Savage Storm

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

NBA Power Rankings: New Year's Resolutions for each team

It's a new NBA season, which means the Sour Rankings are back!&nbsp;
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.&nbsp;
This week is not a "preview" installment; it is rather a barometer of the general vibe around a franchise as things get underway. The NBA preseason is generally filled with optimism; 10 teams make the Sour Rankings, but that doesn't mean they're all in dire straits, as I'll note.
So without further ado, let's get to it!
10. Washington Wizards
Given the circumstances, the Wizards had a satisfactory 2021 offseason. They returned three rotation-caliber players from the Russell Westbrook trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, and then went out and found a strong backcourt partner for Bradley Beal in Spencer Dinwiddie.&nbsp;
Washington could be a very solid team on paper with improved depth &mdash; but is that enough to make considerable playoff noise in the Eastern Conference? Beal's looming 2022 free-agent status shines a harsh spotlight on the current Wizards. Their star has stuck it out through multiple years of mediocrity. Maybe he'll re-up with the team that drafted him, but Beal would undoubtedly appreciate some serious postseason contention before having to decide.
9. Indiana Pacers
The injury bug simply will not let go of the Pacers. T.J. Warren still appears to be a ways off from recovering from a foot injury that held him to just four games last season. Caris LeVert will <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2021/10/16/pacers-caris-levert-getting-closer-but-miss-first-four-games/8489876002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly miss at least the first four games</a> of the regular season as he works to return from a stress fracture in his back. These are two top-scoring options out of the short-term picture.
Indiana largely opted to stay the course in a suddenly crowded East. The Pacers can't afford to fall behind early, and these absences certainly won't help.
8. New Orleans Pelicans
Another team hampered by health, this ranking is entirely due to Zion Williamson's injury status. The superstar forward has suffered a sprained knee, torn meniscus and foot fracture in the past years, and is now without a return timetable as he recovers from that foot surgery. Without Williamson, the Pelicans are nowhere near the playoff sleeper they could be &mdash; even with a new head coach and some positive roster moves. They need their centerpiece, and his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/we-should-be-worried-about-zion-williamson-ability-to-stay-healthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developing pattern of injuries is concerning</a>.
7. Phoenix Suns
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Mikal Bridges on being there for Deandre Ayton after not signing a new contract: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s way more mature with everything. He has great people around him. I try to do the best I can to clear his mind, but it&rsquo;s tough. .. Being around him every single day, I don&rsquo;t want to lose that.&rdquo;
&mdash; Evan Sidery (@esidery) <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1450186692871135232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Three hours before writing this, I would not have remotely considered the Suns to be in the Sour Rankings. But the rookie extension deadline has passed without Deandre Ayton securing a long-term deal, the first No. 1 pick since Anthony Bennett not to do so.
Suns general manager James Jones did not negotiate a maximum contract extension with the Bahamian big man, perhaps at the direction of team owner Robert Sarver &mdash; but the team did agree to a 4-year, $43 million extension with draft classmate Landry Shamet. As Evan Sidery <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/evan-sidery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in regards to Ayton</a>, that's blasphemous, and it could fragment an extremely fun, likable Phoenix squad.
6. Sacramento Kings
Your 2021 Las Vegas Summer League champs are back to fight the longest postseason drought in the league. The Kings are making strides with their young talent, highlighted by the preseason success of No. 9 overall pick Davion Mitchell, and retained a core piece in Richaun Holmes.&nbsp;
But does it feel like Sacramento is any closer to the playoffs? Buddy Hield was all-but-traded to the Lakers, and his future is now uncertain as the Kings see if a De'Aaron Fox-Tyrese-Haliburton-Mitchell lineup has potential. What about 2018 No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III, who was not extended at Monday's deadline? He's as big of a question mark as one can exist among young prospects league-wide.&nbsp;
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
There's definitely reason for optimism with the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards had a phenomenal second half to the 2020-21 season and an overall stellar rookie year. Karl-Anthony Towns can be rid of the awful, awful year-plus he has endured personally. D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley can get buckets, Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt are intriguing defensive pieces and Chris Finch had a summer to prep for all of this as head coach.&nbsp;
But the Gersson Rosas firing and fallout feels all too Timberwolves-y. It's yet another reset for Towns, who was vocally frustrated at training camp. Is the front office in position to guide the team with the season about to start?&nbsp;
4. Portland Trail Blazers
Larry Nance Jr.'s acquisition partially salvaged what was a wildly terrible offseason in Portland between the Chauncey Billups hiring and the Damian Lillard trade rumors. It appears Lillard is content to stick with the Blazers this season and see how the team operates under its first-year head coach. That's admirable, but it also means the entire season will be laced with tension.
Portland should run back a fun, high-scoring offense. Will the defense improve with Nance in the frontcourt? That's the big question. If not, the Blazers will return to playoff mediocrity and potentially push Lillard closer to the exit door.&nbsp;
3. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks were one of my picks for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-worst-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst NBA offseason</a> (Jackson Frank also picked them), and nothing in recent weeks has made me feel any better. Mark me down as adamantly opposed to the Jason Kidd hiring. Reggie Bullock is a fine individual player; he is not going to dramatically alter things on the offensive end. Plus, Dallas recently released 2020 draft pick Tyrell Terry, and we haven't seen much of 2020 first-rounder Josh Green. Where does the optimism come from outside of Luka Doncic?
2. Brooklyn Nets
I'm not going to get deep into the Kyrie Irving situation from a public health perspective, celebrity responsibility perspective or general common sense perspective. I don't have anything major to add to those discussions, other than to reinforce that Irving is carelessly and dangerously misusing his power as a public figure.&nbsp;
This section is about the Nets, who are paying the price for Irving's choices. The NBA title should have traveled through Brooklyn and its Big Three, and the Nets are still an elite basketball team with improved depth. But, remove an All-NBA-caliber player and the ceiling significantly lowers. Instead of being the overwhelming favorite, the Nets have become just another contender.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
Ben Simmons has given us the Hollywood trade drama we had missed since, well, last winter. Simmons was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-thrown-out-of-practice-suspended-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tossed out of practice and suspended Tuesday</a>, so the months-long firestorm appears to still be getting hotter. But while that's a win for NBA/TMZ crossover fans, it's a serious loss for the 76ers, who now have to take this show into the regular season.
Joel Embiid has never played more than 64 games in a season, and is coming off of two shortened offseasons sandwiching an East Finals run. That should cause concern. The backcourt is fun, but nowhere near close to replicating Simmons' impact. Maybe Simmons actually does suit up in games &mdash; will he bring a positive on-court presence to a team that has publicly denounced his game?
Until Philly finally makes a trade &mdash; and who knows when it could happen &mdash; the Sixers' season could range from awkward to disastrous.

Ethan Fuller ranks the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises ahead of the season.

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Ethan Fuller evaluates the NBA landscape at the quarter mark of the season.

NBA Sour Rankings: Back to the rumor mill

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NBA Sour Rankings: Introducing the Cade-O-Meter

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NBA Sour Rankings: Life After a Blockbuster

Etan Thomas, Dave Zirin, Drew Gooden and Tony Massenburg discuss what John Wall meant to D.C. and Russell Westbrook's fit on the Wizards.

Etan Thomas, Drew Gooden, Tony Massenburg, Dave Zirin on Wall-Westbrook deal

"Limbo" and "Lakers" were the words of the day as the sun came up Saturday following an eventful Friday night that saw the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks get a whole lot stronger.
The Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers are the teams in the biggest states of limbo. With Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s situation unresolved, and the same thing happening with Serge Ibaka, Bogdan Bogdanovic, dozens of other unrestricted free agents will be scrambling for deals today before the teams will use all of their significant cap space up.
The defending champions may have pulled off the stunner of the night by <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-free-agency-rumors-los-angeles-lakers-agree-two-year-deal-montrezl-harrell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreeing to terms with Montrezl Harrell</a> of the Clippers, who will replace Dwight Howard on a Lakers team that is going through some roster turnover despite last season&rsquo;s success. They still have unanswered questions about who will comprise their backcourt, but their weakest position last season is a whole lot stronger.
Toronto (or should we call them Tampa?) has reportedly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-free-agency-fred-vanvleet-agrees-four-year-85-million-toronto-raptors-return" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed to a four-year, $85 million deal with VanVleet</a>, who was considered the best available point guard on the market. With VanVleet spurning the Knicks and deciding to return to the team that drafted him, New York will have a whole lot of money without anyone to spend it on...unless Gordon Hayward cannot get to his preferred destination, Indiana.
We still have the James Harden and Russell Westbrook situations in limbo to look forward to, but the Rockets are in no hurry to accommodate either of their trade desires. For now, Houston still looks like a playoff team, but the 2020-21 season does not begin for another 31 days, so a whole bunch of stuff can still happen before opening night.
For now, we know that New Orleans will have a much better center flanking Zion Williamson after acquiring Steven Adams from the Oklahoma City Thunder for...you guessed it, draft picks. This will be an expansion of the Bucks-Pelicans deal that is sending Jrue Holiday to Milwaukee, and there are moving parts that will be agreed upon over the course of the next day or so.&nbsp;
The Bucks&rsquo; pursuit of Bogdan Bogdanovic is over, and we will soon learn whether the Serbian made the right move in turning down $60 million over the next four years and the opportunity to play alongside Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
Utah reunited with glue guy Derrick Favors, who is leaving the Pelicans, while also re-signing Jordan Clarkson. Atlanta added Danilo Gallinari and Kris Dunn, and still has cap space remaining to add another top-notch player to the core of Trae Young, John Collins and Clint Capela. I have been hearing all week that Rajon Rondo is a strong candidate for the Hawks to back up Young and be a mentor for the 22-year-old.&nbsp;Lest we forget, Rondo was arguably the second-best player for the Lakers when they defeated Miami 4-2 in the NBA Finals. 
In a somewhat stunning move, the Pistons signed Denver&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-free-agency-detroit-pistons-agree-three-year-deal-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerami Grant for three years and $60 million</a>, taking away a key piece of Denver&rsquo;s core. He will be replaced by JaMychal Green, who left the Clippers for Denver.
Brooklyn also is emerging as a winner, having retained Joe Harris while also adding Bruce Brown from the Pistons and Landry Shamet from the Clippers. There are reports that Kevin Durant is recruiting Ibaka, which would give the Nets another center/power forward to play alongside Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan.
The Nets&rsquo; crosstown rivals have added Alec Burks, but the Knicks begin the day wondering whether this free-agency window will look a lot like the last free agency window when Durant and Kyrie Irving both spurned them.&nbsp; But Leon Rose and William Wesley are the new management team, and both are brilliant executives who know that free agency plays out on an hour-by-hour basis. If the Celtics and Pacers cannot agree to terms on a deal that would land Hayward in Indiana, New York is waiting.&nbsp;
So the player to watch most closely over the course of the day today was VanVleet, who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-top-10-nba-free-agents-agency-players-2020-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">colleague Spencer Davies had ranked as the No. 3 free agent</a> on the market behind Anthony Davis (making the Lakers wait) and Brandon Ingram (restricted), before he re-upped with the Raptors. 
Of Davies&rsquo; Top 10, No. 4 Harrell (Lakers), No. 7 Gallinari (Hawks), No. 8 Goran Dragic (resigning with Miami) and No. 10 Bertans (re-signing with Washington) are off the board. Ibaka (No. 5), Hayward (No. 6) and Bogdanovic (No. 9) are still out there, along with Ingram. But Ingram and Bogdanovic are restricted, meaning their current teams would have 48 hours to match any offer sheet they sign.
Going position-by-position in Davies&rsquo; rankings, the players still out there are:
Point Guards: Reggie Jackson, Jeff Teague, D.J. Augustin, Shabazz Napier, Shaquille Harrison and Rondo.
Shooting Guards: Bogdanovic, Austin Rivers, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kent Bazemore and Jordan McRae.
Small Forwards: Ingram, Hayward, Jae Crowder, Glenn Robinson III and Torrey Craig.
Power Forwards: Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Paul Millsap, Dario Saric (restricted) and Harry Giles III.
Centers: Ibaka, Marc Gasol, Tristan Thompson, Hassan Whiteside and Aron Baynes.
It should be an eventful Saturday, and by Sunday there will be clear winners and losers. The start of next week will leave some of the losers trying to figure out whether any trades are out there to salvage their offseason, and by Tuesday we can all take a deep breath. Oh, and Trevor Ariza will probably be on his fourth team in a week.
Stay tuned.

Chris Sheridan details Day 1 of free agency and looks ahead to what could shake out on Day 2.

Day 1 free-agency recap: Epic night leads into epic Saturday

Since Halloween is just two-and-a-half weeks away, BasketballNews compiled a list of the best costumes worn by NBA players.

Which NBA players have rocked the best Halloween costumes?

Jae Crowder seems ready to begin a new chapter away from the Phoenix Suns, which shouldn&rsquo;t come as a surprise if you&rsquo;ve followed his social-media activity throughout the offseason. From openly mentioning that he wants a fresh start elsewhere to liking tweets about him joining the Miami Heat or Dallas Mavericks, Crowder&rsquo;s intentions have been out in the open for a while now.
This awkward tension potentially reached a boiling point on Friday night, less than a week from when Phoenix opens up training camp following their jaw-dropping postseason exit in the Western Conference Semifinals.
After the Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin tweeted about how the position battle between Crowder and Cam Johnson would be a key storyline to watch during training camp, Crowder tweeted (then quickly deleted): &ldquo;99 WONT BE THERE!.&rdquo;
Phoenix has reportedly been shopping Crowder in recent weeks, including in trade discussions with the Utah Jazz as the Suns targeted Bojan Bogdanovic, who was ultimately dealt to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee. Arizona Sports 98.7's John Gambadoro reported that talks between the Suns and Jazz broke down over the potential inclusion of Jarred Vanderbilt alongside Bogdanovic, but the deal would&rsquo;ve involved Crowder heading out of the Valley.
With Crowder seemingly wanting to leave Phoenix, will a deal be struck before training camp opens on Tuesday? For a team looking to bounce back from postseason failure, it might not be the best idea to keep a disgruntled Crowder in the equation.
Although the veteran wing can be extremely volatile as an outside shooter, his winning tendencies and overall two-way presence would be a major boon for any contender around the Association.
Which teams make the most sense to pursue Crowder? Let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into some potential destinations.
CHICAGO BULLS
Before injuries ravaged their roster last season, Chicago was nestled into the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s No. 1 seed thanks to their well-balanced attack on both ends. Now, Lonzo Ball's future up in the air due to a nagging meniscus issue, the Bulls need to find some more help defenders who can hold their own. Right now, Crowder could be the ideal remedy when forecasting all of the elite score-first wings in the East.
Bulls receive: Jae Crowder
Suns receive: Coby White, Javonte Green
Immediately, Crowder slides into an important slot for Chicago where he could benefit from a low-usage role similar to his current environment in Phoenix.
For the Suns, this type of haul should be the expectation in any potential Crowder-related transaction. If Bogdanovic was unable to net a first-round pick for Utah, it&rsquo;s hard to envision Crowder topping that barometer either.
With the inconsistencies of Cameron Payne plaguing the Suns&rsquo; guard play last season, especially in the playoffs, taking a flier on White for the price of Crowder makes sense. Meanwhile, Green is a smaller version of Crowder but someone who could play a role off the bench and produce when called upon.
It's possible that Chicago would want a pick back in this trade since they are parting with the No. 7 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft (who is still just 22 years old), which could become a sticking point in negotiations.
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TORONTO RAPTORS
If you&rsquo;re a capable wing, there&rsquo;s no doubt that Toronto will show some level of interest. The Raptors are building their entire identity around wings, and the results are really beginning to bear some fruit. Inserting Crowder within Toronto&rsquo;s rotation would be a huge win, especially as a veteran mentor for younger players at his position like OG Anunoby and reigning Rookie-of-the-Year Scottie Barnes.
Raptors receive: Jae Crowder
Suns receive: Thaddeus Young, Malachi Flynn
Phoenix has been interested in Young since last year, when a trade or buyout from the San Antonio Spurs seemed inevitable. Instead, Toronto acquired the veteran in exchange for Goran Dragic and a protected 2022 first-round pick. Young is a strong candidate to replace Crowder, because what he doesn&rsquo;t provide in shooting he offers in spades everywhere else. Within head coach Monty Williams&rsquo; &ldquo;0.5&rdquo; system, he would thrive as a pass-happy connecting 4 who could play alongside Deandre Ayton or Dario Saric.
Flynn has been unable to find his footing in Toronto, but could get a long-term look in Phoenix off the bench. After Payne&rsquo;s postseason woes, the Suns would be wise to find some competition heading into training camp.&nbsp;
It's possible that Toronto is content keeping Young, whom they just signed to a two-year extension. It all depends on how they value the 32-year-old Crowder and whether they think he's a big enough upgrade over Young to justify giving up Flynn.
MIAMI HEAT
Crowder&rsquo;s top choice seems to be a reunion with the Heat, but the Suns have no real value to extract there. It&rsquo;s doubtful that Miami would want to include Caleb Martin, who isn&rsquo;t eligible to be traded for another few weeks anyway. Instead, the Heat will have to get creative if they want to bring Crowder back into the fold and rope in a third team to facilitate.
Well, guess what? One organization has openly expressed a desire to do just that, as long as they get back an enticing young prospect or a draft pick. Say hello to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-indiana-pacers-enter-uncharted-waters-searching-for-longterm-sustainability-kevin-pritchard-chad-buchanan-tyrese-haliburton-bennedict-mathurin-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Indiana Pacers&rsquo; new vision</a>. They are expected to be one of the Association&rsquo;s most active teams from now through February&rsquo;s trade deadline.
Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-indiana-pacers-enter-uncharted-waters-searching-for-longterm-sustainability-kevin-pritchard-chad-buchanan-tyrese-haliburton-bennedict-mathurin-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently told Basketball News</a> that they want to keep stockpiling ammunition while taking advantage of their newfound salary-cap flexibility. Not many teams would be willing to take on Duncan Robinson&rsquo;s contract, but Indiana is in the position to bite the bullet for another pick.
Quickly cobbling together a three-team deal with the Suns, Heat and Pacers, here&rsquo;s a potential framework where all sides could potentially walk out happy:
Heat receive: Jae Crowder
Suns receive: Oshae Brissett, future second-round pick (via Miami)
Pacers receive: Duncan Robinson, future first-round pick (via Miami)
For Phoenix, landing Brissett from Indiana is the right kind of flier to take. Consistently showing an improved offensive game, Brissett could shine in the Suns&rsquo; system, spelling Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson off the bench. And with the Pacers wanting to have a large rotation to play as many young pieces as possible, Brissett&rsquo;s role could be slightly reduced heading into 2022-23.
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ATLANTA HAWKS
The Hawks have pushed their chips to the middle of the table this offseason when they swung for the fences by acquiring Dejounte Murray. With their star backcourt of Trae Young and Murray, Atlanta is in win-now mode so acquiring Crowder certainly makes a lot of sense. Not only would Crowder help take some pressure off defensively, he would be set up well by Young and Murray on the perimeter.
As evidenced by the Suns insisting that Vanderbilt be included alongside Bogdanovic in a potential trade with Utah earlier this week, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a shock to see them try a similar method here with Atlanta.
Hawks receive: Jae Crowder, Landry Shamet, two future second-round picks
Suns receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Justin Holiday
Instantly, the Suns upgrade their third guard spot with Bogdanovic, plus they add a hard-nosed, versatile wing as well. Who knows if the price would be a first-round pick, but maybe Phoenix could pull this one off with multiple second-round selections because of Bogdanovic&rsquo;s injury concerns over the past few years?
As ESPN&rsquo;s Brian Windhorst relayed earlier this week, the Suns are willing to take on salary past this upcoming season. Bogdanovic has an $18 million player option for 2023-24, but his fit within the Suns&rsquo; offense would be well worth the price.
Based on the other packages, this feels like the best bet for Phoenix leading into training camp, and Atlanta would welcome a win-now addition into the fold as well.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
All of the sudden, Cleveland looks like a real threat to make a deep postseason run. Thanks to the jaw-dropping addition of Donovan Mitchell earlier this month, the Cavaliers&rsquo; rotation is stocked to the brim going nine or 10 players deep. What about adding another piece like Crowder to bolster this strength even more?
Cavaliers receive: Jae Crowder
Suns receive: Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens
Crowder could slide into a starting role for Cleveland ahead of Isaac Okoro because of his shooting ability or headline the second unit alongside fellow veteran Kevin Love. Assuming Crowder jumps into a starting spot, which seems to be his desire, here&rsquo;s how the Cavaliers&rsquo; rotation would look:
Starters: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jae Crowder, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Second Unit: Ricky Rubio, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Kevin Love
With a rotation like that, it allows Cleveland to offload Osman and save some money on the backend for 2023-24. In Phoenix, Osman and Stevens would find roles within the second unit and benefit greatly from the spacing provided. The Suns covet shooters, so it wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise to see them utilize Osman off the bench, while Stevens plays a smaller role as wing depth.
Over the next 72 hours heading into media day and training camp, Crowder&rsquo;s seemingly uncertain future in the Valley will be a story worth monitoring. We shall see whether Crowder stays with the Suns or heads elsewhere when the dust ultimately settles.

Jae Crowder's days with the Phoenix Suns appear to be numbered. Evan Sidery breaks down five possible landing spots for Crowder.

Examining 5 potential trade destinations for Jae Crowder

NBA Summer League is well past halfway, and we continue to see new faces stand out every single afternoon.&nbsp;
While Keegan Murray remains perhaps the story of the summer with the Kings, two rookies also went head-to-head in a duel between the Cavaliers and Hornets. Older NBA hopefuls also showed out, including a first-round castoff from five years ago.
As we forge on in the Las Vegas heat, here's who popped on Day 7:
STUDS
Sandro Mamukelashvili, Milwaukee Bucks
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Sandro Mamukelashvili set the tone for the <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a> in their <a href="https://twitter.com/NBASummerLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBASummerLeague</a> win!<a href="https://twitter.com/Mamukelashvili5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mamukelashvili5</a>: 18 PTS, 15 REB, 2 BLK <a href="https://t.co/G4jrt5aL6v">pic.twitter.com/G4jrt5aL6v</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1547345503934971904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 18 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 6/13 FG, 2/6 3PT
Mamukelashvili has been one of the more dominant second-year performers at Summer League. On Wednesday, he outmuscled a smaller Timerwolves team on the glass. He finished off buckets as a pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop player, a testament to how Mamukelashvili can be used as a versatile offensive piece.
The second-round pick also put together nice moments as a passer. He made one impressive drive-and-kick read to a relocating MarJon Beauchamp for a three-pointer and added some more assists simply by connecting to the right shooter. Hopefully the Bucks coaching staff is scheming up ways to get Mamukelashvili involved during the regular season.
Bryce McGowens, Charlotte Hornets
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Bryce McGowens drains the deep 3 🎯 He finishes with 5 3PM and 24 PTS <a href="https://t.co/c0s9cP8VZC">pic.twitter.com/c0s9cP8VZC</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1547349909455659008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 24 points, 2 rebounds, 7/10 FG, 5/6 3PT
It's all about ironing out scoring and playmaking consistency with McGowens. But when he's on, as he was Saturday, McGowens is a textbook walking bucket. Four of his five made triples were pull-ups, hinting at serious potential as a long-range scorer.&nbsp;
Though he only had one assist, McGowens flashed promise as a playmaker as well. He hit LJ Figueroa in the opposite corner with a laser in the third quarter, only for Figueroa to miss the shot. McGowens' three turnovers were emblematic of an inaccurate passer playing a bit over his head &mdash; but also a driver with impressive court vision who can see reads opening up. Oddly enough, some of the turnovers made me feel better about McGowens' passing upside &mdash; he just needs to improve at hitting his teammates.
Ochai Agbaji, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Ochai Agbaji balled out and had <a href="https://twitter.com/CJMcCollum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CJMcCollum</a> impressed today 🤩 ⭐ 24 Pts ⭐ 7-13 FG ⭐ 4-8 3-PT FG <a href="https://t.co/scLflPCOhw">pic.twitter.com/scLflPCOhw</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1547354096461484032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 24 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 7/13 FG, 4/8 3PT
Agbaji put together a smooth and confident scoring performance. The No. 14 pick used some double screens to free himelf for pull-up threes, and knocked down one off the catch via a pindown. He also worked his way into mid-range shots off the dribble and rarely felt rushed. On defense, he made two impressive reads as a helper, intercepting passes to a Charlotte roller and weak-side shooter. Cavs fans must be feeling optimistic about Agbaji's fit as a perimeter threat with a stable-enough defensive floor to stick in the rotation.&nbsp;
Deividas Sirvydis, New Orleans Pelicans
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🇱🇹Deividas Sirvydis ('00) was feeling himself tonight. Showcasing his shotmaking from range, ability to make OTD shots, attacking downhill off-screen and some tiny defensive flashes as well. 25 points (6/10 3pt), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals in 27 minutes. <a href="https://t.co/RifNDHO6bH">pic.twitter.com/RifNDHO6bH</a>
&mdash; Dainius Rum&scaron;a🇱🇹 (@imLuckyD) <a href="https://twitter.com/imLuckyD/status/1547376561787224064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 25 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 9/17 FG, 6/10 3PT
Sirvydis went at No. 37 back in the 2019 NBA Draft as a draft-and-stash selection to the Detroit Pistons. He spent two seasons with the team as a reserve, but now gets another shot with the Pelicans. The lefty broke out on Wednesday, confidently drilling threes in a variety of contexts for New Orleans.
His lone block was also an impressive play; Sirvydis switched onto a speeding Devon Dotson and stayed with him on the drive, finishing with a rejection. Basketball Reference lists Sirvydis as 190 pounds, but he appears much bigger and stronger entering his third NBA season.
Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings
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Keegan Murray scored 29 against OKC in a loss. The No. 4 overall pick has been HOOPING. <a href="https://t.co/tfOH4MhKtW">pic.twitter.com/tfOH4MhKtW</a>
&mdash; B/R Hoops (@brhoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/brhoops/status/1547400937286819846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 29 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 9/17 FG, 2/7 3PT
Murray was mostly matched up against fellow top pick Chet Holmgren, and the fourth overall pick came out the victor. He blew by Holmgren off the dribble and was able to finish, even through Holmgren's well-known vertical wall. But Murray also powered through other imposing defenders like Eugene Omoruyi. His determination to convert at the rim was impressive, and it complemented his gravity from beyond the arc.&nbsp;
Though he wasn't a flawless overall defender, Murray exhibited active hands and awareness away from the ball. His steals came by cheating over on an unsuspecting dribbler and poking the basketball away. I wouldn't be surprised if the Kings opted to pull Murray from the final days of Summer League. He's been one of the top rookies over the last week and doesn't have much more to prove here.
DJ Wilson, Toronto Raptors
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DJ Wilson was HOOPING in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> action today 🌞🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/Lanky_Smoove?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lanky_Smoove</a>: 22 PTS, 9 REB, 3 3PM <a href="https://t.co/l0kfDb4VPP">pic.twitter.com/l0kfDb4VPP</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1547407534239129600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 7/12 FG, 3/6 3PT
Wilson is one of several older, former first-round picks who are fighting for their NBA spots this summer. Once the No. 17 pick to Milwaukee back in 2017, Wilson also played for Houston before suiting up for just four games with the Raptors in 2021-22. This is pretty close to a make-or-break opportunity for him.
Wilson canned just 24.4% of his three-point attempts in 14 games with the G League's Raptors 905 last season. He's 5-for-10 in his last two Summer League games and appeared comfortable spotting up on Wednesday. Wilson also knocked down a jumper from the free-throw line and faded away on the baseline for another basket.
Other notable performances: Daeqwon Plowden (Pelicans), Tyrique Jones (Pelicans), DJ Wilson (Raptors), Jeff Dowtin (Raptors), Keon Ellis (Kings), Tre Mann (Thunder)
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DUDS
Isaiah Todd, Washington Wizards
Box score stats: 6 points, 2/7 FG, 1/6 3PT
Analysts billed Todd as an intruguing long-term play for Washington when he was selected at No. 31 in last year's NBA Draft. Todd's physical tools and flashes of three-level scoring keep you interested, but he's still a ways away from NBA rotation minutes. The box score isn't everything, but Todd not picking up a single rebound, assist or steal is fairly telling for his impact beyound getting points. The Wizards tried to work him off screens and cuts, and Todd found quality looks, but didn't convert enough of them on Wednesday.
Armoni Brooks, Toronto Raptors
Box score stats: 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2/12 FG, 1/10 3PT
Brooks is a pure sharpshooter and one of the better microwave perimeter scorers in the entire NBA. But if he's cold, his offensive impact rapidly deteriorates. Brooks simply couldn't get a bucket to fall in Toronto's loss to the Jazz. He did have three assists, but only one really caught my eye: a nice drop-off to David Johnson in transition. Brooks' cold spells kept him from being a rotation mainstay with the Raptors last season. We'll see if he can warm up during training camp.&nbsp;
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Charlie Brown Jr., Philadelphia 76ers
Box score stats: 3 points, 6 rebounds, 0/9 FG, 0/4 3PT
Miami has created one of the best defenses in NBA Summer League, and the Heat guards made life difficult from Brown. He was forced into a ton of tough runners and contested layup attempts that did not land. That being said, he also missed some open three-pointers he needs to make. Brown did shoot 40.0% from long range on high volume with the Blue Coats, so the rough day might be more a product of Miami's defense throwing him off.
Brandon Boston Jr., Los Angeles Clippers
Box score stats: 8 points, 7 rebounds, 3/15 FG, 2/7 3PT
Boston Jr. has made six of his last 27 field goal attempts in two Summer League games. After getting to the line 12 times to salvage his prior performance, the 2021 second-round pick didn't attempt a single free throw. He's still an inconsistent jump shooter, and the Clippers are clearly letting him experiment more as a creator in this setting. Boston added about 10 pounds to his long frame, but still struggled to finish through contact on some plays. I remain very interested in his long-term development, though, and this dud should just be viewed as him working through mistakes.

Bryce McGowens, Ochai Agbaji and Keegan Murray led the standouts from Day 7 of NBA Summer League.

10 studs and duds from Day 7 of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

We&rsquo;re officially two months away from 2022 NBA Free Agency officially kicking off. Although the class is rather shallow &mdash; especially on superstar movement &mdash; the headliners provide some intrigue and there are endless possibilities in terms of the potential domino effects.
Will Zach LaVine and Deandre Ayton be viewed as max-level talents by their respective organizations? What will happen with James Harden and Kyrie Irving? Will Bradley Beal once again commit long-term to the Washington Wizards?
Let&rsquo;s dive into my predictions on what the top-five projected free agents will likely do this offseason, and how those moves could alter the calculus of the entire NBA.
James Harden
Player Option ($44.7 million)
Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey accomplished his long-awaited dream when he helped James Harden and Joel Embiid join forces in Philadelphia earlier this season. When Harden wanted to get out of Brooklyn (an era we'll look back on as a huge "what if" in NBA history), the Sixers pushed their chips all-in on the dominant inside-out duo&rsquo;s potential.
However, having sent out Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and future draft capital to the Nets, it hasn&rsquo;t gone as smoothly as many expected for Harden. After a fast start with his new team, Harden's production has tailed off. Now, with Embiid's postseason status in jeopardy due to an orbital fracture, can Harden recapture his form before another important career decision?
Harden averaged 21.0 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds in 21 regular-season games with the Sixers, and through six playoff games, has produced to the tune of 19.0 points, 10.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds.
Since these numbers aren't anywhere close to vintage-Harden levels of offensive production, does Morey feel comfortable shelling out a gigantic long-term extension to the 32-year-old, high-usage guard? It feels like we&rsquo;re entering into the next phase of Harden&rsquo;s career, and if that&rsquo;s the case, he&rsquo;s probably not a $40-plus-million player.
It seems like Philadelphia is backed into a corner in this situation though. After shipping off Simmons and future assets to Brooklyn, the Sixers have committed to Embiid and Harden hopefully delivering a championship within their short-term window.
Prediction: Harden opts out and re-signs on three-year max contract
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Kyrie Irving
Player Option ($36.5 million)
Who knows what the future holds as it relates to Kyrie Irving? Unwilling to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Irving cost the Nets a realistic chance at competing for an NBA championship this season; this should've never been an issue, but he had to try to catch up and learn on the fly with his teammates.
Brooklyn still holds those championship expectations moving forward, especially with Kevin Durant and Simmons alongside Irving.
Irving is the true wildcard to watch this summer. If he decides to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-nets-should-part-ways-with-kyrie-irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">move on from the Nets</a>, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise at all. Honestly, even retirement wouldn&rsquo;t be a complete surprise with Irving. In the end, though, the Nets are also married to this idea of competing for rings over the extended window with Durant.
The reason why Durant joined the Nets was to play with his best friend in Irving. It&rsquo;s hard to envision Irving leaving Brooklyn, and he echoed similar sentiments after the Nets&rsquo; disappointing first-round exit against the Boston Celtics.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no way I&rsquo;m leaving my man 7 anywhere,&rdquo; Irving said after the series.
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"I don't really plan on going anywhere.... when I say I'm here with Kev [Durant] I think that it really entails us managing this franchise together alongside Joe [Tsai] and Sean [Marks]... we're cornerstones here but we have Ben, we have a few other guys..." -Kyrie Irving on FA <a href="https://t.co/ulk86MzHTK">pic.twitter.com/ulk86MzHTK</a>
&mdash; DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidEarly/status/1518782963579867138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Nets should definitely reconsider their stance on handing out a potential five-year max extension to Irving though. Understanding his unpredictability, who knows what could happen in the future with him? With Durant still dominating, Irving will likely align his next contract on a similar path.
Prediction: Irving opts out and re-signs on four-year max contract
Bradley Beal
Player Option ($36.4 million)
Will Bradley Beal really decide to stick around in D.C. for the long-term? I have serious doubts on that idea, and Beal should as well for his legacy. Even in a down year for the Washington Wizards &mdash; one in which he was shut down due to a torn ligament in his left wrist on Feb. 8 &mdash; he&rsquo;s still a star-level player in the NBA. Capable of dropping 30-plus points with ease at anytime, Beal has consistently shown the team around him has been the main issue. Carrying subpar teams on his back since John Wall left, Beal needs to consider doing the greater good for his own individual outlook.
From Beal&rsquo;s perspective, looking around at other options to win right now would be the best-case scenario. While he's been very loyal to the Wizards since being drafted by the organization, this could become very awkward rather quickly once the offseason window opens.
Washington has done a fantastic job retooling its team on the fly since trading away Russell Westbrook. Rolling the dice on Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline is a massive risk, but he&rsquo;s the closest thing to a star-level player who would be willing to stay long-term. With Porzingis and a plethora of young talent led by Kyle Kuzma, will Beal lock himself into this situation for another four or five years?
The trade market will be the most realistic route to see star movement in the summer. Beal is one of those names to watch via sign-and-trade. If Beal opts out, don&rsquo;t be surprised to see him sign elsewhere while not leaving the Wizards high and dry with nothing back in return. Beal seems destined to spread his wings elsewhere and serve as the cherry on top of a true title contender's roster.
Prediction: Beal opts out and the Wizards pull off sign-and-trade to recoup some assets
Zach LaVine
Unrestricted Free Agent
Zach LaVine is one of the more underrated players in the league. He&rsquo;s a highlight reel on the offensive end, but his defense leaves so much to be desired. We&rsquo;ve seen incremental improvements with LaVine on that end with better talent around him, but will the Bulls view him as a max-level player? Committing that type of money to LaVine could be risky &mdash; especially with an upcoming offseason knee surgery &mdash; but it&rsquo;s the Bulls&rsquo; best bet to keeping their core together long-term.
If the Bulls balk at paying LaVine, many teams with cap space will come knocking on his door. San Antonio Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray has already started <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1519870631180791808?s=20&amp;t=vGdMwWWoEEc20-pQbx0udg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recruiting LaVine on social media</a> with photoshops of him in their jersey, for example.
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LaVine and DeMar DeRozan showed throughout this season that they are a lethal scoring combination that is very difficult to contain. Before injuries ravaged Chicago&rsquo;s roster, they were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Maybe the Bulls try to move Nikola Vucevic, who has a $22 million expiring contract; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rudy Gobert could be a name to watch</a> if the Bulls try to take their team to another level.
But LaVine is a different story.
A core in Chicago of LaVine, DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Patrick Williams and Alex Caruso is a fun one. Chicago runs it back and doesn&rsquo;t hesitate coughing up huge money to its star shooting guard.
Prediction: LaVine signs a five-year max extension with Bulls
Deandre Ayton
Restricted Free Agent
This is one of the more interesting situations to follow heading into the offseason. After the Phoenix Suns shockingly decided not to pay 2018 No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton before the season began, questions are still bubbling under the surface on his long-term future with the organization. Ayton hasn&rsquo;t let this impact his on-court performance though, as he's continued to be a two-way anchor to the Suns&rsquo; immense success. The Bahamian big man keeps proving his game is tailor-made for the postseason as well.
Will the Suns actually allow Ayton and his representation to test the open market as one of the top free agents available? It would be stunning, but it feels like we could be heading in that direction.
ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski has mentioned that, in negotiations, the Suns didn&rsquo;t view Ayton as a max-level player at the time, which stunned many executives around the NBA. Has Phoenix&rsquo;s stance changed after Ayton&rsquo;s consistent performances throughout this season and the playoffs?
Here&rsquo;s a little nugget: According to a league source, Phoenix is more than comfortable paying up and going deep into the luxury tax as long as its roster is competing for championships. Ayton is part of that puzzle, and 2019 lottery pick Cameron Johnson is eligible for an extension this offseason. Do with that information what you will, but it would truly be stunning to see Ayton playing elsewhere in 2022-23.
Prediction: Ayton tests the market and signs four-year max offer sheet elsewhere, which includes a player option; Phoenix eventually matches the offer sheet and keeps him long-term 
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What will happen with the best projected 2022 free agents this offseason? Evan Sidery shares his predictions for the top five.

2022 NBA Free Agency: Predicting where 5 stars will land this summer

Jackson Frank breaks down the film and collaborates with Nekias Duncan and Mark Schindler to pick the 2021-22 All-NBA teams.

2021-22 All-NBA Teams: Praising this season's 15 best players

We're nearing the end of the NBA regular season, which means award ballots will be due pretty soon. And because award ballots will be due pretty soon, the conversation around who deserves what award or team selection will ramp up.
We've seen recent pushes for Devin Booker (and to a lesser extent, Jayson Tatum) to get MVP love; Pascal Siakam is making a compelling case for an All-NBA forward slot, while his rookie companion Scottie Barnes is, at worst, making a serious push for Rookie of the Year. The Defensive Player of the Year award competition seems very much in the air right now.
These conversations fluctuate between fun, informative, nauseating and flat-out toxic &mdash; please check any and all xenophobia at the door, for example &mdash; but the conversations happen for a reason. We're watching (and hopefully enjoying!) the best men-ballers in the world, and want them to be rewarded for their excellence. It's a status thing, as well as a legacy thing, once you zoom out to Hall-of-Fame or GOAT talks.
As someone who doesn't have a ballot (email me whenever you're ready, NBA), I generally love digging into the awards. On the flip side, my level of care for it leads to frustration. While it would be unrealistic and unwise for everyone to follow the exact same rubric, the lack of consensus from the league and/or voters on key factors can get bothersome.&nbsp;
Heading into the final two weeks of the season, I have a few questions that I think the voting pool should come to a general understanding on, even if the selections themselves differ.
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HOW AVAILABLE DO PLAYERS NEED TO BE?
Before digging into specific award questions, I don't think there's a more pressing issue than this one. The combination of injuries and COVID absences have ravaged the NBA over the past couple of seasons. It's hard to blame&nbsp;a player for missing games due to either, but you have to split hairs once award time comes.
I think the voting choices could be made a little easier if there was a baseline expectation in terms of games played or minutes played. For my personal, fictitious ballot, I filtered for 70% of games played last season. I dropped that threshold to 60% this year in light of how wild the absences were at the beginning of the season.
Whatever the marker is &mdash; 50 games, 2,000 minutes &mdash; having something objective in place to limit the pool off rip could be beneficial.&nbsp;
"Voter X" doesn't hate your team and shouldn't get death threats in their DMs; your favorite player simply missed half the season. Sorry!
WHAT TO DO ABOUT NIKOLA JOKIC AND JOEL EMBIID?
The MVP conversation is exhausting enough; they're both worthy candidates for different reasons. It would not &mdash; NOT &mdash; be a "robbery" if Embiid beats out Jokic, or if Jokic beats Embiid. You can disagree, but they've been two of the top three players in the league all year long.&nbsp;
The more pressing concern comes with All-NBA voting. As mentioned, Jokic and Embiid have been two of the top three players in the league this season. They also play the same position (center); more importantly, that is the&nbsp;only&nbsp;position those two have played.
I don't love Basketball-Reference's position estimates because they seem to be height-based more than role-based, but it's telling that Embiid and Jokic have played 100% of their minutes at the 5 by their tally. That number was at 99% for Jokic last season, but reasonable folks are not giving Jokic the forward/center designation because he played 37 seconds with Bol Bol.
But yet, here we are, with Jokic and Embiid being eligible at forward for All-NBA voting.&nbsp;
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Small note: I&rsquo;m told that both Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid will be eligible at both forward and center on the All-NBA vote. So both players can make first-team.
&mdash; Mike Singer (@msinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1507771123806601216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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On the surface, it's a welcome loophole to give both players the First Team selection they deserve. Zoom in even a small percentage, and you'll see that it's a level of fudging that royally screws a forward on the third team. The debate then becomes: Has the NBA's fourth-best center (Rudy Gobert?) been better than the NBA's sixth-best forward (Siakam? Jimmy Butler?). And... probably not? But that shouldn't be the discussion to begin with.
I know, you know, we know that Jokic and Embiid are not forwards in the slightest. If you want to get into the role-played discussion, why is Jokic more of a forward than a guard? Explain it to me like I'm 5.
If you have Jokic over Embiid for MVP, you're admitting Embiid has been the second-best center in the NBA. The inverse is true if you're voting for Embiid. There are some positional gray areas to sort through this year (hi DeMar DeRozan and Luka Doncic); there is no debate about what position Jokic and Embiid play.
The&nbsp;real&nbsp;solution here is for the NBA to change the ballot, either going completely positionless or using the All-Star game format (two backcourt, three frontcourt). I've seen a middle ground mentioned &mdash; two backcourt, two frontcourt, one wild card &mdash; and I'd be cool with that.&nbsp;
Until then, my take is to make the tough choice. One of Embiid or Jokic should be the Second Team center &mdash; because they're centers.
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HOW MUCH SHOULD DEFENSE MATTER FOR ROOKIE AWARDS?
This has been heavily debated due to the outlier (at least until recently) production of Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley.&nbsp;
In years past, Rookie of the Year has mostly been the "who has the best per-game stats" award. Naturally, guards (or wings) have the leg up because they have the ball in their hands; Blake Griffin (2011) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016) are the only bigs to win the award in the last 15 years.
Mobley has a good enough case with numbers &mdash; roughly 15 points and 8 rebounds with 2.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) is nothing to sneeze at &mdash; but the foundation of his case has been what he's been able to do on the non-glamour end.&nbsp;
He hasn't just been rookie-good; he's made a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legit All-Defense case</a> for his work this season. There's been slippage as of late, a natural byproduct of the team falling apart around him (bye Jarrett Allen), but his unique skill set unlocks a lot of what the Cavs have done from a scheme perspective.&nbsp;
While acknowledging that Mobley gets fair usage as an elbow or handoff hub, it's still fair to dub him as a play-finisher. That's in contrast to Barnes, who's had to wear a multitude of hats offensively, and the show-running that Cade Cunningham has assumed in Detroit (with the worst roster context among the serious ROY candidates).&nbsp;
It's become a sort of fundamental debate: Do you value the on-ball responsibility or the defensive aptitude more?
I don't like that question &mdash; too broad for my taste &mdash; but I'd like to get to a point where the defense is factored in, period, before getting to where it's valued in relation to that.
(As an aside: On March 14, I tweeted that I <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1503403710579359749?s=20&amp;t=ewDkbXyUS_MbRcFjhASW_g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn't see a real case</a> for a non-Mobley guy to win the award to that point. Barnes has thoroughly shut me up in that time frame; 16-7-5-1-1 while taking on a multitude of tough defensive assignments is pretty darn impressive. Toronto's 6-2 record helps too. I'll take my L.)
WHY CAN'T JA MORANT WIN THE MOST IMPROVED PLAYER AWARD?
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This was a question born from a <a href="https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1YpKkZnAlRPxj?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter Space held by the Basketball News staff </a>on Friday. There seems to be a pretty common sentiment that a player of Ja Morant's stature &mdash; an All-Star, easy All-NBA candidate and fringe MVP candidate &mdash; has been too good&nbsp;to win Most Improved, especially within the context of his draft selection.
I'm not saying Morant would be my choice; to be transaparent, I had Miles Bridges as my front-runner when discussing this on The Dunker Spot (<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscribe</a>!), and I want to take the next week or so to solidify my selections.&nbsp;
But the logic doesn't track for me. If the award is "Most Improved", the criteria should be "who improved the most." If the answer if Morant, who has taken substantial statistical leaps and has improved in virtually every area of his game, why should he be disqualified off rip?
If the spirit of the award is "who made the most unexpected leap", then I'd like for that to be agreed upon and carried out moving forward.&nbsp;
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Nekias Duncan poses key questions to voters ahead of NBA award season.

Laying out 4 questions that need to be answered before NBA award time

As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-wont-mortgage-future-for-lebron-this-is-the-bed-you-made" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramona Shelburne said</a> when she paraphrased the Los Angeles Lakers' front office stance: "You guys got yourselves into this; this is the bed that you made."
We're past the trade deadline and NBA All-Star weekend and into the season's stretch run. Aside from some leftover waivings and G League call-ups, teams have their rosters set. From here on out, it's about just playing with the guys you have.&nbsp;
For the teams in this week's Sour Rankings, there's still time to adjust season goals and find a measure of success. Young rosters might hope for promising player development instead of wins. Those on the fringe of playoff contention might have the Play-In Tournament or the traditional postseason as a benchmark. Disappointing title hopefuls can salvage positivity even if they don't go all the way.
I've listed a target for each squad on the list. It might not be the ideal outcome, but the bar can at least bring some level of satisfaction to a year gone awry.
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.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Oklahoma City Thunder made a brief pit stop, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-giddeys-rise-make-thunders-rebuild-even-more-intriguing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Giddey's brilliance</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">team-wide budding defense</a> launched them right back out.
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10. New Orleans Pelicans (23-36)
Zion Williamson's general situation has once again made things sour. CJ McCollum <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/cj-mccollum-on-zion-williamson-i-havent-had-conversations-with-him-directly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on TNT</a> that he has yet to speak with Williamson since being the blockbuster addition for the Pelicans at the trade deadline. The quotes raise serious questions about how Williamson and the Pelicans are handling his extended absence.
At this point, who knows if Williamson will return this season. New Orleans should be aiming to make the Play-In games behind Brandon Ingram and McCollum. The latter has gotten off to a hot start with his new team. The Pelicans are two games back of the Trail Blazers for 10th place in the Western Conference and have plenty of time to move up.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Utah Jazz (36-22)
The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns have asserted themselves as the favorites in the West. No other team, including Utah, is in a similar tier. The Jazz also didn't make any significant moves to inspire title hope at the trade deadline, and a recent five-game winning streak doesn't exactly turn the tables. Utah hasn't reached the conference finals since 2006-07, and that seems like a reasonable, yet valuable goal since the team will likely have to get through one of the two powers to get there.
(Last week: 8)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (25-34)
Anfernee Simons averaged 28.0 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 44.8% from long range over his last five games entering the break. He's been the breakout star of the 2022 calendar year, and has given a listless Trail Blazers team some life. Simons' development might be more important than any team outcome, especially if Damian Lillard does not return this season. If he can finish out the year as the dynamic offensive weapon he's becoming, Simons can show Portland why he's a long-term core piece for the next era.
(Last week: 6)
7. Sacramento Kings (22-38)
When the Kings swung on Domantas Sabonis (and to a lesser extent, Donte DiVincenzo), they basically set the goal: make the playoffs. Play-In exits won't do any good for a franchise that has not made a postseason appearance since 2005-06 and just dealt arguably its top young talent, however. Sacramento is tied with New Orleans and also two-and-a-half games out of 10th in the West. It's going to be a brawl for that last spot, but if the Kings do snag it and advance through the mini-bracket, that means the Sabonis-De'Aaron Fox pairing is worth building around.
(Last week: 5)
6. Charlotte Hornets (29-31)
Charlotte has a top-10 Defensive Rating over the past two weeks, part of this wild roller-coaster ride the Hornets' defense has been on throughout the season. The team's Offensive Rating, however, ranks 27th during that stretch. Gordon Hayward's absence dealt a tough blow to the lineup's synergy. Ultimately, this is still a young team growing into its potential. Remaining in Play-In and playoff contention is a given goal, but I'd also like to see the team find some consistency on both ends and shoot for league-average ratings or better for the rest of the schedule.
(Last week: 9)
5. Houston Rockets (15-43)
On a seven-game slide, Houston has give up a whopping 128.9 points per 100 possessions in February, nearly five points more than any other team. This is an extremely young roster that will take time to mesh on defense, but that's still extremely rough. Tanking outright is not a "goal," but record isn't exactly a concern at this stage.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
More of this, please. They&rsquo;re giving it to you. <a href="https://twitter.com/JalenGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JalenGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/zfRvLkunXL">pic.twitter.com/zfRvLkunXL</a>
&mdash; heypartner (@theheypartner) <a href="https://twitter.com/theheypartner/status/1495761190370353155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Jalen Green is averaging 16.5 points per game this month while canning 41.7% of his three-pointers. He's the face of the future in Houston, so his flashes are what the fans and front office should want to see. As long as Green demonstrates noteworthy growth this spring, things will look up for the Rockets.
(Last week: 7)
4. Washington Wizards (27-31)
Kristaps Porzingis has yet to make his Wizards debut. When he does, it marks the start of a desperate push for Washington to appease Bradley Beal and make the playoffs. The Wizards are in 11th place and currently out of the Eastern Conference postseason picture, but sit just a game back of Charlotte and the Atlanta Hawks. A Play-In appearance can't satisfy; but a playoff appearance is much easier said than done. If two of Toronto, Boston and Brooklyn don't make it to a top-six seed, making the traditional eight is going to be a tall order for the Wizards or any other team.
(Last week: 4)
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3. Brooklyn Nets (31-28)
The Nets sorely needed this All-Star break to put the drama of the James Harden trade and the stench of losing behind them. Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons are still out for an indefinite period, and Kyrie Irving is still unvaccinated, so this current ragtag bunch will have to keep Brooklyn in the playoff hunt. (They did also just ink Goran Dragic to a rest-of-the-season contract on Monday as well.) This is still a title contender on paper... but so was the pre-deadline iteration of the Nets. However, the East is wide open, and fans should expect a healthy roster to go at least two rounds in the postseason. 
(Last week: 2)
2. New York Knicks (25-34)
New York went 3-13 in a one-month span before the pause and promptly decided to forge ahead at the trade deadline with no changes. This doesn't bode well for a team with several veterans, but almost no hope of extending its season at this time.
Since Jan. 17, the Knicks have a 25th-ranked defense and a 22nd-ranked offense. The defense especially needs to improve for the sake of Tom Thibodeau's viability as a head coach. If it's not league-average or better the rest of the way, New York's direction will start to look a lot like the Thibodeau era in Minnesota.
(Last week: 3)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-31)
In the latest Hollywood drama, LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-on-cleveland-return-the-doors-not-closed-on-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kept things pretty wide open</a> when he chatted with The Athletic's&nbsp;Jason Lloyd about his future. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rob-pelinka-refused-to-trade-russell-westbrook-draft-pick-for-john-wall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report also wrote</a> that Rob Pelinka refused to trade Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick for John Wall. So yeah, there's a very obvious disconnect within this franchise.
The Lakers cannot be satisfied with stumbling their way through a Play-In bracket that James himself has gone on record hating. They have to be a top-six seed for the sake of roster durability and image. But being six games behind sixth-place Denver right now, Los Angeles may have already run out of luck.
(Last week: 1)
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Ethan Fuller gives end-of-season benchmarks for success to the league's disappointing teams.

NBA Sour Rankings: Can teams in the dumps still salvage success?

Here&rsquo;s a question: Why isn&rsquo;t anyone talking about the Phoenix Suns?&nbsp;
Look, maybe that line of questioning is a tad bit too hyperbolic, but is it fair to say the general discourse around them hasn&rsquo;t exactly been in line with a team off to a historically great start? Have the Suns entered that &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t care what you do until it&rsquo;s playoff time&rdquo; tier already? In just Year 2 of the Chris Paul and Devin Booker era?&nbsp;
The Suns are on pace to win 67 games this season. Read that again. 67 games. Only 10 teams in NBA history have won 67 games or more since the NBA merger in 1976. Of those teams, seven won the NBA championship that season. Phoenix is somehow soaring in rarefied air while flying deeply under the radar.
That said, the Suns haven&rsquo;t completely oozed that &ldquo;we&rsquo;re going to decimate you at all costs&rdquo; machismo that teams like the 1996 Chicago Bulls (72 wins) or the 2017 Golden State Warriors (67 wins) have flaunted in the past. If the season ended today, Phoenix&rsquo;s Net Rating of plus-7.9 would be the lowest of any team with a .805 winning percentage or better.&nbsp;
Winning games with that margin of victory places the Suns in a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DAjxnZZzGQTPQptxsNWRxfDCgUOMVazPeJ6kQUTrgJY/edit#gid=0">different threshold</a>, one that accrues around 64 to 65 wins in a single season. (Think, the 2018 Houston Rockets or the 2006 Detroit Pistons.) That is to say &mdash; though the Suns haven&rsquo;t necessarily profiled as a historically dominant juggernaut (at least according to this specific metric) &mdash; they&rsquo;re still an extremely dangerous squad, and a rightful favorite to hoist the Larry O&rsquo;Brien in June. They&rsquo;ve somehow improved in every facet after nearly squeaking out a title last season. This team doesn&rsquo;t mess around.
Balance is the first thing that comes to mind when musing about this talented Suns group. Phoenix is the only team in the NBA that ranks in the top-five in both offense and defense, per Cleaning the Glass, and is currently on the longest winning streak in the league with 10 straight. They&rsquo;ve weathered the storms that have formed from the rocky seas of the 2022 season; whether it was Devin Booker&rsquo;s hamstring strain in early December, the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/evansidery/2021/12/31/phoenix-suns-roster-ravaged-by-covid-19/?sh=e602a12ac869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID-19 protocols</a> at the turn of the new year or Deandre Ayton&rsquo;s extended absence. Nothing seems to faze these dudes; they've got the confidence of a college senior strutting around campus during syllabus week.
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So, about that straightjacket-tight defensive unit, which currently sits at second-best overall &mdash; Phoenix&rsquo;s defense adheres to the analytical rule of the land: minimizing at-rim shots (No. 3 in the NBA) and corner threes (No. 4) while allowing boatloads of shots from the midrange (No. 28). Schematics fuel such a sharp and pronounced analytical profile, as Phoenix has settled into running mostly drop coverage with Ayton on the mend.&nbsp;
Phoenix&rsquo;s guards and wings have taken a liking to &ldquo;ICE-ing&rdquo; ball-screens and funneling opponents toward its bigs; JaVale McGee, who remains submerged in a deep drop coverage where he can thwart opponents with his 7-foot-6 wingspan, and newcomer Bismack Biyombo, who plays slightly closer to the level of screens to flash his quick hands for an average of 2.9 stocks (steals and blocks) per 36 minutes.&nbsp;
It makes perfect sense for Phoenix to allow its smaller players to dictate defensive possessions in the pick-and-roll. Chris Paul is as pesky and persistent of a point-of-attack defender as ever. Devin Booker has taken a stupendous defensive leap, playing up into dudes with proclivity while showcasing increased attentiveness away from the action. Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and Mikal Bridges form a nearly unrivaled cadre of wings, each player bringing size (Crowder), length (Johnson), guileful cunningness or a combination of the traits mentioned (Bridges).
Phoenix has found its blueprint to defensive success thanks to feisty screen navigation, switchability 1-through-4 and sturdy defensive anchoring. The Suns rank second at neutralizing isolations, defend the half-court better than all but two teams and smother enemy-transition opportunities with more proficiency than anyone in the Association.
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Here&rsquo;s a great example of Phoenix&rsquo;s defensive fluidity from the first of the two games against the Utah Jazz. To start, Paul and Booker exchange like-sized matchups (Danuel House Jr. and Trent Forrest) to keep the ball up front. Rudy Gay then sets a screen for House to cut to the rim, which Johnson and Paul expertly snuff out with a switch. Utah then flows into Gay setting a pindown screen for Jordan Clarkson, and so Phoenix trades assignments yet again to place Paul on Clarkson and Bridges on Gay. When Gay comes to set a ball-screen for Forrest, the Suns &mdash; yup, you guessed it &mdash; switch once more for Phoenix&rsquo;s fourth matchup exchange in 10 seconds.
Utah now has 5 seconds to make something happen. Knowing this, McGee hedges the pick-and-roll to slow Clarkson in his tracks and force a pickup of his dribble. Rather than hitting Hassan Whiteside in the short roll, Clarkson lofts a skip pass to Forrest in the weak-side corner. Booker spots Bridges camped out in the paint to tag Whiteside, so Book bumps down to the corner to cover for his teammate while Bridges instinctively "X&rsquo;s out" and grabs Booker&rsquo;s man, Gay. Phoenix&rsquo;s holistic team effort is fittingly awarded with a shot clock violation.&nbsp;
Together, you&rsquo;re looking at a well-oiled machine of whirring gears and gizmos that produces turnovers on an assembly line; the Suns are currently the eighth-best team at generating opponent giveaways and are scoring 1.30 points per possession after doing so, fifth-best in the NBA, per InPredictable.
Phoenix&rsquo;s offense operates with similarly devastating exactitude, capable of evaporating defenses in almost any setting. There&rsquo;s a certain level of precision to the flow of Monty Williams&rsquo; group, like using a ruler to draw a straight line, his players unified with the purpose of discovering corridors of opportunity against skittish defenses. The Suns&rsquo; half-court offense ranks No. 3 in the NBA behind only Atlanta and Utah (hello, shot creation!), and they terrorize in transition with the fifth-best fastbreak efficiency in the NBA. There&rsquo;s simply no hiding from Phoneix, and not a second spared for defenders to catch their breath.&nbsp;
Phoenix&rsquo;s spacing is among the league&rsquo;s best, with six rotation players shooting better than league-average (36.1%) on catch-and-shoots &mdash; two of which are Johnson and Booker, each posting career-highs in such situations at 42.9% and 41.9% respectively. The Suns have the luxury of consistently featuring multiple plus-shooters on the weak side of the court, which stresses help defenders tasked with covering up for defensive leaks.&nbsp;
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Here, the Suns run an empty-side pick-and-roll with Paul, Johnson and Landry Shamet flanking the weak side. When Lance Stephenson shades over to stop the drive, it opens up the easy kick-out to Shamet in the corner. Note: Because Johnson is such a hellishly-effective marksman, Chris Duarte feigns at sinking down to the corner to cover for Stephenson.
It helps that the Suns are helmed by perhaps the best, most versatile playbook practitioner in Monty Williams. Here, take a gander at arguably the most aesthetically-pleasing offense in the NBA:
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To open the game against the Jazz on Jan. 24, the Suns used Booker in some &ldquo;Hawk&rdquo; action by having him screech off a back screen from Johnson to the basket. Phoenix then flows into double pick-and-roll for Paul with Johnson and McGee screening. Meanwhile, on the weak side, Bridges sets an exit screen (or &ldquo;pin-in&rdquo; screen) for Booker to scurry to the corner.&nbsp;
Utah panics for a second, as Clarkson and House are unsure if they&rsquo;re supposed to switch; and so, Bridges tactically slips to the rim. Meanwhile, Whiteside, Utah&rsquo;s rim protector, is preoccupied with the action on the strongside &mdash; Johnson flying off a "veer" screen from McGee. Thus, an open layup for Bridges.
40 seconds later, Phoenix went to the exact same play, with Booker first streaking off a Hawk screen, and the Suns fluidly moving into a double ball-screen for Paul with an exit screen on the weak side. This time, however, instead of hitting Bridges with a pass, CP3 finds Johnson tearing off that veer screen from McGee while Forrest inexplicably goes under (??) the pick. Three points to the Valley Boyz.
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Now, think about the plethora of options that Phoenix has at its disposal at any given moment with this specific set.&nbsp;
Paul can hit Booker on the Hawk cut to the basket. He can also find McGee rolling to the rim or Johnson popping to the three-point line after the double pick-and-roll. Paul has the option to pass to Booker coming off the exit screen in the corner, or he has room to sling the ball to Bridges slipping the exit screen. Dishing the ball to Johnson cutting off the veer screen is also an option, and if the defense plays up higher, a lob to McGee after setting the veer screen is definitely imaginable.&nbsp;
From just one play, that&rsquo;s seven different possible options to pick from, with one of the best passers in the league leading the charge. Now do you see why this Suns team is such a nightmare to deal with?
Speaking of which, man, oh man does Phoenix have Paul&rsquo;s fingerprints all over it once again. The Suns have continued to caretake the basketball better than all but five teams in the league, a hallmark of any team helmed by CP3; though, this year they&rsquo;re playing faster than any Paul-led offense ever relative to the competition, slotting in at No. 7 in the NBA&rsquo;s pace ranking.
Phoenix is absolutely blitzing teams in the clutch, yet another telltale sign of Paul&rsquo;s basketball DNA. Actually, &ldquo;blitzing teams&rdquo; is putting it lightly. In the last 5 minutes of games decided by 5 points or less, Phoenix is winning those minutes by a blistering 44.7 points per 100 possessions. For context, second in crunch-time NET are the Washington Wizards with 22.6 points per 100 possessions. Yup, you&rsquo;re reading that correctly. Phoenix is nearly doubling the productivity of its nearest competitor in close games. So yeah, maybe &ldquo;eviscerating opponents with no regard for human life&rdquo; is a better way to put it.&nbsp;
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Hold up.
For a second, can we stop to appreciate what Chris Paul is doing in his 17th season? Seriously, it doesn&rsquo;t make a lick of sense. Just thinking about it scatters my brain in every direction like hitting the shuffle button on your entire music library. For all the chatter about LeBron James&rsquo; productivity in Year 19, it&rsquo;s Paul &mdash; a 36-year-old and a barely 6-foot point-guard &mdash; that is breaking any and all parameters for what is possible for players of his ilk.
For starters, he&rsquo;s just one of 11 players in NBA history to even play an NBA game at his age and height. Oh, and he&rsquo;s yet to miss a single contest this NBA season. But Paul isn&rsquo;t just suiting up for games with Cal Ripken Jr. consistency; he&rsquo;s by far having the most productive season of all-time for a smaller, older guard. He&rsquo;s the only non-big-man player in the NBA to rank within the top-seven in Basketball Reference&rsquo;s win shares, which measures the estimated number of wins contributed by a specific player. (This statistic tends to favor larger-sized players, for reference).
Here&rsquo;s another fun stat: Paul is also the only player this season who's racked up at least 500 assists and 50 steals. (He&rsquo;s got 507 dimes and 92 swipes entering play on Feb. 1.)
Nothing emblematizes the Chris Paul effect&trade; more than the recent surge from Bismack Biyombo, who was originally acquired on Jan. 1 via a 10-day hardship deal. The dude has been finishing literally everything in the pick-and-roll while being spoon-fed a consistent diet of pinpoint passes from CP3, and the Suns are averaging 1.29 points per possession when Biyombo is involved as a ball-screener (81st percentile). The Suns are plus-4.6 points per 100 possessions better as a team when Biyombo shares the floor with Paul versus with him off it. Phoenix&rsquo;s profitable pairing has produced a plethora of plucky highlights.&nbsp;
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The Suns appear to be without a weakness, not even a soft spot in the armor. Their defense ranks among the elites at containing fastbreaks and half-court attacks, and they&rsquo;re just as proficient at creating buckets with an advantage in transition or against set defenses. Phoenix&rsquo;s depth is rivaled by few in the league, with the lineup flexibility to ooze and conform to a bushel of opponents. The biggest questions may pertain to the team's ceiling &mdash; namely, can the Suns win a championship without a bona fide Tier-1 star or a top-seven NBA player? (That said, a pair of Tier-2 guys isn&rsquo;t exactly a bad consolation prize).
Still, in a league that&rsquo;s plagued with questions about availability (howdy, Brooklyn and Golden State!), the Suns appear to be the surest bet to finish the season as the last team standing. Shoot, even if Brooklyn and Golden State manage to get healthy, Phoenix could still very well be the correct answer.
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Matt Brooks dives into the film to illustrate what makes the Suns so dangerous and why we should be talking about them more.

Are the Phoenix Suns somehow flying under the radar?

Last month, as COVID-19 ravaged NBA rosters, a record number of G League players were called up and veterans who hadn&rsquo;t put on an NBA jersey in several years were signed.
It seemed like the perfect opportunity for Joe Young to make his NBA comeback and get the second chance that he&rsquo;s dreamed about for four years.
After being drafted No. 43 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, Young spent three seasons with the Indiana Pacers, but he hasn&rsquo;t been on an NBA roster since the 2017-18 season ended. Instead, he's been putting up impressive numbers in the G League and Chinese Basketball Association.
This season, Young is thriving with the Birmingham Squadron, averaging 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 threes and 1.1 steals on .473/.353/.931 shooting splits. He recently turned heads with a 42-point, 8-assist, 7-three, 3-steal, 1-turnover performance against the Stockton Kings.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Sign that man!&rdquo; his former Pacers teammate Myles Turner pleaded <a href="https://twitter.com/zapearsonNBA/status/1479417688216768513" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Instagram</a>.
However, even when nearly 150 players were sidelined due to the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols in late December, Young still didn&rsquo;t get called up.
Young admits that it was hard for him to watch so many other players get the NBA call that he&rsquo;s desperately waited for.
&ldquo;It was very frustrating,&rdquo; Young told BasketballNews.com in an exclusive interview. &ldquo;You know me: I'm all for anybody. I don't hate. A lot of those guys that got called up are from my draft class, and they're my friends. Of course, when I saw it happen, it hurts a little bit inside, man. Because I&rsquo;m a guy who gets up every day and kisses his kids goodbye at 5:45 a.m. to work out and better myself. I really take pride in this game. I love this game. I think about the game all day, every day. The game is all I know. That's my profession, so I try to perfect my craft."
Squadron head coach Ryan Pannone wanted some answers. Last month, at the NBA G League Showcase in Las Vegas, Pannone asked a number of NBA executives about Young, and they all said the same thing: They weren&rsquo;t interested because of concerns about his maturity and character after hearing stories from his Pacers days.
This frustrated Pannone, since he has grown close to Young this season and couldn&rsquo;t be happier with the 29-year-old&rsquo;s leadership, maturity, coachability, work ethic and effort.
&ldquo;Everyone has the right to grow up, and your past mistakes don&rsquo;t define who you are today," Pannone told BasketballNews.com. "But they can help shape and mold you into a better person and father, and that is what Joe Young has done."
Young has made huge strides since his last stint in the NBA, but the mistakes he made in his early-20s have haunted him and affected how he&rsquo;s perceived now. Young knows this, and he&rsquo;s the first person to admit that he was immature while in Indiana.
When the Pacers assigned him to their G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the then-rookie Young got upset. And after a few games with the Mad Ants, he pushed back on his G League assignment, telling the Pacers&rsquo; decision-makers that he didn&rsquo;t want to be demoted again. When Pacers head coach Nate McMillan decided to decrease his playing time midseason, Young admits that he grew frustrated and stopped working as hard.
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Now, these are some of Young&rsquo;s biggest regrets and he cringes when talking about the mistakes he made seven years ago.
&ldquo;I'm a changed kid. I've grown up; I'm older,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;The things I did that weren&rsquo;t mature, I was 21, 22, 23 years old. Now, I'm 29. It's a whole other mindset. I come in and try to bring as much leadership as I can to a team. I feel like that's what a professional is; I come to work, do my job at a high level, work hard, lead &mdash; and I&rsquo;m professional on and off the court.
&ldquo;I didn't know [how to act] in an NBA scene. I&rsquo;d come down the middle, dunk on a player and start yelling in his face. Then, they&rsquo;d say, &lsquo;He's immature.&rsquo; It's the little things like that. When I came into the league, I was very confident. I was playing great basketball in practice. Coach Nate commended me and said I [was] doing good. But it was just my maturity level. I&rsquo;d do good, and Coach didn't play me, and I started slowing down because he didn't play me. But that's not what a professional does. A professional gets up every day even though he's not playing and he gets his work in because he never knows when his name might get called.&rdquo;
Prior to joining the Squadron, Young was candid about his past with the team&rsquo;s decision-makers.
&ldquo;Before we drafted Joe, we called him to communicate our situation and style of play, and in that first conversation, without being asked, he was very honest and upfront about the mistakes he made with the Pacers &mdash; his attitude, his entitlement and [the lack of] professionalism that he displayed with them,&rdquo; Pannone said. &ldquo;He told me that he was ready to do whatever was asked, be a leader and a veteran who could help younger players not make the same mistakes that he made.&rdquo;
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Marc Chasanoff, the Squadron&rsquo;s general manager and the New Orleans Pelicans&rsquo; senior director of basketball operations, says that Young has been a pleasant surprise.
&ldquo;Entering the G League draft, we didn't have a first-round pick; we were sitting there with two second-rounders and he was at the top of our board,&rdquo; Chasanoff told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;We were connecting with Joe leading up to the draft, and you got a sense of maturity and growth from his standpoint. He talked about how he made mistakes in the past and how he could have handled things differently. From day one, he was just looking for an opportunity. And that's what the G League is about; it should be a second chance. From day one with us, he's carried himself with the utmost professionalism and has been great with our group. He's one of the pillars of the culture that we've built. Over the past three years, we've really prided ourselves on finding high-character people and high-quality people and he fits that from our experience, for sure.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Young believes that getting married and starting a family helped him mature.
&ldquo;I've matured to a whole &lsquo;nother level, man,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I'm married now, I&rsquo;ve got my kids that look up to me and I&rsquo;ve got a lot of responsibilities. When I got married and had my kids, it just changed my perspective; every time I step on this court, I'm doing it for my family. We work so hard for our kids and family. At the end of the day, I want my son to be like me or even better than me. And I just want my kids to grow up and see that I didn't give up; I continued to fight. I want my family to see me get back into the NBA. I want them to see what they should've seen when I first got to the league.&rdquo;
For the first time in three years, Young&rsquo;s family has been able to watch him play regularly, which has meant a lot to him. That wasn&rsquo;t the case when he was in China.
Young could have continued playing in the Chinese Basketball Association, where he was an All-Star. Over his three seasons abroad, he averaged 33.2 points, 5.9 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 threes and 1.9 steals. Had he stayed in China, he would&rsquo;ve made considerably more money than a G League team can offer, but he was determined to chase his NBA dream. He came to this decision after an emotional conversation with Stephon Marbury, who was his head coach with the Beijing Royal Fighters last season.
Marbury knows all about the politics of the NBA and how a series of mistakes can change the way you&rsquo;re perceived around the league. Few people can relate to what Young has been through, but Marbury absolutely can.
During their exit meeting last year, both discussed Young&rsquo;s future and how you can&rsquo;t control how people perceive you. At one point, Young and Marbury &ldquo;shed tears together,&rdquo; and Marbury said something that has been stuck in Young's head ever since.
&ldquo;I don't want to see you back in China next season,&rdquo; Marbury said, as recalled by Young. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t belong here; you belong in the NBA. It's not going to be easy, but if you keep fighting and keep doing what you're doing, you&rsquo;ll get back to the league. Don't give up, even when it gets hard. [When you&rsquo;re doubted], that should make you go harder. Go get what you deserve."
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At that point, Young knew he had to return to the NBA G League and pursue a call-up.
&ldquo;I keep that in the back of my mind,&rdquo; Young said of Marbury's advice. &ldquo;Ever since, I&rsquo;ve been trying to do what he told me. I've been working my tail off ever since I got back from China."
Young is grateful that he got to play for Marbury and learn from him last season. He also believes playing in China helped him become a better leader and learn what it takes to run a team.
&ldquo;Playing for him was amazing, man. I could really tell he cared about me as a person and as a player,&rdquo; Young said of Marbury. &ldquo;That's big bro. He helped elevate me as a player and as a person. We won some games that they&rsquo;d never won before. And I used my time in China to better myself. [I thought], &lsquo;If I keep working here, I can take this mentality and bring it back to the U.S. and get back in the league.&rsquo;&rdquo;
Young started applying what he'd learned in China as soon as he joined the Squadron. On the first day of Birmingham&rsquo;s training camp, Young took the entire team out to Ruth&rsquo;s Chris Steak House so everybody could get to know each other. He&rsquo;s put together several of these team dinners throughout the season. Pannone says he has emerged as a terrific leader and mentor, telling the younger players about his mistakes and passing on lessons that he learned the hard way.
&ldquo;He is an asset to a winning culture," Pannone said. "Who Joe has become as a person, what he has done as a leader and his openness about his past mistakes with our players helped cultivate our culture off the floor, which has carried over to our success on the court. Even when we lost five games in a row, the bond that was built with our team led to an environment of togetherness, fun and work with a focus on the process and not the outcome.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;Joe sets the tone with his work ethic; I wish the guy slept more,&rdquo; Chasanoff added. &ldquo;He's a 5:45 a.m. guy; he gets up, does treatment, gets a lift in and gets a sweat in before other guys even get to the gym. But he also takes the time to get the team together, organizing team dinners. Obviously, he's in a different financial place than a lot of other people in the G League, but I've rarely heard of players organizing team dinners like that, and he's done it three different times. He takes guys under his wing and he's very open about the mistakes he's made in the past and how he&rsquo;s trying to grow from them. He&rsquo;s been great for our culture.&rdquo;
When speaking with his younger teammates, Young keeps his advice simple.
&ldquo;Don't let them say you don't work hard, don't let them say you aren't on time and don't let them say you have off-court issues. Do everything like you're supposed to,&rdquo; he explains. &ldquo;That's what I tell the younger kids. And it's not about just getting there; it's about maintaining and staying [in the league], and that was what I had to figure out myself. When you get that opportunity, don't mess it up because you don&rsquo;t want to be fighting like I'm fighting [to get back].&rdquo;
At one point, Birmingham's coaches had to tell Young to rest more because they were concerned he was pushing himself too hard ahead of a six-games-in-10-days stretch.
&ldquo;He was coming into the gym with our assistant coach Perry Huang at 8:15 a.m. to shoot and work out, and then he would turn around and be ready to practice hard (including twice a day in the preseason),&rdquo; Pannone raved. &ldquo;He allows us to use him as an example by coaching him hard and correcting him. When you can hold accountable and coach hard the player who has the most NBA experience and has made the most money, it helps set the tone for the on-court culture you want to build.&rdquo;
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Chasanoff believes that Young deserves another NBA opportunity, and he&rsquo;s hopeful that the 29-year-old will get a chance to show an organization just how far he&rsquo;s come.
&ldquo;I think Joe deserves the opportunity. He's done everything you could've asked,&rdquo; Chasanoff said. &ldquo;Obviously, he's grown from his past in the NBA. He's matured, he's put in the time from a work-ethic and a character standpoint. I would vouch for him. From a player standpoint, he's bought into the team concept. It's a very unique concept. The G League is the only league in the world that people sign in to leave. You sign in to get the NBA call-up or a better deal overseas. A lot of times, it could be a high-agenda [situation], especially someone in his position &mdash; a former NBA guy who&rsquo;s trying to get back.
"But he bought into the team concept. He hasn't been out there hunting for stats. He bought into the coaching staff. His coachability and work ethic have been very impressive, and he's helped contribute to a very successful team. I think he can help on the NBA side as well. He&rsquo;s looking for a second chance; if and when it comes, I think he can take full advantage of it.&rdquo;
Young appreciates that Pannone and Chasanoff are vouching for him and pushing for him to get called up, which means they&rsquo;d be losing one of their key players.
&ldquo;It means a lot,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;That really means a lot. I really appreciate Marc and Ryan and the New Orleans Pelicans organization for helping me get back on track and really believing in me in this process. From the first day to now, they've just been like, &lsquo;Wow, we're shocked.&rsquo; Coach is letting me lead this team. The dinners we had together and the unity is why we won seven in a row. When we lost five in a row, we didn't argue; we stuck together and that came from the dinners and us hanging out. We're a new team, but we feel like we&rsquo;ve been playing together forever.&rdquo;
Young is hopeful that an NBA team will give him a chance to prove that he&rsquo;s changed, just like Pannone and Chasanoff did at the G League level. And he wants every NBA front office to know that they&rsquo;d be getting a player who&rsquo;s extremely hungry, who won&rsquo;t take his roster spot for granted and who will do whatever it takes to stick in the NBA this time around.
&ldquo;I'm ready to show that I'm an NBA player off the court and on the court,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I'm very mature. I will do anything that I need to do to get back to where I belong. I can lead a team, I can apply pressure 94 feet, I can play any role. I can do anything a coach asks me to do on the court and off the court to make a team better.
&ldquo;They're going to get high intensity on the defensive end, and leadership. Someone who will control the team as a point guard and make sure I get everyone in their spots. I&rsquo;ll control the game when I get in, like a point guard should do. I&rsquo;ll control the tempo on the offensive end and, on the defensive end, I&rsquo;ll pick up the point guard full-court and make sure they can't get into their offense. Just bring energy and be annoying. I just want to be that annoying guard where my coach is like, &lsquo;Joe, go in there and give me some energy.&rsquo; I'll go in there and pick them up 94 feet for two minutes, if I&rsquo;ve got to. Those are the little things that I want to show that I can do.&rdquo;
Young has been waiting four years for this opportunity, and he&rsquo;s not giving up anytime soon.
&ldquo;I feel like I'm going to get back in. I'm not going to give up because I know I belong in the league,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I put the work in and I'm mature about it. I'm just ready to get back in, man. Once it happens, I'm going to be shedding some tears, I promise you. And I'm ready to shed some tears.&rdquo;

Joe Young wants to return to the NBA, but he had to prove that he's matured since his Pacers days. In the G League, he's done just that.

Matured Joe Young determined to make NBA comeback: 'I'll do anything'

At one point last week, nearly one-third of the NBA was sidelined due to the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols. By the end of December, 247 players had been in the protocols at one point or another. It felt like a new athlete was being ruled out every few minutes, and teams <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/fringe-nba-players-have-golden-opportunity-with-30-of-the-league-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrambled to find replacement players</a> via 10-day contracts and hardship exemptions.&nbsp;
The on-court product suffered, and there was a lot of talk about whether the NBA should pause the season. While NBA commissioner Adam Silver shot down that idea, the league did ultimately <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32968957/sources-nba-speeds-covid-return-some" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adjust their protocols</a>.&nbsp;
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Now, players who are vaccinated and asymptomatic can return to action five days after a positive COVID-19 test as long as their cycle-threshold level is above 30; previously, players had to sit out seven days and their CT level had to be above 35 to return.
These changes have drastically reduced the number of players who are in the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols at any given time.
Today, there are only 47 players who are sidelined as a result of the protocols (as noted by <a href="https://twitter.com/hoopshype/status/1479865261528334340" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype&rsquo;s Alberto de Roa</a>). That&rsquo;s a fraction of the absences we saw last month. Under the new rules, the NBA hasn&rsquo;t had to postpone any games either (after postponing 11 contests in December).
With that said, some teams are still dealing with outbreaks. For example, the Indiana Pacers have had nine players and one assistant coach in the protocols over the last 48 hours: Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, Chris Duarte, T.J. Warren, Jeremy Lamb, Torrey Craig, Justin Anderson, Goga Bitadze, Isaiah Jackson and assistant coach Lloyd Pierce. (However, Brogdon, Duarte, Lamb and Pierce were able to exit the protocols and rejoin the team on Friday).
Still, it seems that the NBA&rsquo;s altered protocols have largely been effective as cases spike across the country due to the Omicron variant. After COVID-19 ravaged rosters in recent weeks, perhaps the worst is behind us and the NBA has made it through the toughest stretch of the season.
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In December, 247 players were sidelined due to COVID-19. Now, only 47 players are in the NBA's updated health and safety protocols.

With only 47 players out, NBA's new COVID protocols seem to be working

One day after the Brooklyn Nets announced his return as a part-time player, Kyrie Irving has already landed in the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The team announced on Saturday afternoon that Irving became the ninth Nets player to land in COVID-related protocols, which continues to ravage rosters league-wide.
Irving was brought back on a part-time basis as an unvaccinated player because of the issues Brooklyn was dealing with due to COVID-19. Now, Irving will be unable to join the team for an extended period of time.
According to <a href="https://twitter.com/Krisplashed/status/1472270871536582661" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News</a>, Irving returned a positive or inconclusive COVID-19 test, which is why he was added to the health and safety protocols.&nbsp;
All season long, the Nets have been unable to see their superstar trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Irving in action. Now, all three are together in health and safety protocols.
This week continues to be headlined by the NBA dealing with a major COVID-19 issue. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/its-time-for-the-nba-to-step-in-with-covid19-ravaging-rosters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Will the NBA be forced to pause action soon</a>?

One day after his return, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is the latest player in the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Kyrie Irving enters league health and safety protocols

The NBA has already experienced the serious impacts of COVID-19. After a three-month stoppage during the 2019-20 season, the NBA had to finish the playoffs in a bubble environment in Orlando. Throughout the 2020-21 regular season, games were held with limited or no fans in attendance. Now, it seems that the NBA has run into a COVID-related obstacle once again.
A new variant of COVID-19, Omicron, is beginning to spread just in time for the holidays. With daily testing in the sports world, most notably the NFL and NBA, we are seeing the number of cases rise and it feels like a new player is ruled out every hour. Some teams (such as the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers) have had their roster decimated recently. More than 95% of NBA players are reportedly fully vaccinated and some have also received the booster shot, but the breakthrough cases are adding up.
Around the NBA, rotations have been ravaged. Stars are on the sidelines. In some cases, coaches are unable to lead their team. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. The number of cases is rising daily &mdash; in the NBA and NFL &mdash; and now there is a serious discussion to be had on what to do next.
Will games continue to go on as usual or is it time to temporarily pull the plug on the regular-season schedule? With Christmas next week and players about to be around their families, breakthrough cases will likely spike to even higher levels than what we&rsquo;re seeing now.
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It&rsquo;s entirely possible NBA commissioner Adam Silver will decide to let teams fight through the next week-plus, allowing big-rating games on Christmas Day and New Year's Day to go on as scheduled. However, at that point, it could be time to take a mini break and reset the schedule to prevent any further on-court damage. Many recognizable players are on the sidelines, which hurts the product anyway. This week alone, the following stars are unable to play basketball because they entered the health-and-safety protocols: Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, LaMelo Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook.
The Sacramento Kings are worried about a roster-wide outbreak and they're fearing that their upcoming games will have to be postponed. Multiple players on the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls are sidelined as well.
Teams are being forced to play with only eight available players, which is the minimum allowed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. We just saw Kevin Durant have to play almost the entire game (including overtime) in a win against the Toronto Raptors because much of their team was sidelined due to the health-and-safety protocols. Charlotte has continued to play on despite missing many of their notable pieces due to COVID-19 as well.
Now, the Lakers are trying to rebound from a slow start to the season, but they are without Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, Malik Monk and Avery Bradley. Los Angeles just signed Isaiah Thomas, who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/isaiah-thomas-dominates-in-nba-g-league-debut-scoring-42-points" target="_blank" rel="noopener">went off in his G League debut on Wednesday</a>, since their backcourt depth has been ravaged by the coronavirus.
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During the peak of the pandemic, we saw the NBA continue to push through even when many teams suffered from COVID-related issues. While all of the recent cases may be shocking to fans, the league has acknowledged that a COVID spike was to be expected from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day.
Welcome to the new normal for the NBA &mdash; and the entire sports world &mdash; during a worldwide pandemic. With new variants continuing to pop up, this will continue to be a situation to monitor within the NBA, let alone society as a whole.
On Wednesday, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1471239858467262467" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1471240000217960462" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski</a> reported that the NBA and NBPA have discussed modified protocols to combat the spread of COVID-19. The two sides have already agreed to start testing vaccinated players without booster shots, but they are still negotiating whether there will be further testing and more restrictive protocols with cases now rising league-wide.
The holiday season is a peak time of interest for the Association, but it&rsquo;s fair to wonder if now is the time for the league office to pause the season in order to prevent more players and teams from being impacted by COVID-19.

As COVID-19 continues to impact rosters, the NBA has a huge decision to make regarding their regular-season calendar.

With COVID-19 ravaging rosters, is it time for the NBA to step in?

The Bulls, Cavaliers and Trail Blazers are close on a three-team deal sending Lauri Markkanen to Cleveland, Larry Nance Jr. to Portland and Derrick Jones Jr., a first-round pick and additional draft compensation to Chicago, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1431286325894856712" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of </a><a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1431286325894856712" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a>.&nbsp;League sources <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/instant-reaction-cleveland-cavaliers-lauri-markkanen-trade-chicago-bulls-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed the deal to Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com.</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The largest remaining free agent domino falls in this sign-and-trade. <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1431285639971053571" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports</a> the Cavaliers are signing Lauri Markkanen to a deal worth $67 million over four seasons. Cleveland adds another piece to its young core in the 24-year-old Markkanen. Portland, meanwhile, picks up a versatile two-way complementary piece in Larry Nance Jr. who can help salvage a struggling defense. Chicago gets a high-flying forward in Jones Jr. to pair with draft assets.

The Trail Blazers will add Larry Nance Jr. while Chicago receives Derrick Jones Jr. and draft picks.

Cavs acquire Lauri Markkanen in three-team trade with Bulls, Trail Blazers

David Aldridge joins Etan Thomas and David Zirin on The Collision to discuss how Malice at the Palace was mishandled by the media.

David Aldridge: The media failed to tell full Malice at The Palace story

In order to best quantify the salary that players should be making based on their performance, former Rosenhaus Sports vice president of basketball operations and NBA agent Joshua Ebrahim has spent the last 20 months developing a new platform called <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athletes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ProFitX</a>. According to Ebrahim, ProFitX is the sports industry&rsquo;s first-ever comprehensive real-time financial and performance index powered by artificial intelligence.
One feature is <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/dashboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract Value</a>, which creates a monetary value based on a player's on-court performance and skill-set.
Oftentimes when we talk about teams and salaries, the conversation is dominated by which team overpaid a free agent and players who haven't produced enough to justify their contracts (in some people's opinion). But which players have outperformed their current contract the most?
BasketballNews.com already assembled a roundtable regarding the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-contract-is-the-biggest-bargain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biggest bargain deals in the NBA</a>, but for this exercise, we'll take a more data-driven approach this (using <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/dashboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract Value</a>).
We'll begin this two-part series with the Eastern Conference.
(Due to the frequency of rookie-scale deals undervaluing young talents, we will exclude them from this series. We will also have a minimum requirement of 40 games played.)
Atlanta Hawks: Brandon Goodwin - $1,701,593 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3057198/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $5,329,117 (+213.18%)
The undrafted Norcross, Georgia native has stepped up in a big way this season, particularly when pacing the Hawks sans Trae Young. In the three games he played at least 30 minutes, Goodwin has averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He has recently been relegated to a reserve role with the addition of Lou Williams and Kris Dunn&rsquo;s return from injury, but was paramount for Atlanta in the months of January and April.
Boston Celtics: Tristan Thompson - $9,258,000 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/6474/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $10,024,192 (+8.28%)
It is difficult to quantify Thompson&rsquo;s value on the floor with traditional statistics. He is a hustling extraordinaire that fights for every loose ball, does the little things in the paint and isn&rsquo;t afraid to take a defensive challenge, particularly on switches. He&rsquo;s also well-versed as a rolling big, and leads the Celtics with 215 screen assists. Thompson&rsquo;s most redeeming ability, however, is his ability to snatch rebounds and provide extra possessions.
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Brooklyn Nets: Jeff Green - $2,564,753 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3209/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $11,835,871 (+361.46%)
Aside from the somewhat surprising rim-crushing dunks he&rsquo;s had at the ripe age of 34, Green has been as steady as any veteran player in the NBA. Considering his professionalism, production on both ends and his versatility in general, It&rsquo;s kind of perplexing as to why he hasn&rsquo;t been able to cash in on his long-term value before this season. The Nets are his eighth team in the past seven seasons, and all of his deals have been for one year, and in Houston it was originally a 10-day contract. In addition to his defensive skills, Green is a reliable locker room guy and a tremendously-improved three-point shooter (39.5%) who is playing the most minutes of his career since the 2018-19 season, so he should be able to get a solid deal in the offseason with a contending team if he doesn&rsquo;t return to Brooklyn.
Charlotte Hornets: Jalen McDaniels - $1,517,981 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/4066731/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $6,050,304 (+298.58%)
McDaniels had his two-way contract quickly converted into a standard deal the year he was drafted, so it doesn&rsquo;t quite count as a rookie-scale. Though the Gordon Hayward injury was a setback to the team, the 23-year-old has not taken his uptick of minutes for granted. Since April 4, McDaniels is averaging 10.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and a steal in a career-high 26.8 minutes per contest. He is a rangy defender at 6-foot-9, closing out perimeter shots, staying disciplined, playing passing lanes and, offensively, running the floor and being ready to catch and shoot.
Chicago Bulls: Ryan Arcidiacono - $3,000,000 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/2991047/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $5,962,929 (+98.76%)
Arcidiacono barely meets the minimum requirement for this exercise with 42 games played (and only 10 minutes per game), and he hasn&rsquo;t quite been the sharpshooter he&rsquo;s been over the past two seasons with Chicago -- and usually shooters need to get reps in order to get into a rhythm. However, according to InStat, he has defended pick-and-rolls (0.86 PPP), catch-and-shoot (0.82 PPP) and catch-and-drive situations (0.72) at a respectable rate.&nbsp;
Cleveland Cavaliers: Dean Wade - $1,517,981 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3912848/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $8,441,563 (+456.10%)
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/2deanwade_lg.jpg" alt="" width="797" height="491" />
Did you know that the most successful starting lineup the Cavs have thrown out includes Wade? The quintet of Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen and Wade are 4-1 together. It&rsquo;s largely due to the spacing that the stretch-four provides, and his long-distance sweet spots are in both corners (51.2%) and the left elbow (40%). He&rsquo;s also a solid rebounder, as evidenced by his recent 19-point, 12-rebound career night vs. the Indiana Pacers. Wade started out as an undrafted two-way contract player and worked his way into an every night rotation player, and that&rsquo;s admirable.
Detroit Pistons: Frank Jackson - $77,250 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/4065651/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $12,215,306 (+15712.69%)
At the beginning of the season, Troy Weaver inked the former New Orleans Pelicans guard to a two-way contract. Prior to midseason, Jackson&rsquo;s minutes were sporadic; since that point, it was full-speed ahead. From March 15 and on, Jackson has played over 22 minutes per game, starting in six of those. He&rsquo;s averaged 12 points and has knocked down 41.6% of his threes, and defensively has navigated screens on the outside to defend hand-offs well.
Indiana Pacers: Edmond Sumner - $2,160,000 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3136485/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $10,915,772 (+405.36%)
While there may have been more turmoil than expected in Indianapolis, the emergence of Sumner has been an extreme bright spot for the Pacers. He brings a real physicality and has that dog in him, truly, on both ends of the floor. He&rsquo;s a savant in transition (1.31 PPP), a just-under-40% three-baller and a dependable option in the team&rsquo;s rotation -- so much that he&rsquo;s started 19 out of Indiana&rsquo;s last 20 games. Mighty impressive for anybody, but especially a No. 52 overall selection four years ago.
Miami Heat: Gabe Vincent - $77,250 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3137259/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $5,184,257 (+6,611.01%)
Due to Miami getting everybody back, Vincent&rsquo;s role has shrunk. But early in the season, with the Heat ravaged by health and safety protocols, injuries and inconsistencies, Vincent had the opportunity to play big minutes. In his first two career starts against the Philadelphia 76ers, he scored 45 points, dished out 11 assists and hit 34.5% of his 23 attempted triples in over 70 minutes of action. Following that game, his usage decreased, as did his output. Defense is his specialty, though, fighting away from the ball to stick to his man and defend out on the perimeter.&nbsp;
Milwaukee Bucks: Jeff Teague - $808,073 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/4015/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $9,183,063 (+1036.42%)
Teague began the season as a backup point guard for the Celtics; as soon as he started to find a rhythm with his new team, Boston dealt him to the Orlando Magic, where he was waived. So what did he do next? Reunited with his old friend Mike Budenholzer. Up to this point, Teague has played the role of a playmaker off the bench for the Bucks; it is of note that he has played fewer than 10 minutes over the last three games, but that could be just resting a vet for the postseason push. He&rsquo;s scored in double figures six times with Milwaukee as well, including a 19-point, 6-assist performance on April 9.
New York Knicks: Taj Gibson - $1,442,968 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3986/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $8,269,682 ($473.10%)
The Knicks have an old-school feel under Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s direction. Could it be because he&rsquo;s got his former Bulls with him? Gibson has proven that his gas tank isn&rsquo;t anywhere near empty, with a career-best 66.7% True Shooting percentage and a 2.1 Defensive Box Plus-Minus. He is a burly stalwart who makes sound rotations, has great awareness and grabs key rebounds, including those oh-so-important cleanups.
Orlando Magic: Dwayne Bacon - $1,678,854 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3907821/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $12,848,836 (+665.83%)
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/bacon_lg.jpeg" alt="" />
Bacon seemingly comes out of nowhere with multiple big-time scoring stretches every year. Under Steve Clifford for the second time in his career, the fourth-year swingman has averaged a career-high 11.2 points on 10.1 field goal attempts per night, as well as over three rebounds a game. Bacon loves to get into the pull-up mid-range, and his lengthy frame allows him to get to his spots.
Philadelphia 76ers: Furkan Korkmaz - $1,762,796 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3929325/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $15,251,267 (+765.17%)
Korkmaz signed a two-year minimum deal in 2019 after the Sixers declined his third-year team option on his original rookie deal. While he&rsquo;s been nursing an ankle injury as of late, the Turkish flamethrower has been a regular member of Philadelphia&rsquo;s rotation for the past two seasons. He&rsquo;s always ready to fire in the corner, and is anything but bashful when it comes to attempting shots off the catch that come his way.&nbsp;
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Toronto Raptors: DeAndre&rsquo; Bembry - $1,737,145 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3062667/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $6,449,471 (+271.27%)
With the Raptors thinned out by injuries, protocols and generally poor luck, Bembry had the opportunity to showcase his jack-of-all-trades skill set. Despite his shortcomings as a shooter, he does a lot of things well that don&rsquo;t show up in the box score with hustle plays and stout defense. He forces turnovers, gets out on the break and finishes. He&rsquo;s also a solid cutter and possesses quite a bit of athleticism.
Washington Wizards: Garrison Mathews - $77,250 | <a href="https://beta.profitx.ai/#/athlete/3913180/playercontract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-Time Contract</a>: $6,450,182 (+8249.75%)
It&rsquo;s not easy when rotations aren&rsquo;t consistent, but when Scott Brooks started Mathews for 21 games straight between Feb. 12 and March 25, he gave the Wizards a consistent three-point threat every time he was out on the floor. A solid catch-shooter, he drained a 43.8% perimeter clip during that span. That&rsquo;s a huge deal with Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal drawing the attention they do. While he has been in and out of the rotation as of late, that deserves plenty of praise for an undrafted mid-major player on a two-way contract.

Spencer Davies uses ProFitX to provide a team-by-team look at what players are outperforming their contract value the most in the East.

NBA players outperforming their contracts: Eastern Conference

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.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK KEEPS ON FLYIN'
There's always a "but..." with Russell Westbrook.
He can get to the rim whenever he wants! But the free throws...
He can make any pass in the book! But the turnovers...
He can hound dudes as an on-ball defender! But when he's off-ball...
Even the triple-doubles -- his teams have won roughly 75% of their games in which they occur -- draw some casternation. How contested were those rebounds? How friendly was the scorekeeper for those assists? How many shots did he take?
As someone who has been on both sides of the fence -- I appreciate his rim pressure and passing chops, not so much a fan of the decision-making and defense on a per-possession basis -- even I find the discourse around him exhausting.
My favorite part of the Westbrook Experience may be the rebounding, but on the offensive end. He's technically tied with Bruce Brown atop the guard list for offensive rebounds (1.7) this season, though calling Brown a guard may be a stretch due to his role.
At any rate, Westbrook's penchant for timely clean-ups are uniquely him. Beating the odds may be underselling the ridiculousness of his adventures.&nbsp;
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That's Westbrook high-pointing a ball with two Pacers in the vicinity, then flinging a dart to Alex Len before touching the floor. That, uh, is not an easy play to make! And somehow, that wasn't even the most impressive board Westbrook snagged.
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Following a Bradley Beal pull-up jumper, there are three Pacers -- all taller than Westbrook -- who have better rebound positioning. Westbrook is able to slither inside of Kelan Martin, dislodge the ball from Martin and Domantas Sabonis, then beat Doug McDermott to the ball. He then caps off that feat by dishing the rock to a cutting Rui Hachimura for an open flush.
Westbrook finished with four offensive rebounds (19 total) in that game, the seventh instance of Westbrook having at least four offensive rebounds in a game this season.&nbsp;
Regardless of how you feel about the man, these things remain true:
1) Westbrook is one of the best guards in NBA history, and will be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
2) That man brings it. Every single night. Even when the result isn't great, it's hard not to respect the process.
3) He is the primary reason that the Wizards would be incredibly annoying to play against during the play-in and playoffs.
IS ANDREW WIGGINS... UNDERRATED?
Let's start with a wonky stat query, shall we?
Wiggins is averaging 18.6 points while shooting 37.7% from deep (5.2 attempts), and also blocking a shot (1.0) per night. The only two players <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional/?sort=FG3_PCT&amp;dir=-1&amp;CF=FG3A*GE*5:PTS*GE*18:BLK*GE*1&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">matching or besting those marks</a> are Kevin Durant and Karl-Anthony Towns.
That means next-to-nothing from a big picture perspective -- Wiggins is no KD or KAT. It's only to point out that it isn't easy to find that combination of scoring, three-point shooting proficiency, and event creation defensively.&nbsp;
But dig into Wiggins' season a bit, and you should come away... mildly impressed. He isn't just flying down the court and operating as a play-finisher alongside Steph Curry. He grades out well in self-created actions, per Synergy: post-ups (51st percentile), pick-and-rolls (71st percentile), and isolation (83rd percentile).
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After an outlier bad start as a finisher, Wiggins is converting a career-high 70.7% of his shots <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wiggian01.html#shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inside of three feet</a>. It's a shame that's coming with a career-low free throw rate (.226), but hey. Baby steps.
More surprisingly, Wiggins has seemingly graduated from the good-when-he-cares class on defense. The Warriors have trusted him with a variety of tough assignments thorughout the season. Not only has he held his own, he's flat-out shut the water off sometimes.
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Who the heck had this on the Bingo! card before the year?
A fun stat to round things out: the Curry-Wiggins-Draymond Green trio without Kelly Oubre on the floor has a <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203952,1626162,201939,203110" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plus-11.9 net rating</a> in 631 minutes.&nbsp;
WES MATTHEWS, FILLING IN THE GAPS
It's no secret that the Lakers have been injury-ravaged this season, with notable absences from their two superstars. It feels like we've had a microsope on their role players -- sometimes unfairly -- because of how their level of importance has fluctuated. Talen Horton-Tucker shouldn't be the only credible ball-handler the Lakers have available. Heck, I just wrote about Marc Gasol's playing time <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/marc-gasol-should-get-more-minutes-los-angeles-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a week ago</a>.
If we're tossing out hat-tips for recent play, I'd like to nominate Wes Matthews. His per-game numbers won't pop for you -- 7.3 points in 25.3 minutes over the last four games -- but he's doing what's needed.&nbsp;
He's knocking down threes at a high clip; the Lakers will take 37% on five attempts from him. Defensively, he's taken on an assortment of tough matchups recently: CJ McCollum, Chris Paul, and RJ Barrett (boy was he <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1392349962785153028?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">put in a tough spot</a> at the end of that game) are just a few.&nbsp;
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The Lakers have been [checks notes] over 17 points per 100 possessions better with Matthews on the floor over the past four games. That number 1) isn't entirely on him and 2) seems unsustainable, but it's at least a testament to Matthews providing plus-value on both ends.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO "HMMMM"
<ul>
<li>All-NBA is tough. There are a lot of great players in the league. Injuries/COVID will make those discussions even tougher. But, like, where is the Trae Young buzz for an All-NBA team? He's 15th in scoring (25.6) and second in assists (9.5). He's the&nbsp;creator for a team with home-court advantage, and the Hawks have been 8.5 points per 100 possessions better <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/vs/advanced/#!?TeamID=1610612737&amp;VsPlayerID=1629027&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with Young on the floor</a>. I encourage you to look at the same stat for <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/vs/advanced/#!?TeamID=1610612742&amp;VsPlayerID=1629029&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a guy in Dallas</a>, just for funsies.</li>
<li>Keep an eye on Evan Fournier, now that Jaylen Brown is done for the season with a wrist injury. He's averaging 21.3 points (59/59/75 shooting split) in the four games since Brown went out.</li>
<li>Uhhhh, Kelly Olynyk is #not #slowing #down. He's putting up 18.9 points (56/38/85 shooting split), 8.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists since the All-Star break. Pick-and-pops, herky-jerky post-ups, fake handoffs. I keep waiting for his usual regression and it... just hasn't happened. His free agency should be fun.</li>
<li>Jaxson Hayes' last three games: 19 and 8 with 3 blocks, 18 and 8 with 6 blocks, and then 13 points against Memphis on Monday... and he went 3-of-3 from deep. #2KWasRight.</li>
<li>Speaking of former lottery bigs we don't quite know what to think of: Marvin Bagley is averaging 17 and 8 in May. The pathway to being a high-level play finisher, on the interior anyway, is still there.</li>
</ul>
PLAYS I LIKED
The Butler Did It
It's always a good time when the Heat 1) run some screening action for Duncan Robinson or 2) clear a corner. It's especially fun when they do both.
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An Iverson cut brings Robinson from one side of the floor to another. But from there, the Heat pivot.&nbsp;
Jimmy Butler darts from the left corner to the right block, giving off the illusion of a post-up clear-out. With Marcus Smart top-locking him (a heavy theme from this game), Butler uses Smart's positioning against him, back-cutting him and getting a lob from Goran Dragic in the process.
One might say it was a Smart play from Butler.
Masterful Misdirection
This is freaking hilarious.
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The play initially caught my eye because I was like, "Hmmm, is this a 'Floppy' look? Teams are still doing that?" I like the set up regardless; Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and John Collins form this weird triangle and it immediately throws the Wizards for a loop.
Westbrook calls out a switch early; clearly some wires get crossed because of it. Bogdanovic flies through the escape hatch beofre relocating to the left wing. Hachimura starts chasing Bogdanovic for... some... reason. That leaves Westbrook caught between Huerter and Collins, and they win that 2-on-1 pretty easily.
Fun stuff. Confusing stuff. Creative stuff. Effective stuff.
Bringing Down the House
Seems a bit mundane, but I wanted to give a quick shout to the budding chemistry between Tyrese Maxey and Dwight Howard off the bench.
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We get a variation of HORNS Flare to kick things off; Anthony Tolliver (still alive!) ghosts a screen for Maxey before relocating to the right wing. The action then flows into a pick-and-roll between Maxey and Howard.
With George Hill stashed in the left corner -- he's shooting 46% from there over the past three seasons, per InStat -- TJ McConnell can't tag Howard on the roll in good conscious. Maxey does a phenomenal job of driving deep enough to engage Goga Bitadze, then flips a lob over his head for the easy slam.
THE READING LIST
There is plenty of high-level basketball content out here if you know where to look. I wouldn&rsquo;t be where I am as a writer without reading a ton of Zach Lowe or Chris Herring or Caitlin Cooper or Mirin Fader or, well, you get the point.&nbsp;
Anyway, here are some -- not all, but some! -- of the stories I&rsquo;ve read this week that I think you should check out. Their Twitter handles will be linked under their names, so click and follow if you don&rsquo;t already.
<a href="https://twitter.com/ariivory">Arielle Chambers</a> on the <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1391860599555039235?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25 greatest moments</a> in WNBA history.
<a href="https://twitter.com/DorothyJGentry">Dorothy Gentry</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/DorothyJGentry/status/1392119386585042946?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a fantastic feature</a> on WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper.
<a href="https://twitter.com/mellentuck">Matt Ellentuck</a> gives you a guide to help <a href="https://twitter.com/mellentuck/status/1392146591436390402?s=20">pick your favorite WNBA team</a> (if you don't have one already.)
<a href="https://twitter.com/juscarts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Carter</a> gave his <a href="https://twitter.com/juscarts/status/1392493429108744194?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WNBA preseason power rankings</a>. It would appear the Sky is the limit.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MirinFader">Mirin Fader</a> came through with the goods on <a href="https://twitter.com/MirinFader/status/1392476775356108800?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart</a>.&nbsp;

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: Russell Westbrook, Andrew Wiggins, Wes Matthews

Gary Trent Jr. may not have set foot in Canada just yet, but with the Toronto Raptors, he&rsquo;s already appeared to find a home.
Stationed in Tampa, Fla. through at least the conclusion of the 2020-21 NBA season, Trent hasn&rsquo;t yet made the fateful trod up North, but meaning in purpose has been found; the young guard has a sense of belonging with the 2019 NBA champs.
In a season marked by physical displacement and isolation and injuries galore, the Raptors enter play on April 11 with only a puncher&rsquo;s chance of securing a play-in opportunity for the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s eighth seed. Across the board, the team merely aspiring to such a fate is one of the league&rsquo;s biggest surprises.
Fortunately for Nick Nurse&rsquo;s club, so was Trent&rsquo;s eye-opening performance in the team&rsquo;s Saturday-night road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The young guard continued his strong play since the March 25 trade by helping the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/nba-news-gary-trent-jr-scores-career-high-44-toronto-raptors-rout-cleveland-cavaliers-135-115" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shorthanded Raptors secure a 135-115 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers</a> with a 44-point effort that saw him shoot 17-for-19 from the field, including 7-for-9 from three-point territory.
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◽️ Career-high 44 points ◽️ 17-19 FGM ◽️ 7 3PM ◽️ Season-high 60.4 FPTS Gary Trent Jr. had HIS WAY yesterday 😤 <a href="https://t.co/3JFtEMqfqJ">pic.twitter.com/3JFtEMqfqJ</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1381245653838393344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The win improved the Raptors&rsquo; 2020-21 record to 21-32. That&rsquo;s hardly worth writing home to Ontario, but we&rsquo;ve now officially begun to wonder just how good Trent can be when given the opportunity. And privately, president Masai Ujiri is probably wondering just how big of a check he&rsquo;ll have to write this summer to retain the 22-year-old.
Including Saturday night&rsquo;s performance, in nine games since the trade, Trent has given Nurse&rsquo;s team 17.9 points on about 42% shooting from distance. The numbers are comparable to those of the departed Norman Powell, however, five years his junior, Toronto can at least wonder whether Trent can be developed along the lines of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam.
As a rookie, Trent played just 7.4 minutes per game &ndash; barely enough to prove his worth. Last season, in 21.8 minutes per contest, he proved to be a credible two-way player, but he&rsquo;d been splitting time with veteran players in Portland and, it seems, wasn&rsquo;t given the freedom and opportunity to show what he was capable of. At least that&rsquo;s what can be taken from his outspokenness, with which he&rsquo;s commented about feeling &ldquo;wanted&rdquo; in Toronto.
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In the NBA, the story of a young player being &ldquo;held back&rdquo; by a lack of opportunity or a coaching staff that didn&rsquo;t &ldquo;believe&rdquo; in him is as old as time. Once upon a time, though, this was true of James Harden, and coincidentally, C.J. McCollum.
Now, on a rebuilding team that doesn&rsquo;t have the pressure of contending for a championship (at least not his season), Trent has appeared to find himself in an ideal situation. It&rsquo;s also timely considering the fact that he will have an opportunity to cash in this summer.
In the end, the Raptors may prove to be the beneficiary.
With a qualifying offer just north of $2 million, a re-signed 22-year-old Trent, would join a young core featuring VanVleet, Siakam, OG Anunoby and whatever pieces Ujiri is able to extract from whichever team the Raptors eventually sign-and-trade Kyle Lowry to (the assumption of a sign-and-trade is fair considering the circumstances).
All things considered, despite entering play on April 11 with a 21-32 record, there&rsquo;s reason to believe that brighter days are ahead for the Raptors.
In short order, Trent has already given the team reason to believe that the March 25 trade will end up being another move on the resume of Ujiri that proves to be a good one. And if nothing else, the president up North deserves credit for making a move that seems minor on paper, but one that at least provides the club with a beacon of hope as it continues to salvage its 2020-21 season.

Since arriving to the Raptors, Gary Trent Jr. has already given the team lots to think about, especially as he approaches free agency.

In short order, Gary Trent Jr. has given Raptors hope for the future

Everyone who knows basketball knows Adrian Wojnarowski's name -- or at least the name of his scoops, a.k.a. "Woj Bombs."
Wojnarowski is one of the premier insiders in all of sports. How did he rise to prominence and earn a TV role on "NBA Countdown"? By learning from his fellow journalists, as he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/behind-the-scenes-of-nba-countdown-preparation-woj-role-espn-covid-abc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com.</a>
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve learned a lot from watching Adam Schefter and how he handles news on 'NFL Countdown&rsquo; and &lsquo;Monday Night Countdown,&rsquo;" Wojnarowski said. "Those are longer shows, so he&rsquo;ll do multiple hits over the course of three hours on Sunday morning. But it helped to watch Adam, and we bounce things off each other all the time."
Schefter has worked as an NFL insider for ESPN since 2009 and amassed a whopping 8.3 million followers on Twitter. That dwarfs even Wojnarowski's 4.7 million follower count. But Wojnarowski takes pointers from other journalists across sports.
"We talk all the time. At least a couple times a week, we&rsquo;ll have a lengthy conversation about this stuff. I&rsquo;m always learning stuff from him. Adam has been an incredible resource for me, and we consider each other close friends. [MLB reporter] Jeff Passan, who I worked with at Yahoo, is another person. Emily Kaplan on the NHL [beat] at our place is in that realm now, and she&rsquo;s going to be great...Chris Mortensen is another person I lean on," Wojnarowski said.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Adam Schefter had a mini 💣 amidst NBA free agency with DeAndre Bembry signing with the Raptors And <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wojespn</a> went full savage: &ldquo;Announce Schefter back to the NFL&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/bAr8U0HIDj">pic.twitter.com/bAr8U0HIDj</a>
&mdash; ClutchPoints NBA (@ClutchPointsNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsNBA/status/1330740988864720899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2020</a></blockquote>

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Part of an insider's persona requires having a constant ear to the news. They are one of the few on-air talents who&nbsp;should be on their phones during a show. As Wojnarowski explains, sometimes that means news breaks live.
"I remember the Lakers waived DeMarcus Cousins during the show last season...I do remember having to hold my phone up to Maria [Taylor]'s face during one show last year, so she saw what I just tweeted and could come back to me. I didn&rsquo;t know if the mic was on and we were showing some kind of B-roll on the screen, so I was sticking my phone in her face. Afterward, we were laughing about it,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
The ESPN crew has been floored by Wojnarowski's seamless transition to television.
&ldquo;I was literally with Woj during his first real television hits when we did the NBA Combine in Chicago about three years ago," Taylor said. "It was one of his first big-time [moments] being on TV, and we were there literally all day -- Mike Schmitz, Woj, Jay Bilas and I were on the desk and we were on for the entire time. Literally, that was his first time; he was like, &lsquo;Okay, what camera are we looking at?&rsquo;"
"To see where he is now," she added, "where he&rsquo;s like, &lsquo;Here&rsquo;s what I want to hit on and here&rsquo;s what the segment will roll like...&rsquo; He is his own producer! He comes in, knowing what information he has, and he&rsquo;ll say, &lsquo;I talked to so and so, so I&rsquo;ll say this and then that will be a great lead-in to the topic that you want to get to.&rsquo; I mean, it&rsquo;s been more than an evolution. It&rsquo;s been incredible to watch.&rdquo;
Even NBA legends are sometimes floored by Wojnarowski's knowledge.
"There are times when he&rsquo;ll say certain inside things that I know from my playing days and I&rsquo;m trying to figure out, &lsquo;How does he know that?!&rsquo;" said Paul Pierce. "People trust him with their lives, with the information that he has. That&rsquo;s just a sign of respect.&rdquo;

Wojnarowski has developed into the standard for insider journalism while becoming an on-air talent.

Adrian Wojnarowski shares what he’s learned from close friend Adam Schefter

If you&rsquo;ve ever tuned into the NBA&rsquo;s Top 10 plays of the night, chances are that Derrick Jones Jr. has skied high across your television screen.
"I don't recommend it for everybody,&rdquo; Jones quipped when asked about the air up there, something that 99 percent of us will never experience, in an exclusive interview with BasketballNews.com.
They call him Airplane Mode for a reason, folks. If you want to talk about guys who can truly fly in this league, Jones has to be at the top of your list. Whether it&rsquo;s leaping to grab an alley-oop or bouncing up for a putback slam, he will demand your attention every time he leaves his feet.&nbsp;
From the outside looking in, there&rsquo;s something to be said for his keen timing, but Jones doesn&rsquo;t point to any specific strategy with these athletic feats.
&ldquo;That's just the ball bouncin' to a height that nobody else can reach besides me,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;Can't nobody get up that high, so it's like easy pickins'."
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Make no mistake about it -- Jones is a confident fellow in his physical abilities, but he&rsquo;s even more assured of his skills as a basketball player, and he&rsquo;ll let you know about it. The &ldquo;just-a-dunker&rdquo; tag has been attached to his name far too long, especially for somebody who has been contributing in the Association for the past four years.
&ldquo;I mean, I don't care, me personally,&rdquo; Jones said of the label, not mincing any words. &ldquo;I'm a basketball player at the end of the day. If you want to sit up there and disrespect my game, then when I get out there, it's different. My game talks for itself. When I got it going and I'm in a rhythm and I feel well, it's different."
The 23-year-old&rsquo;s career started as an undrafted rookie with the Phoenix Suns in 2016-17. He spent the first half of the season with the team's G League affiliate in Northern Arizona before carving out a significant role for then-head coach Earl Watson, who was fired three games into the following campaign, which led to Jones&rsquo; eventual release in Dec. 2018.&nbsp;
Just weeks later on New Years Eve, Jones latched on with the Miami Heat on a two-way contract. He made an impression on Erik Spoelstra quickly, and signed back with the organization that summer on a standard minimum deal for two more seasons. It led to the most playing time and production of his career, particularly showing huge strides in 2019-20.&nbsp;
Unfortunately, Jones suffered a neck strain after a scary spill that led to him leaving the floor on a stretcher on Aug. 14, 2020. Luckily, he was okay and able to play afterward; however, the Heat didn&rsquo;t really utilize him in the Orlando bubble as much as they did before the league stoppage in March. While Jones probably would&rsquo;ve liked to play more, it did allow him the opportunity to get a head start on recovering his body for the offseason.
When free agency came, the Portland Trail Blazers took notice of Jones' development and signed him to a two-year, $19 million contract, a far cry from the minimum salary and two-way deals he signed in the past. Once upon a time, the Chester, Pa. native dreamt of being in the NBA and told himself he was going to get there. Behind the motivation of his family and his determination, Jones successfully turned his dream into a reality and become a key contributor.
So far, the transition to Portland has been a smooth one for Jones, and playing with the likes of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic and Co. has helped him as he adjusts. If there&rsquo;s a spot he needs to be or if he&rsquo;s unsure of what to do on a play, they&rsquo;ll be the first to let him know.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re gonna make sure that I'm good,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;While we&rsquo;re on the court, we need play as one so it's like whatever is holding us back, then we need to fix it. And if it's me not knowing the plays, I sit down and break down every play with my coaches or my teammates if I have to."
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McCollum and Nurkic, along with Zach Collins, are all out with significant injuries. It&rsquo;s a crushing blow to a Blazers bunch that depends on them on both ends. This league is about the next man up, though, and Jones says nobody in the locker room is feeling sorry for themselves.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Those guys goin' down, it didn't [get] nobody down or anything,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;Those guys have great spirits. We talk to 'em every day. CJ, he's here, so we get to talk to CJ every day. Those guys are wholesome people and they have great hearts. So it's like, if they not down, none of us should be down for 'em. They can't wait to get back and we can't wait for 'em to get back."
Currently, Portland is 8-6 and fifth in the Western Conference. It&rsquo;s a team that kept its up-tempo identity and gets scoring surges from Lillard and McCollum, along with a talented group backing them up.&nbsp;
"It's different. When you&rsquo;re on the outside looking in, it's like you&rsquo;re watching the show. But when you&rsquo;re there and you&rsquo;re playing alongside it, it's actually you witnessing greatness,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;[Lillard], that man's different. Him and CJ and Nurk is different. Gary Trent coming off the bench is different. Rodney Hood, [too]. We have so much offensive power that other people aren't relied on to score as much, but if you disrespect their game, then it's different. Like, we have weapons all around the board."
Jones feels plenty good about where the Blazers are right now, as he does with his own offensive game. Despite the shaky shooting start, he&rsquo;s sure that the looks are going to start falling. He also understands that he&rsquo;ll probably get between 8-10 touches a night due to the talent on the floor, and that&rsquo;s just fine.
Portland signed Jones and acquired Robert Covington last offseason to shore up the team&rsquo;s perimeter defense, not to light up the scoreboard. But there are still things that the Blazers working through because they&rsquo;ve installed a new defensive system with a lot more help to make sure the opposing player who drives ends up passing it out. That certainly provides some context to the 113.7 points per 100 possessions the team is giving up right now (which ranks 28th in the NBA).&nbsp;
Jones and Covington have been imperative in the early-going on that end especially, as the two have combined for a <a href="https://go.nba.com/34hu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">team-best 107.5 defensive rating</a>. According to NBA.com, Jones has Portland&rsquo;s top net rating (+7) and Covington is just two spots behind him (+5), so it&rsquo;s not hard to see the impact they&rsquo;ve made.
&ldquo;I mean, that's what we brought here with us,&rdquo; Jones said of their defensive nature. &ldquo;I hope we do make a difference, but this team, they were great -- both offensively and defensively. They won a lot of games and made it to the playoffs. You can't win games and make it to the playoffs just off of offense. Those guys before we got here were great... I feel like we help the team defensively a whole bunch.&rdquo;
Jones always has his head on a swivel. Take his emphatic rejection on Monday on San Antonio Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge. He stepped up on Lonnie Walker, who quickly delivered to Aldridge underneath for what was supposed to be an easy two points. Yet Jones had the instinct to race back to erase the big man&rsquo;s attempt off the glass. Knowing where his teammates were, Jones said he just did his job.
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NOT IN DJ'S HOUSE <a href="https://t.co/l3otx4xfho">pic.twitter.com/l3otx4xfho</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1351280794132627456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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When asked to describe what goes through his mind as he's going up for a block, Jones was straight to the point.
"For me, if you not gonna dunk the ball, if you wanna go lay it up, then why would I not contest it? I'm gonna contest it regardless, but if you gonna go up and not tryna force me not to get in your way to stop you from laying the ball up, then it's going the other way,&rdquo; Jones said.
It&rsquo;s that kind of attitude that puts him in the 95th percentile at his position on the defensive end individually. Per Cleaning the Glass, Portland gives up <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/1934/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13.1 more points per 100 possessions</a> when Jones is off the court.
Jones acknowledges that he still wants to bulk up. And while he does have a weight room in his home to better his body and ensure he has a long career in the NBA, he takes exception to those who feel like he&rsquo;s not durable.
&ldquo;I just wanna get stronger, [but] you don't have to be heavy to be strong,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;That's the one thing people don't understand. Me right now, I'm not weak. It's different, so people see my frame and think, 'Oh, he's small. He's weak. Post him up.' It doesn't work like that. You try to post me up, then I hold my ground. Then ya'll look at ya&rsquo;ll coach like, 'I thought ya'll said post up?'&rdquo;
As far as what he wants to work on, Jones points to his decision making as a ball-handler in the pick-and-roll. He works on his handle every day, and he&rsquo;s put a major focus on his reads. He wants to get his teammates involved, yet if the defense shifts over and leaves an opening, Jones will lick his chops and take it strong to the rack.
The Blazers are slated to play on Sunday after their last two games were postponed. Injuries have ravaged them, but they&rsquo;re not going away anytime soon. They&rsquo;re going to get better every day and go about their business as they continue to build on their chemistry together. And even if they ask of a little more from Jones and the others to hold down the fort, they plan on answering the bell.
&ldquo;If that's what our team needs, that's what we&rsquo;re gonna do,&rdquo; Jones said. "We've always been those type of players that if our number is called, we&rsquo;re gonna be there and we&rsquo;re gonna produce. That's how we are. We've got great firepower.
&ldquo;Not one team has put together a whole team, different team with each other and jelled overnight. So it's like, the time that we have together to work on the things we need to work on, we gon' take that time and cherish it and get everything that we need to get done, done."

Spencer Davies chats with Derrick Jones Jr. about his transition to the Portland Trail Blazers and his developing skill set.

Derrick Jones Jr. is an athlete, and then some: Don't 'disrespect my game'

Well, after over a year of NBA basketball and a postseason littered with uncertainty, surprises and even a brief refusal to play, we finally have our 2019-2020 NBA champions: the Los Angeles Lakers.
Notwithstanding the chaotic nature of the playoffs with the early exits of other championship favorites like the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers emerged victorious in what was a steadying semblance of destiny.
Unlike the number-one seed in the West, there are multiple middling teams within each conference with less-certain immediate futures than the champions. These are the teams that have found themselves both on the brink of contention and on the cusp of uncertainty; they are the ones with odd fits and inconsistent roster direction that invite us to deconstruct the perceived hopelessness, or hopefulness, of their futures. We'll start with the Eastern Conference's middling teams.
Philadelphia 76ers: 43-30, No. 6 seed (swept in first round by Boston)
Prior to the start of the last season, the Sixers were coming off of a second-round loss to the eventual-champion Toronto Raptors. Jimmy Butler provided the young Philadelphia squad with some much-needed leadership and accountability, and there was a prevailing feeling that, with the subsequent absence of Kawhi Leonard in the conference, the 76ers were the favorites to execute a swift run to the Conference Finals and represent the East in the Finals.
Butler, a player who has shone bright this postseason as one of the most dynamic wings in the entire league, instead walked his way over to the beaches of Miami in what seemed to be an easy decision. Philly ended up responding with the signing of former All-Star and Boston Celtics two-way hub Al Horford. Naturally, it was assumed that Horford&rsquo;s presence as a starting forward would provide the young Sixers some necessary minutes at center -- to negate the problems caused by the time Joel Embiid would spend on the bench, as well as load-managing a historically injury-prone body. Instead, we were met with a Philly team starting three floor-spacing liabilities, placing the tough onus on all offensive creators attempting to generate any decent shot. What Butler provided cannot be understated -- a distributor with the ability to finish, shoot, drive and get to the charity stripe.
Ignoring the disappointment of the season, which culminated in an injury to Ben Simmons and being on the wrong end of Boston sweep, all hope isn&rsquo;t lost. The contracts are ugly, especially the remaining three years on 34-year-old Horford&rsquo;s deal, but with smart personnel tweaks, the current core can be salvaged and maximized. The Sixers will likely try to move Horford for a capable pick-and-roll, ball-handling guard alongside Embiid and Simmons -- the only assumed, guaranteed components of next season&rsquo;s team. In turn, many factors would unfold as a result; the team would insert a perimeter threat, thus spacing the floor for their young stars, a requirement for a post player as talented as Embiid, and Tobias Harris would morph back into a catch-shooter after struggling with the increased demand to pull-up.
The easiest and most logical plug is Chris Paul. CP3 reinvented himself last season as the perfect veteran -- low usage, an accountable mentor and an offensive conductor. He also had a large contract, but Oklahoma City Thunder thrived under his two-way leadership, and Philly can too. One thing we know for sure is that the fixes required for the Sixers to succeed are pretty clear.
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Brooklyn Nets: 35-37, No. 7 seed (swept in first round by Toronto)
The Brooklyn Nets are a very unique case in the context of middling Eastern Conference teams. Their crescendo truly began in the 2018-2019 season, the year they established their image as the egalitarian, joyous, stylish -- albeit inadequate -- offense that nursed their image and drew the admiration of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Last season, Brooklyn was incomplete. Irving, the team's star guard, played a mere 20 games prior to being shut down for the season (and the restart) due to a series of injuries; Durant didn&rsquo;t take any chances. He didn't debut as a Net after the league&rsquo;s four-month hiatus like some had pondered aloud, and the current composition of the team is certain to be altered in order to truly fit around their newly-integrated superstars. &nbsp;
At the moment, Brooklyn is in a pretty excellent position. The team has multiple shooters, a promising young star in Caris LeVert, a fringe All-Star in Spencer Dinwiddie and a refreshingly-new face at head coach in Steve Nash. To many, it seems that after years of tireless culture building and a vastly underrated development program, the Nets are finally on the brink of reaping the rewards of their honest rebuild -- this after being robbed blind by the Celtics in a trade for multiple aging stars all those years ago. The Brooklyn bounce-back has been admirable, to say the least.
As for the moves we can expect to see, we must first assess the current roster. What is noticeably absent is the presence of a stretch four or five in order to act as both a low-usage, offensive partner to the stars and a defensive anchor for the team. Considering the high ceiling of the multiple young players currently on the Nets, this would be far from an impossible next step. A couple of the numerous fits include Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic and Bucks center Brook Lopez. Both can shoot, roll, play out of the post and, in the case of the former Net, play elite defense. This simple exchange would stress opposing defenses and create several avenues of attack for the team without placing the total offensive responsibility on the star scorers. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Orlando Magic: 33-40, No. 8 seed (eliminated in first round by Milwaukee)
The Magic are at a bit of a crossroads. The Game 1 killers (leaving the first-round in five games in back-to-back seasons) have concocted a system of sound defense, ranking 10th in the 2019-20 season. Considering the team&rsquo;s ability to severely minimize its fouling and maintain a solid collective defensive mindset, the Magic were incredibly disciplined despite their eighth-seed ranking. The struggle seems to lie within their offense.
All-Star center Nikola Vucevic breaks even as an improving defender and remains among the more talented and sound big men in the league. As a scorer, Vucevic has maintained his efficiency on a steady diet of pick-and-pop mid-range shots and threes -- doubling his attempts at the latter for this season.
The issue isn't Orlando's veterans. Evan Fournier was among the best shooters in the league this season, thriving from the extra attention his center yields. D.J. Augustin established himself as a luxury sixth man, and any contender in need of a bench orchestrator could use him.
The Magic must get more productivity out of their high-ceiling, offensively-underdeveloped young core in order to bring the team&rsquo;s offense up to par. This includes projects like Markelle Fultz, Aaron Gordon, Mo Bamba and Jonathan Isaac.
Orlando has a decision to make this offseason, and the choice seems relatively obvious. To prepare for the future, the team should ideally trade the bulk of their vets in order to accumulate picks for the future. They should focus their efforts and energy on developing the offensive identities and general skill sets of the team&rsquo;s youth. In due time, the picks generated by trading a few vets -- and the time invested into their younger players -- will place them in a good position to eventually make a move for a capable star, or highly capable role players, to surround their gems with. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Washington Wizards: 25-47, No. 9 seed (missed playoffs)
The Washington Wizards ended the season a whole seven-and-a-half games outside of the eighth seed. The team&rsquo;s present has been complicated by a series of severe injuries to their lead point guard in John Wall, forcing the stress of the offense on the tremendously-talented Bradley Beal. Weirdly enough, such an underwhelming season was not without a few notable bright spots.
Former San Antonio Spurs forward and 6-foot-10 sharpshooter Davis Bertans exploded on the scene as a high-volume three-point threat (rather unprecedented at his height), nearly doubling his production whilst retaining elite efficiency from the perimeter. Beal continues to establish his dominance and ranks as an excellent, nearly unstoppable three-level scorer.
Ignoring the uncertainty of the last couple seasons in D.C., it would surely be within reason to take another run with their All-Star backcourt and assess how it holds up within the landscape of the current NBA. With the acquisition of a few defensively-focused players surrounding them, it would be wise for the front office to trust the development of Beal and Bertans and test out a season with those two together.
What's fascinating is that if this trial is a failure, the Wizards are well-positioned to trade their stars; re-signing Bertans to an appealing contract this offseason should be the first step. Beal, in particular, has been highly coveted and is expected to draw a ridiculous return in any potential trade. Such a pathway would allow the team to create a promising young core alongside Troy Brown Jr. (21 years old), Rui Hachimura (22), Moritz Wagner (23) and Thomas Bryant (23).
Interestingly enough, regardless of the perceived hopelessness of the Eastern Conference outside of the immediate contenders, a few of the middle-tier squads are in a great spot to aim for contention -- or, at the very least, put together an inspiring rebuild with lottery players for longtime fans to enjoy.

Yasmin Duale dives into the Eastern Conference's 'in-between' squads and what each club should do next year to improve.

What does next season hold for East's middling teams?

There are few prevailing beliefs among Toronto Raptors followers in regards to the ethos of the team, the most stable and consistent of which is that Fred VanVleet is easily the most aesthetically pleasing player on the team to watch. He&rsquo;s small in stature, standing at an alleged 6-foot-1 and somehow even smaller in appearance on the court in comparison to his backcourt partner, Kyle Lowry. His handle is crisp, his moves are deliberate and his confidence is that of a perennial All-Star guard.
Steady Freddy, as fans deservedly call him, has a well-known story that's repeated ad nauseum on ESPN broadcasts, entering the league as a 22-year-old undrafted rookie from Wichita State. Despite the uniqueness of his story and subsequent ascension, he has continuously demonstrated a year-to-year ascension that has been both sustainable and unrelentless, which makes the task of dissecting his strengths and weaknesses a glimpse into the skills he&rsquo;ll undoubtedly be looking to refine through the offseason. &nbsp; &nbsp; There&rsquo;s an evolution of sorts for small, ground-bound guards as they enter their late 20s. Learning to utilize tricks in order to create advantageous finishing opportunities seems to require years of in-game repetitions for those inherently disadvantaged in a game dominated by physically gifted wings. What&rsquo;s interesting to note is, for Vanvleet, getting to the rim doesn&rsquo;t seem to be the problem as all. He has a surprisingly quick step paired with a nifty handle that allows him to navigate traffic or create space with ease, and the Raptors' five-out offensive system puts forth a clear avenue for him to reach the basket.
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What needs to be the next step for the Raptors guard is improving his skill as a finisher. VanVleet ended the 2019-20 regular season shooting exactly 28.6 percent on two-point field goals where a defender is both 0-2 feet away from him and 2-4 feet away. When being trailed by a defender, VanVleet has a tendency to either get blocked or miss the rim entirely in anticipation of the block, a common occurrence from as recently as the second round Celtics series.
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Rarely does he utilize his body in order to force defenders into contact, or for them to make trickier decisions, something Kyle Lowry has patented. Like Fred, the Raptors&rsquo; veteran lead guard was not always a powerful finisher; the then-Rockets player shot a few percentage points worse than VanVleet in 2009-10 (51.6 percent at the rim), before bursting onto the scene the very next season at 66.5 percent, seemingly putting the pieces of his knowledge and experience together over the course of a single offseason. Considering VanVleet&rsquo;s on-court two-way intellect, his proven capacity for gradual growth and his ability to arrive to the rim with relative ease, the chances of the combo guard becoming a more accomplished finisher should be high.&nbsp;
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There's another facet of Fred&rsquo;s game that is noticeably absent and that would potentially transform how he is guarded by opposing teams, increasing his offensive options on the court tenfold: his in-between game &mdash; specifically outside of the restricted area and within the arc. The easiest examples of the quintessential pick-and-roll guard utilizing the midrange and floaters in order to pressurize defenders with length placed on them would be Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry, but a veteran comp with a skillset more immediately tangible for VanVleet is Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic. &nbsp; &nbsp; The Dragon quietly ended his 2019-20 regular season as among the most efficient and impactful guards in the Eastern Conference, helping lead the Heat&rsquo;s offense become top-eight in the league &mdash; an impressive feat in an era of heliocentric systems thriving. Dragic shot 66.9 percent at the rim, but most impressive to me was his 48.7 percent shooting on 16-22-foot midrange shots, ranking him as among the most efficient with the elusive look, repeatedly punishing Brook Lopez&rsquo;s defense in the playoffs.
What&rsquo;s particularly special about Dragic is that he can punish the drop coverages utilized as a reliable staple by centers. At the moment, VanVleet has given centers the upper hand off screens where defenders trail him tight. For a player as frequently run off the line as he is, his options as a scorer dwindle immediately within the arc, turning the possession into a win for defenses. Once inside the three-point line, the guard is usually met by sagging defenses who are clued into the fact that he&rsquo;s only attempted 33 midrange looks and 61 long-twos all season long, converting on a combined 30.9 percent. It&rsquo;s certainly not the most advisable shot in basketball, but the threat of a floater or capable and willing midrange shot changes the dimensions of the court and the ease of a game for shorter, less athletic guards trying to salvage whatever advantages they can.
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What has been most exciting about Fred&rsquo;s development is that the 26-year-old adds a skill to his arsenal every offseason and seems to use it the entirety of the season until it becomes second nature to him. We saw him perfect the deep three-pointer, turning himself into one of the deadliest catch-and-shooters from anywhere beyond the line, effectively making his height a nonfactor on offense. We&rsquo;ve seen him ride the defensive high of his NBA Finals run last season, turning himself into one of the best positional defenders in basketball.
It&rsquo;s truly only a matter of time before we see him face yet another challenge and, usually against odds and physics, come out of it victorious. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Fred VanVleet has been terrific for the Toronto Raptors, but he can elevate his game by improving in a few areas, writes Yasmin Duale.

What Fred VanVleet can learn from other small, successful guards

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone went after the NBA on Friday, calling its policy of not allowing coaches to bring family into the bubble "criminal in nature."
"First, I'm going to say something that has nothing to do with your question," Malone said. "Today is Day 60. Alright? The guys that came down here on July 7 - and there weren't many of us because we were ravaged with COVID - this is the original crew. This is day No. 60. The reason why I bring that up is because the players have their families here, which they deserve, which is the right thing to do. The referees are allowed to bring one guest, which is great for the referees. The coaches, the coaches are not allowed to bring anybody."
The National Basketball Players Association and National Basketball Referees Association collectively bargained a number of issues and amenities to encourage their members to participate in the league restart in Orlando, Florida. One of those was the inclusion of family members and guests.
via <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29812255/michael-malone-shame-nba-not-allowing-coaches-families-bubble" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royce Young of ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: The NBA and the National Basketball Coaches Association are in talks about possibily changing the rules to allow family members of coaches to enter the bubble.
A league spokesperson told ESPN, "We are hoping to add additional family members for other participants beginning with the Conference Finals."
Malone and the Nuggets are facing the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers lead the series, 1-0.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone criticized the NBA for not allowing coaches to bring family into the bubble.

Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm