Fighting Hawks

Betty Engelstad Sioux Center

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The NBA playoffs are fast approaching and as the season winds down, there are a total of 21 teams fighting for 16 playoff spots across the two conferences.
Every game matters.
Injuries have had a major impact on this season. In the Western Conference, a number of potential playoff teams are missing key pieces, including the Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry and James Wiseman), Denver Nuggets (Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.), Los Angeles Clippers (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George), Memphis Grizzlies (Ja Morant), Los Angeles Lakers (Anthony Davis), New Orleans Pelicans (Zion Williamson) and Portland Trail Blazers (Damian Lillard).
There are fewer injured stars in the Eastern Conference, but Jarrett Allen (CLE), Ben Simmons (BKN), Lonzo Ball (CHI), Gordon Hayward (CHA) and Colin Sexton (CLE) are currently sidelined.
Between now and the start of the playoffs on April 12, some important players are expected to return to their respective teams, which could alter the NBA landscape in a major way.
<h2>WESTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
DENVER NUGGETS
On March 15, the Nuggets assigned Jamal Murray to their G-League affiliate (the Grand Rapids Gold) to get some additional work at practice. This sent waves through social media, as fans anticipated Murray's long-awaited return to the Nuggets' lineup. However, just a few days later, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said that Murray is "not close" to suiting up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Denver Nuggets HC Michael Malone says Jamal Murray is "not close" to rejoining the lineup, per <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarrisonWind</a> <a href="https://t.co/7leLWbJe5W">pic.twitter.com/7leLWbJe5W</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1505676501303320576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It seems unlikely that Murray will be able to play during the regular season, but perhaps he'll be able to return at some point during the postseason.
Michael Porter Jr. is also on the mend, but the reports about his availability have been all over the place. There were rumblings that his rehab didn't go great and that he was further away than Murray. Then, there was a rumor that he's <a href="https://theathletic.com/3198516/2022/03/21/nuggets-hopeful-jamal-murray-and-michael-porter-jr-could-be-back-by-playoffs-but-no-immediate-return-on-the-horizon/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due back very soon</a>.

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A little over a week ago, Malone was asked about the possibility of Murray and Porter returning, and he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/malone-michael-porter-jr-and-jamal-murrays-wont-be-back-soon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, "There is no immediate return on the horizon for either one of those players."
Denver is currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference, trying to stave off the Minnesota Timberwolves and avoid the Play-In Tournament.&nbsp;
Nikola Jokic has played at an MVP level (again) and the absence of these two stars has allowed for Bones Hyland to emerge as a legitimate rotation player as a rookie. Adding even one of these two players back into the fold would make the Nuggets a significantly more threatening first-round opponent for the Grizzlies, Warriors or Mavericks.&nbsp;
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Since the acquisition of CJ McCollum on February 8, the New Orleans Pelicans rank No. 10 in offensive rating and No. 6 in net rating. While the Pelicans won't be getting All-Star power forward Zion Williamson back at any point this season, they did just have another impact player return to their lineup.
Larry Nance Jr. was acquired as part of the McCollum trade and he made his Pelicans debut a few days ago. The 29-year-old is a seamless fit on the offensive end and he'll give New Orleans some defensive versatility.
Even though we all wanted to see how this team would look with a healthy Zion, they have a solid core with McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, Herb Jones, Devonte' Graham, Nance and Co. &mdash; making them a scary opponent in the Play-In Tournament.

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New Orleans likely won't catch the Clippers for the eighth seed, but they could steal homecourt advantage in the 9-10 game against the Lakers, as they are currently a half game behind L.A.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
With LeBron James on roster, there always seems to be this lingering feeling that the Lakers will catch their stride and figure this thing out. But without Anthony Davis, it seems unlikely that Los Angeles will be able to escape the Play-In Tournament.
There has been no official word on a potential return date for Davis, but the Lakers would need him available if they hope to play beyond April 12.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Anthony Davis continues to do on-court shooting, per Frank Vogel, and is progressing each day: &ldquo;Anthony has had a good week &hellip; He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1504943043669106699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The presence of Davis would inject a tiny sliver of hope that he and James could will this team to victory and into a revenge series against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Stephen Curry is expected to be out until mid-April at the earliest, which is a huge blow to the Warriors. Fortunately, Curry has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/warriors-curry-expects-to-return-by-start-of-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he should be back in time for the first game of the playoffs.
The team has reintroduced Klay Thompson back into the fold, and Draymond Green is back in the lineup too. While Golden State's star-studded trio has only played three games together this season, at least the Warriors should have all three vets together for the postseason (barring any setbacks or new injuries).
Unfortunately, Golden State won't be at full strength, as James Wiseman was recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-james-wiseman-ruled-out-for-remainder-of-the-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled out</a> for the remainder of this season. The sophomore is still recovering from a torn meniscus that he suffered last April. Wiseman's size and versatility would have helped the Warriors, especially when facing the likes of Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Golden State has been struggling without Curry, dropping four of their last five games (including surprising losses to the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks). Golden State surrendered the No. 2 seed to the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Warriors could slip to fourth in the Western Conference, leading to a potential second-round matchup against Phoenix (instead of Memphis or Utah).&nbsp;
Still, assuming the Warriors have their Big Three, they will be dangerous in the playoffs.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Recently, Clippers head coach Ty Lue was asked about Kawhi Leonard and Paul George potentially returning prior to the playoffs, and he didn't shoot down the possibility.
"If guys are able to [return], they are gonna do it," Lue said. "But the most important part is making the sure the players are taken care of and making sure they're ready to go and fully healthy."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ty Lue says he&rsquo;ll keep the door open on Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and/or Norman Powell returning if it&rsquo;s less than a week until the playoffs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Clippers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Clippers</a> <a href="https://t.co/iebGp2sRcp">pic.twitter.com/iebGp2sRcp</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1505958728125739011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Leonard has been sidelined since last postseason, and Clippers fans have been holding out hope for a late-season comeback. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Leonard may be able to return if the Clippers make it out of the Play-In Tournament.
George has been sidelined due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and there is no timetable for his return. Recently, he has <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> made progress and been cleared for 4-on-4 and shooting drills, so a return still seems possible.&nbsp;
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<h2>EASTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
CHICAGO BULLS
The Bulls skyrocketed to the top of the East standings early in the season thanks to a supernova DeMar DeRozan and stellar defense. Two key cogs of that defense were Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, who have played just 35 and 36 games, respectively. Chicago also played most of the season without forward Patrick Williams, who's another important rotation player.&nbsp;
The absence of those two elite perimeter defenders caused the Bulls to slip to the East's five seed, and they are just one game ahead of the sixth-seeded Toronto Raptors.&nbsp;
Caruso returned on March 12 and Williams returned on March 21. But if Ball is able to return to the starting lineup, that could significantly affect the outcome of a series against the Celtics or 76ers.
However, here's the bad news:
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Lonzo Ball will stop running on his knee for the next 10 days, per Billy Donovan. They&rsquo;ve been trying to ramp him up but he hasn&rsquo;t responded well
&mdash; Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamalCollier/status/1506033717608865798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ball may not be needed for Chicago to avoid the Play-In Tournament, but his return is crucial in order for the Bulls to make a deep run in the playoffs.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Colin Sexton is not coming back this season. In fact, it's possible that he has played his final game as a Cavalier since he's set to become a restricted free agent.
However, one of the main reason that the Cavaliers have exceeded expectations this season is the play of Jarrett Allen. Ricky Rubio was also a key cog in the Cleveland machine, but his injury back in December led to the acquisition of Rajon Rondo... who is also currently out with an ankle injury.&nbsp;
Allen's presence defensively next to Evan Mobley is crucial to the success of the Cavs. Cleveland's opponents take the ninth-most shots at the rim in the league, but they shoot the worst percentage. Their perimeter defense funnels opponents to the rim because of the three 7-footers they have on the floor.&nbsp;
For Cleveland to pull off a first-round upset, Allen must be present and continuing his career-year.&nbsp;
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Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game and oftentimes play a major factor in the postseason. This year is proving to be no different, as the field seems wide open due to injuries and the players who are returning could have a major impact on who is eventually crowned champion.
BROOKLYN NETS
After arriving in Brooklyn, Ben Simmons began ramping up his conditioning and preparing to make his season debut, but then his back started giving him trouble. Initially, it was being described as back soreness, but he was recently diagnosed with a herniated disc and he needed an epidural for the pain.
Nets head coach Steve Nash has said that surgery isn't currently being considered. Simmons is working with a physical therapist and trying to get healthy enough to make his Nets debut. Nash told reporters that he's "fully expecting" Simmons to play at some point this season.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33520712/brooklyn-nets-hold-hope-ben-simmons-return-couple-regular-season-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Brooklyn hopes to have Simmons for a "couple" regular-season games so that he can start shaking off the rust and getting acclimated prior to the postseason.
Whenever he returns, the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year runner-up will provide a huge boost for the Nets. Last season, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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The NBA has levied a series of suspensions and fines following two mid-season altercations that broke out on the hardwood this week, sending tremors through playoff races in both conferences. In the most significant disciplinary action, four players involved in a Pistons-Hornets brawl have been suspended for a total of 17 games combined, while a separate skirmish between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Atlanta Hawks resulted in fines for both participants.&nbsp;
<h3>Pistons-Hornets brawl results in multi-game bans</h3>
Detroit Pistons forward-center Isaiah Stewart received the longest ban, a seven-game suspension from the league for leaving the bench area and aggressively entering an on-court altercation during the Feb. 9 game at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. The NBA&rsquo;s announcement made clear Stewart&rsquo;s history of disciplinary issues was a factor in determining the length of his suspension.&nbsp;
Stewart&rsquo;s teammate, All-Star center Jalen Duren, was suspended for two games for initiating the altercation and fighting, while Charlotte Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate each received four-game suspensions for their roles in escalating the melee.&nbsp;
The brawl unfolded midway through the third quarter of Detroit&rsquo;s 110-104 win over Charlotte, beginning with a physical exchange between Duren and Diabate that quickly escalated into a full-blown fight involving multiple players. All four were ultimately ejected and later disciplined by the league office.&nbsp;
Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff acknowledged the punishment this week, defending his players while expressing disappointment over the spotlight on the incident. Meanwhile, the Hornets &ndash; currently fighting for a playoff spot &ndash; will be without Bridges and Diabate for four games each.&nbsp;
Stewart&rsquo;s ban sidelines one of Detroit&rsquo;s key frontcourt defenders and enforcers, potentially affecting the team&rsquo;s interior defense as it navigates a difficult stretch of its schedule. Duren, however, remains eligible for Sunday&rsquo;s All-Star festivities despite his two-game suspension.&nbsp;
<h3>Wolves-Hawks incident draws fines</h3>
In a separate escalation during a Feb. 9 matchup, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid and Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye were each fined $35,000 by the NBA after an on-court altercation. The clash occurred eight seconds into the fourth quarter of Minnesota&rsquo;s 138-116 victory, highlighted by Gueye making contact with Reid from behind, which led to both players grabbing each other and receiving technical fouls before being ejected.&nbsp;
While the scuffle didn&rsquo;t escalate to the level of the Pistons-Hornets incident, league officials underscored that overly aggressive behavior will continue to draw financial penalties even when suspensions aren&rsquo;t deemed necessary.&nbsp;
For the Pistons and Hornets, the suspensions come at a pivotal moment as both clubs seek to solidify their postseason positioning &ndash; Detroit atop the Eastern Conference standings and Charlotte clawing toward the play-in picture. Losing Stewart for seven games shifts rotation responsibilities and adds pressure to Detroit&rsquo;s frontcourt depth, particularly on the defensive end.&nbsp;
On the Wolves-Hawks front, the fines serve as a warning rather than a structural disruption, but the skirmish highlights rising competitive tensions as the postseason nears.&nbsp;
As the league continues to balance physicality with player safety and sportsmanship, the NBA&rsquo;s disciplinary actions this week underscore its focus on deterring on-court violence while maintaining competitive integrity.

The NBA has levied a series of suspensions and fines following two mid-season altercations that broke out on the hardwood this week.

NBA hands out suspensions after Pistons-Hornets brawl; Wolves-Hawks scuffle earns fines

The 2024 NBA Las Vegas Summer League is officially underway with the league&rsquo;s brightest rookies and young stars put to the test to hone their games and develop their wares to be ready come the official NBA season. Here are some of the players who stood out on the 1st day of action.
Anthony Black and Jett Howard, Orlando Magic
The duo was the Magic&rsquo;s first-round picks just a year ago and just in their first game both Black and Howard showed some promising developments that could catapult them into the team&rsquo;s rotation moving forward.
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Magic's Summer League backcourt today: Anthony Black 📊 20 PTS | 6-9 FG | 4 STL Jett Howard 📊 22 PTS | 5-10 3P | 4 AST Bright future ahead ✨ <a href="https://t.co/vYVp2HvkzS">pic.twitter.com/vYVp2HvkzS</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1811892100755259632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
This year&rsquo;s third overall pick showed out against the Lakers dropping an efficient 23-ball alongside manning the offense for the Rockets. Sheppard looked like he has all the makings of a solid PG in the NBA, which locks in Houston&rsquo;s core for the foreseeable future alongside young studs Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore.
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Reed Sheppard tonight: 🟥 23 PTS 🟥 9-17 FG 🟥 4-6 3P 🟥 5 AST 🟥 4 REB 🟥 3 BLK <a href="https://t.co/RZNq6fOpOG">pic.twitter.com/RZNq6fOpOG</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1811942641644503138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers
Over three summer league games since the California Classic, Knecht has looked like the Lakers&rsquo; best player and continued to do so in Vegas. The 23-year-old shot the ball particularly well and looked confident in taking catch-and-shoot jumpers as well as some on-ball creation at times.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dalton Knecht despite the loss: 🟨 25 PTS 🟨 9-18 FG 🟨 5-11 3P 🟨 6 REB 🟨 4 AST <a href="https://t.co/J928gQBS1U">pic.twitter.com/J928gQBS1U</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1811943377371623610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks and Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards
The top 2 picks in this year&rsquo;s draft went on a duel with Sarr and the Wizards coming out on top to down Risacher on the Hawks. The French duo both showed great potential on both sides of the floor which explains why they were picked where they were picked in the draft: the talent is clearly there.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Zaccharie Risacher tonight: 🟥 18 PTS 🟥 7-16 FG 🟥 3-9 3P 🟥 5 REB 🟥 2 AST <a href="https://t.co/Rw198OUtv0">pic.twitter.com/Rw198OUtv0</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1811985256419065994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Alex Sarr NBA Summer League Debut: ◻️ 12 PTS ◻️ 7 REB ◻️ 4 AST ◻️ 4 BLK (‼️) A young defensive juggernaut for the Wizards 🔒 <a href="https://t.co/DdAj3naXZ9">pic.twitter.com/DdAj3naXZ9</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1811986265841295766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2024</a>
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Jordan Miller, Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers&rsquo; second-round selection in last year&rsquo;s draft, Miller went off with a 30-bomb against the Denver Nuggets to lead LA to the win. He went 6-10 from three and 8-8 from the FT line, which was impressive from a player who played mostly in the G-League the past season. With Paul George&rsquo;s departure, Miller could have a real chance of fighting for a rotation spot if he continues racking up performances like these.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jordan Miller WENT OFF tonight: 🟦 36 PTS 🟦 11-18 FG 🟦 6-10 3P 🟦 8-8 FT A masterclass performance by the 48th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft 🤯<a href="https://t.co/aWuzdriUdE">pic.twitter.com/aWuzdriUdE</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1811986702832926912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2024</a></blockquote>

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The 2024 NBA Las Vegas Summer League is officially underway with the league’s young stars putting their games to the test.

2024 NBA Summer League: Day 1 Standouts

On Friday night in Cleveland, Caitlin Clark and Iowa defeated Paige Bueckers 71-69 to advance to the national title game against undefeated South Carolina &ndash; but not without some late-game drama.
With Iowa just leading by one 70-69 with 9 seconds left, UConn had possession for the final shot in the game. Out of the timeout, the Huskies tried to run a split action for Bueckers with Aaliyah Edwards screening and Nika Muhl passing the ball. As the screen was set with Bueckers veering back towards Muhl to receive the pass and get ready to shoot, Hawkeyes guard Gabbie Marshall fought over the screen by Edwards which ended up with the play getting called for an offensive foul for setting an illegal screen with just around 3 seconds left in the game.
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OFFENSIVE FOUL OR NOT? 🤔<a href="https://t.co/rxB7d3Lydk">pic.twitter.com/rxB7d3Lydk</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1776457695568216295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
It was a questionable foul call, to say the least &ndash; sparking a debate each with contrasting sides to tell.
It set the internet ablaze and everyone was talking about it. Notable NBA and WNBA stars each chimed in on X with their thoughts on the questionable call, citing how the players should decide the outcome of the game with their plays whether it be good or bad rather than laying it up for the referees to decide.
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NAAAAAHHHHHH!!! I ain&rsquo;t rolling with that call.
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1776451983047856248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>

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To call that on a game deciding play is so wrong WOW
&mdash; Kelsey Plum (@Kelseyplum10) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kelseyplum10/status/1776452745492414682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>

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SportsCenter host Scott Van Pelt and ESPN Women&rsquo;s Basketball analyst Andraya Carter didn&rsquo;t agree with the call either.
&ldquo;I hated the call. You&rsquo;ve got to give Gabbie Marshall credit for trying to fight over the screen. That&rsquo;s what drew the refs&rsquo; attention in,&rdquo; Carter said on SportsCenter after the game. &ldquo;But to me, now that final play it&rsquo;s not about Iowa&rsquo;s defense. It&rsquo;s about the call the referee made. There was a slight lean, maybe Aaliyah Edwards&rsquo; elbow was slightly out. But to be honest the calls were even for both sides. There were missed calls for Iowa. There were missed contacts for UConn. To make that call at the very end of the game &ndash; to me, it took away the opportunity for players to make plays. &hellip; To be honest, that call sucked.&rdquo;
WNBA legends Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, who had their ESPN segment &lsquo;The Bird and Taurasi Show&rsquo; grace the Final Four, also shared their thoughts in real-time with UConn legend Breanna Stewart while commentating and watching the game live.
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3 uconn huskies react to the 'offensive foul' <a href="https://t.co/wFWCbVYTMG">pic.twitter.com/wFWCbVYTMG</a>
&mdash; jaiden (@steph_turkey) <a href="https://twitter.com/steph_turkey/status/1776454140962697606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;Oh my god,&rdquo; expressed a visibly disappointed Taurasi. &ldquo;Wow, what an unfortunate time to call an offensive foul. Just know how to ruin the game &ndash; oh my god that&rsquo;s terrible. It didn&rsquo;t even get her open &ndash; that&rsquo;s a tough play. We always talk about letting the players decide the game, especially in a benign call like that. It&rsquo;s just tough to end the game like that.&rdquo;
Legendary coach Geno Auriemma could not hide his disappointment as well in the post-game conference, saying UConn maybe should just get better at not setting illegal screens. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s probably an illegal screen call you could make on every single possession, and I just know there were three or four called on us &ndash; and I don&rsquo;t think any were called on them.&rdquo;
Clark and Final Four hero Hannah Stuelke &ndash; who played perhaps the best game of her life by scoring 23 points &ndash; thought their teammate Marshall did a good job of fighting over the screen, praising how she has been one of the nation&rsquo;s best defenders.
&ldquo;Gabbie is great in those situations. She always comes up with big plays, a block, or whatever,&rdquo; Stuelke said. &ldquo;You always see it time and time again, [Marshall] does not get enough credit for what she does,&rdquo; Clark added. &ldquo;She guards one of the best players in the country and it challenges her quite a bit. Paige had a great game but I thought Gabbie just played great defense on her. Even when Paige made some tough baskets, Gabbie just responded and kept going up there and guarded her.&rdquo;
Despite the tough loss, Bueckers took the high road and remained a positive attitude after what transpired late in the game.
"Players play and players decide the game. Everybody can make a big deal out of one single play but one single play doesn&rsquo;t win or lose a basketball game," Bueckers admitted. "... You can look at one play and say oh that killed us or that hurt us. We should have done a better job, I should have done a better job making sure didn&rsquo;t leave the game up to that."

Iowa defeated UConn 71-69 to advance to the national title game against undefeated South Carolina, but not without late-game drama.

Women's Final Four: Late phantom call mars Iowa-UConn ending

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The return of SlamBall: Co-founder Mason Gordon discusses new season

The Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets are each one win away from the NBA Finals.&nbsp;
That means the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are each trying to do something that has never been done in NBA history: come back from an 0-3 deficit. 
Teams that trailed 0-3 in the NBA playoffs have a 0-149 record all-time.
Here&rsquo;s a look at what the Celtics and Lakers are saying with their season on the line entering Game 4.
BOSTON CELTICS
The Celtics haven&rsquo;t looked like themselves during the Eastern Conference Finals.&nbsp;
After blowing double-digit leads in Games 1 and 2, they were blown out 128-102 by the Heat in Sunday&rsquo;s must-win Game 3. How will the team respond now that they&rsquo;re facing elimination on Tuesday night?
JAYSON TATUM: &ldquo;As tough as it is, we've just got to try to move on. Prepare, get ready, practice, film and stuff for tomorrow. Obviously, we're in a tough position, but we've just got to have some pride, bounce back and just be better come Tuesday. &hellip; Definitely [need to] play better than we did tonight and have some pride, obviously, and believe that we've just got to win on Tuesday. That's just the message, the mentality that we have is: get a win on Tuesday. We'll figure the rest out from there.&rdquo;
AL HORFORD &ldquo;This is a part of our journey right now. And right now we're in a low low, and rightfully so, we're being counted out because we haven't been able to respond. But we're not out yet. It is 3-0. I know what it looks like. I think I saw the other day, [0-3 teams have a record of] 0-149 or something like that. We're not out yet. We're still kicking &ndash; one of four teams that are still kicking. &hellip; This year, we've been able to bounce back and figure it out. Our backs are against the wall now, so that's something that we have to do.&rdquo;&nbsp;
JAYLEN BROWN: &rdquo;I'm going to fight until the end. Try to get our guys ready for the next game, and we come out and we put our best foot forward. At the end of the day, that's what we've got to do, and that's just how I see it. The series isn't over yet. It's looking bad, but you come out, have some pride about yourself and put your best foot forward. &hellip; We've just got to come out and play basketball. Come out with a great mentality, come out and have some pride about yourself, come out and have some pride about who you're playing for, have some pride about whatever, and just come out and play basketball. I believe we can win the next one, so we've just got to come out and play.&rdquo;
JOE MAZZULLA: &ldquo;I think the most important thing is just sticking together, and then I have to be better. I've got to put them in better positions. I've got to get them ready to play. I have to have the game plan ready for us to be physical and to execute, and it's important that we stick together. &hellip; I think it starts with we've got to defend, we have to get stops, we have to execute. When you do not execute on the defensive end and they make shots, then it affects the way you play offense. We just have to put our identity into our defensive execution first.&rdquo;
AL HORFORD: &ldquo;We have to understand that our DNA, our core as a team, is on the defensive end. That's who we are, and that's something that we have to find if we want to come back and win this series.&rdquo;
JAYSON TATUM: &ldquo;I deleted Twitter from my phone to start the playoffs. Honestly, I haven't seen anything good, bad or indifferent since Game 1 against the Hawks. I'm certain after every game you win, you're the best player and the best team, and when you lose, you're not the star and the team is not good enough. I'm certain there will be some of that, but out of sight, out of mind. You don't see it, because that's not what's important. What's important is the guys in the locker room, teammates, coaches, and we're all in this together just trying to figure it out.&rdquo;
Game 4 between the Celtics and Heat is Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
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LOS ANGELES LAKERS
After the Lakers lost 10 of their first 12 games to start the season, their analytics department gave them a .3% chance of making the playoffs. One month ago, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham wrote &ldquo;.3% PLAYOFFS&rdquo; on a whiteboard in the locker room to remind the team that they&rsquo;ve already done the unthinkable once this season.&nbsp;
Now, the odds are stacked against them yet again as they trail 0-3 against the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. This team spent the second half of the season clawing to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they&rsquo;re drawing on that experience now that their backs are against the wall.
But do LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Co. have what it takes to make NBA history? 
ANTHONY DAVIS: &ldquo;We never intend to pack it in. Obviously, as you see throughout the course of this season, we have always been a team to fight. We are resilient. Everyone keeps fighting 'til it's over. It's not over. They have to win another game. &hellip; [We were] 2-10, 13th place, climbing uphill basically all season to get to this point, and it's the same thing here. Obviously it's a steeper climb being down 0-3. But we are going to keep taking it one game at a time and try to get better and come out with a win on Monday.&rdquo;
AUSTIN REAVES: &ldquo;Our backs have been against the wall. I've spoke about it probably the last two months &ndash; maybe more than that &ndash; since the trade deadline, [we&rsquo;ve been] swinging, throwing punches to fight to get to this opportunity. We'll go watch film, and we can either come out Monday and go home or we can fight for another day. And with the group of guys that we've got, I know what that answer will be.&rdquo;
LEBRON JAMES: &ldquo;I mean, just got to get one. Just one at a time. Just focus on Game 4, and you know, that's all you can really think about. &hellip; Just get ready for Monday and just got to get one. It's a one-game series for us. Every game counts, obviously."
DARVIN HAM: &ldquo;I mean, I think the deficit is 3-0, not 4. So as long as they have not gotten to four yet, there's still hope. We're still alive. We just have to focus on winning one game.&rdquo;
ANTHONY DAVIS: &ldquo;Take it one game at a time. You know, come Monday, leave it out on the floor, and try to get a win. Take it to Game 5, Game 6, Game 7. That's all you can really do. &hellip; We&rsquo;ll look at the film and see where we can get better, especially late-game [on] both ends of the floor, and then get ready to line them up on Monday and try to keep the season alive."
LEBRON JAMES: "I still [believe]. It's time to go right back home and start to refuel and start the treatment process and recovery process, and get ready for Monday. My mindset is always locked in as if it's Game 1.&rdquo;
Game 4 between the Lakers and Nuggets is Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Here’s what the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are saying with their season on the line entering Game 4.

Can the Celtics or Lakers make NBA history by coming back from down 0-3?

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Load management is a big topic across the NBA these days.
One great way to make sure players get rest in the playoffs is to end the series early.
The Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics all have that opportunity on Tuesday night when they host Game 5s with a 3-1 lead in the series.
&ldquo;Closeout games are always the hardest,&rdquo; Suns center Deandre Ayton said. &ldquo;We expect it&rsquo;s going to be a battle. We&rsquo;re just gearing up.&rdquo;
The Western Conference top-seed Nuggets already had one opportunity to end their series, but the feisty Timberwolves managed to extend it with a Game 4 win in overtime on Sunday.
&ldquo;We really wanted to come out and have a sweep under our belt. Didn&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. &ldquo;They fought. They fought like hell, all game long. Even when we put a scare in their heart a little bit, they kept fighting, kept playing, and the crowd was into it.&rdquo;
The Suns-Los Angeles Clippers series has been shaped by Kawhi Leonard&rsquo;s knee injury. Leonard has missed the past two games with a sprained knee, which has helped tip the series in favor of Phoenix.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s definitely hurt. It&rsquo;s not load management where he&rsquo;s taking time off,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s shown in the past that he&rsquo;s played through injuries in the playoffs and so if it&rsquo;s something he can&rsquo;t play through, then it has to be pretty serious.&rdquo;
L.A.&rsquo;s Paul George has been out since March 21 with the same injury as Leonard.
HAWKS AT CELTICS
Boston leads 3-1. Game 4, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Celtics have never lost a best-of-seven playoff series after building a 3-1 lead. They are 27-0 in those situations over their storied history.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s facial wear. The Boston star had been using a protective mask since February, when he sustained a broken bone in his face. But he ditched the mask in the second quarter of Game 4 after making just 1 of 7 shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of the way to finish with 31 points in a 129-121 victory. Presumably, he won&rsquo;t be wearing the mask anymore in these playoffs. &ldquo;As soon as I took it off, things started to turn around a little bit,&rdquo; Brown said.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Boston G Marcus Smart looked just fine in Game 4 after falling hard on his tailbone in the previous contest. He said they were times when his lower back tightened up, and he&rsquo;ll have to remain diligent in his treatment to make sure the pain doesn&rsquo;t keep him off the court. &ldquo;Throughout the game, it got a little tight on me. It flared up. But once I got it stretched out again, got it loose, got some heat on it, it was pretty good,&rdquo; Smart said.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: The Hawks. It looks like another brief playoff appearance unless they can pull of a win in Boston, and the challenge got even tougher when guard Dejounte Murray was suspended for Game 5 after bumping and verbally abusing an official after the end of Game 4. Murray is averaging 25.3 points in the series. Atlanta has lost five straight at TD Garden since its last victory on Feb. 17, 2021, including a pair of 13-point defeats in the first two games of this series. If the Hawks lose, it would be the second straight year they&rsquo;ve gone down in five games in the opening round and could signal major changes heading into the offseason.
TIMBERWOLVES AT NUGGETS
Denver leads 3-1. Game 5, 9 p.m. EDT, NBA TV.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Nuggets closed the last 2&frac12; minutes of the fourth quarter of Game 4 on a tying 12-0 run, but the Timberwolves recovered with an 18-point overtime on 6-for-8 shooting for a 114-108 victory. It denied Denver a first playoff-series sweep in franchise history and keep the first-round matchup alive despite Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s playoff-career-high-tying 43 points.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Anthony Edwards. Minnesota&rsquo;s All-Star guard has 129 points in four games, the second-most in the NBA playoffs behind Phoenix&rsquo;s Devin Booker (139). He delivered a wide array of clutch baskets down the stretch for the Wolves in Game 4, including a pull-up 3-pointer from the wing with 11.5 seconds left in overtime to push their lead to four. He&rsquo;s the first player in Wolves&rsquo; history with 100-plus points over three consecutive playoff games. Only LeBron James (eight) had more 30-plus-point playoff games before age 22 than Edwards does (five). Still, Edwards was aiming for a higher bar after his 12-for-27 shooting performance.
&ldquo;I played terrible, if you ask me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I took three bad 3s, three terrible possessions, and I damn near shot us out the game.&rdquo;
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Wolves sixth man Kyle Anderson was inadvertently struck by a stray arm from Edwards during a leap for a rebound late in the third quarter and did not return after suffering what the team announced as a left eye and facial contusion. Coach Chris Finch said Anderson went to see an eye specialist. ... Nuggets coach Mike Malone on Jokic&rsquo;s aggression with 12 free-throw attempts in Game 4 after zero in Game 3: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s banged up. He&rsquo;s playing hard.&rdquo;
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Jamal Murray. After scoring 40 points in Game 2, Denver&rsquo;s standout point guard missed 26 of 43 shots over the two games in Minnesota. He had 19 points in Game 4, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker frequently picking up his defense before half court and making him work hard for every shot, drive and pass.
CLIPPERS AT SUNS
Phoenix leads 3-1, Game 5, 10 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Suns took control of the series with two wins in Los Angeles and now return to Phoenix to try and close it out. The Suns have taken advantage of the absence of L.A. star Kawhi Leonard, who missed both Games 3 and 4 because of a sprained knee.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Three-time All-Star Devin Booker is cooking for the Suns, averaging 34.8 points on 57.1% shooting. The 26-year-old isn&rsquo;t just scoring, he&rsquo;s averaging 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: All eyes are on Leonard to see if he can return. The Suns have been without backup point guard Cam Payne, who hasn&rsquo;t played in the series because of a sore back.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Russell Westbrook. If Leonard can&rsquo;t play, the Clippers almost certainly have to have another massive game from Westbrook, who has played well in the series. He&rsquo;s improved his scoring total each game, rising from 9 points in Game 1 to 28 in Game 2, 30 in Game 3 and 37 in Game 4. L.A. might need a 40-spot from him on Tuesday to extend the series.

The Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics all have an opportunity to advance on Tuesday night when they host Game 5s.

Suns, Nuggets, Celtics can all advance with Game 5 wins

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; A magical journey put San Diego State in its first Final Four.
A thrilling buzzer-beater by Lamont Butler landed the Aztecs one win away from a national title.
Hot early shooting Monday night helped them race to an early lead against the mighty UConn Huskies.
Then things fell apart.
For more than 11 tortured minutes in the title game, no matter what they tried, the Aztecs could not make a field goal in their 76-59 loss.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult to play like that,&rdquo; Butler said.
Fighting against a stifling defense, they missed hook shots, had layups blocked, badly missed wide-open 3s and saw easy jump shots fall short.
The Aztecs (32-7) took shot after shot after shot &mdash; 14 in all as the clock ticked, ticked and ticked &mdash; but no matter what they tried nothing would fall.
&ldquo;We were talking about it for sure,&rdquo; Butler said. &ldquo;And we were trying to figure out what we can do to stop the scoring drought and create advantages for ourselves. We tried but things weren&rsquo;t working.&rdquo;
By the time Darrion Trammell mercifully made a jump shot with about 5 &frac12; minutes left in the first half, the Aztecs had seen a four-point lead turn into a 26-17 hole.
A team that got here on the strength of its vaunted defense was in the end done in by an offense that went cold at the worst possible moment.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the national championship game, a lot of things had to go right on our end in order to win,&rdquo; guard Matt Bradley said. &ldquo;And when you&rsquo;re missing shots and turning the ball over and even when you&rsquo;re playing hard on defense, it&rsquo;s not going to be enough. So we learned that tonight for sure.&rdquo;
The Aztecs rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat Florida Atlantic in the national semifinal, with Butler&rsquo;s game-winner at the buzzer marking the first time in Final Four history that a buzzer-beater took a team from trailing to a victory.
This time there would be no such heroics. They did go on a second half run to make it interesting, though.
San Diego State used a 14-4 spurt, with the first four points from Jaedon LeDee, to get within 60-55 with about five minutes to go.
But Jordan Hawkins made a 3-pointer seconds after that to start a 9-0 run that shut the door on any designs the Aztecs had on another remarkable comeback.
Though their defense had been the star of this Cinderella&rsquo;s tournament run entering Monday night, their offense had done plenty to complement it.
Through their first five games in the tournament, the Aztecs shot an average of 42.48%. In the biggest game in school history Monday night, they shot a tournament-low 32% &mdash; a number significantly lowered by a 28.6% first half.
It was their second-lowest shooting percentage of the season, behind the 31.7% they shot in a 62-57 win over Utah State in the Mountain West Conference Tournament title game. Their 24 first-half points was the second-fewest they&rsquo;d managed all season.
There were no tears in San Diego State&rsquo;s locker room after the loss that snapped a nine-game winning streak, but rather a bunch of guys who were proud of how far they got, even if they came up short.
&ldquo;We were the only ones who believed we could get here,&rdquo; Trammell said. &ldquo;We surpassed our expectations honestly.&rdquo;
Added Keshad Johnson, who led the team with 14 points Monday night.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure we put our school&rsquo;s name on the map and I&rsquo;m proud of that,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

Hot early shooting Monday night helped the Aztecs race to an early lead against the mighty Huskies. Then, things fell apart.

Long drought seals SDSU’s fate in title game against UConn

The Sweet 16 features a new format and a bit of history when it begins later this week.
The NCAA changed its setup for the women&rsquo;s tournament this season, trimming the traditional four regional sites to two. Seattle and Greenville &mdash; a city of 71,000 in South Carolina about halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina &mdash; will each host eight teams before sending the winners on to Dallas for the Final Four.
It is also just the second time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994 that two of the No. 1 seeds didn&rsquo;t reach the regional semifinals after Mississippi and Miami knocked out Stanford and Indiana, respectively. It also happened in 1998.
The other top seeds &mdash; South Carolina and Virginia Tech &mdash; advanced. The Gamecocks, led by star Aliyah Boston, are four wins from completing their own historic journey and back-to-back national championships. They are seeking just the 10th undefeated season ever in women&rsquo;s basketball, and the next steps for coach Dawn Staley&rsquo;s team are just a 90-minute trip from campus.
There are a lot of teams that have ended long Sweet 16 droughts, like the Hokies, Hurricanes, Colorado and Villanova. UConn, on the other hand, will be playing in its 29th consecutive regional semifinal.
Despite the parity that took place during the regular season and the exit of those two No. 1 seeds, it is the second time in the past six years that no double-digit seed reached the round of 16. It&rsquo;s also the first time since the Big 12 was formed in 1996 that no teams from the conference reached the second weekend.
There&rsquo;s plenty of star power across the field with Angel Reese, Maddy Siegrist, Caitlin Clark and Elizabeth Kitley joining Boston in the regional semifinals.
GREENVILLE 1
The Gamecocks are the heavy favorite to come out of this region and, for that matter, to win another title. The regional semifinal opponent is No. 4 seed UCLA. The Bruins gave the Gamecocks a competitive game back in November, leading at halftime by four before losing by nine.
No. 2 seed Maryland will play No. 3 seed Notre Dame in the other semifinal. The Terrapins, led by Diamond Miller, used a strong second half to get by Arizona in the second round. The Fighting Irish overcame season-ending injuries to Olivia Miles and Dara Mabrey to get to the Sweet 16. Notre Dame got a strong effort from post Lauren Ebo, who set a school NCAA tourney record with 18 rebounds in a win over Mississippi State.
GREENVILLE 2
With Indiana losing, the bracket is more open, with Villanova and Siegrist playing the Hurricanes in one of the semifinals. Siegrist, who leads the nation in scoring, has the Wildcats back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003. Miami&rsquo;s drought was even longer, not making it this far since 1992.
The other semifinal in the region pits two of the most talented forwards in the country against each other: LSU&rsquo;s Angel Reese and Utah&rsquo;s Alissa Pili. Reese helped the Tigers reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014. The &ldquo;Bayou Barbie&rdquo; had 25 points, an eye-popping 24 rebounds and six blocks in the third-seeded Tigers&rsquo; rout of Michigan. Second-seeded Utah is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006 after edging Princeton in the second round.
SEATTLE 3
Second-seeded UConn, which has dealt with injuries all season, will face third-seeded Ohio State in one semifinal. The Buckeyes needed a shot in the final few seconds by Jacy Sheldon to advance this far for the fourth straight season.
Top seed Virginia Tech is the newcomer here, making its first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 1999 after two impressive home wins in the first two rounds. Kitley and Co. head across the country for a rematch against Tennessee. The two teams played Dec. 4 and the Hokies came away with a three-point win. The Lady Vols were missing Rickea Jackson for that game and it was the final one that Tamari Key played in before being sidelined for the season with blood clots.
Tennessee has run through the first two rounds, becoming just the fourth team to win each of its first two games by 45 points or more. UConn did it the other three times, according to ESPN.
SEATTLE 4
Ole Miss crashed the party with its upset of Stanford and is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007. Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin&rsquo;s defensive-minded squad will face a Louisville team that routed Texas on the Longhorns&rsquo; home court. Cardinals star Hailey Van Lith grew up in Central Washington, a few hours from Seattle.
The other matchup will feature Clark and her logo-range shooting for Iowa against Colorado. Iowa edged Georgia in the second round, erasing the memory of last season&rsquo;s round of 32 defeat to Creighton. The Hawkeyes will face a Colorado team in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003.&nbsp;

Seattle and Greenville will each host eight teams before sending the winners on to Dallas for the Final Four.

Women’s Sweet 16 features new format and historic field

March Madness is here! Here is what to know about the women&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament, including the favorites and underdogs as well as key games and how to watch:
TOP SEEDS
The top four seeds in the tournament are South Carolina, Indiana, Virginia Tech and Stanford. Each is in a region, some tougher than others (on paper). We break them down for you:
SOUTH CAROLINA (32-0): The defending national champions are the No. 1 overall seed and the Greenville I Region breaks down favorably. It includes two teams in No. 2 seed Maryland (25-6) and No. 4 seed UCLA (23-9) who the Gamecocks beat earlier this season. South Carolina is loaded, with two-time Southeastern Conference player of the year Aliyah Boston and leading scorer Zia Cooke.
INDIANA (27-3): After a loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament semis, some wondered if the Hoosiers might miss out on a top seed. They landed it in the Greenville II Region and start against either Tennessee Tech or Monmouth. Mackenzie Holmes leads Indiana with 22.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Top challengers include No. 2 seed Utah, No. 3 seed LSU and No. 4 seed Villanova, which is led by scoring sensation Maddy Siegrist.
VIRGINIA TECH (27-5): The Hokies won their first ACC Tournament championship and will lead the Seattle 3 Region. Elizabeth Kitley has stepped things up down the stretch as Virginia Tech won its final eight games. Virginia Tech could have to navigate No. 4 seed Tennessee in the Sweet 16 and No. 2 seed UConn or No. 3 seed Ohio State after that.
STANFORD (28-5): The committee looked to Stanford&rsquo;s steadiness for much of the season in giving it the top seed in the Seattle 4 Region. The Cardinal are led by Cameron Brink and Haley Jones, who have combined to score more than 28 points per game this season. Look for a potential high-wattage battle for the Final Four against No. 2 seed Iowa, led by national player of the year candidate Caitlin Clark.
GAMES TO WATCH
No. 3 seed Notre Dame (25-5) vs. No. 14 seed Southern Utah (23-6), Friday. The Fighting Irish&rsquo;s chances for a deep run will certainly be affected by how seriously do-everything leader Olivia Miles is hurt. She left the ACC Tournament quarterfinals two weeks ago with a knee injury.
Monmouth (18-13) vs. Tennessee Tech (22-9), Thursday, ESPNU. Monmouth, surprise winners of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, have not played in the NCAA tourney since 1983 and get the chance to extend its stay in a First Four contest Wednesday. Either the Hawks or the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champions in Tennessee Tech, both 16 seeds, will have to take on top-seed Indiana on Friday.
No. 5 seed Louisville (23-11) vs. No. 12 seed Drake (22-9), Saturday. The Cardinals were a Final Four team a season ago and start their journey back as a No. 5 seed. They&rsquo;ll open things against Drake (22-9), which was seeded fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament yet defeated Belmont to take the league&rsquo;s automatic bid. Louisville is led by Hailey Van Lith, who&rsquo;s averaged 19.2 points a game this season.
No. 4 seed Villanova (28-6) vs. No. 13 seed Cleveland State (30-4), Saturday. Villanova features one of the country&rsquo;s best players in Maddy Siegrist, a two-time Big East player of year. The Wildcats are in a stacked region with top seed Indiana, No. 2 seed Utah and No. 3 seed LSU in front of them. Cleveland State won the Horizon League and made the NCAAs for the first time since 2010.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
The women&rsquo;s tournament field is filled with stars, including South Carolina&rsquo;s Aliyah Boston, l ast season&rsquo;s AP player of the year who is back in hopes of winning a second straight national title. She will have plenty of competition for the honor this year, including sharp-shooting Iowa star Caitlin Clark.
The field is also remarkable for the high number of international players, a growing trend in women&rsquo;s basketball. Alas, some of the top programs are also dealing with injuries to key players.
GO DEEPER
Gun violence has cost lives and disrupted college sports all season, touching some of the top programs in college basketball. Coaches have been thrust into uncertain and unwelcome roles in trying to navigate the topic &mdash; as well as the fallout from the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
HOW TO WATCH
Every game of the women&rsquo;s tournament will be available on ESPN&rsquo;s networks or streaming, with fans encouraged to navigate to the &ldquo;Watch&rdquo; tab on ESPN&rsquo;s sites. The NCAA will have a women&rsquo;s basketball specific March Madness app by AT&amp;T.
There are multiple sites listing game times and other details, including the NCAA site.
BETTING GUIDE 
Who&rsquo;s going to win the national championship? The betting favorites as of this week to reach the Final Four are (in order): South Carolina, Indiana, Stanford, UConn, LSU and Iowa, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Gamecocks are a heavy favorite to become the first repeat champion in the women&rsquo;s tournament since UConn won the last of four straight in 2016.
MARCH MADNESS CALENDAR 
Selection Sunday set the brackets for First Four games (March 15-16) and first- and second-round games (March 17-20) at multiple sites across the country.
Sweet 16 weekend brings a twist this year for the women&rsquo;s teams: There will be two regional sites instead of four, with Greenville, South Carolina, and Seattle each hosting eight teams.
Where is the women&rsquo;s Final Four? In Dallas, where the semifinals are March 31 and the championship game is April 2. As it happens, the men&rsquo;s Final Four is a four-hour drive down the road in Houston that same weekend.

Here is what to know about the women’s 2023 NCAA Tournament, including the favorites and underdogs as well as key games.

March Madness 2023: South Carolina women chasing third title

With five conference tournament finals capping a wild week of men's college hoops, Sunday afternoon officially marked the end of the 2022-23 men's college basketball regular season, which means only one thing: March Madness is upon us.
Princeton (Ivy), Virginia Commonwealth (A-10), Alabama (SEC), Purdue (Big Ten) and Memphis (AAC) punched their official ticket to the men's 2023 NCAA Tournament to round out the group of 32 receiving an automatic bid.
Those teams joined: Vermont (America East), Duke (ACC), Kennesaw State (ASUN), Texas (Big 12), Marquette (Big East), Montana State (Big Sky), UNC Asheville (Big South), UC Santa Barbara (Big West), College of Charleston (CAA), Florida Atlantic (C-USA), Northern Kentucky (Horizon), Iona (MAAC), Kent State (MAC), Howard (MEAC), Drake (Missouri Valley), San Diego State (Mountain West), Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast), Southeast Missouri State (Ohio Valley), Arizona (Pac-12), Colgate (Patriot), Furman (Southern), Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi (Southland), Texas Southern (SWAC), Oral Roberts (Summit), Louisiana (Sun Belt), Gonzaga (WCC), Grand Canyon (WAC).
The selection committee revealed at 6 p.m. that the No. 1 overall seed is Alabama. The other three top seeds are Houston, Kansas and Purdue.
The First Four in Dayton will consist of a 16-seed matchup between Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi and Southeast Missouri State plus an 11-seed matchup between Mississippi State and Pittsburgh. In the other two games, there will be a 16-seed matchup between Texas Southern and Fairleigh Dickinson and an 11-seed matchup between Arizona State and Nevada.
Who else was invited to join The Big Dance on the road to the Final Four in Houston?
Following Selection Sunday, here is the official field of 68 in the men's 2023 NCAA Tournament:
South Region
(1) Alabama Crimson Tide vs. (16) Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi Islanders/Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
(8) Maryland Terrapins vs. (9) West Virginia Mountaineers
(5) San Diego State Aztecs vs. (12) College of Charleston Cougars
(4) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (13) Furman Palladins
(6) Creighton Blue Jays vs. (11) NC State Wolfpack
(3) Baylor Bears vs. (14) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
(7) Missouri Tigers vs. (10) Utah State Aggies
(2) Arizona Wildcats vs. (15) Princeton Tigers
Midwest Region
(1) Houston Cougars vs. (16) Northern Kentucky Norse
(8) Iowa Hawkeyes vs. (9) Auburn Tigers
(5) Miami Hurricanes vs. (12) Drake Bulldogs
(4) Indiana Hoosiers vs. (13) Kent State Golden Flashes
(6) Iowa State Cyclones vs. (11) Mississippi State Bulldogs/Pittsburgh Panthers
(3) Xavier Musketeers vs. (14) Kennesaw State Owls
(7) Texas A&amp;M Aggies vs. (10) Penn State Nittany Lions
(2) Texas Longhorns vs. (15) Colgate Raiders
West Region
(1) Kansas Jayhawks vs. (16) Howard Bison
(8) Arkansas Razorbacks vs. (9) Illinois Fighting Illini
(5) Saint Mary's Gaels vs. (12) VCU Rams
(4) UConn Huskies vs. (13) Iona Gaels
(6) TCU Horned Frogs vs. (11) Arizona State Sun Devils/Nevada Wolfpack
(3) Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. (14) Grand Canyon Antelopes
(7) Northwestern Wildcats vs. (10) Boise State Broncos
(2) UCLA Bruins vs. (15) UNC Asheville Bulldogs
East Region
(1) Purdue Boilermakers vs. (16) Texas Southern Tigers/Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
(8) Memphis Tigers vs. (9) Florida Atlantic Owls
(5) Duke Blue Devils vs. (12) Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
(4) Tennessee Volunteers vs. (13) Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
(6) Kentucky Wildcats vs. (11) Providence Friars
(3) Kansas State Wildcats vs. (14) Montana State Bobcats
(7) Michigan State Spartans vs. (10) USC Trojans
(2) Marquette Golden Eagles vs. (15) Vermont Catamounts
THE BRACKET
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An overview of the official men's 2023 NCAA Tournament schedule and March Madness matchups on the road to Houston.

2023 NCAA Tournament: Men's field of 68 teams announced

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice scored 20 of his game-high 24 points in the second half and overtime, and No. 6 Texas held off Oklahoma 85-83 on Saturday.
Rice&rsquo;s fourth 3-pointer of the game gave Texas an 84-77 lead with 2:26 left in overtime.
Oklahoma, however, had a chance to tie or win when Texas&rsquo; Tyrese Hunter missed one of two free throws with 6.8 seconds left. But Sam Godwin missed a shot from near the rim, and Texas extended its winning streak against Oklahoma to five games.
Marcus Carr added 17 points for Texas (21-6, 10-4 Big 12), and Timmy Allen had 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Grant Sherfield led Oklahoma (13-14, 3-11) with 18 points, including a 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime. Milos Uzan scored 15 for the Sooners.
NO. 1 ALABAMA 108, GEORGIA 59
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Miller scored 21 points, Nick Pringle had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Mark Sears made five 3-pointers in the first half to lead Alabama.
The Crimson Tide (23-4, 13-1 Southeastern Conference) rebounded from their first SEC loss by racing to a 54-25 halftime lead and a season scoring high. Alabama was coming off a 68-59 loss at No. 10 Tennessee on Wednesday night after rising to No. 1 for only the second time in program history and first in 20 years.&nbsp;
ustin Hill led Georgia (16-11, 6-8) with 17 points. Terry Roberts scored 11 and Braelen Bridges 10.
NO. 4 UCLA 78, CALIFORNIA 43
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 20 points and UCLA routed last-place California to improve to 15-0 at Pauley Pavilion this season and extend the nation&rsquo;s longest home winning streak to 23 games.
Amari Bailey added 16 points and nine rebounds for the first-place Bruins (23-4, 14-2 Pac-12), who clinched a first-round bye in next month&rsquo;s Pac-12 Tournament with their 11th win in a row over last-place Cal.
Kuany Kuany scored 14 points to lead the Golden Bears (3-24, 2-14), who dropped their 11th in a row. They fell to 0-3 against top-5 teams this season, having also lost a pair against No. 8 Arizona.
NO. 5 KANSAS 87, NO. 9 BAYLOR 71
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; DaJuan Harris scored all 14 of his points in the second half as Kansas stormed back from a double-digit halftime deficit.
The Jayhawks (22-5, 10-4 Big 12) outscored the Bears 55-26 in the second half. Jalen Wilson led Kansas with 21 points and 13 rebounds. KJ Adams added 17 points and Gradey Dick had 16.
The Jayhawks are tied with Texas for the top spot in the Big 12 Conference.
Baylor (20-7, 9-5) got nearly all of its scoring from its three-guard combo of Adam Flagler (22 points) Keyonte George (20 points) and LJ Cryer (15 points).
NO. 7 VIRGINIA 57, NOTRE DAME 55
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Kihei Clark scored 15 points, including a pair of critical free throws with 22.6 seconds left, and became Virginia&rsquo;s career assist leader in the narrow win over Notre Dame.
With Notre Dame closing to 55-54, Clark converted both ends of a one-and-one. Trey Wertz made the front end of a one-and-one with 3.9 seconds left for the Fighting Irish, but missed the second after a timeout. The ball was tipped out to Dane Goodwin for a potential game-winning 3-pointer, but his shot bounced off the rim.
Armaan Franklin added 12 points and Reece Beekman had 11 for Virginia (21-4, 13-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Nate Laszewski led Notre Dame (10-17, 2-14) with 18 points and Goodwin had 12.
NO. 8 ARIZONA 78, COLORADO 68
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Oumar Ballo had 18 points and 16 rebounds, Cedric Henderson Jr. added 15 points and Arizona dominated inside to beat Colorado.
The Wildcats (24-4, 13-4 Pac-12) opened with a rash of turnovers, falling into an early 12-point hole. Arizona righted itself quickly with a big run and slogged through a slowed-down second half by shutting down the Buffaloes.
Tristan da Silva had 18 points the Buffaloes (15-13, 7-10), who shot 38%.
KENTUCKY 66, NO. 10 TENNESSEE 54
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Cason Wallace and Oscar Tshiebwe each scored 16 points and Kentucky rushed to a big lead and beat Tennessee.
The Volunteers (20-7, 9-5 SEC) trailed by 20 points at halftime and lost in their first game since toppling No. 1 Alabama.
The Wildcats (18-9, 9-5) earned their first regular-season sweep of Tennessee since the 2011-12 season. Kentucky defeated the Volunteers 63-56 on Jan. 14 in Knoxville.
Wallace had totaled nine points in the Wildcats&rsquo; previous two games. Chris Livingston added 12 points and Jacob Toppin had 11.
NO. 12 KANSAS STATE 61, NO. 19 IOWA STATE 55
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Markquis Nowell hit a 3-pointer from near midcourt with 2:42 remaining to help Kansas State over Iowa State.
Nowell finished with 20 points. Keyontae Johnson had 15 points for the Wildcats (20-7, 8-6 Big 12).
Aljaž Kunc led Iowa State (17-9, 8-6) with 15 points. Without their 3-point leader Caleb Grill in the lineup, the Cyclones worked inside the paint. They had 24 points inside and relied on a balanced scoring line led by Kunc.
NO. 13 GONZAGA 97, PEPPERDINE 88
MALIBU, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 22 of his 34 points in the second half and Julian Strawther added 28 points to help Gonzaga extend its winning streak over the Waves to 45 games.
The Bulldogs (23-5, 12-2 West Coast Conference), who haven&rsquo;t lost to Pepperdine (9-10, 2-12) since Jan. 18, 2002 and have won 20 straight on the road against the Waves.
Timme moved past Bill Cartwright, who scored 2,116 points for San Francisco (1975-79), into eighth on the West Coast Conference&rsquo;s career scoring list with 2,117.
Houston Mallette led the Waves with 22 points. Jevon Porter and Maxwell Lewis added 20 points apiece.
NO. 14 INDIANA 71, ILLINOIS 68
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Hood Schifino made two free throws with 30.7 seconds left, and Indiana rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit to beat Illinois.
Hood-Schifino had 13 points for the Hoosiers (19-8, 10-6 Big Ten), who have won nine of 11 overall and 15 straight on their homecourt.
Matthew Mayer scored 24 to lead the Fighting Illini (17-9, 8-7), who were without injured leading scorer Terrence Shannon.
NO. 15 MIAMI 96, WAKE FOREST 87
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Isaiah Wong scored 27 points and Nijel Pack finished with 24 in Miami&rsquo;s win over Wake Forest.
Norchard Omier had 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting while Jordan Miller added 14 points for the Hurricanes (22-5, 13-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won their sixth straight and improved to 15-0 at home.
Tyree Appleby scored 15 points and Damari Monsanto and Cameron Hildreth had 14 each for the Demon Deacons (17-10, 9-7). Andrew Carr and Mathew Marsh finished with 12 points each.
NO. 16 XAVIER 82, DEPAUL 68
CINCINNATI (AP) &mdash; Jack Nunge had 18 points and 10 rebounds as Xavier bounced back from a pair of narrow losses to beat DePaul.
The Musketeers (20-7, 12-4 Big East) reached the 20-win mark for the 34th time in school history, 32 of which have come since the 1982-83 season. It was the 17th career double-double for Nunge, eighth this season. Adam Kunkel scored 16 points and tied a career-high with eight assists for Xavier.
Umoja Gibson had 17 points and De&rsquo;Sean Nelson 16 for DePaul (9-18, 3-13), which lost its eighth in a row.
NO. 17 ST. MARY&rsquo;S 71, BYU 65
MORAGA, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Logan Johnson scored 27 points and Aidan Mahaney delivered once again in the second half to lead Saint Mary&rsquo;s to its 15th win in 16 games.
Mahaney scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and Mitchell Saxen added 13. The Gaels (24-5, 13-1 West Coast Conference) won their 16th straight conference home game to maintain a one-game lead over Gonzaga in the standings.
Fousseyni Traore scored 16 points to lead the Cougars (16-14, 6-9). BYU has lost four straight and was swept in the season series by the Gaels.
NO. 18 CREIGHTON 77, ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 67
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Arthur Kaluma hit three straight 3-pointers down the stretch and Creighton overcame a second-half scoring drought to pull away from St. John&rsquo;s.
Creighton (18-9, 12-4) remained in a three-way tie for second place in the Big East after Providence and Xavier won earlier in the day. Marquette holds a one-game lead in the conference standings.
Ryan Nembhard scored 16 points for the Bluejays. Kaluma finished with 13 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner added 12 as Creighton won for the ninth time in 10 games.
Joel Soriano led St. John&rsquo;s with 15 points and eight rebounds. David Jones added 14 points off the bench but the Red Storm (16-12, 6-11) were unable to get their third straight win.
NO. 20 UCONN 64, SETON HALL 55
STORRS, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Jordan Hawkins scored 20 points and UConn used a big second-half run to beat Seton Hall.
Andre Jackson had a career high 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for UConn (20-7, 9-7 Big East).
Al-Amir Dawes and Tyrese Samuel each had 16 points for Seton Hall (16-12, 9-8), which trailed by 16 points with six minutes to play before a late run that fell short.
NO. 22 TCU 100, OKLAHOMA STATE 75
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; Mike Miles Jr. had 15 points in his first game in three weeks, five other TCU players also scored in double figures, and the Horned Frogs snapped a four-game losing streak by beating Oklahoma State.
Emanuel Miller had 18 points to lead TCU (18-9, 7-7 Big 12), which shot a staggering season-high 68.4% (39 of 57) from the field. Damion Baugh had 16 points with 11 assists. Shahada Wells had 15 points, Chuck O&rsquo;Bannon 12 and Micah Peavy 10.
Bryce Thompson had 18 points and John-Michael White 15 for the Cowboys (16-11, 7-7).
NO. 24 PROVIDENCE 85, VILLANOVA 72
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Ed Croswell scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Providence earned its 20th victory of the season.
Bryce Hopkins added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Noah Locked finished with 16 points. Croswell connected on two late free throws to notch the 1,000th point of his career.
The Friars (20-7, 12-4 Big East) have recorded 20 or more wins in seven of coach Ed Cooley&rsquo;s 12 seasons. They improved to 15-0 at home, including 8-0 in conference play.
Eric Dixon had 18 points and eight rebounds and Justin Moore added 17 points for the Wildcats (13-14, 7-9)&nbsp;

A recap of Saturday's action in men's college basketball includes a full slate of top-25 teams in heavy competition.

No. 6 Texas needs OT at home to hold off Oklahoma 85-83

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Grace Berger finished with a season-high 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Mackenzie Holmes added 24 points as No. 2 Indiana used a late scoring run to pull away from No. 5 Iowa 87-78 on Thursday night.
The Hoosiers (23-1, 12-1 Big Ten) used a 17-7 fourth-quarter run to earn their 11th consecutive win, this time in front of a record crowd of 13,046. Indiana has broken the attendance mark three times since January and now has a 1 1/2-game lead in the chase for its first regular-season conference crown since the Big Ten&rsquo;s inaugural season of 1982-83.
Caitlin Clark had 35 points, 10 assists and four rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes (19-5, 11-2), who lost for the first time since Jan. 1.
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA 83, AUBURN 48
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Zia Cooke had 15 points and four assists in 20 minutes to lead South Carolina to its 30th straight win.
The Gamecocks (24-0, 11-0 Southeastern Conference) dominated from the start in a game sandwiched between a pair of top-5 matchups. They were coming off an 81-77 win over No. 4 UConn and host No. 3 LSU on Sunday.
Aliyah Boston had 10 points and eight rebounds for South Carolina before exiting with 8:54 left to end a string of eight straight double-doubles.&nbsp;
Sydney Shaw tied her career high with 15 points and made 3 of 4 3-pointers to lead the Tigers (13-10, 3-8). Auburn played without its top scorer and rebounder Aicha Coulibaly, who sat out with a leg injury. Mar&rsquo;shaun Bostic added 10 points.
NO. 6 STANFORD 84, NO. 17 ARIZONA 60
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Cameron Brink and Haley Jones each scored 18 points and Stanford used a strong rebounding performance to beat Arizona.
The Cardinal (23-3, 11-2 Pac-12) won their sixth straight against the Wildcats (18-6, 8-5), a streak that includes the 2021 NCAA title game. Stanford moved into first place in the conference, a half-game ahead of No. 7 Utah.
Jones shot 8 for 11 from the field and added 12 rebounds and six assists. Brink scored all her points and added eight rebounds in 21 minutes.
Paris Clark, Esmery Martinez and Cate Reese led the way for Arizona with 10 points apiece.
NO. 8 MARYLAND 79, NORTHWESTERN 54
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) &mdash; Diamond Miller had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Maryland eased past struggling Northwestern for its seventh win in eight games.
Brir McDaniel added 14 points and the Terrapins (20-5, 12-3 Big Ten) followed up the program&rsquo;s most lopsided win over a top-10 opponent with another dominant performance.
Coming off a 90-54 romp over then-No. 10 Ohio State on Sunday, Maryland outscored Northwestern (8-16, 1-12) 18-2 while holding the Wildcats without a field goal in the second quarter.
Paige Mott led Northwestern with 15 points.
NO. 9 DUKE 68, BOSTON COLLEGE 27
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Reigan Richardson scored 14 points and Celeste Taylor added 11 to lead Duke to the 1,000th win in the program&rsquo;s history.
Richardson scored 10 points in the second quarter, when the Blue Devils (21-3, 11-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) turned a five-point lead into a 32-14 runaway. Boston College (14-13, 4-10) made just two baskets in the period, going scoreless for the last 7:55 of the half.
Maria Gakdeng had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles, who shot 18.4% from the field.
NO. 10 NOTRE DAME 69, PITT 63
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Sonia Citron scored 20 points, Maddy Westbeld added 17 to lead Notre Dame.
Sophomore guard Olivia Miles had a double-double of 11 points and 13 assists with seven rebounds and two steals as the Fighting Irish (19-4, 10-3 ACC) extended their home winning streak against Pitt to 16 games.
Senior guard Dayshanette Harris led the Panthers (8-16, 1-12) with a season-high 20 points.
SYRACUSE 75, NO. 14 NORTH CAROLINA 67
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) &mdash; Dyaisha Fair scored 18 of her 23 points in the second half, Georgia Woolley added 20 points and Syracuse used a big third quarter to beat North Carolina.
Dariauna Lewis had 14 points and 15 rebounds for Syracuse (16-9, 7-7 ACC), which outrebounded North Carolina 43-29 to make up for 21 turnovers.
North Carolina was without two starters for the second straight game in Alyssa Ustby (13.6 points and 8.9 rebounds) and Eva Hodgson (10.2 points) due to injury. Deja Kelly led North Carolina (17-7, 8-5) with a career-high 32 points. Kennedy Todd-Williams added 14 points.
MIAMI 86, NO. 19 FLORIDA STATE 82
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Haley Cavinder made eight straight free throws in the final 30 seconds and finished with a career-high 33 points to help Miami beat a ranked team for the third time this season.
Miami used a five-point possession to tie it at 72 with 4:25 left. The Hurricanes took a 75-73 lead on a 3-pointer by Cavinder with 2:10 remaining. Florida State forward Makayla Timpson made layups with 25.2 seconds and 18.5 seconds left, but Cavinder made free throws after each to seal it.
Jasmyne Roberts added 19 points for Miami (16-8, 9-4 ACC) and Ja&rsquo;Leah Williams had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Timpson finished with 19 points and nine rebounds for Florida State (20-6, 9-4). Sara Bejedi scored 13 points and Ta&rsquo;Niya Latson and Jazmine Massengill each had 12.
NO. 22 N.C. STATE 51, WAKE FOREST 42
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) &mdash;Saniya Rivers scored eight points in the third quarter and 10 of her team-high 12 points in the second half to help North Carolina State pull away from Wake Forest.
The road win was the Wolfpack&rsquo;s ninth straight over Wake Forest and comes after back-to-back losses at Georgia Tech and at home to No. 11 Virginia Tech.
NC State (17-7, 7-6 ACC) made just 19 of 56 shots from the floor (33.9%) and missed all 10 of its 3-point attempts.
Wake Forest (14-11, 5-9) was 16 of 62 from the field (25.8%), including 3 of 20 from beyond the arc. Jewel Spear was 5 of 24 from the field, including 1 of 10 from distance, and finished with 11 points. Elise Williams grabbed 11 rebounds.

A recap of Thursday's action in women's college hoops includes a star-studded top-5 matchup and South Carolina's 30th straight win.

No. 2 Indiana uses late scoring burst to beat No. 5 Iowa

It was a rough week for Ohio State, which lost all three of its games and tumbled down the AP Top 25 as a result.
The previously unbeaten Buckeyes fell from second to 10th in The Associated Press women&rsquo;s basketball poll released Monday after losing to Iowa and Indiana, two top 10 teams, as well as Purdue. Ohio State fell two games back in the Big Ten Conference standings.
South Carolina remained No. 1 for the 32nd consecutive week. The Gamecocks, who were again a unanimous choice from the 28-member national media panel, have the fourth-longest streak ever atop the poll. Only UConn (51 and 34 weeks) and Louisiana Tech (36) have had longer runs at No. 1.
Stanford moved back up to No. 2 in the poll and the Cardinal were followed by LSU, Indiana and UConn in the top five. LSU is the only other undefeated team in women&rsquo;s basketball besides South Carolina, which visits UConn for a top-five showdown on Sunday.
Iowa jumped out four spots to sixth with Utah, Maryland and Notre Dame coming in ahead of Ohio State. The Hawkeyes started the season No. 4 in the poll.
The Fighting Irish split a pair of games last week against ranked opponents, routing Florida State before falling to N.C. State.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of parity right now, which is great, great for the game,&rdquo; Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said. &ldquo;The game is growing, which is what you want. But yeah, I mean, every night, especially the ACC, the ACC is the strongest league and, you know, we have just a tough stretch every night.&rdquo;
One week after falling out of the rankings, Texas re-entered the poll at No. 24. The Longhorns routed then-No. 14 Oklahoma and Oklahoma State last week. South Florida also came in at No. 25. Colorado and Illinois fell out of the poll.
RISING BULLS
No. 25 South Florida continued its streak of being ranked for at least one week every season since the Bulls entered the poll for the first time in 2015.
&ldquo;For us not being in a so-called football five conference, that&rsquo;s a huge accomplishment,&rdquo; South Florida coach Jose Fernandez said. His team has won 10 consecutive games and has 20 victories this season. The team&rsquo;s four losses have all come against ranked opponents (Michigan, Villanova, Ohio State and N.C. State).
&ldquo;This group has been fun to coach. We always play a great non=conference schedule,&rdquo; Fernandez said. &ldquo;We won on the road at Texas, beat Alabama, beat Arkansas. We challenged ourselves in November and December.&rdquo;
RECORD PERFORMANCES
Cameron Brink carried Stanford to a win over Oregon with a triple-double that included 10 blocks. It was the first triple-double in NCAA Division I women&rsquo;s basketball featuring double-digit blocks since Tamari Key did it for Tennessee in an overtime win against Texas on Nov. 21, 2021.
No. 20 Oklahoma&rsquo;s Taylor Robertson set the all-time NCAA women&rsquo;s career record for 3-pointers when she hit her 498th in a loss to Iowa State on Saturday. Robertson has 503 entering this week. The all-time NCAA record, men or women, is held by Antoine Davis of Detroit Mercy, who has 534 and counting.

The Gamecocks have the fourth-longest streak ever atop the poll. Only UConn (51, 34 weeks) and La. Tech (36) have had longer runs.

South Carolina tops women’s AP Top 25; Ohio State tumbles

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young had 26 points and 13 assists, Dejounte Murray added 26 points, and the Atlanta Hawks used a dominant third quarter to beat the struggling Detroit Pistons 130-105 on Friday night.
Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 19 points, and Clint Capela, returning after missing the last three games with a right calf strain, finished with 10 rebounds and 10 points for the Hawks, who have won three of four to improve to 17-16. They began the night ninth in the Eastern Conference and are 11-6 at home.
"We were still contesting and making it tough on them, but they&rsquo;re pros and they kept making plays," Young said. &ldquo;We just kept fighting and playing hard, and we ended up stretching out the lead in that third quarter and helping us get this win.&rdquo;
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 for the NBA-worst Pistons, who have lost five straight.
Atlanta went on a 17-3 run over a four-minute stretch of the third quarter to take its first double-digit lead at 79-69 on Murray&rsquo;s runner in the lane. Detroit never threatened the rest of the way.
The Pistons were outscored 35-18 in the third. Early in the fourth, Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a 3 on a fast break, Onyeka Okongwu followed with a turnaround jumper on the right baseline and Bogdanovic knocked down a right-wing 3 to push the lead to 105-81. Atlanta finished a 21-2 run over a six-minute stretch of the third and the fourth on Griffin&rsquo;s fast-break dunk.
&ldquo;I think overall we played a great first half," said Detroit guard Killian Hayes, who finished with 17 points. &ldquo;We had a few turnovers, and the ball was moving, but the first half wasn&rsquo;t the issue. I think the third quarter, when they made that run, it was tough to come back from that and then the game was pretty much done from there."
Young, who didn&rsquo;t play in the final period, ended a three-game streak in which he scored at least 30 points. He connected on a season-high seven 3s on Wednesday in a 110-108 loss to Chicago, and he scored 15 points in the third against Detroit.
The Pistons shot 27.3% on 3s, the 13th time Atlanta has held an opponent to worse than 30% beyond the arc. The Hawks came into the game tied for the league lead in that statistic.
The Hawks went up for the first time in the second half on John Collins&rsquo; fast-break dunk early in the third and they didn&rsquo;t trail again. Young hit a straightaway 3 and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter knocked down a left-wing 3 to cap a 13-0 run for a 75-66 lead, and the Pistons called timeout.
&ldquo;In the NBA, anybody can be beaten on any given night, so it just shows that we wanted it,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We executed, we took care of the ball, we played together and we won a great game.&rdquo;
Detroit&rsquo;s biggest lead was eight in the first half, and the Pistons led 63-60 at intermission.
&ldquo;Our third quarters we&rsquo;re continuing to try to give an opportunity to the young guys to come out in the second half,&rdquo; Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s evident we&rsquo;re not coming out with the right approach, but again we&rsquo;re here to grow those guys but not to the detriment of losing our spirit, losing our togetherness and losing the games the way we&rsquo;re losing them."
TIP-INS
Pistons: F Isaiah Livers stayed in Detroit with a right shoulder sprain, but Casey said he should rejoin the team next week. Livers has missed 11 straight games. ... Detroit began the game leading the NBA with 48.2 bench points since Dec. 1 but had its reserves outscored 51-30.
Hawks: Hunter twisted his left ankle in the second quarter but stayed in the game and finished with nine points in 27 minutes. ... Bogdanovic began the game as the only player since Dec. 9 to hit at least 28 3s while shooting at least 50% beyond the arc, but he went 3 for 11 against Detroit.
&nbsp;

Trae Young had 26 points, Dejounte Murray added 26 points, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the struggling Detroit Pistons 130-105.

Young, Murray power Hawks past Pistons, 130-105

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Dejounte Murray hit two decisive free throws with 1.3 seconds left, Trae Young had 37 points and 13 assists, and the Atlanta Hawks held off the Orlando Magic 126-125 Monday night to snap their six-game winning streak.
Orlando went on a 12-0 run over 2:17 late in the fourth quarter to wipe out a 13-point deficit and take a 125-124 lead on Markelle Fultz&rsquo;s layup with 3.8 seconds remaining. Young inbounded from the sideline, and Murray drew a foul from Paolo Banchero. Murray hit both free throws, and Banchero missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
&ldquo;Like I was preaching after the game, we've got to grow up, starting with me," Murray said. &ldquo;Just what we're playing for, these type of games show we're not playing to win and get to the playoffs and try to make noise. We've got to stop being comfortable. We almost lost the game."
The Magic were trying for their first seven-game winning streak since January 2011. Before the surge, Orlando had lost nine in a row and 11 of 12.
&ldquo;The results do matter, but the process is way more, so I think we&rsquo;re a little encouraged with that fourth quarter, with the fight that we showed, and that&rsquo;s kind of the mentality we need to have," Moritz Wagner said. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re a good team, you come back from losses, too, and you keep fighting no matter what happens, so I think that&rsquo;s what the mood is."
Atlanta welcomed back Murray and John Collins from injuries as both were game-time decisions with left ankle sprains. Collins, who finished with 12 points, missed the last eight games and Murray, who had 17, the past five.
With center Clint Caplea still sidelined by a right calf strain, Hawks coach Nate McMillan used a smaller starting lineup with Collins at center, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter at forward and three guards: Young, Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Young scored 17 points in the third as the Hawks opened a 104-94 lead in the closing seconds of the period.
Murray hit a straightaway 3 with 7:30 remaining to make it 114-102, but Orlando kept chipping away and pulled within one on Fultz&rsquo;s layup with 28.8 seconds left. Young missed an awkward runner with 8.7 seconds to go, and the Magic grabbed the rebound and called a timeout.
Fultz, who led the Magic with 24 points, then got to the rim easily &mdash; too easily for Hawks coach Nate McMillan.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll take the win, of course," he said, &ldquo;but we know we&rsquo;ve got to be better and we&rsquo;ve got to finish better in order to continue to win ballgames."
Young knocked down a 34-foot straightaway 3 to put the Hawks up 124-112 with 3:03 to play, but it wasn't enough to put Orlando away.
&ldquo;I knew we were going to get good looks tonight and being at home we were able to make more shots,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We got some really good looks.&rdquo;
Atlanta built an 11-point lead in the second quarter, but the Magic went on a 13-3 run and trailed 68-65 at halftime.
TIP-INS
Magic: Franz Wagner finished with 19 points. His brother Moritz had 16 and Banchero scored 19. ... Terrence Ross and Mo Bamba combined for 25 points off the bench. ... Orlando outscored the Hawks 20-19 on fast-break points. ... The Magic outrebounded Atlanta 45-41.
Hawks: AJ Griffin finished with 19 points off the bench. ... Atlanta outscored Orlando 62-48 in the paint. ... Young went 12 for 12 on free throws. ... Young picked up a technical foul with 3:03 remaining for complaining to an official about contact from Moritz Wagner on his 34-footer. ... McMillan successfully challenged a foul call on Onyeka Okongwu with 2:54 remaining.
&nbsp;

Trae Young had 37 points and 13 assists, and the Atlanta Hawks held off the Orlando Magic 126-125.

Murray hits winning free throws, Hawks end Magic's streak

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young threw a long pass to hit A.J. Griffin for a wide-open layup at the overtime buzzer and the Atlanta Hawks, after rallying late in regulation, beat the undermanned Toronto Raptors 124-122 on Saturday night.
Young had 33 points and 12 assists, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter added 22 points and Clint Capela had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks.
While Young was taking the inbound pass with 3.8 seconds to go and the score tied at 122-all, Griffin had the awareness to run behind the defense and set up near the basket. It was pure basketball instinct.
Young caught a pass, took a dribble and threw the pass from just past half-court. Griffin jumped, hauled in the ball and made the shot before landing.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
AJ Griffin lob from Trae Young for the Hawks game-winner 🤯🔥 <a href="https://t.co/5WwYIuj18y">pic.twitter.com/5WwYIuj18y</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1594158049241047041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

&ldquo;I was in the right place at the right time," Griffin said. &ldquo;I had a feeling they were going to pressure up. I saw it and broke early. I said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;ll just sneak up behind them.&rsquo; That&rsquo;s exactly what happened."
Young hit a pair of free throws with 59 seconds to go in regulation, giving the Hawks their first lead since midway through the third quarter.
The Raptors led 108-101 with 2:36 to go in the fourth quarter. The Hawks went on a 10-run in a 90-second span to take a 111-109 lead on Young&rsquo;s two free throws with 59 seconds to go.
Toronto had a great chance to win it at the end of regulation, but Scottie Barnes missed a layup and a putback attempt at the buzzer.
Griffin scored eight points of his 17 points in overtime, his second runner making it 118-115. His first runner on Atlanta&rsquo;s first possession of overtime gave the Hawks a 115-113 lead, and they never trailed again. The teams traded baskets in the extra period before Young&rsquo;s layup high off the glass with 28.2 seconds remaining made it 120-117.
Hunter missed two free throws at the 7-second mark that would&rsquo;ve iced it for Atlanta. O.G. Anunoby followed by hitting a pair of free throws to set up Griffin&rsquo;s game-winner.
&ldquo;We just get playing, kept fighting," Young said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a long game. They went on runs. We went on runs, we went on runs. It&rsquo;s a long game, so you can&rsquo;t stop at any time of it. We knew we had a chance to get back in the game. We just kept playing."
Barnes had a season-high 28 points and Anunoby added 27 for the Raptors, who were seeking third straight victory despite several injuries.
Toronto dressed only nine players. Key members of the team &mdash; Pascal Siakam, Precious Achiuwa, Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet &mdash; have missed a total of 18 games since Nov. 6.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a little hard, but it&rsquo;s nothing we can&rsquo;t withstand,&rdquo; Raptors forward Thaddeus Young said after scoring 19 points with nine rebounds. &ldquo;We were short-handed, but we still had a chance to win the game. We just have to make sure we execute down the stretch.&rdquo;
The Raptors got 15 points from VanVleet and a season-high 17 points from reserve guard Malachi Flynn before he fouled out.
Toronto went on a 22-8 run to go up 42-33 ending on VanVleet&rsquo;s three-point play early in the second. The Raptors called timeout after a dunk by Collins trimmed the lead to 51-49, but Toronto was up 62-55 at halftime when Barnes&rsquo; layup beat the buzzer.
Atlanta is 50-51 all-time against the Raptors, 27-24 at home.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Barnes limped off the floor with 4:21 remaining in regulation with a left foot injury after getting tangled up underneath the basket but soon returned. It appeared he came down on Young&rsquo;s foot before falling to the court. ... Coach Nick Nurse hopes the next three off days will give the team a chance to heal. Siakam (right adductor strain), Achiuwa (right ankle sprain), Dalano Blanton (left ankle sprain), Chris Boucher (illness), Trent (illness) and Otto Porter Jr. (toe dislocation) didn&rsquo;t make the trip.
Hawks: Dating to March 3, 2022, Atlanta has scored at least 100 points in 37 straight games, the third-longest scoring streak in franchise history and the longest such active streak in the NBA. ... Hunter was 0 for 7 from the field in the first half. ... Bogdan Bogdanovic (right knee) missed his 17th straight game.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Hawks: At Cleveland on Monday.

After rallying late in regulation, the Atlanta Hawks beat the undermanned Toronto Raptors 124-122 on Saturday night.

Trae Young hits AJ Griffin for OT buzzer-beater, Hawks top Raptors

One month into the 2022-23 NBA season, the Utah Jazz have exceeded all expectations. After trading Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O&rsquo;Neale and replacing head coach Quin Snyder with 34-year-old Will Hardy, Utah was expected to plummet down the standings and enter the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
Instead, the Jazz are 10-6, with wins over the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Clippers among others. Utah currently has the NBA&rsquo;s seventh-best offense (scoring 111.4 points per 100 possessions) and 12th-best defense (allowing 108.7 points per 100 possessions).&nbsp;
They have a balanced attack, with six players averaging double-digit points: Lauri Markkanen (21.3), Jordan Clarkson (17.9), Collin Sexton (13.3), Kelly Olynyk (13.2), Malik Beasley (12.3) and Mike Conley (10.7). This team plays extremely hard and makes a ton of hustle plays.&nbsp;
And unlike the other franchises that were projected to tank entering this season, the Jazz aren&rsquo;t a super young team. Utah&rsquo;s roster has an average age of 25.86 years old, which is significantly older than the youngest teams in the league &ndash; the Oklahoma City Thunder (23.14), Houston Rockets (23.58), San Antonio Spurs (23.84) and Orlando Magic (23.94). While the Jazz are assembling an impressive young core, they&rsquo;ve gotten huge contributions from experienced players like Markkanen, Olynyk, Clarkson, Beasley, Sexton, Conley and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Entering this week, Utah sat atop the Western Conference standings. However, after losing three-straight games, the Jazz have slid to fourth-place in the West.&nbsp;
Was Utah&rsquo;s early-season success a fluke or can they sustain this level of play going forward? Will they keep this core together or eventually trade away some of their veterans for additional draft picks and prospects? BasketballNews.com reached out to an anonymous NBA scout and picked their brain about Utah&rsquo;s impressive start to this season.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re off to such a hot start, and they&rsquo;ve got a lot of guys who are really confident,&rdquo; the anonymous NBA scout told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a big Jordan Clarkson guy and he has really emerged. He&rsquo;s always been a scorer, but I think he knows that he has to be good night in and night out and he has to lead the charge for this team. Lauri Markkanen is killing it, and I&rsquo;m really happy for him. This is what we thought Lauri Markkanen would be when the Bulls took him [No. 7 overall]. It took some time, but this is the guy we thought he might become. I think Kelly Olynyk is a great veteran, and so is Mike Conley. They have a solid bench with Collin Sexton. I&rsquo;m a Walker Kessler guy; I think he&rsquo;s actually going to be a really good big. And then they&rsquo;ve got Talen Horton-Tucker... When they acquired Ochai Agbaji and Leandro Bolmaro, I thought those guys would get an opportunity to play, but they really haven't gotten opportunities because there&rsquo;s so much depth! They have a lot of veterans who have been very productive.
&ldquo;I just feel they made a lot of nice moves, even though they weren&rsquo;t considered &lsquo;sexy.&rsquo; They weren&rsquo;t [additions] that many people thought would make this huge difference, but they&rsquo;re all playing really well together. I like their team, and I think they are coached really well. I think [their early success] is a testament to their coaching staff and the great job that they&rsquo;ve done.&rdquo;
Is this sustainable? That&rsquo;s the question that everyone is asking about this year&rsquo;s Jazz. The NBA scout thinks that Utah is for real.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s sustainable,&rdquo; said the NBA scout. &ldquo;They hear all of the noise [about tanking], and they heard it going into the year, but they&rsquo;ve got a bunch of guys on that roster who know how to compete and play hard, they&rsquo;ve got good leadership from their vets, they&rsquo;ve got a lot of talent and guys who can play, and they have a lot of guys who have faced adversity at some point in their career. They&rsquo;re just kind of built in a unique way.&nbsp;
&ldquo;As for what I&rsquo;ve seen from them, obviously they can score on you in bunches. They have multiple guys who can initiate offense. They have bigs who can stretch the floor. They have shooting. One area that really matters once you get to the playoffs is legit rim protection, so hopefully Walker Kessler can be that for them. I think there are a few areas to circle and keep tabs on, but they&rsquo;re playing really well. They play hard and bring so much energy.&rdquo;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_19273543.jpg" alt="" width="699" height="466" />
The scout had a ton of praise for Will Hardy, who is a first-time head coach.
&ldquo;I think the coaching staff deserves a ton of credit. I think there&rsquo;s a bunch of buy-in and trust,&rdquo; the anonymous NBA scout said. &ldquo;And when they have a deficit or they struggle in different phases, it seems like they always break through. They have a really good way of fighting through those struggles, and I think that&rsquo;s always a sign of a good team. It&rsquo;s a reason why they&rsquo;re one of the best teams in the league. They&rsquo;ve won close games, and they&rsquo;ve finished games where they didn&rsquo;t play well and found ways to win. I think that&rsquo;s a testament to the coaches and everyone over there.
&ldquo;You look at everything that went on over this offseason, losing Quin Snyder was a big deal; I think Quin Snyder is a great coach. But it can&rsquo;t be overlooked the job that Will is doing. Will is a great example of a young coach who got his opportunity and made the most of it. You look at how these guys respond to him and what he&rsquo;s done so far, it&rsquo;s really impressive. I think there&rsquo;s a lot of great young coaches and assistants out there who are emerging, and that should be a bigger story. I think it&rsquo;s a great thing. As much as we talk about the young talent in the league and how the NBA is in great hands, it can&rsquo;t be overstated how good these young coaches have been and Will is a great testament of that. There are so many young coaches who are showing that they really know what they are doing, and I think that&rsquo;s great for the league.&rdquo;
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Before this hot start, many people around the NBA expected the Jazz to continue moving their veterans for draft picks or young talent. The general consensus was that rival executives from playoff teams would be circling Conley, Clarkson and Olynyk like vultures, and that Utah would look to continue stockpiling draft capital. Now, is it possible that Danny Ainge and Co. decide to keep this core together and see if they can make a run? Or, given that these veterans have increased their trade value, is Ainge more likely to wheel-and-deal?
&ldquo;I think you ride it out with these guys because they&rsquo;re playing so well,&rdquo; the NBA scout said. &ldquo;Entering the year, I think there was a lot of thought around them having some movable players and movable assets. Knowing what they were doing and [how they were positioned] going into the year, it felt like this is just what Danny does. Now, the fact that they are winning games and this new coaching staff [is succeeding], you&rsquo;re building a culture. You build a culture by winning games. You can&rsquo;t overlook that in this process.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I know team-building is the bigger picture here, but they&rsquo;ve put themselves in a great position; I think what they got back in their trades &ndash; particularly in the Rudy trade &ndash; was just next level, and I was not expecting that. I think they&rsquo;re in a great spot and they&rsquo;re winning games &ndash; and that&rsquo;s still a good thing! I think too often, we shy away from teams winning games to &lsquo;rebuild,&rsquo; but it&rsquo;s not a bad thing to continue winning games and build your culture.&rdquo;
Only time will tell whether the Jazz can keep this up, but there&rsquo;s no question that they have been a fun story and pleasant surprise in recent weeks.

The Jazz are the NBA's biggest surprise. Alex Kennedy talks to an NBA scout about Utah's hot start and whether it's sustainable.

Can the Jazz keep this up? NBA scout weighs in on Utah's hot start

MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) &mdash; There is growing fear among college basketball coaches at the lower levels of the sport, the vast majority of which do not make seven-figure salaries, fly around the country in private jets or hang out with rich and famous boosters and fans.
It&rsquo;s a fear that comes with success.
It only takes a couple of marquee players to compete for championships at the Division II or III level, the NAIA or even in low-major Division I leagues. But in an era of freedom of transfer and name, image and likeness endorsement money, the reality is this: If your program is too good, there&rsquo;s a good chance those prolific players will be playing elsewhere next season, recruited to major programs that can offer them more exposure, opportunities and financial benefits.
When it happens, lower-level coaches who might be coming off a 20-win season could be left rebuilding their rosters and fighting for 10 wins and, potentially, their jobs.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s always been an opportunity to poach kids if you want to poach them, but it&rsquo;s all become easier now,&rdquo; said Joe Lombardi, the longtime coach of Division II powerhouse Indiana (Pa.). &ldquo;I believe in karma. I&rsquo;m not doing that, OK? But some places it has become a way of life. It&rsquo;s disappointing that people invest in kids and, you know, they get poached.
&ldquo;They don&rsquo;t just go to the market,&rdquo; Lombardi added. &ldquo;Some do, but a lot of them are talked into it.&rdquo;
His team reached the Final Four last season thanks largely to shooting guard Armoni Foster, who averaged 18 points for the Crimson Hawks, but who will be playing Division I ball for Buffalo this season. And while Lombardi encouraged him to seek a better opportunity for his final year of eligibility, the coach acknowledges that won&rsquo;t always be the case.
Especially when players no longer have to sit out a year under the NCAA&rsquo;s transfer rules.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had guys that Division I schools made overtures about and I&rsquo;m eventually going to lose someone, and it might not be amicable,&rdquo; Lombardi said. &ldquo;I might not be happy with the move. But if you&rsquo;re in it long enough, that will happen.&rdquo;
It happened at Nova Southeastern, the top seed in the NCAA Tournament last year. Sekou Sylla, who averaged 22.4 points and 10.4 rebounds for the Division II program, will be playing for Towson at the Division I level this season.
And it happened at Hillsdale, another strong Division II program, where Patrick Cartier caught the attention of Colorado State. And at Bentley, which saw shooting guard Colton Lawrence follow up a strong season by leaving for Maryland-Baltimore County, a low-major program but nonetheless an opportunity for him to compete at the Division I level.
Even the bluest of the bluebloods have kept their eyes open for lower-level transfers.
Cam Martin, a bruising 6-foot-9 forward, was a two-time All-American for Missouri Southern who chose to continue his career elsewhere. He landed at Kansas, the defending Division I national champion, about a 3-hour drive from the Lions&rsquo; campus in Joplin but light years away in terms of opportunity and experience.
Martin, who graduated from Missouri Southern and is pursuing his graduate degree at Kansas, went from starting every game and playing major minutes to being a key practice player but rarely seeing the floor in actual games.
&ldquo;You have the good and bad stories that come of it,&rdquo; acknowledged Dennis Gates, the new Missouri coach who brought three players with him when he was hired from Cleveland State. &ldquo;But the rules give student-athletes an opportunity, no different than coaches have opportunities now, to represent a different program.&rdquo;
Still, as TCU coach Jamie Dixon admitted, the fact that players no longer have to sit out has changed the dynamic.
&ldquo;A kid having success at a lower conference than, say, the Big 12, was likely not to transfer and sit out because he&rsquo;s playing well,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s getting his minutes. Why would he want to sit out?&rdquo;
When the NCAA removed that impediment, it became easier for players to move on &mdash; and move up. And when NIL legislation came along, allowing players to profit off their celebrity, it created a situation where high-major programs can effectively offer financial benefits unavailable at most lower-level programs.
Throw in the chance to compete at a higher level and it&rsquo;s hard for kids to turn their back on the opportunity.
Fardaws Aimaq remembers playing for Utah Valley in the WAC Tournament last spring, and five or six NBA scouts were sitting in a corner. Aimaq dominated the first half of the Wolverines&rsquo; game, only to see the scouts get up and walk out, and he recalled thinking, &ldquo;Why did they leave?&rdquo; Aimaq texted his advisers afterward, and the answer was simple: &ldquo;They wanted to know if I was really that good or the competition was not that good.&rdquo;
Aimaq ended up transferring from the low-major school to Texas Tech in the hopes of raising his NBA draft profile this season.
&ldquo;Leaving was hard,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but it was just the best decision for me business-wise.&rdquo;
Just like it was for Malachi Smith, a prolific shooting guard who spent the last two seasons at Chattanooga but will play for Gonzaga this season, or Johni Broome, a 6-10 forward who transferred from Morehead State to Auburn.
Transfers go both ways, of course. Plenty of players leave high-majors for low-majors, or even lower divisions, where they might go from benchwarmer to starter. But they are typically easier for big-budget programs to replace.
It&rsquo;s tougher to accept at small schools, though, when a player who might have slipped through the recruiting cracks not only got an opportunity to play but was also developed over time &mdash; only to take their game somewhere else.
&ldquo;There could be a great player at Division III. I will not make an overture for that kid. I will not do it,&rdquo; said Lombardi, the Division II coach at Indiana (Pa.) &ldquo;Maybe I would if I was 10-20 for three straight seasons &mdash; I might then. But I just don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s for the good of the kid or the good of athletics.&rdquo;

There is growing fear among college basketball coaches at the lower levels of the sport.

Portal chaos puts pressure on hoops coaches in lower levels

Before every season, I do my best to predict how I think the season will unfold &mdash; where teams will finish and who&rsquo;ll win each individual award. Heck, I even try my hand at predicting the All-NBA/Rookie/Defensive Teams.
Those efforts are generally meaningless; you can never truly account for injuries or transactions, for example, which makes it nearly impossible to truly nail these things down. Still, it&rsquo;s incredibly fun to take a look at the landscape of the league and make educated guesses.
Normally, I&rsquo;d thread my predictions on Twitter since it&rsquo;s a quick and easy way to get those thoughts out into the world. The issue is explaining controversial picks with a character limit; if you&rsquo;ve been on the app for any amount of time, you know how quickly discussions can go left.
Instead, I&rsquo;ve turned my predictions into an article. It&rsquo;ll be easier to track my predictions, and I have the space to explain my reasoning in a more thorough manner.&nbsp;
If you want to laugh at last year's edition &mdash; in which I had the Milwaukee Bucks beating the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals &mdash; you can do so <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/202122-nba-season-and-award-predictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
If you want deeper thoughts on your favorite team, read our season previews for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-season-preview-atlantic-division-boston-celtics-brooklyn-nets-new-york-knicks-philadelphia-76ers-sixers-toronto-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atlantic Division</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-season-preview-northwest-division-denver-nuggets-minnesota-timberwolves-oklahoma-city-okc-thunder-portland-trail-blazers-utah-jazz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Northwest Division</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-season-preview-central-division-chicago-bulls-cleveland-cavaliers-detroit-pistons-indiana-pacers-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central Division</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/202223-nba-season-preview-pacific-division" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacific Division</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/202223-nba-season-preview-southeast-division" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Southeast Division</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/202223-nba-season-preview-southwest-division" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Southwest Division</a>.
Without further ado, here&rsquo;s how I see things going this season.
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player: Joel Embiid (PHI)
Defensive Player of the Year:&nbsp;Bam Adebayo (MIA)
Rookie of the Year: Paolo Banchero (ORL)
Sixth Man of the Year: Jordan Poole (GSW)
Most Improved Player: Precious Achiuwa (TOR)
Coach of the Year: Ty Lue (LAC)
- This kinda has to be the year for Embiid, no? Back-to-back second-place finishes set the stage for him to grab one if he proves healthy. This is arguably the most talented cast he's had around him. If he's healthy and commits defensively like he said he wants to, an MVP-DPOY combo isn't out of the question.
- Adebayo is the&nbsp;switch big in the NBA, one of a handful of players that can legitimately defend all five positions. Missed games hurt his case last season, but I think the award is his if he plays 65-plus games.&nbsp;
- Banchero should lead all rookies in scoring &mdash; well, unless Bennedict Mathurin pulls it off. The bucket-getting, plus playmaking chops, on a team that I think will be better than most people expect should give him a clear pathway to the award.
- I have a couple of sleepers-that-aren't-sleepers; keep an eye on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-feature-intreview-bruce-brown-feeling-secure-in-new-role-denver-nuggets-nikola-jokic-jamal-murray-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruce Brown</a> and Brandon Clarke. Ultimately, Poole should lead all bench players in scoring &mdash; and do so efficiently &mdash; while racking up wins on one of the best teams in the league.
- Lue's been a top-three coach for a while now. Getting a 10-plus win improvement (even if it's health-related) while sorting out the rotation of a roster with 13 NBA-level talents would be a pretty strong case.
Team Awards
ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM:&nbsp;Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid
ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM:&nbsp;Trae Young, Ja Morant, Paul George, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic
ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM:&nbsp;Devin Booker, Jimmy Butler, Pascal Siakam, LeBron James, Bam Adebayo
ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM: Marcus Smart, Mikal Bridges, Draymond Green, Bam Adebayo, Joel Embiid
ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM: Jrue Holiday, Herb Jones, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert
ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM: Jaden Ivey, Bennedict Mathurin, Keegan Murray, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero
ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM:&nbsp;Jalen Williams, Jake LaRavia, Jeremy Sochan, Tari Eason, Jalen Duren
- For the All-NBA Teams, apologies are due, but not limited to: Kawhi Leonard (rest days, deep class), Rudy Gobert (deep class), Karl-Anthony Towns (deep class), Anthony Davis (injury, deep class), Chris Paul (deep class, likely regression), Kyrie Irving (deep class), Brandon Ingram (deep class), Zion Williamson (missed time), Bradley Beal (team record), Jaylen Brown (deep class) and Anthony Edwards (deep class).
- Until the ballot becomes positionless &mdash; or at least until they give us two backcourt and three frontcourt options like the All-Star ballot &mdash; a center will get screwed. I think Embiid gets MVP this year, so Jokic falls to the Second Team. They aren't forwards, and won't be played as forwards. I'm not goin'.
- This will be the Herb Jones year if he's healthy. Should've been last year, but I'll save that rant for another day. While we're on second-year players, it wouldn't shock me at all if Evan Mobley makes serious noise in this regard too.
- The All-Rookie First Team seems pretty straightforward. A solid mix of talent and opportunity on the board.
- The LaRavia pick might be spicy, especially if the defense doesn't come along quickly enough. I do think there's enough shooting and connective playmaking there that he could earn consistent ticks in Memphis.
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Eastern Conference
TOP SIX
<ol>
<li>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</li>
<li>BOSTON CELTICS</li>
<li>MILWAUKEE BUCKS</li>
<li>MIAMI HEAT</li>
<li>CLEVELAND CAVALIERS</li>
<li>TORONTO RAPTORS</li>
</ol>
- This should be a darn good year for the Sixers. Talented top-four &mdash; I'm really here for this decisive version of Tobias Harris &mdash; and more defensive talent on the roster.
- I get the depth/age concerns for the Bucks, but, like, Giannis. Top-10 offense and defense should be in play for them.
- Questions at the 3 aside, the Cavs should be incredibly annoying to deal with. All that size defensively, then the pull-up chops on the other end from Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell? Whew.
PLAY-IN TERRITORY
<ol start="7">
<li>BROOKLYN NETS</li>
<li>ATLANTA HAWKS</li>
<li>CHICAGO BULLS</li>
<li>NEW YORK KNICKS</li>
</ol>
- Seventh feels right for Brooklyn considering the strength of the conference and the early absences of Joe Harris and Seth Curry. I must say, though, I like what they're establishing scheme-wise. A top-four seed wouldn't surprise me at all.
THE REST
<ol start="11">
<li>ORLANDO MAGIC</li>
<li>WASHINGTON WIZARDS</li>
<li>DETROIT PISTONS</li>
<li>CHARLOTTE HORNETS</li>
<li>INDIANA PACERS</li>
</ol>
- I'm prepared to take my L, but I'm high on the Magic this year. There's so much skilled size on the roster. The defense should be solid, and there's enough playmaking and shot creation to make things interesting offensively.
- Already making a change from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-145-southeast-division-preview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Southeast Division preview pod</a>; I think the Hornets will be worse than the Wizards. Post-pod, I felt I was too harsh on Washington. Since then, we've gotten a LaMelo Ball ankle turn and a James Bouknight arrest, and we've still heard nothing on the Miles Bridges front (he shouldn't be there). They're closer to the bottom for me now.
- I entered training camp ready to plant the "Pistons make the Play-In" flag, but I feel really uneasy about their switching scheme. That, and the half-court offense is going to take some time to come together. Next year, though!
Western Conference 
TOP SIX
<ol>
<li>GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS</li>
<li>PHOENIX SUNS</li>
<li>DENVER NUGGETS</li>
<li>LA CLIPPERS</li>
<li>MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES</li>
<li>DALLAS MAVERICKS</li>
</ol>
- An uptick of shooting from Curry, a healthier version of Klay Thompson and growth from the youth should lead to bundles of regular-season wins.
- Despite the ugly postseason ending and offseason hoopla, the Suns have a formula (and talent, obviously) to churn out regular-season wins. Let's not overreact.
- Early spoiler: I think the Clippers have the most talented roster in the league. I think star maintenance and lineup tinkering have them closer to No. 6 than No. 1 in the standings.
PLAY-IN TERRITORY
<ol start="7">
<li>MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES</li>
<li>NEW ORLEANS PELICANS</li>
<li>LA LAKERS</li>
<li>PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS</li>
</ol>
- The Pels! They should be electric offensively. Defensively, they have pieces I like &mdash; hello Mr. Jones, Jose Alvarado and Larry Nance Jr. &mdash; but we'll see how they hold up as a unit.
- I have some real questions about the Lakers' shooting talent and the Westbrook fit &mdash; and how long he'll even be there. There's an obvious upside for more if things break right.
- It hasn't been from a lack of effort, but trying to build a defense around a Damian Lillard-Anfernee Simons-Jusuf Nurkic core is just a tough thing to do.&nbsp;
THE REST
<ol start="11">
<li>SACRAMENTO KINGS</li>
<li>HOUSTON ROCKETS</li>
<li>OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER</li>
<li>UTAH JAZZ</li>
<li>SAN ANTONIO SPURS</li>
</ol>
- If the Fightin' KZs Kings are able to defend well enough &mdash; and by that, I mean, like 21st in Defensive Rating &mdash; don't be surprised if they nab 10th. The offense should be good enough to make a push.
- The Rockets are a year of development (and roster consolidation) away from making a Play-In push, I think.
Eastern Conference Playoffs
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
Nets &gt; Hawks for 7th.
Bulls &gt; Knicks for 9th.
Hawks &gt; Bulls for 8th.
- A sad end for the Bulls here, but this is simply the strength of the conference. It'll be tremendous fun watching Young try to create space against Alex Caruso or Ayo Dosunmu at the point of attack.
FIRST ROUND
(1) Sixers &gt; (8) Hawks in 5.
(4) Heat &gt; (5) Cavs in 6.&nbsp;
(2) Celtics &gt; (7) Nets in 7.
(3) Bucks &gt; (6) Raptors in 6.&nbsp;
- With the Sixers adding to their defensive personnel and the Hawks looking a little worse in the shooting department, I think the chances of an(other) upset are pretty slim.
- The Nets fare better the second time around against Brooklyn, but I still don't think they have enough defenders to deal with Boston. Should be the best series of the first round, though.
- Bucks-Raptors will be a slugfest; ultimately, I don't know if the Raptors will have the half-court juice to pull things out.&nbsp;
SECOND ROUND
(1) Sixers &gt; (4) Heat in 6.
(3) Bucks &gt; (2) Celtics in 7.
- A pair of second-round sequels with the results flipped! Having Khris Middleton back &mdash; and a little more size, shooting and playmaking with Joe Ingles &mdash; gives the Bucks the boost they need to squeeze by. If Philly's healthy, I struggle to see Miami containing all three of Embiid, Harden and Maxey.
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
(3) Bucks &gt; (1) Sixers in 6.
- Bucks steal home court in Game 1 and close the deal at home in Game 6. They have the size to make Embiid think and a defender in Holiday to either hound Maxey or absorb some of Harden's strength-based drives.
Western Conference Playoffs
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT&nbsp;
Pelicans &gt; Wolves for 7th.&nbsp;
Lakers &gt; Blazers for 9th.&nbsp;
Wolves &gt; Lakers for 8th.
- I went back and forth on the Lakers-Wolves game. Still don't feel great about it, but I think the Wolves take care of business at home.
FIRST ROUND
(1) Warriors &gt; (8) Wolves in 4.
(4) Clippers &gt; (5) Grizzlies in 6.
(3) Nuggets &gt; (6) Mavericks in 6.
(2) Suns &gt; (7) Pelicans in 6.
- Clippers-Grizzlies feels like Storm-Mystics from this year's WNBA playoffs; there's no way one of these teams should be knocked out of the first round. I'd worry about the Grizzlies' half-court offense against LA's defense.
- Sign me up for all the half-court goodness Luka and Jokic would provide. Denver's just better if they're healthy.
-&nbsp;I wouldn't be shocked at the Suns/Pelicans result being flipped, but I have too many questions about New Orleans' defense right now to give them a series win.
SECOND ROUND
(4) Clippers &gt; (1) Warriors in 6.
(3) Nuggets &gt; (2) Suns in 7.
- Might be the most controversial pick on the board, but I trust the Clippers' length and switchability to make life a little difficult in the half-court. With Kahwi in the fold, they should be able to mismatch hunt late and eke out a close series.
- Deandre Ayton has defended Jokic well in the past; I think the added/healthy firepower around him may make the Nuggets' offense too much to deal with.
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
(4) Clippers &gt; (3) Nuggets in 6.
- A bubble rematch! Jokic likely wrecks havoc, but I think the depth and shooting of the Clippers shine through.
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NBA Finals
(3) Bucks &gt; (4) Clippers in 6.
- Deepest team in the league facing an experienced group headlined by the best player in basketball. I think interior size swings it for Giannis and the Bucks.

Nekias Duncan gives his way-too-early predictions for the 2022-23 NBA season.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA season and award predictions

In March 2021, Isaiah Livers was at the heart of perhaps his strongest year at the University of Michigan, preparing for a conference tournament and March Madness run that would catapult his NBA Draft stock heading into June.&nbsp;
Unfortunately, his senior campaign ended prematurely when he broke his foot in the team&rsquo;s Big Ten Tournament opener against the Indiana Hoosiers. After four seasons of development and hard work, Livers&rsquo; collegiate career was in the rearview mirror.
Following the Wolverines&rsquo; defeat to the upset-minded Bruins, Livers began his rehab and moved on to the pre-draft process. By late June, at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, he was out of his walking boot and, slowly but surely, getting back to the grind. A little over a month later, the Detroit Pistons selected Livers with the No. 42 overall pick.
Sometimes, the most difficult aspect of coming back from a significant injury isn&rsquo;t a physical battle. It&rsquo;s also an uphill struggle with the mind &mdash; something that Livers learned right away, yet didn&rsquo;t dwell on.
&ldquo;It's tough for anybody to take the game away. You love the game and it gets taken away for almost a year. Like, that's hard. That's a hard pill to swallow,&rdquo; Livers told Basketball News in a phone interview, noting that his development coach Reg Butler, mentor Damon Allison and father Mo were with him every step of the way.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d say my peers helped me through the mental side. Things naturally get into a dark place. Without touching a basketball... I can't go two days without touching a basketball. That's really hard to do. So once I had to be asked to do a year, I was like, &lsquo;Okay, I gotta do this for my body.&rsquo;&rdquo;
One of the loudest voices that uplifted Livers was his best friend and former college backcourt mate, Jordan Poole.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We stick together. We talk a lot. He really helped me when I first entered the rehab process,&rdquo; Livers said of Poole. &rdquo;He gave me little tips. He heard about Damian Lillard when he had his foot issue. He couldn't move around at all. All he was doing was dribbling around and just making sure his handles were tight. I tried to do that every day possible. So just little stuff like that. You know, he's just always gonna be in my life for sure. I respect that man."
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Former Michigan head coach and current Pistons senior player development advisor John Beilein applauds Livers&rsquo; attitude toward the get-back.
&ldquo;I think his approach to his injury was outstanding, that it wasn't, &lsquo;Woe is me.&rsquo; It was, &lsquo;Alright, I gotta get this fixed,&rsquo;&rdquo; Beilein told Basketball News. &ldquo;And we have a great training staff at Michigan and they were very, very patient in waiting for him to get fully healed, for the bone to get fully healed. So as a result, it gave him time to really reflect on the game a lot.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But a lot of guys either hurry back, or, they wouldn't take the therapy seriously, and then they're back into the injury bug again. Isaiah was a pro, like a 10-year veteran. He wanted to get back, he pushed himself to get back, but he trusted others in that process.&rdquo;
Livers admitted that the most crucial part of his rehab was staying in shape. That started with cleaning up his diet and cutting out bad foods. However, the kicker was feverishly riding a Peloton, always breaking a sweat and biking to avoid gaining weight.
&ldquo;Honestly, I think I did a pretty good job,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;Coming back to the season, it wasn't like I needed two weeks to get in shape. I was already in shape. So I was sitting there ready.&rdquo;
Livers played 19 games for the Pistons in his first year, receiving essentially all of his playing time post-All-Star break and starting each of the team&rsquo;s final five contests. He scored in double figures in three of those games, and recorded a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double in his first career NBA start. He stood out with a 50% perimeter clip during that stretch and nailed 27-of-64 three-point attempts on the season (42.2%).
"I thought that I did what I needed to do,&rdquo; Livers said of his abbreviated rookie campaign. &ldquo;Coach [Dwane] Casey sat me down at the beginning of the year. He knew what I could do. He knew my shooting ability. But the one thing he didn't know about was my defensive intelligence. I don't think he knew I was going to catch on so quickly.&rdquo;
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Whether it&rsquo;s Cade Cunningham&rsquo;s eye-popping flashes of superstardom or Saddiq Bey&rsquo;s spectacular scoring outbursts or a motivated-and-returning Marvin Bagley III or a dynamic top-five rookie in Jaden Ivey, there are plenty of reasons to be excited if you&rsquo;re a Pistons fan.&nbsp;
Between some media and fans &mdash; and perhaps respected minds around the NBA &mdash; Detroit is being circled as a sneaky squad in 2022-23, a la the Cleveland Cavaliers of last year, for example. Though unattentive to the outside noise, Livers relays that the team has had talks this offseason with general manager Troy Weaver and among themselves about the mindset and work everybody will have to put in to make a jump. As a young core, they&rsquo;re all eager to grow and learn together.
&ldquo;It's honestly fun. It's like, you have nothing to lose...&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;You just go out there, have fun and just let it develop. You know how if you put a bunch of work in, the sky&rsquo;s the limit. So we're all excited. Can't wait. I love what everybody brings to the table. Everybody has their own unique skill set to bring to the table."
Playing alongside Cunningham, Bey and Ivey, Livers believes the chemistry will come easily.
&ldquo;Those are the guys, you know, their job is to get me open if you think about it. Like, I'm standing on the wings or down in the corner. They just keep driving by their man. Eventually, they're gonna need help. You gotta have a knockdown shooter,&rdquo; Livers said. "So that just raises my confidence because I know they&rsquo;ll look for me anyways. So it's just cool to play with guys that are always playing with their head up instead of playing with their head down, looking to just score and score. Those guys are being unselfish. So I'm excited."
Beilein likes how Livers fits with the Pistons' core and believes his versatility will help him earn significant playing time during his sophomore season.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a multi-position player. I mean, I&rsquo;m sure he can play the 2 through 4,&rdquo; Beilein said. &ldquo;So that really allows him to just... A coach can look at a certain player and say, &lsquo;Well, he's best suited as a 2-guard, so we'll put Isaiah in at 3 or 4.&rsquo; Or, &lsquo;He's best suited as a 4-man, so we&rsquo;ll play Isaiah as a 3.&rsquo; So he's extremely versatile in his game. He's gonna be out there. It's not my decision, but he's got a great chance of playing a lot of minutes this year."
Livers&rsquo; point of emphasis over the offseason has been improving off the dribble. He mentions coming off ball-screens and handoffs, playmaking while getting to the basket, drawing help to kick out, making the proper reads and going to his pull-up more often.
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And although Livers insists his catch-and-shoot game is well cemented (&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going up!&rdquo;), he shares that Butler administered brain tests on him to illustrate he wasn&rsquo;t being as assertive with his offense and shot-taking as he could&rsquo;ve been. A former pitcher and center fielder in baseball, the 24-year-old first had to understand what his levels were telling him.
&ldquo;I'm more of a sit-back, long thinker, think-things-through type, so my red was low. And once me and Reg started talking about it, it wasn't easy for me to acknowledge. I thought I was already aggressive and dominant, but I guess I wasn't,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;So once I had seen that, it kind of came to the game. I know what I can bring to the game. So I can go 0-for-10 and I'll still be happy the next day because I'm still going to shoot the same shots."
Case in point: NBA Summer League. Livers went 1-for-8 from deep in his Las Vegas debut, then followed it up with a 4-for-5 performance from downtown in the next game. He averaged 14.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in his two summer-league contests with Detroit on 44.4/38.5/77.8% shooting splits.
Looking back on his rookie campaign, Livers singles out Dallas Mavericks wonder Luka Doncic as his favorite defensive matchup thus far &mdash; one that he took pride in even with the Slovenian sensation and the Mavericks &ldquo;killing&rdquo; the Pistons by a final score of 131-113. Looking ahead, Livers already has a running wish list of three more big names he'd like to take on: Poole, LeBron James and, one of his favorite players growing up, Kevin Durant.
&ldquo;I actually had a concussion when we were on the road to Brooklyn last year, and I promise you, I was in the medical staff room every day trying to like push it so I could make that flight to go guard KD; I was trying to do that every day. That's definitely a guy I want to guard," Livers said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Isaiah Livers said NOPE 🚫<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA2K23SummerLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA2K23SummerLeague</a> Live Now on ESPN <a href="https://t.co/4YUGc2sVFJ">pic.twitter.com/4YUGc2sVFJ</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1545276654997708802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
Considering all of the options at a player's disposal nowadays, it's rare for a prospect to attend a university and stay with that same program for four years. It&rsquo;s even less likely when the coaching carousel leads to personnel changes.&nbsp;
Livers is one of those atypical cases. Being in school for that long challenged him to overcome adversity and keep his composure, whether it was on the court with the Wolverines or off of it studying sociology. (He completed his degree in general studies with a minor in sociology, but plans on going back for extra schooling, as he's just two semesters of classes away from receiving a degree in sociology specifically.)
&ldquo;I feel like if I went back and watched all my four years, one by one, each year, I had something new and I'm doing something different and I&rsquo;m asked to do more. So it was kind of cool. I like the buildup,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;You get better every summer. You kind of separate yourself and get better, you learn some more, work on your weaknesses. You only enhance your strengths.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So yeah, I take big pride in that, &lsquo;cause not only did I stay four [years], [I also] got my education out of it too. So my mom and grandma are pretty happy about that as well. So you know, it all just worked. It was all full circle. When you stay four years, [there&rsquo;s a] very, very low chance to get drafted or go to the NBA because they want young guys. But that wasn't on my mind at all. I was like, &lsquo;Shoot, I'm a good player, and I know a team&rsquo;s gonna want to take me,&rsquo; and so, that was the mindset going into it."
Sticking it out at Michigan from the beginning, Livers originally worked with Beilein, who provided him with knowledge of fundamentals and a number of shooting tips.
&ldquo;He's taught me a lot about how to move off the ball and get myself open,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;Just create an advantage for me or the ball-handler coming off the screen. I can slip out of it, do whatever I want out of it, But yeah, we talked a lot about more of how to become a dynamic shooter on the move.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He was a guy who, he could shoot, but I wouldn't call him a shooter when we got him because he had a low release point [and] shot out of his chest a little bit,&rdquo; Beilein added. "We have 100 practices in a year; we worked after practice probably 50 times on just getting better arc, better spin, quicker release, good footwork. And those two years, he shot well for us. But then, as a junior and senior, [he] shot really well for the Michigan team [under Juwan Howard]."
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Understanding his athleticism, Beilein also put Livers in spots where he could crash the long boards and provide extra opportunities with his rebounding prowess &mdash; something that&rsquo;s translated to the next level.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That's all I did my first year [at Michigan], honestly,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;I would start for 15 minutes, grab some offensive rebounds, knock a couple shots down, and I&rsquo;m coming off of Duncan Robinson, so I established my role that way and got used to it. It kind of got ingrained.
&ldquo;Coach Casey, we just sat down and watched some film and he said, &lsquo;Hey, you have the license to go do this. I know you're pretty good at it.&rsquo; So I was like, &lsquo;Okay, bet. That's gonna open the game up, get second-chance points.&rsquo;"
When Beilein departed for the NBA and Cleveland, Michigan hired Juwan Howard as his successor. Howard was a 17-year pro with seven seasons of experience as a head coach, so it brought a little bit of a different perspective for Livers and the Wolverines.&nbsp;
Defense was a focal point right away.
&ldquo;He literally brought nothing but NBA lingo to our practices. We had to learn it, or we weren't gonna play,&rdquo; Livers said of Howard. &ldquo;He let me rock out here and there, but we definitely had more of a focus on the defensive end. Bringing that communication and those rotations that were already NBA-like, you were already a step ahead playing for Coach Howard.&rdquo;
This helped Livers catch on quickly once he made it to the pros.
&ldquo;I was just watching as I was rehabbing; I didn't play until like the All-Star break. I was like, &lsquo;Oh, that looks familiar. We did that at Michigan.&rsquo; So it was kind of like second nature for me," Livers said. &ldquo;I learned so much there.&rdquo;
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Since he only played a handful of games, next season could essentially be seen as his actual&nbsp;rookie year, but Livers won&rsquo;t treat it that way. His teammates and coaches have acknowledged his input and chatty nature from the very first practice he participated in. Everybody in the Pistons organization expects Livers to speak up the way they know he&rsquo;s capable of.
&ldquo;I want to feel more like of a vet because I'm establishing my voice within the organization a lot more,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;So doing a lot more of that, get a lot more guys to also not be afraid to use their voices to speak up, especially during the game.
&ldquo;I don't want to look at it like a rookie. Because a rookie is gonna come in like, &lsquo;Oh, where do I go? What do I do?&rsquo; I'm coming to the second year like, &lsquo;Yo, we running this. When this happens, I'm over here.&rsquo; Stuff like that. Just being more of a leader."
Since coming to Detroit, Livers has established a bond with Casey. The two have a great deal of trust in one another, and continue to strengthen their relationship.&nbsp;
Livers recalls a late-season game against the Atlanta Hawks, who were fighting for playoff positioning. Casey kept him in with a fourth-quarter situation on a whim when he&rsquo;d been a 15th man to that point, and Livers delivered two key threes and stole the ball away from Trae Young. The Pistons came out on top 113-110 in overtime.
&ldquo;I was like the last man off the bench. No one knows what I can bring to the table, and I was hitting shots and started doing everything I was asked of,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;What's crazy is Coach Casey had the amount of trust to leave me out there. I know it was the end of the season, but winning the game is winning the game, and he left me out there. So that said a lot about his character and what his confidence was in me. Me and Coach Casey are very close."
Admittedly, Livers has not had his welcome-to-the-NBA moment yet, but he knows it&rsquo;s coming. When asked about objectives he has set for his sophomore year, he keeps it simple.
&ldquo;Win. Win as many games as possible,&rdquo; Livers said. &ldquo;That is my personal goal this year by any means. And team-goal wise, obviously make the playoffs. It's been talked about here and there, but I truly did not like sitting at home and watching all these playoff games. It was very weird to me, and I don't want to go through that again."
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A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, about two-and-a-half hours west of Detroit, Livers has felt the love from the city and the Pistons&rsquo; fan base.&nbsp;
And if the offseason work is an indication of what&rsquo;s to come, Livers will be a part of a special up-and-coming era of basketball in the Motor City, not far from where it all began for him.
&ldquo;This dude has an incredible basketball IQ, and so people love coaching him,&rdquo; Beilein said. &ldquo;For a young dude in the NBA, but also, I noticed that when he played for me at Michigan, and those first two years, he understands what makes teams win; that is a talent to understand that this little pass, this extra pass, this pass to lead to the extra pass, is just as important as when you go on 1-on-1 with somebody.
&ldquo;He's gonna be that 3-and-D guy that you see so much of. It's so successful in the NBA.&rdquo;

Isaiah Livers is brimming with confidence entering his second season with the Detroit Pistons.

Isaiah Livers is ready to rise up in second season with Pistons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tyler Herro hasn&rsquo;t had the playoffs that Miami Heat fans were hoping for and that many others were anticipating. Even so, the Heat have gone 7-3 in their 10 playoff games, gentleman-sweeping the Atlanta Hawks with a +60 point differential in Round 1 before going up 3-2 against the Philadelphia 76ers in Round 2.
If you comparison shop, Herro&rsquo;s playoff performance is a distinct upgrade from what he displayed last year. You could say the same for the entire Heat roster given that many of them were fatigued from the year prior, <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1517002610179461120">a point I&rsquo;ve made repeatedly about the bubble final four</a>. But Herro&rsquo;s production falls short compared to his rookie year postseason.
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In the bubble, Herro averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 43/38/87 shooting splits in 21 playoff games, logging 33.6 minutes per contest. Currently, he&rsquo;s at 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest, and he&rsquo;s averaging just 28.7 minutes per game in part because the Heat keep blowing teams out. (Six of their seven playoff wins have been by double-digit points, and the one that wasn&rsquo;t was a closeout win over Atlanta, in which Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry sat.)
His per-36 production is almost exactly the same: 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a rookie, and 17.8 points with the same rebounds and assists now. The difference? His shooting splits are down to 42/28 from the field and from three, and while he&rsquo;s shooting 91.3 percent on free throws, he&rsquo;s only averaging 2.9 attempts per 36 minutes, barely up from 2.8 attempts per game two playoffs ago.
Let&rsquo;s not be overly dramatic and say that Herro is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=i%27m+fighting+for+my+life+">fighting for his f*cking life</a>, but at 22 years old, he is already playing for his future. The 2019 lottery pick is extension eligible this summer, which will again be one of the most significant free agencies in Heat history regardless of how these playoffs turn out. But if Herro doesn&rsquo;t show enough in these playoffs to warrant a long-term extension, he may have to become a casualty for the team to move forward. Windows are hella fragile in #thisleague.
In the NFL, quarterbacks drafted in the early rounds have a quicker trial period than ever before, something that coincides with how little time young NBA players may have to develop while on a contender. Rookie-scale contracts in the NFL, similar to NBA first-round picks, are for up to four years at the team&rsquo;s discretion. If you&rsquo;re good enough, you&rsquo;ll play through all four years and receive an extension that would kick in immediately afterward. An NFL first-round pick typically gets a fifth-year option, which is at the heart of the controversy surrounding Baker Mayfield now.
After earning over $32 million over these last four seasons following his selection as the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, he&rsquo;s now on a fifth-year option worth under $19 million. He's still on the Cleveland Browns, even as they&rsquo;ve signed DeShaun Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal, the largest in NFL history.
The point is that the Browns, after Mayfield&rsquo;s struggles, felt that they had to go through alternative means for a franchise quarterback. The Heat are nearing a similar fork-in-the-road decision this summer, in which Herro&rsquo;s current play will serve as a factor.
Here&rsquo;s the Heat&rsquo;s salary cap table going forward, per basketball-reference.com:
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A potential Herro extension wouldn&rsquo;t kick in until 2023-24, and chances are Duncan Robinson&ndash;a prime trade candidate in this summer&ndash;would no longer be on the roster. Herro and Robinson could depart in the same package if Miami deems that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s best going forward, but would such a trade leave the Heat with enough talent to remain contenders?
Again, we're <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2022/05/11/knicks-heat-are-the-teams-that-are-closely-monitoring-donovan-mitchells-status/">seeing reports about the Heat&rsquo;s interest in Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell</a>. I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022">wrote about the Mitchell-to-Miami possibilities in late April</a> immediately following Utah&rsquo;s six-game first-round elimination against the Dallas Mavericks. If such a deal were to happen, Herro and Robinson would have to be included for financial reasons, and, well&hellip; never mind. I&rsquo;ll leave Utah alone this time.
But the door seems open because Herro has generally struggled this postseason. He also has, by far, the team&rsquo;s worst on-off plus-minus per 100 possessions. On the court, he&rsquo;s been a -5.7, while the only other player in the negative is Omer Yurtseven (-11.1), who has only played garbage minutes. Herro&rsquo;s on-off is a -39.8. Yurtseven has the second-worst, at -22.8, but again, he doesn&rsquo;t really play. Victor Oladipo, the only other notable rotation player, is a -6.1. All other key players are a net positive.
Now, in fairness to Herro, let&rsquo;s add more context. First, here&rsquo;s his playoff game log, again, per bball ref.
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Game 1 was a blowout, so they didn&rsquo;t need him. Game 2 was fine, and Game 3 was one of his best, including 7 much-needed fourth-quarter points and 12 in the second. In Game 4, he was completely neutralized, largely thanks to Delon Wright, <a href="https://twitter.com/BradyHawk305/status/1516564233684721666">who guarded him for much of the series</a>. In Game 5, without Butler and Lowry, Herro was still mostly limited, even if wasn&rsquo;t "bad" by any means.
In this series, Sixers coach Doc Rivers has talked about putting an emphasis on slowing Herro, who went off for 25 points on 53/67/100 shooting splits in the opener, and so far that has worked to a degree, as Herro has been held to 13.3 points per game on 42/32/90 splits ever since.
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Doc Rivers on what he told his team when defending Tyler Herro: &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s make a mistake on anybody but Herro.&rdquo; Said he&rsquo;s fine with mistakes, &ldquo;but just not him.&rdquo;
&mdash; Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) <a href="https://twitter.com/BradyHawk305/status/1522037933146091522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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While Herro&rsquo;s struggles have been born out of respect, he hasn&rsquo;t fully adjusted. Luckily for the Heat, it hasn&rsquo;t been quite the deciding factor since Butler has been an All-NBA Playoff Performer so far. Herro has the team&rsquo;s second-highest playoff usage rate at 24.5, leads the team in turnovers due to bad passes this post-season with 12 and hasn&rsquo;t quite been his Sixth-Man-of-the-Year self. He did, however, find some offense late in Game 5 over Philadelphia after a one-point first half. He found angles and was able to get to his floater after knifing through the lane, scoring 9 second-half points before sitting because the game was out of reach.
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Rivers alluded to adjustments necessary for stopping Butler, who is averaging about 28-8-6 in the playoffs on 54/37/82 shooting. That could mean double teams, and that could open up things for Herro in Game 6. Maybe the Heat haven&rsquo;t needed a hero in the way Nas intended, but if Butler sees increased defensive resistance in Game 6, they might. On many fronts, it would go a long way if he took advantage, both in this series, and for his career.
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Tyler Herro may have won Sixth Man of the Year, but has he done enough to make himself a staple in Miami's lineup long-term?

Is Tyler Herro already playing for his future with the Miami Heat?

This year has been a great reinforcer of the enjoyment of the process. The NBA season is 82 games, far more than many fans and observers alike would like there to be, and I can't blame them. (For the sake of player health and longevity, I'd love to see the season shortened.)
After a close loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night in the Play-In Tournament, the Cleveland Cavaliers were ousted from the playoffs entirely, meaning their season had come to an end.
"End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take." 
- <a href="https://youtu.be/Rag_9J1ZC2g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gandalf</a> 
- Me watching the Cavs
Pull up Basketball-Reference, and you'll find the Cavs with a 44-38 record and the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. A solid record at the end of the season. A good one even, if taking the past year into account. I was of the opinion that the Cavs might jockey with Play-In positioning at points this year, but ultimately would fall short of being a playoff team and take a meaningful few steps as a young squad.
That's what makes the regular season so precious to me. Watching the game-to-game, week-to-week evolution of this group was a special endeavor this year. I relish growth, persistence and consistency; the Cavs met all three needs with gumption. This is not a "watch the games bro" take, but rather an "I'm so thankful I got to watch the games bro" exclamation. Deducing what this team was this season down to its final record is a disservice.
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Just 11 games in, the Cavs lost Collin Sexton for the season. A month-and-a-half later, they lost sixth man and backup point guard Ricky Rubio as well. You might look at his efficiency or lack thereof and question his impact, but Rubio gave the Cavs' bench a verve that they were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mulling-over-6-options-for-the-cavs-with-ricky-rubio-out-for-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never able to replicate</a>.
All three frontcourt starters missed significant stretches of time, with Jarrett Allen's finger fracture throwing the team into a tailspin shortly after the All-Star Break
None of the primary starters this season played 70 games.
This was a team that was 35-21 a week before the break festivities in Cleveland, legitimately fighting for (and maintaining) home-court advantage in the playoffs for a significant stretch of the regular season.
The way the Cavs got there was even more enticing.
The first time I saw that J.B. Bickerstaff was starting Lauri Markkanen at the 3, I was vexed. I understood why, but thoroughly questioned its viability. Even prior to that, I was extremely critical of the Markkanen sign-and-trade in the offseason. Well, I was just flat-out wrong!
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Big to Big to Big <a href="https://t.co/5WlMaBYmoe">pic.twitter.com/5WlMaBYmoe</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1460317639629234180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The three-7-footer lineup the Cavs started and leaned upon as their bread and butter all year was a delight. The big-to-big-to-big passing was joyous and impactful. It will be interesting to find out whether teams try to replicate a jumbo lineup without capturing the essence of why it worked. Having three players who all have size, mobility and skill is not an easy combination to find.&nbsp;
Markkanen's offense was up and down at times this year, but his defense should be lauded. He was a very rough defender his whole time in Chicago, and I was taken aback early this season by his effort and attentiveness &mdash; which never really waned by my eye. His game against Atlanta was phenomenal, even if marred by a late game turnover. Again, process, process, process.
Jarrett Allen earned an All-Star nod through his all-around improvements, becoming a legitimately switchable big man and the anchor of the Cavs' defense in the paint as their primary rim-protector. The offense really suffered without his gravity as a roller and his screening ability when he was out. He found new levels of aggression that he flashed late last year, and made it a consistent staple this year.
Allen's presence and Markkanen's strides allowed Evan Mobley to assert himself. His ground coverage is breathtaking, and it enabled a ridiculously aggressive, effective and quirky 3-2 zone to bend the court dimensions to the the Cavs' will.
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Evan Mobley <a href="https://t.co/hN41CbufIb">pic.twitter.com/hN41CbufIb</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1452408998926376968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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It should not be possible to cover the rim to the arc the way he does, but Mobley just does.
The flashes he showcased throughout the year as a face-up scorer and passer were wild, and lend credence to his exciting future as one of the brightest young stars in basketball.
I won't quibble with anyone who voted for another first-year player as Rookie of the Year; there are so many different ways to view, appreciate and evaluate the game. This <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-fighting-narratives-in-the-rookie-of-the-year-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rookie class is incredible</a>. I am still there with Mobley winning it.
Darius Garland quite literally was Cleveland's offense at points this year when the team was depleted. His off-the-dribble ease and marksmanship open up his game as one of the best passers in the sport. In spite of the finish to the year, he and Allen were rightful All-Stars at the time. Garland's growth over the past two years, along with Mobley's ascension, provides the foundation of one of the more intriguing young cores in the NBA. There's still a great deal for the pair to grow both individually and together!
Kevin Love had an awesome bounce-back season, warranting Sixth Man of the Year buzz before the Cavs (and he) tailed off down the stretch. Cedi Osman is still an absolute bundle of chaos, but Cleveland was better because of him, putting together his most efficient season since his rookie year.
The Cavs will keep their first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (14th-best odds), as the pick will not convey to Indiana due to lottery protections (part of the Caris LeVert trade). Given how the season ended, this is a silver lining. Cleveland needs wing depth and more shot creation.&nbsp;
I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/enjoying-the-little-things-of-the-nba-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about Isaac Okoro</a> and his impact earlier this season, highlighting the little things he honed in on to imprint himself on both ends. He played 34 minutes combined in the two Play-In matchups and took 6 shots. I don't have an answer now &mdash; it's something I want to dive into further in the offseason &mdash; but the Cavs really need Okoro to make significant strides as an offensive player.
I do think some have been too quick to cast off the positive things he has done and what he can provide, but Okoro's current limitations were put on display in those contests. If he runs ball-screens, the defense goes under and forces a pass-out-and-reset or a shot off the dribble. If he's spaced off the ball, he's left open in the corner. The defense is really, really good, but the offense needs to come along.
Speaking of offense, the Caris LeVert trade was made with the purpose of bringing in another shot-creator and offensive engine. I am so interested to see what happens between LeVert and the Cavs this off-season.
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Caris LeVert on the importance of a contract extension with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>: "Yeah, this is where I want to be. They know that. The front office knows that, my teammates know that. So I don't know what's gonna happen with that contract extension, but I know where my heart is."
&mdash; Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) <a href="https://twitter.com/kelseyyrusso/status/1515360464263385098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I understood why the Cavs made the trade at the time, going in on this season to try and make a real playoff run without fully hindering their intermediate future and flexibility. I just really struggled to be into the move from a personnel perspective, and I'll have even more questions once/if Collin Sexton returns next year.
I have no idea what to think about Sexton's future in Cleveland. He is a really good player with some flaws that can be a bit exacerbated playing alongside another small guard. His numbers were down and his shot wasn't right to start the year, but he was playing some of the best team basketball of his career to start the year. I don't know what the answer is for Cavs president Koby Altman, general manager Mike Gansey and the front-office brain trust, but they have a lot of decisions to make over the next few months as they continue to shape this team.
Hard decisions are a good thing! To look at where the Cavs were two years ago at 19-46 with questions about their infrastructure to where they're at now... that's pretty good!
The way they handle those head-scratching conundrums over the summer will ultimately mold their future playoff aspirations and viability. The 2021-22 Cleveland campaign was one of the more unexpected and exciting runs that had some unfortunate road bumps.
But the point remains that the future of the Cavs is much brighter today than it was eight months ago, and where this team is at by this time next year will have been set up by the trials and tribulations of this year.
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The Cavaliers' season came to an end last night, but their year as a whole was one for the books.

Recognizing the Cavs for who they were, could've been and may soon be

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo made the go-ahead dunk with 27 seconds remaining and scored 24 points in the Miami Heat&rsquo;s 113-109 comeback victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Jimmy Butler added 20 points, Kyle Lowry finished with 16 points and Tyler Herro had 15 for the Heat. They finished on a 10-2 run and won their sixth straight.
Danilo Galinari&rsquo;s 3-point attempt for Atlanta with nine seconds left bounced off the rim and Herro&rsquo;s two free throws secured the victory.
It was the first of two meaningless games, standings-wise at least, for Miami to finish the regular season. The Heat were locked into the No. 1 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs on Thursday and know that they&rsquo;ll play Game 1 of a first-round series at home on April 17 against either Cleveland, Brooklyn, Charlotte or Atlanta, which dropped into a tie for ninth with Charlotte.
&ldquo;This is a night that we wanted to come in with a winning mentality,&rdquo; Herro said. &ldquo;We know we had the one seed but everyone played tonight, wanted to compete. It&rsquo;s good to get a win.&rdquo;
Herro hit a 30-foot shot that bounced off the front rim and through the net, giving the Heat a 109-107 lead with 1:44 remaining. The Hawks responded on Trae Young's floating jumper 17 seconds later.
Young scored 35 points for Atlanta. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 25 points, and Clint Capela had 17 points and 14 rebounds.
&ldquo;All loses are tough,&rdquo; Hawks coach Nate McMillan. &ldquo;Tonight we didn&rsquo;t execute the last five minutes of the game. Their pressure sped us up. We had some turnovers late. That was the difference.&rdquo;
Young scored Atlanta&rsquo;s final 12 points of the second quarter for a 61-56 lead at halftime. But Young was limited to four points in the final period.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough, we definitely had a chance,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We put ourselves in a good position. They&rsquo;re just a good team that keeps fighting until the end.&rdquo;
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra returned to the club after a two-game absence because of health and safety protocols.
&ldquo;It was great just to find a way to gut out a close and competitive game,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. &ldquo;If I could have scripted it, this is what it would be. Back and forth, lead changes. It&rsquo;s good to get back out there. It&rsquo;s always good to be around the group.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hawks: The contract of G Skylar Mays was converted from a two-way deal to the standard NBA pact. Drafted in the second round by the club in 2020, Mays has appeared in 27 games with the Hawks this season in addition to an eight-game stint with the G League College Park Skyhawks. ... G Lou Williams (low back discomfort) missed his second consecutive game.
Heat: Adebayo shot 8 of 14, extending his streak of shooting 50% or better to a career best 16 games. ... .P.J. Tucker (calf strain) was out Friday and won&rsquo;t play in the regular-season finale Sunday either. The Heat are hopeful he could be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs.
UP NEXT
Hawks: At Houston on Sunday.
Heat: At Orlando on Sunday.

Bam Adebayo scored 24 points in the Miami Heat’s 113-109 comeback victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Bam Adebayo's late dunk lifts Heat over Hawks, 113-109

Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins has a plantar fascia tear in his right foot as well as damage to his right ring finger, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1504636826279198720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Shams Charania and Chris Kirschner</a>. Collins has been playing through pain for the past several weeks, but will now be sidelined indefinitely.
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Hawks forward John Collins has a plantar fascia tear in his right foot as well as damage to his right ring finger, sources tell me and <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisKirschner?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChrisKirschner</a>. Collins has been playing through pain for past several weeks, but will now be sidelined indefinitely.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1504636826279198720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: It's a tough blow for a Hawks team that is fighting just to get into the play-in tournament, with the team currently at the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference.
This season, Collins is averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 blocks.

Hawks' forward John Collins has a plantar fascia tear in his right foot as well as damage to his right ring finger and is out indefinitely.

Hawks' John Collins out indefinitely with right foot injury

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 dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Wednesday&rsquo;s slate.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics (-7.5)
This is going to be such a fun matchup to follow along with on Wednesday night. Boston continues to make a push near the top of the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, if you haven&rsquo;t already, make sure you watch the Hornets because they are such an entertaining team. Waffling back-and-forth on this one, we&rsquo;re leaning towards hammering the underdog. If this turns into a shootout, it&rsquo;s hard to envision it being a blowout. Give us the Hornets at +7.5 with too many points to cover.
Pick: Hornets +7.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Jayson Tatum over 29.5 points, Miles Bridges over 18.5 points, Robert Williams over 11.5 rebounds, LaMelo Ball over 5.5 assists
Milwaukee Bucks (-4.5) vs. Atlanta Hawks
In a rematch of the 2021 East Finals, both teams are currently going in opposite directions. The Bucks are gaining steam, while the Hawks are fighting for their playoff lives once more. This has the makings of a monster outing form Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Milwaukee should take care of business at home, so we feel there&rsquo;s great value to be had on the 4.5-point spread. Hammer with emphasis Milwaukee as one of the best bets for Wednesday&rsquo;s action.
Pick: Bucks -4.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Giannis Antetokounmpo over 29.5 points, Trae Young over 26.5 points, Khris Middleton over 20.5 points, Clint Capela over 10 rebounds
Miami Heat (-4.5) vs. Phoenix Suns
In what could be an NBA Finals preview, the Heat and Suns square off in South Beach tonight. Devin Booker is back from COVID-19 health ands safety protocols, so he will be a much-needed boost for Phoenix. Chris Paul and Cameron Johnson remain out, so this could be tough sledding against Miami. However, we are not going to bet against the Suns as underdogs. When given plus money, Phoenix has been winning back bettors' cash all season long. We&rsquo;re not going to go against that strategy now, so lock in the underdog Suns to cover the 4.5-point spread.
Pick: Suns +4.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Devin Booker over 26.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 18.5 points, Mikal Bridges over 13.5 points, Jimmy Butler over 6.5 made free throws
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Make sure to <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a> and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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 3/9/22

Bogdan Bogdanovic's 3-pointer with 1:41 left gave Atlanta the lead and Trae Young scored 39 points in the Hawks' 130-124 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
After Bogdanovic's 3 made it 119-118, Chicago's DeMar DeRozan's had a turnover, and Young padded the advantage with two 3s in the final 1:12.
Young had 13 assists and made 7 of 10 3s and all 10 of his free throws. Bogdanovic had 20 points.
The Hawks denied the Bulls' bid to complete a four-game sweep of the season series.
Chicago, fighting for the Eastern Conference lead, suffered its third consecutive loss.
DeRozan and Zach LaVine each had 22 points for the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 11 rebounds.
LaVine blocked Young's last jumper of the first half, leaving the Bulls with a 63-56 halftime lead.
When LaVine opened the second half with a 3-pointer for a 66-56 lead, the Bulls were 10 of 19 and on pace to match their season high for 3s.
The Hawks then found their long-distance shot and began outworking the Bulls under the basket. DeAndre Hunter, who had 18 points, grabbed a rebound of his own miss and scored for a 72-70 Atlanta lead.
Clint Capela scored off an offensive rebound minutes later to spark a 10-2 run that gave the Hawks an 84-76 advantage. DeRozan's last-second jumper gave the Bulls a 92-90 advantage entering the final period.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Vucevic had been 0 for 10 on 3-pointers in his last three games before making his first long-range attempt of the game in the second period. ... Coach Billy Donovan said he expects LaVine to be available for the second of back-to-back games against Milwaukee on Friday night. LaVine has been slowed by periodic soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. Donovan said before the game LaVine &ldquo;feels really good&rdquo; before adding &ldquo;That's today. ... No question, after tonight, tomorrow check with him. I would say it's more likely he'll be playing.&rdquo;
Hawks: F John Collins (right foot strain) missed his sixth consecutive game and may be moving closer to a return. &ldquo;He is getting better,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said. ... C Onyeka Okongwu (concussion protocol) did not play. ... Gorgui Dieng moved into a more prominent role behind C Clint Capela and F Danilo Gallinari. ... Young (left ankle sprain) and G Lou Williams (left hip discomfort) were cleared after pregame warmups.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Milwaukee on Friday night
Hawks: At Washington on Friday night.

Bogdan Bogdanovic's 3-pointer with 1:41 left gave Atlanta the lead and Trae Young scored 39 points in the Hawks' 130-124 victory.

Hawks surge late, Young scores 39 points in win over Bulls

I'd like to get a quick thought off my chest.
Why do we dub the post-All-Star break games as the second half of the NBA season? It's an 82-game season, and every team in the league has played north of 50 games. That's simply not how math works?
Anyway, we&nbsp;are ramping up for the postseason push. As such, most of the storylines will center around the top of each conference. Contender talk, flaws, favorable matchups, buyout targets &mdash; all that Jazz.
We'll focus in on the Play-In races. As of now, the Washington WIzards (0.5 games back) and New York Knicks (3.5) are a mini-run away from overtaking the 10th-seeded Atlanta Hawks (or No. 9 Charlotte Hornets) in the Eastern Conference. The San Antonio Spurs (2.0), New Orleans Pelicans (2.0) and Sacramento Kings (3.5) are all within striking distance of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The teams at the bottom &mdash; firmly outside of the Play-In race, likely to jostle for better lottery odds &mdash; are going to get lost in the grand scheme of things. I get it from a "winning matters/is more fun" perspective, but you'll miss a lot of cool things if you completely disregard those teams.
Remember, for example, that Darius Garland averaged 18.8 points and 6.3 assists with a 57.0% True Shooting percentage after the All-Star break last season before getting shut down. The hints of his growth &mdash; slick interior feeds and a more aggressive trigger from deep (40.4% on 5.4 attempts vs. 38.4% on 4.5 attempts before the break) &mdash; were present if you peeped those games.
Related: We just watched him in&nbsp;the All-Star game.
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Every team at the bottom doesn't have an All-Star in waiting, but this is my plea to keep an eye on them. I'm here to give you a brief guide.
INDIANA PACERS &mdash; TYRESE HALIBURTON'S ON-BALL GROWTH
Haliburton serving as the blue-chipper to bring Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento wasn't on my bingo card. The early returns have led to super-charged offenses on both sides, so I'm not sure either team is too upset right now.
On the Haliburton front, he's enjoyed a near-unquestioned run as a primary ball-handler. He's averaging 20.8 points (.519/.452/.813 shooting splits) and 11.0 assists (3.5 turnovers) through his first four games as a Pacer, but even that undersells it a bit.
He has completely transformed how the Pacers play; their pace with Haliburton on the floor is roughly four possessions faster than their regular-season mark (97.95, 20th). You have to take that with a grain of salt &mdash; it's been a four-game sample &mdash; but watching this team blaze up the floor after misses&nbsp;and&nbsp;makes has been a startling shift.
The heightened pace makes it a little easier for Haliburton create advantages. Against an unset defense, he's able to manipulate his defender into screens, and reads second- and third-level defenders with ease. He's a darn&nbsp;good passer, and his ability to shoot off the dribble &mdash; he's <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1630169/shots-dash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">converting north of 40%</a> of his pull-up twos (44.1%) and&nbsp;threes (41.7%) this season &mdash; makes him a pretty dynamic weapon.
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There are some areas of growth present though. He's not particularly bursty, so he does occasionally require a re-screen (or two, or three) against top-notch defenders. His shooting has gotten good enough to where ducking under probably isn't a good idea; he still has some questions to answer against switches though.
Beyond that, keep an eye on how consistently Haliburton accesses the paint. His film is (still) littered with reps where he'll come off the screen and find an outlet once he reaches the free-throw line, versus taking an extra dribble or two in order to engage the big.
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STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>Isaiah Jackson seems fun! He's already a dynamic roller and pairs well with Haliburton; the very, very early returns have been good &mdash; a whopping 1.4 points per possession on direct hookups, per Second Spectrum.</li>
<li>Buddy Hield is averaging 5.0 assists (1.8 turnovers) since becoming a Pacer. And this isn't of the "find a guy in transition" or "pass it to an open guy as part of a set play" variety. He's making, like, live-dribble reads. If that proves real, we need to start rethinking his offensive value (and how he fits a contender).</li>
<li>As someone who genuinely wasn't familiar of him until a couple of weeks ago, I want to see more of Terry Taylor. He's 6-foot-5 and stocky, and has averaged 13.6 points and 9.5 rebounds (!) since joining the regular rotation nine games ago.</li>
</ul>
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER &mdash; TRE MANN'S SHOT CREATION
Tre Mann is fun.
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No, I mean&nbsp;really&nbsp;fun.&nbsp;
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You generally don't get this blend of ball-handling, shooting touch and footwork from a rookie guard. It's easy to get caught up in the aesthetic of this kind of shot creation, but I'm keeping an eye on it.
His shot profile is already wild. To this point, only 69.4% of his threes and 24.7% of his twos have been assisted on. It makes his overall three-point percentage (36.5%) a little more impressive; it also makes his two-point percentage (39.9%) wildly concerning. But hey, I'm interested in seeing if he can leverage his pull-up shooting into cleaner driving lanes.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>He's overqualified for the stray thoughts section, but good lord is Josh Giddey good. Similar to Haliburton, how intentional he is about generating paint touches vs. early kick-outs is going to be key to his development as a high-level initiator. The fact that's been able to create (and rack up triple-doubles) to this degree with that question mark is a testament to how good he is.</li>
<li>Hey, the Thunder have the third best half-court defense in the NBA in 2022. My pal Mark Schindler <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently wrote about it</a>. Let's see if it holds after the break.</li>
<li>I just... don't want Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shut down for the year like he was last season. I hope we see plenty of him, provided the ankle sprain isn't too severe. Provided he plays, have fun laughing at his weird drives and hope the jumper comes around. He's your "Garland to watch for" in this exercise.</li>
</ul>
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HOUSTON ROCKETS &mdash; KEVIN PORTER JR.'S PG EXPERIMENT
Porter's transition to point guard was something I wrote about as part of my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/something-to-prove-kevin-porter-jr-at-point-guard-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Something To Prove</a> series before the year. It's worth checking in on that.
First 13 games: 13.2 points (.375/.301/.644 shooting splits), 5.2 assists (4.4 turnovers)
Next 13 games: 11.6 points (.344/.360/.556), 6.5 assists (3.4 turnovers)
Last 13 games: 16.6 points (.481/.477/.600), 6.9 assists (2.8 turnovers)
Two quick things on that.&nbsp;
For starters, that second section of games is pretty split up due to him being in and out of the lineup. A poor roster context, plus inconsistent burn (in a new role!), is going to lead to some shoddy play.
Second, look at the relationship between assists and turnovers! The dimes are up, the giveaways are down. Beyond the numbers, you could see the gradual progression of Porter's processing.
The simpler reads were (and are) being made more quickly. He isn't as interior-focused, as he's gotten more reps reading the second level. Nearly 46% of Porter's assists have come via threes this season, way up from his 35.6% clip last year.
He's finally looking for the corners! About 14% of his assisted threes came from the corner in his first two seasons; that's up to 22.7% this year.
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Hopefully Porter is able to stay healthy so he can continue to get these reps. Even if he doesn't prove to be point guard material, this experience should make him deadlier in a secondary role moving forward.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>Keep an eye on Jalen Green's progress as a downhill threat. A larger share of his shots have come at the rim since the turn of the year (34% in 2021, 42% so far in 2022, per Cleaning The Glass). His turnover rate on drives has been cut in half (14.1% to 7.0%)... but he's also passing at a less-frequent rate on drives (41.1% to 31%) during the same time period. It's gonna be fun watching him find that balance.</li>
<li>Can Stephen Silas find a way to supplement the Christian Wood/Alperen Sengun frontcourt he's been running with lately? The early returns haven't been great (minus-12.9 Net Rating in 523 possessions, per Cleaning The Glass). The most used trio around that pairing &mdash; Porter, Green and Jae'Sean Tate &mdash; has a pretty solid defense (108.1 DRTG) and a ghastly offense (96.0 ORTG) in 126 possessions. Keep an eye on this group with Garrison Mathews in place of Tate; it's only 25 possessions, but there *are* positive (plus-10.1) returns.</li>
<li>KJ Martin is fun, man. I'd just like to see him get more burn so we can see if the jumper is real. If he isn't the best weak-side rim-protector under 6-6 in the league, he has to be top-five.</li>
</ul>
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DETROIT PISTONS &mdash; CADE CUNNINGHAM'S FREE THROWS
Stop me if you've seen this scene play out.
Cade Cunningham runs a high ball-screen. His defender either gets caught on the pick, or tries to duck under, but fails to cut off the driving angle. Cunningham gains inside leverage, absorbs a blow, puts up a shot that rolls off the rim, and the play goes the other way.
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There are <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;sort=DRIVE_FTA&amp;dir=-1&amp;CF=DRIVES*GE*10:DRIVE_FGA*GE*5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">32 players</a> currently averaging at least 10 drives and 5 field-goal attempts on drives. Cunningham's 1.2 free-throw attempts via drive rank 25th; the players below him on the list:
1) Are point guards, with the exception of Tyler Herro (1.1 FTA)&nbsp;
2) Average fewer attempts at the rim than Cunningham does.
Cunningham has had to figure out how to win with drives &mdash; the pace + bump + shoulder nudge seems to be his ideal method of madness. But now he's up against the "rookies don't deserve calls" thing. It's as hilarious (for non-Piston fans) as it is perplexing when watching live.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>It should be noted that Saddiq Bey is averaging 18-5-3 while shooting 37.4% from three on 8.4 attempts in 2022. He's absolutely&nbsp;flinging&nbsp;it and mixing in post-ups against smaller guys. Teams are very &mdash; almost disrespectfully &mdash; comfortable with switching against the Pistons since they don't have pure blow-by or deadly pull-up threats right now. That's led to a lot of mismatch hunting, and thus, Bey getting to put his shoulder into people. It makes for a rough watch at times, but the reps should matter down the road</li>
<li>Will Isaiah Stewart get back to shooting? Please? At least try it? Me and my homies miss second-half-of-2021 Beef Stew.</li>
<li>Killian Hayes is a good defender, darn it. Don't sell all your stock on him yet.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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ORLANDO MAGIC &mdash; DOUBLE BIG LINEUP
This possession is going to live in my head for a long time.
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This is the Magic attempting to use their talented big-man duo of Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba together. It's a Double Drag look that flows into another screening action for Bamba to shoot off of.
In theory, opposing bigs should have trouble tracking across screens. It should be a unique way to stress defenses out. Instead, we get LUKA DONCIC playing DROP COVERAGE because he is not at all worried about the initial pop in Double Drag. Even with Doncic eventually fighting over and contesting the shot, the rest of the defense stays at home.
And this, my friends, is the center (you laughed, it's fine) of my intrigue with this group. Defensively, you see the upside. Two very good rim-protectors with enough mobility (especially in Carter's case) to switch up your schemes. Want to go back to the Chicago Bulls/Jim Boylen days trap with Carter? That's cool, because Bamba and his tree limbs are behind the action. Want to show Bamba high? That's cool, because Carter can clean up messes too.
The Magic are holding teams to 94.1 points per 100 half-court possessions with Carter and Bamba on the floor together, a mark that ranks in the 56th percentile. Their starting unit &mdash; Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Carter and Bamba &mdash; is holding teams to an 87.3 offensive rating in the half court, a ridiculous figure.
But then there's the half-court offense, which is awful in that lineup (83.1) and generally awful with those bigs on the floor together (88.5). While Bamba (34.4% on 3.7 attempts) and Carter (32.1% from 3.6 attempts) are willing shooters from deep, teams don't fear them. They're able to shrink the floor, which is a bit problematic considering Suggs' shooting woes and Anthony's size issue.
I want to see if they can figure the offense out, because they are a joy to watch defensively.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>On-Ball Franz has arguably been the most surprising development of this draft class; at the very least, it's the most suprising among rookies playing in the United States. He's a mean driver with plus-passing chops to boot.</li>
<li>You know who's still delightful? Robin Lopez and his array of sweeping hooks. Perfectly capable third big. I have no clue if he's going to get bought out, but he'll give you some low-post funk.</li>
<li>Aside from the shooting, keep an eye on Suggs defensively. I touched on it <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dont-forget-about-jalen-suggs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in an earlier piece</a>, but he's a few on-ball tricks-of-the-trade away from being a gnarly defender.</li>
</ul>
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Nekias Duncan gives a guide for what to watch for among the non-playoff teams during the second half of the season.

Views from the bottom: What to look forward to from NBA non-contenders

It takes but a moment to feel Davion Mitchell's presence pop on screen anytime the Sacramento Kings play.
One of my top-five running bits this season has been opposing ball-handlers experiencing his ball pressure and intensity on defense for the first time. When Mitchell stifles a first step, it's akin to someone catching a jab to the chin for the first time. They've sparred, they've been around some heat in the ring, but Davion has that kind of defensive charisma that makes opposition stiffen, flash the Gary Payton eyebrow raise and recognize he's for real.
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<a href="https://t.co/fDlYZ1vXGs">https://t.co/fDlYZ1vXGs</a> <a href="https://t.co/3TW9RprX7H">pic.twitter.com/3TW9RprX7H</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1455722732516253703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The defense has been etched in stone since his first minutes at NBA Summer League. However, Mitchell's offense has run counter much of the year. Through his first 43 games of the season, he played roughly 25 minutes per game, averaging 9.1 points and 3.2 assists on 45.5% True Shooting (10.5% below league average). His three-ball was way off, particularly off the catch, shooting better off the dribble per Second Spectrum.
Fast forward to Jan. 26 in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. With De'Aaron Fox out due to injury, Mitchell received his second career start, and the first in a string of seven straight starts with the Kings. While he's returned to the bench post-trade deadline and Fox's return, he's continued his stellar play.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 66px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 12.3133%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Stretch of Play</td>
<td style="width: 13.5566%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">True Shooting </td>
<td style="width: 10.1783%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Pull-Up 2s</td>
<td style="width: 8.5783%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Pull-Up 3s</td>
<td style="width: 13.1566%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Catch-and-Shoot 3s</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 12.3133%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Last 10 Games</td>
<td style="width: 13.5566%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">54.5%</td>
<td style="width: 10.1783%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">41% (3.9 per)</td>
<td style="width: 8.5783%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">40% (2.5 per)</td>
<td style="width: 13.1566%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">38.6% (4.4 per)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
In his last 10 games, Mitchell is averaging 16.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists, and doing so with better efficiency than he has all season (All four categories in the table above are upticks from his first 43 games).
So what's changed?
Mitchell's increasing minutes have been the largest reason for his success. Normally, that's a thinly veiled way of saying that nothing's changed &mdash; but in Mitchell's case, it's quite the contrary!
With the ball in his hands more, and more opportunities on the court, he's been more able to adapt and search out his balance in the offense between controlling the rock and moving off of it. Throughout the year, I've consistently wished Mitchell would move more without the ball. Lo and behold, it's happening!
A large reason for his improvement as a catch-and-shoot player (significant concern pre-draft) has been his willingness to move off the ball and relocate into open space.
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He's lifting from the corners more often.
He's dishing out of paint touches and quickly twirling out to the slot.&nbsp;
Making yourself available is a really important part of becoming a better shooter (and offensive player in general), and it's helped Mitchell to flow within an offense more.
Davion greatly struggled for much of the season to adapt to NBA length and speed &mdash; something that happens to most rookies &mdash; but for small guards who need the ball, it can be an adventure. Better off-ball movement is one of the first cogs for his further development.
He has to thrive on the margins, as the easier modes of efficient offense aren't as readily available to him. Can he find an extra step or sliver of space through good screening or quick handoffs?
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He's started to. Sacramento's offense is heavily trending in that direction after trading for Domantas Sabonis, one of the best and most dynamic screeners in basketball.
What's so intriguing about Mitchell is his ability to exploit those margins. While yes, he is small, he is also perhaps the most explosive player on the Kings' roster. His first step is bonkers, he has a shifty handle, and he's a decent enough leaper to where he's not a solely below-the-rim athlete.
Earlier this season, he was belting line-drives to the rim, packed with power undoubtedly, but a line-drive is still a straight-on, squared-up attempt. It's so tough to consistently win by overpowering your defender in the NBA unless you have overwhelming size and physicality. Mitchell can win with power, but he has to pick his spots.
He's shown very encouraging finishes at the rim through contact.
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When he lines up a drive to set up an unprepared or unequipped defender, Mitchell unleashes one of my favorite moves in the league right now.
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I struggle to call it a "hesi" because it's so insanely quick, but he throws out this stutter step often with an in-and-out or hesitation dribble that just DUSTS defenders like no other. The suddenness is devastating.
He's converting a blistering 74.0% at the rim over his last 10 contests per Cleaning the Glass; that at-the-rim field-goal percentage was at 59.0% before this stretch.
However, his shot profile over this time has been incredibly telling, as 25.0% of Mitchell's total attempts came at the rim prior to Jan. 26; that number has since shrunk to 17.0%, with 36.0% of his shots coming from the mid-range and the remaining 47.0% attempts from three.&nbsp;
Mitchell's pacing has adapted. As mentioned earlier, less line-drives and more change-ups exist in his diet; he's more actively looking to go east and west, keeping his dribble alive without going straight to the rim as often.
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Mitchell really excels at utilizing "Horford screens" from his bigs in the dunker spot (<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Listen and subscribe!</a>) or on the roll. It's essentially an illegal-ish screen that doesn't always get called, made famous by Al Horford and his sealing protege, Daniel Theis.&nbsp;
While it may seem counterintuitive to get to the rim less, thus is the life of a combo guard. As explosive and powerful as Davion is, intuitive rim-protectors can sniff out his headlong hesitations.
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With time, he'll likely develop more counters, which he needs; he really only has one or two go-to moves. While they're fantastic, we are approaching the point to where it is going to be on the scouting report.&nbsp;
His prolific pull-up shooting from deep has opened up more possibilities to probe. Teams still routinely go under on his ball-screens, but he's punished them for doing so.&nbsp;
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Mitchell's pull-up two is a useful tool, and one he has to use as a jab. The quickness and explosiveness with which he can rise into it is arguably more of a threat right now than its effectiveness. Defenses are more apt to give him the shot, but he's so quick that they can't afford to fully sag off into the paint.&nbsp;
It's like his jab. If he doesn't utilize it, the defense may forget what he can do if they're not antagonized into being on-guard. They may find comfort in not paying attention. It's his basis upon which his interior game is built.
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The space he can create in isolation is astounding.&nbsp;
Again, the effectiveness is not fully there yet, but what he has done &mdash; and the improvements he's made along with the creation flashes he's shown &mdash; is head-turning.
The play Mitchell has put together over the past three weeks is incredibly enticing, but there's still room for growth, as he looks to take further steps on a team headed in a new direction after trading Tyrese Haliburton.&nbsp;
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One area I really want to see from him grow is his floater game and some of his decceleration. He's adept at sudden stops into a pull-up, but getting into his floater has felt mixed in my viewings. He can look to shy away from contact and try to force up shots with his off-hand away from the rim &mdash; which makes sense, as he's trying to shield the ball &mdash; but he often seems to be fighting his own explosiveness on those touch shots.
It's not a massive detriment, but something to monitor as he continues to create on the margins.
Opposing defenses have started to put longer, rangier wings on Mitchell rather than a guard he can take off the dribble. He's shown an aptitude to find meaningful ways to attack those defenders, but it's worth keeping an eye on as he continues to draw more attention moving forward.
Without a great screen, Davion's game can be greatly hindered.&nbsp;
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He certainly can create without screens, as seen already, but when he needs to operate through screens, they need to make real contact. Rear contests and length can throw off his rhythm as a pull-up shooter.&nbsp;
Mitchell is by no means a finished product, though he might garner some dark horse All-Defense votes! I wouldn't likely include him on my teams, but he'd make the short list for guards (Sacramento, quietly league average defensively over the last two weeks!). The offensive strides he's made have been incredibly impressive throughout the season. His growing gravity is opening passing windows that weren't consistently there earlier in the year. I'm really excited to see how he handles his development!
He has a difficult path forward to hit higher offensive outcomes, but Davion Mitchell is thriving on the margins already.&nbsp;
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Davion Mitchell has found his footing offensively after a rough start to his rookie year. What's changed? Mark Schindler analyzes.

Digging into the offensive strides of Davion Mitchell with the Kings

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-memphis-grizzlies-jump-into-the-top-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Memphis Grizzlies are tied for second-most wins in the Western Conference, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are tied for the second-most wins in the East. Just like we all predicted back in October, right?&nbsp;
1. Phoenix Suns (34-9)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 2
Devin Booker put on a show Monday night, pouring in a season-high 48 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and bo turnovers in the Suns' victory over the San Antonio Spurs. It was Phoenix's fifth straight victory on the road and the team's 34th overall win this season &mdash; three more than any other team in the league.&nbsp;
2. Memphis Grizzlies (31-15) ⬆️ Last Week: 3
Memphis had its 11-game winning streak snapped Friday by the Dallas Mavericks, but got right back in the win column Sunday courtesy of a dominant victory over the Chicago Bulls. Ja Morant had 25 for the Grizz, as did Desmond Bane. While Morant has been lavished with praise nationwide, it seems Bane continues to fly under the radar. But, make no mistake, he's been crucial to Memphis' recent success. Over the team's last 15 games, Bane is averaging 20.9 points, 4.7 boards, 3.5 made treys (on 44.5% shooting) and 1.4 steals.&nbsp;
3. Golden State Warriors (31-12) ⬇️ Last Week: 1
Dealing with a myriad of injuries, the Warriors have hit a rough patch and have lost 3 of their last 4 games. Golden State announced Sunday that Draymond Green will miss at least the next two weeks due to left calf tightness and a lower back ailment. Stephen Curry was unable to play Sunday after injuring his right hand Friday night. However, Steph only experienced minor soreness and is expected to play Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons.
4. Miami Heat (28-16)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 6
The Heat, who have been winning even while missing some of their key starters, welcomed back Bam Adebayo in Monday's win over the Raptors. Bam, who had missed 22 games due to a thumb injury, registered 14 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists in 32 minutes. "You can see his energy out there," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said of Adebayo after the game. "He makes us different." Another player that makes the Heat different is Jimmy Butler, who finished with 19 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds on Monday. It was his ninth triple-double as a member of the Heat.
5. Chicago Bulls (27-14)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 4
The Bulls were forced to play without Zach LaVine (left knee), Lonzo Ball (left knee soreness) and Alex Caruso (foot, conditioning) in Sunday's loss at Memphis. Fortunately, head coach Billy Donovan said that Caruso would practice both Monday and Tuesday, and that Chicago coaches and doctors would then decide if he is ready to return. Donovan also noted that Ball flew back to Chicago to have the knee looked at by a specialist.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 10
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Darius Garland continued his late All-Star push yesterday: 22 Points 6 Rebounds 12 Assists 2 Steals 10/19 FG 2/5 3PT +6 In 36 minutes of action Vs the Brooklyn Nets.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetEmKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetEmKnow</a> <a href="https://t.co/01kUQXgvDe">pic.twitter.com/01kUQXgvDe</a>
&mdash; Mack Perry (@DevaronPerry) <a href="https://twitter.com/DevaronPerry/status/1483420265065459715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Darius Garland was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week after leading the Cavs to an NBA-best 4-0 record last week (with all four victories on the road against Western Conference opponents) while averaging 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 12.8 assists. As an encore, Garland racked up 22 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in Monday's 114-107 win over the Nets.&nbsp;
7. Utah Jazz (29-15)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 5
Utah's loss to the Lakers on Monday night in Los Angeles was the Jazz's fifth defeat in their last six games. Fortunately for Utah, they return home Wednesday to take on the Houston Rockets and then have another winnable home game Friday, when they host the Pistons. &nbsp;&nbsp;
8. Milwaukee Bucks (27-19) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The Bucks have surprisingly dropped 4 of their last 5 games, including a disappointing loss to the struggling Atlanta Hawks on Monday, in which Milwaukee blew an 11-point lead with less than nine minutes to play. Jrue Holiday has missed each of these five contests due to left ankle soreness.
9. Brooklyn Nets (27-16)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 8
Kevin Durant injured his knee in the second quarter of Saturday's victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. KD underwent an MRI on Sunday and was diagnosed with a sprained left medial collateral ligament (MCL). The team announced Durant is "expected to return to full strength after a period of rehabilitation." According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, there is "optimism within the organization" that KD will be able to return to action after a 4-to-6-week rehab period. Kyrie Irving stepped up and delivered 27 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds on Monday in Cleveland, but Brooklyn still lost to the Cavaliers.&nbsp;
10. Dallas Mavericks (25-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 12
In Monday's victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Doncic had 20 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. It was the 41st triple-double of his short career, which is one more than the other 349 players who have ever played for the Mavericks combined.&nbsp;
11. Philadelphia 76ers (25-18) ⬇️ Last Week: 9
The Sixers had won 9 of 10 before getting buzzed by the Washington Wizards in D.C. on Monday afternoon. Philly was playing without defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle; the team announced Sunday that Thybulle underwent an MRI, which revealed a sprained right shoulder. He'll miss at least one week.&nbsp;
12. Charlotte Hornets (24-20)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 11
LaMelo Ball was unable to play on Monday vs. the New York Knicks, but with Miles Bridges lighting up the 'Bockers, Charlotte didn't need its young point guard. Bridges had just one point less (22) than the entire Knicks team in the first quarter. He finished with a career-high 38 points to go along with 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 triples, a steal, a block and just one turnover. Bridges is the sixth player this season to record a career-high against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
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13. Denver Nuggets (22-20) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
Nikola Jokic once again did all he could Sunday night vs. the Jazz, registering a 25-point, 15-rebound, 14-assist triple-double, but it wasn't enough to push the Nuggets past Utah. It was his ninth trip-dub this season (tying him with Russell Westbrook for the league lead) and the 66th of his career.&nbsp;
14. Washington Wizards (23-21)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 17
Kyle Kuzma was at it again on Monday, tallying 15 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in a win over the Sixers. Over the Wizards' past 10 games, Kuz is averaging a whopping 24.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 treys while shooting 53.4% from the floor.&nbsp;
15. Toronto Raptors (21-20) ⬇️ Last Week: 13
Despite Monday's loss to the Heat, the Raptors have reached the season's midpoint with a 21-20 record. It's the eighth time in the last nine years they have had a winning record halfway through the season. The only exception was last season, when they were forced to play all their "home" games in Tampa.&nbsp;
16. Boston Celtics (23-22)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 19
Despite falling behind by 18 points in the first half to New Orleans on Monday afternoon, the Celts came all the way back to beat the Pels by 12. Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston, scoring 21 of his 27 points in the second half. It was the Cs' fifth win in their last six games.&nbsp;
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-22)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 16
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Karl-Anthony Towns takes it STRONG to the rack 💪<a href="https://t.co/EsFMiFNZHl">pic.twitter.com/EsFMiFNZHl</a>
&mdash; Timberwolves Nation (@TWolvesNationCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TWolvesNationCP/status/1482904126078218242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After beating up on the shorthanded Warriors Sunday night (thanks to a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double courtesy of Karl-Anthony Towns), the Wolves have won 5 of their last 7 games. However, they head to New York on Tuesday and are in the middle of a stretch where they play 12 of 15 games on the road.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (22-22)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 15
Frank Vogel was coaching for his job on Monday vs. Utah, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/frank-vogels-job-in-jeopardy-nearly-fired-after-lakers-loss-to-nuggets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Bill Oram and Sam Amick of The Athletic, who reported that Vogel "narrowly avoided being fired" after the Lakers' embarrassing 37-point loss to Denver over the weekend. The Lakers beat the Jazz, but it sounds like the team's head coach is most certainly on the hot seat.&nbsp;
19. Los Angeles Clippers (22-23)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 18
The Clippers got a much-needed victory Monday over the Indiana Pacers thanks to a surprising, season-high 32-point explosion from Nicolas Batum (who scored all 32 of his points after halftime) and 26 points from Reggie Jackson. Remarkably, that was the Clippers' last home game until Feb. 3. L.A. will begin a brutal eight-game road trip Wednesday night in Denver. &nbsp; 20. New York Knicks (22-22) &harr;️ Last Week: 20
With the Knicks riding a three-game win streak, the N.Y. fanbase was excited coming into Monday's matinee matchup with the Hornets. However, the Knicks crashed back down to earth, as the Hornets blew them out of the building. Still, the Knicks getting beat by a better team shouldn't be shocking. Of the Knicks' last 11 wins, 10 have come against opponents with losing records.&nbsp;
21. Atlanta Hawks (18-25)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 21
Heading into Monday's game vs. Milwaukee, the Hawks hadn't won at home since Nov. 22. Atlanta was able to snap its 10-game home losing skid in impressive fashion, knocking off the defending champs, despite playing without starters Bogdan Bogdanovic (sore right knee) and Clint Capela (sprained left ankle). Onyeka Okongwu <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/is-onyeka-okongwu-ready-for-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepped in and stepped up for the Hawks</a>, tallying 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks on Monday.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (18-25)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 22 
The Blazers finally welcomed back CJ McCollum to the lineup on Monday after their star shooting guard missed six weeks of action due to a collapsed lung (and the birth of his son). McCollum logged 26 minutes in Portland's victory over the Orlando Magic, racking up 16 points, 2 assists and a rebound. Despite being seven games under .500, the Blazers have a two-game lead over the Sacramento Kings for the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
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23. Sacramento Kings (18-28) ⬆️ Last Week: 24
Tyrese Haliburton, who had been playing at a remarkably high level of late, entered the league's health and safety protocols over the weekend and could not play Sunday vs. Houston. Marvin Bagley (right shoulder soreness) was also ruled out. Richaun Holmes (protocols/conditioning) did return to action after an eight-game absence, but logged just 15 minutes in the Kings' loss to the Rockets.&nbsp;
24. San Antonio Spurs (16-28)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 25
Jakob Poeltl played one of his best all-around games of the season in Monday's loss to the Suns, tallying 23 points (on 9 of 12 shooting), 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks in 30 minutes. Over the Spurs' last 12 games, 'Jak is averaging 13.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. The Spurs may also get big man Zach Collins (left foot) back by the end of this month. On Monday, Collins tallied 8 points and 3 blocks in 19 minutes in his 2021-22 G League debut with Austin.
25. New Orleans Pelicans (16-28) ⬆️ Last Week: 27
The Pels had won two in a row at home before getting beat in Brooklyn on Saturday and falling to Boston in Beantown on Monday. New Orleans will close out its three-game East Coast road trip Thursday vs. the Knicks at MSG.
26. Indiana Pacers (15-29)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 23
Myles Turner sat out Monday due to a sore left ankle and was joined on the sidelines by Malcolm Brogdon (sore right Achilles tendon) and Jeremy Lamb (sore left knee). Earlier Monday, it was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-mavs-blazers-wolves-knicks-lakers-hornets-targeting-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Pacers "are seeking two first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-round pick" in exchange for Turner. However, the team announced Tuesday that Turner is dealing with a stress reaction in his foot, which will sideline him for at least two weeks. With Indiana now 14 games below .500, it seems safe to assume the organization will make a significant move before the trade deadline next month.&nbsp;
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (14-29)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 26
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
what&rsquo;s understood doesn&rsquo;t need to be explained‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/shaiglalex?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shaiglalex</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAIIStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAIIStar</a> <a href="https://t.co/AK8iLzJ1It">pic.twitter.com/AK8iLzJ1It</a>
&mdash; OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) <a href="https://twitter.com/okcthunder/status/1483283153758396427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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OKC has outscored its opponents by a total of 6 points over their past five games. However, the Thunder are just 1-4 in those five contests, as their one win was a 21-point blowout of the Nets, while their four losses were by 4, 4, 5 and 2 points, respectively.&nbsp;
28. Houston Rockets (13-32) ⬆️ Last Week: 29
Christian Wood had another solid performance in Houston's victory over the Kings on Sunday, tallying 23 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 triples and 2 steals. After a minor midseason slump, Wood has posted impressive numbers in 2022. Over the Rockets' last seven games, he is averaging 21.4 points, 8.7 boards, 2.1 treys and 1.6 steals, while shooting 54% from the floor and 41.7% from downtown.&nbsp;
29. Detroit Pistons (10-32) ⬇️ Last Week: 28
The Pistons registered their two most impressive wins of the season last week, beating the Jazz by double-digits and then romping the Raptors, 103-87. Over the four games Detroit played last week, rookie sensation Cade Cunningham averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 assists and 2.3 triples, while shooting 51.7% from the floor, 42.9% from behind the arc and 87.5% from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
30. Orlando Magic (8-37)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 30
Orlando has lost 12 of its last 13 games, including eight in a row at home. It's been more than six weeks since the Magic won a game at Amway Center. Encouragingly, Jalen Suggs has been more efficient offensively since returning from a thumb injury. Over the Magic's past three games, the rookie guard is averaging 12.7 points, 5.0 boards and 4.0 dimes while shooting 58.6% from the floor.&nbsp;

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Cavs, Grizz stay hot; Suns take over No. 1

In Kansas City, Missouri I had the chance to attend the Hall of Fame Classic, which featured the No. 13 Arkansas Razorbacks, No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini, Cincinnati Bearcats and Kansas State Wildcats. The event was the stage for a handful of potential NBA and next-level prospects, so I would like to share my thoughts on players who caught my eye.
Kofi Cockburn | Illinois | Center
In his season debut, Kofi Cockburn showed immediately that he&rsquo;s a force to be reckoned with in the post. He had the opposing bigs in foul trouble early and often, and was able to throw down a powerful dunk early, which got the Illinois fans off their feet. Monday night, he posted 18 points, 7 rebounds and a block. He continues to improve his footwork and post moves on the offensive end, but the defensive versatility and mobility questions remain. Cockburn will likely test the NBA Draft waters again in 2022, and he has a chance to be a second-round selection.
Andre Curbelo | Illinois | Guard
After a fairly slow start in the first two games, Andre Curbelo showed again why, when locked in, he can be one of college basketball&rsquo;s most electric point guards. He showed both mental and physical toughness, as he played through some obvious pain in the first half. He isn&rsquo;t the biggest or most physically imposing player &mdash; which can bring some limitations &mdash; but he used his footwork, change-of-speed ability and craftiness to create opportunities for both himself and his teammates. Curbelo needs to cut down on the turnovers and improve as a shooter, but he did hit some smooth pull-up jumpers vs. Cincinnati, and ended with a stat line of 12 points, 5 assists, and 5 turnovers.
Davonte Davis | Arkansas | Guard
Davonte Davis is an athletic combo guard who excels on the defensive end and has shown flashes as both a slasher and shooter. He was averaging 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game coming into the contest. He only posted 4 points, 4 rebounds, an assist and a steal Monday, but he made some really nice passes that created good looks for his teammates. The Razorback backcourt is loaded, so it&rsquo;s difficult for any of the guards to have high-volume nights. Still, Davis&rsquo; impact in transition and on the defensive end allow him to flash next-level potential.&nbsp;
Coleman Hawkins | Illinois | Forward
Averaging 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds entering the contest, Coleman Hawkins displayed tremendous vision and ability as a passer. On the defensive end, he&rsquo;s disciplined and plays with purpose, using his length to contest shots. Listed at 6-foot-10 and 215 pounds, his ability to play both inside and on the perimeter make him a valuable player, one that has flashed next-level potential. He didn&rsquo;t fill up the box score Monday night by posting only two points, but he was still impactful.
Jaylin Williams | Arkansas | Forward
Jaylin Williams is a tough, competitive big man who continues to get better with every game. At 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, he is a physical force who dominates the boards. While he may not do anything in high volume, he does the important things well. He&rsquo;s a solid interior scorer who is learning to stretch the floor, a great rebounder and a phenomenal passer. Monday night, he only posted 6 points and 8 rebounds in the win, but his impact was felt any time he was on the floor. (Plus, Williams had a solid stat line last week vs. Northern Iowa.)
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Jaylin Williams (6-10, 240) does it all again for the Razorbacks. 11 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal for the sophomore. Continues to show great vision/passing, instincts and toughness. <a href="https://t.co/Xx58P9rFeC">pic.twitter.com/Xx58P9rFeC</a>
&mdash; Derek Murray (@DMurrayHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/DMurrayHoops/status/1461167599996260355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Other Notables:
JD Notae | Arkansas | Guard
A quick-twitch guard with terrific speed, JD Notae was again the spark that got the Hogs off and running. He averaged 21.7 points in the first three games, and has a quick trigger as a result. Sometimes, the shot selection is questionable, and the misses can be bad, but he&rsquo;s becoming a tremendous volume scorer.
Jeremiah Davenport | Cincinnati | Guard
With good positional size at 6-foot-6, Jeremiah Davenport has the frame and tough shot-making ability to be a next-level player. He led the Bearcats at 12.5 points per game entering the event, and shot 4-of-8 from deep for a total of 19 points, leading the Bearcats to a big win Monday night.&nbsp;
Stanley Umude | Arkansas | Wing
The South Dakota transfer has played well early this season as part of a busy Razorback backcourt. Stanley Umude has good positional size and strength, allowing him to be effective and score both inside and out. Monday night he was impactful, hitting tough shots and causing multiple turnovers.&nbsp;
Selton Miguel | Kansas State | Guard
After playing with the Angolan Senior National Team, Selton Miguel enters his second season in Manhattan, KS. At 6-foot-4, he is a tough, physical and competitive guard who can impact the game in multiple ways, excelling on the glass and at getting to the rim. With his strong frame, he welcomes contact at the finish point and can be a real impact player on defense. While he&rsquo;s not a 2022 NBA Draft prospect, he&rsquo;s one to monitor as a future professional player. He finished with 14 points and 9 rebounds to go along with an assist, block and steal each.

Derek Murray shares his takeaways from the Hall of Fame Classic, which featured a number of potential NBA prospects.

2022 NBA Draft: Scouting the Hall of Fame Classic

How much should poor play be discounted by injuries?
It's one of the core philosophical questions of these Sour Rankings, and a layered thought that produces different answers in different viewers. Obviously, fans should feel distraught when a player gets hurt, especially when it results in a long-term injury. But if a team starts losing in the absence of key contributors, how much does that matter?
My answer is: It depends. This week (spoiler alert), the 5-5 Los Angeles Lakers make their Sour Rankings season debut in part due to LeBron James being sidelined. The Milwaukee Bucks, however, do not, with Brook Lopez, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton out.
Milwaukee knows what it has in about 85% of its roster, and things should click when those players return. But the Lakers are still figuring things out, and when the centerpiece of all centerpieces goes down for an extended period, that severely impacts team development. You'll hear more about the Lakers below.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher. Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well-under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and general underwhelming play will all be considered.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Some teams value wins this season and paths to a title, while others are looking down the road at long-term pieces. Let's get going:
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Brooklyn Nets are cruising as winners of four straight, and have potentially outlived their place in these rankings for good. Portland continues to split weeks, but at 5-5, has room to grow once Damian Lillard rounds into form.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers used a 4-0 week to complete turn their early-season outlook around. And though I still loathe much about the Dallas Mavericks, they are 6-3, and Luka Doncic's buzzer-beater was perhaps the highlight of the past week,
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10. Charlotte Hornets (5-6)
Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball may be lighting things up, but the Hornets have lost four games in a row thanks to some eye-sore defense. Charlotte ranks 29th in half-court points allowed per play, according to Cleaning the Glass, and has given up an average of 121.8 points during its four-game skid.
Opponents have been shooting a 56.1% Effective Field Goal percentage (second-highest) and taking 19.3 free throws per 100 shots (fifth-most). Charlotte has to clean things up with some high-powered offenses coming down the pipe.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Houston Rockets (1-9)
The Rockets have the longest losing streak in the NBA at eight games. That's not necessarily a huge issue given the team's rebuilding focus. But Houston has been difficult to watch at times as the backcourt of the future undergoes some serious growing pains.
Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green are averaging a combined 8.2 assists against 7.4 turnovers per game, while neither holds a True Shooting percentage over 48% (very bad). Houston turns the ball over more than any other team, and fans just kind of have to ride the wave at this point.
(Last week: 9)
8. Detroit Pistons (1-8)
Detroit's offense has been blindingly bad for most of the season. The Pistons sport a league-worst 45.2 eFG%, which is over three percentage points lower than the No. 29 Oklahoma City Thunder; for context, three percentage points separate OKC from the 19th-ranked Clippers. Cade Cunningham cannot buy a perimeter bucket to save his life (though he's still shown positive flashes early), and neither can most other Pistons players.
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Cade Cunningham isn't super bursty, isn't an elite vertical athlete. He'll win with craft and power. Enjoying the way he's using his shoulder to create space -- no real need to push off and leave yourself susceptible to offensive fouls. <a href="https://t.co/pRg0Z2V0Lr">pic.twitter.com/pRg0Z2V0Lr</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1456767554718941185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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However, I'll concede a small positive: Killian Hayes has made 38.1% of his threes, albeit on just 21 total attempts. He's found some touch from the corners with a 40% clip. I'd feel a lot better if the rest of his scoring efficiency wasn't so abysmal.
(Last week: 8)
7. Indiana Pacers (4-7)
Even without Malcolm Brogdon, the Pacers found a nice little groove this week, going 3-1 with wins over the Spurs, Knicks and Kings. They're still middle-of-the-road for most basic metrics in classic Pacers fashion, but things were really getting scary, and maybe some positive momentum can get them out of the Sour Rankings next week.
I'm intrigued by this four-man group of Chris Duarte, Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. That's a lot of scoring and playmaking versatility in my mind, and it could flourish with Brogdon or TJ McConnell at point guard. The aforementioned group has outscored teams by 26 points per 100 possessions in 64 minutes together (smal sample size alert).
(Last week: 2)
6. Atlanta Hawks (4-6)
What's going on in Atlanta? The Hawks went 1-3 this week &mdash; though they were tough losses against Brooklyn, Utah and Phoenix &mdash; and are 1-5 in their last six games. Surprisingly, this group ranks 28th in three-point frequency, per Cleaning the Glass. That's despite John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari and De'Andre Hunter all shooting over 40% from downtown. Atlanta is also 23rd in rim-attempt frequency, but second in mid-range frequency. Weird.
(Last week: Unranked)
5. Los Angeles Lakers (5-5)
In a 1-2 week, L.A. lost and struggled to score against two pretty terrible Thunder and Blazer defenses. In fairness, the Lakers were without Anthony Davis against Portland, and Carmelo Anthony has really shined as a spark plug off the bench.
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Russell Westbrook to a reporter asking about the final possessions: "You saw it. Don't ask me questions you know the answer to. You seen it. I lost the ball. I missed a three. There's nothing to it." <a href="https://t.co/7aeYFlwxFH">pic.twitter.com/7aeYFlwxFH</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1456603115403321353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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But this is all about LeBron James, who the Lakers said will miss at least a week with an abdominal strain. Los Angeles' former trainer thinks it <a href="https://theathletic.com/2940950/2021/11/07/lebron-james-could-be-out-much-longer-than-the-lakers-are-saying-can-they-survive-without-him/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could be more like 4-8 weeks</a>. It's extremely ominous that the 36-year-old James is missing extended periods in multiple seasons after multiple shortened offseasons... and that the Lakers are struggling to win without him.
(Last week: Unranked)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-5)
This rapid downhill spiral feels all too familiar for Minnesota, who lost all three matchups this week by double digits. The Timberwolves take the most threes in the entire NBA, but make just 32.1% of their attempts. They're also making a mind-numbing 22.8% of their corner three attempts, nearly eight percentage points worse than any other team.
Quite honestly, I don't see how the latter rate improves looking at this roster. D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards, who are streaky in their own right, won't be chilling in the corner often. Outside of Malik Beasley, the rest of the team doesn't possess much perimeter upside, meaning it's on Beasley and Karl-Anthony Towns to carry the load.
(Last week: Unranked)
3. Boston Celtics (4-6)
What an absolutely wacky week for the Celtics. They were outscored in that 39-11 fourth quarter in the loss to Chicago (prompting a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-celtics-host-playersonly-meeting-prior-to-win-over-magic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">players-only meeting</a>), and then stomped the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat on a back-to-back before losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Now Boston will be without Jaylen Brown for 1-2 weeks due to a hamstring strain.
It feels like everyone, including myself, has been shouting at the team to attack the basket. The Celtics are 27th in the league in rim-attempt frequency despite being ninth in field goal percentage at the basket. The problem is they lack the consistent downhill players to apply more pressure outside of Dennis Schr&ouml;der.
(Last week: 4)
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2. Phoenix Suns (5-3)
Sure, the Suns are on a four-game winning streak. But that pales in comparison to the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/unpacking-espns-damning-allegations-against-suns-owner-robert-sarver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bombshell ESPN report on Robert Sarver's alleged racism and sexism</a> that was finally released this past Friday.&nbsp;
Obviously, due process exists, and the NBA will have to finish its full investigation before final judgement is passed. But this report didn't just contain one-off instances; there was a clear alleged pattern of discrimination and disrespect that began with Sarver and spread throughout Suns management. It's yet another reminder of how easily owners and teams can cover up toxicity in the workplace.
(Last week: 6)
1. New Orleans Pelicans (1-9)
Yeesh, the Pelicans are awful. They've lost six in a row, and the margin of defeat has increased with each subsequent contest. New Orleans isn't doing anything particularly well right now outside of rebounding, and that's essentially attributed to Jonas Valanciunas and his 14.1 boards per game. Pick a non-rebounding team stat, and you'll likely find the Pelicans near the bottom. I feel for Brandon Ingram right now.
(Last week: 1)

Ethan Fuller questions the impact of short-term injuries in this week's Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Championship contenders challenged

In our latest installment of daily picks against the spread, plus player over/under predictions, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; brings the heat for Wednesday&rsquo;s monster slate of 11 NBA games. Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into the juicy goodness.
Reminder, all odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook. Player over/under prop picks are from our new sponsor on <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>, Prize Picks.
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Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics (-7)
All is not well in Boston right now. After the Celtics&rsquo; latest loss, veteran leader Marcus Smart pretty much threw young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown under the bus for not moving the ball around within the offensive flow. Will that change against Orlando on the road? I do like the Celtics here, but not enough to cover the 7-point spread. The Magic have been very feisty, so expect this one to be potentially close throughout. Hammer the Celtics&rsquo; -275 moneyline, plus the following player-prop parlay on Prize Picks: Tatum over 23.5 points, Cole Anthony over 15.5 points, Mo Bamba over 11.5 points, Brown over 2.5 threes, Anthony over 1.5 threes. Remember, on Prize Picks a 5-leg parlay where everything hits pays you back 10x more than your bet. Cash in!
Philadelphia 76ers (-1.5) vs. Chicago Bulls
Chicago is one of the best early storylines of the season. DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso have really lifted to Bulls to an entirely new level. DeRozan takes so much scoring burden off Zach LaVine, while Ball and Caruso form a tenacious backcourt duo defensively. However, with Joel Embiid scheduled to return tonight, I&rsquo;m hammering the Sixers point spread here. Embiid should feast against Nikola Vucevic, and I&rsquo;m forecasting a very solid outing from Seth Curry. Tail me on Prize Picks with these over/under props to go along with Sixers -1.5 on TwinSpires: Embiid over 26.5 points, DeRozan over 20.5 points, Curry over 15.5 points, Embiid over 9.5 rebounds, Curry over 2.5 threes.
Indiana Pacers (-1) vs. New York Knicks
This was a surprise when I first saw the point spread. Indiana has been in disarray early on, but the return of Caris LeVert was a huge boost this week. This feels like a statement game opportunity for the Knicks, though. New York has a more well-balanced starting lineup to go alongside a real Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Derrick Rose. I&rsquo;m rolling with the road underdog in New York to cover the spread and win outright on the moneyline (-106) as well. There are no props currently available for this game, but I love the idea of Rose and Kemba Walker roasting the Pacers.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Portland Trail Blazers (-5)
Cleveland&rsquo;s giant frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen has produced fantastic results thus far. In this matchup, though, it&rsquo;s all about the backcourt fireworks. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum vs. Darius Garland and Collin Sexton is going to be a treat to watch. Portland is favored on the road, and I&rsquo;m hammering them here to cover the spread. This is also the Lillard breakout game, in my opinion. Roll with the Blazers at -5, plus the following Prize Picks props: Lillard over 25.5 points, McCollum over 20.5 points, Allen over 10.5 rebounds, Lillard over 3.5 threes. As this isn&rsquo;t a 5-leg parlay, you can choose either the flex play or power play option on Prize Picks. Flex play means you can have three out of four hit, and you still return winnings. That&rsquo;s a smart investment idea for this matchup.
Washington Wizards (-3.5) vs. Toronto Raptors
I&rsquo;m loving what&rsquo;s happening right now for Toronto, and it&rsquo;s only going to get better once Pascal Siakam eventually returns. OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes are so fun to watch on the wing, and I expect them to be real weapons in this road matchup against Washington. The Wizards have proven their quick retooling around Bradley Beal is paying off, but the road underdog at +3.5 (+135 moneyline) is too enticing to pass up. Prize Picks props to tail: Beal over 25.5 popints, Anunoby over 18.5 points, Fred VanVleet over 6.5 assists, Anunoby under 2.5 threes.
Brooklyn Nets (-5) vs. Atlanta Hawks
Get your popcorn ready for this one, folks. Kevin Durant and James Harden vs. Trae Young is appointment-viewing television already, but especially if you wager on TwinSpires and/or Prize Picks here as well. This should be a closely contested contest, but I&rsquo;m riding the idea that Brooklyn is figuring things out without Kyrie Irving. Durant and Harden pour in the points, winning this one for Brooklyn by a few possessions. Lock in the Nets -5, plus these Prize Picks props: Durant over 26.5 points, Young over 24.5 points, Harden over 19.5 points, Harden over 2.5 threes, Young over 2 threes.
Memphis Grizzlies (-1) over Denver Nuggets
The last time these two teams played in Memphis, the Grizzlies won in blowout fashion after I wagered on the underdog Nuggets. We&rsquo;re going back to the same well here riding the road underdog. Expect a huge night from Nikola Jokic, and finally some of Denver&rsquo;s role players to step up alongside him. Give me the Nuggets +1 and the outright win at -106 moneyline. Here&rsquo;s some enticing props to wager on as well: Jokic over 24.5 points, Ja Morant over 24.5 points, Michael Porter Jr. over 14.5 points, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton over 10.5 points, Jokic over 10 rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-1.5)
Paul George has been absolutely incredible to start the season, even though the Clippers&rsquo; overall record won&rsquo;t exactly reflect that. In their last outing against the Oklahoma City Thunder, I think the Clippers stumbled into what works best. Give the ball to George and get out of the way, especially with no Kawhi Leonard. Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard have also stepped up as George&rsquo;s primary compliments in the scoring department. This is going to be a close one, but I like the Clippers to cover the 1.5-point spread on the road in Minnesota. Here&rsquo;s George-related prop bet to tail on Prize Picks: George over 27 points, Anthony Edwards under 23.5 points, Jackson over 16.5 points, Karl-Anthony Towns over 10.5 rebounds, George over 5 assists.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks (-2)
I&rsquo;m waiting for the mega outing from Luka Doncic. I have the feeling it finally happens tonight on the road in San Antonio. The Spurs have been a feisty out so far this season, but if Doncic is hot they don&rsquo;t stand a chance. If you&rsquo;re in the same camp as me believing Doncic puts up multiple highlight-reel moments, tail the Mavericks to cover at -2, plus these props: Doncic over 26.5 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. over 15.5 points, Jalen Brunson over 13.5 points, Doncic over 6.5 rebounds, Doncic over 6 assists. If Luka flirts with a triple-double, Dallas rolls against the Spurs.
Golden State Warriors (-6) vs. Charlotte Hornets
This is a true litmus test moment for the upstart Hornets. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges have propelled Charlotte to a hot start, but traveling across the country to face Stephen Curry is an entirely different experience. For this matchup, I&rsquo;m forecasting Curry to go nuclear against Ball. So many eyes will be on this game, and more often than not Curry obliges with the primetime audiences with spectacular performances. Hammer the Warriors to cover the 6-point spread against the Hornets&rsquo; porous defense. Also, I love the potential of a huge outing from Curry on Prize Picks&rsquo; over/under props: Curry over 30.5 points, Bridges over 18.5 points, Ball over 18.5 points, Curry over 5.5 threes, Ball over 2 threes. If Curry hits six threes in this game, let me lock in that Curry goes for 40+ points tonight in a shootout.
Sacramento Kings (-4.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Both teams are on the second night of a back-to-back, but they&rsquo;re going in completely different directions. What&rsquo;s going on with Zion Williamson? It&rsquo;s unfortunate, but the Pelicans continue to seemingly both the Williamson experience being vague with another long-term injury. On top of that, Brandon Ingram is doubtful for tonight&rsquo;s game as well in Sacramento. Meanwhile, the Kings barely lost in Utah against the Jazz. Sacramento looks like they will be fighting for a play-in spot throughout the season, which is a huge boost from my early preseason expectations for them. In this game, I&rsquo;m emphatically hammering the Kings on the 4.5-point spread as one of my best bets during tonight&rsquo;s monster 11-game slate.
Recapping our picks today on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s where the leans are: Celtics ML, 76ers -1.5, Knicks +1, Blazers -5, Raptors +3.5, Nets -5, Nuggets +1, Clippers -1.5, Mavericks -2, Warriors -6, Kings -4.5.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

Alongside our "Nothing But Bets" podcast on BasketballNews.com, our daily picks will be posted each day.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/3/21

The first weekend of the 2021-22 NBA regular season is here, as everybody has now hit the floor in meaningful action to start things off.
A common argument always surfaces when discussing ways to improve the league's postseason picture. Too often we're hearing that the season doesn't truly matter, and coaching decisions to manage players and their bodies (rightfully so) kind of back that claim. But what if every game did matter, and divisions and conferences were strictly for scheduling purposes?
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Should the NBA reseed the playoffs?
Alex Kennedy: Yes, this seems like a no-brainer since it would lead to better matchups. However, I&rsquo;m not sure if it&rsquo;ll ever happen since a number of NBA executives have reportedly pushed back against this idea, blaming travel concerns and the fact that it would diminish existing rivalries. Still, I hope we see the NBA adopt this change at some point in the near future.
Nekias Duncan: I think it's a cool idea, but I understand the hesitation with some of the travel weirdness that could pop up with some of the matchups. I'm fine with keeping things as is.
Spencer Davies: I'm usually more of a traditionalist, but I'm actually open to this idea. Geography shouldn't determine why you don't make the field of 16 postseason teams (well, with the play-in tournament that's probably expanded to a larger number, but you get the point). If travel is really that much of a concern, just take the strategy from baseball to make the quarterfinal rounds a best-of-five instead of seven. The difficulty would probably be adjusting to different time zones and such, where the league would have to think hard about amount of days in between. But hey, it can be done.
Ethan Fuller: No! I don't know if this is a hot take, but this is an unnecessary change that carries considerable risk with marginal payoff. The postseason always creates its own fantastic matchups; reseeding in an effort to pit the best teams together in the Finals isn't a perfect strategy. The travel aspect is much more important. If fans want to see the best players play at their best, travel and injury risk should be limited, which means the West stays in the West and the East stays in the East.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;ve gone back and forth on this one. My final answer would be based on how the reseeding is done. If it&rsquo;s as simple as taking the top 16 teams irrespective of conference and cross-matching them, I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d be in favor of that. The doomsday scenario there would be the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers (or Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers, for example) drawing each other in the first round. Although it&rsquo;s not likely, employing a system like that could have unintended consequences, especially when New Orleans and Houston or New York and Brooklyn could end up drawing one another in the first round. Perhaps it would be less of an issue if the league went to a 2-3-2 format for all rounds, but there are serious cons to that as well. The simplest answer at this point is to leave things the way they are, as the most obvious ways to reseed seem to have more cons than pros.
Jannelle Moore: I think the NBA should absolutely reseed the playoffs and do away with East and West matchups. Doing this will create new rivalries. The intensity of competition will be elevated, and it's a more organic way to create more interest in the league compared to midseason gimmicks.
Evan Sidery: As of right now, no, I don't think so. Finally, the Eastern Conference looks well-balanced and competitive this season. I've always loved the traditional East and West format, and the play-in tournament is a nice little wrinkle to it as well.
Blake Hairston: I still prefer separating the playoffs by conference. I think that structure still holds onto the idea of having rivalries because of how often one team sees another. Also, I've been a fan of the play-in format so far since it keeps the teams in the 7-to-12 range fighting until the final days of the season. But... have I dreamed of a "March Madness" type of NBA Playoffs? Yes. Hear me out: All 30 teams in, single elimination until you get to the Sweet 16 to spice it up, then go back to the 7-game series structure from there.
Alexander Cohen: It may difficult to pull off with travel, but it's hard to argue that the 16 best teams in the league should not compete for a championship. A setup with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 16, the No. 2 seed playing the No. 15 and so on would be much less arbitrary than the current play-in design. It would prevent ever having an outcome like 2014, where the Suns missed the playoffs with 48 wins as the 38-win Hawks made it, from happening again.
Mark Gunnels: I know this is a popular discussion every year, but I don&rsquo;t think they should mess with what&rsquo;s working.

Should the NBA reseed the playoffs? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

Roundtable: Should the NBA reseed the playoffs?

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

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

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the Big Ten

Much like NBA Summer League, preseason basketball is not meant for firm conclusions.&nbsp;
If anything, they're trial runs. Teams are trying to get their guys into shape, build on-court chemistry and experiment with lineups. But to roll with the summer league analogy, there are usually nuggets &mdash; small ones, but nuggets nonetheless &mdash; that you can hang onto within these exhibitions.
For young players, it may be a flash of a skill set. For veterans, particularly ones on new teams, you'll get the outline of what they're bringing to their new homes.
So no, you probably shouldn't start looking at Miami flight and hotel prices in preparation for a title parade based on the Heat's 125-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.&nbsp;
(Look at those prices for other reasons that won't be detailed here. *Generic smile emoji*)
If there's a takeaway from the Heat side, however, it's that Kyle Lowry will absolutely change how the Heat do things &mdash; on both ends of the floor.
Lowry only played the first half of the game, mostly because things were out of hand by the time the second-quarter buzzer sounded. His line in 14 minutes of action: 5 points (1-of-4 shooting, 2-of-2 from the line) 4 rebounds, 7 assists (one turnover). The Heat outscored the Hawks by 10 points in Lowry's minutes, if you're into preseason plus-minus.
(You probably shouldn't be into preseason plus-minus.)
Here's another number that requires the "it's preseason" disclaimer, but is still noteworthy: the <a href="https://go.nba.com/gn16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first-half pace</a> of this game was 109.0, nearly 12 possessions faster than the Heat's 29th-ranked number (97.09) from last season.&nbsp;
As previously mentioned <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-kyle-lowry-brings-to-the-miami-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in this space</a>, Lowry's ability to mash the accelerator was a much-needed shot in the arm for a Heat team that was stuck in the mud far too often. The Hawks helped juice the Heat's attack with a bevy of turnovers, but there was a level of intention from Lowry that should carry over into the games that matter.
Lowry's first bucket of the night came in transition. He was off the ball in this rep &mdash; newly-acquired PJ Tucker grabbed a board and pushed the break &mdash; but he was able to use Bam Adebayo as a lead blocker to flow into his patented early-clock, pull-up triple.
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There were instances in which Lowry took matters into his own hands on the pace front. He grabbed three defensive rebounds in this game; they led to a Tyler Herro triple (miss) with 19 seconds on the shot clock, an Adebayo drawn foul with 14 on the clock and a Tucker triple (make) with 17 on the clock.
That's a rough average of eight seconds per possession after those defensive rebounds, over three full seconds faster than their average from last season, per <a href="http://stats.inpredictable.com/nba/ssnTeamPoss.php?season=2020&amp;po=0&amp;frdt=2020-12-22&amp;todt=2021-07-20&amp;view=off&amp;sort=aotopdr&amp;order=DESC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tracking data at Inpredictable</a>.
Even when Lowry wasn't the one to jumpstart the action with grab-and-go sequences, he made quick decisions after receiving outlets from others. The quick processing from Lowry benefited Adebayo, most notably getting him a pair of dunks on the break.
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While Lowry's presence allowed the Heat to do more offensively (and do so more quickly), his presence defensively allowed them to do less.
Few teams switched at a higher rate than the Heat did last season. That's a luxury afforded to you by having an All-World big in Adebayo, but it also felt like the Heat had&nbsp;to switch to a certain extent. Screen navigation at the point of attack was an issue, with Goran Dragic and Kendrick Nunn taking turns falling behind twitchy ball-handlers in ball screens.
Switching was a way for the Heat to keep the ball in front, though it led to issues elsewhere; they ranked 19th in defensive-rebound rate after finishing No. 3 the year prior.
Lowry isn't the 2017 version of himself. He's easily a better defender than Dragic and Nunn though, even at this stage of his career. It was refreshing to see plays like this one.
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Last season, that's likely a switch from Adebayo. A small, either Nunn or Dragic, would be on Gorgui Dieng until they were "scrammed" out of there by a larger teammate nearby. With Lowry, he's tasked with fighting over the screen. That allows Adebayo to stay in a drop, preventing a clear path for a roll and putting him in better position for a defensive rebound had Trae Young went up for the three-ball.&nbsp;
Lowry checked the boxes you wanted to see in his Heat debut. He improved the pace, generated open shots with his playmaking ability and helped the Heat maintain their base defensively. In other words, he made life easier for everyone around him.
It's almost like he's been doing it for a decade or something.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan breaks down Kyle Lowry's Heat debut, specifically the parts that should carry over into the regular season.

Kyle Lowry makes life easier for Miami in preseason Heat debut

It&rsquo;s amazing how one&rsquo;s entire career &mdash; one's entire legacy &mdash; can often be defined by being on the wrong side of fate.
How differently would we have thought of LeBron James if Ray Allen hadn&rsquo;t made that three-pointer?
Would we have completely overlooked Kobe Bryant&rsquo;s 6-for-24 performance against the Boston Celtics if Metta World Peace didn&rsquo;t make the biggest shot of his life?
What would have become of James Harden&rsquo;s legacy if Kevin Durant&rsquo;s big toe didn&rsquo;t get the last laugh? Would Brooklyn have won the Eastern Conference? Could they have defeated the Phoenix Suns?
It&rsquo;s all moot now, but those thoughts help one realize how razor-thin the line between winning and losing can be.
United in purpose they are, but of Irving, Durant and Harden, it is only the Beard who endeavors to get his name off of the &ldquo;Charles Barkley&rdquo; list. From Karl Malone to Allen Iverson and Patrick Ewing to Damian Lillard, it&rsquo;s obvious that more goes into winning a championship than desire and talent.
Harden knows that all too well.&nbsp;
So yes, while they are united in purpose, they are each divided by their motivations to take their talents to Brooklyn in the first place.
For Irving, it was about coming home and finding happiness. For Durant, it was about building an empire to go along with an already-mighty legacy.&nbsp;
For Harden... it&rsquo;s about validation.
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&mdash; James Harden (@JHarden13) <a href="https://twitter.com/JHarden13/status/1442334234765524993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Since his Oklahoma City Thunder were slapped aside in 2012 by a LeBron possessed by his mission, Harden has been valiantly trying to get back to the NBA Finals. But just like Durant&rsquo;s left foot, Chris Paul&rsquo;s hamstring had other ideas. So did a number of failed partnerships along the way.&nbsp;
A great player in his own right, for the entirety of his basketball career, Harden has been one of the unfortunate few who was just never good enough at the right moment. He&rsquo;s fallen short more times than he&rsquo;d care to remember and, ultimately, has been squeezed between the margins as a number of his peers came out on the other side.
Between Durant and Irving, the two have three championship rings and more than twice as many Finals appearances. Best believe &mdash; that realization keeps Harden up at night.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very important,&rdquo; Harden responded, matter-of-factly when asked about his desire to win a championship in Brooklyn.
&ldquo;As a competitor &mdash;&nbsp; I feel like as one of the best players in the league &mdash; that&rsquo;s what you train in the summer for. That&rsquo;s what you go through the tough times and grinds for, the difficult days for.&rdquo;&nbsp;
And, alas, he vowed to keep fighting.
&ldquo;I fell short a few times, but that doesn&rsquo;t stop me and it won&rsquo;t stop me,&rdquo; Harden said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I train every single day with that mindset to be able to compete at the highest level and to be the last team standing... For me, I just want to go out there and make my teammates better [and] try to be the best player on the floor every single night...&rdquo;
While he has mostly succeeded in that quest, Harden, unfortunately, has been the best player on the floor most nights &mdash; just not those in April and May.&nbsp;
An ugly divorce with the Houston Rockets saw him eventually land in Brooklyn in January, but he would only play eight games with Irving and Durant before the playoffs began. And once they did, he and Irving couldn&rsquo;t stay on the floor.
Harden valiantly played his way back into game shape and was remarkably effective for a player dealing with his ailment. Maybe, just maybe, if Durant&rsquo;s foot found its way behind the line, Harden could&rsquo;ve found his stride in the conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks.
It turns out, that inch made all the difference.
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About three months later, feeling like it was the first day of school, Harden was confident and upbeat, yet satisfyingly realistic about where the Nets find themselves as they prepare for the challenges that await.
&ldquo;I think my job is to make sure that throughout the course of the year, we&rsquo;re all on the same page &mdash; obviously there&rsquo;s gonna be some ups and some downs and some tough times or whatever the case&nbsp; &mdash;&nbsp; but as long as we all have the same goal and that same sacrifice, it starts [Tuesday] in training camp... kinda instill that in the guys&rsquo; minds that we&rsquo;re doing this together, and to the end.&rdquo;
And together, they&rsquo;ll hope that the end is further than where it ended up being last season.
There&rsquo;s no question that the Nets will enter the season as the most-talked about team in the East, just like they were last year. But what Brooklyn discovered &mdash; and what Harden has long known &mdash; is that it doesn&rsquo;t guarantee you&rsquo;ll be the last team standing when it&rsquo;s all said and done.
Back in 2014, the San Antonio Spurs made good on their revenge tour. The year prior, a couple of missed free throws from Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard left the door open for Chris Bosh to snag one of the biggest offensive rebounds in NBA history. When the Spurs began the 2013-14 season with hopes of exorcising those demons, Danny Green admitted to having nightmares about the one that got away.
They made good. Now, it&rsquo;s Brooklyn&rsquo;s turn to attempt to do the same.
Patty Mills, one of the newest Nets, happened to be on the Spurs for that two-year stretch. Although he can&rsquo;t share in the pain that the club has felt since falling short against Milwaukee, he can certainly advise as to how to channel it.
Part of the reason the offseason is so long for the NBA&rsquo;s players is because there&rsquo;s no game tomorrow. It&rsquo;s the beauty of the chase for the ring. No matter what happens on Monday or Tuesday, there&rsquo;s always a game on Wednesday. There&rsquo;s always an opponent to scout, film to dissect or a game plan to discuss. When one game ends, emotionally, players have been trained to move on immediately, because a new challenge is on the horizon.
But those months between one&rsquo;s season ending and training camp convening?&nbsp;
Those days are long and dark.&nbsp;
On Media Day, as Harden reflected on the previous chapter in Brooklyn, he looked ahead with renewed energy and cautious optimism.
Squeezed between the margins for far too long, his personal quest for basketball immorality begins anew.&nbsp;
This time, he hopes, he can crawl toward the light &mdash; and better, wiser and more humble, that he can help his team come out on the other side.

For James Harden, the long offseason has ended. With training camp convening, another opportunity to earn immortality awaits.

In Brooklyn, the quest for validation still motivates James Harden

Luka Garza, the 2020-21 NCAA Player of the Year, is showing his worth during 2021 NBA Summer League. After being selected with 52nd pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Garza has become a folk hero in the Sin City thanks to his outstanding performances.
A four-year starter for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Garza was one of the most productive big men on the college level in recent years. With a non-stop work ethic, wanting to always expand his game to new heights, Garza became one of the best players in college basketball over the last few seasons, winning Big Ten Player of the Year in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Garza is on the roster bubble fighting for a permanent spot with the Pistons, but his Summer League outings should be turning heads within Detroit&rsquo;s front office. Garza is stuffing the stat sheet with supreme efficiency, shooting an impressive 42.9% on three-pointers while averaging 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 blocks in only 19.8 minutes per game. He&rsquo;s rehaped his own physique to make a strong first impression on the NBA level; Garza has lost over 20 pounds since leaving Iowa.
For a player with such an illustrious college resume, Garza feels an even bigger motivational chip upon his shoulders as he fights for a roster spot.
&ldquo;I know for sure that I&rsquo;m coming out here with one mindset [that] is to win -- help my team win in any way I can,&rdquo; Garza said after the Pistons&rsquo; win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. &ldquo;I want to show everybody that I&rsquo;m a guy who can help a team win in the NBA. Obviously this is Summer League, but I feel confident I can have this positive impact on my team in the regular season as well. So, whatever role it means, I know for me it doesn&rsquo;t matter. I&rsquo;m going to get to where I want to go because I&rsquo;m going to work as hard as I can. And I feel like I&rsquo;m just really grateful and blessed the Detroit Pistons took a chance on me when, obviously, 51 other picks passed on me.&rdquo;
As a late second-round pick, Garza will need to fight for a two-way contract or a spot on the bottom of the Pistons&rsquo; regular season roster. Either way, the results Garza is showing in Las Vegas demonstrate his college success is translatable to the pros, no matter the role. In Summer League action, Garza is showcasing his potential as a multi-faceted big man who can score in bunches off the bench.
Looking ahead to Garza&rsquo;s likely future in the pros, especially early on, he will be put into a 10-15 minute role as a backup center who can adequately space the floor and continuously make the smart read on the court.
When you compare Garza&rsquo;s per-36 minute stats in summer league to his final season at the University of Iowa, they&rsquo;re very similar. Translating his proficient production onto an NBA floor is an encouraging sign for Garza in terms of maintaining a long-term roster spot in Detroit or elsewhere:
Summer League (four games): 24.5 points, 15 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.3 blocks
Iowa Senior Season: 24.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.6 blocks
&ldquo;Good results happen when you put in the work,&rdquo; Garza said.
After the Pistons traded Mason Plumlee on draft night to the Charlotte Hornets, they drafted Garza at No. 52 overall as a depth big who will compete with Jahlil Okafor for backup minutes behind Isaiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk.
Pistons GM Troy Weaver should give Garza a legitimate look at a small role within their rotation next season. For a team with little chance of making the playoffs, potentially right back near the top of the lottery odds, the Pistons have little to lose by seeing what they could have with Garza. We&rsquo;ve already seen what Okafor can provide, and it may not be enough for him to maintain a roster spot over Garza. This has the makings of a battle that will sort itself out throughout training camp and the preseason.
In the meantime, Garza is making it very interesting for Detroit. If the Pistons hit on a long-term reserve big, it&rsquo;s another feather in the cap of a strong offseason put together by Weaver.

NCAA National Player of the Year Luka Garza is showing his success in college was no fluke during NBA Summer League action.

Luka Garza is showing he belongs in the NBA

Many of the stars who have shined during the 2021 NBA Playoffs were influenced by Kobe Bryant in one way or another.

Kobe Bryant's fingerprints are all over the 2021 NBA Playoffs

Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful for Game 1 of the Bucks-Suns NBA Finals.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1412232071175491584" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Antetokounmpo has reportedly made significant progress with his knee injury, but still <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/giannis-antetokounmpo-fighting-tooth-and-nail-to-be-ready-for-nba-finals-game-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has not practiced with the Milwaukee Bucks</a> as of Monday afternoon. The superstar hyperextended his knee in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks. He has not played since.

Antetokounmpo has yet to practice with the team since injuring his knee.

Bucks list Giannis Antetokounmpo as 'doubtful' for Game 1 of NBA Finals

With the 2021 NBA Finals set to begin on Tuesday night, BasketballNews.com will have you covered every step up the way with the top storylines, breakdowns, player quotes and more. Alex Kennedy will be reporting with a focus on the Phoenix Suns, while Spencer Davies will take the assignment for the Milwaukee Bucks. Nekias Duncan will have film breakdowns for both teams.
Monday afternoon at Phoenix Suns Arena marked NBA Finals Media Day, where both teams discussed the upcoming spectacle. Neither team has a single player on its roster that has won a championship &ndash; the first time that has happened since 1971. There is just one player who has reached the championship stage, and that is Jae Crowder on the Suns, who made the Finals in back-to-back years.
In the regular-season series, the Suns swept the Bucks 2-0 in a pair of one-point victories, the latest of which was an overtime thriller in Milwaukee.
As a team, the Bucks have not appeared in the Finals since 1974, and head coach Mike Budenholzer will be making his Finals debut in addition to the players.
Here are the main takeaways from the Bucks&rsquo; side of things from Media Day, including keys to Game 1 and the series as a whole:
What is Giannis Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s status?
It&rsquo;s the burning question on everyone&rsquo;s minds in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, we did not get an answer. Budenholzer indicated that he didn&rsquo;t have a feeling one way or another, but did seem encouraged by the progress Giannis Antetokounmpo is making.&nbsp;
His Bucks teammates didn&rsquo;t seem to know much on the matter, either.
&ldquo;Obviously, Giannis attracts a lot of attention. He's a huge part of what we do,&rdquo; Brook Lopez said. &ldquo;But I think, in a way, with or without Giannis, we know we have to just go out there and play Bucks basketball. We're going to have to play great team basketball, rely on each other, play together, and play great defense for 48 minutes.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;[We&rsquo;re] just a team that's trying to play unselfish, trying to do it as a committee [without Giannis],&rdquo; Khris Middleton said. &ldquo;When Giannis is out there, a lot of times we can just give him the ball and let him go to work and let him orchestrate a lot of things out there. Without him, we have to do it by committee, moving the ball around, driving it a little bit more, playing just a little bit faster with a little bit of different flow. But I think guys have done a great job of adjusting with him out &ndash; with him not out there in two of the most important games of our season."
According to NBA TV&rsquo;s Jared Greenberg, Giannis will work out in a private gym in Phoenix in front of &ldquo;an army of observers&rdquo; to test his injured knee. Per Greenberg, he&rsquo;s made significant progress over the last several days, originally going through drills on one leg to now being able to use the recovering leg. Giannis has been able to do individual workouts, but hasn&rsquo;t been doing them with the team itself. Greenberg said that he is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/giannis-antetokounmpo-fighting-tooth-and-nail-to-be-ready-for-nba-finals-game-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;fighting tooth and nail&rdquo;</a> to be in the lineup for Game 1.
&ldquo;You can't replace a player the caliber of Giannis -- two-time MVP, the things he does on a nightly basis on both sides of the ball, you can't replace it,&rdquo; Pat Connaughton said. &ldquo;But I would say, as a human being, it's even more impressive what he does, and what he's done since he's been injured, continuing to be vocal (if not even more vocal), pulling players aside individually, addressing the team collectively, making sure he's still present and more than a big part of what we're doing has instilled confidence in both individual players as well as the team in general.
&ldquo;Obviously, you're talking about a guy that puts up 30 points a night. You're talking about a guy that rebounds the basketball, passes the basketball, defends as well, if not better, than anybody else. You're not going to necessarily replace that with one guy or with one thing.
&ldquo;The way we've tried to make sure we've put our best foot forward to have his back while he's out is doing it together. Obviously, Khris, Jrue [Holiday], Bobby [Portis], there's been a bunch of guys that have stepped up in his absence, but it's been a collective group effort. It's been playing together. It's been sharing the basketball. It's been defending as a team and gang rebounding and doing all of the little things that it takes to win a basketball game so that we can try to put ourselves in this position, [getting] to the Finals to give Giannis some more time to get healthy because, without him, we wouldn't be here. We all see what he does on the court, but the things he does off the court are, in my opinion, even more impressive.&rdquo;
In Budenholzer&rsquo;s eyes, it&rsquo;s next man up.
&ldquo;I think it's one of those sports clich&eacute;s. There's a reason for those clich&eacute;s, because you see it happen time and time again in different sports, in the playoffs and what the group was able to do without Giannis in Game 5 and Game 6,&rdquo; Budenholzer said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Bobby Portis, obviously, shouldered a lot of that, but I think what Pat Connaughton was able to do, Jeff Teague, Bryn Forbes, Brook taking on a more significant role, how Jrue and Khris led and P.J. Tucker, everything he does that's about winning. So I think the whole group, I guess next man up is the phrase, but it's really each man taking a little share of that load, and the guys did that well. We may have to do that going into Game 1 and until Giannis hopefully is able to return.&rdquo;
Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday look to step up
Speaking of &ldquo;next man up,&rdquo; the attention shifts to Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, who both played a huge part in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks.&nbsp;
Middleton didn&rsquo;t quite have the three-ball working consistently when Giannis went down, but he put plenty of pressure on the defense with his mid-range game and foul drawing, averaging 24.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists in the three games without his superstar teammate.
Holiday&rsquo;s aggressiveness ramped up when Milwaukee needed him most, as his shot attempts exploded to 20 tries per game. He stepped up to average 23.7 points, 10.3 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in that window as well, helping send the Bucks to the Finals.
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&ldquo;Just to continue to be aggressive,&rdquo; Holiday said of his mentality. &ldquo;No letdowns, because the way Giannis plays, there are no letdowns. He's continually going to the basket, being aggressive on both ends of the floor. He brings so much to this team. He does so much for us that I feel like losing that would really be hard for us. So just continuing to be aggressive from minute zero to 48.&rdquo;
&ldquo;'I&rsquo;m going to ride with [my teammates],&rdquo; Middleton said. &ldquo;I think we're all having each other's back out there. Jrue has been fantastic. Giannis has when he's been out there. Brook, Bobby, Pat. I can go down the line. P.J. Tucker. We all use each other out there. We all need each other out there.&rdquo;
Defending Devin Booker and Chris Paul
Coming off an Eastern Conference Finals where Trae Young did damage out of the pick-and-roll and in the in-between areas, the Bucks will have their hands full with Devin Booker&rsquo;s incredible pull-up game.
Booker scored 54 total points in two games against Milwaukee in the regular season (on 20-for-45 from the field). He was able to score and get to the line at will in those contests, as well as dish off the attention he drew, doing most of his work inside the perimeter.
&ldquo;[He&rsquo;s] just a guy that hits tough shots, a guy that can score from the three, the mid-range and the paint, a guy that can get to the free-throw line,&rdquo; Middleton said. &ldquo;He's a guy that really can score in every single way, which is tough to guard because you don't know when he's going to stop and shoot, when he's going to keep going, when he's going to look to create for others. It's just a great balance he has.&rdquo;
Chris Paul also diced up the Bucks in those regular-season contests, registering 50 points on 50% from the field to go along with 20 assists. The Suns&rsquo; backcourt duo will be a major thorn in Milwaukee&rsquo;s side if the East representatives aren&rsquo;t attentive to defensive details.
&ldquo;They're very special players. They're gifted, talented. We have to do our best to make everything hard on them,&rdquo; Budenholzer said. &ldquo;Limit their easy looks. Limit their good looks. Keep them off the free-throw line. I feel like we have a lot of guys we can throw at them, but they test you and challenge you like great players do.&rdquo;
&ldquo;They're different players,&rdquo; Holiday said. &ldquo;You just really have to know their tendencies, what they like to do. I think everybody has watched Chris Paul play as a little kid &ndash; not saying he's old, but we have seen him play a lot, and he gets to his mid-range and he's great at his mid-range, especially in the pick-and-roll. Book is great in the iso, going left or right, pull up. He's athletic, so he can get to the basket too. Just attention to details and try to be as solid as possible.
PJ Tucker has been teammates with both Paul and Booker, and knows what each is capable of, especially when they get a mismatch they like.
&ldquo;For the switching defense, it's always a problem. You're getting a lot of what are presumed to be mismatches on sometimes centers on guards,&rdquo; Tucker said. &ldquo;We've done that pretty much most of the playoffs &ndash; Brooklyn, Atlanta. It's tough. No matter what, at this level, at this point, all the guards are really good. They can all score. Even putting guards on bigs now, it's tough trying to rebound.
&ldquo;That's something we carry heavy on our shoulders. Guys know to guard their own, be able to guard to take guys off the glass, being able to help and fight with each other, that's just a part of it. Obviously, it's going to pose that situation a lot of times, but we like our chances. We like our guys out there.&rdquo;
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Battle of the Big Men: Brook Lopez and Deandre Ayton
Brook Lopez will have the task of slowing down a thriving Deandre Ayton in these Finals. Ayton has been a dominating force in multiple facets to this point, including a ridiculous 70.6% mark from the field in the postseason as a whole thus far.
&ldquo;I mean, he's obviously developed very rapidly and even this season and even in the playoffs, he just continues to get better, and so I know he's going to be a load down there,&rdquo; Lopez said. &ldquo;He's very talented in the post. He can step out and shoot it. He's great in the pick-and-roll, and he crashes the offensive boards hard, just plays hard in general. So, he's definitely going to be a load to guard and it's going to be a fun matchup.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Definitely O-boards,&rdquo; Ayton said of his focus area. &ldquo;I think I'm great at it. Just attacking the glass and being relentless on the glass. Being the first man in transition. If he crashes, I'll probably be the first man on my end to probably get early seals, just to try to put some pressure on the rim to change the game up a little bit. Angles, just finding good angles on the way I set screens to get people open &ndash; pin-downs, on-ball screens. Just ways to put pressure on him having two against one.&rdquo;
Clash of the Second Units
Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton were crucial in their roles of helping the Bucks get to this point, particularly when Giannis went down in the East Finals. Bryn Forbes has been able to catch fire as well. &nbsp;
But the bench bunch for Phoenix can be just as deadly, consisting of a confident Cam Payne, Cameron Johnson, Dario Saric and former Buck Torrey Craig.&nbsp;
Portis feels that it will play a pivotal part in who comes out on top.
&ldquo;It's big, man. Obviously, me, Bryn, Jeff and Pat, we're the catalysts of the second unit,&rdquo; Portis said. &ldquo;We have to come in and be ourselves and come in and bring some energy to the game, some scoring and things like that. So, I think it's going to be very vital to help out the starting lineups and things like that. They do a good job on their end too, with Cameron Payne and Saric and those guys. Cam Johnson as well coming off the bench and scoring the basketball and bringing some energy to the game.
&ldquo;I think whoever has the most energy and plays with the most effort is going to win these games. That's what it's really going to come down to. Obviously, it's July. Guys have been playing since December, and it was a short offseason last year. I think whoever is the most conditioned, the most well-rounded, and the most energetic team is going to obviously come out victorious.&rdquo;
Game 1 Woes
Budenholzer was asked about the last two series openers that Milwaukee has failed to win, and how the team will approach that going into the first game of the Finals.
"I think everybody is locked in going into a Game 1," Budenholzer said. 'I think sometimes the team that's maybe more free and more competitive and more just playing basketball &ndash; you know, it's players, coaches, we're all similar. You have time and you talk about things and you work on things, and the great debate is does that free you up to go compete or does that put you in a place where you're overthinking? Every coach that's ever been through this, and I guess to some degree players, that's the great &ndash; you got to walk that line. And I think we want our guys to be free and to play and compete tomorrow."
Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com for coverage on the 2021 NBA Finals.

Spencer Davies points out six keys for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals.

2021 NBA Finals: 6 keys for the Bucks against the Suns

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo's status is still uncertain for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But Antetokounmpo is battling to be ready for the series.
According to NBA TV&rsquo;s Jared Greenberg, Antetokounmpo will work out in a private gym in Phoenix in front of &ldquo;an army of observers&rdquo; to see how the Greek superstar is performing with his injured knee. Per Greenberg, he&rsquo;s made significant progress over the last several days, originally going through drills on one leg to now being able to use the recovering leg.
The two-time MVP hyperextended his knee in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals after tangling with the Hawks' Clint Capela. Prior to the injury, the star forward was averaging 26.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in the series.
He has been able to do individual workouts, but hasn&rsquo;t been doing them with the team itself, per Greenberg, who also said that Antetokounmpo is &ldquo;fighting tooth and nail&rdquo; to be in the lineup for Game 1. No official injury designation has been listed yet.

Antetokounmpo has yet to practice with the team, but has made significant progress since injuring his knee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo 'fighting tooth and nail' to be ready for NBA Finals

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Trae Young and the inexperienced Atlanta Hawks seemingly aren&rsquo;t feeling the pressure of NBA playoff basketball.
They are loose and confident. The Hawks don't get rattled. They are 4-0 in postseason games decided by three points or less, and 6-1 when the margin is seven points or below.
&ldquo;When you have a group that really believes in each other and really is fighting on the court for each other, anything can happen,&rdquo; Young said Wednesday after the Hawks&rsquo; 116-113 Game 1 victory. &ldquo;I think our team really believes that, and it&rsquo;s been working.&rdquo;
The Hawks have jumped out to 1-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks heading into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals Friday night. The fifth-seeded Hawks have gone 6-2 in playoff road games as they chase the franchise&rsquo;s first title since 1958, when they were based in St. Louis.
Young&rsquo;s 48-point performance in Game 1 was the second-highest playoff total in franchise history, behind Dominique Wilkins&rsquo; 50-point effort in Game 2 of a 1986 first-round series triumph over Detroit. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Young was the first player ever to have at least 45 points and 10 assists in a Conference Finals game.
He&rsquo;s doing it with a flair and ease as he enjoys a coming out in the postseason, showcasing his skills in front of national television audiences who hadn&rsquo;t seen much of the Hawks before the playoffs.
After faking out Milwaukee&rsquo;s Jrue Holiday on a crossover late in the third quarter to leave himself wide open behind the 3-point arc, Young paused and did a little shimmy before making his shot.&nbsp;Also in the third quarter, <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1407882260372770825" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Young set up teammate John Collins for a dunk with a pass off the backboard.</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WITH THE SHIMMY. <a href="https://t.co/h6SmlIoB4U">pic.twitter.com/h6SmlIoB4U</a>
&mdash; Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1407883129147244547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen a lot of players just retreat whenever they get on this stage,&rdquo; said Hawks center Clint Capela, who reached the West finals with Houston in 2015 and 2018. &ldquo;What I see from him is so much confidence, fearless, attacking again and again. It&rsquo;s really contagious on our team.&rdquo;
The Hawks&rsquo; relative lack of postseason experience hasn&rsquo;t hurt them at all. Without being weighed down by expectations or memories of previous playoff disappointments, the Hawks are playing their best when games are on the line.
Atlanta&rsquo;s knack for winning close games started soon after the Hawks fired coach Lloyd Pierce and replaced him with Nate McMillan.
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Under Pierce, the Hawks were 1-6 in games that were decided by no more than five points or went into overtime. After McMillan&rsquo;s arrival, the Hawks finished the regular season by going 8-2 in games that fit that profile.
The trend has continued in the postseason.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve built a confidence, so you&rsquo;ve got to break that,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Thursday. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to win some of the close games. But a lot of credit to them, a lot of respect for how they&rsquo;ve played in close games in the playoffs and the regular season. We&rsquo;ve got to be prepared and be ready. &rdquo;
Hawks reserve forward Solomon Hill was part of the Miami Heat team that won the East as a No. 5 seed last year. Hill says the Hawks are thriving on the same underdog mentality that drove the Heat.
&ldquo;That was one thing that was huge about Miami,&rdquo; Hill said Thursday. &ldquo;The belief in ourselves was greater than anybody else&rsquo;s belief in us. There was nobody that wanted to win it more than the guys in the locker room. It showed with sacrifices. It showed with hard work. It showed with the hustle mentality that we had. And that&rsquo;s the same thing showing up here.&rdquo;
The Hawks are doing this at far less than full strength.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is playing with a sore right knee that has limited his effectiveness. Cam Reddish is back from an Achilles injury that knocked him out for four months, but the Hawks plan to work him in slowly after such a long layoff. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter is out for the remainder of the postseason after undergoing knee surgery.
Atlanta has withstood those injuries, rolling past New York and Philadelphia to reach the Conference Finals.
Young has been the catalyst. Even when he isn&rsquo;t shooting well he continues to have an impact. He controls the tempo of the game, gets to the free throw line and keeps teammates involved.
The Hawks have adopted his boldness and fearlessness, earning Game 1 road wins in each of the first three playoff rounds.
&ldquo;Everyone seems fearless on this stage,&rdquo; Hawks guard Kevin Huerter said. &ldquo;And he&rsquo;s obviously the ringleader of that.&rdquo;

The Atlanta Hawks, led by Trae Young, are feeling very confident and believe they can win this year's championship.

Surprising Hawks feeling confident: 'We're fearless on this stage'

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks pulled off a playoff comeback for the ages against the Philadelphia 76ers to move within a victory of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Young was fouled on a 3-pointer and hit all three free throws with 1:26 left to cap a 26-point comeback and send Atlanta on its way to a 109-106 victory over the 76ers on Wednesday night in Game 5.
The Hawks won in Philadelphia for second time in the series and can advance to the conference final for the first time since 2015 with a victory Friday night in Atlanta.
Young scored 39 points and added to a postseason where he has become a breakout star.
&ldquo;We keep fighting no matter what the score is. I&rsquo;m proud of this team,&rdquo; Young said. "We have confidence in each other. We all love each other&rsquo;s company and it shows on the court. We never stop believing until the final buzzer goes off.&rdquo;
Joel Embiid scored 17 points in the first quarter and had the Sixers on their way toward a romp with a 26-point lead in the first half. They still led 87-69 at the end of the third before they collapsed.
Lou Williams, Danilo Gallinari and Young opened the fourth on a huge run against the Sixers&rsquo; second unit and kept attacking once 76ers coach Doc Rivers was forced to put the starters in and save the lead.
Gallinari hit a 3 that made it 87-76 and Embiid sprang from his cool down seat behind the basket and ran to the scorer&rsquo;s table to check back in the game. He instantly scored and pushed the lead back to 13.
Didn&rsquo;t matter.
The big shots kept coming for the Hawks -- Williams buried a 3 that made it an 11-point game &mdash; and Young kept hitting his floaters and his fouls shots.
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Ben Simmons, along with Embiid the cornerstone for the Sixers, missed free throw after free throw much as he has for most of the postseason that sped up Atlanta&rsquo;s comeback.
Young&rsquo;s floater brought them within two and then he leaned into a 3-pointer and was fouled by Matisse Thybulle. Young, taunted all series by Sixers fans, calmly stepped to the line and buried all three shots. And so it was, 105-104 Hawks.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft sat courtside and saw yet another big collapse &mdash; only this one against Atlanta.
The Hawks led by 26 points in a Game 1 victory and won Game 4 at home on Monday.
Atlanta fans can roll off a lengthy list of infamous collapses in its collective sports history.
Here was a comeback to remember.
Gallinari scored 16 points, Williams had 15 points and John Collins had 19 points and 11 rebounds
Embiid scored 39 points and Seth Curry had 36. Simmons was 4 for 14 from the free throw line and even Embiid missed two big ones down the stretch. Simmons missed two with the Sixers up 104-96 and the Hawks came right down and scored.
Embiid shook off an 0-for-12 finish in the second half of a Game 4 loss with an 8-for-8 start that helped the Sixers grab a 26-point lead in front of a raucous home crowd.
Embiid is basically playing on one good leg as he plays through torn cartilage in his right knee. The injury got the best of him in Game 4. He couldn&rsquo;t get any lift in his shots &mdash; notable in a blown layup late that should have won the game &mdash; and his 0-fer in the second half left Philly wondering how hard he could go in Game 5.
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TIP-INS
Hawks: Made 22 of 28 free throws.
76ers: Julius Erving sat courtside. ... Danny Green (calf strain) wore a sleeve on his right leg and will remain sidelined for the rest of the series. ... Embiid was the first player in this postseason with a 20-10 first half.
INJURIES
Rivers joked &ldquo;I&rsquo;m injury free&rdquo; but didn&rsquo;t necessarily agree with LeBron James&rsquo; critique that NBA stars in the playoffs are getting injured in part because of the condensed seasons.
&ldquo;The last couple of years have been difficult, but we&rsquo;re getting through it,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;It says a lot about the players and the league that we can get through this.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Hawks pulled off a playoff comeback for the ages against the 76ers to move within a victory of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Hawks rally from 26 points down, stun 76ers in Game 5

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.
DONOVAN MITCHELL IS BECOMING SCHEME-PROOF
We're reaching the point where there is no good answer for Donovan Mitchell in a playoff setting.
The numbers speak for themselves: 32.9 points with a 60.9 True Shooting percentage through his first eight games of the postseason. A 43% clip on nearly 11 threes per game is patently absurd.
Beyond the numbers, the way that Mitchell is going about this has been eye-opening. Base schemes just haven't worked.
Drop coverage has invited Mitchell to pull-up at will. Straight drives into shots, screen rejects into open pockets. You name it, he's done it.
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Switching has also been futile. Mitchell has been diligent about hunting mismatches. Players at a speed disadvantage have been dusted by Mitchell. Not switching quickly enough has left wide enough windows for Mitchell to pull-up against.&nbsp;
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The Clippers have had to break character. Not only have they limited the amount of time they've had a traditional center on the floor with Mitchell, they've dialed up their aggression with their smaller units. They're sprinkling in doubles to throw off the rhythm of Mitchell's attacks.
It's a gambit that has succeeded -- at least compared to the other base schemes. It's also a gambit that Mitchell is starting to get comfortable with.
We're starting to see more possessions like this, where Mitchell sees where a double is coming from and attacks the opposite side. It's not just the method of attack, it's how quickly he's attacking.&nbsp;
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The Leap may be upon us, folks.
JEWELL LOYD SETTING THE TABLE
[Insert fancy intro about how Breanna Stewart isn't the only good player on the Seattle Storm here.]
We'll start with a couple of stats.
Jewell Loyd is one of two players -- the other being Liberty wing Betnijah Laney -- that ranks in the top-10 in scoring (19.2, eighth) and assists (4.2, 10th).
Among 32 players that have logged at least 50 pick-and-roll possessions this season (passes included), Loyd ranks eighth in efficiency (.904 PPP). Among the seven players above her in that ranking, only Skylar Diggins-Smith (15.6) is averaging more possessions than Loyd (12.4).
Put another way: Loyd is one of the best high-volume pick-and-roll threats in the sport.
Loyd's handle is tight. She combines that skill with superb footwork, allowing her to create space and fire on a whim. Watch how quickly she reads the coverage (ICE/"weak"), and how easily she flows into the jumper.
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Loyd is also a strong passer. I enjoy how quickly she recognizes passing windows, as well as her overall ball placement. She might just be the best entry passer in the sport because of it. She's also wildly good at hitting slips, an element that makes quick-hitting pick-and-rolls with Stewart impossible to defend.
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Loyd doesn't just get busy with the ball in her hands. She's a strong off-ball mover, able to cut into open space when attention is paid elsewhere. Her ability to balance herself carries over to her off-ball screen usage. Not only is she experiencing a career-year as a three-point shooter (39.5% on 5.8 attempts), that production is coming off a heavy dosage of looks like this.
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</div>
Combining that kind of off-ball utility with her on-ball chops is why Loyd is one of the most dangerous offensive players in the W.
JEFF GREEN, FILLING THE GAPS
Lost in the fun of Kevin Durant's historic night and the Milwaukee Bucks' insistence on playing stu-, er, less-than-optimal basketball, was Jeff Green lighting it up beyond the arc.
Green dropped 27 points on Tuesday night, joining Durant (49) and Blake Griffin (17) as the only Nets to score in double-figures. Green went 7-of-8 from deep; let's just say this is not a thing that Green, a career 34% three-point shooter, does with any regularity.
Beyond the hot shooting night, I was impressed with his defense. He found himself matched up with all three of the Bucks' star players at different points, either switching ball screens or defending (stagnant) isos. He more than held his own, particularly against Giannis Antetokounmpo in the second half.
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It's unreasonable to expect that kind of shooting performance from Green again, but it's important that he does offer some spacing. He has the ball skills to attack closeouts. Defensively, he has the mobility to hang when switching, and he has enough strength to make post-ups difficult.
The Nets have missed Green's versatility; Tuesday night's game was a great example of what he can bring to the table.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO "HMMMM"
<ul>
<li>The Bucks</li>
<li>completely forgot</li>
<li>how to play</li>
<li>NBA basketball</li>
<li>and lost Game 5</li>
</ul>
Okay, in all seriousness:
<ul>
<li>Did you know that Tina Charles is leading the W in scoring (24.0) this season? Did you also know she's sandwiched between Kayla McBride (5.5) and Natisha Hiedeman (5.3) in three-point attempts per game (5.4)? It's not only a career-high, it's triple the volume she put up last season. I'm here for the game expansion.</li>
<li>A quick Aces update: the A'ja Wilson-Liz Cambage pairing has a plus-10.1 net rating in 230 minutes together. It still pales in comparison to Wilson and Dearica Hamby (plus-15.7 in 205 minutes), but it's nice to see the Twin-Towers look working well.</li>
<li>I can't get over Jordan Clarkson averaging 16.0 points off the bench, shooting 45% from three on 10 attempts per game, and having easily the worst plus-minus (minus-12.5) on the team during this Clippers series. The Jazz bench has been down bad, figuratively and literally.</li>
<li>Among 21 players that have logged at least 75 pick-and-roll possessions this postseason, only three have generated more points per possession than Kevin Durant (1.156 PPP). One of those players is Monte Morris (1.159). What a postseason run that guy had.&nbsp;</li>
<li>So, uh, there were some #things that went down on WNBA Twitter between Skylar Diggins-Smith and Jazmine Jones. Sydney Colson's <a href="https://twitter.com/SydJColson/status/1404572135906066434" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recollection of the timeline</a> was easily my favorite.</li>
</ul>
PLAYS I LIKED
Going Ghost
Some simple, yet effective stuff from the Hawks here.
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John Collins and Clint Capela set up like they're about to flow into Double Drag, but Trae Young calls for something different.
The something different: some screen-the-screener action involving Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Capela sets a screen for Bogdanovic to come off, then Bogdanovic "ghosts" the screen for Young. Since the Sixers don't want to switch Seth Curry onto Young, Curry simply shows. Ben Simmons stays home, which puts two to the ball. Bogdanovic ends up getting an open three out of it.
Cutting it Close
This is freaking beautiful execution.&nbsp;
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Kelsey Plum (glad to see her back!) flies off the baseline exchange, lifting to the left wing. Destiny Slocum pitches the ball inside to Hamby as Plum finishes the first part of her route, but peep the weak side. You'll notice that the same thing is happening. This is essentially an option play.
Slocum chooses the side with Hamby and Plum. As Hamby receives the ball, Plum flips the funk and goes backdoor. This feels like a variation of "Blind Pig" action. Not 100% sure, but I dig it either way.
Improvisin' in the Valley
I will never get tired of watching Chris Paul pull strings in the half-court.
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Much like the Hawks example up top, the Suns give a Double Drag look. The Nuggets are playing drop coverage with JaVale McGee (loosely defending Dario Saric), but are hedging hard on the first screen.&nbsp;
Oh, wait, are they playing ICE coverage? Look at the way JaMychal Green positions himself.&nbsp;
Wait,&nbsp;is Michael Porter Jr. hedging?
It may not be clear, but it ultimately doesn't matter either way. Paul sees an opening, so he cuts his route short and flips the ball ahead to Saric. Cameron Johnson reverses course immediately, and Saric acts in concert with Johnson by flowing into a handoff. With McGee below the free throw line, there's no hope for a contest.
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 lately 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.
Gibson Pyper, also known as <a href="https://twitter.com/HalfCourtHoops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Half Court Hoops</a> on Twitter and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/HalfCourtHoops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/HalfCourtHoops/status/1404774427636781060?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote a breakdown</a> on Spain pick-and-rolls. If you thought I wasn't sharing this, you don't know me at all.
<a href="https://twitter.com/abovethebreak3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PD Web</a> goes deeeeeep with a <a href="https://twitter.com/abovethebreak3/status/1399850462157934597?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breakdown of Jalen Green</a>.
Feels like <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackson Frank</a> has been in here every week, but his <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1398345792050454528?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feature on Mikal Bridges</a> is well worth your time.
<a href="https://twitter.com/wtevs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katie Heindl</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/wtevs/status/1399084697691512845?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami's abrupt end</a>, and the perceptions around it.
<a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA">Zach Lowe</a>'s breakdown on the layers of the <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/1402631438399275010?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suns' pick-and-roll attack</a> is tremendous stuff.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler</a> wrote the most thorough <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1402370651172790277?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Bouknight breakdown</a> you'll read this year.
<a href="https://twitter.com/TylerRickyTynes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tyler Tynes</a> is one of the best feature writers on the planet. This one, <a href="https://twitter.com/TylerRickyTynes/status/1405181167234654209?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Dawn Staley</a>, won't disappoint.
<a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caitlin Cooper</a> writes her farewell to the short-lived <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1402709890964017154?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nate Bjorkgren era</a> in Indiana.

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: Donovan Mitchell, Jewell Loyd, Jeff Green

With the 2021 NBA Draft approaching, BasketballNews.com is breaking down the best prospects from its <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mock Draft</a>. The Big Ten was one of the top conferences in college basketball last season, and it has a number of pro hopefuls. Here are five players from the Big Ten to keep an eye on.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/franz-wagner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Franz Wagner, Michigan</a>
STATS: 12.4 PTS, 6.5 REB, 3.0 AST, 1.2 STL
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With versatility being the name of the NBA game, Franz Wagner is the archetype many NBA teams covet in 2021. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward makes his presence felt by being a menace on the defensive end, using a strong lateral ability and long wingspan to defend up to four positions on the floor. An intriguing point of emphasis for Wagner is his projection as a secondary ball-handler/facilitator, as there were many times he was operating on the wing and finding his teammates in scoring positions.&nbsp;
While his three-point shooting numbers leave something to be desired in today&rsquo;s NBA at 34%, the positives come from his shooting form not being broken; but it will need some tweaks to be ironed out. His 83% from the free-throw line has been consistent over his two college seasons, and it suggests that the touch is there to at least become a league average shooter from beyond the arc. Hours of repetition to find more consistency in his shot will benefit Wagner tremendously.&nbsp;
Wagner has times where he looks brilliant and times that leave you scratching your head. He&rsquo;s had notable trouble when driving with his non-dominant hand, and essentially looks like a less confident player when attacking that side of the floor. If a team puts time into developing him over the course of his first years in the league, it&rsquo;s not difficult to see a time where those moments of trouble will be few and far between.&nbsp;
The best part about Wagner is his willingness to do what&rsquo;s needed for the team to be successful. On-ball, he creates opportunities through his facilitating, or by using his size and length to get past defenders and to the rim. Off-ball, his movement keeps the offense flowing, and he finds many easy baskets as a result. Defensively, he is always willing to get down in a stance and lock-in or provide weakside rim protection from time to time. He&rsquo;s the ultimate glue guy that you can stick into an NBA lineup, and he&rsquo;ll find his way to fit in. Just as Wagner was a great player on one of the best teams in the nation, it&rsquo;s very easy to see Wagner as a high impact role player/starter on a championship contender in the future.
Franz Wagner is currently projected as the No. 12 pick to the San Antonio Spurs in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/ayo-dosunmu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois</a>
STATS: 20.1 PTS 6.3 REB 5.3 AST 48% FG
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Ayo Dosunmu was the engine that ran one of the top teams in the nation, the Illinois Fighting Illini. A combo guard with elite size -- standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 200 pounds -- Dosunmu can affect the game in multiple ways, and proved that as a triple-double threat for most of the season. Described as a &ldquo;gym rat&rdquo; by scouts, Dosunmu has shown improvement in each of his collegiate seasons so far. As he transitions into the NBA, he projects as a real bucket-getter with secondary playmaking abilities that can defend up to three positions.&nbsp;
As a scorer, he has potential to fill it up from all three levels, but his strengths lay specifically with attacking the rim and mid-range scoring. Although he&rsquo;s not a freak athlete, on drives and in transition, Dosunmu has a fluid athleticism to showcase tremendous body control and touch to convert around the basket or over the top of the defense. In isolation, he deploys a bag of crossovers and hesitations to beat his defender to the rim, or to get into comfortable spots in the mid-range to then unleash a pull-up jump shot that he seems to favor. Dosunmu shot above 48% from within the arc in each of his three college seasons, and finished this past season at 51% on more than 12 attempts per game.
One of Dosunmu&rsquo;s swing skills will be his three-point shooting. While his percentage improved to 39% on the season, this result came on the lowest volume of three-point attempts in his collegiate career, as it&rsquo;s clear he relied on those aforementioned strengths to score. While not a natural shooter, if Dosunmu can prove to scouts he has more consistency in his release and can hit spot-up threes, his projections to play consistent NBA minutes will rise.&nbsp;
Billed as a point guard coming into college and playing many lead guard minutes for the Illini during his career, Ayo Dosunmu&rsquo;s scoring abilities have outshined his ability as a primary facilitator to the point that he would be better weaponized as a shooting/combo guard in the NBA. Dosunmu was able to create a lot of opportunities out of pick-and-roll situations for himself and his teammates, which should warrant some possessions as a facilitator on the next level. However, at times, he struggled with turnovers from forced passes and poor ball security from pressure as a result.&nbsp;
If Dosunmu can improve his shooting, handling and ability to read defenses on the offensive end, his ceiling as a player will continue to rise through the early years of his NBA career. Defensively, his elite size and wingspan paired together will allow him to guard both backcourt positions and some bigger wings. With the rate he&rsquo;s improved since high school, it is not out of the realm of possibility he could be one of the best two-way role players to contribute to winning basketball in the future.&nbsp;
Ayo Dosunmu is currently projected as the No. 37 pick to the Detroit Pistons in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/aaron-henry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aaron Henry, Michigan State</a>
STATS: 15.4 PTS 5.6 REB 3.6 AST 45% FG
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Aaron Henry is a 6-foot-6 junior wing from the college basketball powerhouse of Michigan State University. While the Spartans ended an uncharacteristic year with an early exit in the NCAA Tournament, Henry wanted to use this year to solidify himself as an NBA Draft pick after testing the waters in last year's draft cycle. His role expanded after Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman&rsquo;s departure for the NBA, and Henry was able to show some improvements to his game that continued to intrigue scouts regarding his projections at the next level. However, MSU&rsquo;s bumpy year may have hindered him from reaching a late first-round grade as some scouts may have expected.&nbsp;
What scouts liked about Henry in 2020 was his major two-way potential as a long, athletic wing that is active on both ends of the floor and willing to do what it takes to win. Playing with Winston kept him off the ball, but it displayed his cutting and ability to attack close-outs to finish around or over the top of defenders at the rim. This season, Henry was given more on-ball opportunities, with his usage jumping from 19.7% to 27.2%, as it seemed he was probably the most trusted with the ball in his hands this year. Part of this is because he developed a herky-jerk style of handle during the last three years that allowed him to flash some off the dribble creativity in his expanded role.
Similar to Dosunmu, Henry relies on getting to the rim and pull-up mid-range jump shots to do his damage on offense, but right now almost exclusively converts on the left side of the court -- aligning with this dominant hand. His long-range jump shot is his swing skill that could still use some work (especially to quicken the release), but the evidence in his improved mid range jump shot and free-throw percentage do provide optimism that he&rsquo;ll improve his three-point shot over time.&nbsp;
Aaron Henry still holds intrigue as a valuable role player who is a plus athlete that can play off of a primary creator, but this season showed that he has the ability to leverage his own strengths on the ball at times. Also, with increasing his steal and block rate to 2.4% and 4.1%, respectively, during his junior season, Henry has doubled down on scouts' confidence that he will make an impact on the defensive end, as he projects to guard up to three perimeter positions on the next level.&nbsp;
Aaron Henry is currently projected as the No. 51 pick to the Detroit Pistons in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/luka-garza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luka Garza, Iowa</a>
STATS: 24.1 PTS 8.7 REB 1.6 BLK 55% FG
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Luka Garza was one of the most prolific and accomplished players in all of college basketball that is looking to prove he belongs in the NBA. His track record speaks for itself, earning various honors, including the Wooden and Naismith awards, All-American status and multiple Big Ten awards to go along with his Iowa Hawkeyes team finishing as the No. 8 team in the country with a 22-9 record. Garza&rsquo;s blend of size and touch are reflected by his impressive 55% from the field and 44% from three this past season. However, scouts have concerns about Garza&rsquo;s adjustments to the quicker, faster and more athletic play of the NBA.
Offensively, there are things to like with his projections as a stretch five. At 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds with a career average of 37% from three, Garza could be a strong pick-and-pop threat, as he possesses a sturdy frame to give guards and wings trouble to get around on screens. As a roller, he has the touch around the rim to convert open looks. Where he may have issues is going against the best interior defenders in the league, as many of them will be quicker, longer, stronger and more athletic than many of the defenders he faced in college. Garza could be a situational weapon if the team that drafts him wants to play with a change of pace or "four-out, one-in" for parts of a game to take advantage of the more wiry centers around the league. Garza also takes advantage of his large frame on the boards, as he uses his size and strength well to create the space to get rebounds on the offensive and defensive end.
On the defensive side of the ball, the same concerns are apparent, though. Garza&rsquo;s physical attributes could be limiting, as his lack of verticality wouldn&rsquo;t provide tremendous resistance against better athletes at the rim. He also has a slower footspeed than most successful NBA big men that could give him trouble when he&rsquo;s put on an island in switches. NBA spacing will do him a disservice on how he can impact the game defensively.
A strength for Garza is the motor that he plays with throughout the course of a game. In an MSU-Iowa matchup I was able to see live in the 2019-20 season, Garza was a workhorse the whole game vs. Xavier Tillman. Playing all 40 minutes, I was very impressed with how he was able to carry his frame the whole game without looking overly tired. He ran the floor, never seemed to take plays off and always looked to go through defenders in the paint, and finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds against a tough Michigan State team. Even with his physical attributes possibly limiting his translation to the NBA, what could help him see the floor is his work ethic. To this point, Garza&rsquo;s pedigree as a college basketball player does deserve attention on the NBA level, and it is tough to see him not selected come July 29.
Luka Garza is projected as the No. 57 pick to the Charlotte Hornets in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/isaiah-livers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Livers, Michigan</a>
STATS: 13.1 PTS 6.0 REB 2.0 AST 43% 3FG
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After testing the draft waters in 2020, Isaiah Livers returned to campus with some additional confidence about his potential in the NBA. However, an unfortunate foot injury that required surgery ended his campaign before a deep postseason run for the Michigan Wolverines. Throughout this year&rsquo;s draft process, Livers will need to ease the injury concern of scouts, especially after two seasons of missing fairly significant time.
Fitting the modern combo forward archetype, Livers (6-foot-7, 230 pounds) has what it takes to step in on day one and provide immediate floor spacing and defense all around the court. Before his injury, he was seen as an effective shooter in catch-and-shoot situations, averaging 41% from beyond the arc over his four-year career. While his release could be quicker, his form is fluid, and he shoots an easy ball that projects well to deeper range. With Michigan&rsquo;s pro-style of play, Livers will have one of the smoother transitions to finding open spaces on the floor to shoot the ball. Pre-injury, Livers was also a sneaky athlete, and if he had space to take off, highlight dunks or chasedown blocks would follow. He also showed some flashes of off-the-dribble skills, but he's not a guy you want with the ball in his hands for too long -- since his jump shot off the catch is his greatest weapon. In addition, he could improve with his finishing at the rim, as he&rsquo;s not the strongest at converting in traffic; although, he takes contact very well.&nbsp;
On the defensive end, Livers has been effective on the perimeter and in the paint at times. He had strong sequences of locking down guards in one-on-one situations, and chasing wings around the screens with good contests to force tough shots. He&rsquo;s also been able to use his 230-pound frame to body up 4's and 5&rsquo;s when needed. While he&rsquo;s not the quickest player laterally, he moves very well to stay in front of smaller players, and uses his length to gather blocks and deflections, which makes his switchability very interesting to scouts. Ultimately, he projects to guard big wings while having the potential to not lose ground on quicker guards when switched.
A lot will be riding on Isaiah Livers&rsquo; health going into the draft process, and scouts will want to know how he&rsquo;s progressing. Losing lateral quickness or athleticism could be a major hindrance to his NBA future.&nbsp;
Isaiah Livers is projected as the No. 60 pick to the Indiana Pacers in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Mock Draft</a>.

Blake Hairston breaks down the top NBA draft prospects to keep an eye on from the Big Ten Conference.

2021 NBA Draft: Analyzing the Big Ten's top prospects

The New York Knicks were an elite defense this season. They finished the 2020-21 campaign fourth in overall defensive rating (107.8) and third in half-court defense (93.1), per Cleaning The Glass.&nbsp;
Not only were they good; they were consistently good. They ranked no lower than ninth in defensive rating for any calendar month.&nbsp;
Head coach Tom Thibodeau schemed up a disciplined squad, built on a strong middle presence, weak-side overloading and an inherent trust that his guys would be able to close-out hard enough to make corner skips moot. To that point, no team allowed a lower field goal percentage at the rim (60.5%) or from three (33.8%) than the Knicks, per Cleaning The Glass.
While the reward of the regular season was high, there were always exploits. Teams struggled to convert at the rim, but had less issue getting there; the Knicks ranked 21st in the percentage of shots allowed at the rim. The same could be said for threes -- corner shots specifically. Only four teams allowed a higher share of corner triples than the Knicks (9.7%).
If only there was a team, maybe even a specific player, that was good enough to poke at the inherent limitations of the Knicks' scheme.
Enter the Atlanta Hawks, and enter Trae Young.
Young has simply been incredible through three games, averaging 27.7 points on 50% shooting from two, 43.8% shooting from three, 94.1% shooting from the line, and 10.3 assists. The efficiency of the points stand out, but it's not enough that Young has been efficient; he's done so in a way to completely break what the Knicks want to do.
It all starts at the point of attack. Their primary point guards -- Elfrid Payton in spot-starter minutes, and Derrick Rose -- are tasked with fighting over (high) ball screens and staying attached to Young's side or hip. From there, they must funnel Young into tough spots. Long twos are the goal, but forcing Young to finish over Nerlens Noel is a nice consolation prize.
The issue is that Young is a bit too slithery to contain. He's done a great job of mixing in straight-line attacks off of screens, or playing the pace game to wrong-foot defenders into taking bad angles.
Young isn't a Curryian shooter by accuracy, but he is by audacity. He's good enough at those deep bombs -- he shot 36.2% on threes from 30 feet or farther this season, per Synergy -- to require attention.
Higher ball-screens = more space for defenders to navigate.
More space to navigate = more avenues for Young to get to his spots.
You don't want Young to get to his spots.
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Even when defenders are able to stay attached and force Young downhill, he's been wildly effective on floaters. He's converted half of them when taking them out of pick-and-roll in this series, per Synergy.
Below, pay special attention to the pace that Young plays this pick-and-roll. He doesn't start his attack until Reggie Bullock (please stop putting him on Trae, Thibs!) leaps out of position. Young gets into Bullock's body, then explodes away from him before using an inside-out dribble to free Taj Gibson. The sneaky part about Young's floater is that they look identical to his lob passes.&nbsp;
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He's also mastered the art of the instant deceleration, cutting his drive short to draw a foul. He's drawn fouls on 11.1% of his pick-and-roll possessions in this series, a slight decrease from his regular-season clip (11.8).
Same process as the Bullock clip above. Young gets Alec Burks off-balance before driving and gaining inside leverage. Once he feels Burks on his hip, he just... stops.&nbsp;
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That's just Young as a scorer. Passing remains his best skill, as hard as that may be to believe. Even at his size, every pass in the book is available to Young, with either hand.
Young has to account for every defender on the floor when initiating in pick-and-roll. He only&nbsp;reads&nbsp;the third defender in the action, typically the weakside defender.
If that defender doesn't come for a tag, Young knows he'll have a 2-on-2 to work with. That 2-on-2 is generally a 2-on-1 with the way Young consistently gets his defender on his hip. If the big isn't in perfect positioning, buckets will be had.
Here's a clear example in the video below. The Knicks do a solid job here of shutting down the initial "Double Drag" action. But watch what happens next. Young and John Collins reset and flow into a 1-4 pick-and-roll of their own. Taj Gibson has to stay with Clint Capela in the dunker spot, and RJ Barrett doesn't provide extra relief on the other side of the action. Easy lob.
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And if a third defender does slide over, Young can make them pay with live-dribble skips. This is an incredibly tough pass that he makes look easy. The key to all of this is Rose; once Young sees him drop down to provide extra relief, he knows where the ball is going.
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The Knicks have mostly committed to their drop scheme in this series, though they've sprinkled in some hedges and flat-out traps. This is a sound adjustment on the surface. Young is small, and the Hawks don't necessarily have a Draymond Green on the roster to operate as a short-roll threat.
But how good is a trap if Young can dribble out of it?
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Not very.
Through three games, Young has proven he's the best player in this series. Not only is he the best player on the floor, there's no real answer for him. That's the scary part for the Knicks, but ultimately a hat tip to Young's offensive prowess.
He's arrived, y'all.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan details how Trae Young has carved up the New York Knicks in their first-round playoff series.

Trae Young has cracked the Knicks' code

Transformative new sports league OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that it has selected Atlanta as its home. OTE selected the city of Atlanta after a year-long search, during which league officials visited and studied eight cities across the United States. OTE, which offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, begins playing in Atlanta this September.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
&ldquo;If we could construct a city that would be the perfect home for Overtime Elite, it would look just like Atlanta,&rdquo; said Overtime Elite Commissioner and President Aaron Ryan. &ldquo;The city&rsquo;s storied basketball history, diverse population, vibrant business community and rich culture make Atlanta a special place. OTE is looking forward to being an active contributor to the community.&rdquo;
OTE is committed to building an inclusive, diverse and equitable workforce, with a focus on hiring among communities of color and on employing people who live within Atlanta&rsquo;s city limits. The league is actively recruiting and hiring a staff of more than 100 people in the city, including basketball staff, educators, residential staff, food service, and additional support staff. OTE has already begun building its senior leadership team in Atlanta; the league&rsquo;s Head of Basketball Operations, Brandon Williams, and its Head of Talent and Recruiting, Kali Franklin, both live in the metro area. Individuals interested in career opportunities with OTE should visit LinkedIn for additional information.
&ldquo;This exciting announcement underscores that Atlanta is still a great place to do business. Overtime Elite will bring several well-paying jobs to our city, generate millions of dollars in economic impact and expand mentorship and programming opportunities for our young people,&rdquo; said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. &ldquo;We are pleased that Overtime Elite has chosen Atlanta to be its permanent home, and we look forward to welcoming the next generation of basketball stars to our city.&rdquo;
Planning is underway on construction of a brand-new 103,000-square-foot facility in the city&rsquo;s Atlantic Station neighborhood, where OTE&rsquo;s players will train, study and compete. This project will create up to 400 construction jobs in metro Atlanta, at least 30% of which will be diverse and people of color.
To maximize efficiency and reduce waste, the structure will be built using recycled and reused components, with an energy-efficient HVAC system and green-compliant LED lighting system and outer covering. The facility will be completed in time for the league&rsquo;s September debut. Larry Serota, Clark Dean and Clark Seydel of Transwestern led market exploration, site selection, and transaction-structuring for OTE.
&ldquo;Overtime Elite is a welcome addition to Atlanta&rsquo;s rich sports tradition, elevating the city as a global center for basketball development and a cultural hub for people of all backgrounds,&rdquo; said Atlanta Hawks player and Overtime investor Trae Young.
OTE leadership has long standing personal and professional relationships within the Atlanta Hawks organization, with a deep respect for the team&rsquo;s long history in the city and the role they have played to create positive change in the community. Similarly, OTE has been inspired by the impact that the Atlanta Dream and its players have had over the past year in using their voices to increase voter participation in the 2020 election.
&ldquo;Overtime Elite is a project that will bring long-time benefits to the city of Atlanta, not only economically, but it will teach our young people about empowerment and competing from a position of strength,&rdquo; said Michael Render, aka Killer Mike, Atlanta-based rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, actor, and activist.
Overtime Elite provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers, preparing them for the next level in a way not possible in an ordinary high school environment. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.
The league directly addresses one of the biggest issues in global sports: compensation of amateur athletes. Every single OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of more than $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.
Players will participate in a robust, accredited academic program that&rsquo;s highly tailored to their individual needs, with a special emphasis on developing the life skills necessary to manage and sustain a successful pro sports career. OTE will offer a direct-instruction model led by individual instructors who teach both one-on-one and in small group sessions featuring a 4:1 student-teacher ratio. OTE will supplement a traditional course offering with a focus on skills like financial literacy, media training and social justice advocacy, all of which help athletes better prepare for the pressures that come with stardom and the opportunities that come with being a role model.
About Overtime Elite
OTE is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes. OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

OTE, which offers the world’s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, begins playing in Atlanta this September.

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