Green Terror

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

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Northwest Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

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 biggest takeaways from the NBA preseason.

NBA Sour Rankings: Preseason Overreactions

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

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

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

Like many young teams in the past, the Houston Rockets find themselves in a pivotal phase: the leap. After years of rebuilding and roster turnover, they&rsquo;ve finally found their stride. It&rsquo;s the fifth year since their rebuilding began, and with a 15-6 record, they&rsquo;re sitting second in the Western Conference. They could be closely mirroring the rise of the 2022 Memphis Grizzlies this early into the season. That Memphis squad, led by Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., also finished second in the West with their youthful energy catching everyone&rsquo;s attention. Now, the Rockets are replicating that energy, but the question remains: how sustainable is this success and are they legit contenders or just pretenders?
One of the biggest factors behind their early-season success is the leadership of Ime Udoka, the former Celtics coach who took over Houston. Udoka has brought a clear identity to the team, one rooted in defense. The Rockets are currently ranked as one of the top defensive teams in the league, a shift from previous seasons when they were known for their lackluster defense. Known for his defensive prowess during his time with the Boston Celtics, Udoka has transformed the Rockets into one of the league&rsquo;s best defensive teams.&nbsp;
Through 18 games, the Rockets have posted the second-best defensive rating in the league, allowing just 103.7 points per 100 possessions. This defensive turnaround is due in large part to Udoka's philosophy, which emphasizes relentless defense, discipline, and accountability. The Rockets have become a nightmare for opposing offenses, ranking sixth in steals and allowing the second-fewest fast-break points.​
Key players signed a season ago Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks have been instrumental in this shift. VanVleet&rsquo;s playmaking and leadership at the PG position have helped stabilize the young team, while Brooks quickly became the team&rsquo;s primary defensive disruptor. Brooks is one of the main reasons Houston has been so effective defensively this season, and the emergence of key contributors, Tari Eason and Amen Thompson puts them above the notch.&nbsp;
Brooks, a well-established perimeter defender, has been at the forefront, with a defensive rating of 98.9, the second-best among all perimeter players. His toughness and leadership have rubbed off on the younger players. Eason is averaging 2.2 steals per game, while Thompson, has impressed with his defensive instincts, further solidifying the Rockets' defense. Together Eason and Thompson are nicknamed the &ldquo;Terror Twins&rdquo; and are widely regarded as one of the most versatile defenders in the league today.&nbsp;
Additionally, Şeng&uuml;n&rsquo;s development has provided the Rockets with an anchor in the paint. Sengun is averaging 21.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game on 53.7% shooting​ and his ability to control the paint has been crucial. Together with Jalen Green (18.9 points) and Fred VanVleet (16.3 points and 6.2 assists),​ they have been the driving force behind Houston&rsquo;s offensive production to create balance with their intense defense, and their ability to sustain this performance will be critical as the season progresses.
In terms of overall team performance, the Rockets have displayed a more balanced attack compared to previous seasons. They&rsquo;re averaging 114.3 points per game and shooting a solid 45.9% from the field. Although their 3-point shooting percentage (35.2%) isn&rsquo;t elite, their ability to score efficiently and disrupt opposing offenses has placed them among the league's top teams.
This blend of youth, defense, and an increasingly potent offense has allowed the Rockets to outlast tough teams in the West early into the season. Their ability to win close games, as seen in their recent 119-116 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, highlights a growing maturity in executing in crunch-time situations.
While the 2024-2025 season has shown plenty of promise, questions remain about the Rockets' consistency over the long haul. Can they maintain this level of defensive intensity throughout the season? Will the young players continue to develop and reach new levels during the season, or will they hit a plateau? The Rockets' path forward is still uncertain, but their early success under Udoka suggests they may have finally found the winning formula. A 15-6 record places them among the elite teams in the West, and their balanced approach on both ends of the floor makes them a serious contender. But can they sustain this success?
Ultimately, the Rockets are an exciting team to watch, with a blend of youthful energy and the structure needed to compete at a high level. With the second-best defensive rating in the league (as of the moment) and significant contributions from their young players, they&rsquo;ve shown they can be a threat in the Western Conference. The coaching of Ime Udoka, paired with the growth of their core players, makes this team one to watch for the rest of the season. But as with any young team, time will tell if they can sustain their momentum and prove that their early-season success is more than just a flash in the pan.
The true test will come in the second half of the season, where teams often face greater challenges in adjusting to new threats. If they can continue to build on their defensive identity and develop their offense, they may just be the next upstart team to take over the West.&nbsp;

The Rockets are making a strong push early this season with their defense. With their hot start, are they a real threat in the West?

The Houston Rockets are making the leap, but how legit are they?

After gaining a dominant lead over the Western Conference over the past couple of months, the Denver Nuggets have come back down to earth.
They've lost five of their last seven games, including a four-game skid featuring the Chicago Bulls at home, an 8-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs on the road, a tightly contested home loss to the Brooklyn Nets and a road loss to the Toronto Raptors, who dropped 49 first-quarter points on the Nuggets' head.
That four-game losing streak was their longest of the season, and only the second time they've lost three straight.
The big problem has been their defense. The Nuggets logged a defensive rating of 125.2 during the losing streak, with that dropping to 120.5 when accounting for the entire seven-game run. Either mark would easily be the worst in the league if extrapolated across the entire season.
The defense has almost always been the reason they've lost games this year; their defensive rating is nearly 13 points worse in losses (122.4) than wins (109.5), representing the sixth-largest gap in the NBA.
(Brief aside: Cleveland &mdash; at 16.6 points worse in losses &mdash; is kinda lapping the field in that stat. When the defense gets hit, it gets hit.&nbsp;Worth keeping an eye on, at least.)
WHAT'S UP WITH THE DEFENSE?
Before digging in, let's set the appropriate framing for the struggles of the Denver Nuggets: they may be recent, but they're not new.
Naturally, we have to start with Nikola Jokic here. I hate most of the conversations around his defense because I feel it devolves into &ldquo;HE SUCKS!&rdquo; a little too quickly. But I don&rsquo;t think his defense can be at the level it was in the Bulls game, and it especially can&rsquo;t be at the level it was in the Spurs game.
Jokic doesn't offer much scheme versatility; at the very least, he isn't&nbsp;effective&nbsp;at multiple coverages. He's at his best &mdash; and, in turn, the Nuggets are at their&nbsp;best &mdash; when he's operating at the level of the screen or higher.&nbsp;
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Because of that, they absolutely can't afford slippage within that coverage.
Heading into this stretch, the Nuggets were allowing 0.916 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a ball screen defended by Jokic at the level or higher, per Second Spectrum. That was in the vicinity of guys like Jarrett Allen (0.898 PPP) and Draymond Green (0.905 PPP), and better than Joel Embiid (0.927 PPP) on much higher volume.
During this stretch, that number has risen to 1.018 PPP &mdash; a below-average mark.&nbsp;
It's inherently a higher-risk style of defense, which was covered <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-examining-the-denver-nuggets-poor-defense-nikola-jokic-michael-malone-bruce-brown-michael-porter-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earlier this year</a>. The margin for error is smaller because of the rotations required. It's even harder to pull off if Jokic doesn't do&nbsp;his&nbsp;job by getting to the level on time and serving as a deterrent to the ball-handler, or if he takes his sweet time recovering.
Possessions like this can't happen:
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On top of the timing and rotations being off, teams have also attempted to mess with Denver's rotations by sprinkling in cuts and relocations as the ball screen occurs.
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The slippage at the level feels worse because of how vulnerable they've been with Jokic in a drop this season. He's shown growth within that coverage over the past two seasons, but still remains a negative overall. His contests don't bother attackers all that much &mdash; and that's if he's actually contesting shots versus swiping down in hopes of getting a strip.
It's worth noting that, surprisingly enough, the drop with Jokic has been much better statistically (0.887 PPP) during this stretch of games. I'd attribute that more to the point-of-attack defense perking up over the past three games than anything Jokic is doing. That's not to say he's made no adjustment &mdash; it feels like he's picking up ball-handlers a little higher within the drop, for example &mdash; but he's getting real help up top.
Bruce Brown, in particular, has stepped up.
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It's unlikely that Denver's drop is as good as the numbers reflect during this stretch &mdash; one littered with teams without elite&nbsp;pull-up chops. But it's at least encouraging that the point-of-attack defense has looked a little better.
There also seems to be more intention with insolating Jokic.&nbsp;
The Nuggets have seen their "ICE" or "weak" calls &mdash; forcing the ball-handler down the sideline (ICE) or shading them towards their off-hand (weak) &mdash; increase from 12.3 picks per 100 possessions (18th) before this run, to 15.5 per 100 over the past seven, a mark that would rank fifth in the NBA if extrapolated across the entire season.
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Keeping things 2-on-2, with Jokic picking up the ball-handler around eight feet or so, is Denver's way of trying to limit the amount of shots they give up from the corners and directly at the rim. It's worth keeping tabs on.&nbsp;
WHAT'S UP WITH THE OFFENSE?
It's&nbsp;mostly&nbsp;been business as usual here. They've logged a 116 offensive rating over the past seven games &mdash; off their world-beater path, but a mark that would still rank seventh in the league.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The largest issue doesn't involve Jokic. Literally: this team is scary (derogatory) without Jokic on the floor.&nbsp;
They've gotten very little from their midseason additions, Reggie Jackson and Thomas Bryant. Jackson hasn't been able to knock down shots, while Bryant's defense has been harmful enough for head coach Michael Malone to call on Jeff Green's number more consistently.&nbsp;
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Jamal Murray has been tasked with spearheading non-Jokic lineups, but it's a lot of pressure on him. And as my Dunker Spot cohost Steve Jones has noted, the Nuggets don't have pressure points aside from Murray in those lineups to truly bend&nbsp;defenses. It turns into "Murray save us" too frequently for my sensibilities.
There are adjustments to be made, like flanking Murray with another starter whenever Jokic gets rest. They're already doing that by keeping Murray and Aaron Gordon together &mdash; I'm a little intrigued with Gordon-at-5 minutes. Maybe keeping Murray and Michael Porter Jr. together would work. It could have the secondary benefit of unlocking Brown as a screener again.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/ausqyy" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Ultimately, the goal should be to take some pressure off Murray. The Nuggets need his shotmaking once playoff time comes; they can't afford for wear-and-tear to get to his knee while trying to carry second units during the regular season. It's concerning that he's only made 39.7% of his shots over the past seven games, with only 23% of those coming at the rim.
If there's a Jokic-related thing to poke at, I'd keep an eye on who&nbsp;gets the Jokic assignment moving forward. It's something that really popped for me during the Sixers-Nuggets showcase game late in January, but PJ Tucker drew the Jokic assignment, allowing Joel Embiid to lurk around the rim and muck things up.&nbsp;
Other teams have tried it. The Wolves have given Kyle Anderson that assignment. The Raptors, as they tend to do, tossed OG Anunoby on Jokic with Jakob Poeltl nearby. The Nets threw forwards at Jokic in their first meeting, with Nic Claxton roaming around.&nbsp;
There's no way to&nbsp;stop&nbsp;Jokic, really, but using mobility to stifle some of the juicy stuff he creates on the perimeter is worth trying. Per Second Spectrum, the Nuggets have seen a dip in efficiency with dribble handoffs and ball screens when Jokic is defended by a forward instead of a center.
<ul>
<li class="p1">Jokic handoffs (center defender): 541 handoffs, 1.073 PPP</li>
<li>Jokic handoffs (forward defender): 241 handoffs, 1.058 PPP</li>
<li>Jokic PnR screener (center defender): 722 picks, 1.12 PPP</li>
<li class="p1">Jokic PnR screener (forward defender): 354 picks, 1.026 PPP</li>
</ul>
Not everyone has the personnel to pull it off, but the Nuggets may want to find counters regardless. It may be as simple as&nbsp;Gordon knocking down enough shots, or creating enough openings as a handoff hub or screener, to render the crossmatch obsolete. We'll have to see.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the Denver Nuggets' recent struggles and how Nikola Jokic and Co. can get back on track.

What's up with the Denver Nuggets, and should we be concerned?

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Klay Thompson scored 27 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer, helping the Golden State Warriors wrap up a perfect homestand with a 108-99 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.
The Warriors went 5-0 on the homestand despite missing injured star Stephen Curry to strengthen their playoff positioning in the ultra-tight Western Conference.
&ldquo;I think just a lot of grit,&rdquo; coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;Every one of these wins was marked by our team kind of getting over the hump. Overcoming a lot of deficits, turning up the defense and grinding out games down the stretch. It&rsquo;s been exciting to see our team turn a corner, but we still need to go out and win on the road.&rdquo;
Jonathan Kuminga added 19 points off the bench to help the Warriors overcome a 17-point deficit in the first half. Golden State rallied from double-digit deficits to win the last four games &mdash; the first time they have done that since at least the 1997-98 season.
CJ McCollum scored 25 points and Brandon Ingram added 17 for New Orleans. The Pelicans have lost five of six games as they were outscored 19-6 in the final 4:30.
&ldquo;They just made plays,&rdquo; New Orleans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s an area that we have to continue to grow and mature. ... Those are learning experiences for us. That&rsquo;s a good team, a championship level team. Those guys know how to win. Our margin for error is small, especially down the stretch like that.&rdquo;
New Orleans led by four points in the fourth quarter before Anthony Lamb and Thompson hit back-to-back 3-pointers with Thompson&rsquo;s giving Golden State a 95-93 lead with less than four minutes to play.
Donte DiVincenzo hit another 3 for his first basket of the game and then got an offensive rebound and assist on a dunk by Kuminga to make it 100-96 and Golden State held on from there.
&ldquo;He loves the big moments and it doesn&rsquo;t matter if he&rsquo;s been hot or hasn&rsquo;t made a shot like tonight,&rdquo; Kerr said about DiVincenzo. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s ready for the big one. Between that shot and the offensive board with the pass to JK. He just continues to make huge plays.&rdquo;
The Warriors once again found themselves in an early hole, falling behind 17-6 in the opening minutes and then by 17 points late in the first quarter.
This marked the fourth straight game they trailed by double-digits in the first half and just like the previous three games they flipped the script.
Golden State rallied back to take a 50-49 lead on a basket by Kuminga late in the half and trailed 57-54 at the break.
CURRY&rsquo;S RETURN
The Warriors are hoping to get Curry back on the upcoming trip, possibly as soon as Sunday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a chance he&rsquo;ll play and we&rsquo;re not going to make an decisions until he gets through tomorrow,&rdquo; Kerr said.
Curry has missed 11th games with a left leg injury after getting hurt against Dallas on Feb. 4. Golden State is 7-4 in this current stretch and 14-12 on the season without Curry in the lineup.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: C Jonas Valanciunas (left calf) was sidelined for a second straight game. ... Swingman Josh Richardson (personal reasons) sat out the game.
Warriors: F Andrew Wiggins sat out a seventh consecutive game while dealing with a family matter and Kerr didn&rsquo;t know if he would return during the upcoming road trip. ... F Andre Iguodala (hip) has been taking part of scrimmages but there is no timeline for his return.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Visit Sacramento on Monday night to finish three-game trip.
Warriors: Visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday to start a three-game trip.

Klay Thompson scored 27 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer, helping the Warriors get a 108-99 victory over the Pelicans on Friday.

Klay Thompson scores 27 points, Warriors beat Pelicans 108-99

Nekias Duncan checks back in with this year's NBA award races with an in-depth look at who leads the pack through the end of February.

2022-23 NBA award front-runners Vol. 2: MVP, DPOY, ROY, more

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Denver coach Michael Malone knew when the schedule came out that his team was going to have to be successful again on the road if it was going to be contend in the Western Conference.
So far, the Nuggets are living up to Malone's goal of being road warriors.
Behind Aaron Gordon's 29 points and an additional 19 from Jamal Murray, the Nuggets beat the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 114-104 on Friday night for their league-best eighth road win.
Denver has played 13 of its first 19 on the road and gone 8-5 after having a franchise-record 25 wins away from the friendly confines of Ball Arena last season.
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re winning at that level on the road, you know you&rsquo;re a good team. Our challenge now is to go home and take care of business,&rdquo; Malone said after the Nuggets won their second straight and third in their last four games.
Nikola Jokic added 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets, who led by 21 at one point during the fourth quarter with a run of 10 straight points midway through the period.
John Wall had a season-high 23 points for the Clippers, who were down to 10 players with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Luke Kennard out due to injuries. Leonard missed his second straight game after he sprained his right ankle Monday night against Utah. George (right hamstring) missed his third straight game and Kennard (right calf) has been out the last four.
Terance Mann added 16 points and Marcus Morris Sr. had 15.
The Clippers had 11 turnovers in the first half, but only three in the final 24 minutes.
&ldquo;We were being too casual with the basketball in the first half, but addressed that at halftime,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;In the second half we had our chances, and got it to seven. The margin of error is very slim so we got to take advantage of those opportunities. But I thought we did some good things and we've got some things we&rsquo;ve got to clean up.&rdquo;
Denver was down to 10 players in Wednesday&rsquo;s win over Oklahoma City but was bolstered by the returns of Murray and Ish Smith to the lineup.
&ldquo;It feels like we&rsquo;re starting to put something together. So this is something to build on,&rdquo; said Gordon, who scored 19 points in the second half.
The game was tied at 18 midway through the first quarter before the Nuggets scored nine straight points to lead the rest of the way.
Denver extended its advantage to 64-52 at halftime and led by 17 with 2 minutes remaining in the third after a pair of free throws by Vlatko Cancar made it 85-68. The Clippers made a late run to get it to 87-77
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. (heel), Jeff Green (knee), Bones Hyland (illness) and Payton Watson (illness) did not play. ... Cancar had 13 points coming off the bench. ... Murray also had nine assists. ... Denver had a 21-4 advantage in second-chance points.
Clippers: Robert Covington had 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers and reached 1,200 for his career. ... Norman Powell had 11 points off the bench. ... Los Angeles was 19 of 34 on free throws, with the 55.9% rate being its second-lowest of the year.
&nbsp;

Behind Aaron Gordon's 29 points, the Nuggets beat the short-handed  Clippers 114-104 for their league-best eighth road win.

Gordon scores 29, Nuggets beat short-handed Clippers 114-104

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Jeremy Roach scored 16 first-half points to help seventh-ranked Duke open Jon Scheyer&rsquo;s coaching tenure with a 71-44 win over Jacksonville on Monday night.
Freshman Mark Mitchell had a team-high 18 points for the Blue Devils, who used a 25-4 run spanning halftime to blow the game open.
It was a quality start to a season of massive change for the Blue Devils, starting with Scheyer taking over for retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. Duke has 11 new players, including the nation&rsquo;s No. 1-ranked recruiting class and two power-conference transfers. The Blue Devils didn&rsquo;t have top freshmen Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead for this one as they recover from preseason injuries.
Mike Marsh scored 15 points to lead the Dolphins, who shot 34% and missed 18 of 19 3-pointers before making two meaningless 3s late.
NO. 1 NORTH CAROLINA 69, UNC WILMINGTON 56
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Caleb Love and RJ Davis scored 17 points apiece and North Carolina began a season of grand expectations by pulling away from UNC Wilmington.
Armando Bacot added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Tar Heels, who were perhaps most impressive at the defensive end. UNCW shot 29.8% from the field.
The Tar Heels, who were the NCAA Tournament runner-up in April, began the new season with the top ranking for the first time in seven years. It&rsquo;s a record 10th time that North Carolina has been ranked No. 1 to start a season &mdash; one more than rival Duke.
Trazarien White scored 19 points for UNCW, which faced a top-ranked team for the first time in program history.
NO. 2 GONZAGA 104, NORTH FLORIDA 63
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 22 points, Julian Strawther added 16 and No. 2 Gonzaga used a big first-half run to beat North Florida in both teams&rsquo; opener.
Anton Watson had 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals for Gonzaga, which won its 68th consecutive home game, the nation&rsquo;s longest such streak.
Carter Hendricksen scored 16 points, Jadyn Parker 13 and Jose Placer 12 for North Florida, a veteran-laden team from the Atlantic Sun Conference that returned its top four scorers from last season.
NO. 3 HOUSTON 83, NORTHERN COLORADO 36
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser scored 21 points, J&rsquo;Wan Roberts added 12 points and six rebounds, and Houston opened the season by beating Northern Colorado.
Sasser, a preseason All-American, scored 11 points in the first half. He finished 7 of 14 from the field and made 4 of 8 3-pointers. The senior guard missed the second half of last season and all of Houston&rsquo;s run to the Elite Eight with a toe injury.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson won his 700th career game and 200th with the Cougars.
Matt Johnson II, Riley Abercrombie and Caleb Shaw each scored eight points for the Bears.
NO. 4 KENTUCKY 95, HOWARD 63
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Antonio Reeves scored 22 points, CJ Fredrick had 20 and Kentucky beat Howard with All-American Oscar Tshiebwe and two other players sidelined.
Tshiebwe had a procedure last month on his right knee. Point guard Sahvir Wheeler (right leg) and sophomore forward Daimion Collins (personal reasons) were also out, but the Wildcats still shot 55% against the overmatched Bison.
Jacob Toppin and freshman Cason Wallace each added 15 points for Kentucky.
Kobe Dickson scored 17 points and Elijah Hawkins had 14 for Howard, which shot 34%.
NO. 5 KANSAS 89, OMAHA 64
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Wilson had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Gradey Dick added 23 points in his debut, and Kansas began defense of its national championship without suspended coach Bill Self by routing Omaha.
Bobby Pettiford Jr. added 13 points, Dajuan Harris had 11 points and eight assists, and Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar Jr. scored 10 for the Jayhawks, who broke open a close game in the second half with two big runs.
Self served the first of a four-game punishment along with assistant Kurtis Townsend as part of the fallout from a 2017 federal investigation into college basketball corruption.
Jaeden Marshall scored 13 points and Luke Jungers had 12 for the Mavericks.
NO. 5 BAYLOR 117, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 53
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Adam Flagler scored 21 points to lead six players in double figures as Baylor won the opener of its 20th season with coach Scott Drew.
Flagler, a preseason All-Big 12 pick who also was the Bears&rsquo; leading scorer last season, also had eight assists and one of his four 3-pointers started a 24-0 run midway through the first half.
LJ Cryer had 16 points and Dale Bonner, another returning guard, had 14.
Alvin Stredic scored 14 points and Terry Collins 10 for Mississippi Valley State in its first game for new coach George Ivory.
NO. 9 CREIGHTON 72, ST. THOMAS 60
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Baylor Scheierman made back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the second half to give Creighton the lead for good.
Arthur Kaluma scored 17 points, Trey Alexander had 12 and Scheierman added 11 as the Bluejays won their 25th opener in 26 years.
St. Thomas, a Summit League member beginning its second season in Division I, gave the Bluejays all they could handle until the last few minutes. Andrew Rohde had 15 points to lead the Tommies.
NO. 10 ARKANSAS 76, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 58
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) &mdash; Trevon Brazile had 21 points and 12 rebounds in his debut as Arkansas won its season opener.
Brazile, a sophomore transfer from Missouri, scored six straight points during an 11-0 run early in the second half that gave Arkansas a 16-point lead with 15 minutes left.
Wichita State transfer Ricky Council led the Razorbacks with 22 points on 9-for-14 shooting.
Grant Nelson and Boden Skunberg had 17 points apiece to lead North Dakota State.
NO. 11 TENNESSEE 75, TENNESSEE TECH 43
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Tyreke Key came off the bench to score 17 points and Tennessee beat Tennessee Tech in both teams&rsquo; opener.
Key, an Indiana State transfer, connected on 4 of 8 3-pointers to ignite a sluggish Volunteer offense. Zakai Zeigler scored all but two of his 12 points in the second half.
Brett Thompson led the Golden Eagles with 15 points.
NO. 12 TEXAS 72, UTEP 57
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Tyrese Hunter scored 18 points to lead Texas past UTEP in the debut of its new arena.
Hunter, a transfer from Iowa State, was 6-of-8 shooting and added five rebounds. Ze&rsquo;Ri Onyema led UTEP with 10 points.
Texas this season moved to the $375 million Moody Center on the edge of campus, leaving behind the old Frank Erwin Center after 45 years.
NO. 13 INDIANA 88, MOREHEAD STATE 53
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Preseason All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and freshman Malik Reneau each scored 15 points, helping Indiana beat Morehead State in the season opener for both teams.
The Hoosiers have won all six matchups in the series and are 26-0 all-time against Ohio Valley Conference foes.
Mark Freeman led the Eagles with 14 points, and Drew Thelwell had 11 for the OVC favorites.
NO. 14 TCU 73, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 72
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Mike Miles hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to finally put TCU ahead to stay against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which built an early 20-point lead in the season opener for both teams.
Miles, the preseason Big 12 player of the year, hit from deep beyond the top of the key for a 71-68 lead.
Emanuel Miller had 15 of his 19 points in the second half, and Miles finished with 15 points for the Horned Frogs. They returned all five starters and five other scholarship players after winning their first NCAA Tournament game since 1987.
Shaun Doss had 25 points with four of Arkansas-Pine Bluff&rsquo;s 13 3-pointers.
NO. 15 AUBURN 70, GEORGE MASON 52
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Wendell Green Jr. scored 16 points while K.D. Johnson and Johni Broome each had 12 to lead Auburn to a season-opening win over George Mason.
The Tigers weren&rsquo;t really challenged much in their first game since losing NBA first-round draft picks Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler.
Ronald Polite III led George Mason with 10 points, and Victor Bailey Jr. had nine.
NO. 16 VILLANOVA 81, LA SALLE 68
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) &mdash; Caleb Daniels scored 24 points to make coach Kyle Neptune a winner in his Villanova debut.
Neptune replaced Hall of Famer Jay Wright, who retired in the offseason. The Wildcats returned three starters (a fourth, Justin Moore, was injured) from the team that lost a national semifinal game to Kansas. Eric Dixon added 20 points for Villanova.
Daniels made his first five 3-pointers and the Wildcats used an early 10-0 run to put away their city rival and spoiled 74-year-old coach Fran Dunphy&rsquo;s return to the bench.
Josh Nickelberry scored 22 points to lead the Explorers.
NO. 17 ARIZONA 117, NICHOLLS STATE 75
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Azuolas Tubelis scored 23 points and Arizona went on a massive opening run to begin its second season under coach Tommy Lloyd with a rout.
Ballo scored 18 points, helping Arizona set a school record with 71.7% shooting from the floor against the reigning Southland Conference regular-season champions. The Wildcats opened the game with a 30-4 run.
Micah Thomas led Nicholls State with 20 points.
NO. 18 VIRGINIA 73, NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 61
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman sparked a 15-2 second-half run, and Virginia beat North Carolina Central after blowing a 16-point first-half lead.
Armaan Franklin led Virginia with 21 points in the season opener for both teams, and Francisco Caffaro had 10.
Justin Wright scored 20 and Eric Boone had 18 for the Eagles, who used a 12-0 run just after halftime to go ahead. But Clark hit a 3 and Beekman followed with a steal and a breakaway.
NO. 19 SAN DIEGO STATE 80, CAL STATE FULLERTON 57
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Darrion Trammell hit three 3-pointers during a 29-10 run to open the second half and finished with 18 points as San Diego State beat Cal State Fullerton.
Fellow newcomer Jaedon LeDee and Lamont Butler scored 11 points apiece and Nathan Mensah had 10 for the Aztecs, who won their 10th straight season opener and their 17th in 18 seasons.
Vincent Lee scored 11 and Jalen Harris 10 for the Titans, the defending Big West Conference champions.
NO. 20 ALABAMA 75, LONGWOOD 54
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Freshman Brandon Miller had 14 points and 13 rebounds in his debut as Alabama beat Longwood.
Fellow freshman Rylan Griffen also scored 14 for the Crimson Tide, and point guard Mark Sears had 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Freshman guard Jaden Bradley added 11 points and six boards.
Alabama held Longwood to 27% shooting and blocked nine shots. Michael Christmas led Longwood with 12 points.
NO. 21 OREGON 80, FLORIDA A&amp;M 45
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) &mdash; N&rsquo;Faly Dante had 16 points and 10 rebounds as Oregon opened with an easy win over Florida A&amp;M.
Keeshawn Barthelemy added 13 points for the Ducks, ranked to start the season for the ninth straight year. Will Richardson scored 11.
Jordan Tillmon and Jordan Chatman had eight points apiece for the Rattlers, who have 11 new players. Florida A&amp;M coach Robert McCullum was on Oregon coach Dana Altman&rsquo;s staff from 2014-17.
NO. 22 MICHIGAN 75, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 56
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Hunter Dickinson had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and freshman Jett Howard added 21 points in Michigan&rsquo;s season-opening win.
After Purdue Fort Wayne opened an 8-4 lead, Michigan went on a 20-0 run to take control.
Quinton Morton-Robertson scored 15 points and Bobby Planutis added 13 for the Mastodons.
NO. 23 ILLINOIS 87, EASTERN ILLINOIS 57
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) &mdash; Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 24 points and Coleman Hawkins had 23 points and 12 rebounds as Illinois cruised past Eastern Illinois.
Dain Dainja added 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Illini, who outrebounded the Panthers 53-30 in the opener for both teams.
Kinyon Hodges scored 14 points and Yaakema Rose added 10 for Eastern Illinois.
NO. 24 DAYTON 73, LINDENWOOD 46
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Mustapha Amzil scored 14 points, DaRon Holmes II and R.J. Blakney each had 13 and Dayton beat Lindenwood in a sluggish opener for both teams.
Dayton was without injured point guard Malachi Smith and didn&rsquo;t play particularly well until late, but it had a large margin for error against Lindenwood, which was playing its first game after moving up to Division I.
Chris Childs had 15 points for the Lions, who shot 33% from the field.
NO. 25 TEXAS TECH 73, NORTHWESTERN STATE 49
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) &mdash; Daniel Batcho had 12 points and 10 rebounds as Texas Tech rolled past Northwestern State in both teams&rsquo; opener.
Texas Tech broke it open late in the first half and led 42-23 at halftime.
Isaac Haney led Northwestern State with 16 points.

It was a quality start to a season of massive change for the Blue Devils, starting with Jon Scheyer taking over Duke's program.

Roach leads No. 7 Duke past Jacksonville in Scheyer’s debut

As we approach the conclusion of &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>, NBA Defensive Player of the Year award odds are next up on the to-do list. Where is the best value to extrapolate from sportsbooks? A few contenders stand out, so let&rsquo;s go ahead and examine my best bets and dark horse selection for DPOY with all odds provided by DraftKings.
Defensive Player of the Year Best Bet: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves (+450)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Rudy Gobert's 4th quarter defense vs. the Mavericks was nothing short of spectacular. <a href="https://t.co/QkJrPsn4em">pic.twitter.com/QkJrPsn4em</a>
&mdash; 𝐇 𝐨 𝐨 𝐩 𝐕 𝐞 𝐧 𝐮 𝐞 (@KGsGOAT) <a href="https://twitter.com/KGsGOAT/status/1497440528660578305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As a three-time DPOY winner, Gobert has become the crown jewel in the Association for rim-protecting excellence. Now, entering Year 10 on a new team, Gobert has the opportunity to reclaim the award with emphasis.
Alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, Gobert exits a possible rebuilding situation for a ready-made contender in the Western Conference. As Minnesota&rsquo;s enforcer on the defensive end, Gobert will put up the counting numbers and advanced metrics to once more prove his immense value in that area.
The Timberwolves were so confident paying a steep price for Gobert becuase he augments all the talent around him. Towns and Edwards will benefit, but don&rsquo;t forget D&rsquo;Angelo Russell enters a prove-it contract year as the starting point guard.
Throughout the offseason, Minnesota&rsquo;s aggressive approach has led to a deep rotation near completion. With a multitude of lineup combinations, the Timberwolves&rsquo; versatility will be on full display.
It&rsquo;s a unique fit on paper, but I&rsquo;m all-in on Gobert and his long-term fit in Minnesota. Even as the heavy betting favorite at +450 odds on DraftKings, there&rsquo;s still value to be had to cash out at season&rsquo;s end.
Defensive Player of the Year Best Bet: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (+1200)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Bucks blitz Tatum in the pick-and-roll, he splits it. But guess who's there with the elite help defense: Giannis <a href="https://t.co/3GmaBgDL12">pic.twitter.com/3GmaBgDL12</a>
&mdash; Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1520828148534812673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Another titan in the DPOY race, it&rsquo;s never wise to rule out Giannis making an all-out push for any attainable award. Already one of the most decorated individuals in NBA history at his age, the Greek Freak feels poised to remind everyone how good he and the Bucks truly are.
It was a relatively quiet offseason in Milwaukee with the main move being re-signing Bobby Portis. The Bucks' roster is aready loaded to the gills with talent that meshes seamlessly alongside their generational superstar. Everything is setting up for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks to once again finish near the top of the East while the two-time MVP puts up monster numbers along the way.
Since taking the leap to stardom back in 2016-17, Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s stocks (steals plus blocks) continue to rise. Over that span, Giannis has averaged 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game, simply dominating on both ends of the court. If the Bucks keep up their winning ways and Giannis continues on his reign of terror, there&rsquo;s no reason why he shouldn&rsquo;t become an eventual finalist for this award.
Defensive Player of the Year Dark-Horse Bet: Mikal Bridges, Phoenix Suns (+1400)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
A compilation of Mikal Bridges' defense on Kristaps Porzingis last night. Obviously a very draining physical matchup for him, but he battled on switches and broke up multiple possessions. Incredible job. <a href="https://t.co/NbKRnBZq4Z">pic.twitter.com/NbKRnBZq4Z</a>
&mdash; Sam Cooper (@scooperhoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/scooperhoops/status/1461326352385249283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Last season&rsquo;s runner-up behind Marcus Smart checks in as this year&rsquo;s dark horse prediction. Finally, the NBA began to show respect to perimeter defenders with Smart and Bridges battling atop the DPOY leaderboard. Look for this trend to continue and maybe even become normalized. While Bridges&rsquo; status in Phoenix might remain in limbo right now due to the Suns' ongoing flirtation to secure Kevin Durant, there&rsquo;s no denying he&rsquo;s one of the best all-around wing defenders. He's able to lock up practically any scorer archetype..
Expect to see a highly-motivated Bridges entering his fifth season, one that will put even more pressure on him to become a more well-rounded pillar in the Suns&rsquo; success. While Bridges won&rsquo;t put up gaudy statistics, the eye test proved consistently there&rsquo;s not many defenders on the same tier as the 2018 No. 10 overall pick.
Assuming Phoenix stays near the top of the Western Conference hierarchy, projected at this point to run back most of their league-best rotation, Bridges&rsquo; DPOY argument is already written. If all goes to plan, Bridges will be a finalist and potentially bring the award to the Valley this time around.

Bet Week continues on as Evan Sidery provides his best wagers and dark horse prediction for 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Best bets for 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year

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

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Rookie Jalen Green scored a career-high 32 points, including 10 in overtime, and the Houston Rockets outlasted the slumping Los Angeles Lakers for a 139-130 win Wednesday night.
&ldquo;That was so much fun and exciting and great for a packed house to see us play like that,&rdquo; coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;And also great for our team to respond to the adversity, get down and come back out fighting."
The Rockets, who have the worst record in the Western Conference, withstood a triple-double from LeBron James and 30 points from Russell Westbrook to get just their second win in 15 games.
&ldquo;We have a really small margin of error this season and teams are making us pay," James said.
The loss is the ninth straight on the road for the Lakers, who have dropped six of their last seven games and are running out of time to get things together before the playoffs begin.
&ldquo;It is hard losing when you&rsquo;re pouring everything you have into it and trying to get traction for this group," coach Frank Vogel said. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;ve got resolve and this is a tough stretch we have to fight through."
Green, the second overall pick in the draft, opened overtime with a layup before adding a 3-pointer and then swishing a hook shot soon after that to make it 127-120. Eric Gordon added a 3-pointer to push the lead to 10 before the Lakers finally scored in the extra period on a basket by Westbrook with 2 1/2 minutes to go.
But the Rockets used a 6-3 run with 3s from Kenyon Martin Jr. and Green around a 3 from James to extend the lead to 136-125 with a minute left in OT and seal the victory.
&ldquo;We had too many defensive breakdowns throughout the game," Vogel said. &ldquo;Our guys fought but it just wasn&rsquo;t enough."
Green was asked about his big night.
&ldquo;It felt good," he said. &ldquo;They kept feeding me. Told me to keep attacking until they stop me. So that&rsquo;s what I did. The basket felt super big tonight.&rdquo;
James had 23 points, 14 rebounds and a season-high 12 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season. But his career-long streak of consecutive games with 25 points ended at 23 games on a night he was 9 of 26 overall and made just 1 of 9 3-pointers.
&ldquo;I missed a lot of shots that I know I&rsquo;m capable of making, have made throughout the course of the season and my career," he said. &ldquo;Shots just weren&rsquo;t falling for me tonight."
It was his first game since scoring a season-high 56 points Saturday night after he sat out Monday at San Antonio with a sore left knee.
Rookie Alperen Sengun set career-highs with 21 points and 15 rebounds and fellow rookie Josh Christopher added 21 points off the bench to help the Rockets to the win.
Silas spoke of growth of Green and Christopher, who are 20 years old, and the 19-year-old Sengun after their performances Wednesday night.
&ldquo;It means a lot," he said. &ldquo;It means that they&rsquo;re learning the importance of the work and sticking with it and fighting through the hard times and finding success at the end of the rainbow when the lights are the brightest."
A jump shot by Westbrook tied it at 120-all with a minute to go but he missed a shot a few seconds later to give Houston the ball back.
Green missed a layup under heavy pressure from James to give the Lakers another shot to take the lead.
James missed an off-balance shot in the lane with 17 seconds left but officials ruled that Houston knocked the ball out of bounds while vying for the rebound. The Rockets challenged the call, but it was upheld.
James drove into the lane and dished to Carmelo Anthony in the corner for the final shot of regulation, but his 3-point attempt was off to send it to OT.
A 5-2 spurt by the Rockets in the fourth tied it up, but James drove into the lane and finished with a monster, one-handed dunk to put the Lakers up 113-111 with 5 &frac12; minutes to go.
Los Angeles trailed by 1 with about three minutes left when James made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 118-116.
Green scored four quick points to give the Rockets a 120-118 lead with about two minutes left. He made two free throws and then grabbed a rebound on the other end and finished with a jumper to put Houston on top.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Malik Monk had 20 points. ... L.A. made 18 of 47 3s. ... Austin Reaves added 17 points.
Rockets: Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate sat out with a sore left ankle. ... Dennis Schroder returned after missing four games with a sprained right ankle and had 12 points.
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THEY SAID IT
Anthony on how well the Rockets played Wednesday night: &ldquo;It is surprising that we were in a game that close and that tight. But that says something about the Rockets. They don&rsquo;t quit coming at you."
UP NEXT
Lakers: Host Washington Friday night.
Rockets: Host Dallas Friday night.

Rookie Jalen Green scored a career-high 32, including 10 in overtime, and Houston outlasted the slumping Lakers 139-130.

Rookie Jalen Green has 32 as Rockets down Lakers in OT, 139-130

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into the best NBA plays for Monday&rsquo;s slate.
Philadelphia 76ers (-7.5) vs. Chicago Bulls
James Harden is back in the Sixers&rsquo; starting lineup after being held out last game for injury maintenance (hamstring). With Harden&rsquo;s return, it&rsquo;s hard to envision Philadelphia not being able to cover the 7.5-point spread here. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine will put on a scoring show for the Bulls, but who will be able to stop both Harden and Embiid? The answer: Chicago won&rsquo;t, so hammer with emphasis Sixers -7.5.
Pick: Sixers -7.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 29.5 points, DeMar DeRozan over 28.5 points, Zach LaVine over 23.5 points, James Harden over 10 assists
Dallas Mavericks (-1) vs. Utah Jazz
Luka Doncic has been putting up jaw-dropping numbers for the Mavericks since the trade deadline. Averaging <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/will-luka-doncic-be-able-to-sustain-current-workload-for-potentially-deep-postseason-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">almost 40 points per game on a plus-40 usage rate</a>, can this amount of an offensive workload maintain without Doncic wearing down later on? It&rsquo;s a legitimate question to wonder long-term for Dallas, but not on Monday night. The Luka show keeps rolling with an emphatic, impressive win over the Jazz at home.
Pick: Mavericks -1
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 30.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 24.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 12.5 rebounds, Dorian Finney-Smith over 10.5 points
San Antonio Spurs (-2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers
I&rsquo;ve finally come around to where everyone else is on the Lakers from a betting perspective. Avoid the Lakers at all costs, until proven otherwise. Sure, LeBron James is still a fun PrizePicks Power Play option for player props, but everything else around Los Angeles right now is a nightmare. The Spurs are a very feisty team led by Dejounte Murray, and I think they get it done tonight as the home favorites.
Pick: Spurs -2
PrizePicks Power Play: LeBron James over 30.5 points, Keldon Johnson over 19.5 points, Malik Monk over 15.5 points, Dejounte Murray over 9.5 assists
Denver Nuggets (-7.5) vs. Golden State Warriors
No Stephen Curry tonight for the Warriors, which makes this task even more daunting in Denver. The Warriors not having Curry, Klay Thompson or Draymond Green available for this game against defending-MVP Nikola Jokic is a worst-case scenario. Jokic is going to terrorize the shorthanded Warriors from the opening tip and on, so we feel confident wagering big tonight on Denver to pull off the victory.
Pick: Nuggets -7.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Nikola Jokic over 24.5 points, Jordan Poole over 22.5 points, Kevon Looney over 7.5 rebounds, Aaron Gordon over 5.5 rebounds
Sacramento Kings (-3.5) vs. New York Knicks
Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com later this week, because yours truly is diving deeper into the current situation in Sacramento. Since the Kings pushed some chips all-in on All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis, they haven&rsquo;t really gotten better in the standings. However, viewing it from a long-term lens, the pairing between De'Aaron Fox and Sabonis has been absolutely fantastic. Sabonis allows Fox to be fully optimized as a scorer, which should be on full display Monday night against the Knicks. We&rsquo;re rolling the dice, but Sacramento feels like the ideal pick to make in this spot.
Pick: Kings -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 25.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 24.5 points, Julius Randle over 9.5 rebounds, Domantas Sabonis over 5.5 assists
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Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily fantasy? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/7/22

I feel like I've learned a quarter of a million things this year as I've gotten deeper and deeper into basketball. Pace is critically important as a ball-handler, defense is way more complicated and complex than I grasped even last season, and development is about as linear and predictable as the stock market.
Add another detail to the list: We need to appreciate screening more! I keep coming back to this. It's an essential part of the game that tends to get overlooked and, in some ways, I've felt its impact more this season.
Sure, I've noticed a nice bone-crunching screen time and time again, the kind that makes you go, "How is that legal?!" Like, when Nikola Pekovic destroyed Brandon Knight simply for being Brandon Knight.
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This isn't the kind of screen we need to appreciate, but please don't tell Pek I said that!
Pick-and-roll has notably grown as an offensive staple and foundation over the last decade, but what's the first thing that you think of when someone says pick-and-roll? I don't mean to assume your thoughts, but I bet you probably thought about a ball-handler canning a pull-up three or getting downhill off the screen.
The action is all about creating an advantage, kickstarting the offense and either creating a shot directly or forcing the defense into rotation until a better opportunity presents itself. As the screen-and-roll has continued to dominate in relevance, something that seems to have gotten lost in the sauce is that the screening part is pretty darn important! It's a means of amplifying creation, exacerbating an advantage; the best screens are creating an even better advantage. In a way, the highest levels of screening could&nbsp;be viewed as a means of self-creation when factoring in other aspects.
Defenses have really adapted this season. Coverage versatility has become a must for the majority of teams, throwing some funk into the mix to make easy offense a bit harder. Teams are more comfortable blitzing ball-handlers &mdash; sending two to the ball against ball-screens &mdash; to try to negate the initial advantage and force secondary options to beat them.
The Minnesota Timberwolves built their defense on it (less recently), the Chicago Bulls routinely play with their 5-man high on screens and the Milwaukee Bucks have made it a near automatic response. It's hard to get by playing defense just being solid in one way because offenses are just that good.
Rudy Gobert, screen-assist royalty, is doing so much more as a roller than he gets credit for routinely. For starters, he sets hard screens. Defenders feel them and don't often get through them. While he doesn't necessarily roll fast, his downhill gravity is a key matchstick that ignites the Utah Jazz's offense.&nbsp;
More importantly, on top of that, he can make solid reads and decisions on the roll once he receives the ball.
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It's not perfect. Gobert can show some clunkiness if he has to put the ball on the deck, but he's threatening enough with his roll presence and capable enough of a decision-maker that defenses have to respect the process (don't ask about post-ups).
Gobert passes the threshold required of a screen-and-roll player, which has only risen over the past few years, and I feel, particularly, this season. If you can't make quality decisions off an action or finish the advantage efficiently yourself, that's a win for the defense. It's extremely hard to strictly be a finisher at the basket or a lob threat. You need more juice now! Even if you are capable of the decision-making, can you put the ball on the floor once or twice and craft an efficient look? More importantly, can you make the defense care?
We've hardly even gotten into the meat of the screening yet, but it's so important to point out just how difficult it is to be a big in the current NBA. There's often a train of thought along the lines of "screen-and-roll bigs grow on trees," and sure, it's reductive, but I guess not entirely incorrect. However, how many bigs can you just go pick up in the free-agency pool that can meet all the requirements? Being at least a neutral on both ends is extremely hard, especially as a starter!
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Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is one of the best screeners in the league, and shows his versatility and dynamic ability to loosen things offensively for both himself and others. While he's drawn ire from many a Chicago fan for his shooting inconsistency, this offense would not be what it is without Vucevic. We know he can score in a variety of ways, we know he can pass and we know he can screen. The way he blends the trio is what makes him a special offensive player and vital to the Bulls.
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While Vucevic doesn't screen Zach LaVine completely open for the action, watch how he tracks and moves with Jrue Holiday, toeing the line of legality. He screens initially and re-screens again before using his forward momentum and footwork to open himself on the roll.
So while LaVine isn't cleanly open &mdash; largely due to Holiday cheating the action and dodging the first screen from Javonte Green &mdash; Vucevic salvages space with screening. Holiday can't fully reconnect before LaVine starts his way downhill, occupying Serge Ibaka's attention before hitting Vucevic with the pocket pass; the Chicago big man then rumbles into a mesmerizing balletic hook shot. It's quick, Ibaka was already off-kilter and Vucevic takes advantage.
While you could reduce the possession down to a screen and a slow roll, so much more goes on in that space that makes it impressive.
Per Second Spectrum Tracking, Vucevic averages 1.58 seconds per touch, the third-lowest mark amongst players who receive 50 or more touches per game. He touches the ball often, but not for long. He gives the ball energy, adds zest to the possession and serves as a turnkey for the offense.
Send two to one of Chicago's All-NBA candidate guards, and Vucevic slips into space to quickly hit cutters as the defense adjusts to him.
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Or he'll throw in a timely slip when the drop defender is committed to the ball-handler, sure to use his arms to generate some contact with the defender, adding some slight oomph before flipping his hips into a lightning-quick touch shot or jumper. The quickness with which he gets his shots off along with the downhill threat of Chicago's drivers gives the defense headaches.
Speaking of slipping screens, look no further than John Collins!
Trae Young's threat as an elite pull-up shooter, terrifying downhill quickness and immaculate court vision are already a nightmare for defenses. Teams have to often sell out due to Young's advanced craft. Collins slips seemingly every ball-screen, and uses his own explosive downhill dynamism to put the low-man in a torture chamber.
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Rotations are extremely important to executing defense but, man, how do you stop someone like Collins coming down the lane full force even with a perfect rotation?
He creates sinkholes on the perimeter at times with even the mere thought of a slip, as a game has progressed. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, dear God please don't do it again.
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While this is largely a byproduct of bad defense and miscommunication, in the end it's happening because of Collins. Good defensive teams will try to find ways to neutralize the slip and more effectively handle the perimeter, but silencing the slip is easier said than done. Young needs but a sliver of space to be dangerous.
His verticality and touch are nutty. The ball skills have come along, and he's improved greatly on his passing reads.
Next up is one of my favorite possessions in basketball over the past year. Indiana Pacers rookie Terry Taylor screens Khris Middleton into the abyss and makes getting over a screen an absolute terror.&nbsp;
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Buddy Hield is a very good off-ball mover and one of the best shooters in basketball, but this shot is not clean without Taylor.
He screens Middleton just before Tyrese Haliburton passes the ball to Hield. He moves and re-screens with a flip of his hips, as Hield sets up Middleton to his right. He just stays active and makes Middleton work &mdash; which sounds simplistic, but that's the point... it's not. It's the continuous little efforts to open a half-foot of space that can make a significant difference acquiring said real estate.
Next up, the quintessential Jakob Poeltl possession!
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Dejounte Murray isn't a pull-up shooter like that, and the Orlando Magic know, so they go under the screen. But here's the nice subtlety &mdash; so does Jakob.
Like, of course he knows that teams don't go over on screens for Dejounte, but the quick flip and re-screen allows for the Murray snatch-back and an open lane. I can feel that thudding hip check through my laptop.
But we are not done yet folks!
Poeltl rolls and throws in some more trickery, sealing Mo Bamba with yet another "Is this legal?" (Jakob Poeltl, habitual line-stepper) screen. It's the Daniel Theis/Al Horford seal, but Jakob does it better, so it deserves a cooler name. (I'm not sure what, but think on it!)
Murray is a really nice player (an All-Star, of course), but without Poeltl there is no advantage being created here. He eases the burden of primary creation for Murray and amplifies the offense.
As good as Poeltl is as a dribble-handoff operator, there may not be a more explosive and fluid artist at the elbow and slot than Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo sprints into early offense DHO's with the Miami Heat's movement shooters.&nbsp;
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He's another non-stationary screener. He keeps his arms down to try and blur the lines of legality, making it harder to call a moving screen. I absolutely love it.
Try and sell out to stop the quick hitter? Well, Adebayo might have the most fluid hips and change-of-direction ability of any big in the NBA. He flips screens and thuds you for the audacity to try and cheat the action.
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If you're wondering why Miami had an open three even without Adebayo handling the ball &mdash; rewind, and look for the chaser who gets taken out along the way. He cracks back on off-ball defenders like a wide receiver excited to dole out punishment for a change.
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Ja Morant is one of the most punishing drivers in the NBA, with an absurd guile and vertical pop. His audacity is unfathomable.&nbsp;
While Steven Adams certainly has some drawbacks as an offensive player and limitations defensively, he's been a very nice fit for the Memphis Grizzlies. He paves wide open lanes for Morant in a way that few players can. Often when I watch the Grizz, I see Ja wide open in space, gunning towards the rim with a big on his heels and say to myself, "Where is the fifth defender?"
Well, Steven Adams might play a significant part in that!
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He just erases the defender from the picture with his frame.&nbsp;
More on those driving lanes &mdash; Adams will set interior screens on the roll as well, taking the rim-defender out of the picture, parting the sea in the paint for Morant and guiding to easy buckets at the rim.
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Don't forget about impromptu screens!
Oshae Brissett is a joy to watch, as he takes note of ball-watching defenders and sets up wide-open shots for teammates or generates an unwanted matchup for the defense.
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I don't quite know how to quantify screening, but it is&nbsp;something&nbsp;and it's so much more valuable and complex than it generally is made out to be. As the season winds down, take note and appreciate some of the really cool things happening both on and off the ball &mdash; the impact on play, and why it's happening.
I'm still learning more and more about the game each week, and that's awesome to me. Screening is a whole new world this season, and I can't wait until the next realization that opens my eyes even more about the game!
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As the NBA has continued to evolve on both ends, it's worth taking a minute to appreciate the art of screening, writes Mark Schindler.

An explanation of why we need to appreciate screening more

Mama's got a new pair of shoes, and James Harden has a new pair of threads.
The future Hall of Fame guard made his Philadelphia 76er debut on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. And before going further, let me just say: what a bad break for the Wolves, man.
To get the Harden debut on the second night of a back-to-back, not even two weeks after getting the Domantas Sabonis debut (on the second night of a back-to-back) is a stroke of scheduling (bad) luck you have to laugh at. Add in their base scheme (more on that very shortly), and it's hard to think of many better options to get your first run against.
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At any rate, the people were ready to see what Harden looked like. Physically, you want to see how he looks since he's been dealing with hamstring issues dating back to last postseason; emotionally, because the level of engagement shown from him during the latter stages of his Nets run was ... I mean, we can say it &mdash; it was shameful at times. On a different team, with a different superstar and reunited with Daryl Morey, it was fair to wonder how juiced up he was going to be.
And beyond that, what the heck was the partnership with Joel Embiid (that different superstar) going to look like? Seamless? Spotty? It's game one, after all.
We saw some encouraging stuff on Friday night. The Sixers absolutely blasted the Wolves 133-102. Harden (27-8-12) and Embiid (34-10-3-1) took turns wrecking the defense, and even hooked up a few times &mdash; north of 20 times when combining handoff and ball screen possessions &mdash; to do it.
Let's take a look at how the two operated together.
HANDOFFS
This was the smaller sample of play types &mdash; the Sixers had five possessions featuring a handoff between the two, per Second Spectrum.&nbsp;
The method of choice was Chicago action &mdash; a pindown that flows into a handoff. We got multiple instances of Embiid handling the ball above the break, with Tobias Harris or resident non-shooter Matisse Thybulle prying Harden open with a screen before jetting into the handoff with Embiid.&nbsp;
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Peep the subtleties of the spacing on the possessions above. On the first action, Harris cuts through after setting the screen for Harden, setting up an empty corner for the star duo to work with.&nbsp;
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Harden ends up taking the floater in the first clip &mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns doesn't fully commit to Harden, opting to lunge while backpedaling &mdash; but look at the weakside. With Harris relocating, Thybulle positions himself to set a pin-in screen on Anthony Edwards. Edwards is tasked with defending both players (splitting the difference) since Jarred Vanderbilt rotated over to provide some relief; pin-in screens are a great counter to that extra help.
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On the second clip, you get the inverse. Thybulle sets the screen this time and hangs around the perimeter. Harden is able to fully engage Towns on the drive, opening up the lob to Embiid. D'Angelo Russell sinks into the paint due to Thybulle's lack of shooting gravity, but you tell me who's gonna win this particular jump ball.
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Yeah.
BALL SCREENS
This is where the fun stuff &mdash; or if you're a Wolves fan/observer, the infuriating stuff &mdash; happened.
If you want a quick number, the Sixers generated a whopping 1.29 points per possession on trips featuring a Harden-Embiid ball screen. For reference, the best transition offense in the league (Chicago Bulls) generate 1.2 points per possession. Heck,&nbsp;Giannis&nbsp;generates 1.18 points per possession in transition, if that further drives the point home for you.
Though they've toned it down as of late, the Wolves still show two to the ball in pick-and-roll pretty often. That requires a bunch of chemistry and connectivity on the backline to put out fires. Running that style against a passer like Harden, and a short-roll (or pop) terror like Embiid posed some problems,&nbsp;buddy.
When you think of a ball-handler getting trapped (or hard-hedged against), the natural progression seems to be "big catches the ball on the short roll and finds the best passing outlet against a 4-on-3, 3-on-2, or 2-on-1, depending on the spacing."
Embiid's different in that he's fine with popping against that look. On top of that, he can shoot off the pop or drive out of it. He's also devastating because his short roll reps turn into him bullying a much smaller helper.&nbsp;
Think about it: if Embiid's man &mdash; a large human being that probably can't guard him anyway &mdash; is 25ish feet from the basket, who the heck is stopping his rampage?&nbsp;
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This ends in a Harris miss, but you can see the issue. Embiid pops here and has the shot if he wants it. He decides to drive instead, bullies Towns (aka the large human that can't guard him anyway), draws a double and makes the easy kick.&nbsp;
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We get more of a traditional roll from Embiid this time. We also get no tag or rotation from Vanderbilt, though that's also part of the fun for Philly. Vanderbilt has to choose between rotating to Embiid (and likely getting bullied anyway) or staying home on Danny Green, a plus-shooter.
(As a brief aside, I was pretty impressed with how the Sixers spaced the floor in this one. Ultimately, with Towns playing high against Harden, Russell is once again the last line of defense against Embiid.
The Wolves would attempt to do different things. They went to a zone in the second half, but Embiid was able to find the soft spots in it. The middle is generally the vulnerable area of a zone. Offenses want to get into the middle of the floor and set up high-lows or create easy kick-outs, but&nbsp; Embiid can just get a bucket himself.
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There was also drop coverage mixed in, but that poses some pretty tough problems. In general, Harden is insanely good at getting downhill, engaging the big (and tempting a third defender to offer extra assistance), then making the defense wrong. Embiid isn't a typical lob threat, but he can bully dudes in the intermediate area.
On the Wolves side, Towns just ... isn't good as a drop defender. That reality is what led to their aggressive scheme shift to begin with. That, combined with some ill-timed (or non-existent) rotations made it easier for the Sixers to generate good stuff.
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Anthony Edwards gets knocked off his path. Towns is doing ... something as he backpedals in his drop. Taurean Prince is a beat late to show help. All things considered, the Wolves end up in a decent spot with three defenders converging on Embiid. So, of course, they foul him.
Welp.
I'm curious to see what the Harden-Embiid combo looks in a tougher context than the Wolves provide, but the skeleton of a successful partnership was on full display.
And it's pretty scary.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the debut of the James Harden-Joel Embiid partnership.

The early returns on the James Harden-Joel Embiid partnership

With how they seem to be flying under the radar right now, you would have never guessed the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Finals last season. Checking in with a 28-19 record, Milwaukee is only two games back of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The difference between the top six teams in the East is two-and-a-half games, and I&rsquo;m here to stake my claim as to why Milwaukee should still be the favorite among that group. Honestly, the Bucks would probably prefer to stay under the radar anyways, but they'll have everyone right where they want them once postseason play kicks off in April.
Milwaukee has operated all season long without Brook Lopez, the team's anchor on defense. However, the Bucks are actually carrying a better Defensive Rating compared to the last season (110.7), allowing opponents to score 107.6 points per 100 possessions. Lopez should actually be returning to the court soon for the Bucks as he begins to ramp up on-court activities. Once Lopez is officially cleared, Milwaukee will have another valuable weapon at its disposal in the playoffs.
On top of Lopez&rsquo;s lingering stint on the injury report, the Bucks have been battling similar issues all season long. Jrue Holiday has been in and out of the starting lineup with injuries, and Donte DiVincenzo recently returned from a long-term absence that extended throughout the Bucks&rsquo; championship run. Finally, though, that page is beginning to turn in favor of Milwaukee as it approaches a fully healthy rotation for the first time all season.
We saw a sneak peek of it during the 2021 NBA Finals, but Giannis Antetokounmpo has embraced playing more bully-ball this season. In place of Lopez, Antetokounmpo has logged plenty of minutes as a small-ball center, and the Bucks are more than holding their own with that.
Another underrated asset to the Bucks in their frontcourt has been Bobby Portis, who re-signed with Milwaukee on a two-year, $9 million deal this past offseason. Portis playing heavy minutes alongside Giannis has been a blossoming success story. In the 612 minutes Portis and Antetokounmpo have shared the floor, Milwaukee is outscoring opponents by 9.6 points per 100 possessions (113.6 ORTG, 103.9 DRTG). It&rsquo;s the best two-man lineup combination for the Bucks &mdash; a strengthened inside-out duo that really feeds off one another. As Giannis dominates around the basket, Portis optimally spaces the floor, hitting three-pointers at an elite clip of 42.9%.
Imagine all the possibilities for the Bucks when Lopez is back. This frontcourt trio will allow head coach Mike Budenholzer to mix and match how he pleases, presenting endless mismatches to the opposition.
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The Bucks lost some depth this offseason, especially with PJ Tucker going to the Miami Heat in free agency. However, they have made up for it by adding more floor-spacing acumen to boost their offensive ceiling around a generational talent in Antetokounmpo.
Grayson Allen has been an amazing boost for Milwaukee, purely from an offensive perspective. Allen&rsquo;s role in the offense is to make the right reads as a passer and splash threes at an above-average rate. Allen is accomplishing both for the Bucks, including a three-point percentage of 39.0% on 6.8 attempts per game.
Wesley Matthews returned to Milwaukee during the season, as well, after his one-year stint with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Matthews was another vital piece to the puzzle a few years ago, and he&rsquo;s seamlessly fit back into his role in Milwaukee.
Once DiVincenzo finds his rhythm, the Bucks will have a lot of guards who can make the lanes wider for Antetokounmpo to bludgeon defenses with nonstop aggressiveness.
Recently, we&rsquo;ve seen what could be the future vision for the Bucks come playoff time as it relates to their offense hitting peak levels of dominance behind their MVP winner.
Since Christmas, Antetokounmpo is averaging 31.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.3 blocks while carrying an outstanding 63.7% True Shooting percentage. Giannis&rsquo; usage rate has ramped up from that point as well, checking in at 37.1%. It&rsquo;s a lot on the Greek Freak's plate, but he&rsquo;s shown consistently throughout his reign of terror that he can singlehandedly put the Bucks on his back without issue.
The Bucks are still trying to gain a consistent rhythm from last season&rsquo;s championship run, the first Finals victory in 50 years for the organization. However, once the playoffs officially arrive, this team is set up to do some serious damage in a more revamped East hierarchy.
(It will also be very interesting to see what the Bucks do at this year&rsquo;s Feb. 10 trade deadline. With not a lot of assets to work with, maybe the Bucks view Lopez&rsquo;s eventual return as their big boost.)
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Yes, the Brooklyn Nets look legit as usual behind Kevin Durant, James Harden and a part-time Kyrie Irving when all healthy. The Chicago Bulls are now back in the mainstream with an outstanding season headlined by their dynamic duo of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Never rule out the Miami Heat either, who are beginning to turn their own corner as well.
Joel Embiid is putting up jaw-dropping numbers for the Ben Simmons-less Philadelphia 76ers right now, keeping them in the top-tier race of the conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers are right in the thick of it as this year&rsquo;s surprise team making the certified jump to legitimacy.
In the end though, the Bucks are where I lean regarding who eventually comes out of the East to get to this year&rsquo;s Finals. Whichever way you want to slice it, the Bucks are not a team to be underrating. If anything, when you dive deeper, they look to be even stronger for a deep postseason run.

The Bucks check in with a 28-19 record, but when you do a deeper dive, the defending NBA champions still look as dangerous as ever.

Giannis, suprisingly slept-on Bucks are capable of much more

The Milwaukee Bucks are still riding their "championship high" for good reason. Thanks in large part to a perfect storm revolving around global superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee won the NBA title for the first time in 50 years.
In Game 6, Giannis put together arguably the greatest individual performance in NBA Finals history with a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/battle-tested-milwaukee-bucks-find-redemption-from-past-with-nba-championship-gold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50-point masterpiece</a>. Such a moment was a rubber-stamped seal of approval, especially after Giannis committed to Milwaukee for five more years by signing his supermax extension moments before the 2020-21 season began. Going all-in around Giannis with a top No. 2 option in Khris Middleton, plus Jrue Holiday and copious amounts of three-point shooters, worked out beautifully.
Now, entering the 2021-22 campaign, expectations are through the roof for an encore. With Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s metamorphosis into one of the most dominant forces in the league, Milwaukee will always be a top contender to make another deep postseason run. This could be the beginning of Giannis' reign in the Eastern Conference, even with the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-ready-to-flex-their-muscles-as-nba-alpha-dog-throughout-2021-22-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">juggernaut superteam based in Brooklyn</a> as the Bucks' top competition. Giannis is running roughshod through defenses <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-new-superman-giannis-antetokounmpo-is-the-modern-shaquille-oneal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similarly to Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</a> &mdash; dominance with sheer force. Since 2017, his playoff averages (27.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, 9.6 free throw attempts, 5.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, 1.2 steals per game) show he&rsquo;s nearly scheme-proof, and he&rsquo;s just now entering his prime years at 26 years old.
Giannis entered the league as a scrawny, unknown prospect from Greece. Now, he&rsquo;s a physical Adonis with one of the most impressive individual resumes at this stage of his career in NBA history.
Once Giannis added "NBA champion" to his resume, I posed a question about whether Milwaukee should embrace him becoming a full-time center. O&rsquo;Neal donned him the new Superman, and the comparison is certainly valid. When diving into the advanced metrics for lineups featuring Giannis at center, Milwaukee was dominating its competition. During the Bucks&rsquo; run to the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy, Giannis' minutes at the 5 had resounding success.
The two most-used lineups for jumbo-Giannis lineups carried a plus-32.5 and plus-18.0 net rating in 127 total minutes. And looking back to regular-season action, some lineups simply ran teams off the court. For example, in 41 minutes, the following combination carried an absurd plus-48.3 NET: Jrue Holiday, Donte DiVincenzo, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
When the Phoenix Suns exploited the Bucks in the Finals and took a 2-0 series lead, the main adjustment was more minutes for Giannis at the 5. The end result was Milwaukee bulldozing through Phoenix for four consecutive games. He likely won't become the permanent, full-time 5-man as long as Brook Lopez remains under contract, but the next evolution for Giannis will be to embrace a Shaq-like role. Once that goes into full motion, Milwaukee&rsquo;s dominance could reach even higher levels than we&rsquo;ve already experienced.
How the Bucks have built their roster around a freakish talent such as Antetokounmpo is marvelous. Middleton and Holiday are the ideal secondary options who can hold their own on each end of the court at an above-average level. Meanwhile, everyone else within the Bucks&rsquo; rotation is a legitimate threat from three-point range to optimally space the floor for Giannis to cause his game-by-game reign of terror on opposing teams.
Looking over the Bucks&rsquo; 2021-22 rotation, there are three notable differences. PJ Tucker, Bryn Forbes and Jeff Teague are now out of the picture, and Semi Ojeleye, Grayson Allen and George Hill are taking their places. It&rsquo;s an upgrade at the reserve guard spot, but the jury is still out on whether Ojeleye can thrive within a Tucker-esque bench role of consistently hitting threes and defending bulky wing scorers.
The ecosystem Giannis will once again thrive within has eight players who can knock down the deep ball. It will allow Antetokounmpo to focus on what makes him one of the most decorated players in the Association. Take a look at Milwaukee's players in 2021-22 who were plus-37% three-point shooters in catch-and-shoot situations.
Bobby Portis (46.7%), George Hill (43.6%), Khris Middleton (43.1%), Grayson Allen (39.9%), Pat Connaughton (38.4%), Donte DiVincenzo (38.2%), Semi Ojeleye (37.6%), Jrue Holiday (37.2%)
The system head coach Mike Budenholzer has put into motion is built around elite floor-spacing with an MVP candidate doing everything within the three-point line. Add in Middleton and Holiday, who can go off at a moment&rsquo;s notice, and the Bucks have a formula in place that can reach unstoppable moments. It&rsquo;s why the Bucks are not moving off the top-tier of the East anytime soon. As long as Giannis is being Giannis, Milwaukee is a championship threat every single season.
Previewing the 10-man rotation for the Bucks, it&rsquo;s a well-balanced attack with very few holes to expose:
Starters: Jrue Hoilday, Donte DiVincenzo, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Second Unit: George Hill, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, Semi Ojeleye, Bobby Portis
DiVincenzo is a major X-factor who figures to take another leap forward. Middleton and Holiday are 20-point per game scorers who flash star-like qualities. The second unit is well-balanced with ample amounts of three-point shooting. When you put everything under the lens, Milwaukee is poised to have a huge 2021-22 season. Giannis will continue to evolve, which is such a scary thought considering what his true ceiling could eventually become.
Ho-hum, another 55-60-plus win season with Giannis Antetokounmpo being a top name in the MVP race once again. It's the new normal for Milwaukee, and what a time it is for us to watch one of the best-constructed environments for a superstar to thrive within.

After winning their first NBA championship in 50 years, the Bucks are going nowhere. They're here to stay atop the NBA's hierarchy.

Bucks, Giannis prepared to continue their reign of terror on NBA

With the 2021 NBA Finals underway,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;will have you covered every step up the way with the top storylines, breakdowns, player quotes and more. Here are Spencer Davies' observations from the Milwaukee Bucks' perspective after their 109-103 win in Game 4:
Giannis Antetokounmpo knew that he&rsquo;d have a tough task ahead of him after back-to-back star-studded showings in the NBA Finals. The Phoenix Suns were poised to bring the pressure and make the likes of Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and his Milwaukee Bucks teammates beat them instead. It turns out that it took a combined effort, with Giannis&rsquo; incredible late-game defense and Middleton&rsquo;s clutch shot-making sending the Bucks to a series-tying 109-103 win.
Defensively, Giannis was outstanding throughout the night, but was exceptional in the fourth quarter. In case you haven&rsquo;t seen it by now, he had the block heard around the world.&nbsp;
It was a tremendously difficult play when you look at it from start to finish. He started the possession out on Deandre Ayton at the top of the perimeter, switched onto a turning-the-corner Devin Booker off a dribble handoff, read that a lob was on its way to the freed-up Ayton and proceeded to get from the nail to the baseline in a matter of seconds as the ball was floating through the air. Giannis couldn&rsquo;t have timed it more perfectly, and met Ayton at the top for a rejection that&rsquo;s a lock to go down in the history books with the greats.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
📸 EVERY ANGLE of <a href="https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Giannis_An34</a>'s CLUTCH BLOCK! 📸<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThatsGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThatsGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAFinals</a> Game 5: 9:00pm/et Saturday on ABC <a href="https://t.co/PKsPkSYnIs">pic.twitter.com/PKsPkSYnIs</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1415668737475284992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;Just a hustle play. I thought I was going to get dunked on, to be honest with you,&rdquo; Giannis said. &ldquo;...I was late. Usually a play like that, if I was on the opposite side, it's a dunk. I didn't jump to block the ball. I jumped toward the rim. I feel like that's what kind of helped put me in position to get the block. The rim was right here (motions with his hands) so I jumped right here (motions with his hands). So he could shoot the ball. If he shot the ball to the backboard, it's probably a goaltending. He tried to dunk it, and I was right there earlier than him...
&ldquo;...I saw the play coming. I saw that [Devin] was going to throw the lob and I was just going to jump vertical toward the rim. Hopefully I can be there in time, and I was there in time and was able to get a good block... But you know, going down the stretch, just do whatever it takes to win the game. Just put yourself in a position that can win the game.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s a highlight that summoned all kinds of memorable quotes. Pat Connaughton challenged that it was &ldquo;in my opinion, the best block of all time,&rdquo; and he made the case that it edges out the all-timer LeBron James had against Andre Iguodala in Game 7 the 2016 NBA Finals. Khris Middleton called it &ldquo;one of those, &lsquo;Oh-sh**&rsquo; moments.&rdquo; Jrue Holiday sternly stated, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s elite.&rdquo; Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer referred to it as &ldquo;spectacular.&rdquo;
As amazing as that play was, Giannis put his imprint all over the final period, including when the Bucks needed it most when they were in a 7-point hole. He had an inbounds deflection for a dunk the other way when Milwaukee was trailing by five, and intercepted an errant Chris Paul pass with the Bucks down three, a play that Giannis scored on after a trail rebound. And the possession after the ridiculous swat on Ayton, the Greek Freak walled off Paul into an unwise crossover and a Holiday steal that led to an easy two on the fastbreak. Without those efforts, Phoenix might be one game away from an NBA championship.
&ldquo;How bad do you want it? How bad do you really want it,&rdquo; Giannis said of what he thought with the team down. &ldquo;And just leave-the-game-swinging kind of mentality. Try to be aggressive. Try to get stops. Try to set screens. Do everything physically possible to put yourself in a position to win this game.&rdquo;
Giannis got picked up a little higher in the half-court, but did not appear to be flustered as we&rsquo;ve seen in the past, using his athleticism to secure rebounds on both ends and staying in attack mode. The attention he drew allowed him to kick out from the short roll and drives as well. Giannis finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.
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Unlike Game 3, Ayton was able to stay out of foul trouble and on the court in Game 4, and he was a rebounding machine as he has been all series long, so Milwaukee had to get creative to take those boards away from him in meaningful moments. Pat Connaughton, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis did their damndest to make it tougher on the Bahamian big man in critical moments, and showed that they wanted it just a little more than Phoenix.
Connaughton and Portis brought the energy, and Tucker brought his toughness despite being in foul trouble for most of the night. The trio&rsquo;s gang rebounding sparked life into Milwaukee as it trailed for the first portion of the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;[It] just gives us a chance. When we go small, that's one of the biggest emphasis that we talk about in our timeouts and our huddle is we have to find a way to block out, put bodies on their guys crashing, especially Ayton, he's a beast down there,&rdquo; Middleton said. &ldquo;He finds a way to get tips on balls to tip them out to teammates and to grab them and give them extra possessions, extra threes. With guys, Pat, Tuck... when everybody comes in and puts a body on him and helps rebound, it just allows us to play faster.&rdquo;
Middleton had a stellar night, pouring in 40 points with an aggressive mindset all night, trading bucket for bucket with Booker. He kept his head up as the lead ball-handler and executed his jumpers at a solid pace, and erupted in the fourth quarter with answer after answer. Middleton went on his own personal 10-0 run from the 2:07 mark to when there was 13.7 seconds left in the game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Khris Middleton up to 36 in the game and 20 in the 2nd half.. Fiserv Forum is HYPED! Bucks up 4 with 20 seconds remaining on ABC. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAFinals</a> <a href="https://t.co/uJMHvdYZg4">pic.twitter.com/uJMHvdYZg4</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1415514624032714753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;There's so many things [that make him an All-Star],&rdquo; Budenholzer said. &ldquo;Khris, to be playing at the level he is and delivering for his teammates, it's a long laundry list. But I think the character, the care factor, is off the charts. He wants to win. He's obviously a great shooter, great passer, playmaker. I think he makes winning plays on the defensive end. He's an all-around good player.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I think it's always a Khris Middleton kind of night,&rdquo; Connaughton added. &ldquo;I mean, at the end of the day, he makes the right plays. [Wednesday], it called for him to be more aggressive with a jump shot, but he's always going to be aggressive. He finds the right guys, he finds the open man, if they double him or try to blitz him, he's the guy that we want to have the ball at the end of the game. And we have great leadership, Khris, Giannis, Jrue, no matter what's happening during the game, we all trust their leadership and their ability to make the right play and whether that's shooting, passing, play-making, defending, whatever it might be.
&ldquo;You know, tonight was one of those nights that Khris took over and it's great and we're happy to have him on our side as opposed to anything else. I'm just thrilled that he's been able to kind of show the world it because we see it every single day.&rdquo;
Middleton took a career-high 33 field goal attempts.
&ldquo;I don't count shots,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just try to let the game come to me, the shots that I have to take no matter what, no matter how many times I shoot in a minute, no matter how many times I miss, that's just the way I play the game. I don't realize any stats or shots or points really until the end of the game.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Khris has no fear and he never has,&rdquo; Holiday said. &ldquo;Being one of the guys who has guarded him in my career, knowing what he's done, hitting big shots, making big plays, he's never been afraid of the moment. So putting him in this situation is kind of perfect.&rdquo;
Though he didn&rsquo;t have the prettiest performance, Holiday continued to pester Paul out of his rhythm, to the point where he and Jeff Teague were picking Paul up 94 feet. Holiday didn&rsquo;t hide the fact that he was tired, and hoped that Paul felt the same physical toll. It reared its head late, as Paul made some mental errors and costly mistakes in key moments.
As the story has gone in the series, Holiday had a rough go with layups, point-blankers and even his pull-ups. However, he was able to compensate for those with that aforementioned crucial defense, and kept Milwaukee alive with hustle on the glass late.
&ldquo;I know my game is more than just scoring. It's part of the reason that they brought me here. I can get into the paint and facilitate, make plays that way, and then I can make plays on the defensive end,&rdquo; Holiday said. &ldquo;So I just feel like my game is not just one-sided, but I've always stayed locked in. Even if my shot's not falling, I always try to be aggressive offensively. But in particular defensively where we know that Chris Paul can go off at any time. So really just staying on high alert when he gets the ball.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I thought Jrue made several winning plays late -- the steal, I thought he came up with a big defensive rebound in traffic and I thought he came up with a big offensive rebound. So I think for him just to stick with it, the mental toughness, that's how he's built. He's a winner, and he made a lot of winning plays [in] those last three or four minutes.&rdquo;
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The pace was fast, and arguably in favor of the bolting Bucks.&nbsp;
They recognized that this game had to be won. With <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-nba-finals-notebook-what-went-wrong-in-game-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Booker nailing every contested shot in their eyes and in a groove</a>, the chances were slim. But going back to Phoenix and being forced to win three in a row wouldn&rsquo;t have been ideal, so Milwaukee buckled down and dug deep in its own house. It took a championship-level kind of grit to rally and pull that off, and now, because of a resilient display of mental toughness, it&rsquo;s all square.
&ldquo;It's a grind. A lot of playoff games, especially when it comes late in the fourth quarter, it's a grind,&rdquo; Middleton said. &ldquo;Just got to find a way to get it, get loose balls, get rebounds, figure out a way to get stops against great players.
&ldquo;It wasn't a pretty game. But we were just able to keep composure, keep calm,&rdquo; Giannis said. &ldquo;We had wide-open shots that we missed that we usually make. But going down the stretch, we kept believing in ourselves. We kept executing, setting screens. We kept running, we kept rebounding the ball, we kept blocking shots. We wanted this bad, and the team showed it tonight. But we've got to keep getting better. Got to keep getting better. We have to keep taking steps forward and keep playing good basketball.&rdquo;
Game 5 is set for Saturday at 9 p.m. in Phoenix.
For Game 1 observations from the Bucks' perspective,&nbsp;<a class="c-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-finals-observations-milwaukee-bucks-game-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-finals-observations-milwaukee-bucks-game-1" data-sk="tooltip_parent">click here</a>. For Game 2 observations from the Bucks' perspective,&nbsp;<a class="c-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/spectacular-giannis-antetokounmpo-not-enough-with-clunkers-from-milwaukee-bucks-teammates-in-nba-finals-game-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/spectacular-giannis-antetokounmpo-not-enough-with-clunkers-from-milwaukee-bucks-teammates-in-nba-finals-game-2" data-sk="tooltip_parent">click here</a>. For Game 3 observations from the Bucks' perspective,&nbsp;<a class="c-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/milwaukee-bucks-outhustle-outmuscle-phoenix-suns-behind-strength-and-length-of-giannis-antetokounmpo-in-game-3-nba-finals" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/milwaukee-bucks-outhustle-outmuscle-phoenix-suns-behind-strength-and-length-of-giannis-antetokounmpo-in-game-3-nba-finals" data-sk="tooltip_parent">click here</a>.

Spencer Davies shares his takeaways from the Milwaukee Bucks' win in Game 4 over the Phoenix Suns.

Giannis, Middleton and oft-resilient Bucks top Suns in Finals Game 4

Hi, hello, and welcome to yet another edition of Roaming The Baseline! This will be a weekly endeavor where I point out some things that caught my eye: a hot or cold streak from a player, a developmental flash, a well-run play, a funny tweet, who knows? There will be film -- it&rsquo;s me, so of course there will be film -- but this will also be a bit looser. It&rsquo;s an extension of my Twitter feed, if you will.&nbsp;
With that said, let&rsquo;s roam the baseline.
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO IS EVOLVING
Back-to-back games against the Brooklyn Nets. Back-to-back wins against the Brooklyn Nets. Back-to-back eye-opening performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The first game was dominant. The Nets once again went with DeAndre Jordan as their Giannis stopper of sorts, tasking him with hanging back at the rim and absorbing blows whenever Giannis touched the paint.&nbsp;
Giannis straight up gave it to him. Body blows into jump hooks. Fadeaways. Stepbacks. Face-up jumpers.&nbsp;
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The three-ball was going for him as well. When doubles came, Giannis calmly passed out of them. He sprung guys free with screens. The Nets simply had no good answer for any possession that involved Giannis. Hard to sneeze on 49-8-4 plus the W, amirite?
If the first game was dominant, the second one was resilient. Giannis dropped 36-12-4, but it certainly wasn't as smooth as the outing on Sunday. An 11-of-30 shooting clip ain't pretty, though the 4-of-12 clip from deep was intriguing.&nbsp;
The Nets didn't change their coverage. They were more than willing to concede above-the-break triples. Giannis obliged to keep things honest, but still found room to be aggressive (seven shots at the rim, 12 free-throw attempts).
These two games aren't entirely instructive of a future playoff matchup; James Harden's absence is a pretty big variable. What the games did reinforce, however, is that Giannis can dictate terms whenever he wants to. There's no true answer for him.
The hang-back-and-wait plan only goes so far if Giannis is gonna bring the funk anyway. Living with jumpers is cool until he catches a rhythm. It's especially tough if Giannis flows effortlessly into pick-and-rolls or dribble handoffs with either of his All-Star running mates.
In short: good freakin' luck.
MATISSE THYBULLE'S HOUSE OF TERROR
One of my favorite bits of this god forsaken regular season has been my friend, a born-again Sixers fan, hitting me up on Twitter to tell me how quickly Matisse Thybulle racks up a steal or block whenever he checks in.&nbsp;
Sometimes it's a minute. Sometimes it's 30 seconds. It could be even less than that. Thybulle checked in for Danny Green at the 7:17 mark of the quarter, by the way.
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It can be a bit cliche to describe a defensive player as being able to be multiple places at once. It's pretty freaking accurate in the case of Thybulle.&nbsp;
There's almost no way to accurately describe how rangy Thybulle is. Stuff like&nbsp;this&nbsp;is routine for him.
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That's Thybulle dropping to the left block in anticipation of a cut. He finds himself behind the play as Lauri Markkanen lefts to the wing, but is able to block the shot anyway. Seth Curry drops down to the "nail" to pick up Markkanen; Thybulle then rotates over to Garrett Temple, picking off the pass in the process.
Thybulle leads the NBA in blocks on above-the-break threes (16), <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/nba/player?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per PBP Stats</a>. Overall, Thybulle is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional/?sort=PTS&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;CF=STL*GE*75:BLK*GE*50" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of four players</a> to have at least 75 steals and 50 blocks this season. This may shock you, but he's logged the least amount of minutes of that group by a pretty wide margin.
I don't think there's a (public) site that tracks it, but my bet is that Thybulle leads the NBA in rearview contests/blocks. As pesky as he is at the point of attack, he still has a tendency to get snagged on screens. What makes him so special is his ability to recover from behind.
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I am literally begging for the three-ball to become a passable weapon for him so we can see more of him.
DEATH, TAXES, AND ISO MELO
The Blazers aren't far removed from a five-game losing streak, capped off by a pair of disappointing showings against the Memphis Grizzlies. Damian Lillard was laboring; CJ McCollum was slumping a bit; the defense was as bad as it's been all season.
So, in typical Blazers fashion, they've won four of their last five.
The stars have bounced back, and the starting lineup (Lillard, McCollum, Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic) has flourished because of it. Their staggered second unit, with Carmelo Anthony operating as the Robin to Lillard's Batman, has blitzed teams <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612757&amp;LastNGames=5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over the past five games.</a>
Anthony's been on a heater, averaging a little under 15 points off the bench with a 56/57/100 shooting split over his last five. He's been able to capitalize on catch-and-shoot looks when the defense is scrambled elsewhere. His mid-post play is popping right now; smaller defenders just can't keep Melo from getting to his spots. The fadeaway is still money, and the release point is impossible to bother.
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Anthony grades out as a plus contributor in isolation (80th percentile) and post-up (52nd percentile) possessions this season, per Synergy. He's run even hotter over the past five.
Enjoy the run.&nbsp;
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO "HMMMM"
<ul>
<li>Who is the Mavericks' third best player behind Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis? Tim Hardaway Jr. is making a strong push, averaging 31.3 points&nbsp;over his last three games. He's fresh off a night where he drained 10 threes in a blow-out win against Miami. Just as a quick aside: sign me up for any player with a sway on their jumper. &nbsp;</li>
<li>I don't think enough has been made of the fact that Kevin Durant is shooting nearly 58 percent from two, almost 48 percent from three, and 88 percent from the line. I'm not sure what you're supposed to do with that.</li>
<li>There are 13 players generating at least 1.00 PPP when coming off of screens (min. 75 possessions). Nikola Jokic (1.13 PPP) is the only center on the list. It is absolutely wild watching a man that big (and slow) coming off pindowns for middies.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Another Chris Paul update, because I can't get enough of these: he's now up to 16 games with 10+ assists with two or fewer turnovers this season.</li>
<li>There are 43 players who have logged at least 500 pick-and-roll possessions (passes included) this season, per Synergy. Your most efficient initiator? Kawhi Leonard (1.15 PPP). Second? DeMar DeRozan (1.12). Shoutout to 2019.</li>
</ul>
PLAYS I LIKED
Improvisational Jazz
Watching the Jazz fly around during one of their intricate sets are one of my niche joys. Call me a nerd, I don't care.&nbsp;
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We get the illusion of HORNS Flare to start, but it's a decoy. Joe Ingles "ghosts" the Rudy Gobert screen as the big fella "chases" Mike Conley on the left wing. Instead of stepping up, Royce O'Neale clears the left corner to set up an empty side pick-and-roll between Conley and Gobert.
Even&nbsp;that's&nbsp;a decoy.
Instead of running the pick-and-roll, Conley pitches the ball to Ingles. O'Neale, after clearing the left side, sets a pin-in screen on an unsuspecting Jaden McDaniels, freeing Bojan Bogdanovic for a triple.
Whew.
Bucks clearing a side
Another opening set, another empty corner look, this time from the Milwaukee Bucks.
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I like the moving parts here. Donte DiVincenzo loops around Giannis before petering out to the dunker spot. Giannis comes off a Brook Lopez screen, receives the pass, fakes a handoff with Jrue Holiday, then flows into a two-man action with Khris Middleton.
The Nets attempt to switch, but Giannis does a fantastic job of sealing Kevin Durant off. Middleton recognizes Giannis has inside leverage, and floats in a pinpoint lob.
Slicing for Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis handles the ball a lot. And I mean&nbsp;a lot.&nbsp;He'll grab and go after defensive rebounds. He'll initiate the offense in Delay sets above the break. Pitches to the elbow lead to split action, in which he's the conductor of it all. It's nice to see the Pacers work to get him open sometimes.
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A wing pitch that flows into Double Drag is fancy enough to catch my eye. Having a guard screen for Sabonis at the same time just adds to the funk. The inverted screen is key; it dislodges Alex Len long enough to throw him behind the play. He recovers decently enough, but his front foot is exposed. Sabonis attacks almost immediately, gaining inside leverage on the drive before finishing through contact for the and-one.
THE READING LIST
There is plenty of high-level basketball content out here if you know where to look. I wouldn&rsquo;t be where I am as a writer without reading a ton of Zach Lowe or Chris Herring or Caitlin Cooper or Mirin Fader or, well, you get the point.&nbsp;
Anyway, here are some -- not all, but some! -- of the stories I&rsquo;ve read this week that I think you should check out. Their Twitter handles will be linked under their names, so click and follow if you don&rsquo;t already.
<a href="https://twitter.com/loganmmurdock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Logan Murdock</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/loganmmurdock/status/1389776822905184256?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a tremendous feature</a> on Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton.
<a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackson Frank</a> on the <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1389598688230612993?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budding stardom of Darius Garland</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/seeratsohi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seerat Sohi</a> slams the door on the <a href="https://twitter.com/seeratsohi/status/1387931245816946693?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MVP conversation</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/WillAldrich_" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Will Aldrich</a> on Indiana Fever rookie Kysre Gondrezick looking to break barriers <a href="https://twitter.com/WillAldrich_/status/1389286735234969602?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on and off the court</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zach Lowe</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/1389929521458159617?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a fantastic feature</a> on Hawks center Clint Capela.

In Nekias Duncan's weekly notebook, he shares things that have caught his eye. He breaks down players, teams, plays and stats.

Roaming the Baseline: Giannis, Matisse Thybulle, Carmelo Anthony, more

The Minnesota Timberwolves have managed to be the center of the NBA universe twice in a three-day span.
On Friday night, Anthony Edwards converted a poster dunk -- yes, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-dunks-poster-posterized-dunktionary-nekias-duncan-slam-putback-flyby-fastbreak-transition-lebron-james-vince-carter-blake-griffin-shaq-gerald-green-demar-derozan-larry-nance-jr-jayson-tatum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an actual poster</a> -- with remnants of <a href="https://youtu.be/gOcdOF04-wk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McGrady-on-Bradley</a> shining through. The dunk was so nasty, the conversation around it turned into a philosophical debate about single-game analysis and what really matters.&nbsp;
On Sunday night, the Wolves fired head coach Ryan Saunders. The move itself wasn&rsquo;t a shock; even within the context of injuries and COVID woes, a league-worst 7-24 record following a 19-45 campaign the year before doesn&rsquo;t inspire much confidence. Beyond bad and/or unavailable personnel, the process on both ends of the floor screamed, &ldquo;This needs to be shaken up, and quickly.&rdquo;
The hiring of Raptors assistant Chris Finch is one worth being optimistic about. He&rsquo;s long been regarded as one of the best offensive minds in basketball; heck, the Wolves interviewed him for the head gig before eventually hiring Saunders after the 2018-19 season. The existing history between Finch and the Wolves, specifically team president Gersson Rosas -- the two worked together in Houston as part of their then-D-League affiliate -- takes away some of the awkwardness of a hmm-that-was-quick coaching search.
While it&rsquo;s fair to feel uneasy about the <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1363704821497298945?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">optics of the hire</a>, the bottom line remains: this is a team in need of major overhaul. They have a generational offensive talent in Karl-Anthony Towns that they need to build around in an effective manner.
Towns recently expressed his desire to build a legacy in Minnesota, but he&rsquo;ll need help. The clock is ticking, and the Wolves don&rsquo;t necessarily have, say, Blazers-esque front-office competency to fall back on and feel super comfortable banking on Towns being their Damian Lillard. Here&rsquo;s how the Wolves should go about building this thing out.
UNLEASH QUARTERBACK KAT
Making sure your best player gets a healthy amount of touches isn&rsquo;t a profound analysis. At this point, it isn&rsquo;t as simple as getting Towns the ball: the Wolves need to reconfigure their thoughts on what Towns is.&nbsp;
He isn&rsquo;t just a talented three-level scorer; he has the scoring gravity and, more importantly, the passing chops needed for him to operate as a primary initiator. I mean this solely in terms of usage: the Wolves have to treat Towns more like Nikola Jokic and less like Nikola Vucevic.
<a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper">Caitlin Cooper</a> of Indy Cornrows, the Indiana Pacers&rsquo; blog for SB Nation, wrote <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/2020/10/6/21501224/how-chris-finch-could-invert-the-pacers-offense-with-continuous-spacing">a fantastic piece</a> detailing Finch&rsquo;s offensive philosophy. Though it was written within the context of how his hiring could juice the Pacers&rsquo; offense and maximize the talents of Domantas Sabonis, many of those points are applicable to the Wolves and Towns.
The major theme of that piece, and what&rsquo;s important to gather in relation to a shift in usage for Towns, is the inversion of the offense. To put it simply: instead of primarily using actions that feature guards feeding Towns down low, Towns should be the primary initiator, stretching defenses from above the break to open up possibilities for everyone else.
We know what Towns brings to the table as a scorer. He&rsquo;s drained at least 40 percent of his threes in each of the past four seasons -- a 41.1 percent clip on nearly five attempts over that span. He&rsquo;s a sniper with his feet set, but adds another layer of terror by being able to fly off pindowns.&nbsp;
Per Synergy, Towns has graded in the 86th, 74th, 59th, and 81st percentile as a post scorer. His blend of touch, strength and footwork are rivaled by only a handful of players in the league.
Towns&rsquo; passing ability just hasn&rsquo;t been tapped into enough. Some of that starts with his actual placement in the offense. Towns has ranked 38th (3.6), 28th (3.6), 33rd (3.3), and 43rd (2.5) in <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches/?sort=ELBOW_TOUCHES&amp;dir=1&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elbow touches per game</a> over the past four seasons. For reference, Jokic, Sabonis, and Marc Gasol have taken turns leading the league during that stretch with double (and sometimes triple) the volume.
What&rsquo;s frustrating is that the Wolves have hinted at different actions that highlight Towns&rsquo; scoring gravity and passing ability.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/kat-blind-pig.gif" alt="" width="706" height="AUTO" />
This is a variation of &ldquo;blind pig&rdquo; action -- a pitch to a high-post hub as another player cuts off of him simultaneously. It&rsquo;s about the pass -- you have to have a certain level of timing and touch to pull this action off -- but it&rsquo;s also about the placement. Towns being stationed just inside the arc brings Dwight Powell above the free-throw line. You can quibble about Powell being caught flat-footed instead of being more on his toes, but the recovery angle is tougher because of how high he&rsquo;s brought out. Ricky Rubio isn&rsquo;t even an explosive athlete, but with him catching the pass with a full head of steam, there&rsquo;s no time for Powell to turn and affect the shot.
If you want a more traditional example of an elbow touch, try this possession on for size:
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It&rsquo;s a HORNS alignment. Nothing fancy, but it&rsquo;s important to note the positioning of LaMarcus Aldridge. He&rsquo;s basically in Towns&rsquo; jersey. As Malik Beasley &ldquo;ghosts&rdquo; the back-screen for Juancho Hernangomez and cuts, the paint is completely exposed.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s special about Towns is that, though he can execute these sorts of sets, there&rsquo;s an improvisational aspect to his game just waiting to be explored.
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The Wolves are setting up a cross-screen underneath the basket to get Towns a post-up. Towns reverses course on the fly, rejecting the screen and lifting up to the wing. Nerlens Noel has to take the road less traveled to get there; Towns pumps, drives, then finds Jaden McDaniels after reading the &ldquo;tag&rdquo; from Reggie Bullock.
The Wolves are an odd case to where they&rsquo;ve taken the &ldquo;right&rdquo; shots -- only the Rockets (82.8%) and Raptors (77.3%) have taken a <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/nba/team?Season=2020-21,2019-20&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;StartType=All" target="_blank" rel="noopener">larger share of their shots at the rim or from three</a> than the Wolves (76.4%) over the past two seasons -- but the offense has still been terrible. The first step to correcting that issue is leveraging the full breadth of Towns' skill set. Shots at the rim and threes are inherently valuable, but you still have to create quality looks from those areas.
PULLING THE PLUG EARLY
&ldquo;Towns and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell have only played five games together! The Wolves don&rsquo;t really know what they have in them yet.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s a common, somewhat reasonable counter to the dire straits the Wolves find themselves in. You can&rsquo;t call an experiment a failure if you haven&rsquo;t had the opportunity to test it out.
[taps forehead]
I&rsquo;m not sure how hot of a take this is, but I&rsquo;d argue the Wolves have seen enough. In the case of Russell, he&rsquo;s young (25), but not young enough to where we don&rsquo;t have a handle on his strengths and weaknesses. There&rsquo;s still room and time for him to grow, but we have the template: a pull-up artist with good passing vision that doesn&rsquo;t pressure the rim, and a poor defender with limited upside.
Russell has utility, but it&rsquo;s fair to question if he&rsquo;s truly a core piece you want to build with long-term. The &ldquo;poor defender with limited upside&rdquo; bit may seem harsh, but the Wolves want to build a winner around Towns at a certain point. That means thinking about what this team will look like in a playoff setting. Within that context, having Russell at the point of attack in end-of-game scenarios is problematic for obvious reasons.
About that utility: the bulk of Russell&rsquo;s value comes on the offensive end. He&rsquo;s a slithery guard in high ball-screen situations with an ability to pull-up from just about anywhere. When he&rsquo;s rolling, he&rsquo;s able to leverage the threat of his shot to sling cross-court dimes when the defense rotates early.
In a world where Towns soaks up more playmaking usage, how valuable is Russell to the offense? When you add in the context of Malik Beasley further establishing himself as a stationary and movement shooter, the downhill fire that Edwards brings and the borderline destructive nature of Russell&rsquo;s defense, what exactly is the argument to him being QB2 on the Wolves&rsquo; core list?
To be clear, the defensive fit for Russell is a much more pressing issue than the offensive fit. And while I understand the Wolves don&rsquo;t have to choose between two of the Russell/Edwards/Beasley triumvirate, there may be diminishing returns with keeping Russell long term.
It&rsquo;s hard to imagine there wouldn&rsquo;t be teams that could talk themselves into a shot creation upgrade: Philadelphia, Dallas, New York and Memphis come to mind. There are some workable &ldquo;young secondary ball-handler + defensive pieces&rdquo; deals to be had if you fire up your local trade machine.&nbsp;
STEPPING UP
Minnesota will need to up its level defensively, figuratively and literally. Though we&rsquo;ve seen stretches of improvement, Towns remains a less-than-ideal backline anchor. The Wolves mostly deploy him in drop coverage, keeping him near the rim to contest shots and clean the glass.
The issue is that Towns still struggles to navigate the gap while dropping. Too often, he&rsquo;s caught dropping back too far and giving up easier intermediate shots (you want long twos in an ideal world), or he&rsquo;s lunging at the ball-handler and giving up an easy pass behind him.
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You can see what Towns was thinking: &ldquo;My guy got caught; I need to take away the elbow jumper!&rdquo; He seemingly had no faith in McDaniels (No. 3) providing &ldquo;nail&rdquo; help to either take away a potential pull-up or contest it. The result was Towns taking himself out of the play.
At this point, I&rsquo;m interested in seeing the Wolves take the opposite approach: bring Towns to the level of the screen or have him hard hedge. Force some activity.&nbsp;
The Wolves now have a pair of versatile forwards -- McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt -- that provide real value as weakside rim protectors. To draw on the Jokic/Nuggets example from earlier in the piece: McDaniels or Vanderbilt would be Minnesota&rsquo;s version of Paul Millsap in this scheme. You can afford to put two to the ball, in pick-and-rolls or on drives if you have this kind of explosiveness behind you.
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We have enough evidence that Towns isn&rsquo;t capable of anchoring a defense right now. If he can&rsquo;t navigate space and make reads on the fly, simplify his job and surround him with length and athleticism so there&rsquo;s less to navigate.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan dives into how the Wolves can maximize Karl-Anthony Towns' underutilized skill set on both ends of the floor.

Reshaping the Timberwolves in Karl-Anthony Towns' image

Nekias Duncan details his predictions for the entire 2020-21 NBA campaign.

2020-21 NBA Season and Award Predictions

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

2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division

Nekias Duncan breaks down what the Los Angeles Lakers need to do defensively to cool off the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Scouting Report: How the Lakers can stop the Heat

I had a special relationship with Hall-of-Fame coach John Thompson, and it all started when he chose not to recruit me.&nbsp;
Anybody I grew up with will remember that I always wanted to go to Georgetown; Syracuse was actually my second choice. I remember my high school teammate, Ryan Humphrey, saying that I was like the kid in the movie "Rudy" who always wanted to go to Notre Dame. That was actually pretty accurate.&nbsp;
See, I grew up admiring Coach Thompson ever since I heard him speak out about the racism of the NCAA. I remember him being asked how it felt to be the first Black coach to reach the NCAA Final Four and he replied, "I resent the hell out of that question if it implies I am the first Black coach competent enough to take a team to the Final Four. Other Blacks have been denied the right in this country; coaches who have the ability. I don't take any pride in being the first Black coach in the Final Four. I find the question extremely offensive."
I remember reading about how Coach Thompson specifically recruited inner-city Black players and molded them, both on and off the court.
He focused on their education, enforced discipline and structure, and educated them about society and being a Black man in America. He was a father figure in that he actually cared about his players far beyond wins and losses (although he definitely wanted to win). He made sure he stressed that his players graduate and not squander their time allowing the system to use them. Of course that was the coach and program I wanted to be a part of.&nbsp;
Also, he coached one of my favorite players, Alonzo Mourning - someone who I wanted to pattern my game after. He also coached Patrick Ewing, one of my favorite players growing up (as a New York Knicks fan). I wanted to be able to block shots like Dikembe Mutombo and have defenses literally draw plans to avoid bringing the ball inside. I wanted to carry on the tradition and wear No. 33 at Georgetown (which is one of the reasons why I wore No. 33 at Syracuse, but I&rsquo;ll explain that later).
I even went to Georgetown's basketball camp when I was in the eighth grade. I remember reading about the next center who was going there, Othella Harrington, and seeing pictures of Coach Thompson with his arm around all of the aforementioned men. I dreamed of seeing myself in that same picture, in that same pose, alongside the great centers of Georgetown at the end of that line.
In the summer of my junior year, I was being recruited by every major program in the country except Georgetown. Coach Thompson called me and told me that they had a lot of big men, naming off five: Jamel Watkins, Boubacar Aw, Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, Jahidi White and Ya-Ya Dia, so they really didn&rsquo;t need any more bigs. I was heartbroken, to be honest. I may have even shed a few thug tears, but I vowed to terrorize Georgetown for my entire college career and picked their biggest rival, Syracuse University.&nbsp;
Fast-forward to Feb. 8, 1997, during my freshman year at Syracuse. That day, we faced off against Georgetown. Syracuse fans remember this as the "Donovan McNabb game" since the star quarterback and two-sport athlete ignited the Carrier Dome with an electrifying performance en route to a win over the Hoyas. Meanwhile, as a young freshman who didn&rsquo;t receive much playing time after the beginning of the season - I was playing behind and learning from the great Otis Hill - I had one of the worst games of my career. I set a Syracuse record for the <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2013/02/syracuses_1997_win_over_george.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quickest foul out by a player in school history</a> (and maybe even Big East history).
After not playing for a long stretch, I was put into one of the biggest games of the season due to Hill's foul trouble. I found myself in the unfortunate position of having to guard an explosive, quick-off-his-feet, 300-pound monster named Jahidi White, who could have been called the Shaq of the Big East.&nbsp;
As soon as I checked into the game, Coach Thompson ran every single play for White - and apparently told him to dunk on me every play. Well, I had too much pride for that, so I fouled him every time he tried it. I attempted to block the first few dunks and almost got my arm ripped off in Jahidi&rsquo;s Shaq-like power moves to the rim. So the next two times, I just fouled him.
I ended up fouling out of the game after seven minutes in front of 30,000 people at the Carrier Dome in one of the biggest games of the year. I remember looking at Coach Thompson as I was walking to the bench. He gave me a little nod that said, to me, "That&rsquo;s why I didn&rsquo;t recruit you." I was destroyed inside. I wanted to head straight to the locker room and hide in the closet until everyone left.&nbsp;
After the game, a ball boy gave me a note from Coach Thompson that simply read, "Keep working, keep your head up, you&rsquo;ll be fine."
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My sophomore year was really my breakout year, and one of the games I had circled on my schedule was the Georgetown game. I had a <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2013/01/in_1997-98_season_syracuse_get.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monster night</a> - 23 points, seven rebounds, six blocks - and I was throwing down thunderous dunks, beating my chest, swatting shots into the stands and screaming into the crowd. I was so hyped, I couldn&rsquo;t even calm down to shoot on the free-throw line.
At the sound of the buzzer, my first thought was to run up to Coach Thompson. I shook his hand, looked him in the eyes and said, &ldquo;You could&rsquo;ve had me.&rdquo;
And he replied with a big smile: &ldquo;Yeah, I know."
That was the start of our relationship of mutual respect and support that spanned for two decades.&nbsp;
I came to D.C. in 2000 with the Washington Wizards. Coach Thompson would have me on his show and support my events around the city. He would offer advice, encouragement, chastisement and praise by call or text.
<a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2007/09/etans_antiwar_speech.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shortly after the invasion of Iraq</a>, I spoke at a big <a href="http://politicalaffairs.net/the-speech-everyone-is-talking-about-etan-thomas-electrifies-anti-war-washington/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-war rally</a> in D.C. Coach Thompson called me afterwards and said, &ldquo;You have no idea what you just stepped into young man, do you?&rdquo;&nbsp;
And honestly, I truly didn&rsquo;t. I had been speaking all over D.C. about the war. I wrote three different poems and two different speeches against the war all from my first poetry book, "<a href="https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/561-more-than-an-athlete" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More Than An Athlete</a>."
&ldquo;You are lucky you play for [Washington Wizards chairman] Abe Pollin because if you didn&rsquo;t, this could be very bad for your professional career," Coach Thompson said to me. He also told me that he had the utmost respect for me, and if I needed some support when I felt the wrath of America after that speech, he was there for me.&nbsp;
For many years, I would have events around D.C. and when I looked into the crowd, I'd see Coach Thompson right there in the front row with his arms folded.&nbsp;
At Georgetown University, I had a debate with Bill Rhoden about his book, "40 Million Dollar Slave." Coach Thompson brought his entire team there - including a young Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green and Patrick Ewing Jr. - and had them all taking notes.
In my book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fatherhood-Ultimate-Challenge-Etan-Thomas/dp/0451414896/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1523315169&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=etan+thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge</a>," Coach Thompson wrote: &ldquo;In my life, I&rsquo;ve been fortunate enough to meet presidents, senators, congressmen, CEOs of major companies, cardinals of churches, heads of states from several countries and some of the finest athletes and coaches this world has ever known. I&rsquo;ve learned to respect them all and admired their accomplishments, but I&rsquo;ve never met a man who accomplished so much with so little as my dad. And I have come to realize that nothing has more meaning to me than the honor of being named after the finest man I have ever met, my Dad, John Robert Thompson.&rdquo;&nbsp;
I had never even heard him tell that story before and was honored by the fact that he felt comfortable telling me this for my book.&nbsp;
This past winter, I was watching a high school tournament at Wise High School and doing some recruiting for my AAU team, FBCG Elite Dynamic Disciples. Coach Thompson saw me before I saw him. He had someone chase me down and bring me to him. He said, "You better come over here and say hi to me."
He was in obvious pain with his walker, and I asked him how he was feeling. He smiled and said, "Just old, but you keep doing what you&rsquo;re doing."
I said, "Yeah, I'm looking at some players for my team." He responded, "That&rsquo;s great, but that&rsquo;s not what I&rsquo;m talking about. You keep using your platform and speaking and writing truth. I may not get around like I used to, but I&rsquo;m always watching you and I'm proud of you. Now move out my way, I gotta get out of here."
He left before I could even get a picture with him and my son Malcolm, who came up after the conversation. Afterwards, Malcolm asked me who the man in the walker was.
"One of the best coaches to ever walk the planet," I told him.
Rest In Peace, Coach John Thompson.

Etan Thomas looks back on his unique relationship with the late, great John Thompson.

My special relationship with the late, great John Thompson

After NBA players decided collectively to use their voices and platforms to take a unified stand against police brutality following the horrific police shooting of Jacob Blake, praise came from across the nation. Politicians, actors, musicians, journalists and many others expressed their support for NBA players and commended them for demanding justice.&nbsp;
ESPN&rsquo;s Stephen A. Smith <a href="https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1298731743395147789?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined in on this</a>, saying that he was so proud of the players.&nbsp;
While Smith is praising the players now, let&rsquo;s not forget that just two months ago, he said that Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley &ldquo;sound foolish&rdquo; for even suggesting that players should take a stand against police brutality and refuse to enter the bubble. He went on one of his overdramatic rants and ridiculed them <a href="https://youtu.be/OcNEqq-U0Nk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on First Take</a>, acting as if he was personally offended that they had the audacity to suggest something so &ldquo;utterly ridiculous.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Here were Smith&rsquo;s exact words:&nbsp;
&ldquo;I absolutely do not agree with them. As a matter of fact, I&rsquo;ll go so far as to say that their position has been foolish, as far as I am concerned. I respect the fact &mdash; and I want to make sure that I&rsquo;m clear about this &mdash; I am not talking about if you&rsquo;re not going back to work because of the coronavirus; I totally understand that. If you choose to make that decision for the well-being of yourself and the family members who you are near, then obviously that has a profound impact and I totally respect and understand that. But that&rsquo;s not what Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard are talking about. What they are talking about is [not playing] because of the protests&hellip; Well, I'm sorry, if that's a reason not to go to work, black folks wouldn't have been employed for centuries now. That is utterly ridiculous. The fact that racial oppression or racial inequality, brutality on the part of police officers and all of that stuff exists is not an excuse not to show up to work&hellip; 
"If you have the LeBron James&rsquo;, the Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s and others playing their role in bringing attention to these issues, then you hand it off to people that know what to do with that attention and that elevated level of awareness to really provoke the kind of change that we&rsquo;re talking about here. We seem to think that, excuse me, just protesting and raising holy hell is going to get done what we need to get done. That is not the answer, and certainly it&rsquo;s not refusing to show up because of that issue. &hellip;&nbsp; It makes no sense for somebody to sit up there and say, 'Don't show up to work because of that.' No! I totally disagree with Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving and I suspect that I&rsquo;m not alone, that a lot of people agree with what I&rsquo;m saying.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Max Kellerman tried to break it down for Smith, showing him the error of his ways, but he still wouldn&rsquo;t budge. How ironic is it that a white man tried to explain to a Black man the significance of what Irving, Howard and Bradley were trying to do? Kellerman talked about how this was connected to the bigger picture of Black entertainment being used in the history of this country while conditions for Black people were not improved, specifically as it relates to police brutality. He said that he respected their position that they didn&rsquo;t want to be a distraction and take away from the movement gaining momentum across the country after the gruesome murder of George Floyd.&nbsp;
A white man shouldn&rsquo;t have to break that down for Stephen A. Smith. But after Kellerman made his eloquent points, he still didn&rsquo;t get it. Smith immediately pivoted to discussing the money that they were giving up and seemingly missed the entire point. He repeated that what Irving was doing just &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t make sense,&rdquo; despite Kellerman&rsquo;s detailed explanation.&nbsp;
Then, Smith attempted to shift the focus to Irving somehow undermining Chris Paul and LeBron James by forming a separate Players Coalition and not going along with the Players&rsquo; Association vote to start the season. Because Smith disagreed with Irving&rsquo;s position, he attempted to pit him against his NBA brothers.
Then, Smith said (<a href="https://youtu.be/KgQV0khEOnA?t=310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and I quote</a>): &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about making sure you know what you&rsquo;re talking about before you open your mouth.&rdquo;&nbsp;
When you disagree with someone, that is the most insulting response you can give. It&rsquo;s demeaning. Belittling. Rather than acknowledging that they just have a different opinion than you, this suggests that they need to be educated so that they can fully understand how ridiculous their position is. How dismissive and insulting was that?&nbsp;
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/SAS1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="AUTO" />
But it wasn&rsquo;t just you.&nbsp;
Charles Barkley is also guilty of publicly ridiculing Irving and Howard for their stance.
&ldquo;I think it would be stupid to not play,&rdquo; Barkley said on <a href="https://twitter.com/getupespn/status/1272558639241445377?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Get Up</a>. &ldquo;LeBron [James] is probably the most famous athlete in the United States. He won&rsquo;t be visible anywhere [if they don&rsquo;t play]. So out of sight, out of mind. Also, these guys have got to realize, this money ain&rsquo;t gonna come back and they&rsquo;re gonna lose billions of dollars that the players can use to go into their own communities and do some great stuff. It&rsquo;s not good on any front. I have no idea what Kyrie and Dwight are talking about, but it&rsquo;ll be a catastrophic mistake not to play.&rdquo;
Many others were completely dismissive of their positions and used specific language to drive home the point that this stance was misguided, ridiculous and absurd. These people didn&rsquo;t say &ldquo;shut up and dribble&rdquo; like Laura Ingraham did to LeBron, but the dismissiveness was similar.
Before the 1968 Olympics, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar elected to not play. When Abdul-Jabbar recently joined me on <a href="https://www.fli.tv/rematch-w-etan-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my show, The Rematch</a>, he specifically explained why he chose to not participate in the Olympics and instead opted to work and save money for school.
"I was going to pursue my goals and I wasn't going to pursue the goals of a country that, at that point, still didn't respect my citizenship," Abdul-Jabbar told me. "I wanted to get my degree and I had a job, so I made the money that I needed to have a comfortable year at school. That was my agenda and that's what I pursued. And I left UCLA with a degree in my pocket."
Would Smith or Barkley have criticized him for that?&nbsp;
John Carlos and Tommie Smith participated in the &lsquo;68 Olympics and made a statement that resonates even today, raising their Black Power fist on the podium after their race. They chose different ways to send a message, and both are equally deserving of respect.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s important to note that past NBA players (who were activist pioneers) utilized boycotting as a way to push the NBA to use its collective power to adopt policy change and recognize the players&rsquo; union, so there is a precedent here.
Prior to the 1964 NBA All-Star Game, players threatened to boycott. This was the first All-Star Game to be televised, so Hall Of Famers such as Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Jerry Lucas, Tommy Heinsohn, Hal Greer, Sam Jones, Chet Walker, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain and Lenny Wilkens recognized the leverage that they had.&nbsp;
The players took a vote on whether they would refuse to play if the NBA didn&rsquo;t recognize the players&rsquo; union and implement a pension plan. The vote was reportedly 11-9 in favor of a strike.
&ldquo;Fifteen minutes before tipoff, NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy agreed to the pension demands, and pro sports had its biggest union victory by far,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/1856287-181/1964-stars-threatened-to-boycott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> Robert Rubino of The Press Democrat.
These are the footsteps the players are following in.&nbsp;
The NBA has scheduled a special Board of Governors meeting on Thursday morning, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1298778627669143558?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN&rsquo;s</a> Adrian Wojnarowski.
What if the NBA players - now that they have everyone&rsquo;s attention - demanded that NBA owners like Marc Lasry, Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan (Bucks), Ted Leonsis (Wizards), Steve Ballmer (Clippers), Jeanie Buss (Lakers) and even James Dolan (Knicks) use their influence to pressure cities to threaten to cut the funding of police departments if they don&rsquo;t adopt tangible police reform and police accountability measures? I bet you would see results immediately. If they can pressure cities to fund the building of new arenas, I&rsquo;m sure they can do this. That would create tangible change through the power of the NBA that Congress hasn&rsquo;t been able to bring about, that no politician has been able to bring about. That would change the entire country.&nbsp;
I respect Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley for what they expressed then, and I respect what the NBA and WNBA players are doing now. And, no, they didn&rsquo;t sound foolish and their idea wasn&rsquo;t &ldquo;ridiculous&rdquo; or &ldquo;absurd.&rdquo; No, they weren&rsquo;t looking for a reason not to show up to work like you disrespectfully claimed, and their suggestion definitely wasn&rsquo;t &ldquo;stupid&rdquo; (like Charles Barkley said). They simply didn&rsquo;t want to divert attention away from everything that was going on. This is a special movement that&rsquo;s taking place right now. It&rsquo;s an awakening. And they wanted (and want) the focus to remain on that.&nbsp;
With everything going on, basketball was the furthest thing from their minds. LeBron James recently admitted the same thing.
&ldquo;I got half my brain locked on the playoffs, the other half on how I can help Black people,&rdquo; James <a href="https://twitter.com/melissarohlin/status/1298115880610435072" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
You can see why Stephen A Smith suddenly praising NBA players for boycotting can be seen as problematic.&nbsp;
He and Barkley (and everyone else who publicly ridiculed them) owe Irving, Howard and Bradley a public apology. Not a personal text or call; be as loud and demonstrative on your national ESPN platform with your apology as you were with your criticism.&nbsp;
And PS: Stephen A. Smith, you also owe Colin Kaepernick an apology for <a href="https://youtu.be/_y7fzEHKI9Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly lambasting him</a> and saying that he wants to be a martyr and doesn&rsquo;t want to play football after the tryout hoax put on by the NFL.

Stephen A. Smith praised NBA players for boycotting games. Now, he owes Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley an apology, writes Etan Thomas.

McDaniel Green Terror