing with that confidence, you're hard to beat, for sure.&rdquo;
The Jazz are very well-rounded team. They had four players score 20+ points against the Bucks: Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles each had 27 points, while Donovan Mitchell poured in 26 (plus eight assists and six rebounds) and Jordan Clarkson contributed 25 off the bench. And in their victory over the Heat, five players scored in double-figures.
Now, let&rsquo;s revisit that awkward moment between Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and Mitchell from the Jan. 21 episode of &ldquo;Inside the NBA.&rdquo;&nbsp;
During the post-game interview on TNT, Shaq told Mitchell: &ldquo;I said tonight that you are one of my favorite players, but you don&rsquo;t have what it takes to get to the next level. I said it on purpose, and I wanted you to hear it. What do you have to say about that?&rdquo;
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For context, Mitchell had just finished lighting up the scoreboard, dropping an efficient 36 points to lead Utah to their seventh-straight win. It was a very unexpected statement (to say the least) and the entire basketball world took a collective gasp.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Alright...&rdquo; Mitchell simply replied. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it?&rdquo; Shaq asked. After a long, awkward pause and an attempt to shrug off the odd, untimely comment, Mitchell added: &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it. That&rsquo;s it. Shaq, I&rsquo;ve been hearing that since my rookie year. I&rsquo;m just going to get better and do what I do.&rdquo;
Shaq&rsquo;s comments were met with a great deal of criticism. Why would the NBA legend stoop to that level and try to publicly embarrass Mitchell? Was he trying to tear him down? Is Shaq an undeniable hater?
Some wondered if Shaq was attempting to motivate Mitchell. Was this some kind of 4D-chess, Zen-Master, Jedi-mind-trick move to light a fire under Mitchell and the entire Jazz team? Did he actually have good intentions, but the exchange was poorly executed? Maybe. 
Regardless, Mitchell and the Jazz have been proving Shaq wrong and making him eat his words.
Mitchell, 24, is averaging a career-high 24.2 points, 5.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. Not only is his team sitting atop the Western Conference, they have the best record in the league. There have even been some whispers throughout the NBA that Mitchell should <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-mvp-most-valuable-player-odds-bets-oddsmakers-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz-gambling-fanduel-betmgm-draftkings-award" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least be mentioned on the list of MVP candidates</a>.
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However, the Jazz are far from a one-man show. This is a balanced offensive attack, with six players scoring in double-figures: Mitchell (24.2), Clarkson (17.4), Mike Conley (16.5), Bojan Bogdanovic (15.8), Gobert (14.0) and Ingles (11.3). Utah boasts historic three-point shooting, as they are making 16.7 three-pointers per game and shooting 39.5% percent from deep. This kind of efficiency is unprecedented; not even the Splash-Brothers-led Warriors or James-Harden-led Rockets shot the ball this well! Also, their terrific chemistry and impressive commitment to ball movement have been on display this season.
On the other end, the Jazz have the NBA&rsquo;s second-best defense, allowing just 104.5 points per 100 possessions. This team is committed to stifling opposing offenses and it helps that they have the NBA&rsquo;s premier defender locking down the paint. Gobert is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and the Jazz&rsquo;s anchor who sets the tone with his defense-first mentality.&nbsp;
Put this all together and you have a team that can dominate on both ends of the court, and that's exactly what they've done on most nights. At 22-5, this is the Jazz&rsquo;s best start in franchise history. Not bad for a team that Shaq said didn&rsquo;t have what it takes to win the championship.&nbsp;
Interestingly, during the Jazz&rsquo;s recent win over the Boston Celtics, Shaq took credit for Mitchell&rsquo;s play (although his numbers are almost identical to where they were prior to his public criticism).&nbsp;
&nbsp;"I never hate, I just try to give constructive criticism,&rdquo; Shaq said. &ldquo;My whole career I've been a leader and motivate my players a certain way. So, you're welcome Utah."
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Shaq on Donovan Mitchell "I never hate, I just try to give constructive criticism. My whole career I've been a leader and motivate my players a certain way. So, you're welcome Utah." <a href="https://t.co/0BKUZ07EXa">pic.twitter.com/0BKUZ07EXa</a>
&mdash; gifdsports (@gifdsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/gifdsports/status/1359357636433620992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Perhaps people would've reacted differently to this exchange with Mitchell if this was the first time Shaq had done something of this nature, but he has developed quite a list of priors when it comes to hating. He has consistently taken shots at JaVale McGee, he&rsquo;s constantly bashing Dwight Howard, and he has repeatedly criticized Gobert ever since the big man signed his $200-million deal.&nbsp;
Recently, Howard was on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-dwight-howard-los-angeles-lakers-philadelphia-76ers-free-agency-shaquille-shaq-oneal-married-championship-redemption-title" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my show, &ldquo;The Rematch,&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;and I asked him about Shaq&rsquo;s critiques. Why is Shaq always going after him? Is there some beef between them?
&ldquo;I have no clue! It's crazy,&rdquo; Howard said. &ldquo;When I first got to the [Lakers], me and JaVale was like, &lsquo;Yo, did you do something to Shaq?&rsquo; And he was like, &lsquo;Bro, I don't know, man! Like, he's always talking about us!&rsquo; And I'm like, &lsquo;Yeah, man, he is! It&rsquo;s crazy!&rsquo; Then, I was like, &lsquo;Man, let's jump him,&rsquo; and then we just laughed. (laughs) But I realize that you can't please everybody&hellip; The way you deal with that is kill him with kindness instead of going back and forth with him and saying things.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I still think he's probably the most dominant player to ever play the game. But if I had anything negative to say about him, I won't ever say that in the public eye or say it where people can hear it because I don't think it's necessary. He has family, has kids and people who love him, and I just wasn't brought up that way. So, I respect him for all the work he's done. I wish we could play each other again, so I could end this beef. (laughs) But I have a lot of love for him and the things he's done for the sport. And the way to beat him is to continue to play at a high level and not allow anything that's negative to get to my ears, and just stay focused.&rdquo;
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During BasketballNews.com&rsquo;s recent <a href="https://twitter.com/bballnewsdotcom/status/1353879647927332869">NBA Watch Party live-stream</a>, NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin shared how he would&rsquo;ve reacted if he were in Mitchell&rsquo;s position and Shaq made the same comment to him.
&ldquo;I would&rsquo;ve had a rebuttal and they would've had to go to commercial,&rdquo; Martin said. "I would've told Shaq exactly what he can do&hellip; Yeah, it would've been bad. Like, straight up: I just played my ass off out here and you got [something negative to say]? You don't know the work I put in. You don&rsquo;t know what I'm doing to enhance my game or make my team better. That&rsquo;s the problem, these dudes just be on TV [saying anything]... I don&rsquo;t need you to motivate me, Shaq. I can motivate myself. He basically told him he ain't getting it done.&rdquo;
Shaq may very well believe that he was &ldquo;motivating&rdquo; Mitchell by challenging him on live TV in front of the entire basketball world and telling him publicly that he didn&rsquo;t think he was good enough to lead the Jazz to a championship and then awkwardly asking for his reaction. But in reality, he could&rsquo;ve &ldquo;motivated&rdquo; him in a much different way. He could&rsquo;ve pulled him to the side as an OG who&rsquo;s held in high regard and respected throughout the league and challenged him behind closed doors instead of attempting to publicly embarrass him and crush his spirits on the NBA&rsquo;s biggest platform (&ldquo;Inside the NBA&rdquo;).
Best-case scenario? The Big Aristotle&rsquo;s strategy was to give the Jazz a villain or someone to hate, who they could then focus on proving wrong. But that may be giving Shaq too much credit. He may have simply transformed into the grumpy, old, get-off-my-lawn former player who gets his kicks by bashing younger players. We all hope it&rsquo;s not the latter. An apology to Donovan Mitchell and an admission that he was wrong would definitely help show that he isn&rsquo;t in that category. 
Everyone is wrong sometimes; it takes a big man to actually admit when that's the case.

Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz have been making Shaquille O'Neal eat his words, writes former NBA veteran Etan Thomas.

Shaquille O'Neal owes Donovan Mitchell a public apology

Ethan Fuller breaks down the biggest takeaways from the NBA preseason.

NBA Sour Rankings: Preseason Overreactions

The Mavericks are willing to take on large salaries from a team to acquire a star player, sources say. Dallas is building the roster around its two stars, Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, and could emerge as a destination for top talent.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://theathletic.com/2140002/2020/10/15/nba-free-agency-news-and-rumors-anthony-davis-and-lakers-decisions-heat-contracts-and-more-goran-dragic-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic </a>
ANALYSIS: Mark Cuban and the Dallas front office do not seem overly concerned about hitting the luxury tax as they have their eyes set out on building a championship roster. Dallas, who has been rumored to be<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-free-agency-giannis-antetokounmpo-dallas-mavericks"> interested in pursuing Antetokounmpo,</a> will aggressively look at adding a third star to form a Big Three that would include Doncic and Porzingis. Porzingis has had his injury scares, but Dallas is very confident that he can be the same guy that was lighting up the NBA while in New York. And we all know what Luka Doncic can do on the floor with the ball in his hands.
It will be interesting to see which star players (besides Giannis) the Mavericks will pursue this offseason.

Dallas is willing to take on large salaries in order to land a third star to build around Doncic and Porzingis.

Mavs will take on large contracts; want 3rd star

There is something pretty disorienting about the NBA's bubble-basketball stage.&nbsp;&nbsp;
You'll notice this if you watch highlights of the 2019-20 NBA season prior to the pandemic and compare it to the on-court product in the bubble. The floorspace is wider without the courtside seats (allowing for deeper inbound passes), the silences are awkward (allowing for audible taunts from seated players) and with the absence of fans in the stands, the emphasis has been on team benches (and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/los-angeles-clippers-dj-andrew-kinzel-nba-restart-orlando-bubble" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bubble DJs</a>) to replicate the mouth-foaming energy and intensity of a packed playoff atmosphere. How has this strange arrangement impacted the actual play? I&rsquo;ve been pondering that quite a bit. 
The first thought that bounced around during the seeding games by players and fans alike was that the lack of peripheral distractions may benefit shooters most (as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-scoring-up-bubble-offenses-vinny-del-negro-coach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Vinny Del Negro wrote about</a>), the assumption being that specialists would replicate their reps in empty gyms. Now that the playoffs have progressed to the Conference Finals, one can&rsquo;t really say whether this has been the case considering cold streaks (and team-wide poor shooting nights versus the best defenses) have been a normal occurrence for all four of the remaining teams. This is not at all to say that series and games have been predictable at all; they&rsquo;re anything but, to say the least. 
The main development that has emerged from this unorthodox postseason is that the lockdown break did nothing to quell existing issues for a certain few franchises. In fact, months apart seems to have exacerbated these problems, causing them to bubble up and spill over during the most inconvenient moments and, in some cases, in monumentally embarrassing fashion.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The first two instances of viewers falling into an alternate reality where up is down were with the collapses of the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks. Neither franchise is new to the experience of falling short, but there was something especially strange about their postseason demise this year. 
The Rockets raised eyebrows midseason due to the implementation of a full-time small-ball system. Rather than experimenting with this futuristic style of play, they overdosed on it after the acquisition of Robert Covington. A Game 1 win against the Los Angeles Lakers had audiences believing that the Rockets may have been ushering in the inevitable sooner than one would think. With a few simple adjustments of their own, the Lakers presented their own bigger, quicker and more athletic small-ball unit, benching their bigs for the duration of the series and exposing the Rockets&rsquo; dents. These imperfections were largely hidden during the latter part of the regular season by Houston's &lsquo;shiny-new-toy&rsquo; fa&ccedil;ade, but now they became hard to miss.&nbsp;
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As for Milwaukee, a dominant and imposing regular season for the ball club wasn&rsquo;t without skepticism. With the departure of Malcolm Brogdon, questions regarding the subpar guard rotation arose but were quickly shut down by the team's believers. Last postseason, the Bucks lost four-straight games to the Toronto Raptors and everyone treated it like an isolated incident since they ran into a red-hot Kawhi Leonard, a destroyer of worlds. Well, guess what happened in the second round of these playoffs versus the seemingly inferior Miami Heat? The Bucks were eliminated in five games, as Donte DiVincenzo and Wes Matthews failed to fill the secondary offensive-creator role that was once effortlessly occupied by Brogdon. Miami exposed this deficiency, as we had a front-row view of Giannis Antetokounmpo repeatedly forcing the issue right into the same wall he met last postseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;
It would appear to be the luck of the matchup for Miami, but we have witnessed them capture lightning in a bottle once again, commanding 3-1 lead against the third-seeded Boston Celtics (who boast a top-four offense and top-four defense). What was considered a fringe issue with roles and offensive hierarchy (as noted continuously by fans) with Boston&rsquo;s best-five lineup -- consisting of Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum) -- has reared its ugly head, made obvious with their struggles to close tight games during their current run. Starting multiple 20-point scorers has seemingly cultivated an environment of offensive &lsquo;pride,&rsquo; for lack of a better word, rendering several players with the belief that they are each at the top of the pyramid and deserving of the most important shots down the stretch.&nbsp;&nbsp;
My hypothesis? The months-long break from NBA basketball broke the manufactured continuity, delicately rocking rhythm and band-aid fixes that these teams had established throughout the season to maintain their excellence. Subsequently, whatever sense of surprise these teams possessed as an upper hand dissipated with every day of the hiatus, giving their opponents ample time to process and game-plan for their gimmickry and/or overly processed, curated systems. 
There is no better example of this than the historic and incredibly entertaining seven-game series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets portrayed a stark contrast when placed up against their opponent. There's the Mile-High team that toiled away developing their young superstars, experiencing the formative, coming-of-age necessity of youthful, playoff heartbreak that hardens the soul and deadens the eyes. Denver is poised. Their cutters rotate around Nikola Jokic as if he&rsquo;s moving them himself telekinetically. Jamal Murray is displaying a wholeness and richness to his game that point guards don&rsquo;t typically flaunt until their late 20s.&nbsp;&nbsp;
And then there&rsquo;s the Clippers. The running joke throughout the season was that they sometimes played as though they were random pick-up players put onto the same team, rather than the typical theatrical NBA roster with its scripted roles. At their floor, they looked disjointed on both ends and there were complete breakdowns in communications at times (a la Luka Doncic's <a href="https://youtu.be/Vh9z36rYXXs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">game-winner</a>). After months of shooting down reports about their chemistry issues, the Clippers <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-los-angeles-clippers-kawhi-leonard-paul-george-whats-next-salary-cap-free-agency-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finally acknowledged these problems</a>&nbsp;once they were eliminated by Denver.
This year's playoffs come with unique stressors and they have emphasised the importance of clear leadership, versatility and a willingness to adapt. With that in mind, it&rsquo;s somehow no surprise why certain teams (like Miami and Denver) have thrived in the Orlando bubble. They're looking at a pathway to glory, in spite of the noise.

Some NBA teams played their best basketball in the bubble, while others struggled with this arrangement and its unique stressors.

How the NBA bubble exposed some teams, exacerbated issues

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; The Boston Celtics were a tenth of a second away from elimination. The Miami Heat were a tenth of a second from the NBA Finals.
Derrick White owned that final moment.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1662660685023657984?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">White scored on a putback as time expired</a>&nbsp;and the Boston Celtics moved to the brink of the greatest comeback in NBA playoffs history, holding off the Miami Heat 104-103 on Saturday night to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals.
&ldquo;Derrick White, like a flash of lightning, just came out of nowhere and saved the day, man,&rdquo; Boston&rsquo;s Jaylen Brown said. &ldquo;An incredible play.&rdquo;
White knew it was good. Referees reviewed it, but it didn&rsquo;t take long to give the official word.
Elation for Boston. Devastation for Miami.
&ldquo;Ball came to me,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;I made the shot.&rdquo;
Perhaps Boston will call it The Shot.
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DERRICK WHITE JUST SENT THE CELTICS TO GAME SEVEN ARE YOU KIDDING ME 😱😱😱 <a href="https://t.co/CwWBN9FcKM">pic.twitter.com/CwWBN9FcKM</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1662658954256687104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

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White became the second player in NBA history to hit a buzzer-beater with his team trailing and facing elimination &mdash; Michael Jordan&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Shot&rdquo; for Chicago against Cleveland in 1989 being the other.
&ldquo;I was just happy,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;Season was on the line. We don&rsquo;t want to go home.&rdquo;
Jayson Tatum scored 31 points, Brown scored 26 and Marcus Smart added 21 for the Celtics, who became only the fourth NBA team to erase a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series and force a deciding game. The others in that club &mdash; the 1951 New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, the 1994 Denver Nuggets in the second round and the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers in the first round &mdash; all lost Game 7, all on the road.
Boston, however, is going home for its shot at history. Game 7 is Monday night on the Celtics&rsquo; floor, a matchup that&rsquo;ll decide who meets the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets in a title series that will start Thursday.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a seven-game series,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing better than Game 7s.&rdquo;
Jimmy Butler made three free throws with 3.0 seconds left &mdash; the foul was originally called with 2.1 seconds left; referees put 0.9 seconds back on after reviewing the play to see if it was a 3-point try that Al Horford fouled him on &mdash; for a one-point Heat lead. It capped a Miami rally from 10 points down with less than 4 minutes remaining.
The Celtics had White inbound the ball on the game&rsquo;s final possession, and he passed to Smart &mdash; who missed a 3-pointer. But White sprinted from the inbound spot to the rim, the ball fell into his hands and he got the lay-in away just before time ran out to extend Boston&rsquo;s season.
There had been other buzzer-beaters from players whose teams were facing an elimination game, but before Saturday, only Jordan&rsquo;s came with his team trailing.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked what went through his mind at that moment.
&ldquo;Nothing,&rdquo; Mazzulla said. &ldquo;Game 7.&rdquo;
Butler scored 24 points and Caleb Martin had 21 for the Heat, who are trying to pull off their own improbable trek to the title series by being only the second No. 8 seed to make the NBA Finals. They&rsquo;ve now lost as many games this week &mdash; three &mdash; as they had in their first 14 playoff games this spring combined on the way to ousting No. 1 Milwaukee, then No. 5 New York and taking what was supposed to be an insurmountable 3-0 lead over the second-seeded Celtics.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to go on the road and do something special,&rdquo; Butler said. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;ve got a special group.&rdquo;
The Celtics have now won five of their last six East finals games in Miami &mdash; a stretch that includes a Game 7 over the Heat last season to reach the NBA Finals.
That one, obviously, ended the Heat season. At least this time, Miami still has a chance.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how we&rsquo;re going to get this done, but we&rsquo;re going to go out there and get it done,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s what the next 48 hours is about. There&rsquo;s been nothing easy about this season for our group, and so we just have to do it the hard way.&rdquo;
The Heat are the 151st team to grab a 3-0 series lead in a best-of-seven. All 150 of the previous clubs finished the job. But the Celtics have made very clear that they have other ideas, and Mazzulla listed a lot of reasons why.
&ldquo;Faith. Love. Togetherness. Physicality. Belief. Hope.&rdquo; Mazzulla said. &ldquo;All those things combined. It starts with the locker room. Those guys had a choice to make and they chose to believe in each other.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Celtics: The Celtics are 5-0 when facing elimination this season, 3-0 on the road. They beat Philadelphia twice on their way to erasing a 3-2 lead in the East finals, and now have tied this series. &hellip; Malcolm Brogdon (right forearm strain) was downgraded to out about an hour before game time. ... White scored 11 for the Celtics, and Robert Williams III had 10.
Heat: Gabe Vincent scored 15, Duncan Robinson scored 13 and Bam Adebayo added 11 for Miami. ... Diddy was at the game, as was former Heat guard Goran Dragic and Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk. &hellip; Unless Miami wins Game 7 at Boston, it may have been the final home game of Heat forward Udonis Haslem&rsquo;s 20-year career. The Heat are 613-297 in the 910 games in their home arena with Haslem on the roster; that doesn&rsquo;t include the restart bubble&rsquo;s home games in 2020.
GAME 7 HISTORY
The Celtics are 27-9 in Game 7s, winners of their last four &mdash; including one in Miami last season and one earlier this season, against Philadelphia in the East semifinals. They&rsquo;re 1-1 against the Heat all-time in such games (losing the 2012 East finals deciding game in Miami), and 22-5 at home in Game 7.
The Heat are 6-5 all-time in Game 7s, losing their last two (home vs. Boston in 2022, at Toronto in 2016), and are 0-2 when facing such a game on the road. Besides the Raptors game seven years ago, they lost a Game 7 at Atlanta in 2009.

The Celtics moved to the brink of the greatest comeback in NBA history, holding off the Heat 104-103 on Saturday to force a Game 7

White’s putback as time expires lifts Celtics past Heat, forces Game 7

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Down nine early in the third quarter, down 3-0 in the series, the Boston Celtics knew their season was completely on the brink.
Three minutes later, everything looked different.
Jayson Tatum had 34 points and 11 rebounds, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown each added 16 points and the Celtics staved off elimination in the Eastern Conference finals by running away in the second half to beat the Miami Heat 116-99 in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;We were just trying to save our season,&rdquo; Tatum said.
They most definitely found a way to do that. The two big differences: a 33-point edge for the Celtics on 3-pointers, and an 18-0 run in that three-minute, third-quarter spurt that changed the game and &mdash; they hope &mdash; might end up changing the series.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t relax,&rdquo; Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. &ldquo;We have to keep the same level of intensity, the same mindset, the same focus in the next game.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jayson Tatum shines as the <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a> win Game 4 on the road! 34 PTS, 11 REB, 7 AST, 2 BLK, 5 3PM ECF Game 5: Thursday, 8:30pm/et on TNT <a href="https://t.co/prAkjK9aoM">pic.twitter.com/prAkjK9aoM</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1661208318902190080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Grant Williams scored 14, Al Horford added 12 and Marcus Smart scored 11 for the Celtics, who still trail the series 3-1 &mdash; but sent it back to Boston for a Game 5 on Thursday.
Jimmy Butler scored 29 for Miami, which was outscored 48-22 in a 14-minute stretch that turned the game &mdash; and perhaps the series &mdash; completely around. Boston would also have Game 7 on its floor as well if it can keep extending this series.
&ldquo;Tonight we played with pace, purpose,&rdquo; Tatum said. &ldquo;We were getting stops. We were getting out in transition. You see layups and free throws go in, the jump shots start to feel a lot easier.&rdquo;
Gabe Vincent scored 17 for Miami, Caleb Martin had 16 and Bam Adebayo added 10. The Heat shot 8 for 32 on 3-pointers, while Boston was 19 for 45.
No team in NBA history has ever successfully rallied from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series; 150 have tried, 150 have failed.
But the Celtics gave themselves hope.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t really have a choice,&rdquo; Mazzulla said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s do-or-die. Got to stick together.&rdquo;
The Heat led by as many as nine points in the opening quarter, kept the lead for the majority of the first half and were up by nine again when Max Strus connected on a 3-pointer early in the third quarter.
That was the moment where Boston&rsquo;s season was at stake.
And the Celtics responded &mdash; most emphatically.
The 18-0 run took Boston from down nine to up nine, a huge turnaround that took 3 minutes, 3 seconds. The Celtics were 6 of 7 from the floor during the run, 4 of 4 from 3-point range, Tatum had nine of the 18 points and just like that the defending East champions &mdash; who won three playoff games on Miami&rsquo;s home floor in last year&rsquo;s playoffs &mdash; were rolling again.
&ldquo;We always say the last one to get is the hardest one to get,&rdquo; Adebayo said. &ldquo;I knew they would be desperate.&rdquo;
Miami got within four late in the third, only to see another lightning-fast spurt by the Celtics &mdash; this time, seven unanswered points in 40 seconds. Boston&rsquo;s edge was 88-79 going into the fourth, after winning the third quarter 38-23, with 21 of those points coming on 3-pointers.
The Celtics kept the lead the rest of the way.
&ldquo;They got us tonight,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You have to give them credit for that. There&rsquo;s no doubt about it. There&rsquo;s no questioning it. We&rsquo;re not wondering about that. They deserved to win tonight. We have to regroup and get ready for a great opportunity in Boston.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Celtics: Tatum&rsquo;s second 3-pointer of the night was the 220th of his postseason career, passing Paul Pierce for the most in Celtics playoff history. &hellip; Boston&rsquo;s last four-game losing streak was in May 2021, late in the 2020-21 regular season. &hellip; Tatum&rsquo;s jumper with 9:22 left put Boston up seven, stopped a Heat spurt &mdash; and was his first fourth-quarter field goal of the series.
Heat: Vincent left early in the fourth quarter after turning his left ankle. &hellip; Miami was bidding for its first five-game winning streak of the season &mdash; not the postseason, the whole season. Its longest win streak of the regular season was four games, back in December.
HERRO UPDATE
Heat guard Tyler Herro, who broke his right hand in Game 1 of Round 1 at Milwaukee, has his brace off and is resuming workouts. &ldquo;He is starting the process,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no timetable. But he does have the brace off and he&rsquo;s able to do ballhandling and some shooting.&rdquo;
CELEB WATCH
Among the celebrities in the crowd: PGA champion Brooks Koepka (who also was at the Florida Panthers&rsquo; win in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference finals series against Carolina on Tuesday night), NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein, former New York Yankees teammates Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, and actor Jeremy Piven.

The Celtics staved off elimination in the Eastern Conference finals by running away in the second half to beat the Heat 116-99.

Tatum scores 34, Celtics stave off elimination by topping Heat 116-99

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray scored 37 points, Nikola Jokic added 24 points and eight assists, and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals with a 119-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half against his former team for the top-seeded Nuggets, who have never been this close to the NBA Finals in 47 years in the league.
Denver blew a big early lead in Game 3, but made a decisive 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to snap the Lakers&rsquo; nine-game home winning streak since March 26, including seven straight victories since the regular season ended.
No team has rallied from a 3-0 playoff series deficit in NBA history. Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.
Anthony Davis had 28 points and 18 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who hadn&rsquo;t lost three straight games since early February. Los Angeles&rsquo; prolonged, desperate surge ever since the trade deadline has finally run out of steam against the powerhouse Nuggets, who have won five consecutive playoff games.
LeBron James had 23 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for Los Angeles, hitting three 3-pointers after starting the series 0 for 13 from distance. Austin Reaves added 23 points and seven rebounds, but Rui Hachimura was the only other Lakers scorer to crack double figures with 13 points.
Jokic&rsquo;s streak of four consecutive triple-doubles ended in a fairly quiet game for the two-time MVP. But Murray scored 17 points in a dynamic first quarter following his 23-point fourth quarter two nights ago, and he had 30 points by halftime of Game 3.
Bruce Brown scored 15 points and hit a key 3-pointer down the stretch for the Nuggets before Jokic all but iced it on a 3-pointer with 3:17 to play.
The Lakers&rsquo; passionate fans turned out in force for the 17-time champion franchise&rsquo;s first conference finals games at home since 2010, the year of their last title. Los Angeles tried desperately to get back in the series, with James playing 43 minutes after spraining his left ankle in Game 2 on top of his already sore right foot.
But the Nuggets&rsquo; flight to the coast didn&rsquo;t cool off Murray in the slightest: After lighting up the Lakers to close Game 2, the Canadian guard made his first five shots in Game 3 and poured in 17 points in the first quarter &mdash; even while Jokic went scoreless for the second straight quarter.
Murray&rsquo;s fourth 3-pointer of the night made him 11 of 13 from the field for 26 points midway through the second quarter, scoring more than half of Denver&rsquo;s points at an unbelievable pace. Reaves and Davis kept the Lakers in it, with Reaves racking up 15 points, three assists and three rebounds in the second quarter alone.
Hachimura&rsquo;s 3-pointer early in the fourth gave the Lakers their first lead since the opening minutes, but the Nuggets took charge again in a rally highlighted by Brown&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 7:02 to play, after which he taunted the Lakers&rsquo; bench with Los Angeles&rsquo; own &ldquo;Freeze&rdquo; 3-point celebration.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had another rough game for the Lakers, scoring three points on 1-of-8 shooting in 20 minutes. Russell was the Lakers&rsquo; biggest addition in their trade deadline transformation, but the point guard has just 21 points in this three-game series.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Aaron Gordon had seven points in 32 minutes. ... Michael Porter Jr. had 14 points and 10 rebounds, capped by a 3-pointer in the final 90 seconds.
Lakers: Backup C Mo Bamba missed his ninth consecutive game with a sore left ankle. The team is hopeful Bamba can play at some point in this series. ... Fans near courtside included Jack Nicholson, Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Andy Garcia, Dyan Cannon, Ken Jeong, Joel McHale, LA Kings captain Anze Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty, and Khalil Mack, Derwin James and Sebastian Joseph-Day from the Los Angeles Chargers&rsquo; defense.

The Denver Nuggets rolled to a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals with a 119-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

Nuggets on brink of NBA Finals with 119-108 win over Lakers in Game 3

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; The transfer portal. Name, image and likeness deals. Sixth-year seniors. Conference realignment. The ever-shifting prospects of the one-and-done rule.
The once semipredictable ground that underpinned college basketball has been changing at lightning speed over the past 24 months, leaving coaches and their bosses scrambling to adjust to whatever comes next.
The NCAA Tournament closes out Monday when UConn plays San Diego State, and will go down as one of the most unpredictable ever. Unanswered is the question of whether the shifting landscape in college sports was the reason for all bracket madness or simply background noise for an event that is always hard to handicap.
Either way, things are changing and coaches are trying to adjust on the fly.
&ldquo;These might be some of the greatest challenges we&rsquo;re facing with the portal and NIL and just lack of direction and rules and regulations,&rdquo; said Mark Few of Gonzaga, a perennial powerhouse that has reached the Sweet 16 in eight straight seasons.
The four teams that made it to Houston &mdash; Florida Atlantic and Miami saw their seasons end Saturday &mdash; got here in part because they adapted quickly. All four added players from the transfer portal, some of whom were given an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, and some of whom were lured by the promise of sponsorship money under the loosely regulated NIL system.&nbsp;
Very few coaches want to go on record saying that allowing players to earn money through NIL or to freely move around in a billion-dollar business that imposes no such restrictions on the coaches themselves is a bad thing.
Few also want to touch on the bottom line of conference realignment, which is placing familiar schools in strange places &mdash; Texas in the Southeastern Conference and UCLA and USC in the Big Ten &mdash; in the service of generating more revenue.
And none want to be painted as dinosaurs who don&rsquo;t believe players should share in the game&rsquo;s considerable financial windfall.
Some, however, concede they are uneasy about the implications of all this.
&ldquo;I wish someone would understand the effect of the system,&rdquo; Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. &ldquo;The story is the number of kids who have been adversely affected by the climate as it is today.&rdquo;
Hamilton is not the only coach concerned by a recent NCAA study that showed 43% of Division I athletes who enter the transfer portal &mdash; taking advantage of their newfound ability to switch schools without having to sit out a year &mdash; end up without a place to play.
&ldquo;Is it great that 43% of young people decided to remove themselves from an experience of a lifetime?&rdquo; said UMass coach Frank Martin. &ldquo;People talk about a lot of the great things happening for young students now, but nobody really talks about that.&rdquo;
Now, the one-and-done rule, which used to be considered one of the biggest destabilizers in college sports, is barely a blip on the radar. For most of the past year, the NBA had made it a priority to eliminate the 17-year-old rule from the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. But that got scuttled at the last minute, and the rule will remain.
&ldquo;However it all shakes out, what I want is whatever is best for the kids,&rdquo; said Kentucky coach John Calipari, who for years has embraced the one-and-done system.
Calipari said he&rsquo;s more concerned about &ldquo;27-year-olds playing against 19-year-olds.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s an issue that we&rsquo;re going to have to deal with that we&rsquo;re totally avoiding,&rdquo; he said.
The extra year of eligibility granted because of COVID-19, combined with redshirt years being handed out for varying reasons, has, indeed, extended some players&rsquo; careers into their mid-20s.
Exhibit A: Since the NBA trade deadline last month, the Houston Cougars, who came into the tournament as a No. 1 seed and were ousted in the Sweet 16, had a starting five that was older than the starters for NBA&rsquo;s rebuilding Houston Rockets.
Exhibit B: Including 25-year-old guard Adam Seiko, San Diego State has four key contributors who are in their fifth or sixth year of college.
The NCAA is taking somewhat of a passive approach to all of the issues. It has largely refused to get into the regulation of NIL deals, instead leaving it to state governments to decide. Last week, Congress held the latest in a series of hearings that resolved nothing, even as the NCAA asks for a national standard.
&ldquo;I think one athletic director said that the only truth about NIL is that everybody lies,&rdquo; the NCAA&rsquo;s new president, Charlie Baker, said in a brief interview at the Final Four.
Baker would like to see the creation of a registry of contracts, financial literacy programs for families, a certification process for agents and a uniform standard contract for NIL deals.
For now, though, NIL and the portal have produced a free-for-all.
It played out at FAU, where coach Dusty May said some of his players were being approached while the team was in the middle of its run.
In another instance, after a run to the Sweet 16 last season, Maryland&rsquo;s women lost five players, including two who made it to the Final Four with their new teams this year. (The Terps still made the Elite Eight this year.)
Before the tournament started, Belmont women&rsquo;s coach Jamey Givens, whose Bruins missed the tournament after upsetting Oregon in the first round, last year put a fine point on it, tweeting good luck to all the teams in the tournament &mdash; &ldquo;except for those who have been actively recruiting off our roster all spring.&rdquo;
Martin, a former high school math teacher who got fired at South Carolina five seasons after reaching the Final Four, has long leaned into the importance of athletes getting an education. He is also a realist and an optimist, trying to thread the needle in a rapidly changing landscape.
&ldquo;For the most part, we tend to be fairly intelligent people who adapt,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll figure it out, and we&rsquo;ll adapt, and we&rsquo;ll grow.&rdquo;

The once semipredictable ground that underpinned college basketball has been changing at lightning speed the last two years.

As Final Four closes, basketball on unpredictable ground

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; The Sacramento Kings might just be riding the beam all the way to the NBA playoffs.
The resurgent Kings are on the verge of ending the longest postseason drought in league history, with first-year coach Mike Brown employing a fast-paced offense led by the dynamic duo of De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis to put Sacramento in first place in the Pacific Division.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great feeling. It&rsquo;s great because it&rsquo;s my first time,&rdquo; Fox said of being in the playoff hunt. &ldquo;This is something we want to make annual. We want to be contending for a title. ... It&rsquo;s great for the city and organization. We still want bigger things for ourselves.&rdquo;
The Kings (43-29) are in third place in the Western Conference and might be able to clinch the franchise&rsquo;s first playoff berth since 2006 during the final three games of a four-game homestand that ends Monday night against Minnesota.
The 16 seasons without a playoff berth are the longest in NBA history and the longest active postseason drought among any team in the NBA, NFL, NHL or Major League Baseball.
&ldquo;I do feel that that group believes in themselves, not just because I&rsquo;m telling them they&rsquo;re good, but because they&rsquo;ve actually gone out and proven it time after time after time, whether it&rsquo;s individually in certain situations or collectively as a team,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;When you have a team that believes, they can be dangerous. You&rsquo;ve got a connected team that believes, they can be a very dangerous team and that&rsquo;s what our group is right now.&rdquo;
The Kings are also one of the best feel-good stories of the NBA this season with an entertaining style of basketball that leads the league in scoring at 120.9 points per game for the highest mark in the league since 1983-84.
Each win at home is punctuated with the lighting of the beam &mdash; a beam of light from purple lasers atop the Golden 1 Center &mdash; and fans have even chanted for the beam at road games around the country.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s like a playoff atmosphere every night,&rdquo; swingman Kevin Huerter, one of the key offseason acquisitions, said after a recent home win. &ldquo;The only thing that&rsquo;s missing is handing out the T-shirts and maybe some towels, whatever they&rsquo;re doing for the playoffs. But it really is this every night.&rdquo;
The Kings have been one of the most success-starved franchises since moving to Sacramento in 1985. They had a losing record in each of their first 14 seasons in California, winning just one playoff game.
That all changed in 1999 when general manager Geoff Petrie and coach Rick Adelman built a winner around players like Chris Webber, Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic that played an entertaining style in a grind-it-out era that nearly delivered a championship.
The Kings posted eight straight winning records and playoff berths under Adelman, but lost a heartbreaking seven-game series to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002 and then saw their title hopes derailed the following year when Webber went down with a serious knee injury in the second round of the playoffs.
Adelman kept the team competitive through 2006 but was let go following a second straight first-round playoff exit.
Then the dark era began with 16 straight losing seasons under 11 coaches, an ownership change and fears that the city would lose its only major pro team to Seattle.
Vivek Ranadive bought the team from the Maloof family in 2013 and kept the team in Sacramento by building a downtown arena, but there was no on-court success until this year.
The Kings traded away star DeMarcus Cousins and botched several high draft picks. But they have been revived following last year&rsquo;s trade with Indiana that sent promising guard Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana for a playmaking big man in Sabonis and the decision to hire Brown as coach.
Sabonis proved to be the perfect piece to team with the speedy Fox, giving Sacramento a dynamic duo.
Fox is averaging 25.4 points per game and has been the best clutch scorer in the league this season, scoring double figures in the fourth quarter a league-high 25 times.
Sabonis, acquired in a controversial trade from Indiana midway through last season for promising guard Tyrese Haliburton, has been the perfect piece to team with Fox with his playmaking ability as a big man. Sabonis is averaging 19 points, 12.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists with 12 triple-doubles.
Add in outside shooting from Huerter and rookie Keegan Murray, the veteran presence of Harrison Barnes and scoring off the bench from Malik Monk and the Kings have gained the attention of other contenders.
&ldquo;Give a lot of credit to Mike Brown,&rdquo; Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. &ldquo;He has the guys playing a lot better. Fox is playing at an All-NBA level. Sabonis has been great for them. They play with so much pace. All those guys have a lot more confidence.
&ldquo;When you&rsquo;re playing with confidence, it naturally opens things up for the individual and the group.&rdquo;
___
AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report&nbsp;

The resurgent Kings are on the verge of ending the longest postseason drought in league history.

Success-starved Kings close in on long-awaited playoff berth

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Johnell Davis scored 29 points, Alijah Martin added 14 and Florida Atlantic ended Fairleigh Dickinson&rsquo;s magical March by outlasting the No. 16 seed 78-70 on Sunday night in the NCAA Tournament.
The ninth-seeded Owls (33-3) needed everything they had to put away the Knights (21-16), who stunned top-seeded Purdue on Friday night in just the second 16-over-1 upset i n men&rsquo;s tournament history.
It will be FAU, not FDU, which will play Tennessee in the Sweet 16 on Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
&ldquo;My team just believed in me,&rdquo; said Davis, a junior from Gary, Indiana. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a dream come true.&rdquo;
The Knights couldn&rsquo;t come up with an encore after eliminating Purdue, but not before putting up a fight to the finish. After the final horn, coach Tobin Anderson and FDU&rsquo;s players walked across the floor to thank their fans, most of whom never expected to spend five days in Ohio watching their team make history.
Demetre Roberts scored 20 points and Sean Moore had 14 for FDU, which didn&rsquo;t even win the Northeast Conference tournament before becoming an NCAA team that won&rsquo;t soon be forgotten.
FAU, which edged Memphis on Friday for the school&rsquo;s first NCAA tourney win, finally took control late in the second half of a game that was played at high speeds and at times looked more like a playground pickup game.
Davis made 10 of 16 shots. He also had 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals.
FDU was still within 67-64 when Davis fought for a rebound and made a putback. After Roberts missed a long 3, FAU&rsquo;s Bryan Greenlee knocked down a 3-pointer and the Owls pushed their lead to 10.
The Knights managed to get within 76-70, and still had a chance when Greenlee missed two free throws. But Roberts, FDU&rsquo;s lightning-quick 5-foot-8 guard, misfired on a layup, and the graduate student who followed Anderson to FDU from a Division II school began to untuck his jersey knowing his tournament was over.
Anderson, who turned around a program that went 4-22 a year ago, told his players not to foul and let the final seconds run off. But FAU&rsquo;s Martin tried and missed a 360-degree dunk, leading to an awkward exchange and tense postgame handshake between Anderson and Owls coach Dusty May.
&ldquo;I apologized to him for that but also reminded him we&rsquo;re the adults,&rdquo; May said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to fix that behavior. It&rsquo;s part of the game. I apologized to him.&rdquo;
FDU came up short in its bid to become the first No. 16 to win twice in the tournament. The same thing happened to UMBC five years ago, when it shocked defending champion Virginia and then lost to Kansas State in the second round.

Johnell Davis scored 29 points, Alijah Martin added 14 and Florida Atlantic ended Fairleigh Dickinson’s magical March.

Florida Atlantic tops Fairleigh Dickinson for Sweet 16 spot

In an absolute stunner to kick off NBA trade deadline day, the Phoenix Suns have reportedly acquired Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029) and a 2028 pick swap. TJ Warren is also heading back to the Suns with Durant.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Suns are sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, a 2028 pick swap for Durant and TJ Warren, sources tell ESPN. Durant wanted move and new owner Mat Ishbia pushed to get deal done tonight. <a href="https://t.co/fqFUMIDllo">https://t.co/fqFUMIDllo</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623564676066934785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

The news was initially reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1623564019037614082?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the framework</a> by The Athletic's Shams Charania.
It has been a whirlwind first 48 hours of Suns new owner Mat Ishbia taking charge, and he has absolutely made a splash in his debut with general manager James Jones helping pull this off. Phoenix had been deeply interested in Durant over the summer, but failed to meet the Nets' demands in return.
With Kyrie Irving traded to Dallas earlier this week, Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks and owner Joe Tsai have pivoted to retooling their franchise, leading to the Suns pouncing on the 13-time All-Star forward's availability.
Durant is lighting up the scoreboard once again this season, averaging 29.7 points on a sizzling 55.9% from the field, including career-best clips from 3-to-10 feet (60.8%) and 10-to-16 feet (60.3%). He should fit in like a glove next to a prolific scorer in Devin Booker and a dynamite table-setter in Chris Paul.

In an absolute stunner to kick off NBA trade deadline day, the Suns have reportedly acquired Kevin Durant from the Nets.

Suns acquire Kevin Durant in shocking blockbuster with Nets

This isn't the Boston Celtics offense that many have come to know and, at various points, loathe.
The Celtics wield the best offensive rating in basketball. They're off to a 10-3 start this season and have scored 110 or more points in 11-of-13 contests. And most impressively, in a year where transition play is on the rise and the leaguewide halfcourt offensive rating is actually down from the past two seasons, Boston has been historically unstoppable.
According to Cleaning the Glass, the C's are averaging 107.6 points per 100 possessions of halfcourt offense. That would be by far the highest number in the history of the site's database, which tracks back to 2003-04. The gap between Boston and second-place Dallas (101.7) is equal to the gap between the Mavericks and the 14th-place Chicago Bulls.&nbsp;
The Celtics are shredding opponents nearly every single night, even as their top-ranked defense from last season is still working out early-season kinks.&nbsp;
It's not like Boston completely overhauled its roster. Malcolm Brogdon was a key offseason signing, as was Sam Hauser (we'll touch on both of them), but the core of the rotation is the same. Payton Pritchard, the best shooter on last year's team, no longer receives regular minutes.&nbsp;
As far as passing &mdash; the Celtics hand out 275.5 passes per game, which ranks tied for 22nd in the NBA, according to Second Spectrum. They average 3.18 seconds per touch (ranked t-15th) and 2.41 dribbles per touch (ranked t-10th). So the ball isn't constantly buzzing around the court &mdash; instead, the Celtics are emphasizing purposeful ball movement with their spacing and driving.
&ldquo;We want to put pressure on the rim, we want to finish at the basket,&rdquo; Al Horford said <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/11/11/sports/celtics-set-tone-early-wire-to-wire-win-over-nuggets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after Friday's win against the Denver Nuggets</a>. &ldquo;At the same time, we have to have good spacing around [Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown] in case that doesn&rsquo;t happen. We play inside-out. We get those threes. It&rsquo;s just the way our lineups are. We have five shooters out there, so we&rsquo;re really spreading it out.&rdquo;
The success obviously starts with Jayson Tatum's career year. The 24-year-old is in the midst of his most efficient season ever, averaging a career-best 132.1 points per 100 shot attempts to power his 31.4 points per game. He's shooting 38.7% from long range and decreasing his turnover rate despite being a notoriously slow-starting player.&nbsp;
Tatum's most eye-popping statistic so far is his absurd 79% finishing rate at the rim. Most of those buckets are self-created, where he has taken yet another step forward as a decisive driver while adding hints of a floater game. However, I'd like to steer over to his assisted attempts at the basket. Tatum is 25-for-29 (86.2%) on shots within 10 feet where he held the basketball for less than two seconds. That's unsurprisingly a career-high, per PBP Stats, and it also comes on his highest frequency of attempts in the last four seasons.&nbsp;
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It is always easier to accelerate without dribbling a basketball. Boston has used that knowledge by giving Tatum off-ball screens to let him loose and having him surprise teams with delayed cuts (Adam Taylor of CelticsBlog <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/11/9/23448847/why-the-boston-celtics-utilized-delayed-cuts-against-the-memphis-grizzlies-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown?_gl=1*dkhxh0*" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote a nice article about those</a>). You'll also see him work as a screen-and-slipper in the above reel.
The goal is to either manufacture a driving lane for Tatum or force a switch onto a bad matchup in bad positioning. Jaden Ivey doesn't stand a chance in his effort against a speeding Tatum. Help defenders aren't even prepared to rotate in some of the other clips.
You'll notice one possession where Marcus Smart feeds a cutting Tatum out of a post-up &mdash; leading us to the next hidden offensive development.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Marcus Smart up to 48 assists and just six turnovers in his last five games. Easily the best stretch of his career on that front.
&mdash; Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianTRobb/status/1591619131719270400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Smart's point guard wizardry has been on full display this season. Quietly, he's also become a post hub for the Celtics. According to Second Spectrum, Smart is posting up 1.6 times per game this season. That might not seem like much, but it it's actually 44th among all NBA players and second among all guards. Also, it's close to double his volume from 2021-22.&nbsp;
What's happening on those plays? In 21 total post touches, Smart has converted 6-of-8 shot attempts, passed the ball 11 times for four assists, and coughed up a single turnover. His 19.0% assist rate out of the post is third among all players with at least 10 total post-ups this season.
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Smart knows when to bully his way to the basket against weaker guards. He can then finish through them or turnaround and hit short jumpers. He's also more of a quarterback out of the post, directing cutters and disguising his true intentions, as shown when he hits Horford and Jaylen Brown for assists.&nbsp;
Speaking of Horford &mdash; his own marksmanship has made some of the spacing he spoke about particularly effective. He's taking over half of his shots from behind the arc and drilling them at a 48% clip. And, after scarcely shooting corner threes for most of his career, the 36-year-old has exploded to start the season:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">Year</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">Corner 3PT Frequency</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">Corner 3PT%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2018-19 (Celtics)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">3%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2019-20 (76ers)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">5%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2020-21 (Thunder)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">5%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">22%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2021-22 (Celtics)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">13%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">40%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">2022-23 (Celtics)</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">27%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%;">48%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
According to PBP Stats, the Celtics lead the NBA with 13.5 three-point assists per game. Horford headlines the beneficiaries. &nbsp;
&ldquo;Mentally, I&rsquo;m getting in that mindset of I&rsquo;m shooting more threes and that&rsquo;s just what it is," Horford told Bobby Manning of <a href="https://www.clnsmedia.com/al-horford-thriving-in-shooting-role-as-celtics-offense-soars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLNS Media</a>. "The game continues to change, and for me, it&rsquo;s just trying to find a way that I can change too.&rdquo;
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Boston's five-out sets turn Horford into a lethal corner weapon. The Celtics use guard and wing screens frequently (exemplified with Smart in the first clip) that give a plus passer the space to make reads in the middle of the floor. Defenses have to collapse to some degree, which means Horford gets more space.&nbsp;
Then, you have dynamic individual drivers like Tatum, Brown and Brogdon who can fold defenses on their own and make corner kick-outs to Horford. Even Tatum's off-ball gravity pays off for Horford; look at how he makes a mid-air exta pass off of his designed play to a Horford three-pointer in the third clip.
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Horford's success is a testament to Boston's ability to create open looks for their center, as well as his own improved consistency from long range. Brogdon's addition has helped generate those chances for Horford and others.
When the Celtics acquired Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers this summer, his swing skill for the franchise was his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/ethan-fuller?page=4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unstoppable driving prowess</a>. The trait has blended seamlessly into Boston's new-look offense. Brogdon leads the team in drives per game and is shooting a strong 53.8% on driving shot attempts. His 14.0% assist rate on drives places him eighth among 64 high-volume drives in the NBA (with at least eight drives per game).&nbsp;
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In these two examples, Brogdon draws in&nbsp;three&nbsp;Memphis Grizzlies defenders before making the appropriate kick-out. His physicality and ball control almost guarantees a paint touch. Then, he can get all the way to the basket if he has a lane, or send a pass back to the perimeter. Or option three: the Celtics continue to move well off the ball and he finds a cutter, like so:
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Malcolm Brogdon automatic paint touch ✔️ Jaylen Brown read and react cut into a lane ✔️ This is what the Celtics should love to see <a href="https://t.co/KRebKViDXE">pic.twitter.com/KRebKViDXE</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1589010044456079360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Brogdon and the rest of Boston's attacking players need perimeter threats to make a driving, swinging offense hum. Grant Williams is a surefire sharpshooter at this point, and guys like Tatum, Horford and Derrick White have also started hot. But the latter three have a streaky history and are likely to cool off.
Sam Hauser might just be legit.
The second-year forward was a two-way player for Boston who primarily spent last season with the Maine Celtics (long live the Red Claws!). The franchise expressed confidence throughout the offseason that he could make the leap, though, and he slid right into the rotation spot that would have presumably been occupied by Danilo Gallinari.&nbsp;
Hauser has silenced all doubters so far. He's hitting 45.6% of his three-pointers, good for 15th in the NBA, and has canned some spectacular difficult shots. One of the key weaknesses Boston stumbled upon in last year's playoffs was that, despite Grant Williams shooting the lights out, defenses rarely keyed in on Celtics role-players beyond the arc. No one threatened enough to pull attention from Tatum and Brown.&nbsp;
This year, Hauser can build a resume worthy of defensive attention.&nbsp;
The 24-year-old is averaging 1.54 points per possession on spot-up plays this season, which slots him seventh among 220 qualifying players. Hauser exudes confidence, barely appearing to think before he pulls the trigger (in a good way):
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He's not really a Duncan-Robinson-type who flies around screens or a Payton-Pritchard-type who steps into pull-ups. Hauser just constantly relocates and capitalizes on the space he receives while Boston's other players bend the defense. Notice how several of these attempts are open &mdash; for now, defenses still would rather contain Boston's star drivers instead of Hauser's three-ball.
That's going to change if he keeps lighting up the arc. If Hauser can remain a playable defensive piece and be enough of a threat to attack closeouts, in addition to his volume and efficiency from deep &mdash; look out. Defenses will have no choice to play the numbers game and focus more on Hauser, and that will in turn make driving the ball easier for the Celtics.
Boston ultimately has so many critical offensive developments compounding on top of each other. The Celtics' juggernaut vibe exists because the players recognize each other's strengths and have learned how to reverberate off each other. It's still very, very early; defenses will build up a film database and send counters, and the true test for this team will be how it adapts throughout the year.&nbsp;
But a hot start under a new coach is always welcome, and the stampede of complementary successes makes this Celtics offense appear built for the long haul.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>I barely even mentioned Grant Williams! He deserves a shout-out because he is averaging a ludicrous 155.7 points per shot attempt, according to Cleaning the Glass. That's the best mark among 229 NBA players who have logged at least 200 minutes this season.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Yesterday, we ran a stats-based check-in with our followers on Twitter, offering up neat numbers for players who have not received enough love this year. Here are two highlights:</li>
</ul>
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Romeo Langford is crushing it in the short mid-range 🔥 He&rsquo;s taken 28% of his shots there and made 62% of them. Both rank in the top 10% among wings, per Cleaning the Glass. <a href="https://t.co/Jp2csrcbnB">https://t.co/Jp2csrcbnB</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1591442747948515329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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46 NBA players have self-created over 50 shots within 10 feet of the basket, per PBP Stats. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox is the only one making more than 70% of those attempts 😳 <a href="https://t.co/0mrPzObsVl">https://t.co/0mrPzObsVl</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1591443447755726849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-the-sun-is-still-rising-on-anfernee-simons-portland-trail-blazers-damian-lillard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last week's NBA Stats Notebook about Anfernee Simons' hot start</a>!&nbsp;

Ethan Fuller breaks down some of the statistics behind the Boston Celtics' league-leading offense.

NBA Stats Notebook: A deep dive into the Celtics' dominant offense

Discussing Russell Westbrook in public forums can be exhausting for everyone involved.&nbsp;
There doesn't seem to be a middle ground anymore; he's treated as either the worst player to pick up a basketball, or an electric ball of awesome who only receives criticism from soulless haters. He's a lightning rod in that way &mdash; easy to love, but also easy to trash depending on what your rooting interests are.
There should be some consensus here, though: Westbrook's pull-up middy with roughly 30 seconds to go was a terrible decision.
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Let's not leave room for doubt. It wasn't a terrible decision because he missed; it was a terrible decision and&nbsp;he missed.
Here it is, in all its glory &mdash; in addition to Patrick Beverley's flop that was eventually overturned.
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Anytime your broadcast team hits you with a "Noooooo," you've probably messed up something serious. <a href="https://youtu.be/6oECxaUkKTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Just ask Denzel Valentine</a>.&nbsp;
First and foremost, the concept of a 2-for-1&mdash; with the goal being to garner an extra (late) possession &mdash; only makes sense when your team is tied or losing. You're virtually guaranteed to get an extra possession otherwise because the opposing team is gunning to tie or take the lead from you. If they miss, they'll either be defending a last shot from you or playing the foul game.
That's just how it works.
On a related note, the shot Westbrook took literally hasn't been seen in four years. Four years! This isn't a regular occurence, so the push to frame it as one &mdash; even as an understandable sign of support &mdash; flies in the face of logic and evidence.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Russell Westbrook has made 3 of 17 jump shots this season. Also, he is the only player that has attempted a jump shot with under 30 seconds to go and 15+ seconds left on the shot clock with their team up by 1 possession in the last 4 seasons. <a href="https://t.co/DrH8UEs2L9">pic.twitter.com/DrH8UEs2L9</a>
&mdash; Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) <a href="https://twitter.com/kirkgoldsberry/status/1584350355042680832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It's important to note the specific "up by one possession" wording here. That expands it to leading teams who were up by 2 or 3 points. The fact that this was a 1-point game makes the choice even worse.
The only way you can begin to defend the decision to take the shot that early is if you're under the impression that the Portland Trail Blazers would attempt to hold for the last shot otherwise.
Down a singular point.&nbsp;
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Blazers wouldn't have done that, nor would any team with a semblance of common sense.
The math would be a little different if the game was tied, but even there, it'd be fair to question who&nbsp;was taking the 2-for-1 shot. And considering the 1-point lead, it's even more reasonable to criticize the shot-taker here.
Westbrook was 4-for-14 from the floor to that point. On the season, excluding that shot, he was 11-for-37 from the field (29.7%), including a 20% clip <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201566/shots-dash?PerMode=Totals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on pull-up jumpers</a>.
Somehow, there isn't consensus that this was a poor decision. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham mostly defended the move, with the only correction being offered (publicly) Westbrook attacking the basket instead of taking the jumper.
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Reporters asked LeBron James about shot selection, and then late-game shot selection &mdash; obviously hinting at the Westbrook shot &mdash; before LeBron shut it down.
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It's admirable that Ham and LeBron had Westbrook's back. Based on the level of vitriol Westbrook has received during his Laker tenure &mdash; some that has <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1501214628021473284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1501214628021473284%7Ctwgr%5Ebc864f450a6369ce496946cbdb6f3a2aca4cea88%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-1321773039881695501.ampproject.net%2F2210010655000%2Fframe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extended to his own family</a> &mdash; it's understandable why neither party seemed willing to publicly criticize the shot. If I had to guess, a discussion has been, or will be, had during a film session soon.
Even with that caveat, there's a spectrum between blasting the dude after the game and defending the move. LeBron taking the "I'm not doing this with y'all" route was much better than Ham essentially OK'ing the concept. Accountability was one of the primary calling cards for the Ham hire; saying "I don't mind the 2-for-1 at all" simply isn't that.&nbsp;
With that said, the pull-up doesn't mean Westbrook is some irredeemable player. LeBron's response shouldn't be taken to the 'nth degree. Ham's response doesn't mean he isn't or won't be equipped to navigate these types of situations moving forward. Even within that game, there were multiple possessions afterwards for the Lakers to pull out the win.
There's no need to call for heads, but we should be okay with saying a bad thing was a bad thing.
Going for the 2-for-1, up a point, was a terrible decision.
And having a terrible shooter make that decision compounded things.

Going for the 2-for-1, up a point, was a terrible decision by Russell Westbrook. Nekias Duncan writes on accountability and fair criticism.

Russell Westbrook's late-game shot was bad, and it's okay to say it

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Kentucky coach John Calipari is long accustomed to being judged by how far his teams advance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Southeastern Conference, and some of its other flourishing programs, can now relate. Teams like Kentucky, former No. 1 Auburn, Tennessee, LSU and Alabama made quicker-than-expected exits last season, with the league&rsquo;s March fortunes salvaged by Arkansas&rsquo; second straight Elite Eight run.
The most notable upset was the second-seeded Wildcats&rsquo; overtime loss to No. 15 seed Saint Peter&rsquo;s in the first round. But only the Razorbacks survived the opening weekend, while the other five SEC teams lost to double-digit seeds.
&ldquo;I had to worry about my own team, for mental health and not going in dark places and meeting, sitting and hugging,&rdquo; Calipari said Wednesday at SEC media day. &ldquo;I mean, that was ridiculously hard for our guys because we did have a good year. We had a bad finish.
&ldquo;I would say we&rsquo;re all judged by how you do in that tournament.&rdquo;
The league has only sent two teams to the Final Four since Kentucky&rsquo;s last appearance in 2015, and one school (South Carolina) has already fired the coach responsible. SEC teams are a combined 12-12 in the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons, with the Razorbacks accounting for half of those wins.
Now, the SEC has six new head coaches hired to help reverse that trend.
There&rsquo;s no questioning the talent, with key transfers and a slew of highly rated recruits joining the mix. The SEC and Big 12 led the way with five teams apiece in the preseason Top 25.
Kentucky is fourth, Arkansas 10th, Tennessee 11th, Auburn 15th and Alabama 20th. Now, it&rsquo;s just a matter of surviving and advancing in the NCAA Tournament when it&rsquo;s one-and-done.
&ldquo;I think the league&rsquo;s phenomenal,&rdquo; Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman said, citing the quality of coaching and NBA talent.
&ldquo;I know the SEC is an incredible football conference. It&rsquo;s also an incredible basketball conference,&rdquo; Musselman said.
Calipari, who took over at Kentucky in 2009, has seen the SEC make big strides in basketball during his tenure, with schools investing in everything from facilities to coaching salaries to recruiting budgets.
&ldquo;Now, the problem is when they really invest, you&rsquo;ve got to win,&rdquo; Calipari said. &ldquo;Not everybody is going to win. If you don&rsquo;t win, you&rsquo;ve got a lot of change. But that&rsquo;s part of it.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s been great investment in basketball, and like I always say, be careful what you wish for sometimes, because now it just changed things. You were under the radar, you&rsquo;re fine; now all of a sudden, no, you&rsquo;re in the same boat as all of us.&rdquo;
That means making it to the NCAA Tournament, and sticking around for a while more often.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a one-shot deal and in 40 minutes when you&rsquo;re dealing with young people believe me, anything can happen,&rdquo; Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen teams catch lightning in the bottle.&rdquo;
The third-seeded Volunteers made it to the second round last March before falling to No. 11 Michigan. LSU, Alabama and Kentucky fell in the first round.
No. 2 seed Auburn, which had topped the rankings for the first time during the season, fell to No. 10 Miami in the second round. That led Tigers coach Bruce Pearl to predict the SEC would &mdash; unfairly, he felt &mdash; &ldquo;get crushed for our tournament performance.&rdquo;
Pearl, who led Auburn to the 2019 Final Four, said the grind of playing in the SEC can take a toll on teams come March.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to make any excuses for last year, but I think when you get in a great league ... there&rsquo;s a grind in that league,&rdquo; Pearl said. &ldquo;Sometimes, you look at football. To go through SEC football, every single weekend there are no weekends off in SEC football.
&ldquo;There aren&rsquo;t many off in SEC basketball. There are other Power Five leagues, there are a couple of weekends off.&rdquo;
He cited the ACC last season, when Duke and North Carolina both made the Final Four and Miami &mdash; which knocked the Tigers off &mdash; got all the way to the Elite Eight.
&ldquo;What a run they had,&rdquo; Pearl said. &ldquo;The league wasn&rsquo;t as good top to bottom. So I think some of the best teams in that league were pretty excited about getting into that tournament, and they showed it.&rdquo;
Arkansas, meanwhile, has made it to the Elite Eight two years running. Musselman has reloaded with transfers and a recruiting class that boasts three five-star prospects and is ranked No. 2 nationally in the 247Sports composite ratings.
Musselman doesn&rsquo;t put much stock in the &ldquo;irrelevant&rdquo; preseason rankings and predictions.
&ldquo;What I do know is we have two players that have put on Arkansas Razorback uniforms and 11 guys that have not,&rdquo; he said.
Now, the teams can start with a clean slate. If only reporters will stop bringing up last season, including the Saint Peter&rsquo;s upset.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m over it. The only time I talk about it is when one of you guys ask about it,&rdquo; Kentucky point guard Sahvir Wheeler said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m over it. I&rsquo;m waiting on you guys to get over it.&rdquo;

SEC teams like Kentucky, former No. 1 Auburn, Tennessee, LSU and Alabama made quicker-than-expected exits last season.

SEC Ambitions: Kentucky, others judged by March success

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes how Chris Webber's decision-making unlocked the Kings' revolutionary offense.

Blazing the Trail: Chris Webber, the read-and-react king

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Cade Cunningham packed on about 10 pounds of muscle in his first NBA offseason, hoping the added weight will help him lift his game and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/detroit-pistons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Detroit Pistons</a> to another level.
The 6-foot-6, 228-pound guard put in a lot of work and it shows.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t recognize him,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said Monday at the team's media day. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s done a really good job with his body.&rdquo;
Cunningham validated Detroit's decision to draft him No. 1 overall last year. He averaged 17.4 points to lead all rookies, ranked second among first-year players with 5.6 assists per game and averaged 5.5 rebounds after overcoming an ankle injury.
At the age of 20, he joined LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Luka Doncic, Oscar Robertson and Alvan Adams as the players in NBA history with at least the same total of points, assists and rebounds through 64 games of a career.
Like most rookies, though, he was challenged physically more than he ever had been.
&ldquo;It kept me humble because it&rsquo;s a tough grind,&rdquo; he said.
Cunningham attempted to address the weakness with a steady diet of heavy weights, more food, plenty water and a lot of sleep.
&ldquo;He looks like a different dude, and that physicality will help him," Casey said.
Cunningham also plans to be stronger above the shoulders, cutting down on turnovers after committing 3.7 per game as a rookie.
&ldquo;Being concious about it is the first step, focusing on it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In every scrimamge or live drill knowing how much i&rsquo;m turning the ball over, I think it&rsquo;s helping me understand my own game.&rdquo;
The Pistons have been among the NBA&rsquo;s worst teams the past three years, winning an average of just 21 games. The franchise has failed to win a playoff series since 2008, when it advanced to the conference finals for the sixth straight year during a run that included its third NBA championship.
Thanks to a series of moves made by general manager Troy Weaver, the Pistons are confident the Cunningham-led team can take the next step in its rebuild by competing against every team on the schedule.
That didn't happen much last year when Detroit was 23-59, finishing ahead of just Houston and Orlando at the bottom of the standings. After starting 12-45, Detroit went 11-14 &mdash; a relatively promising closing stretch in part because of Cunningham's development.
&ldquo;It took him to the second half of the season to figure out the speed of the game," Casey recalled.
Cunningham also needs help and it appears Weaver has delivered.
The Pistons selected Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey, a lightning-quick guard, with the No. 5 overall pick. Detroit also made a draft-night move to acquire Memphis center Jalen Duren, who was drafted No. 13 overall, in exchange for a first-round pick it added the previous day by trading Jerami Grant and his expiring contract to Portland.
Last week, Detroit made a deal with Utah to add proven scorer Bojan Bogdanovic.
&ldquo;We have a lot more depth this year," Cunningham said. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s realistic to say we&rsquo;ll have a bunch of locked-in guys that are playing to win. If we do that, the wins will take care of itself."
&nbsp;

A bulked-up Cade Cunningham is looking to raise his game in his second year with the Detroit Pistons.

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham bulked up for 2nd NBA season

EuroBasket 2022 is in the books, and this year's tournament was another reminder that a well-oiled team machine can still outlast the brightest individual stars on the planet.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic instantly made their countries favorites to win gold, and even had some of the best supporting casts in the field. But the final four squads &mdash; France, Germany, Poland and Spain &mdash; had one NBA All-Star on their rosters combined. The bracket stage was a true display of just how much basketball talent is spread around the globe.
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These six particularly stood out with some remarkable performances over three weeks. No former NBA All-Stars were considered; they obviously were among the best of the best. The following players might be less heralded in the United States, but any basketball fan should appreciate the runs they put together at EuroBasket.
Lorenzo Brown, Spain
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Spain took home the gold medal against France behind 27 points from Juancho Hernangomez. His brother Willy led the team in per-game scoring across the whole tournament. But Spain does not get to gold without Brown, an NBA castoff who has carved his niche in Europe over the past several years.&nbsp;
The 32-year-old guard averaged 15.2 points and 7.6 assists per contest. He dropped 29 points in a massive semifinal win against Germany, then had 14 points and 11 assists in the title bout. His veteran experience is apparent, and Spain creatively used Brown to keep France on its toes by running him off of ball-screens and mixing in pick-and-roll possessions. Brown in turn knew just when and where his teammates would be when France rotated. The above passes are exquisite; the third clip is my personal favorite.
Simone Fontecchio, Italy
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For one last time in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket</a> 2022: Pasta. Pizza. Fontecchio. 🇮🇹 21 PTS 5 REB 4/7 3FG% SIMONEFONTECCHIO gave a hard fight against France 💪 <a href="https://t.co/qT6FEkdMzm">pic.twitter.com/qT6FEkdMzm</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1570104678653779968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Want to talk about an underrated offseason signing? The Utah Jazz added Fontecchio, a 6-foot-8-inch wing, on a multi-year contract this summer, and if Utah fans checked in on Italy, they saw Fontecchio lighting it up beyond the arc. The 26-year-old canned 45.1% of his 7.3 threes attempted per game and averaged 19.4 points across the tournament.
Fontecchio is simply an entertaining scorer. He can pull up from long range with all sorts of dribble and spin moves and still get into his sweet shooting stroke. He's a solid cutter and transition player, and while not a highlight-reel dunker, he has an underrated level of explosion. I really think Fontecchio's going to suprise fans next season if the Jazz give him extended minutes.
Lauri Markkanen, Finland
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Most U.S. fans probably picture Markkanen as your prototypical stretch forward. At EuroBasket, he was&nbsp;so&nbsp;much more. Markkanen was one of the tournament's most dominant players, putting up 27.9 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 61.5% from two-point range and 40.5% behind the arc.&nbsp;
Talk about emptying the bag &mdash; Markkanen was posting up, facing up, flying off cuts, initiating with drives, stepping back and finishing. He had a massive 43-point showcase against Croatia where he appeared blatantly unstoppable. Maybe a run like this encourages Utah to experiment more with Markkanen's usage stateside.
Dzanan Musa, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Once a first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets, Musa fell out of the NBA, but has settled in overseas. He averaged 21.4 points, 4.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game with his home country and really applied pressure as a driver. Musa frequently went at bigs in conservative coverages &mdash; including guys like Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas &mdash; with his combination of quick-twitch handle and finishing touch.&nbsp;
Musa also made a noteworthy 45% of his triples. He's never had much of a three-point stroke up until last season in Liga ACB play, but it seems the swingman is really developing confidence. Musa is still just 23 and definitely has the ability to jump back into the NBA should teams pursue him.
Alperen Sengun, Turkey
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Turkey had a really fun run to the EuroBasket quarterfinals with the 20-year-old fueling the success. Sengun is on the smaller side of NBA centers, but against these opponents, he had more chances to physically dominate and go to work in the post. His speed on some of these spin moves is still incredible &mdash; just look at Hernangomez's reaction after this first bucket.
Sengun stymied teams with his post play and interior passing en route to 16.5 points per game. He's a secure cornerstone for the Houston Rockets at this point. Sure, it's fair to wonder how Sengun's skill set helps Houston once it reaches contender status. But there's no denying Sengun is amazing, regardless of his age, as a post scorer and passing big man.&nbsp;
Aleksandar Vezenkov, Bulgaria
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"Sasha" Vezenkov only played five EuroBasket contests after Bulgaria went 1-4 and missed out on the bracket stage. But he deserves a shoutout because he absolutely dominated his matchups. Vezenkov's box score line is bonkers: 27.0 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 56.6% on twos and 40.5% on nearly 8 threes per game.
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The perimeter scoring is frankly ridiculous. Vezenkov is more than a stretch forward or a movement shooter. At 6-foot-9, he's got a stable enough handle to threaten teams by putting the ball on the floor. At the same time, he's got this absurd, quick lefty shot, and can contort himself all sorts of ways without compromising his form.&nbsp;
The Sacramento Kings quietly acquired the rights to Vezenkov from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for the No. 49 pick in this summer's NBA Draft (which became Isaiah Mobley). The 26-year-old reportedly won't come to the U.S. this summer, as he looks to defend a Greek League title with Olympiacos Piraeus and back up his All-EuroLeague First Team selection. But if you're thinking of tuning into some European hoops, Vezenkov should be considered a must-watch talent.

Alperen Sengun, Lauri Markkanen and Dzanan Musa were among the brightest stars at EuroBasket 2022.

EuroBasket 2022: 6 players who stood out in the tournament

Everyone enters NBA Summer League with something to prove.
For rookies, it's their first opportunity to show they belong at the highest level of professional basketball. To veterans, it's a chance to assert themselves, showcase their development and prove that they deserve a roster or increased minutes in the rotation.
Even in the relative nonchalance of the Las Vegas heat, for some young talents, the next 11 days will take on extra significance. For 10 in particular, this is a pivotal offseason for their pro career, and a standout Summer League could put them on a much-needed course correction.
I did not list any rookies here; it's their first shot in the league, so it's a bit unfair to stamp such high stakes on their inaugural action. Everyone on this list has at least a year of NBA experience under their belt, and one has been around the league for close to a decade. Beyond the top prospects, here are some players you should keep an eye on as they make their cases during Summer League.
Bruno Caboclo, Utah Jazz
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Justin Robinson finds Bruno Caboclo for the slam! 📺: ESPN2 <a href="https://t.co/VaFH9MTUNw">pic.twitter.com/VaFH9MTUNw</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1544860272367632384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Caboclo is one of the most experienced players on this summer's rosters. The No. 20 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Caboclo is remarkably still just 26 years old, but spent seven seasons with six teams in the NBA before suiting up for Sao Paulo FC in Brazil last year.&nbsp;
This is probably one of Caboclo's last shots at sticking in the league. He has averaged double-digit minutes per game just once in seven years, when he put up 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds across 23.5 minutes per game with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2018-19. He's far from the intriguing, raw prospect he was when entering the Association, so if Caboclo is going to earn a roster spot, even on a G League team, he has to show out.
Several other prospects enter Summer League in a similar situation. DJ Wilson (Raptors) and Chandler Hutchinson (Hawks) were first-round picks in the 2017 and 2018 NBA Drafts, respectively. They played 10 NBA games combined in 2021-22.&nbsp;
Usman Garuba, Houston Rockets
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Love this sequence from Usman Garuba. Does a brilliant job of switching onto Carsen Edwards, moves over to swat the ball loose from the ball-handler, and then pushes it up the floor in transition. <a href="https://t.co/WDfKs6cdG6">pic.twitter.com/WDfKs6cdG6</a>
&mdash; Dakota Schmidt (@Dakota_Schmidt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dakota_Schmidt/status/1490729110334808070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Jalen Green backed up his No. 2 overall draft slot with a stellar finish to last season, landing on the All-Rookie First Team. Alperen Sengun dazzled fans with his passing and put up 11.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game after the All-Star break. Josh Christopher battled typical rookie inconsistencies, but closed out his year with three games of 20-plus points in his last seven contests.
Houston's fourth 2021 first-round pick, however, went relatively unnoticed. Usman Garuba appeared just 24 times and averaged 10 minutes per game. He was billed as a versatile defender who could pair with Sengun, but injuries slowed his progression, though he flashed promise in limited G League action.
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Sometimes, rebuilds move too quickly for player development to keep up. Houston drafted Jabari Smith Jr. with the third overall pick and Tari Eason at No. 17. Both figure to occupy one, if not two, forward spots, with Kenyon Martin Jr. and Jae'Sean Tate firmly in the mix as well. Garuba must demonstrate a stable offensive floor to balance his stellar defensive tools. I'll be interested to see how he's used in Las Vegas as a smaller center.
RJ Hampton, Orlando Magic
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Yeah , I asked to play. Nothing like getting reps and rhythm during the summer against competition and connecting with our new rooks 🤟🏽
&mdash; RJ (@RjHampton14) <a href="https://twitter.com/RjHampton14/status/1542161234493165568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs have graduated from Summer League play. Hampton is the lone young Magic guard returning to the roster. Orlando acquired the high-flying playmaker in March 2021, but he hasn't synced up with his backcourt mates quite yet, and playing time will only grow more scarce as the core improves.
The 21-year-old has just struggled to score efficienctly at any level. Despite his athleticism and power, Hampton made just 52.5% of his attempts at the rim last season and finished with a 48.1% True Shooting percentage.
In a featured role with this Magic summer group, he needs to display some takeover playmaking ability and consistent shotmaking. Hampton seems to be embracing the extra reps, which offer a promising chance for him to ball out with No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero.
Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons
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Killian Hayes Is looking good 👀 Via 🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitXay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DetroitXay</a> <a href="https://t.co/xv97YJKAdl">pic.twitter.com/xv97YJKAdl</a>
&mdash; Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pistons__Talk/status/1541958241147658241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Our Nekias Duncan highlighted <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/views-from-the-bottom-young-players-to-keep-an-eye-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hayes' solid end to the 2021-22 season</a>. Though the overall stats might not show it, the former No. 7 pick did take meaningful strides as an off-ball player next to Cade Cunningham and a downhill driver when he had opportunities. Duncan also called Hayes "one of the most underrated guard defenders in the sport already."
That didn't stop Detroit from selecting Jaden Ivey to be Cade Cunningham's backcourt partner. Hayes is still very much part of a talented Pistons core, but his long-term projection with the franchise is murky right now. A standout effort in Vegas could solidify his standing, not only in the rotation, but also in the eyes of other teams around the league.
Kai Jones, Charlotte Hornets
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Kai Jones taking fight for the nasty dunk <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllFly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllFly</a> <a href="https://t.co/rrhOfVjnrj">pic.twitter.com/rrhOfVjnrj</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1424516813417811970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Most expected Jones to be more of a developmental draft pick when Charlotte selected him No. 19 overall last year. He played just 63 total minutes with the Hornets and appeared in eight games for the G League affiliate Greensboro Swarm. Then, the Hornets went back to the NBA Draft for frontcourt help, selecting Mark Williams at No. 15 overall a few weeks ago.
What does this mean for Jones? Summer League head coach Jordan Surenkamp said more time at the four might be a possibility:
"Yeah, I still think that's up in the air. I think it kind of depends on what we're looking at from an organization standpoint in terms of rotations and things like that," <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/hornets/news/quick-hits-early-impressions-of-rookies-role-for-kai-jones-balancing-sl-minutes-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Surenkamp said.</a> "But like I said, he's been very willing to play at that position so far just as much as he has been at the five, which is more of what he's done in this league up to this point. In terms of how many minutes and how often, those are still things that are up in the air. Those are conversations that we'll have before Friday."
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I'm admittedly a skeptic toward this type of role shift for Jones. But Summer League is an excellent laboratory for him and the Hornets to try out the fit.
Aleksej Pokusevski, Oklahoma City Thunder
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And y'all expect me to quit Poku lol TUH <a href="https://t.co/2vRTHbLWrO">pic.twitter.com/2vRTHbLWrO</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1544496249994465280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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One of the most unique players in the entire NBA enters his third season with the Thunder. But this will actually be Pokusevski's first NBA Summer League experience after OKC decided not to have him join the team last year (and there was no competition in 2020).&nbsp;
Pokusevski has his staunch advocates and critics on either side after another up-and-down season in 2021-22. But he was much better after the All-Star break, averaging 12.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists across 19 games. Poku still has a ways to go in his individual development, and the Thunder have shown a willingness to be patient as the seven-foot wing progresses. A strong summer showing against less experienced competition would help justify the franchise's belief in him.
Paul Reed, Philadelphia 76ers
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Paul Reed dropped 20 PTS and snatched 15 boards in Game 1 of the Salt Lake City Summer League for the <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sixers</a>! 20 PTS | 15 REB | 4 STL <a href="https://t.co/NlAd1vxQSr">pic.twitter.com/NlAd1vxQSr</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1544495884829954048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Big-man depth behind Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris was one of the more pressing concerns for the 76ers in the postseason, and the franchise has done nothing in the offseason to bolster their bigs so far. For now, the responsibility falls on Reed and/or Charles Bassey to take the mantle as a backup.&nbsp;
At 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, Reed has a bit more in his tool kit offensively then Bassey and really battles hard on the glass. This is an atmosphere where he can physically dominate. Reed already posted 20 points and 15 rebounds in a Salt Lake City Summer League showing against the Grizzlies.&nbsp;
Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies
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Xavier Tillman &amp; Ziaire Williams combined for 31 points to lead the <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> win!<a href="https://twitter.com/therealZiaire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@therealZiaire</a>: 15 PTS, 8 AST, 2 STL<a href="https://twitter.com/Rookiedunker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rookiedunker</a>: 16 PTS, 4 AST <a href="https://t.co/rD5YnPb63N">pic.twitter.com/rD5YnPb63N</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1544497186821619713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The No. 35 pick from the 2020 NBA Draft logged a really solid rookie season with Memphis, but saw his playing time and efficiency scale back in 2021-22. Tillman struggled to finish at the basket and lost the flashes of three-point promise that appeared in his first year. With Brandon Clarke surging back as a notable piece, Jaren Jackson Jr. healthy and Steven Adams locked in at center, Tillman only had scraps of big-man minutes left over.
However, he's still a notable Grizzlies prospect. Tillman is the type of multifaceted big defender that today's game craves, and he can rebound and pass well for his position. Like Reed, Tillman has the chance to impose his will inside against younger, leaner Summer League players, and he can state his case for more playing time to the team.
Brandon Williams, Portland Trail Blazers
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Brandon Williams has been lighting it up for the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>! He dropped a career-high 27 points in his first career start last night - his second consecutive 20+ point game. 💪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GLeagueAlum?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GLeagueAlum</a> <a href="https://t.co/WYteuaeBWm">pic.twitter.com/WYteuaeBWm</a>
&mdash; NBA G League (@nbagleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbagleague/status/1501331791558414340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Lost in the Trail Blazers' aimless second half was the emergence of Williams, an undrafted rookie guard whom Portland locked up on a two-way contract in February. He had played just two NBA games before the All-Star break, but averaged 13.7 points, 4.2 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game in 22 contests afterwards. Nekias Duncan even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/views-from-the-bottom-young-players-to-keep-an-eye-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted him in that same piece</a> for his pick-and-roll passing promise.
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Was Williams' opportunity solely because Portland was marred with injuries and well out of the playoff picture? Or does he have a real chance at a rotation spot this season? It's admittedly tough to envision with Damian Lillard getting healthy, Anfernee Simons secured on a lucrative extension and Keon Johnson on the rise. But there's no better case for Williams to assert his talent than at Summer League.
James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
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Here is the full update from Jama Mahlalela on James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga. Said Wiseman probably won&rsquo;t play on Friday, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;d definitely imagine in the next few (summer league) games we&rsquo;ll see him.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/FxLFQJ71Bn">pic.twitter.com/FxLFQJ71Bn</a>
&mdash; Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1544806078507954176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Warriors Summer League coach Jama Mahlalela said that he expects Wiseman to participate in Vegas at some point. It's been a long road of recovery for the 2020 No. 2 overall draft pick, who missed all of last season while rehabbing a torn meniscus. Wiseman's absence has fueled a chorus of critics to question his place with the defending champions.
Obviously, there's only so much Wiseman can do here as he continues to focus on his body. NBA training camp and the actual season far surpass any importance Summer League can provide. But if Wiseman does make appearances over the next two weeks, he'll assuredly be one of the summer's most-discussed players.

James Wiseman, Kai Jones and Killian Hayes are among the players who could use a standout Summer League showing in Las Vegas.

10 NBA veterans with a bit more to prove at Las Vegas Summer League

Since being drafted No. 5 overall by the Dallas Wings in 2019, no player has scored more points in the WNBA than Arike Ogunbowale (1,958). Kelsey Mitchell, a ridiculous bucket-getter for the Indiana Fever, ranks second in that time frame (1,727) &mdash; a 231-point gap despite playing four more games than Ogunbowale.
At her best, Ogunbowale is a terror for defenses. She's one of the quickest guards in the league, equipped with a shifty handle and a quick trigger that she can get off whenever she wants. For a prime example, look no further than her 37-point effort against the Phoenix Mercury earlier this season.
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The range of buckets is insane, frankly. Transition drives. Floaters. Fading jumpers.
But focus on the threes for a bit. Ogunbowale can drill spot-ups, contested or otherwise. She can flow and pull off movement. Self-created threes are another night at the office for her.
Ogunbowale has drilled 219 threes in her young career, only second to Mitchell (242) during this stretch. That three-point prowess adds a layer for defenses to think about. She can absolutely light it up when she gets going.&nbsp;
She can light it up off the court too.
Ogunbowale recently <a href="https://www.redbull.com/us-en/arike-ogunbowale-dallas-has-wiiings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partnered with Red Bull</a> to kick-start a program called "Dallas Has Wiiings."
(What a play on words, am I right?)
With the initiative, Ogunbowale and Red Bull are donating up to $50,000 to the Dallas Park and Recreation Department to go toward solar-powered lighting systems in Dallas. With every three-pointer Ogunbowale makes this season, $800 will be donated.
To celebrate the launch of the initiative, the Wings star took shots at a basket designed and built on a temporary court overlooking the Reunion Tower. Ogunbowale was tasked with knocking down 10 triples, each one turning on a light until the tower was completely lit.
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Ogunbowale recently spoke with BasketballNews.com to talk about the event, the initiative and her season to this point. (This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.)
I've only seen the social clip of the event, so I need honesty &mdash; did you go 10-for-10 on those threes to turn on the Reunion Tower lights?
Arike Ogunbowale: "I did not (laughs). I wish, but it was a lot. The depth perception &mdash; like, I'm looking at the freeway in the back. We were outside, so there was wind. The court was a little slanted, but we made it work. It looked good though! That's all that matters."
What was the inspiration behind the "Dallas Has Wiiings" initiative?
Ogunbowale: "I just wanted to do something for the community so I'm able to give back. My Dallas fans come from all over to watch me. They come to the games every night, support me on social media &mdash; all of that. I see all of that, so I wanted to find a way to support the community."
Where did this interest originally come from? Was court lighting an issue during your childhood?
Ogunbowale: "Yeah. Growing up, you play outside a lot. Well, I don't know about kids nowadays; now they're in the house on their iPads. But I&nbsp;used to be outside a lot with all the kids in my neighborhood, playing sports or just doing whatever.
"But the lights would go out, or there wouldn't be any lights. Or the street lights would come on and it'd be time to go inside. So we want there to be places that kids can play after-hours, where it's still safe and they're able to play the sports they love."
What has the response been from the Wings organization? Have teammates offered to help moving forard?
Ogunbowale: "Well, this specific event was a one-time thing. The only way they can help now is by passing me the ball so I can shoot more threes and donate some money (laughs). But overall, they think this initiative is a great idea. They've definitely supported me, and they'll keep feeding me, hopefully."
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If you're able to share, what's next for you in this journey?
Ogunbowale: "It shifts to the regular season for me, now. Every three-pointer I make, [Red Bull] donates money up to $50,000. So, the work I have to put in right now is knocking down threes so we can get to the $50K mark and donate all that money. At the end of the season, we'll see the courts and pinpoint what we want to do next. I'll make some visits in the offseason to see how and where everything's going. But right now, my job is to hit threes."
While we're on the subject of threes, you've never bombed away quite like this! You're <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/traditional/?sort=FG3A&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second in The W</a> in threes attempted (8.1) and fourth in makes (2.6) per game. Your three-point rate (percentage of total shots coming from three) is the highest of your career. Where is the bump coming from?
Ogunbowale: "I would say it starts with me practicing more threes over the offseason, and getting more comfortable with them. Some of it is dictated by defenses. They're packing the paint a lot, a lot of help-side &mdash; stuff like that.
"(I) wouldn't say it's settling &mdash; well, sometimes it's a settle &mdash; but those shots are open and available for me. I've been shooting them decently, though obviously I can get a lot better. But I think [the rise in three-point attempts] is a mix of that and our team's tactics."
Has head coach Vickie Johnson had to pull you aside and say something like, "Hey, we don't need&nbsp;this three" or do you have a total green light?
Ogunbowale: "She definitely coaches you! There are, obviously, shots that I shouldn't take sometimes. Just in the flow of the game, one or two shots where it's clear, 'That was a bad shot.' But it's never been, 'I don't want you to shoot threes.' She never discourages that. She knows that I'm going to try to make the best decision I can. But if it's a bad shot, it's a bad shot; it's not limited to threes."
On the flip side, roughly <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/o/ogunbar01w.html#shooting0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10% of your shots</a> are coming inside of 3 feet, and you haven't gotten to the free-throw line as much (career-low free throw rate) to start the season. How do you balance pulling up from deep or taking what the defense gives you, and putting pressure on the rim and getting to the line?
Ogunbowale: "I think I need to be a little more aggressive. Having the defense on its heels more, driving to the basket. I get a lot of eyes when I drive to the basket &mdash; like I said, I get a lot of help-side. But I have to learn how to navigate through that and figure out how to get to the line more. They're free shots! I definitely have to be more aggressive and get into the paint; I think 10% [of my shots coming at the rim] is too low."
When we <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/through-her-eyes-how-arike-ogunbowale-has-become-unguardable-dallas-wings-wnba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talked in 2020</a>, you mentioned wanting to become more of a threat off the ball. With that in mind, how much have you enjoyed playing alongside *this* version of Marina Mabrey?
Ogunbowale: "She's been amazing.&nbsp;Her at the 1 is lethal; she can shoot it (career-high 42.6% from three on 4.9 attempts), so defenses have to respect that. That spreads the floor out more. They double her a lot too &mdash; trapping her to get the ball out of her hands. Playing with a playmaker and scorer like that is definitely fun."
I'm still trying to get a feel for the Wings. Sometimes you're a bigger group, while other times you'll downsize and have someone like Satou Sabally <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-satou-saballys-value-at-the-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">start at the 5</a>. What would you say is the vision of this team?&nbsp;
Ogunbowale: "I would just say 'positionless.' We'll just go out with the best five players on the court, whether that includes a smaller post player, or a smaller forward or a bigger guard. Whatever it is, whatever fits, that's what we're going to go with.&nbsp;
"I don't think we've been stuck on roles &mdash; like you have to have a 5, you have to have a 4, you have to have a 3, a 2, a 1. Because really, Marina is a combo guard running the 1. And KT (Kayla Thornton) is really a 3 playing the 4. So really, it's whatever fits or helps our team win."
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Nekias Duncan sits down with Arike Ogunbowale to talk about her "Dallas Has Wiiings" initiative with Red Bull, as well her season.

Dallas Has Wiiings: How Arike Ogunbowale shoots the lights out and on

The term "X-factor" is thrown out a lot when it comes to postseason analysis. Its usage typically has a positive connotation &mdash; a player who defies expectations and helps the squad grind out a win by doing things outside of his scouting report.
Think Derrick White, who played hero for Boston in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals by splashing in 5-of-8 threes as a 31.2% regular-season outside shooter.
Here's the reality, though: Being an X-Factor doesn't always&nbsp;correlate to team success. As Jackson Frank wrote <a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/jordan-poole-nba-finals-warriors-celtics-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this week</a>, Jordan Poole can swing the Finals in either direction. Through one game, Poole's gravitational pull certainly wasn't in the Golden State Warriors' favor.
Poole quickly rose to prominence after his debut playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, averaging 21.0 points per game on an incredible 71.5% True Shooting. His production tapered off in the following two series, though he was able to maintain his outstanding efficiency with 72.7% TS in the Western Conference Finals.&nbsp;
However, battling against the best defense in the league on the biggest stage possible could prove to be a different type of test, and we saw it unfold on Thursday night.
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Poole's Finals debut didn't go as planned. He mustered just 9 points on 2-of-7 shooting, turned the ball over four times and was a minus-19 in 25 minutes.
That's right. Golden State got outscored by nearly a point a minute when Poole was on the floor. His deficiencies were highlighted tenfold by a diligent, gritty and experienced Boston team that had the scouting report imprinted on the inside of their eyelids. The Celtics' brigade of switchy swindlers quickly turned Poole's dream-like postseason into a nightmarish scenario.&nbsp;
Poole's handle, sense of wiggle, fluidity and ability to create from a standstill are all special for a player his age. Some might call it unteachable. He's Golden State's most bursty creator for a reason, a player that can generate drive-and-kick magic by simply tapping the gas and zipping past his assignment to force the defense to converge. Many times, he'll use a medley of hesitation moves, head fakes and crossovers to initiate the slightest sliver of separation.
When it works, the highlights are delightful. When it doesn't, Golden State's pitter-patter motion offense quickly slips into a morass of standing around and clock-eating isolations.
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Boston was all too prepared for Poole's slippery nature, shutting off the water and turning Golden State's splashy whiz kid into a dried-up basin. The Celtics effectively let Poole dribble himself into a pretzel, flashing every And-1 move in his bag to no avail. When the Warrior guard did surge downhill, Boston quickly erased that airspace by hugging him close and pressuring his every dribble, disallowing opportunities to showcase his glitzy layup package.
Always quick to clamp down on an opponent's errors, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart each ripped away a steal against Poole when he showed his hand and made mistakes that a 20-year-old would: failing to strike from the triple-threat position in the first quarter and later foolishly attempting a spin-move in transition, both of which can be viewed in the clips below.
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Scoring-wise, Poole showed a clear perturbance versus Boston's pick-and-roll defense. Unlike Stephen Curry, Poole was unable to burn Boston with pull-ups when the Celtics unsheathed drop coverage in his presence. Playing Boston's bigs higher up the floor only further exposed Poole's limitations as a lead creator.
In the second clip from the video below, he nearly gave the phrase "buzzer-beater" a new meaning by smashing the shot clock with an errant shot after Al Horford stepped forward and shaded Poole toward the help of Smart.
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Shoot, even Payton Pritchard, Boston's most targetted defender in the previous three series, was able to survive in the minutes he was matched up with Poole. Pritchard has the requisite footspeed to keep tabs on Golden State's pesky lightning rod, whereas Poole lacks the core strength that normally overpowers and forces Boston's reserve guard off the floor.
Here, Pritchard does a nice job screeching over the top of Andre Iguodala's screen and rear view, contesting Poole into one of his four misses from deep on five total outside shots.&nbsp;
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One thing the Warriors should look to explore is involving both Poole and Curry in off-ball actions when the duo shares the floor. Doing so got Curry one of his cleanest looks of the game, and the same could easily go for Poole, who has shot 43.8% on catch-and-shoot playoff threes, should the roles be reversed. At the very least, using his scoring gravity away from the action is a far more prudent strategy than just spoon-feeding him a diet of pick-and-roll possessions in the friggin' Finals and hoping for the best.
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Look, it isn't inconceivable to imagine that the 22-year-old will eventually find his footing on offense; he's too gifted of a scorer to continue this type of production. What is concerning for Golden State was just how woefully underprepared Poole looked defensively on the final stage. The Warriors got eviscerated when they played Poole alongside either one of Curry (minus-13 together) or Klay Thompson (also a minus-13 together), and his inclusion in Golden State's small-ball lineup that went minus-9 in the fourth quarter was the ultimate nail in the coffin.
Poole looked overwhelmed by every aspect of the defensive side of the ball against a battle-tested Boston ball club, which, again, is understandable for a 22-year-old playing in his first Finals. His closeouts were sloppy and led to drives down the middle of the paint. Transition defense appeared purely optional. Maybe most importantly, Boston absolutely licked its chops at the thought of involving Poole in pick-and-roll actions. Tatum was able to beat Poole off the dribble and drive to the rim even with Poole in a drop. Yeah, that's how bad it was.
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Poole will be an evergreen target on defense against a Boston team that hunts mismatches like the Blade Runner, and if his offensive production can't overshadow his defensive deficiencies, Poole could quickly see his role diminish. Golden State has other options on the table if the lights prove to be too bright for the wunderkind combo guard.
The now-healthy Gary Payton II is just begging for an opportunity to muck things up versus Jaylen Brown and maybe Tatum. Otto Porter Jr. is arguably due for an uptick in minutes after his strong Game 1. Heck, even Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody could be worth a look should Boston's size and athleticism continue to bewilder Golden State's elder group.
Poole's meteoric rise has been something to behold, quickly establishing himself as one of the league's brightest up-and-coming stars after a sterling postseason. Boston and its titanium defense represent a whole new challenge, and an uptick in his production could very be the catalyst to Golden State hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy in a few weeks' time.
With the Warriors in a 1-0 hole, Jordan Poole is now more than ever the ultimate X-Factor. What remains to be seen is which team, Boston or Golden State, will enjoy the spoils of his output.
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Matt Brooks goes in-depth on Jordan Poole's struggles in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against a stout Celtics defense.

Can Jordan Poole turn it around against the Celtics in the NBA Finals?

Adjustments sit central to the outcome of virtually any playoff series. Choose a series, whichever you wish, and the result will, in some form, likely be dictated by adjustments.&nbsp;
Whether that&rsquo;s a team crafting beneficial ones, another team failing to do so or the superior side forcing its opponent to deviate from its preferential style, adjustments are the secret sauce of postseason battles.&nbsp;
They&rsquo;re also among the most enjoyable components of the playoffs from a viewer&rsquo;s perspective. Watching a team decipher its counters, practice them and assess their success is invigorating. Even cosplaying as an armchair coach and dreaming up or anticipating potential adjustments gets the juices flowing.
In Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals, adjustments persisted as the protagonist. Behind a zany, 17-0 fourth-quarter run, the Boston Celtics emerged victorious over the Golden State Warriors, 120-108, and ripped away home-court advantage.&nbsp;
Broadly, the Celtics&rsquo; 21-of-41 night from deep was a leading factor in that conclusion. On an in-depth level, torrid shooting reflected Boston winning the war of adjustments and guiding Golden State toward places it does not wish to frequent.&nbsp;
Among the alterations was how Boston responded to Stephen Curry lighting up the nylon for 21 first-quarter points, including six long balls. Early on, the Celtics operated in deep drop against his ball-screens and hastily saw why that tactic had to be extinguished. Couple the strategy with a few uncharacteristic miscommunications, and Curry&rsquo;s explosive prologue is deductible.&nbsp;
Imperfect screen navigation and a big man parked below the arc was the recipe for Curry to cook &mdash; and cook he did.
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Outside of the first frame, though, Boston&rsquo;s defense against Curry was superb. It maintained its ideal of drop coverage, but brought the big man much closer to the level of the pick. Marcus Smart and Derrick White are premier screen navigators and stayed tethered to him.&nbsp;
Smart&rsquo;s presence was akin to a linebacker, cutting off driving angles and limiting space to rise for jumpers. White&rsquo;s was that of a gnat, locking onto Curry&rsquo;s hip and providing constant discomfort.&nbsp;
Each successfully ran him off the line and funneled him inside, where further irritants awaited. When a big man wasn&rsquo;t guarding the screener, Boston switched the action, often throwing size and range at the two-time MVP.
After hoisting eight triples in the first 12 minutes, Curry logged just six over his ensuing 26 minutes. Smart and White were the leading proponents behind that decline. Robert Williams III&rsquo;s length (7-foot-6 wingspan) and sprightly bounce navigated him away from threes. Al Horford&rsquo;s mobility, astute positioning and jazz hands perturbed Curry.
Twenty-one points on 9 shots in 12 minutes ended in 34 points on 25 shots in 38 minutes. That&rsquo;s a very good performance, but nowhere near the show-stopper his first quarter previewed. If this coverage holds, Curry's playmaking to prop up the offense will carry heightened value.&nbsp;
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Golden State followed its 32-point first quarter with 76 points over the final three. On the whole, it yielded an Offensive Rating of 90.1 (33rd percentile) in the half-court, per Cleaning The Glass. For contrast, Boston&rsquo;s was 114.1 (89th percentile). The crux of that disparity, at least from the Warriors&rsquo; standpoint, was the Celtics erasing their pindowns and Floppy actions all night.&nbsp;
Boston directed shots into the hands of shaky scorers and denied off-ball screen after off-ball screen. Through three rounds, Golden State obliterated teams with dribble handoffs and wide pindowns for Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole. Subtle openings and advantages multiplied into waves of buckets.&nbsp;
Those openings and advantages dissipated. Boston&rsquo;s synergy, communication (led by Smart) and confrontation on switches stymied Golden State&rsquo;s half-court plans. The Celtics sport a substantial strength advantage on the perimeter, and leveraged that with off-ball physicality and top-locking screens. <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1532767212531945472?s=20&amp;t=z_CKu1iDtaxYEpmWAdC1rQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">These</a> were perhaps <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1532544577940299779?s=20&amp;t=z_CKu1iDtaxYEpmWAdC1rQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their finest</a> possessions, but they&rsquo;re accompanied by many more.&nbsp;
That plotline started from the Warriors&rsquo; opening touch of the game. Look how crisp those switches are. Nobody does it better this year.&nbsp;
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(Shout out to Jaylen Brown, by the way. He flourished tracking Thompson&rsquo;s motion and denying him passes. He helped stymie numerous possessions. That dude is playing stellar ball this postseason.)
In an aim to open up the offense and avoid playing multiple non-scoring threats (Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Andre Iguodala), Steve Kerr elected to close with Poole over Looney. The upshot of that decision, though, left Golden State incredibly small on the interior.
Before both teams emptied their benches, Boston&rsquo;s closing lineup outscored Golden State&rsquo;s 10-2 in three minutes. Smart&rsquo;s corner three, which pushed the lead to 114-103, stemmed from the Warriors&rsquo; lack of size in the Curry-Poole-Thompson-Wiggins-Green quintet.&nbsp;
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Boston shuts down Golden State's offense, so the Warriors downsize and replace Looney with Poole, which allows Horford to snag this rebound and create a critical 3. Celtics seemed to win the adjustments battle in Game 1. <a href="https://t.co/ZNAaGKaTRZ">pic.twitter.com/ZNAaGKaTRZ</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1532807044771639296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Three of the Celtics&rsquo; most critical two-way forces are Smart, White and Horford. All three are brilliant defenders and capable offensive players with mercurial jumpers. Both Smart (33.1%) and White (30.6%) are hovering in the low 30s beyond the arc these playoffs, while Horford&rsquo;s at a scorching 46.3% after 33.6% in the regular season.&nbsp;
Regardless of their numbers, the Warriors clearly opened Game 1 content to let each of them fire away and prioritized helping elsewhere instead. By night&rsquo;s end, the Boston trio combined for 15 threes on 23 attempts and tangibly reshaped how Golden State guarded it.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s how those three were viewed as perimeter options early on.
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Curry offers a tepid closeout on Smart. Horford is invited to toss up a pair of wide-open looks. Poole leaves White alone to help on Brown&rsquo;s drive.&nbsp;
Later, though, this dynamic evolved. All of them began to garner attention as shooters. The paint was no longer off-limits. Driving lanes populated. Boston&rsquo;s bevy of connective passers found easier space to maneuver and wield that trait.&nbsp;
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Some notes:
- Green closing out on Horford in the first clip simplified his passing route to Tatum. Williams&rsquo; vertical spacing kept Green at home on Smart&rsquo;s score; his lob threat was quite useful at times, despite his fickle outing.
- Poole biting on White&rsquo;s shot fake after treating him like a non-shooter in their opening minutes together is a major shift. Brown had scored or assisted on 18 of Boston&rsquo;s 20 points of the fourth before Horford&rsquo;s three, hence Thompson&rsquo;s conflicted decision-making.&nbsp;
- Smart, White and Horford compose three of Boston&rsquo;s trustiest passers and decision-makers. Smart and White are two of its best drivers. How Golden State defends them and the impact of their outside shooting feels quite correlated with the Celtics&rsquo; offensive production moving forward.&nbsp;
- If the threes are falling and the Warriors no longer sag off, the offense should be pretty crisp. If the three are falling, but they&rsquo;re allowed to keep firing, how they navigate that green light without a downhill opportunity is important. If they don&rsquo;t fall, Boston will likely encounter trouble (duh, missing shots is #notgood).
Summing up Game 1 by shooting variance ignores the process behind all that transpired. The Celtics&rsquo; adaptability and shot-making coalesced for victory. Adjustments will continue to manifest. Who they favor and who generates them is both a compelling mystery and essential to determining this year&rsquo;s champion.
At least for a night, the answer to those unknowns was Boston.
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Jackson Frank dives into the Celtics' adjustments on both ends and how it ultimately led to victory over the Warriors in Game 1.

How the Celtics won the battle of adjustments in NBA Finals Game 1

A perfectly orchestrated out-of-bounds set is a thing of beauty.&nbsp;
Plays ran after timeouts, or ATOs as they're commonly referred to, are by far the most intricately designed sets in any NBA game.
We hear the phrase "read and react" quite frequently, but that's truly the best way to describe the typical flow of NBA offenses. Possessions in the half-court without any sort of stoppage regularly feature some sort of pick-and-roll or handoff action, maybe with 1-to-2 additional tinkerings depending on the team you're watching. But the point is: There is a great deal of freelancing going on out there. These guys are pros for a reason &mdash; they don't need a guy in a suit telling them exactly&nbsp;what to do for every second of the game.
ATOs, however, are quite different. They allow head coaches to step in, sit down with their players for a full minute and 15 seconds, precisely rehearse and recall a scripted action from practice, and, most of all, tactically prey on the weaknesses of an opponent.&nbsp;
And when they're executed well? Sheesh, there's truly nothing better.&nbsp;
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Now, just for size, imagine watching two back-to-back successful ATOs in the final eight seconds of a playoff game. That'd be crazy, right? Huh?! For all my play-by-play geeks out there?
Alas, that is what happened during Tuesday's Game 5 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Let's set the stage a little bit: This contest was not a gorgeous showing of pristine execution. It was a back-and-forth, frenetic affair, with both teams streaking up-and-down the floor like the Gatorade coolers had been spiked with C4 pre-workout. All of that speed didn't necessarily equate to production; collectively, both teams turned the ball over a ghastly 39 total times, and Memphis couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from deep at just 25.0% (7 of 28).
Minnesota controlled the tempo for most of Tuesday's game, building a lead as large as 13 in the second half. The Grizzlies looked dead in the water on their home floor, unable to get much of anything going in the halfcourt. Then, Ja Morant did this, and the mood completely changed...
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Chasing History -Episode 12 🏆 A jaw-dropping dunk&hellip;.a clutch late 3&hellip;.a game-winning shot. Ja Morant did it all in game 5, leading the Grizzlies to victory over the Timberwolves to take the 3-2 series lead. <a href="https://t.co/pKbwxriEws">pic.twitter.com/pKbwxriEws</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1519677816828313601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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(Seriously, it's tough to get enough of this freakin' dunk. BBN's Mark Schindler even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ja-morants-jadropping-dunk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote an entire article on it</a>! I mean, what the actual HECK, Temetrius Jamel Morant.)
That audacious poster lit something inside of Morant, who went on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-grizzlies-helped-ja-morant-find-himself-as-a-scorer-in-game-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an absolute tear in the final period of the game</a>, eventually boosting his fourth-quarter point total to 16 after a pair of free throws. This put Memphis up by 3 with just eight seconds remaining.
With the first-round series hanging in the balance at 2-2, Minnesota needed a three-pointer more than ever to even things up at 109 apiece. And gosh darn it, Wolves head coach Chris Finch delivered.&nbsp;
Minnesota sets things up with Jordan McLaughlin inbounding, its two strongest offensive players &mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards &mdash;on the strong side of the floor and D'Angelo Russell and Jaden McDaniels on the weak side.
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McLaughlin inbounds the ball to Towns at the left slot to initiate things. All the while, McDaniels streaks toward the left dunker spot and Russell brushes a backscreen for McDaniels. Then, Russell proceeds to "ghost" or fake a secondary back-screen for Edwards cutting up from the low block to the right slot.
Here's a video of that specific action involving that trio of players:
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In the end, it was a simple exchange of positioning; McDaniels had replaced Russell in the right dunker spot, Edwards had taken McDaniels' place as the lifted shooter on the weak side of the floor, and Russell was now in Edwards' spot on the strong side. But most importantly, Brandon Clarke, the largest Grizzly available, was now tasked with manning rim-protection duties as the "low man."
Now, let's zoom out a bit. Minnesota inbounds the ball to its most dangerous offensive player, Towns, who at this point has scored a team-high 28 points on the night. Yet as the inbounder, it's McLaughlin who is technically the most dangerous player on the floor, and so Towns immediately returns the rock to give the zippy backup a running start. As such, McLaughlin gains a step on his defender, Kyle Anderson, and this causes Clarke to hesitate for a second, unsure if he's supposed to protect the rim or track the weak-side shooters.
Because Clarke decides to hold his ground in the paint, Morant then becomes responsible for "zoning up" and guarding the two weak-side offensive players, Edwards and McDaniels. So, Edwards drifts down to the baseline for deep positioning to create a brutally tough angle of recovery, and McDaniels sets a back-screen on Edwards' man (Morant).
This specific screening setup is known as "exit" action, where one offensive player pins the "zoned-up" defender with a screen to generate a corner three for his teammate. (Finch loves&nbsp;his exit-screen plays, I tell ya.)
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McLaughlin flicks a ridiculous bounce pass to the corner like he's skipping rocks across a pond, and Edwards&mdash;quietly shooting ~42% on catch-and-shoot threes in the regular season and postseason&mdash;nails the corner jumper over an excellent closeout from Clarke.
Here's Finch's pi&egrave;ce de r&eacute;sistance in full:
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Tie game at 109.
Which meant it was Taylor Jenkins' time to cook for the Grizzlies' response.
Unlike Minnesota, Memphis set up by overloading one side of the floor with Desmond Bane, Anderson and Morant all sharing the strong side, and Tyus Jones on the weak side.
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Morant sets a cross-screen for Jones to cut across the paint, only to have Ja then come off a pindown screen from Desmond Bane. This specific action is known as "screen the screener," in which a player (Morant here) sets a screen for one teammate (Jones) and then receives a screen from another (Bane). Meanwhile, Anderson cuts across the paint from the left corner to the right slot to drag Minnesota's only rim-protector, Towns, completely out of the play.
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Memphis' screen-the-screener setup, or STS, forces Morant's defender (Edwards) to navigate not one, but two&nbsp;off-ball screens while tracking the hottest player on the floor. Edwards falls slightly behind the lightning-quick Morant, and exasperates things by gambling for the steal. Ant giveth, Ant taketh.
Now, Morant has the advantage with a free lane to the rim and Clarke in the right dunker spot. Jarred Vanderbilt rotates over to the stop the drive, and Towns inexplicably (??) turns his body away from the ball instead of rotating down to Clarke. This effectively leaves Vanderbilt in no man's land, forced to defend perhaps the best downhill dude in the league and&nbsp;a premier lob-threat... and, well, you know the rest.
Let's see the full play.
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Game. Set. Match. The Grizzlies went on to win Game 5 by a final of 111-109, and took an emphatic 3-2 lead in the series all behind Morant's 18 fourth-quarter points.
And sure, the night was dominated by the highlights (again, whew, that dunk), but it's sequences like the final eight seconds that make this NBA game what it is &mdash; great.
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Matt Brooks gives kudos to both Chris Finch and Taylor Jenkins for their ATOs in the crucial moments of Game 5 in Memphis.

Lehman Lightning