Jumbos

Admit it, you still want the series.
Hell, you probably want it even more now.
You still want a No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup of the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets in Round 1, even though the potential prelude to it was as underwhelming as "Battlefield 2042."
We all come to basketball for different reasons.
Some of you just want straight hoops &mdash; buckets, athleticism, dunks, tough shot-making, etc. Some of you want in-depth, coach-like film breakdowns of the game. Then, there are those of you who want a balance with a little of both, but not too much of either. Others enjoy narratives, stories that transcend numbers and what may really fuel certain things leaving us in awe.
And then, there are the particulars who just want the drama &mdash; transactions, rumors, business, who hates who &mdash; and that&rsquo;s really what Thursday night was about for a ton of viewers who experienced primetime Sixers vs. Nets on TNT.
The first video some of us saw featured Ben Simmons getting heckled after leaving his hotel and boarding what presumably was the Nets&rsquo; team bus. It sounded like... he was back in Philadelphia.
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Ben Simmons sneaking out of hotel trying to avoid heckling fans. <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX29philly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOX29philly</a> <a href="https://t.co/VjnQipa6n2">pic.twitter.com/VjnQipa6n2</a>
&mdash; Chris O'Connell (@CoconnellFox29) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoconnellFox29/status/1502043428728844290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Simmons remains out with a reported back issue and needs to ramp up his conditioning. He still might not be mentally ready to return ⁠&mdash; perhaps it&rsquo;s all the above ⁠&mdash; but the All-Star did join the Nets in warmups, and was serenaded by the Philadelphia boo-birds both before and after the game.
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Ben Simmons was welcomed with boos in his return to Philly. <a href="https://t.co/5ZSktchthL">pic.twitter.com/5ZSktchthL</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1502071069611479040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ben Simmons went over and hugged the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/76ers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#76ers</a> team security, then departed the court, showered with more boos. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nets</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nba</a> <a href="https://t.co/4YBLuHWFZn">pic.twitter.com/4YBLuHWFZn</a>
&mdash; Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPost_Lewis/status/1502074075673505794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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This is the city that booed and hurled snowballs at Santa Claus in the 1960s, back when it was cool to think a jumbo-sized, red-pajama wearing, high-flying, sleigh-riding, chimney-climbing, cookie-eating, milk-drinking, white-bearded Caucasian dude existed.
So Simmons, justified or not, wasn&rsquo;t going to be off-limits at all.
In the actual game, Kyrie Irving hit the first memorable jumper &mdash; a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NBAdoPovo/status/1502088416023957523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepback in Harden&rsquo;s face</a>. Harden retaliated with&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/brasilcoast2/status/1502087391007363104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of his own just minutes later</a>, his most memorable moment of the night, if we&rsquo;re keeping it a buck.&nbsp;
The keystone moment of the contest, while it was still competitive, featured Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid jawing at one another after Embiid shouldered into Durant and knocked him on his ass.
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KD and Embiid going at it 🍿 <a href="https://t.co/kicLbz1Ubw">pic.twitter.com/kicLbz1Ubw</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1502092540756910081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And then, from there, it didn&rsquo;t matter. The Nets outscored the Sixers 96-79 en route to a 129-100 victory, their biggest blowout win since Nov. 10 &mdash; a 123-90 Brooklyn road triumph over the Orlando Magic.&nbsp;
Quietly, Seth Curry&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1502107719154606087" target="_blank" rel="noopener">might&rsquo;ve talked more sh*t than anyone</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1502140164738633729" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lit up his former team</a> (his father-in-law's!) with 24 points and 5 steals while shooting 10 of 14 from the field and 4 of 8 from three. Embiid ended the night with an unimpressive 27 points and 12 rebounds on 5 of 17 shooting, though he made 15 of 19 free throw attempts. With 4 points in 29 minutes, Tyrese Maxey had his lowest scoring output of the season.&nbsp;
Now, let&rsquo;s get to the others...
Sixers fans may have chastised Simmons early on and ridiculed the Nets throughout, but the night ended with them booing their own team, who is now 40-25 and third in the Eastern Conference (which will be a brawl until the finish). The Nets are back above .500 at 34-33, but are still just in eighth place and sit five games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 6 seed, so Brooklyn is running out of time to avoid a Play-In Tournament scenario.
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If you missed the quotes, there were some interesting ones.&nbsp;
Durant did initially downplay the significance of the win, indicating that the Nets&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1502126038184349697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn&rsquo;t win a championship or clinch a playoff spot</a>, but admitted that the team did have some extra motivation given the hostile reaction to Simmons.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We look at Ben [Simmons] as our brother,&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1502127223658233860">said Durant</a>, who the team with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. &ldquo;We knew that this was a hostile environment, and we knew that he didn&rsquo;t have an opportunity to play, so we wanted to come out there and have them (the fans) focus on the court more so than just always focusing on him. They focused on the court tonight, and it&rsquo;s hard for you to chant at Ben Simmons when you&rsquo;re losing by that much.&rdquo;
Harden, who finished with 11 points on 3 of 17 shooting &mdash; and missed all 8 of his two-pointers &mdash; admitted to getting his ass whooped while wearing an overly-puffy (and likely, absurdly expensive) jacket in his postgame presser.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Tonight was good for us,&rdquo; said a straight-faced Harden, who was <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/03/11/james-harden-hangs-with-travis-scott-lil-baby-after-blowout-loss-nets/?adid=social-twa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted out on the town with Lil Baby and Travis Scott following the blowout</a>. &ldquo;We got our ass kicked. Since I&rsquo;ve been here, everything&rsquo;s been sweet, we&rsquo;ve been winning games. And so, tonight was good for us, and we get an opportunity to come down to reality, watch film and just continue to get better.&rdquo;
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"Tonight was good for us. We got our ass kicked." <a href="https://t.co/WWnq7fEqgY">pic.twitter.com/WWnq7fEqgY</a>
&mdash; NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1502127744221655050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Irving, who added 22 points, 5 threes, and 5 assists, also spoke after the contest.
&ldquo;I think playing for Ben and this night meaning something to Ben &mdash; not only Ben, but Dre (Andre Drummond), Seth [Curry] &mdash; when you get traded in this league, it&rsquo;s not easy to deal with,&rdquo; Irving pointed out.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve tried to welcome them in with open arms. So, when we played tonight, we definitely felt like Ben was on our heart; you could see it, he was wearing it, and we just wanted to go out there and play for him and play well. Again, it&rsquo;s not an individual thing for us. We all felt it; we&rsquo;re all there. If you come at Ben, you come at us.&rdquo;
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"It's not an individual thing for us. We all felt it. We're all there. If you come at Ben, you come at us" - Kyrie Irving <a href="https://t.co/xWvpdIah3U">pic.twitter.com/xWvpdIah3U</a>
&mdash; Nets Videos (@SNYNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1502131158166867969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Well, if we see these two clash in the postseason ⁠&mdash; and the first-round possibility is there &mdash; it&rsquo;d be nice if the Sixers came for somebody.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca recaps Thursday's highly-anticipated superstar clash between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.

Nets-76ers kinda sucked, but we still want more, don’t we?

With rumblings surrounding the availability of Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins, BasketballNews.com's Evan Sidery and Nekias Duncan teamed up to come up with possible destinations prior to the NBA's Feb. 10 trade deadline.
John Collins is growing increasingly frustrated with his role. Carrying his lowest usage rate since his rookie campaign in 2017-18, Collins feels <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-has-john-collins-role-with-the-hawks-really-changed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he's more than deserving of being a more featured piece within the Hawks&rsquo; offense</a>. Even with Collins still only holding a 19.9 USG%, he&rsquo;s averaging an impressive stat line of 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks at an above-average efficiency clip.
Collins is excellent at what he does for Atlanta, but would he look like in a different role elsewhere away from Trae Young?
He is only on the first year of his new deal, which drew lines in the sand during a tough restricted free agency period last offseason.
With extremely high expectations in Atlanta following its Eastern Conference Finals surprise, the team has been unable to clear the first bars. The Hawks already dealt promising young wing Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks in order to avoid paying him a big-figure contract. Meanwhile, if Collins is indeed available to the highest bidder around the Association, Atlanta could receive an extremely high amount of resources.
Below, Nekias and I dove into the film room, as well as five destinations that make the most sense for Collins in a trade scenario.
WHAT COLLINS BRINGS
Collins has become one of the NBA's most versatile pick-and-roll partners. Because of his speed, soft hands and impressive vertical pop, Collins is able to sky for just about anything you throw his way after he rolls to the basket. And because of his improved shooting ability &mdash; he's converted north of 40% of his above-the-break threes in each of the past three seasons &mdash; you can't afford to completely sell out against rim attempts.
It's that combination of skills that makes him deadly. Pairing that with Young &mdash; a guy that can pull from 30, make every pass in the book, and #FloaterGang you to death &mdash; is patently unfair. It's unsurprising that trips featuring a Young-Collins ball screen has generated over 1.05 points per possessions over the last three seasons, per Second Spectrum.
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Collins' quick-leaping ability also makes him a menace on the offensive glass when he's allowed to hover around the paint. The gradual decline in offensive rebounding has more to do with his positioning within the offense than some lack of instinct or physicality.
LIMITATIONS&nbsp;
There are some questions defensively.
There are fewer questions to answer than in years past, to be fair. Collins' activity level and awareness have improved throughout his career. You could especially sense a shift from him during last year's playoffs, and that has seemingly carried over into this year.&nbsp;
Collins looks a little more comfortable on the perimeter, holding his own in switches and in the rare times the Hawks have asked him to trap this year. He has the feel needed to clean up messes as a weak-side helper, especially if he's allowed to roam against a non-shooter.
It's still largely unclear if Collins has made enough strides to serve as a primary rim-protector for extended periods of time. Among 75 frontcourt players that have defended at least 150 picks in drop coverage this season, Collins ranks in the bottom five in points allowed per Second Spectrum.
The added activity is nice, but he's still suffering from the too-little-too-much problem. Sometimes he's giving up too much of a gap, which allows the ball-handler or roll man (if he receives a pass early enough) to build momentum and launch into Collins' chest. Other times, he's playing the gap a little too high, which allows the big to get behind him for easy lobs.
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It's fair to question how much of that is Collins trying to figure things out, and how much of it is him not trusting the point-of-attack defenders he's had to play with over the past couple of seasons. Let's be kind and say Young and Lou Williams leave quite a bit to be desired.
The boring answer: Collins has clear strengths and weaknesses, and a stronger defensive infrastructure could bring the best out of him.
Sacramento Kings
Rumors <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-making-buddy-hield-richaun-holmes-harrison-barnes-available" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continue to billow out of Sacramento</a> right now pointing towards a massive roster overhaul soon in store. Everyone on the Kings, except reportedly De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, is available in trade talks. It shows the urgency is rising in Sacramento, and someone like Collins could be the perfect remedy.
Kings receive: John Collins
Hawks receive: Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell
This feels like a very fair trade for both sides, especially if Collins malcontents his way out of Atlanta. Barnes would provide beautiful floor-spacing acumen for the Hawks&rsquo; guards, plus Mitchell would be a bulldog defender who'd had heavy spot minutes alongside Young.
For Sacramento, it&rsquo;s easy to sell yourself on the idea of switching things up and inserting a potential 20-and-10 machine in Collins. Haliburton would be spoon-feeding easy looks for Collins, plus Fox provides a steady scoring partner as well.
Resetting around a trio of Fox, Collins and Haliburton in Sacramento could actually be a fun scenario to watch unfold. And from Atlanta&rsquo;s standpoint, this feels like a win-win deal in the short and long-term.
Charlotte Hornets
An intra-division trade, huh? With the way the Hornets have played lately, showcasing a complete turnaround on the defensive end, could they be positioning themselves to make a big push at February&rsquo;s trade deadline. Don&rsquo;t rule it out, because Charlotte&rsquo;s upside is already massive with a young superstar like LaMelo Ball running the show offensively.
Nabbing Collins from Atlanta would cost significant assets, but the payoff could be absolutely massive. Could you imagine Collins and Miles Bridges catching lobs from Ball with reckless abandon?
Hornets receive: John Collins
Hawks receive: Kelly Oubre Jr., P.J. Washington, James Bouknight
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For Atlanta, Oubre would fill a similar energizer role as Collins, but with much less consistency and pop. Oubre has flashed at times brilliance this season we saw from him during his years with the Phoenix Suns; could that jump be intensified playing with Young as his point guard?
Washington and Bouknight are two former lottery picks for the Hornets who simply haven&rsquo;t been able to carve out a consistent role. If Charlotte decides the time is now, relinquishing these two enticing prospects likely is the going rate to seriously upgrade. Bouknight would provide a promising young building block who could turn into a 20-plus point-per-game scorer. Washington has the makeup similar to Collins where he can feast around the rim and pick-and-pops in Atlanta&rsquo;s scheme.
I would grade this one as doubtful on the potential scale of realism, but the construct of this certainly makes plenty of sense on paper.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are so much fun to watch when they&rsquo;re clicking on all cylinders. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns have been the dynamite scoring duo Minnesota had hoped for. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell is also finding his footing with the Timberwolves, showcasing a strong ability to bounce-back and fit within what&rsquo;s required of him.
It&rsquo;s long been known the Timberwolves have really been one more piece away from taking another serious jump in the Western Conference hierarchy. That&rsquo;s why Ben Simmons has been floated around Minnesota for months now.
What about Collins landing in Minnesota to play alongside Towns, Edwards and Russell? It wouldn&rsquo;t provide the defensive security blanket Minnesota is in desperate need of, but he makes an already scary offense absolutely terrifying.
Timberwolves receive: John Collins
Hawks receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, Malik Beasley, draft compensation
The Hawks check plenty of boxes in this scenario where they send Collins off to Minnesota, bringing back an immediate impact scorer in Beasley, a super versatile rebounder with flashes of elite defense in Vanderbilt; plus, they would get a potentially beautiful backcourt fit with Bolmaro as a jumbo-sized playmaker. Throwing in some picks to the equation makes this so enticing for Atlanta as well.
This would be one to watch out for as a real fit for Collins, if it reaches that point in Atlanta anytime soon.
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is in an odd spot right now. Damian Lillard is out indefinitely due to an abdomen injury that has plagued him for a while. With the Trail Blazers far out of competing for a serious playoff push, especially with no Lillard, now is the perfect time to reset a little bit and try something different.
The pressure is on for the Blazers to find another competent scoring punch to keep Lillard happy in Oregon long-term. Could Collins be the answer here? It&rsquo;s a very intriguing fit for both player and team.
Hawks receive: Larry Nance Jr., Robert Covington, Nassir Little
Trail Blazers receive: John Collins
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I have to admit, Collins teaming up with Lillard would be so much fun for everyone to watch. Instantly, Collins would provide an inside scoring jolt that&rsquo;s been missing for the Blazers. Also, Collins would be feasting consistently playing off the gravity of Lillard and CJ McCollum.
For the Hawks, they would receive three pieces to insert into their frontcourt to replace Collins&rsquo; production. Nance would be a strong bounce-back candidate playing with Young as his point guard in Atlanta. Covington isn&rsquo;t who he used to be, but can still provide winning attributes on a hopeful contender. Little is the wildcard who provides real intrigue here. Beginning to flash more consistently this season, could Little&rsquo;s rise become a full-on ascension with the Hawks?
Another scenario where this feels like a win-win for both sides. Maybe Portland throws on some draft compensation to make the return more eye-opening for Atlanta.
San Antonio Spurs
The dots have already been connected around Collins to San Antonio. As Collins entered restricted free agency, the Spurs were the one team we continuously heard as a team who was seriously interested in pursuing him for a lucrative offer sheet.
San Antonio&rsquo;s core has been overachieving a little bit this season, thanks in large part to Dejounte Murray becoming a key building block. It&rsquo;s really almost a blank slate for the Spurs, so maybe Collins could be the piece to really augment another era of strong basketball in San Antonio?
Hawks receive: Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV
Spurs receive: John Collins
White has been thrown around in trade rumors throughout his career, but his fit next to Young is nothing short of excellent. White&rsquo;s all-around ability would cover up a lot of holes and help strengthen Atlanta&rsquo;s backcourt depth. Walker is a home-run swing, but an athlete like that to catch lobs every game from Young could lead to some magic happening.
San Antonio has been floating around as a potential shocking buyer at the trade deadline, including its name being thrown into the Simmons sweepstakes. Collins would boost up a Spurs core in desperate need of another strong piece.
Collins would cause a feeding frenzy in the NBA, if the Hawks are indeed shopping him around to the highest bidder anywhere. The Hawks&rsquo; big man has displayed he&rsquo;s deserving of a bigger role. Whether it&rsquo;s in Atlanta or elsewhere, Collins would change the dynamics of a lot of organizations.
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John Collins is growing increasingly frustrated with his role in Atlanta. If the Hawks decide to move on, where could he end up?

Examining potential trade destinations for John Collins

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

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The 2021 NBA Draft is less than a week away. Fireworks are always set off (one way or another) on draft night, making it one of the best dates on the Association&rsquo;s yearly calendar. This year looks to be no different, as certain teams have been very aggressive and plenty of trade rumors have been surfacing recently.
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Matt Babcock, our NBA Draft analyst, has been hearing the same rumblings.
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&ldquo;There seems to be a lot of trade chatter this year, so do not be surprised if we have some deals involving lottery picks,&rdquo; Babcock <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1417526240722911234" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.
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So, who will shake things up once they&rsquo;re on the clock? Which players could be on the move? When looking around the league, six names stand out as possible trade chips.
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Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
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What will the Pacers do with their big-man duo of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner? I recently wrote about whether Indiana&rsquo;s jumbo-big-man <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-rick-carlisle-make-a-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-pairing-work-for-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">duo can coexist</a>. The numbers show that they shouldn&rsquo;t play Sabonis and Turner together (and Rick Carlisle has talked about staggering them), which means Indiana should definitely shop one or the other on draft night.
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Knowing the value of Sabonis as an offensive hub (similar to Nikola Jokic and Nikola Vucevic), the Pacers would be wise to find the best value out there for Turner instead.
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Many teams around the league would be clamoring for a win-now piece like Turner, who can be an elite shot-blocking anchor for a defense, while also spreading the floor adequately from three-point range. Multiple teams showed interest in Turner last offseason. For example, the Boston Celtics were in talks with Indiana about a potential Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade involving Turner.
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According to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-pacers-have-reportedly-discussed-trade-involving-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ringer&rsquo;s Kevin O&rsquo;Connor</a>, the Golden State Warriors have entered into discussions with Indiana surrounding Turner. The fit for Turner with Golden State is amazing. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have always missed a big man with the talents of Turner. Golden State&rsquo;s stars are reportedly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-interested-in-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushing for a win-now move</a>, and the team has been trying to deal their two lottery picks (No. 7 and No. 14) for a player who can help elevate them back into the Western Conference&rsquo;s elite tier. Adding Turner alongside Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green would do just that.
A trade package revolving around Andrew Wiggins and multiple picks could potentially get the job done for Indiana, who would also send out Jeremy Lamb for salary-matching purposes.
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Golden State receives: Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, No. 13 pick
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Indiana receives: Andrew Wiggins, No. 7 pick, No. 14 pick
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Kemba Walker, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Kemba Walker is in a weird spot right now. After leaving Charlotte for Boston, which didn&rsquo;t go well in terms of the on-court fit alongside the Celtics&rsquo; young core, Walker and the No. 16 pick were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rapid-reaction-to-boston-trading-kemba-walker-for-al-horford-moses-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shipped to Oklahoma City</a> in exchange for Al Horford, Moses Brown and a second-round pick.
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A player of Walker&rsquo;s caliber shouldn&rsquo;t be long with the Thunder, though. Oklahoma City is in a full-fledged rebuild with countless picks over the next five-plus years. Even with three years remaining on his lucrative contract, Walker should intrigue some teams who are looking to bolster their playoff chances.
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How about Kemba finally playing full-time in Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks? New York will likely want to wait to see what happens with Damian Lillard in Portland before making any decision, but Walker&rsquo;s fit next to their young core is actually pretty interesting. Trotting out a starting lineup featuring Walker, Julius Randle, and R.J. Barrett fortifies the Knicks as a strong playoff team entering 2021-22.
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As seen in the Celtics-Thunder trade, Walker&rsquo;s value is not high at all. New York could get the deal done sending one of their first-round picks plus a player to shed some of their own salary.
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New York receives: Kemba Walker, No. 34 pick 
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Oklahoma City receives: Kevin Knox, No. 21 pick
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Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings
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Buddy Hield&rsquo;s tenure in Sacramento has been a roller coaster ride, to say the least. Bouncing back and forth from a starter to a sixth-man role, Hield&rsquo;s frustration with the organization feels like it&rsquo;s reached a boiling point. At times, he <a href="https://twitter.com/Chase_Everett_/status/1331428184445730817" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hasn&rsquo;t even tried to hide</a> his displeasure. With three years remaining on Hield&rsquo;s contract and this divorce seeming inevitable, perhaps the Kings will look to deal him this offseason.
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Looking back at the Kings&rsquo; decision, choosing Hield over Bogdan Bogdanovic was a big mistake. Still, if Hield does become available, many teams would be calling to inquire about the sharpshooter. As one of the best three-point marksmen in the NBA, hitting 40.9% over his last four years, Hield could seemingly fit on any roster.
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After a surprising first-round exit in this year&rsquo;s playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers make so much sense as a potential suitor for Hield. Los Angeles has been floated in almost every rumor surrounding big free agents (from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-want-veteran-point-guard-have-interest-in-chris-paul-russell-westbrook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Paul</a> to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-lowry-demar-derozan-interested-in-joining-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Lowry</a> to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-lowry-demar-derozan-interested-in-joining-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DeMar DeRozan</a>), but Hield&rsquo;s floor-spacing gravity would open up the offense even more for LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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Just imagine Hield as a third or fourth option, running around the perimeter while LeBron and AD do their damage on drives. This is something that Los Angeles should seriously explore, while also keeping their options open in free agency for potential sign-and-trades for a new starting point guard (*cough, Kyle Lowry, cough*).
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For Sacramento, receiving a first-round pick along with a young player who fits their timeline in Kyle Kuzma feels like a win considering their current situation with Hield.
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Los Angeles receives: Buddy Hield 
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Sacramento receives: Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, No. 22 pick
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Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors
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Golden State feels destined to make a move on draft night, no matter what size deal it may be. With two lottery picks at No. 7 and No. 14 overall, the Warriors are trying to make one final push for another championship in the Curry era.
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Andrew Wiggins&rsquo; $31.6 million salary for the 2021-22 season puts the Warriors in any discussion for star-caliber players. Already included earlier in a hypothetical Myles Turner trade, Wiggins also makes sense in another scenario.
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Pascal Siakam rumors have bubbled up occasionally over the last few weeks, as Toronto decides on their long-term vision. Siakam is &ldquo;considered available for trade by sources around the league,&rdquo; according to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pascal-siakam-seen-around-the-league-as-available-for-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a>. Holding the No. 4 overall pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, should the Raptors re-tool or rebuild?
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If Toronto decides to blow it up, leaving behind only OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and their top-five pick, a deal with Golden State makes way too much sense. The Warriors can send Wiggins, last year&rsquo;s No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, and their two lottery picks, which is an enticing package that&rsquo;s hard to pass up. This deal also allows both teams to embrace their current directions (with Golden State in win-now mode and Toronto rebuilding).
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Toronto receives: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, No. 7 pick, No. 14 pick
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Golden State receives: Pascal Siakam, Aron Baynes&nbsp;
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Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Darius Garland is the prioritized member of the Cavaliers&rsquo; young backcourt, so Collin Sexton looks to be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-landing-spots-for-collin-sexton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the way out soon</a>. Cleveland is not comfortable paying Sexton a big chunk of money on his looming second contract, so finding the best potential deal on draft night could be the route they&rsquo;re headed.
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Sexton is a score-first combo guard who averaged 24.3 points this past season for the Cavaliers. Many teams should be interested in acquiring the 22-year-old, but some organizations will be worried about whether those are empty-calorie stats.
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One team that has already been rumored to be interested in Sexton is the New York Knicks. Sexton is a strong fit for the culture that head coach Tom Thibodeau is trying to build in New York, and he&rsquo;s another tantalizing piece to add to their young core alongside R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Also, Sexton could be used later on as a trade piece for the next disgruntled superstar who asks out.
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Sending Cleveland Obi Toppin, Kevin Knox, the No. 19 overall pick, plus a top second-round pick (No. 32 overall) feels like a fair package for both sides in this scenario.
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New York receives: Collin Sexton 
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Cleveland receives: Obi Toppin, Kevin Knox, No. 19, No. 32
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Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
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Something has to give in the city of Brotherly Love this offseason. After an awful playoff performance, the Sixers must explore moving off of Ben Simmons&rsquo; massive max contract. For years, many have questioned the long-term fit between Simmons and Joel Embiid. After losing to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, once again coming up short of an NBA Finals appearance, Philadelphia needs to make some tweaks to reach their ultimate goal.
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Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/finals-tomorrow-trade-talk-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier this month that all of the following teams have inquired about Simmons&rsquo; availability: Indiana, Cleveland, Minnesota, Sacramento, and Toronto.
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Out of those five teams mentioned, who makes the most sense to pay the hefty price needed for Simmons? Sacramento strikes me as the one who&rsquo;s desperate enough to pay whatever it takes (outside of their young backcourt of De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton).
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A package revolving around Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, and three first-round picks (including the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) could make Sixers GM Daryl Morey seriously consider pulling the trigger.
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For Sacramento, a young big three consisting of Simmons, Fox, and Haliburton is their last-ditch effort to try to escape the proverbial abyss. Missing the playoffs for 15-straight seasons, a massive move needs to occur in order to keep Fox happy long-term, while also trying to jump another tier in the loaded Western Conference.
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In return for sending Simmons to the Kings, Philadelphia adds a ton of shooting in the short-term, while holding golden tickets in draft capital long-term. If the Sixers are serious about making a Finals push while adding security past that window, this deal makes so much sense.
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Sacramento receives: Ben Simmons, George Hill 
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Philadelphia receives: Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, No. 9 pick, 2023 1st, 2025 1st
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Stay tuned to <a href="http://basketballnews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com</a> for all the latest news and rumors. Check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our latest 2021 mock draft here</a>.
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From Buddy Hield to Collin Sexton and Ben Simmons to Myles Turner, we may see a blockbuster deal on draft night. Here are some ideas.

6 players who could be traded during the 2021 NBA Draft

Nekias Duncan previews the Central Division's five teams (the Bulls, Cavs, Pistons, Pacers and Bucks) ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season.

2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

For a franchise that spent the past year recalibrating its identity, the Portland Trail Blazers are no longer asking what they might become. They are showing it, night after night, in the Western Conference standings, on the court, and within the locker room.
Portland is above .500 again, and they are firmly in the thick of the playoff race in the West, in a conference that offers no grace period. And most importantly, they are doing it with a roster that blends urgency with youth &ndash; a mix that is intentional in the construction rather than accidental. This isn&rsquo;t a rebuild stalling into mediocrity. It&rsquo;s a team taking a leap, one that looks impressive and with progress.
<h3>A gamble rooted in belief</h3>
It started with a bold, emotional decision that set the tone for everything that followed.
When the Trail Blazers signed franchise icon Damian Lillard after he was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks, Portland wasn&rsquo;t interested in nostalgia for nostalgia&rsquo;s sake. They wanted culture, accountability, and a statement. Someone who could remind a young roster what standards look like when winning matters.
Then came the win-now move that truly clarified direction: trading Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday. It was a risk, no doubt. Simons represented youth, upside and scoring punch for their core. But Holiday represented something Portland had been missing &ndash; a champion, a defensive tone-setter, and a voice that commands respect without raising it.
Together, Lillard and Holiday have given the Blazers something invaluable: their credibility and winning mindset, not just externally, but also internally. Team practices matter more, close games feel different, and mistakes become lessons instead of habits.
Holiday, in particular, has been vital: organizing the floor, calming possessions late, and serving as a constant presence in the locker room. For a young team learning how to win, that influence cannot be overstated.
<h3>Deni Avdija&rsquo;s arrival as a star</h3>
Yet as important as the veterans have been, this season belongs to Deni Avdija.
Avdija hasn&rsquo;t just improved, he has transformed and blossomed into a full-blown star. Avidja has made the leap, and it&rsquo;s reshaped everything about Portland&rsquo;s ceiling. He has been the Blazers&rsquo; best player this season, and it has been clearly the case.
A jumbo playmaking forward with relentless downhill pressure, Avdija attacks the rim with purpose. He currently leads the league in free throw attempts, a reflection of both his aggression and his physicality. He&rsquo;s constantly seeking contact, forcing defenses to react, bend, and eventually break.
Avdija can create his own shot and he scores at all three levels. He handles, passes, defends multiple positions, and dictates tempo for the team. Whether initiating offense or finishing possessions, he plays with a confidence that suggests this isn&rsquo;t a fluke &mdash; it&rsquo;s a new baseline for his play today moving forward.
With the league&rsquo;s new All-Star format pitting USA vs. World, Avdija&rsquo;s emergence couldn&rsquo;t be more timely. An All-Star berth feels not only possible, but deserved. Avdija should be named to Team World and he has built a compelling case.
More than numbers, he has become Portland&rsquo;s engine &ndash; the player teammates feed off, the one who sets the tone when games tighten.
<h3>Sharpe&rsquo;s next step, Camara&rsquo;s havoc, Clingan&rsquo;s anchor</h3>
While Avdija has led the charge, he hasn&rsquo;t done it alone.
Shaedon Sharpe is beginning to find consistency, slowly stepping into the responsibility of being a No. 1 option. His talent has never been in question ever since from the start. The explosiveness, shot-making, and athletic ceiling are undeniable. What Sharpe is learning now is assertiveness &ndash; understanding when to take over, when to impose his will.
If he puts it all together, Sharpe remains the player most capable of becoming Portland&rsquo;s best long-term star. This season has been about learning how to be that guy, not just flashing it.
Toumani Camara continues to be exactly what Portland needs on the wing: disruptive, versatile, and fearless defensively. He routinely takes on the opponent&rsquo;s best perimeter scorer and holds his ground in switches against bigger players. His defensive havoc allows the Blazers to be aggressive without losing structure.
Inside, Donovan Clingan has emerged as the defensive anchor. He inhales rebounds, sets punishing screens, and finishes efficiently around the rim with soft touch on lobs. His occasional willingness to stretch the floor hints at future growth, but even now, his impact is clear &ndash; he alters shots, blocks attempts, and stabilizes the paint.
<h3>Unexpected contributors, steady veterans</h3>
Every good season has its subplots, and for Portland, Caleb Love has become one of the best. As an undrafted rookie, Love has provided scoring punch off the bench, knocking down threes, creating offense for others, and putting pressure on the rim. He plays without fear &ndash; a trait that fits perfectly with this team&rsquo;s evolving identity.
Sidy Cissoko has also had his moments, injecting energy whenever he checks in, whether starting or coming off the bench. His activity level changes games in small but meaningful ways.
And when the moment calls for experience, Portland still has it. Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III, and Matisse Thybulle remain reliable options &ndash; veterans who understand playoff-level basketball and can be deployed when stability is needed.
But perhaps the most striking part of Portland&rsquo;s rise is who hasn&rsquo;t been on the floor.
Scoot Henderson, the franchise&rsquo;s prized young guard, has yet to play this season due to a lingering hamstring injury. He was supposed to be central to this transition &ndash; a symbol of the future.
Instead, Portland has surged without him.
That&rsquo;s not an indictment of Scoot. If anything, it underscores how far ahead of schedule the Blazers might be. Avdija&rsquo;s leap, the veterans&rsquo; influence, and the collective buy-in have accelerated the timeline. When Scoot does return, he won&rsquo;t be asked to save a franchise &ndash; he&rsquo;ll be joining one that already believes in itself.
&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;
For the first time since the prime years of Damian Lillard, this version of the Blazers feels different because the urgency is real. The talent is emerging, the leadership is present, and the results are starting to match the vision.
Portland is playing better basketball and they are unraveling their identity &ndash; a team that competes and believes in themselves.

The Blazers are playing .500 basketball this season, fueled by Deni Avdija’s All-Star leap and a young core learning how to win.

From reset to resurgence: The Portland Trail Blazers are putting it together

Over the past few years, the Washington Wizards have been a cellar dweller in the NBA. They have been quite bad and were never close enough to truly matter and contend for a title, let alone a playoff spot. Although they were drafting some promising young players, it still has not resulted in wins yet. The fan base has been desperate not just for relevance, but also for belief.
That will likely change with the arrival of Trae Young.
By trading for Young, the Wizards acquired one of the league&rsquo;s most dynamic offensive engines and they have made a statement: This is no longer a franchise content with waiting for tomorrow. Washington is accelerating its timeline, choosing clarity over comfort, and anchoring its rebuild around a player capable of bending defenses, lifting teammates, and reshaping an entire organizational culture.
Young&rsquo;s arrival signals a turning point. A franchise once defined by uncertainty now has a leader for the future.
<h3>A playmaking engine for a rising core</h3>
Washington&rsquo;s rebuild has quietly been laying a foundation. Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly. Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, and Bub Carrington &ndash; all whom the Wizards have drafted over the past couple years. It&rsquo;s a young core built on length, versatility, defensive upside, and &ndash; increasingly &ndash; offensive promise. But what it lacked was orchestration, and that&rsquo;s where Young enters the picture.
Few players in the NBA command defensive attention the way Young does. His shooting range warps coverage, his handle manipulates angles, and his vision punishes defenses hesitating on coverages. For a young roster still learning how to play together, Young provides something invaluable: structure.
Not rigid structure &ndash; but functional chaos, the kind that unlocks growth. With Young at the controls, the Wizards&rsquo; young core would be fully unleashed. The spacing improves, reads become simpler, roles sharpen, and perhaps most importantly, their development accelerates.
<h3>Young can unlock Alex Sarr</h3>
No player stands to benefit more from Trae Young&rsquo;s arrival than Alex Sarr. Even without a true table-setter, Sarr has taken a noticeable leap this season. His offensive growth has been real and measurable &ndash; improved three-point efficiency, stronger finishing at the rim, and a growing comfort operating in the short roll as both a scorer and playmaker. All of that layered on top of an already impressive defensive foundation.
Now imagine him with Trae Young.
Young has built a career elevating big men. From Clint Capela to Onyeka Okongwu, his ability to manipulate defenders in the pick-and-roll creates constant advantages. Drop coverage becomes a gamble, switches become punishable, and help defenders are forced into impossible decisions.
For Sarr, that means cleaner catches, easier finishes, and more space to explore the creative parts of his game. It means fewer contested jumpers and more plays where he&rsquo;s attacking a scrambling defense with momentum.
With Young beside him, Sarr will be at the forefront of the Wizards as their centerpiece: a two-way force whose growth curve could steepen dramatically with a real point guard guiding the offense.
<h3>Kyshawn George the jumbo (secondary creator) wing</h3>
Kyshawn George&rsquo;s leap this season has been one of Washington&rsquo;s most encouraging developments. At his size, his ability to handle, pass, shoot, and attack off the dribble gives the Wizards a modern &ldquo;jumbo&rdquo; playmaking forward &ndash; the type every playoff team covets.
Young won&rsquo;t stunt his growth. He amplifies it.
Rather than burdening George with primary creation duties too early, Young allows him to thrive in advantage situations. Secondary reads, attacking tilted defenses, and operating as a connector rather than a savior.
That&rsquo;s where his growth becomes sustainable. With Young drawing two defenders 30 feet from the basket, George can weaponize his versatility &ndash; sliding between the 3 and 4, attacking closeouts, making quick reads, and punishing mismatches. It&rsquo;s an environment that rewards instincts and confidence, not hesitation. And in time, those reps matter with Young will matter.
<h3>Bilal Coulibaly&rsquo;s edge, sharpened</h3>
Every young team needs an identity. For the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly embodies one side of it. He is the point-of-attack defender, and the tone-setter on the defensive end. The player tasked with guarding the opponent&rsquo;s best perimeter threat night after night. His strides on offense &ndash; particularly with his shot-making &ndash; have added a layer of balance to his profile, but his value still begins with pressure and intensity.
Trae Young&rsquo;s presence helps Coulibaly in subtle but significant ways. With offensive responsibility centralized, Coulibaly can focus on what he does best: Defend, run and move his feet, and finish in space. taking&nbsp; the shots that come naturally rather than forcing creation beyond his current comfort zone.
<h3>Tre Johnson&rsquo;s arrival ahead of schedule</h3>
Tre Johnson has looked nothing like a typical rookie. His shooting gravity, confidence, and composure have stood out &ndash; traits that can&rsquo;t be taught. Not all rookies arrive ready to stretch defenses or punish mistakes the way Johnson already has.
Now place him next to Trae Young. Few environments are better for a young shooter than playing alongside an elite passer who thrives on relocating defenses. Johnson will get clean looks. He&rsquo;ll learn spacing nuances. He&rsquo;ll absorb the rhythm of an NBA offense led by someone who has seen every coverage imaginable.
<h3>Bub Carrington and the apprenticeship effect</h3>
Bub Carrington&rsquo;s rookie year has been quietly promising. There&rsquo;s feel, creativity, and room to grow.
And now with Young, there&rsquo;s mentorship. Young has led the NBA in assists and navigated playoff pressure. He&rsquo;s learned, often the hard way, how to lead a team through expectations and adversity. For Carrington, that proximity matters. Development isn&rsquo;t linear &ndash; but proximity to excellence accelerates learning.
<h3>Culture shift, not just talent upgrade</h3>
This trade isn&rsquo;t just about wins &ndash; it&rsquo;s about the belief to turn this thing around for the foreseeable future.
Washington has been losing for years, and losing has a way of seeping into everything &ndash; habits, body language, expectations. Trae Young changes that immediately with his arrival. At 27 years old, his presence demands seriousness, accountability and competitive urgency. He brings playoff experience to a locker room still forming its identity, bringing voice, edge, and confidence.
And for the first time in a long time, the Wizards aren&rsquo;t just projecting a future &ndash; they&rsquo;re stepping into one.
With internal development continuing and a real offensive engine now in place, a play-in push next season doesn&rsquo;t feel unrealistic. This is a new era of Wizards basketball. They have waited for the right moment to get their guy, and when it came, they didn&rsquo;t hesitate.

The Wizards take a bold step into the future by acquiring Trae Young, accelerating their rebuild and unlock their young core.

Wizards take major step on their future by acquiring Trae Young

Missing Trae Young due to a knee injury, Jalen Johnson has stepped up his game and is showing that he can be a capable star to build a team on.
Jalen Johnson&rsquo;s rise was kind of expected and supposed to happen this season. The talent was always evident, the flashes from last season undeniable, and the physical tools have been impossible to ignore. But what he is doing now feels different. This kind of leap &mdash; the kind that changes a career, reshapes a franchise, and forces the rest of the league to pay attention.
In a season where the Atlanta Hawks have started out with injuries and inconsistency, Johnson has become their stabilizer, their do-everything engine, and their unexpected source of hope early on in the season. While Trae Young sits with a knee injury, Johnson has not only stepped into a larger responsibility, but he has exceeded it.
His back-to-back triple-doubles over his last two games have been kind of an exclamation point on what has become one of the best storylines in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks aren&rsquo;t just surviving because of him, they are afloat and in the middle of it all because of him.
The modern NBA is defined by size, versatility, and decision-making &ndash; and Johnson checks all three boxes in a way few forwards his age can. At 6-foot-9 with a strong frame and smooth athleticism, he has embraced the role of a jumbo playmaker in Atlanta&rsquo;s offense.
He attacks the rim with force, overwhelms smaller defenders, and uses his long strides to blow past slower ones. But what truly elevates his game is the way he manipulates defenses as both a driver and a passer. Whether he&rsquo;s initiating pick-and-rolls, operating in the short roll, or pushing in transition, Johnson processes the floor with the composure of a seasoned guard &ndash; all while playing the forward position and being 6&rsquo;9.
This is the version Atlanta dreamed of when they selected him in 2021 &ndash; the kind of multi-faceted forward who can anchor possessions on his own, create advantages for others, and serve as a connective tissue across every lineup combination.
Johnson&rsquo;s growth as a scorer has been just as impressive. His finishing touch around the rim continues to evolve, showcasing a mix of power and finesse that keeps defenses guessing. His improved jumper may be the most important development, as he&rsquo;s spacing the floor effectively, shooting the ball with confidence, and converting catch-and-shoot opportunities at a level that forces defenses to stay honest. When opponents bring help, he punishes them with skip passes and timely reads and his athleticism is put to good use with force.
He&rsquo;s no longer an &ldquo;upside piece&rdquo; Atlanta hopes will pan out. He&rsquo;s already delivering production and responsibility at a level far beyond what most young forwards in the league are asked to handle.
One of the biggest testaments to Johnson&rsquo;s versatility is how seamless he looks in every part of the pick-and-roll action. He can be the handler, leveraging his size to see over defenses and make advanced reads. He can be the roller, catching in the short pocket and turning it into downhill pressure.
It&rsquo;s rare to find a forward who can fluidly shift roles based on personnel and matchups &ndash; rarer still for that forward to be 22 years old and just scratching the surface.
When Atlanta&rsquo;s spacing tightens, Johnson becomes the playmaking valve. When possessions stall, he becomes the initiator. When the Hawks need someone to create something out of nothing, they turn to him. And lately, he has delivered to mark one of the best, if not the best, stretches of his young NBA career.
Without Trae Young, the Hawks&rsquo; offense could have cratered. But Johnson&rsquo;s play has provided a structure, a rhythm, and an identity they desperately needed. His triple-doubles were reflections of a player filling every gap the team had, while lifting them toward competitive relevance.
His versatility has allowed the Hawks to maintain pace in the East during a stretch where many expected them to slide. He&rsquo;s become the heartbeat of the team: energetic, unselfish, relentless, and increasingly reliable.
This leap by Johnson is one built on improved skill, stronger decision-making, and a growing belief from the organization that he&rsquo;s ready for more.
Atlanta entered the season with questions about its long-term direction. But amid the uncertainty, Johnson has emerged as one of the clearest answers. His development brings stability, his playmaking brings structure, and more importantly, his confidence brings hope.
He&rsquo;s the Hawks&rsquo; future, and right now, he&rsquo;s also their present.
The NBA is often defined by players who make &ldquo;the leap,&rdquo; but those leaps don&rsquo;t always look the same. Johnson&rsquo;s leap isn&rsquo;t defined by scoring explosions or spotlight moments &ndash; it&rsquo;s currently defined by completeness. The ability to do everything, affect everything, and help the Hawks survive one of their toughest stretches of the season.

Jalen Johnson is powering the Atlanta Hawks through Trae Young’s absence with back-to-back triple-doubles and a breakout season.

Jalen Johnson’s star breakout season is keeping Atlanta alive in the East

The Atlanta Hawks are soaring to new heights this season, and their resurgence is turning heads on the national NBA scene. Long being a team stuck in the middle of the pack, Atlanta now appears poised to make a run as a potential darkhorse team in the East. This transformation is powered by franchise cornerstone Trae Young, the emergence of key players like Jalen Johnson, and a roster loaded with dynamic contributors who can defend, shoot, and thrive in high-stakes moments.
<h4>The Hawks' recent performance is breaking their cycle of being &lsquo;mid&rsquo;&nbsp;</h4>
Over the past five seasons, the Atlanta Hawks have epitomized being stuck in the middle, compiling a cumulative record of 175-169, which translates to a winning percentage of approximately .509. This period includes a standout 2020-21 season where the team finished 41-31, achieving a .569 winning percentage and making a notable playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, this success was bookended by seasons of underperformance, such as the 2017-18 campaign with a dismal 24-58 record (.293 winning percentage). Atlanta has hovered around 7th-10th seed in the East, and these fluctuations underscore the team's struggle to maintain consistent success, often finding themselves hovering around the .500 mark and failing to secure a strong foothold in the Eastern Conference.
This pattern of inconsistency has kept the Hawks in the league's middle tier, preventing them from breaking through as a formidable contender. The team's inability to string together consecutive winning seasons has been a significant barrier to establishing a lasting presence in the postseason. The 2020-21 season's deep playoff run appeared to signal a turning point, but subsequent seasons did not build upon that momentum, highlighting the challenges of sustaining high-level performance in the NBA.
In the context of the franchise's history, this recent stretch reflects a broader trend of fluctuating success. The Hawks have experienced periods of competitiveness interspersed with seasons of rebuilding, contributing to an all-time record that hovers around .500.&nbsp;
However, this historical backdrop sets the stage for the current season's resurgence, as the team aims to break free from past patterns and establish itself as a consistent force in the league.
<h4>The Hawks&rsquo; turnaround: Trae Young and capable pieces behind him&nbsp;</h4>
At the heart of Atlanta&rsquo;s recent success is Trae Young, a player whose brilliance has often been overshadowed by debates about his defensive limitations or the team&rsquo;s overall performance. Yet, this season, Young&rsquo;s play is demanding the league&rsquo;s attention. Averaging over 12 assists per game, Young is on pace to join John Stockton as the only players in NBA history to average that many assists across an entire season. His ability to orchestrate the offense with precision has not only elevated his teammates but also reintroduced him as one of the league&rsquo;s most watchable entertainers.
Young&rsquo;s court vision and flair for the dramatic have become must-watch television. Whether it&rsquo;s a no-look lob to teammates or a deep three from well beyond the arc, his highlight reel is a nightly reminder of his offensive genius. Yet, it&rsquo;s not just the flashy plays; it&rsquo;s the consistency with which he&rsquo;s delivering them. His recent performances in the NBA Cup have been a showcase of his ability to command the stage on a national level, further solidifying his reputation as a star built for big moments.
The Hawks&rsquo; deep run in the NBA Cup has been a perfect platform for the team to announce itself to a wider audience. In their quarterfinal victory over the New York Knicks, Young&rsquo;s 22-point, 11-assist performance was a masterclass in controlling tempo and exploiting defensive weaknesses. Atlanta&rsquo;s ability to thrive in this high-stakes environment speaks to the growth of its roster and the leadership of its star player.
More importantly, the NBA Cup has offered Young a chance to dispel lingering doubts about him being able to lead a team. Critics have often pointed to his inconsistency or questioned his ability of being a franchise cornerstone to lead a team to sustained success. But this year, Young&rsquo;s play has been a decisive rebuttal, showcasing a level of maturity and poise that suggests he&rsquo;s ready to take the Hawks to the next level.
<h4>The Hawks&rsquo; best roster in the Trae Young era</h4>
While Trae Young remains the centerpiece, the emergence of Jalen Johnson as a secondary star has been equally critical to Atlanta&rsquo;s resurgence. Johnson&rsquo;s unique skill set as a jumbo forward who can score, playmake, and shoot has added a new dimension to the Hawks&rsquo; offense. His ability to initiate plays and create mismatches has relieved pressure on Young and diversified the team&rsquo;s attack.
Players like Johnson, who can impact the game in multiple ways, are increasingly valuable in today&rsquo;s NBA. In many ways, Johnson&rsquo;s breakout is reminiscent of the rise of other versatile forwards who have become cornerstones for championship-caliber teams. For Atlanta, his development represents a critical step toward building a roster that can compete with the league&rsquo;s elite.
Another key to the Hawks&rsquo; success has been their improved defensive identity. Dyson Daniels, acquired in the offseason, has emerged as one of the league&rsquo;s premier point-of-attack defenders. His ability to rack up deflections and disrupt opposing offenses has provided Atlanta with a defensive anchor on the perimeter.
The frontcourt rotation of Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu has also been instrumental. Both players excel as rim protectors and lob threats, perfectly complementing Young&rsquo;s playmaking. Meanwhile, rookie Zaccharie Risacher, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, is beginning to find his footing, contributing as a 6&rsquo;10&rdquo; forward with shooting range and defensive versatility.
Veterans like De&rsquo;Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović round out the roster, providing stability and experience off the bench. Hunter&rsquo;s ability to guard multiple positions and Bogdanović&rsquo;s scoring touch have been invaluable in close games, giving Atlanta a level of depth that&rsquo;s been lacking in recent years.
<h4>Introducing Atlanta on the national stage</h4>
The Hawks&rsquo; resurgence isn&rsquo;t just about winning games; it&rsquo;s about reestablishing themselves as a team to be reckoned with on the national stage. For years, Atlanta&rsquo;s potential has been a tantalizing but unrealized promise. This season, that promise is finally being fulfilled. With Trae Young leading the way, the Hawks have become one of the league&rsquo;s most exciting teams to watch, blending highlight-reel offense with a gritty, competitive edge.
This season presents a pivotal opportunity for Trae Young to reshape the narrative of his career, shifting from being viewed solely as a high-scoring guard with defensive flaws to a true leader who elevates those around him. For the Hawks, it&rsquo;s a chance to prove that their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run wasn&rsquo;t a one-time fluke but the beginning of a larger, sustained success. With Young guiding a rejuvenated roster, the Hawks aim to break free from their recent history of inconsistency and establish themselves as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference, securing a more prominent position on the national NBA stage.
As the NBA Cup and the regular season progresses, the Hawks' ability to maintain their current level of play will be pivotal in determining whether they can overcome the inconsistencies of the past and solidify their status as a rising power in the league. The journey toward consistent excellence is not without challenges, but the foundation being laid this season offers a promising glimpse into a brighter future for the franchise.

The Atlanta Hawks are soaring to new heights this season, and their resurgence is turning heads on the national NBA scene.

‘Atlanta’s Flight’: Led by Trae Young, the Hawks are soaring in their new era

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. has agreed to a three-year, $59 million contract extension with the team, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania.&nbsp;
The 6-foot-10 Carter secures his maximum extension and $82M in a new deal through the 2028-29 season.&nbsp;
https://x.com/basketbllnews/status/1843473043320123807
ANALYSIS: This new deal gives Carter Jr. an extended run with the young Orlando Magic core that features Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs. The Magic reached the playoffs last season only to be turned down by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 7 games. Nonetheless, this core group is young and is hungry for more action. And with the addition of veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Orlando is poised to improve this season again and for years to come.
Carter Jr. is a serviceable big man who can stretch the floor, use his size inside the paint to grab boards, set tough screens, and block shots. He has been useful in these ultra-jumbo lineups that Orlando fields in and Carter Jr. can also switch out to the perimeter at times when needed.

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. has agreed to a three-year, $59 million contract extension with the team.

Wendell Carter Jr. inks extension with Orlando Magic

Views are the author&rsquo;s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.
The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league&rsquo;s annual awards has officially ended. Here&rsquo;s a look at my picks of the NBA's award winners.
Most Improved Player: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
(Runner-ups: Coby White, Jalen Johnson)
Notes: In the end, Tyrese Maxey takes the award with the amount of burden and responsibility in a Philadelphia team reeling from the loss of James Harden to become a true No. 2 option behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid. White improved a lot this year, increasing his averages both numbers and his shooting percentages. Johnson, like White, has also increased his usage and averages by a lot, featuring as the third option behind DeJounte Murray and Trae Young, or even as the second option without one of those two. A jumbo playmaking forward, Johnson showed improvements in his playmaking as well as his ability to score and had increased numbers in shooting as well. Ultimately, Maxey wins this award out because he was a guy who increased his usage and his role while playing most of the season without Embiid.
Sixth Man of the Year: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Malik Monk, Bobby Portis)
Notes: Naz Reid has been the best player off the bench this season with the way he has been an offensive spark plug for the Timberwolves this season. He&rsquo;s had a phenomenal season, and he had to start and fill in for Karl-Anthony Towns when he went down while still being an efficient scorer as he is. If you factor in all the stuff for these awards, you could actually make a case for Monk, for Portis, maybe even guys like Norman Powell for the Clippers and Bogdan Bogdanovic for the Hawks. But with Minnesota going 56-26 and having the second most wins in franchise history &ndash; ultimately ending up atop the three best teams in the West, this gives a little bit of boost to Naz Reid due to his importance to the team.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis; Honorable mention: Bam Adebayo)
Notes: One of the hardest awards to figure out. Minnesota had the best defense in the league for a reason, and based on that Rudy Gobert would be a deserving winner of the award. When he&rsquo;s off the floor, the team does not perform defensively the way it does when Gobert is on the floor. This was hard because Wembanyama had a legitimate case, being the generational defender that he was. Davis also had a strong case with how he carried single-handedly the Lakers&rsquo; defense, while Adebayo had the immense burden of playing all the defensive schemes in Miami. Ultimately, it ended up with Gobert with the way he lifted a good defensive team to the best in the league, manning that paint and being that anchor that holds all of the pieces together.
All-Defensive Team:
1st Team - Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones
2nd Team - Derrick White, Jalen Suggs, Jaden McDaniels, Alex Caruso, Jonathan Isaac
Notes: Starting this year, the NBA&rsquo;s All-NBA teams and defensive teams were positionless so I had to cheat a little bit here, putting 4 bigs in the 1st team. Gobert, Wembanyama, Davis, and Adebayo are no-brainers considering their defensive impact for each of their teams, while Jones takes the last spot in the 1st team for his ability to disrupt offenses as well as guarding each team&rsquo;s best player night in and night out for the Pelicans.&nbsp;
The second team features White (most blocks for a guard), Suggs and Isaac (best defensive players for the 4th best defense in the league, helping to lead the Magic back to the playoffs), McDaniels (best wing defender for the best defense in the league), and the perennial all-defense player Caruso who brings it in defensively every game.
Rookie of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
(Runner-up: Chet Holmgren)
Notes: Despite Holmgren having far and away the better team success, there&rsquo;s no denying Wembanyama&rsquo;s greatness in his rookie year. The French phenom has transcended the game both figuratively and on the eye test &ndash; he is simply a generational talent who is going to take over the league soon. Holmgren got off to a hot start in the first two months of the season but since January, Wembanyama has locked up the award for himself with out-of-the-world numbers for a rookie. He was dubbed as the best prospect since LeBron James and now he is well on his way to being one of the greatest of all time if he remains healthy after a historic rookie season.
All-Rookie Team:
1st Team - Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr., GG Jackson
2nd Team - Ausar Thompson, Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Notes: There were several names to choose from here, and it felt hard to cut some of them here. Jordan Hawkins of the Pelicans has had a good start to the year when the team had all those injuries paving the way for him to play early into the season but has seen the bench since as NOLA got healthier and players came back; Cason Wallace had such a good shooting year off the bench for the No.1 seeded Thunder despite shooting being labeled by scouts as his biggest weakness coming into the NBA; Dereck Lively II being center that Luka Doncic needed and fit well with by catching all those lobs and helping the Mavs&rsquo; defense this season big time; No.2 overall pick Scoot Henderson had a good close to his rookie year.
All in all, these 10 rookies have felt like the best rookies in terms of production, opportunity, and narratives surrounding them. Of course, Wembanyama and Holmgren are automatic locks; Miller has been the best player in Charlotte without LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams; Jaquez is a vital piece off the bench for Erik Spoelstra&rsquo;s playoff-bound Heat team; and GG Jackson becoming a legit NBA scorer despite being the youngest player in the league to round out the first team.
The Thompson twins have just been defensive monsters ever since stepping foot in the league; George playing point guard at Utah has turned some heads and he has stepped up with the opportunity given to him; while Podziemski and Jackson-Davis have arguably been rotational pieces to the Warriors despite being rookies and has contributed a lot to them finding a way to fit in a complex team.
Coach of the Year: Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
(Runner-ups: Chris Finch, Jamahl Mosley)
Notes: There have been so many good coaches this season that have elevated their teams to good records, say Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks. But my Coach of the Year pick goes to Mark Daigneault of the OKC Thunder because this award tends to favor the expectations set for a team before the start of the season. The Thunder weren&rsquo;t supposed to be this good this season, but Daigneault catapulted them into one of the best teams not just in the West but the entire NBA. The evidence is written on the wall: No.1 in the West despite being the second youngest team in the league; having a top 5 ranking on both offense and defense and no.2 overall net rating. Finch and Mosley take the runner-up spots with the work they had to lift both the Timberwolves and the Magic to being top 4 seeds in their conferences as well as having top-rated defenses in the league.
Clutch Player of the Year: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
(Runner-ups: DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
Notes: Another tough and close race, but ultimately it goes to Curry. Despite the Warriors&rsquo; so-so record, Curry had the most clutch time points, shot 50% from the field, and 46% from three in clutch time. Curry had the most threes than anyone in crunch time &ndash; being just the incredible clutch-time performer that he is &ndash; and always been.
All-NBA Team:
1st Team - Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum
2nd Team - Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James
3rd Team - Stephen Curry, Domantas Sabonis, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton
Notes: With Jalen Brunson carrying the Knicks to a second seed in the East playing without Julius Randle since January, it was incredibly hard to leave him off the 1st team. However, by the slightest of margins, I gave the nod to Tatum for being the best player on the best team in the league by a wide margin.
All the other picks were pretty explanatory, with the top 4 in the MVP race in Jokic, Doncic, SGA, and Giannis all expected to be first-teamers. The second team kind of got tougher besides Brunson, with legends Durant and James making the list because of the seasons they had leading their team as well as playing their most regular season game in years. Rounding out the second team were Edwards and Davis, two stars with the biggest impacts on their teams in the tough Western Conference.
The third team is actually a toss-up with a lot of good cases from the league all around, but ultimately I went with Curry, Sabonis, Leonard, Booker, and Haliburton.
Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&nbsp;
(Runners-up: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic; Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo)
Perhaps the closest race out of all the awards, all three players here are each deserving with their narratives and the numbers that support each of their cases. You can never go wrong picking one over the other, so it came down to personal opinion on who I thought had the strongest case this season. His case?
-Leading the second youngest team in the league to No.1 in the West
-3-1 series vs Denver
-3-1 series vs Dallas
-First player since Steph and MJ to average 30/5/5 in a season with 2+ steals
-Second in defensive net rating for guards
One could make the argument for Nikola Jokic being the best player in the world having better numbers than his two MVP seasons while Luka Doncic had one of the best seasons statistically in all facets of the game, but there&rsquo;s no denying SGA&rsquo;s strong case as well given the expectations for this young Thunder team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is my MVP.

The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league’s annual awards has officially ended.

OPINION: Picking the 2023-2024 NBA Awards winners

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum buried the 3-pointer that put Boston ahead with 1.3 seconds left and casually backpedaled on defense before he turned to greet his teammates and &mdash; woosh! &mdash; a 70-foot shot sailed over his head and into the basket.
Joel Embiid shook his head no. The 76ers&rsquo; All-Star center knew his tying, desperation heave was just a tick too late.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla needed a second look to know the Celtics were in the clear and he wasn&rsquo;t positive until &ldquo;they showed it on the Jumbotron.&rdquo;
Time to celebrate.
Tatum hit the winning 3 that capped Boston&rsquo;s comeback from 15 points down in the third quarter and he finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists to help the Celtics hold on for a 110-107 win against Philadelphia on Saturday night.
&ldquo;I dream about taking those shots,&rdquo; Tatum said. &ldquo;The worst thing that can happen is you miss.&rdquo;
He didn&rsquo;t miss.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jayson Tatum for the win. Bang.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PhantomCam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PhantomCam</a> <a href="https://t.co/2B7Ocbg3C8">pic.twitter.com/2B7Ocbg3C8</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1629708780169469952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Derrick White added 18 and Al Horford hit five game-changing 3s for 15 points.
&ldquo;Our guys have been there,&rdquo; Mazzulla said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been through it all.&rdquo;
Embiid finished with 41 points and 12 rebounds. He also made 17 of 18 free throws. James Harden scored 21 points and Tobias Harris had 19.
The late-game thriller proved worthy of a showdown between two of the top teams in the East.
Boston, though, proved it&rsquo;s still the team to beat.
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Updated: Since the NBA started tracking play-by-play data in 1996, there are 155 players who have attempted 25+ FGs to tie or take the lead in the final 24 seconds of the 4th quarter (playoffs included). Jayson Tatum ranks 1st out of 155 with a 51.7% field goal percentage.
&mdash; Tucker Boynton (@Tucker_TnL) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tucker_TnL/status/1629699311331078145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The Sixers dug deep trailing by five with 3 minutes left. With booming &ldquo;MVP! MVP!&rdquo; chants filling the arena, Embiid hit two free throws and followed with a jumper that pulled the Sixers within one. Embiid then blocked Brown&rsquo;s layup and Tyrese Maxey went the other way for a go-ahead driving layup that sent another packed house into a frenzy.
Horford, once considered a key cog in the 76ers&rsquo; chase for a championship, instead hit the clutch 3-pointer inside Wells Fargo Center that the city craved from him in 2019-20. He put the Celtics ahead by two points and a bucket by Tatum made it 107-103.
Harden and Embiid made four straight free throws that tied the game and put every fan &mdash; there was a smattering of green in the stands &mdash; on edge.
Tatum, though, calmly hit a 3 to put Boston ahead. Embiid then heaved one from inside the opposing 3-point line and it fell through the basket -- just after the horn.
&ldquo;I kind of had a feeling it wasn&rsquo;t going to count,&rdquo; Tatum said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s the NBA, right? Anything can happen.&rdquo;
Just not on this night for the Sixers.
&ldquo;Unfortunately, story of my life,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Tatum celebrated by giving his game-worn jersey to Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver &mdash; and noted Celtics fan &mdash; DeVonta Smith.
The 76ers had another packed house and fans were hyped from pregame warmups for a game with a definitive playoff feel. Both teams came out firing -- they each hit four 3s and shot at least 50% in the first quarter. The scoring swings were so one-sided for a stretch that the Celtics went on a 20-4 run and only led 39-32.
The Sixers entered this one with something to prove after a miserable effort in a 106-99 loss earlier this month in Boston. The reigning Eastern Conference champion Celtics remain the class of the conference. The Sixers are still out to show under coach Doc Rivers they&rsquo;re more than a 50-win, second-round exit team. They&rsquo;re going to need Embiid to lead the way. After a difficult shooting night against Memphis on Thursday, Embiid had a game worthy of the &ldquo;MVP! MVP!&rdquo; chants that serenaded him with each trip to the free-throw line.
He bullied his way down the lane for big buckets. Embiid&rsquo;s three-point play late in the fourth stretched the lead to 11 and he had an assist on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton&rsquo;s 3-pointer on the next possession.
Horford made three straight 3s to bring Boston back into the game. Horford&rsquo;s fourth 3 of the quarter keyed an 18-3 run and helped the Celtics lead 80-78 through three.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not extra motivation,&rdquo; Horford said of his return. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just fun. Those are the games you want to be a part of.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Celtics: Hit five 3s and shot 52% in the third quarter.
76ers: C Dewayne Dedmon sat out with left hip tightness. ... P.J. Tucker&rsquo;s 11 rebounds in the first half were a season high and the first time in 12 seasons he had double-digit boards in a half. He finished with 16.
UP NEXT
Celtics: Play Monday at New York.
76ers: Host Miami on Monday before they open March with a stretch of 12 of 15 road games.

Jayson Tatum's 3 capped Boston’s comeback from 15 points down in the third quarter, and the Celtics beat the 76ers 110-107 on Saturday.

Jayson Tatum’s late 3 lifts Celtics past Joel Embiid, 76ers 110-107

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Paolo Banchero scored 31 points and Admiral Schofield had 11 of his 13 in the fourth quarter to help the Orlando Magic complete a sweep of consecutive games in Boston with a 95-92 victory on Sunday.
Franz Wagner added 12 points and Bol Bol had 11 with eight rebounds for Orlando, which was 1-11 on the road before its two straight wins over the Celtics at TD Garden.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 24 points, Marcus Smart had 15 and Grant Williams 14.
Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum missed the game due to personal reasons. The 24-year-old star is the team&rsquo;s leading scorer (30.2 points) and rebounder (8.2), and fifth in the league in scoring.
Boston center Robert Williams III played his second straight game after missing the first 29 following left knee surgery in September. He had six points and five rebounds in 17 minutes.
With Boston trailing 93-92, Smart stole the inbounds pass and went to the floor, calling timeout with 9.8 seconds to play before the Celtics turned it over on the other end.
Moritz Wagner sank two free throws with 5.3 seconds left before Grant Williams front-rimmed a 3-point attempt from the left corner.
Grant Williams had a put-back and was fouled, hitting the free throw that gave Boston a one-point edge with just under four minutes left, but Banchero nailed a 3 on the Magic&rsquo;s next possession and they never trailed again.
Boston had sliced it to 93-92 on Malcom Brogdon&rsquo;s 3 but Markelle Fultz snatched the rebound on Banchero&rsquo;s miss and Orlando called timeout.
Boston lost Friday&rsquo;s game 117-109.
LUKEWARM WELCOME
Stuff the Magic Dragon, Orlando&rsquo;s mascot, was part of a group from around sports that was on hand for Kids&rsquo; Day. It received a spattering of boos when shown on the Jumbotron.
TIP-INS
Magic: It was Banchero&rsquo;s seventh straight game with 20 points or more and his 19th this season. &hellip; Recalled R.J. Hampton from their NBA G League affiliate. &hellip; In a somewhat slow-paced, lackluster opening half, the Magic held a 50-41 lead at intermission.
Celtics: Center Al Horford was fined $25,000 by the league for making what it called &ldquo;unnecessary and excessive contact&rdquo; to the lower body of Magic center Moritz Wagner during Friday&rsquo;s loss. &hellip; Missed 18 of their initial 21 on 3-point attempts and went just 5-of-24 in the opening half. &hellip; Brown picked up his second foul without time going off the clock, when he was whistled before the ball was inbounded after being called for his first.
&nbsp;

Paolo Banchero scored 31 points to help the Magic complete a sweep of consecutive games in Boston with a 95-92 victory.

Banchero scores 31 as Magic win second straight in Boston

As we reach the quarter mark of the 2022-23 NBA season, gusting trade winds are right around the corner. In two weeks on Dec. 15, conversations around the league will kick into another gear, as many players who were acquired in the offseason will be allowed to be dealt elsewhere.
Which players stand out most as potential trade candidates over the next few months? Let&rsquo;s take an early peek at some of the names that already have some steam behind them.
Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
Off to the best start of his career, averaging 18.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks on a 68.8% True Shooting percentage, Turner&rsquo;s trade stock will only rise heading toward February&rsquo;s deadline. Always an underrated big man with elite rim-protection prowess, Turner becoming more of a consistent offensive focal point was the missing ingredient for years. Situation and usage played a big role in Turner&rsquo;s roller-coaster scoring ways, but he&rsquo;s now being fed by arguably the NBA&rsquo;s best passing point guard.
Tyrese Haliburton is the perfect facilitator to showcase Turner&rsquo;s modern skill set, which was relatively untapped as he was parked in the corner playing alongside Domantas Sabonis as a jumbo-sized 4. Now, Turner and Haliburton are creating dynamite in pick-and-roll situations. The former Texas Longhorn is scoring 1.30 points per possession as a roll man, and in 332 minutes together, the Haliburton-Turner duo carries a plus-4.5 Net Rating (113.9 Offensive Rating, 109.5 Defensive Rating) as well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Timing Patience &amp; Opportunity 🙏🏾 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thankful?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thankful</a> <a href="https://t.co/89zG5xmCtl">https://t.co/89zG5xmCtl</a>
&mdash; Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) <a href="https://twitter.com/Original_Turner/status/1596358483737481217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Indiana is in such an advantageous position following its surprisingly hot start. Already possessing three first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Pacers could soon capitalize on a career-best running start from Turner.
How the Pacers fare on their extended west coast road trip will tell us whether this team is a legitimate Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament competitor or not, which ties right into the unsteady future of Turner and a fellow teammate...
Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers
Added to the Sabonis-Haliburton trade as salary filler, Hield has taken full advantage of the ultimate green light that Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has given him. In 45 games thus far in Indiana, Hield is averaging 17.8 points and 3.9 assists per contest as a full-time starter. With only two years remaining on his contract, Hield&rsquo;s three-point shooting expertise makes him a prime trade target for a multitude of teams.
With how the Pacers&rsquo; roster is currently constructed, Hield is getting in the way of both Bennedict Mathurin and Chris Duarte getting extended minutes. This hasn&rsquo;t been a problem as of late with Duarte sitting out with a sprained ankle; however, beforehand, it was a jumbled mess trying to find the 2021 lottery pick consistent run behind Hield. As Mathurin headlines the Rookie of the Year race, allowing more minutes for the young core should be of the utmost importance here.
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Although Indiana is off to a much better start than anyone expected, they are beating up on teams well below .500. As the schedules goes up another rung in toughness over the next few weeks, the Pacers' preseason expectations could average out. With the way Hield is playing, Indiana wouldn&rsquo;t have to sell hard to find a taker.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons quietly put together a fantastic offseason to surround former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham with the necessary pieces to create a feisty Play-In contender. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren were fantastic selections in this past summer's draft, but their late acquisition of Bogdanovic was a coup on value. Immediately, Bogdanovic paid dividends alongside Cunningham and Ivey as a floor-spacing stretch 4 who could put the ball on the floor. But now, with Cunningham&rsquo;s shin injury feared to be potentially season-ending, Detroit is knee-deep in the Victor Wembanyama race, checking in with a 5-17 record.
Bogdanovic signed a two-year, $39.1 million extension less than two weeks into the regular season. However, the veteran is still immediately trade-eligible, instantly making him one of the most appealing transcational chips for a team needing an offensive jolt.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This is a clear example of the value of a high-level shooter alongside the Pistons' cornerstones. Bojan Bogdanovic's ghost screen stresses the defense + opens up a driving lane for Jaden Ivey, who capitalizes on it. Complementary veterans are so crucial for rebuilding teams. <a href="https://t.co/VY4gJcJ5Zq">pic.twitter.com/VY4gJcJ5Zq</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1585772044654096384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Another player off to a career-best start statistically &mdash; 20.6 points on a 63.3% True Shooting percentage &mdash; the Pistons are in the ideal position to sell as high as possible. Bogdanovic should be able to net either a protected first-round pick or an appealing young prospect. Plenty of teams reportedly showed interest in Bogdanovic before he was traded to the Pistons, including the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.
Don&rsquo;t be surprised when the Pistons open the phone lines again. Committing to the Wembanyama race makes the most sense for any team leading the reverse standings right now.
Jae Crowder, Phoenix Suns
If you had forgotten about the Crowder saga still ongoing in the Valley, nobody would blame you. After requesting a trade, reportedly due to Cameron Johnson earning his starting spot, Crowder is still away from the team as Phoenix searches for the best possible deal.
The Suns' original hope internally was to find a Crowder deal back in October, preferably before the regular season as head coach Monty Williams said. Instead, the market is telling Phoenix there are not many takers for the 32-year-old wing. The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania mentioned the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks as potential suitors for Crowder since his request.
Johnson suffered a torn meniscus a few weeks back that will sideline him for another month at least. That has to bring some sort of urgency to the Western Conference-leading Suns. Even with no Crowder and Johnson out for a good chunk of the season, Phoenix is still firing on all cylinders with one reliable wing in ironman Mikal Bridges. Also, incredibly enough, the Suns' offense hasn&rsquo;t fallen off at all with Chris Paul watching as a spectator because of a nagging heel injury.
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Eventually, Phoenix must make a win-now move by utilizing Crowder&rsquo;s $10 million salary. If the Suns want to make an even more aggressive push, they can attach Dario Saric&rsquo;s expiring contract alongside Crowder, which would allow them to bring back close to $25 million in salary. Charania reported the Suns have had exploratory talks around Crowder for Atlanta&rsquo;s John Collins, Washington&rsquo;s Kyle Kuzma, Sacramento&rsquo;s Harrison Barnes and Houston&rsquo;s KJ Martin.
There appears to be little traction right now, but keep an eye on this Crowder situation eventually reaching a resolution. Once the Suns are back to full health, they will stay right near the top of the West.
Even more names and teams will continue to pop up between now and Dec. 15, but silly season in the NBA is starting to appear on the horizon. How some of these aforementioned teams operate will go a long way toward deciding how active this deadline period could soon become.

As the NBA reaches the quarter mark, which players stand out as potential early-season trade candidates? Evan Sidery explores.

Analyzing 4 potential early-season NBA trade targets

We've got chalk!
The Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm swept their opponents, and though the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun had to go on the road, they handled business with double-digit wins. That sets us up for a pair of thrilling second-round series including the top-four seeds.
Let's take a look at some of the key matchups and questions for each series.
(2) CHICAGO SKY VS (3) CONNECTICUT SUN
THINGS TO KNOW
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Sky won season series 4-0</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">June 10: 83-79</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">June 29: 91-83</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">July 31: 95-92 (no Candace Parker)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">Aug. 7: 94-91 (no Curt Miller)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
KEY QUESTION: Who will win the paint battle?
It would be easy to go with the "power vs. finesse" angle for this frontcourt battle.
Chicago's trio of Candace Parker, Emma Meesseman and Azura Stevens (off the bench) do plenty of perimeter-based work. Parker and Meesseman often operate from outside as high post or handoff hubs, influencing the Sky's interior attack by picking out cutters. No frontcourt duo averaged more assists than Parker and Meesseman (8.3) this season.
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Stevens was more of a spacer (36% from three on moderate volume) than hub; that spacing helped open the floor for others, and she provided her own value as the rare big with comfort attacking closeouts.
The Sun do more of the gruntwork inside. Behind the trio of Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas, and Brionna Jones, the Sun led The W in post-up shot attempts per game (6.9, per InStat tracking) and offensive rebound rate (37.1%). No one embodies their physicality quite like Bri Jones. The list of players that can deal with her on the block or the glass is a short one.
There's versatility present, of course; Jonquel might be the best shooter on the roster, able to space, pick-and-pop, or run off screens. Thomas led all frontcourt players, and ranked 4th overall, in assists this season (6.1). She's comfortable bringing the ball up the floor and actually initiates a large chunk of the offense in the half-court.
This series may boil down to who can assert their style the most. While the Sun lack in pure shooting and improvisation, they could very well counter it by winning the possession battle. Due to their size and glass-work, a league-leading 37% of their shot attempts came at the rim this season.&nbsp;
The Sky, with their motion-based offensive attack and occasional mismatch hunting, ranked just behind the Sun in rim rate (35%) this season. Because of the skill-sets of their bigs, they could have success pulling the Sun's bigs out of the paint, thus opening the floor for their perimeter players to operate.&nbsp;
KEY MATCHUP: Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams vs. Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley
I have some serious questions about the Sun's backcourt. 
At their best, Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams can provide enough shot-making to complement their stars. Hiedeman is a sniper beyond the arc, having drained 40.5% of her threes over the past two seasons. 
Williams has been more inconsistent as a three-point shooter &mdash; she's shot 45.7%, 23.5%, 38.3%, and 33.8% over the past four seasons &mdash; but she gives the Sun much-needed juice off the dribble. She led The W in mid-ranga attempts (6.6) by a wide margin and <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/players/shooting/?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FG%20PCT&amp;dir=1&amp;CF=Mid-Range%20FGA*GE*3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranked 6th in percentage</a> (40.9%) among 20 players who averaged at least three attempts.&nbsp;
But there are drawbacks in this matchup. As lethal as Hiedeman is with her feet set, she hasn't gotten super busy off of movement. Of her 168 three-point attempts this season, only 42 of them (25%) came via isolation, ball screen, off-ball screen, or handoff, per InStat tracking. That has allowed Allie Quigley to take on that matchup during the regular season meetings.&nbsp;
For Williams, her inconsistency from deep allows teams to "gap" her off the ball. The Sky bordered on disrespect when she didn't have the ball, opting to ignore her completely to dig down on drives or double post-ups. Williams is going to make a shot on the possession below (a key for this series), but look at how threatened Chicago is by her.
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There's also the matter of decision-making. Hiedeman and Williams can get buckets when they're on, but neither of them are natural playmakers. Part of the "why doesn't Jonquel get more touches" answer is their inability to find her in a timely manner. And as good as Thomas has been as a creator, she wouldn't have to do so as much if the guards could be trusted more to keep the offense flowing. Williams in particular has a penchant for taking tough, contested pull-up middies. She's good enough to make them, but the process can get murky sometimes.
The Sky's backcourt of Courtney Vandersloot and Quigley don't have those concerns. Vandersloot is one of the best decision-makers in league history, while Quigley is one of the best shooters the league has seen &mdash; though it's worth noting she got off to a rough&nbsp;start to begin the year.
I do wonder if the Sun take a page out of the New York Liberty's book from their first-round matchup with the Sky. New York found some success with ducking under picks, particularly against Vandersloot. When they were able to keep her out of the paint, Chicago's half-court offense sputtered some.
Beyond that, it'll be on the Sun's guards to stay connected off the ball. During the regular season series, I found they mostly did a good job of containing the Sky's initial half-court action. Trouble ensued once the possession went later in the clock, with impromptu jukes and backcuts leading to buckets.
If they're able to hold up, this series could swing.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">I wonder what coverage Kahleah Copper will receive. Teams have typically gone under picks against her, though the Sun went with more switching and, surprisingly, hedging to force the ball out of her hands. It's an interesting gambit to take away her drives, though I wonder if that'll open more things up for the Sky offensively.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">Keeping an eye on the backup guard minutes for Chicago. We know Rebekah Gardner is locked in, and may wind up closing games depending on how well Quigley shoots. I wonder how secure Julie Allemand's spot it. The Liberty found comfort trying to attack her in round 1, and the three-ball hasn't fallen at a high clip this season. Could we see Dana Evans pop up if necessary, or would James Wade simply shorten the rotation and give the Vandersloot/Quigley/Gardner triumvirate all the minutes?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">I'd like to see more Dijonai Carrington minutes for the Sun. Her defense may be needed more than usual in this series.</li>
</ul>
(1) LAS VEGAS ACES VS (4) SEATTLE STORM
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Aces won season series 3-1</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">May 8: 85-74 (no Tina Charles, Riquna Williams)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">June 29: 88-78, SEA</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">Aug. 7: 89-81</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">Aug. 14: 109-100 (no Dearica Hamby)</li>
</ul>
<li>Dearica Hamby (right knee bone contusion) will miss at least the first game of this series. She suffered the injury on August 11, and was given a 2-4 week timeline.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
KEY QUESTION: Who can flip the switch?
This is a star-studded matchup. If you haven't heard (or seen the 289347293482 graphics about it), there will be seven&nbsp;former No. 1 overall picks featured in this series: A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young for the Aces; Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, Sue Bird, and Tina Charles for the Storm.
With the exception of maybe Bird at this stage, all of these players are comfortable going one-on-one and getting tough buckets. That may be necessary in this series considering where these teams are defensively.
The Aces were an aggressive pick-and-roll team at the beginning of the season, having their bigs play at the level (or higher) of ball screens. The Storm have dialed up the pressure on ball screens for years. As the season has gone on, and particularly during the regular season meetings, both teams have leaned a little more into switching.&nbsp;
Both teams generally do a good job of passing off their assignments when switching. The Storm, however, might be the gold standard in switching into a (perceived) mismatch, and quickly scram-switching their way out of it by toggling assignments off the ball. Look at how quickly Williams "scrams" Bird out of the Wilson matchup here:
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That is&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;work from the Storm. Bird goes from defending Chelsea, to switching onto Wilson, to immediately switching off Wilson to take Plum on the perimeter. They nail those kind of quick-hitting rotations.
This feels like more of an Aces question than a Storm one. Offensively, they're going to need to be purposeful and decisive when trying to attack in the half-court. They can't afford to have possessions like this:
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The Storm served Bird up on a platter for Wilson early into the possession, and the Aces did nothing productive with it. What should've been a quick attack, or at least a dish and post-up opportunity, turned into&nbsp; a drive from the corner gained little traction and ended with a late clock contested triple.
On the other end, they have to be able to 1) contain drives and 2) get their smaller players out of trouble when needed. The scram-switching from this unit has been inconsistent, to be kind.&nbsp;
KEY MATCHUP: Kelsey Plum vs. Gabby WIlliams
Of course, this will depend on Williams' availability in this series. She suffered a concussion during the Storm's Game 2 victory over the Washington Mystics. <a href="https://twitter.com/hunter9h/status/1563541825901989900?s=20&amp;t=01p9RFnjUY2JJR9UPBzPRw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">At last check</a>, she hasn't cleared protocols yet, leaving her unavailable for Game 1 at the very least.
Assuming she makes a return during the series, this might be the most important battle of the series. Plum has been electric all season, but has seen a dip in production &mdash; or at least a dip in&nbsp;ease &mdash;&nbsp;when faced with lengthy defenders.
Williams just happens to be one of the best defenders in the sport, listed at 5-foot-11 and equipped with endless, active arms. The Aces want to make quick work in the half-court. That means creating early advantages with ball screens or with movement, something Williams does a wonderful job of preventing.&nbsp;
If she's able to keep a handle on Plum, you can expect Aces possessions to end much later in the clock. On top of Plum's shooting, she also led the Aces (and ranked third in The W) with 58 made shots off drives, per InStat. Rim pressure has been a question mark for the Aces all season; only the Storm generated a lower percentage of their <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/wnba/team?Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular+Season&amp;StartType=All&amp;Type=Team&amp;StatType=Totals&amp;Table=Shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shots at the rim</a> (23.9) than the Aces (24.6). If Plum can't get there, the Aces would have to rely almost entirely on tough shotmaking. They certainly have the talent to do it, but it's a diet they don't&nbsp;want&nbsp;to live on.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Do we see the Aces go small at any point? They've experimented with a fun group -- Chelsea Gray, Plum, Riquna Williams, Jackie Young and A'ja Wilson -- but they've only played 14 minutes.&nbsp;I'm intrigued.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">On the defensive scheme front, I wonder how many changeups we see. Both have shown comfort dialing up the pressure, and they both have a zone defense in their back pocket.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3">If Gabby Williams isn't available for an extended stretch, where do they go? Stephanie Talbot would help spacing tremendously, though she can get picked on defensively (and throw the other perimeter matchups out of whack). Briann January would help maintain the defense, but you're getting smaller without helping the spacing that much. The jumbo option, with Breanna Stewart, Ezi Magbegor, and Tina Charles together, has only seen six minutes of burn all season. I don't know if Noelle Quinn would bust that out, but I'd get a kick out of it if she does.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan previews the second round of the WNBA playoffs.

2022 WNBA Playoffs: Previewing the second-round matchups

Welcome to Basketball News' 10-part mini-series, Blazing the Trail, where Mat Issa breaks down the most revolutionary players of the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout this series, we'll examine how these players changed basketball and pioneered their respective skills. 
In this second installment, Mat goes in-depth on two-time All-Star power forward Rashard Lewis and his lasting impact as a stretch 4 with insight from Bob Beyer and Ahmad Ajami, two former Orlando Magic assistants who worked closely with Lewis. 
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Like many things in basketball, the concept of the "stretch 4" was not invented in the 2000s.&nbsp;
However, before the turn of the century, the archetype was almost exclusively viewed as a matchup-based tool. Using a baseball analogy, it was like having a lefty reliever in the bullpen reserved for specific circumstances rather than an ace at the head of your rotation.
But that all changed when a combination of untimely injuries and coaching ingenuity led to Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy starting Rashard Lewis at the power forward position. Lewis became a true All-Star while playing the stretch 4 and helped influence this revolution.
What Made Lewis Special&nbsp;
Like his stretch-4 predecessors, Lewis was lethal from the perimeter. In the 2008-09 season, he shot nearly 40% from downtown while leading the NBA in total three-point makes and attempts.
Despite his prowess, Lewis was far more than just a stationary sniper. During his formative years, he underwent what I call "the Anthony Davis growth trajectory" &mdash; a phenomenon where a basketball player grows up playing as a guard, hits an unforeseen massive growth spurt and then matures into a big with guard skills. And, because that happened, Lewis was able to combine a 6-foot-10 stature with his bucket-getting chops, which earned him the moniker: &ldquo;Sweet Lew.&rdquo;
Sweet Lew quickly became a defense's worst nightmare.&nbsp;
&ldquo;At that time, length and athleticism at the 4 wasn&rsquo;t as prevalent as it is now,&rdquo; said Ahmad Ajami, a former Magic assistant coach under Van Gundy for five seasons between 2007 and 2012.
&ldquo;He could play both inside and out,&rdquo; Van Gundy&rsquo;s longtime right-hand man Bob Beyer stated about Lewis.
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Too big for smalls, too fast for bigs. This was a recurring storyline throughout Lewis&rsquo; career.&nbsp;
That narrative reached its climax during Orlando&rsquo;s iconic 2009 Eastern Conference Finals bout with the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. During that series, Lewis burned slow-footed big men Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varej&atilde;o with his superior quickness, and alpha'd the smaller Delonte West by elegantly lofting jumpers over top of him.
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&ldquo;The guy who probably [doesn&rsquo;t get] the credit that he deserves is Rashard... It [all] goes back to Rashard,&rdquo; Beyer recalled when describing Orlando&rsquo;s success against Cleveland. &ldquo;Rashard could exploit their two bigs out there.&rdquo;
In the six-game series, Lewis eviscerated Cleveland, averaging 18.3 points on 64.0% True Shooting, all while hitting some <a href="https://youtu.be/KXy51IiFwlU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">critical</a> shots en route to Orlando&rsquo;s only title appearance of the aughts.
On-Court Production&nbsp;
Throughout his career, Lewis&rsquo; impact derived primarily from his value as a scorer and spacer. During his All-Star campaign in 2008-09, he was second on the Magic in both scoring volume and efficiency (among players who played at least 50 games). He also ranked in the 93rd percentile in spacing league-wide, according to BackPicks.com.
The impact metrics available at the time seem to agree with his nomination, painting Lewis as a <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1552312398425505799?s=20&amp;t=NTXuTyPlBNy_vSgSTYRC4Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fringe All-Star contributor</a>.
However, what he accomplished by working in unison with Magic frontcourt mates Dwight Howard and Hedo T&uuml;rkoğlu was much more important than his individual success. In isolation, each member of the trio was a solid offensive player. But in the aggregate, the three coalesced to form a multi-faceted machine.&nbsp;
On the surface, this particular Magic team greatly resembled the infrastructure of the two-time world-champion Houston Rockets from the 1990s. Under the guidance of Rudy Tomjanovich, those Rockets deployed a progressive 4-out, 1-in offensive scheme with the legendary Hakeem Olajuwon flanked by four shooters on the perimeter.
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However, those Houston teams were founded on Olajuwon&rsquo;s reputation in the post that allowed him to regularly commandeer the attention of a second defender (<a href="https://streamable.com/g76o6v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like this</a>). Meanwhile, Howard was more of a play-finisher than a pure isolationist on the low block.
&ldquo;Dwight could really excel when he was on the move. He was a good runner in transition. He was a good roller in pick-and-rolls,&rdquo; Beyer said. &ldquo;Runner, roller and the other thing &mdash; we would get a lot of spin-out lobs.&rdquo;
Pair Howard's finishing with T&uuml;rkoğlu&rsquo;s size, ball-handling and pull-up shooting, and add Lewis&rsquo; expansive scoring repertoire, and you had a recipe for offensive brilliance.
The Magic (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like the D&rsquo;Antoni-led Suns</a>) were a pick-and-roll-centric team, with their pet play being a three-man action involving their frontcourt triumvirate.
Beyer said that Orlando called it a &ldquo;Thumb Down Spread,&rdquo; basically a middle pick-and-roll featuring T&uuml;rkoğlu as the ball-handler and Howard as the screener, with Lewis lurking one pass away.
Here&rsquo;s a demonstration of the play in theory and in practice (with a <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/roll-replace-a8ff659fb5d9#:~:text=Definition%3A%20A%20pick%2Dand%2D,the%20paint%20to%20the%20perimeter." target="_blank" rel="noopener">roll-and-replace</a> wrinkle from Lewis):
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Visual diagram presented by Luceo Sports
&ldquo;That was our go-to play,&rdquo; Beyer said. &ldquo;It forced the defense to protect the basket... because Dwight [was] such a dynamic roller. If you consistently dropped your big back to take the roll away, Hedo was more than capable of making that three-point shot or pull-up two. We would run the roll-and-replace action where we would come and lift Rashard up, and then, there&rsquo;s another deadly three-point shooter.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re talking about scoring options at all three of those positions on the floor."
(Beyer also mentioned another variation of the play that utilized Lewis as the screener called the &ldquo;Thumb Up Spread,&rdquo; <a href="https://streamable.com/vqacfu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">literally signaled by a thumb up</a>.)
Typically, the major drawback that comes with playing these offensively-slanted lineups comes at the defensive end, as more offense usually means less defense. But this iteration of the Magic defied the laws of statistics, touting the No. 1 defense in the NBA in 2009.
The keystone to this formidable front was, of course, Howard.
&ldquo;[You&rsquo;d] be hard-pressed to find a rim-protector and [overall] defender &mdash; on-ball and off-ball &mdash; like Dwight,&rdquo; Ajami stated.
And despite his slender frame causing some issues against "classical" power forwards (see: 2009 Finals), Lewis compensated for his deficiencies by leveraging his great length and sound hands (87th percentile steal rate in 2009, per Cleaning the Glass) to create chaos on and off the ball.
&ldquo;Both Rashard and Hedo T&uuml;rkoğlu were so long,&rdquo; Beyer said. &ldquo;They were very intelligent [and used] their length to defend guys. They were active with their hands. Their closeouts were appropriate &mdash; based on who they were guarding. And, if they were to get beat, they still had confidence that the next play could be made by Dwight to clean it up.&rdquo;
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While some view their magical run as an anomaly, the threesome operated at the level of a true contender. According to PBP stats, in the 1,268 minutes Lewis, Howard and T&uuml;rkoğlu shared in 2008-09, the Magic posted a Net Rating of plus-12.68 (the equivalent of a 71-win pace in an 82-game season).&nbsp;
For reference, that is a higher <a href="http://www.pbpstats.com/lineup-subunits/nba?LineupId=200782-201572-201950-203114-203507&amp;TeamId=1610612749&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;SubUnitSize=3">NET</a> number than what the trio of Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo posted during their championship season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
&ldquo;Nobody would have ever guessed that we would have been as successful as we were,&rdquo; Ajami smiled. &ldquo;But we were right there.
&ldquo;That group of guys was extremely special.&rdquo;
Weaving the Thread &nbsp; In a <a href="https://theathletic.com/1504385/2020/01/07/orlando-magic-forgotten-3-point-innovators/">feature article</a> from 2020, The Athletic's Josh Robbins credited two factors for Van Gundy&rsquo;s decision to start Lewis at the 4: &ldquo;Necessity and smart thinking.&rdquo;&nbsp;
For some context, the Magic initially planned to start traditional power forward Tony Battie. But when he was ruled out for the entirety of the 2007-08 campaign, Van Gundy decided to experiment with Lewis playing the stretch 4 full-time.
However, dig into the weeds a little further, and one could posit that this innovation was more than happenstance, and that Van Gundy and Lewis had seen this before.
In 2008-09, Orlando&rsquo;s three-point attempt rate (3PAr) had a frequency 11.1% higher than the league average. Let&rsquo;s look at teams that posted a similar relative 3PAr that came before them:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/original-chart.jpg" alt="" width="585" height="449" />
An interesting cast of characters indeed (man, Pitino's teams loved to let it fly).
Now, let&rsquo;s narrow our focus to three specific instances:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/focus-chart.jpg" alt="" width="585" height="438" />
First are the 1996-97 Miami Heat, led by "The Godfather" Pat Riley. Who was his lead assistant during that time? None other than Stanley Alan Van Gundy.
Secondly, the 2003-04 Seattle SuperSonics. Before he landed in Orlando, Lewis had some practice slotting in at power forward under Sonics head coach Nate McMillan &mdash; spending 20% of his minutes that season at the 4 spot, per Basketball-Reference. Although, it is worth noting that Vladimir Radmanović was Seattle's primary stretch 4 (playing 80% of his minutes at power forward).
And lastly, the 2006-07 Houston Rockets. It was the last pit stop for the legendary Jeff Van Gundy, Stan&rsquo;s younger brother. Also featured on that team was Tracy McGrady &mdash; a player whom Lewis has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc1snSMtaSU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly acknowledged he studied and modeled his game after</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I would specify it that cleanly," Beyer said with a chuckle. "But I do know this: I know how much Stan values shooting, and I know how much Stan is always trying to come up with lineups where the best players are on the floor together. So, your theory makes a lot of sense to me.&rdquo;
The point is that, whether it was an intentional decision, a freak coincidence, or a case of cryptomnesia, you can see that past experiences in Lewis and Van Gundy&rsquo;s professional lives had them trending in this direction the entire time. And together, they made sweet music.
Impact on Today&rsquo;s Game
Unlike Steve Nash, finding direct descendants for Lewis is more of an arduous endeavor because, nowadays, seemingly everyone employs a stretch 4 to some degree. In this past season alone, 15 players listed as power forwards on Basketball-Reference surpassed 4.4 three-point attempts per game (Lewis&rsquo; career average).
Ajami stated that, because of the absence of positional constructs in modern-day basketball, he only thinks about positions as who you guard on defense.
&ldquo;Basketball has almost become positionless,&rdquo; Ajami said. &ldquo;To me, you playing the 4 or 5 really just means who on the other team you're defending because, for us, our 4 and our 5... have got to be able to do the same things we ask our 2 and our 3 to do.&rdquo;
With that said, more direct comparisons still exist.
In 2020-21, the Utah Jazz led the league with a relative 3PAr of plus-9.6. One could find a lot of parallels between their frontcourt of Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanović and Rudy Gobert and the one the Magic rode to the NBA Finals. (Bogdanović plays the role of Lewis in this analogy.)
Coming into the 2018 NBA Draft, <a href="https://theathletic.com/266715/2018/03/09/potential-knicks-lottery-pick-profile-michael-porter-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some scouts</a> viewed Michael Porter Jr. as a new-age version of Lewis. And when his back was right, Michael Malone would frequently run jumbo frontcourt lineups featuring MPJ, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic. (Coincidentally, Malone&rsquo;s father Brendan was an assistant coach on those Magic teams).
You can even see some influence from the Magic on this current iteration of the Cavaliers &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/in-the-nba-length-matters-unedited" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three seven-footers in the frontcourt</a> with Lauri Markkanen operating as their de facto Lewis.
Ironically enough, Lewis&rsquo; legacy has made his offensive archetype less unique than it was when he was playing (something we will see a lot in this series). None of the heirs to Lewis we listed have achieved All-Star status because the stretch 4 has become a staple feature on every team.
Nonetheless, Lewis and those Magic teams pushed the limits of what was once thought possible for the position &mdash; the hallmark feature of any basketball pioneer.
And for his overarching impact on the game, Lewis deserves his respect, his All-Star nominations and, most of all, his own chapter in the history of the NBA.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/lewis-genealogy-chart.jpg" alt="" width="495" height="495" />
Tune in next week for Part III of Blazing the Trail, which focuses on Shane Battier &mdash; the data-ball defender.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-blazing-the-trail-steve-nash-phoenix-suns-mike-dantoni-raja-bell-steph-curry-all-time-great-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read Part I: "Steve Nash, the magician who danced in the paint."</a>

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa focuses on two-time All-Star Rashard Lewis and his lasting impact as a stretch 4.

Blazing the Trail: Rashard Lewis, the All-Star stretch 4

With the No. 34 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder selected former Arkansas Razorbacks big man Jaylin Williams.
As a sophomore, Williams averaged 10.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 46.1% from the field. Williams set Arkansas' single-season record for total rebounds (364), and he led the nation in charges drawn (54) last season.
While the immediate reaction centered around the fact that Oklahoma City had drafted both Jaylin Williams and Jalen Williams (a guard from Santa Clara who went No. 12), the pick also marked the first time that a player of Vietnamese descent was drafted by an NBA team.
Basketball News caught up with Williams to discuss his game, his fit in Oklahoma City, the Thunder&rsquo;s young core, teaming up with Jalen Williams, making history and more.
How was your draft-night experience? Did the evening go as expected or were there surprises?
Jaylin Williams: &ldquo;It was great, honestly. I had a lot of my family there. We did it at my old high school in Fort Smith, Arkansas. My high school just built a new gym, so we used their JumboTron and everything they had there. I invited, like, 90 people, but because word got around and because I have so much family, we ended up having closer to 200 people there! But just having my whole family there with me and sharing that experience with them is something that I&rsquo;ll never pass up on. I wouldn&rsquo;t wish for anything else &mdash; that was the best thing that could&rsquo;ve happened.&rdquo;
How did you react when your name was called? Did you get emotional?
Williams: &ldquo;My agent called me a little bit before [they announced the pick] and told me, &lsquo;Hey, you&rsquo;re up next. They&rsquo;re going to take you with this pick.&rsquo; I tried to hold the emotion in, so I could just hear it and so everybody wouldn&rsquo;t start going crazy. But I heard my name called, and it was crazy. It was just unreal. A mind-blowing sort of thing. It&rsquo;s something you dream of your entire life &mdash; you dream of that moment and what it&rsquo;ll be like to hear your name get called on that night. My emotions just started rolling, seeing my family so happy, seeing people cheering, looking at my dad and hugging him, hugging my mom and my brothers and sister. It was crazy for me.&rdquo;
What do you think of your fit with the Thunder&rsquo;s young core?
Williams: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m feeling great, honestly. It&rsquo;s a young team, and I&rsquo;m willing to get in there and work. I&rsquo;m willing to do the things that not a lot of people are willing to do. Whatever the team needs me to do, I&rsquo;m going to do it &mdash; whether that&rsquo;s diving on the ground for loose balls, or taking charges, or slinging it, passing up on a shot to get the ball to a teammate, and just things like that. I&rsquo;m willing to do all of those small, dirty-work things, and I&rsquo;m willing to be a glue guy.&rdquo;
What was your first impression of Oklahoma City when you arrived there?
Williams: &ldquo;Since I&rsquo;m from Arkansas and it's not that far away, I&rsquo;ve been to OKC before. My sister actually lives there. Honestly, it was crazy; people were already showing so much love to me and everybody was already being so welcoming &mdash; coming up to me and saying congrats and that they&rsquo;re really happy I&rsquo;m here. Honestly, it was just so great sharing that time with the other rookies and meeting the staff and talking to everybody there. It was great.&rdquo;
How is your sister reacting? She must be happy to have you in OKC.
Williams: &ldquo;She&rsquo;s excited, for sure. She actually doesn&rsquo;t live too far from the facilities, and my nephew and niece live there too. My nephew is a basketball player, and I&rsquo;m really happy that I got picked there because I think it&rsquo;ll give my nephew another bit of motivation.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
now y'all can use the legit photo 😅😂 <a href="https://t.co/Ggw6AIy6hJ">pic.twitter.com/Ggw6AIy6hJ</a>
&mdash; OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) <a href="https://twitter.com/okcthunder/status/1541164429580156928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
I love that you and Jalen Williams ended up on the same team, and I think it&rsquo;s hilarious that you guys recreated the Spider-Man meme.&nbsp;
Williams: &ldquo;We kinda were talking about it and then when we both got drafted that night, we were getting tagged in a bunch of posts like, &lsquo;Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams!&rsquo; Then, when we saw each other, we talked about it a little bit and clarified what we&rsquo;re going to call each other and what we want everybody else to call us so they don&rsquo;t get mixed up (Jalen is J-Dub and Jaylin is J-Will). We put our jerseys on and they were taking photos and we were just kinda like, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s do it! That&rsquo;s funny, let&rsquo;s have fun!&rsquo; [Recreating the Spider-Man meme] was a fun thing to do.&rdquo;
You guys were getting mixed up during the pre-draft process too, so this isn&rsquo;t a new thing for you guys. This was happening even before you ended up on the same team, right?
Williams: &ldquo;Yeah. Even before [the pre-draft process], I was getting tagged in his highlights and he told me that he was getting tagged in mine, so there were a lot of times where we&rsquo;d see each other&rsquo;s stuff. Then, at the Combine, we always ended up in the same room and people would talk to us like, &lsquo;What&rsquo;s your name?&rsquo; And I&rsquo;d say, &lsquo;Jaylin Williams.&rsquo; And they&rsquo;d be like, &lsquo;Okay, are you Jaylin with a Y or Jalen with an E?&rsquo; We&rsquo;d always end up in the same room and I&rsquo;d just be like, &lsquo;What&rsquo;s up, bro? Get out of the room! We can&rsquo;t be in the same room at the same time!&rsquo; So, it&rsquo;s definitely funny that we ended up in the same spot.&rdquo;
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You&rsquo;re the first player of Vietnamese descent to be drafted in NBA history. What does it mean to you to blaze that trail?
Williams: &ldquo;Honestly, it&rsquo;s amazing. I didn&rsquo;t know that I was going to be first until a couple weeks before the draft. It&rsquo;s honestly crazy, with how long the NBA has been around and how big it is over there. Just the love that I&rsquo;ve gotten from Vietnam and people who are supporting me from that area, it&rsquo;s crazy.&rdquo;
What&rsquo;s your message for Thunder fans ahead of next season?&nbsp;
Williams: &ldquo;I want them to know that I&rsquo;m willing to do whatever I need to do for the team. If I&rsquo;m playing however many minutes or if I&rsquo;m playing just a couple minutes or even if I&rsquo;m not playing at all, I&rsquo;m going to be the best at whatever role I have &mdash; even if that&rsquo;s just being on the bench and yelling for my teammates and dancing after threes. I&rsquo;m going to be the best at whatever role I have. I&rsquo;m gonna be that guy who does whatever the team needs.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_18594788_690w.jpg" alt="" width="651" height="479" />
Some rookies get drafted by a veteran team that doesn&rsquo;t have many other young players; instead, they are surrounded by older players. With the Thunder, most of your teammates are age-23 or younger. Is it nice to join a team with so many other young players who can relate to you and who are at a similar stage of their life?&nbsp;
Williams: &ldquo;Yeah, it&rsquo;s cool, for sure, just knowing that I&rsquo;m going in there with a lot of guys and we&rsquo;re all learning together. I know there are some older guys and I&rsquo;m probably one of the youngest on the team, but we&rsquo;re all going to be in there learning together. But I&rsquo;m going to respect those guys like they&rsquo;re vets. I gotta go in there and be willing to learn from them, and I&rsquo;m gonna take in as much information as I can from all of those guys.&rdquo;
You&rsquo;ll be playing with Chet Holmgren going forward. What are your thoughts on his game and the opportunity to team up with the No. 2 overall pick?
Williams: &ldquo;Chet is a great player. He&rsquo;s a once-in-a-lifetime type of player, and I&rsquo;m excited to play with him. I&rsquo;m excited to help him grow, and I&rsquo;m excited for him to help me grow as a player. I&rsquo;m definitely excited to share the court with him, especially after we had such a great battle in March Madness. I&rsquo;m excited for both of us to get better together.&rdquo;
(Editor&rsquo;s Note: Arkansas eliminated Gonzaga, 74-68, in the Sweet Sixteen. Williams had 15 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. Holmgren had 11 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks.)
During the pre-draft process, some experts compared you to fellow Arkansas alumni Bobby Portis. Have you talked to Bobby and gotten any advice from him?&nbsp;
Williams: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve talked to him a little bit throughout this process. He gave me some tips about going through it and told me good luck and said that I&rsquo;ll see him around. Then, I saw him at the Combine and we dapped it up, and he was just like, &lsquo;Good luck, bro!&rsquo; He&rsquo;s been very helpful throughout this whole thing and has been very supportive.&rdquo;
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What do you think of that comparison? Do you think it&rsquo;s accurate?
Williams: &ldquo;I can see the similarities, for sure. He came into the league as a guy that plays hard and scores in the post, and then his game just developed. For that Milwaukee team, he&rsquo;s their energy, he&rsquo;s a hustler, he [helps] their rebounding, he plays his role &mdash; and he&rsquo;s great in his role. I can definitely see the similarities.&rdquo;
Who are some players that you&rsquo;ve studied or modeled your game after?
Williams: &ldquo;I kind of watch a little bit of everything with basketball. I try to watch a lot of Draymond Green. I try to watch a lot of Nikola Jokic. I watch a lot of Bam [Adebayo]. Al Horford is a guy who I watch a lot of, just how he plays for the team and is great in his role. I just watch the way they do things. Like Draymond with his defense. Bam with the way he runs into sets. Jokic with the way he can pass from the big-man position. I try to watch different things from different guys.&rdquo;
I&rsquo;ve talked to NBA veterans who say they are so glad they never have to go through the pre-draft process again because it&rsquo;s exhausting. It&rsquo;s a ton of traveling and intense workouts. What was it like going through that process?
Williams: &ldquo;It was just a lot of moving around and a lot of uncertainty. That&rsquo;s probably one of the hardest parts about it, not knowing where you&rsquo;re going to end up, not knowing where you&rsquo;re going to get drafted and not knowing what&rsquo;s going to happen. That&rsquo;s one of the hardest things about it, and it&rsquo;s honestly a really stressful time. But for me, it&rsquo;s something that I&rsquo;ve dreamed about and it&rsquo;s just part of the process. When I see my goal that close to me, I&rsquo;ll do whatever it takes, so it wasn&rsquo;t that bad, honestly.&rdquo;

Jaylin Williams talks about joining the Thunder, playing with Jalen Williams, being the first NBA draft pick of Vietnamese descent, etc.

Thunder rookie Jaylin Williams Q&A: 'I'm willing to do the dirty work'

Over the past four seasons, the Cleveland Cavaliers have gone for the long play in the NBA Draft.
Koby Altman hasn&rsquo;t been afraid to take the proverbial big swing at the plate since he&rsquo;s been in charge of the front office, selecting a one-and-done freshman in each of the four years the wine and gold possessed a draft pick &mdash; Collin Sexton, Darius Garland (and Kevin Porter Jr.), Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley. That was as Cleveland&rsquo;s general manager.
On Thursday night, in Altman&rsquo;s first draft as team president along with recently promoted general manager Mike Gansey, recently promoted assistant Brandon Weems, Brendon Yu and Co., the organization shifted its philosophy. With the No. 14 overall slot in the field, the Cavs got their guy in Kansas senior Ochai Agbaji to further accelerate their ascension.
&ldquo;To keep (the pick) actually brought a lot of energy to our scouting department. &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s go after it and see who we can bring in.&rsquo; Definitely different than the last three or four years in terms of what we&rsquo;re looking for,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;This was more about who can come in and really help us and help this team achieve. A different process in terms of trying to find the most upside swing talent versus who can be the best fit. It was certainly a luxury to have that draft pick this year, and I guess that is a silver lining of just missing the playoffs&hellip;
&ldquo;...We really like his makeup, and he's solid. He knows he's gotta defend and make shots to make it in the league, and I think he brings that right away. Just excellent fit and super accomplished. You talk about a national champion and brings a skill set that we don&rsquo;t necessarily have to the table. We did a lot of due diligence, we had a lot of guys come in and we liked a lot of players at this pick. But where we were standing and with him on the board, we were super excited to bring Ochai in. That skill set is going to be utilized, we hope, right away.&rdquo;
Think about the most important phrase: Right away. The Cavs, who at this point last summer were hoping to nail another franchise cornerstone piece (and it appears they have successfully done so with Evan Mobley), feel like they are ready to surround those pillars with a ready-to-go prospect in Agbaji after coming up one win short of making the 2022 playoffs.
&ldquo;It means a lot, coming from Coach J.B. [Bickerstaff] and the whole staff and obviously what they think about me, and why they brought me here to this organization means a lot. I&rsquo;m just ready to start working and start working for Coach J.B. and the city,&rdquo; Agbaji said in his introductory press conference from Cleveland Clinic Courts on Friday afternoon.
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The 22-year-old is set to join a Cavs roster with teammates who are younger than him, yet have more NBA experience. At the same time, Agbaji boasts a list of accolades and high-stakes collegiate encounters, most notably in his final season with the NCAA Champion Jayhawks this past April.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s great for where we are now. We&rsquo;re trying to win basketball games,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a part of his makeup and he&rsquo;s coming to a team that wants to win. He&rsquo;s going to bring some unique ingredients to that. You&rsquo;re seeing national champions kind of sprinkled in these Conference Finals most recently. They definitely bring a chip with them. We hope he brings that to us.&rdquo;
Bickerstaff is thrilled that Cleveland was able to add Agbaji to the mix.
&ldquo;I thought he could be a weapon. He&rsquo;s got a skill that no matter where you are in the NBA, you need it,&rdquo; Bickerstaff explained. &ldquo;He has the ability to put the ball in the basket and it&rsquo;s not just the ability to stand in a spot and make a shot. When we watched him play, it was his ability to move and catch and shoot off of screens, off of handoffs, where he knew how to make himself difficult to guard.
&ldquo;And you know at this level, shot-makers are a premium &mdash; not only as a young player, as a role player, as a star; his responsibility is to help his teammates. Obviously, with the steps that Darius [Garland] took, Jarrett [Allen] took, those guys are going to need help to keep eyes off of them. That was one of the things we saw was a lot of people just would stare that pick-and-roll down. Now, when you throw in another weapon that can create shots like that off the move and makes defenses shift, now that frees up those guys as well. So he&rsquo;s a great fit as a complement to those guys. And then our expectations are for him to grow into that role as well.&rdquo;
Hearing that Bickerstaff is prepared to find a spot for him off the rip excites Agbaji, who is admittedly anxious to get to work with his new teammates, as Garland and Okoro have already reached out to the soon-to-be rookie. Coming into a new situation, Agbaji plans on being a sponge, soaking in all the advice from both the veterans and the younger talent.
Altman referred to Agbaji as a &ldquo;late bloomer&rdquo; who is &ldquo;self-made,&rdquo; no pun intended for who Ochai was coached by in Lawrence. (Altman repeatedly gave credit to Bill Self for the job he did in helping further Ochai&rsquo;s development though.) That assessment certainly checks out.
In four years with the Jayhawks, it wasn&rsquo;t until his junior and senior seasons that Agbaji blossomed into an NBA lottery pick. He stuck to the script and stayed for every season he was eligible to grind away at his craft, and in the final go-round, the work showed.&nbsp;
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound upperclassmen averaged 18.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists on a career-best 59.5% True Shooting percentage. He cashed in on 40.7% of his triples to boot (and on a high volume of nearly seven perimeter attempts per contest).
&ldquo;My mindset going back into my senior year was different than the past three years. What I've learned in that pre-draft process (where he tested the waters) was, I had a whole level of my work ethic that I could take it to a different level and what if I apply that to my senior season?&rdquo; Agbaji said. &ldquo;And that's what I did, mentally, physically putting more effort into my mind, my body, all that stuff, and just seeing where the cards play out.
&ldquo;You learn a lot. You go through ups and downs and in those four years, I went through a lot of ups and downs. Not everything&rsquo;s going to be perfect, you&rsquo;re going to have off days, but your off days, you want them to be better than some other people&rsquo;s off days in a way. You go through ups and downs and you learn those experiences. In those four years, that&rsquo;s what it&rsquo;s taught me.&rdquo;
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Day one as a Cav ✔️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CavsDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CavsDraft</a> <a href="https://t.co/YvTxBehxCa">pic.twitter.com/YvTxBehxCa</a>
&mdash; Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1540421653137707009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Altman and Bickerstaff believe that, while he&rsquo;s a plug-and-play type of player, there should be no his-development-is-over talk when it comes to the more seasoned Agbaji.
&ldquo;I mean, you have four years of data. You've seen him get better each year,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;Now, I will say I don't want to put a ceiling on him because he has at every pass from high school to his senior year of high school, being under-recruited, goes to Kansas, they redshirt him his freshman year, they lift the red shirt because he's doing so well in practice because he can compete and play. Grows his way to becoming first team All-American, Big 12 Player of the Year, a number of accolades that he grew towards.
&ldquo;So does he figure out the NBA and have some upside? I think he does. But I think immediately we know what he's going to be able to do. He's going to defend, he's gonna compete, and I know JB wants to run him off a lot of stuff and get him some shots. So certainly more of a finished product than what we've drafted in the past.&rdquo;
Self vehemently called such an assumption "a bunch of crap," and less hostily, Agbaji echoes that sentiment.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s just more motivation to get better,&rdquo; Agbaji said. &ldquo;I think as my progression, my years have gone by, I feel like I&rsquo;m only getting better. That last summer, what I learned, applying that to my career moving forward is even more motivating to me.&rdquo;
As the league continues its shift into positionless basketball, there are many wondering how Agbaji figures into a guard room occupied by Garland, Okoro, Caris LeVert and possibly Sexton (a restricted free agent), if he is brought back into the fold.&nbsp;
Bickerstaff insists that the Cavs will find a way to put him on the floor, and that the work will start before training camp in September as it did last season before a terrific ensuing campaign. Cleveland&rsquo;s coaching staff does not like putting players in a box, as we saw with their jumbo lineups featuring Lauri Markkanen, Mobley and Allen among other unorthodox combinations.
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And while Altman concedes that Agbaji is probably more of a 2-guard, the Kansas star possesses a completely different tool kit than the rest of the bunch.
&ldquo;There's a need for that shooting piece. And not just standstill shooting, but really guys that can sprint off pindowns, and even if they're not getting the ball, you have to account for their movement away from the ball,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;He does several different actions that create meaningful offense. We got a little bogged down last year, a little stagnant at times. And so maybe he can sort of turn it up and make us harder to guard right away... He can really shoot. He&rsquo;s got a really quick trigger. You can run him off screens...
&ldquo;The fact he can play wing, the fact he can guard wing is great. I don&rsquo;t know if that went into it so much as the need for shooting. I don&rsquo;t want to put him on a pedestal and say, &lsquo;This is the next great wing that we draft,&rsquo; but maybe it is. I do know that he fits a need right away and he&rsquo;s going to compete, and he has that winning pedigree that we really like.&rdquo;
(In a related note, Altman and the Cavs are hoping to get Sexton back for his cultural importance, stating that the Agbaji addition &ldquo;is not a duplicate.&rdquo;)
This morning, Agbaji woke up as a Cavalier, and he felt the love from the city when he landed in Cleveland on Friday morning. Going into draft night, he was already feeling blessed: a national champion, waiting to realize his dream of playing in the NBA. Then, a team came calling and proved they believed in him.
To Agbaji, this is where he is supposed to be.&nbsp;
&ldquo;From the moment I got here, from my workout &mdash; I just felt that home feeling,&rdquo; Agbaji said. &ldquo;Coach JB and Koby and Mike, they gave me that home feeling the first second I walked in here. So I mean, that's why I said I felt right at home here. I was here just like a week-and-a-half ago but it actually really does feel like home, so I'm glad to be here.&rdquo;
As we know, this lengthy, rangy Cavs defense creates a lot of turnovers. Agbaji is a tremendous pick-and-roll defender against ball-handlers (teams scored just 0.43 points per possession in such situations, per InStat), and can &ldquo;shoot the gap&rdquo; well with his 6-10 wingspan, according to Altman.
But in turn, a terrific transition player in his own right, Agbaji is poised to throw it down in the open floor as a result of those giveaways.
Is he already thinking of that moment at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse? You bet.
&ldquo;I'm really excited. I'm really excited for the first dunk at home and for the fans to go crazy,&rdquo; Agbaji said.
&ldquo;I'm old, we'll just take the two points,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said with a laugh.
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Spencer Davies recaps the Cavs picking Ochai Agbaji in the 2022 NBA Draft and why it shows they're in a different stage as a team.

Cavs prepared to throw Ochai Agbaji in the fire with present-day focus

In the modern NBA, multi-positional versatility is something all teams covet. Evidenced by the current playoff finalists, pace-and-space offenses finding mismatches on every possession is the name of the game. For 19-year-old Australian combo guard Dyson Daniels, his strengths mesh well within what will be valued most at the next level.
Forgoing the college route as an International import, Daniels instead went the more challenging route by immersing himself into preparing for the 2022 NBA Draft. Daniels spent this past season with the G League Ignite, which is now forming a consistent pipeline of top prospects like Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga. Daniels averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals on a 54.0 True Shooting percentage in the G League last season.
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The ability to adapt and play the role of a playmaking wing or secondary ball handler makes the upside with Daniels even more intriguing, especially if he lands in the right player development system that focuses on his long-term outlook.
&ldquo;I always want to be in the gym. I always want to be the best I can,&rdquo; Daniels told <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>'s Spencer Davies last September. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want anyone to outwork me. I want to be the hardest worker there is.&rdquo;
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Daniels bet on himself playing with the Ignite over national NCAA exposure, which is paying huge dividends leading up to the draft. ESPN&rsquo;s Jonathan Givony recently reported that Daniels had one of the most impressive pre-draft workouts he&rsquo;d ever witnessed, and thanks to those workouts, Dyson is seeing his stock soar in the month before the draft.
The jumbo-sized do-it-all playmaker and defender is slotted in at No. 8 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans in <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>'s latest mock draft according to our Senior NBA Draft Analyst, Matt Babcock:
&ldquo;At nearly 6-foot-7, Dyson Daniels is incredibly versatile, as he can play several positions effectively on both ends of the floor. After a stellar season with the G League Ignite, Daniels is seemingly on the rise, as there have been rumblings recently that his draft value is increasing. It&rsquo;s looking like he&rsquo;ll have a good chance of being selected in the mid-lottery on draft night.&rdquo;
Daniels is generating buzz to the point where it would be a surprise if he fell past the top 10 picks without being selected. As a likely lottery pick, Daniels&rsquo; versatility could help a needy team immediately. With such a high basketball IQ, the ceiling for Daniels all depends on if he can develop a reliable jump shot (25.5 3PT%). If Daniels rounds into form and becomes a reliable engine to an elite offense, the possibilities truly are endless for the Aussie.
&ldquo;I have a good floater game, but I&rsquo;m also a defender,&rdquo; Daniels described at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago earlier this month. &ldquo;I like to break it down on the offensive end. I&rsquo;m a little bit like a Tyrese Haliburton kind of guy that&rsquo;s in control. On the defensive end, I like to look at guys like Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso and people like that. I feel like I have the frame, and once the game slows down for me a bit, I hope I could develop into a Luka Doncic-type role.&rdquo;
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While those comparisons are lofty for Daniels, we can&rsquo;t rule it out. Who&rsquo;s to say Daniels doesn&rsquo;t become a valuable rotation piece with the potential to become even more a few years down the line? It&rsquo;s why Daniels is generating immense buzz from teams leading up to the draft. At the combine, he met with the following teams: Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.
&ldquo;I try not to take it as pressure, but I&rsquo;m trying to do everything to get Bendigo and Australia on the map. Just be the best version of me I can and do my best,&rdquo; Daniels said.
When trying to find the best attributes to fit with where the NBA is heading, a player in the mold of Daniels becomes extremely valuable the more layers you discover in his game. That&rsquo;s exactly why Daniels is regarded as one of this year&rsquo;s biggest pre-draft risers across the board.
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One of the biggest pre-draft risers is versatile Australian guard Dyson Daniels. How he fits the modern NBA explains his huge rise.

2022 NBA Draft: Dyson Daniels fits the modern trends

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

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

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

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

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

Looking back at the 2018 NBA Draft, it was a historically deep class with multiple franchise-changing players entering the league.
Deandre Ayton went No. 1 overall to the Phoenix Suns, and has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/will-deandre-ayton-eventually-get-his-bag-from-the-suns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turned into a key cog in their well-oiled machine</a> of dominance. Luka Doncic and Trae Young were traded for one another, each improving the long-term hopes of the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks. Later in the lottery, Mikal Bridges and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned into the biggest steals of the class. Even the Denver Nuggets&rsquo; dice roll of Michael Porter Jr. has shown some promise before his checkered injury history popped back up this season.
The forgotten prospect in this loaded draft is No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III.
Entering the NBA from Duke as a hyper-athletic big man with scoring versatility, Bagley was drafted to the wasteland known as the Sacramento Kings. From the beginning, the fit between player and team never settled in well. Between multiple different coaches, Bagley struggled to crack the Kings&rsquo; rotation, which ultimately led to him not being a part of their long-term future. Bagley&rsquo;s camp pleaded for a new destination, and it during his fourth season, those requests were finally granted.
Bagley was sent from Sacramento the Detroit Pistons in exchange for former lottery picks Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles. It only took a simple salary dump for the Pistons to take a flier on the 23-year-old big man to see how he meshes alongside 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham.
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It&rsquo;s early, but the sample size is beginning to see Bagley finally finding solid footing with the Pistons. In nine games, Bagley is averaging 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game on his best efficiency marks since his rookie campaign.
Detroit is not prioritizing winning right now under general manager Troy Weaver. The only thing that truly matters to the team&rsquo;s vision right now is who best fits next to Cunningham in the next great version of Pistons basketball. Saddiq Bey is becoming a mainstay, plus Isaiah Stewart is showing he can be a consistently productive big man. Over the last month of the season, Bagley continuing this level of play could push him into that category for another one-year trial run in Detroit.
Acquiring Bagley before he enters restricted free agency this offseason, Detroit holds all the cards in negotiations. The most plausible scenario &mdash; unless Bagley is completely sold on his long-term fit in Detroit &mdash; is to sign a one-year qualifying offer to make him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023. If you're Bagley and the Pistons, why not run it back and continue to build upon some bubbling on-court chemistry with the new face of the franchise in Cunningham?
One thing is for certain: Bagley is relishing the opportunity of a fresh start for a team that&rsquo;s giving him an extended look to prove himself.
&ldquo;To be able to come here the time that I did and get a feel for everybody and insert myself into this group, it&rsquo;s been great so far,&rdquo; Bagley said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited to see what we can do finishing off this season and moving forward.&rdquo;
In Detroit, Bagley now has the leeway to not worry about being benched when he makes mistakes. If anything, in the Pistons&rsquo; current state, Bagley will be allowed to explore his fully untapped potential. Pistons head coach Dwane Casey alluded to this point when he spoke to local media about acquiring Bagley earlier this month.
&ldquo;People expected more, and it may take him a little longer to develop.&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably a lot of factors. But, again, I&rsquo;m glad he&rsquo;s here. It&rsquo;s a great opportunity. This league is about opportunity and taking advantage of it.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Marvin Bagley III 🔨🔨 <a href="https://t.co/Qxz5YLRMmU">pic.twitter.com/Qxz5YLRMmU</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsDET/status/1503116323601235974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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If Bagley is able to take advantage of this golden opportunity to revive his career in Detroit, it will have been a very savvy move to bring aboard a potential long-term piece to the puzzle. At this rate, Bagley&rsquo;s ceiling might simply be a one-way energy big who can bring around 15 points and 7 rebounds consistently per game, but that&rsquo;s more than enough to find a role long-term with the Pistons.
Pistons fans are looking towards adding another young game-changing talent alongside Cunningham in this year&rsquo;s NBA draft. Prospects such as Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga), Jabari Smith (Auburn), Paolo Banchero (Duke) and Jaden Ivey (Purdue) all would bring different skill sets that would work well with the Pistons&rsquo; jumbo-sized point-forward. Ironically enough, that&rsquo;s how the top four shakes out on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
Don&rsquo;t sleep on the idea of further evaluation for Bagley in the Motor City though. If all goes to plan for both Bagley and the Pistons, it might end up as an ideal marriage to bring the best out of the former second overall pick.
Opportunity is knocking loudly for Bagley. Now, it&rsquo;s time to see if his career can be revived away from the doldrums of Sacramento.
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Fizzling out from a loaded draft class in 2018, can Marvin Bagley III revive his career with the Pistons?

For Marvin Bagley III, an opportunity is knocking with the Pistons

We are all witnessing a fully unlocked Luka Doncic over the last three weeks. Already one of the NBA&rsquo;s best players at age 23, Doncic has become the sole operating engine for the Dallas Mavericks&rsquo; success as of late.
Dallas pushed their chips all-in a few years ago for Kristaps Porzingis, but the lack of reliability from the 7-footer left much to be desired as he played alongside Doncic (when he wasn't injured). Operating with Porzingis as a sunken cost, the Mavericks traded the injury-prone big man to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans near the deadline buzzer, on Feb. 10. Seen around the Association as two teams swapping bad contracts, the trade was initially viewed as a wash. The results are still unclear with Porzingis in Washington, since he has yet to step on the court due to a knee issue, but Dallas seems to have found their ideal balance in the post-Unicorn era.
Over the last three weeks, the Mavericks are 6-2 with impressive victories over the Golden State Warriors (twice) and Miami Heat. During this span, the workload on Doncic&rsquo;s plate is jaw-dropping. With a 42.8% usage rate in Dallas&rsquo; last eight games, Doncic is putting up monster numbers, averaging 36.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.9 assists while carrying an impressive 59.4 True Shooting percentage.
It&rsquo;s the Luka show at full force right now for the Mavericks, which is exactly how both player and organization feel it should be. This is seemingly the next chapter from the James Harden playbook, when he was the entire enchilada in Houston. Doncic is already on a level where he can elevate talent around him, and the early results indicate Dinwiddie and Bertans are benefiting plenty. In minutes on- and off-ball alongside Doncic, Dinwiddie has become a reliable scorer and ball mover in the Mavericks&rsquo; system. Once known as one of the NBA&rsquo;s most lethal jumbo-sized shooters, Bertans is finding his touch once more with more spacing, thanks to the Slovenian phenom.
This version of Dallas looks very formidable in a wide-open Western Conference race, outside of the Suns&rsquo; early claim on the No. 1 seed. The question is, how long can Doncic keep up this type of production while carrying the entire burden of the Mavericks on his shoulders? Again, it comes back to the similar narratives around Harden in Houston. Will Doncic wear down once the postseason rolls around? Remember, he has still yet to advance past the first round. It&rsquo;s a legitimate question to ask, and one Doncic will need to answer along the way. For Dallas, this is the only way they really are going to make noise in the West &mdash; hoping for Luka magic to never run out.
Surrounded by at least league-average perimeter shooting across the board (Dinwiddie, Bertans, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jalen Brunson, Tim Hardaway Jr.), Doncic is able to operate as the one-man band while also trusting his teammates to hit open looks. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has empowered Doncic even more, trusting his innate instincts will lead them to victory.
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Operating with a maestro playmaker and scorer, Dallas&rsquo; ceiling is already high thanks to Doncic. How much untapped potential is there with this current group to bring the Mavericks to heights they haven&rsquo;t experienced since the prime Dirk Nowitzki years? Brunson and Finney-Smith have established themselves as long-term pieces to the core &mdash; one already inked a new deal while the other will likely come this summer. Right now at least, Dinwiddie and Bertans slide in as key depth pieces via Washington, past the 2021-22 campaign.
The Mavericks still have work to do to optimize the fully weaponized ecosystem around Doncic, but they&rsquo;re getting close. If they are able to add a starting-caliber big to bring two-way versatility &mdash; Myles Turner and Richaun Holmes immediately come to mind as great fits &mdash; it will help Doncic take another step towards his MVP ceiling.
Dallas should slot somewhere in the four-to-six range when the playoffs begin in six weeks. Only two games behind the Utah Jazz for No. 4, there&rsquo;s a real opportunity to go on a run and capture homecourt advantage in round one. Right now, the West is murky at best, sans Phoenix, with the Warriors&rsquo; sliding lately. It seems like the Mavs are bunched in the same group as the Warriors, Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets. Each team has a legitimate argument for why they can make a deep postseason push and they could potentially go toe-to-toe with the Suns in the Western Conference Finals.
Why can&rsquo;t the Mavericks be that one team that breaks through in a few months? With a transcendent talent like Doncic controlling the operation, there&rsquo;s no doubting what possibilities could soon be on the horizon.&nbsp;
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Since trading Kristaps Porzingis, Luka Doncic is carrying Dallas with an incredibly high usage rate. Can he sustain this in the playoffs?

Can Luka Doncic carry the Mavericks on a deep playoff run?

When Ben Simmons was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the hope was that he could potentially be next in the line of generational, all-around superstars. LeBron James was even uttered as a comparison by some national prognosticators before Simmons suited up at LSU for his lone collegiate season.
The Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA Draft Lottery that year and paired Simmons with Joel Embiid, a duo that formed instant chemistry and helped Philly shoot up the Eastern Conference standings soon after. Simmons had his faults, especially well-documented on the offensive end, but his unique strengths as a jumbo-sized playmaker and two-way engine made a potential ceiling outcome immense.
After a tumultuous ending to his five-year stint in Philadelphia &mdash; being <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-deserves-criticism-but-not-to-be-thrown-under-the-bus-by-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly called out by Embiid and head coach Doc Rivers</a> in the East semifinals &mdash; Simmons can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.
To properly optimize the talent of Simmons on the court, the Brooklyn Nets are the best fit on-paper to bring out his special two-way potential. Alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Nets, Simmons will enter as a moldable ball of clay who can play a multitude of roles. Simmons can not only run an offense setting up his superstar teammates, but he can also operate as a pick-and-roll threat rolling to the basket. On top of that, his speed for a near-seven-footer makes him a lethal weapon to deploy in transition opportunities, which will be plentiful in Brooklyn.
Picture Draymond Green during the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; championship years. He was the glue that kept it all together, as he still does today during their resurgent comeback. In Brooklyn, Simmons can be the fulcrum of the Nets' system next to Durant and Irving. Not only can Simmons defend at an All-NBA level, but he can start scoring opportunities off the rebound with reckless abandon. Irving will quickly mesh with Simmons as well in three-man spots where pick-and-roll situations, plus a moving Durant, is on the table each possession.
It&rsquo;s an exciting thought exercise to finally envision Simmons at his max levels, especially when two of his newest teammates are some of the greatest scorers ever.
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In the playoffs against teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers (ironically enough), Simmons will present real tangible issues consistently thanks to his new environment. Durant and a part-time Irving are going to make Simmons&rsquo; life a whole lot easier. Blending in with a pair of three-level marksmen compared to Embiid will finally place Simmons in a more palpable situation to tap into his multi-tooled impacts on a basketball court.
Thursday&rsquo;s blockbuster involving James Harden and Simmons will always be remembered not only as a pivotal point in each of their careers, but for these respective franchises as well. With the Sixers going all-in to maximize a title window, Brooklyn remains on a similar path long-term, simply swapping out a high-usage guard for a low-usage superstar who can thrive in a unique role.
Let&rsquo;s take a look now at the Nets&rsquo; potential new rotation, one that brings aboard more shooting and two-way versatility:
Starters: Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, LaMarcus Aldridge
Bench: Patty Mills, Cam Thomas, Bruce Brown, Kessler Edwards, James Johnson, Blake Griffin, Nic Claxton
When the Nets are in the postseason, I'd expect them to flip Simmons into a full-time center role, but it wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see head coach Steve Nash utilize Aldridge at center with his floor-spacing capabilities.
Simmons is only 25 years old, and his true upside has fallen under the radar since his postseason disappearance. Buying into a more complementary role and admitting he&rsquo;s not the star of the show will do wonders for him. Simmons has reportedly already spoken to Durant and is excited about his future in Brooklyn.
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Through his five years on the court in Philadelphia, Simmons filled up the stat sheet, averaging 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.7 steals on a 57.9% True Shooting percentage. The warts are instantly acknowledgeable in his game, but Simmons joining the Nets&rsquo; ecosystem could be a huge turning point that we look back on in the Association's history books.
If Simmons recaptures his All-NBA form and settles in perfectly as Durant&rsquo;s sidekick in his new home, the Nets will have made themselves a more chameleon-like team that's able to adapt in all-or-nothing postseason play.
Simmons has yet to reach his ceiling, and Brooklyn was forced to roll the dice with Harden&rsquo;s malcontent; both moves could be a blessing in disguise down the road.
Not only will Simmons help the Nets in the near future by racking up triple-doubles and contributing on both ends, perhaps he can become Brooklyn's franchise cornerstone and eventually usher in a new, fruitful era post-Durant.
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After being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Ben Simmons' career-defining moment has finally arrived on a silver platter.

Nets provide Ben Simmons a golden opportunity to maximize his game

BOSTON (AP) — Gregg Popovich became the first to coach 2,000 NBA games with the same team, and Dejounte Murray scored 22 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Boston Celtics 99-97 on Wednesday night.
Devin Vassell and Derrick White each had 17 points for the Spurs, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 30 points after scoring a career-high 50 in a victory over Orlando in the Celtics' last game but had a driving layup roll off the rim just before the buzzer sounded.
Murray, the team’s scoring leader, returned from COVID-19 protocols after being sidelined the last five games and played 33 minutes.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum also returned after missing four games while he was in the league’s health and safety protocols and scored 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting. Marcus Smart chipped in with 14 points and six assists.
The Spurs led 95-89 with just over three minutes left before Boston sliced it to two points.
The Celtics then had a 24-second violation and Brown was called for an offensive foul on the next possession with 1:53 to go.
The Spurs held a 99-97 edge when Smart missed a one-handed floater in the lane with about 20 seconds to play.
Brown stole an inbound pass and drove while being contested, but his shot rolled off the rim.
Popovich downplayed the achievement before the game when asked if the milestone meant anything to him.
“No, it means I’m old, been at the same place for a long time, worked with a lot of great players, blah, blah, blah,” the 72-year-old said. 
Neither team held more than a two-possession lead the entire game.
The Spurs were just 1-4 while Murray was sidelined. He clamped down on Tatum while they were matched up Wednesday.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Forward Doug McDermott, guard/forward center/forward Lonnie Walker IV and Devontae Cacok all remain in COVID protocol. ... Forward/center Zach Collins remains out, recovering from offseason left ankle surgery. ... It was their fourth stop on a seven-game road trip.
Celtics: Center Robert Williams III returned after missing the last game with a sprained right toe. ... Guard Payton Pritchard entered health and safety protocols Wednesday. 
KEY RETURN
With Murray back in the lineup, the Spurs regained their leader also in rebounding, assists and steals, but Popovich knew he had to bring him along slowly after he was sidelined for 10 days. 
“He’s been out for so long,” Popovich said. “I just want to make sure we don’t overdo it, I guess. He’s not going to play 30 minutes. It’s nice to have him back.”
VIDEO TRIBUTES
The Celtics had a video montage of Sam Jones’ highlights on the jumbotron during the first timeout. Jones, a 10-time champion with Boston, passed away on Dec. 30. He was 88. 
They also recognized the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team that captured gold in Tokyo last summer — which included Tatum and Popovich — with a video and message midway into the opening quarter, 
UP NEXT
Spurs: At Philadelphia on Friday night.
Celtics: At the Knicks on Thursday night in the first of back-to-back games against them. New York is in Boston on Saturday.
___
More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Greg Popovich became the first NBA head coach to get to 2,000 wins with the same franchise.

Murray, Spurs hold off Celtics 99-97 in Popovich's 2,000th

The Indiana Pacers are running around the obvious problem with their team right now. After another embarrassing loss at home on Friday night, this time to the Miami Heat, who were without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, serious questions need to be asked.
Sure, Nate Bjorkgren was a disaster last season as a first-time head coach, which led to splurging on bringing Rick Carlisle over from Dallas. However, even with Carlisle&rsquo;s principles being put into place in Indy, it&rsquo;s now becoming crystal-clear what the real issue is for the Pacers.
It&rsquo;s time to officially blow up this roster, or at least make a significant change to finally steer the ship in the direction of an extensive rebuild attempt.
For years now, Indiana has been content on the wheel of first round playoff exits. This will likely be the eighth consecutive season where the Pacers finish without a postseason series win. Indiana is known for basketball, but the 2021-22 Pacers are on the verge of becoming irrelevant.
Indiana is perfectly average, smack dab in the middle of overall efficiency on both ends of the court. They do not have a true No. 1 option that can take over games, simply multiple players who slide in as secondary pieces on good teams.
Sitting with a 9-16 record through the first quarter of the regular season, No. 13 overall in the Eastern Conference, Indiana is staring down the barrel of a long overdue organizational move. The question is: will owner Herb Simon, notorious for avoiding luxury tax payments and supplementing the organization with playoff revenue, give the go-ahead on a midseason fire sale before it&rsquo;s too late? The same needs to be said for team president Kevin Pritchard, who neeeds to come to the same realization that this team is nothing more than mediocre.
Is T.J. Warren&rsquo;s return from foot surgery next month really going to flip the Pacers&rsquo; immediate fortunes in the reloaded Eastern Conference hierarchy overnight? No, and it&rsquo;s time to reassess this roster for long-term hopes while sacrificing short-term success.
The problem for Indiana is: who exactly will help kickstart an overdue rebuild where stockpiling young talent and bottoming out is the way to go for a small-market franchise? Malcolm Brogdon would have been the obvious choice, but Indiana decided to lock him in on an extension before the regular season opener, eliminating him in trade discussions until at least next offseason. Caris LeVert isn&rsquo;t coming close to the same production Victor Oladipo provided pre-quad injury, but that was to be expected when canvassing through the former Michigan Wolverine&rsquo;s overall offensive profile. Not shedding his injury-prone label at all before becoming an unrestricted free agent, Warren has little chance of returning serious positive value in a trade.
Indiana is coming to the proverbial fork in the road on an experiment that we all knew would need to end sometime soon. Will it be Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner who is shipped off at their peak value in February? If the Pacers aren&rsquo;t having serious discussions about this scenario, then they may honestly be content on being a roster with its highest ceiling being a 6-8 seed and perennial first-round exits.
Sabonis is a rare big man who a team can run its offense through as a primary or secondary hub. Already a two-time All-Star, Sabonis has flashed 20-point, 10-rebound upside and probably would thrive even further as another team&rsquo;s second or third option, compared to being a No. 1 in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, Turner is an elite rim protector who can also stretch the floor from beyond the arc. As far as modern big archetypes, Turner is a piece who can swing the pendulum of fortunes in a positive direction for a playoff or championship-hungry organization.
If we&rsquo;re speaking about which player would return the highest value in a mid-season trade to a hopeful playoff contender, Sabonis is the answer. A frame of reference from a negotiation standpoint is when the Orlando Magic traded Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls centered around an enticing package of Wendell Carter Jr. and two future first-round picks (Franz Wagner plus a 2023 1st). Vucevic was 30 years old when the Magic finally decided to pull the plug on their mediocre ceiling. At age-25 with three years remaining on his current contract, there&rsquo;s a real argument to be made that Sabonis could return an even heftier package for Indiana to sell high on.
Turner, on the other hand, would still bring back a strong return with his improved motor and intensity. Already known as one of the best shot blockers in the Association, Turner has also cranked it up on offense attacking the boards and being more aggressive overall. In the end, Turner&rsquo;s trade value likely falls within the realm of returning a promising young prospect plus salary filler.
Although the jumbo-sized frontcourt duo is actually doing better than anticipated this season, outscoring opponents by 8.4 points per 100 possessions in two-man lineup data (105.8 OffRtg, 97.5 DefRtg in 396 total minutes), it&rsquo;s simply not a sustainable formula.
For years, Pacers fans have wanted to see the Sabonis-Turner duo be split up and commit to one as their starting center long-term. Finally, that time seems to be right around the corner, if Indiana&rsquo;s front office truly reflects on where the team currently stands.
If Indiana does indeed the pull the plug on the current iteration of their roster, there will be a feeding frenzy at February&rsquo;s trade deadline. I can think of so many teams off the top of my head who would be blowing up Indiana for either one of their bigs. It&rsquo;s simply the right move to make for the long-term outlook.
Outside of No. 13 overall pick Chris Duarte, who&rsquo;s turned some heads early on with his stellar transition to the NBA, who exactly is a young piece Indiana can build around? Small markets need to focus on hitting in the draft, which has been a rarity for the Pacers over the years, alongside internal player development.
Indiana must come to that conclusion and use one or potentially both of Sabonis and Turner to help this longstanding issue fix itself over time. The problem is, after bringing aboard a win-now veteran coach in Carlisle, he may not give the go-ahead for this route.
Anyway you want to slice it, there&rsquo;s a serious predicament unfolding in Indy. If the losses continue to pile on, the Pacers need to accept their new reality and embrace the tank for the betterment of the organization.
With the league&rsquo;s worst attendance by a wide margin, Pacers fans are already tuning the team out. It&rsquo;s time to wave the white flag and find a better solution to bring the Pacers back to relevance.

As losses continue to pile on for the Pacers, it's time to finally embrace the reality with their current roster's ceiling.

Pacers must accept new reality and become sellers at trade deadline

Who&rsquo;s ready for some weekend hoops in the NBA? &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; our daily NBA betting show on the <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> podcast network, gets you ready with picks against the spread plus power play over/under props.
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under prop bets are provided by PrizePicks. So far this season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is carrying an 96-73-2 record&nbsp; (56.7%).
It&rsquo;s hammering time!
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI9681059183" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Utah Jazz (-7) vs. Miami Heat
Likely without Jimmy Butler once again (due to a sprained ankle suffered earlier this week against the Los Angeles Lakers), traveling to Utah is a tough matchu for the Heat. Bam Adebayo vs. Rudy Gobert is going to be a slobberknocker inside, but anywho will be able to contain Donovan Mitchell on the perimeter for Miami? That&rsquo;s where the tide turns, and why we&rsquo;re hammering Utah to cover the 7-point spread at home. The Heat are also coming off two draining games in Los Angeles, so fatigue could certainly be a factor. Lock in and tail me on this over/under power play on PrizePicks: Mitchell over 26.5 points, Gobert over 13.5 rebounds, Gobert over 12.5 points, Kyle Lowry over 6.5 assists.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Memphis Grizzlies (-4)
What a disappointing start for the Pelicans this season. There's been no Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram due to injuries, but this feels like total rock bottom in the Bayou right now. With Williamson still having no timetable to return, when will the Pelicans ever escape the abyss? I don&rsquo;t see it coming anytime soon, and especially not against the high-powered Grizzlies offense led by Ja Morant. Expect Morant to go off as Memphis cruises to a victory. We&rsquo;re locking in a Grizzlies-centric prop on PrizePicks: Morant over 23.5 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. over 14.5 points, Morant over 7.5 assists, Morant over 5.5 rebounds.
Indiana Pacers (-3.5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
This line has moved up even more in favor of Indiana over the last 24 hours. What opened as a 2-point spread has now almost doubled towards the Pacers. After Indiana&rsquo;s rollercoaster back-to-back against Denver and Utah, they are so hard to gauge. However, Philadelphia being without Joel Embiid against Indy&rsquo;s jumbo-sized frontcourt is going to lead to some serious issues inside. For that reason, hammer Indiana to cover the spread and tail the following over/under props: Malcolm Brogdon over 20.5 points, Chris Duarte over 12.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 10.5 rebounds, Myles Turner over 7 rebounds, Turner over 1.5 threes.
Orlando Magic vs. Washington Wizards (-4.5)
We haven&rsquo;t pulled the trigger all season long, I believe, so we&rsquo;re doing it right now. It&rsquo;s time to roll the dice on the Magic. Bradley Beal is missing tonight&rsquo;s game, so this is a golden opportunity for the young Magic rotation to step up to the plate and pull off an upset. Washington still has a solid group of veterans, but I have a sneaky feeling we see Orlando cover and potentially win outright tonight. This is my upset special for Saturday&rsquo;s slate with Orlando at +4.5 and a Magic-heavy power play on PrizePicks: Cole Anthony over 18.5 points, Mo Bamba over 10.5 points, Bamba over 8.5 rebounds, Spencer Dinwiddie over 7 assists, Anthony over 4.5 assists.
Toronto Raptors (-9.5) vs. Detroit Pistons
Talk about a spread moving rapidly &mdash; this is a perfect example. Toronto opened as a 7.5-point favorite, and now it&rsquo;s climbed up to full points closing in on a double-digit result. We&rsquo;re locking in the Raptors at -9.5 while we can, because it wouldn&rsquo;t be shocking to see this one close over 10. The Raptors are hosting the Pistons, who are on the second night of a back-to-back after getting destroyed in Cleveland. I expect a similar result to go down north of the border as the Raptors cruise easily to a win. No surprise, but we&rsquo;re going all-in on the Raptors over/under props to secure a massive payday: Fred VanVleet over 17.5 points, Scottie Barnes over 12.5 points, Barnes over 7.5 rebounds, VanVleet over 2.5 threes.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics (-2)
This spread surprised me when I pulled it up on TwinSpires earlier today. Why exactly are the Celtics favored in Cleveland against the Cavaliers? Thanks Vegas, because we&rsquo;re hammering the underdog in this scenario. Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland have made up such an awesome trio for the Cavaliers so far this season, and I expect them to do some damage against Boston&rsquo;s inconsistent defense. Also, the Allen/Mobley frontcourt should deter driving lanes, making the Celtics very perimeter-oriented throughout. I&rsquo;m easily picking the upstart Cavaliers here, who continue to be one of the NBA&rsquo;s best surprise stories. On PrizePicks, we&rsquo;re rolling with the following over/under power play: Jayson Tatum over 26.5 points, Mobley over 15.5 points, Allen over 13.5 points, Allen over 11.5 rebounds, Mobley over 0.5 threes.
Los Angeles Clippers (-7) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is coming off such an impressive win last night against the Lakers, but now the team faces off with the Clippers, who seem to have the Wolves' number this season. In two previous matchups back in Minnesota, the Clippers won both times with relative ease. This time around, I see a similar result occurring, as a letdown could be in store for the Timberwolves. Lock-in the Clippers to cover the 7-point spread, but expect to see a fun back-and-forth high-scoring affair throughout this late-night matchup. On PrizePicks, tail me on Paul George and Karl-Anthony Towns winning us some dough: George over 26.5 points, Towns over 22.5 points, George over 5.5 assists, Towns over 2.5 threes.
Recapping our picks on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with for Saturday&rsquo;s slate: Jazz -7, Grizzlies -4, Pacers -3.5, Magic +4.5, Raptors -9.5, Cavaliers +2, Clippers -7.
All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.

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

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/13/21

It&rsquo;s time for our latest picks against the spread with &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; our daily NBA betting show on the <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> podcast network. Each morning, we provide you the edge for the Association&rsquo;s slate of action. Following our first 0-for this season, thanks in large part to the underdogs raining on the parade during Thursday&rsquo;s short three-game slate, it&rsquo;s time to drop off our latest predictions against the spreads.
As always, our odds are provided by TwinSpires Sportsbook and over/under prop bets are provided by PrizePicks. So far this season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is carrying an 88-70-2 record&nbsp; (55.6%).
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It&rsquo;s hammering time, folks!
Charlotte Hornets vs. New York Knicks (-1.5)
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau lit a fuse under the team recently after benching the starters for the final 15 minutes of their loss against Milwaukee. I expect New York to come out here and play with an aggressive mindset, which doesn&rsquo;t bode well for the Hornets&rsquo; inconsistent defense. Hammer the Knicks to cover the 1.5-point spread, and tail me on the following over/under power play prop on PrizePicks: Julius Randle over 22.5 points, R.J. Barrett over 16.5 points, Randle over 9.5 rebounds, Randle over 5 assists.
Cleveland Cavaliers (-5) vs. Detroit Pistons
Even without Collin Sexton, who is sidelined with a torn meniscus, I don&rsquo;t expect Cleveland to no-show against a lowly Pistons team. Evan Mobley has been so fun to watch, forming a formidable frontcourt pairing with Jarrett Allen. Expect this jumbo-sized big man duo to feast against Detroit as the Cavaliers&rsquo; easily cover the 5-point spread. After the Pistons&rsquo; win against Houston on Wednesday, I&rsquo;m expecting a letdown here on their end. On PrizePicks, we&rsquo;re locking in this power play: Jerami Grant over 21.5 points, Mobley over 18.5 points, Allen over 16.5 points, Allen over 12.5 rebounds.
Boston Celtics (-5) vs Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo was a late scratch for tonight's game, so we're switching it up here for our pick and PrizePicks over/under power play. We're siding with the Celtics and a monster game from Jayson Tatum instead. With no Giannis, we'll see if the Bucks can win this one in Boston. In the meantime, here's our updated over/under on PrizePicks betting heavily on Tatum to carry the load for a Celtics victory: Tatum over 26.5 points, Tatum over 7.5 rebounds, Tatum over 3.5 assists, Tatum over 3 threes.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Brooklyn Nets (-8.5)
This line has jumped up a full point since we last checked on it, further driving home the point this game shouldn&rsquo;t be close. New Orleans is in a full-on tailspin right now, especially without Zion Williamson. Kevin Durant, James Harden and the veteran-heavy Nets should torch the Pelicans with relative ease. This one is locked in as my best bet of the 11-game slate for Friday. On PrizePicks, we&rsquo;re betting on Durant and Harden to go nuclear in the Bayou: Durant over 27.5 points, Harden over 20.5 points, Harden over 9 assists, Harden over 7.5 rebounds, Durant over 2 threes.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Phoenix Suns (-2)
The line for this one has moved significantly as well. Last night, Memphis was actually a 1-point favorite on TwinSpires. Now, the Suns have jumped to a 2-point favorite on the road. With the way Phoenix has been playing recently, this shouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise. Deandre Ayton is once again out with a leg contusion, but I&rsquo;m still leaning heavily in the direction of Phoenix here. Expect a big outing from Devin Booker with his fun matchup on tap against Ja Morant. We&rsquo;re locking in the Suns to cover, plus the following power play on PrizePicks: Booker over 24.5 points, Morant over 24.5 points, Booker over 5 rebounds, Booker 4 assists.
Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trail Blazers (-6.5)
I&rsquo;m surprised the spread is only at 6.5 here. Even though Portland is coming off a loss in Phoenix, Damian Lillard seems to have finally broken out of his season-long slump. Against the Rockets, we&rsquo;re all-in on the idea of Lillard going nuclear tonight. The Blazers covering the 6.5-point spread is another one of our best bets tonight, so lock that one in. On PrizePicks, here&rsquo;s a fun power play to tail: Lillard over 26.5 points, Jalen Green over 13.5 points, C.J. McCollum over 4.5 assists, Lillard over 4 free throws made.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings (-4)
I&rsquo;m going to continue riding the hot hand and betting on the underdog Thunder. So far, OKC has won me a good amount of coin, so this trend isn&rsquo;t going to change until they lose on the spread. Give me the Thunder to cover the 4-point spread at home, plus a big outing from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In what should be a fun, back-and-forth contest, we&rsquo;re going to keep the train rolling in the direction of OKC. On PrizePicks, we&rsquo;re locking in the following power play: SGA over 23.5 points, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 22.5 points, SGA over 5.5 rebounds, Harrison Barnes over 2.5 threes.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks (-3)
Don&rsquo;t let me down, Luka Doncic. We&rsquo;re all-in on the idea of Luka going off against the Spurs on the road leading the Mavericks to victory. Every time Dallas and San Antonio have played this season, it&rsquo;s turned into a nail-biter at the end. Tonight should be no different, but I get the feeling Luka is going to have one of those special individuals performances. We&rsquo;re locking in Dallas to cover the 3-point spread plus a Doncic-related power play on PrizePicks: Doncic over 25.5 points, Doncic over 8 assists, Doncic over 7.5 rebounds, Doncic over 2.5 threes.
Denver Nuggets (-4.5) vs. Atlanta Hawks
Nikola Jokic is back from his one-game suspension, but I&rsquo;m favoring Atlanta in this matchup on the road. This is another game where it should provide plenty of offensive fireworks, though. Expect Jokic to go off in his return, but don&rsquo;t rule out an even more explosive outing from Trae Young. Give me the underdog Hawks to cover the 4.5-point spread, plus the following power play prop on PrizePicks: Young over 24.5 points, Clint Capela over 10.5 rebounds, Young over 8.5 assists, Young over 2 threes.
Golden State Warriors (-5.5) vs. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are back as a contender, but betting against the Warriors is a bad exercise to enact. With the way Golden State is playing, especially early MVP favorite Stephen Curry, always lay a wager down in favor of them. Expect a huge night from Curry in what should be a fun scoring battle against Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Nikola Vucevic is out due to a positive COVID-19 test, so his loss will be felt in this matchup. Hammer Golden State at -5.5 and this power play on PrizePicks: Curry over 30.5 points, LaVine over 26.5 points, Lonzo Ball over 5.5 rebounds, Curry over 5 threes.
Los Angeles Lakers (-2) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
I&rsquo;ve been debating all day whether to wager on the underdog Timberwolves, but I&rsquo;m siding with the star-studded duo of Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to get the job done. Anthony Edwards has been awesome for Minnesota, but in this one, I&rsquo;m envisioning a huge outing from AD. I&rsquo;m rolling the dice here on the Lakers to cover the 2-point spread and tailing a Lakers-heavy prop on PrizePicks: Davis over 24.5 points, Edwards over 23.5 points, Davis over 10.5 rebounds, Westbrook over 10.5 assists.
Recapping our picks here on &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; here&rsquo;s who I&rsquo;m rolling with for Wednesday&rsquo;s slate: Knicks -1.5, Cavaliers -5, Celtics -5, Nets -8.5, Suns -2, Trail Blazers -6.5, Thunder +4, Mavericks -3, Hawks +4.5, Warriors -5.5, Lakers -2.
<h3>All users that deposit and use the promo code NEWS on Prize Picks will receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100!&nbsp;<a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up here</a>.</h3>

It's time to drop off our daily NBA picks against the spread via "Nothing But Bets." Who covers the spread, and which players go off on in our PrizePicks over/under projections?

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 11/12/21

Entering the 2021-22 season, there were many long-term questions facing the Indiana Pacers. Seemingly stuck in the middle for years on end, when would they get off the hamster wheel and make a move one way or the other? Well, early on, we&rsquo;re already getting answers to some of those intriguing topics in Indianapolis.
Malcolm Brogdon, who was reportedly involved in Ben Simmons trade discussions, signed a new long-term extension worth $45 million, extending his stay in Indy through at least through 2024-25. Now, the Pacers&rsquo; leading scorer is off the market for good.
Two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis has continued to prove why he&rsquo;s a fixture piece for the Pacers, averaging 19.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists to this point. Sabonis has also continued to produce instant synergy with last year&rsquo;s newcomer in Caris LeVert, who the Pacers acquired after shipping off Victor Oladipo in the James Harden four-team blockbuster.
Among Sabonis-only lineup duos who played at least 500 minutes alongside him in 2020-21, only one player carried a positive net rating: LeVert. After LeVert suffered a stress fracture in his lower back, he missed the first six games of the regular season. However, that chemistry with Sabonis has picked up right where it left off for Indiana, as the inside-out duo is carrying a plus-10.3 NET in 109 total minutes (109.4 ORTG, 99.1 DRTG).
So, Indiana has at least three players locked into its long-term plans in a make-or-break campaign with Rick Carlisle now running the show at head coach. And now, surprisingly, a 24-year-old rookie has forced his way into the immediate conversation alongside Brogdon, Sabonis and LeVert.
Chris Duarte, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has been an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chris-duarte-exhibiting-maturity-poise-with-indiana-pacers-early" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instant revelation for the Pacers</a>. Carlisle has placed immense trust in the rookie already, giving him the ultimate green light and drawing up late-game, crunch-time shots for him as well. Duarte is averaging 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting a blistering-hot 42.2% on three-point attempts. In total, Duarte&rsquo;s efficiency levels stand at a respectable 55.5% True Shooting percentage in his first 11 games on the NBA level.
Duarte has already made Pacers fans think back to the days of Danny Granger and Paul George &mdash; two young wings who made instant impacts in the Association and became key long-term fixtures in the organization. It&rsquo;s a super-small sample size, but Duarte seems to be the team's first top draft pick in a while to hit since Myles Turner in 2015.
Honestly, the Granger comparisons have some legs to them. Coming out of New Mexico as an older prospect, Granger hit the ground running in Indiana having no real adjustment period for the Pacers. The same exact learning curve is happening for Duarte, last year's Pac-12 Player of the Year at Oregon.
Already, Duarte has forced Carlisle&rsquo;s hand to keep him on the floor, even with LeVert back from an injury. Instead of splitting the two, Carlisle is letting the talented wing duo log heavy minutes together, and it is producing fantastic results. When Duarte and LeVert share the floor, Indiana is outscoring opponents by 30.2 (!!) points per 100 possessions. That number will surely slide down as the season continues on, but the early results have been nothing short of phenomenal. This also shows Carlisle and the Pacers&rsquo; front office that the two can thrive with one another in a pair, taking pressure off each other as a slashing/spot-up combination with Sabonis using his Nikola Jokic-like tendencies inside.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LeVert block 🚫 LeVert assist 🏀 Duarte triple 🎯<a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pacers</a> open on an 11-0 run on NBA League Pass! 📱💻: <a href="https://t.co/V0kkYEEIkG">https://t.co/V0kkYEEIkG</a> <a href="https://t.co/uHvgaAizsE">pic.twitter.com/uHvgaAizsE</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1456038702296219652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Indiana seems to have struck a gold mine with the Duarte selection, even further evidenced by the fact that the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2021/07/30/warriors-knicks-pursue-chris-duarte-even-after-pacers-chose-him/5426677001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tried to trade for him after he was selected</a>. On the court, Duarte is cold-blooded and doesn&rsquo;t fear any situation. He even took Giannis Antetokounmpo 1-on-1 and made a jumper in a must-score scenario. Duarte has forced himself into the Rookie of the Year discussion, which has Indiana grinning from ear-to-ear at the moment.
With Duarte currently breaking into a different tier of Indiana&rsquo;s roster, it&rsquo;s going to create a unique situation in a few months before February&rsquo;s trade deadline. If the Pacers are in the playoff race, don&rsquo;t be surprised if they keep the core together and reassess this upcoming offseason. However, if they are fading away already, how should they maneuver the deadline?
T.J. Warren, who hasn&rsquo;t played yet this season due to further complications from his foot injury, is expected to make his debut around Christmas or early January. Warren is slated to be one of the top available free agents in a light 2022 market, but his injury history could make teams with the necessary cap space seriously second-guess about offering him a hefty new contract. So, if Warren does well upon his return, he could lock in a new long-term deal with Indiana where it benefits both the team and the player&rsquo;s financial security multiple years down the road.
This leads us back to the elephant in the room, one that has been there for years now: Turner and his fit alongside Sabonis.
Thus far, the results have actually been positive for this jumbo big-man duo in Indy. The Sabonis-Turner 2-man lineup combination is outscoring opponents by 6.2 points per 100 possessions (103.7 ORTG, 97.5 DRTG) right now, so if that figure maintains, it will certainly be intriguing. Carlisle is still experimenting how to best utilize Sabonis and Turner together, which more often than not leads to each one patrolling his own unit. We&rsquo;ve yet to really see Indiana commit to closing a game with both Sabonis and Turner on the floor. That isn&rsquo;t a financially sustainable plan with a player making close to $20 million in either scenario sitting out in crunch-time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Thought this was really smart geometry last night. The Knicks were consistently involving extra defenders on the roll to crowd Sabonis, so took advantage of the gravity by positioning Turner's hot hand in the strong-side corner. Big difference from what occurred against Toronto <a href="https://t.co/3DILKyHv17">pic.twitter.com/3DILKyHv17</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1456309637293264902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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However, it should be noted that Turner is putting together a career-best start in Year 7 with the Pacers: 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting 41.1% on threes. No surprise here, but when Turner isn&rsquo;t on the floor, Indiana&rsquo;s defense completely submarines. The team carries a 100.5 DTRG with Turner in 308 minutes, but it balloons to 115.9 points allowed per 100 possessions in the 230 minutes he sits. Overall, the Pacers are 14.3 points per 100 possessions better when Turner is on the floor. That&rsquo;s a noticeable swing, and one where it makes their long-term decisions revolving around their core even murkier.
Another way of looking at is that Turner&rsquo;s trade value may never be higher with his current start to the season. If it maintains for another few months, the trade deadline might be the best time to cash-in on a considerable return. Turner has been on the trade block for years, but nobody has wanted to bite on Indiana&rsquo;s asking price. Now, with Turner playing the way he is, it might finally be time to push that button.
A team like the Charlotte Hornets &mdash; an elite rim-protector away from making the jump &mdash; could be a team who would pay a fortune for Turner to be its swing piece to contention; that would allow Indiana to embrace its locked-in core of Brogdon, Duarte, LeVert, Warren and Sabonis. Would the Pacers bite on a trade package revolving around a protected 2022 first-round pick via the New Orleans Pelicans, plus promising young big man prospect PJ Washington? We&rsquo;ll cross that bridge when we get there, but these long-term hypotheticals should be buzzing within the mind of Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard.
In February, or at the end of this season, will Indiana commit further to the Turner-Sabonis frontcourt? What if Warren comes back and thrives as a small-ball 4 in lineups alongside LeVert and Duarte? There&rsquo;s still plenty of time for these questions to get answered, but that&rsquo;s why Indiana continues to stand out to me as one of the league&rsquo;s most intriguing teams &mdash; short- and long-term.
Duarte may have forced the Pacers into considering making a bigger move earlier than expected. And for a team in desperate need of hitting on draft picks, completely dearth of homegrown players, that&rsquo;s totally okay.

Could the Pacers be facing a foundational change earlier than expected thanks to Chris Duarte's impact? Evan Sidery examines.

Pacers facing key decision point with Chris Duarte's early emergence

It&rsquo;s time to unveil our daily picks for Fridays&rsquo;s seven-game slate on <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>'s &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; podcast. We were scorching hot last night, finishing 5-1 and boosting our total record up to 21-15. Will the streak of good fortunes continue? Let&rsquo;s dive into our predictions, with all odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Toronto Raptors (-8) vs. Orlando Magic
Toronto has been a little inconsistent this season, but in a matchup at home against Orlando I love the Raptors' chances here. OG Anunoby continues to prove he&rsquo;s on the fast track to being a top contender for Most Improved Player, while No. 4 overall pick Scottie Barnes is adjusting quicker to the NBA than expected. With this exciting duo on the wing, it&rsquo;s going to be tough sledding for the Magic to get much of an offensive rhythm. I&rsquo;m rolling with the Raptors, but not confident enough to cover the 8-point spread due to their inconsistencies. Hammer the Raptors&rsquo; -365 moneyline, plus Anunoby to score 20+ points to create a same-game parlay at +155 odds.
Brooklyn Nets (-8.5) vs. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are on the early fast track of once again missing the playoffs. Whether it be injuries hurting the team once again, or an inability to stop high-octane scorers, Indiana is digging itself into a deep hole it will need to climb out of. Although Chris Duarte has been an awesome rookie to watch, it&rsquo;s fair to wonder whether Myles Turner is in the team's immediate plans. After scoring 40 points in the Pacers' second game of the season against the Wizards, Turner has been benched in every single fourth quarter. That shows to me that Rick Carlisle doesn&rsquo;t believe in the jumbo big pairing of Turner and Domantas Sabonis. So, keep an eye on Turner potentially being moved. Anyways, back to tonight&rsquo;s pick. I love the Nets&rsquo; moneyline odds at -380. With Malcolm Brogdon out tonight, expect a big James Harden bounce-back alongside Kevin Durant scoring in bunches as well. For our same-game parlay, let&rsquo;s roll with the following at +300 odds: Nets ML, Durant 20+ points, Harden 20+ points, Sabonis 15+ points, Duarte 12+ points, Harden 2+ threes, Durant 1+ threes, Duarte 1+ threes. It&rsquo;s a big one, but could be a huge payout potentially in store.
Miami Heat (-5) vs. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have been so fun to watch early on this season, but this feels like a real mismatch heading down south to face Miami. The Heat have the best defense in the NBA, so it&rsquo;s going to be very tough sledding for the young Hornets to generate a rhythm. Add on top of that Jimmy Butler being extra motivated for the challenge to halt Miles Bridges, and this could be a night where it&rsquo;s not close in South Beach. I&rsquo;m emphatically hammering Heat -6 as one of my best bets of the night, plus Butler sending a statement to Bridges in the process. Here&rsquo;s a fun SGP to tail at +320 odds: Heat -6, Butler 20+ points, Bridges under 20 points.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings (-1.5)
I love the home underdog here in the Bayou. After the Pelicans recently notched their first win in the Willie Green era, I&rsquo;m rolling with them to get the job done against Sacramento. The Kings are riding high off an impressive road win against the Phoenix Suns, but I have this feeling we'll see big outings from Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas. At +310 odds on DraftKings, you can lock in this very realistic same-game parlay: Pelicans ML, Ingram 25+ points, Valanciunas 14+ points. Although the Kings have gotten off to a hot start early on in the 2021-22 campaign, I think they'll head home with the loss after visiting New Orleans on Friday.
Portland Trail Blazers (-3) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
The last time these two teams faced off in Los Angeles, it was a rout in favor of the Clippers. This time around in Portland, I&rsquo;m rolling with the Trail Blazers to even the season series. These two teams are very evenly matched up, so the home team should get the job done. Also, Damian Lillard has gotten off to a cold start. I predict tonight is the night Lillard finally snaps out of that funk with a fun duel against Paul George. Hammer the Blazers&rsquo; spread at -3, plus Lillard and George to both score 20+ points. That&rsquo;s a +150 odds boost on a DraftKings same-game parlay.
Denver Nuggets (-2) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Even with Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s status for tonight&rsquo;s game up in the air with a knee injury, I&rsquo;m stunned Denver is the favorite here. This feels like another opportunity where the underdog pulls off the W. Jokic could play, but I&rsquo;m leaning towards not with how cautious the Nuggets&rsquo; medical staff usually is with injuries. Luka Doncic should be in for a huge night in Denver, which is what I&rsquo;m parlaying into my same-game parlay for this one. Give me the Mavericks&rsquo; +110 moneyline to pull off the upset, plus Doncic to score 25+ points. If that happens, the odds of it hitting are currently at +180.
Los Angeles Lakers (-7.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
This line was originally at -9, but it&rsquo;s moved down almost two points since this morning. There&rsquo;s not a lot of faith in the LeBron James-less Lakers right now for good reason, especially when they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder and barely beat the San Antonio Spurs. If LeBron can't give it a go, expect Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook once again to carry the load for Los Angeles against a surprisingly tough out in the Cavaliers. This one could go either way for me, quite honestly, but I love the Lakers&rsquo; moneyline odds at -310. For a fun same-game parlay at +190 odds, all you would need is the Lakers to win plus Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to both score 20+ points.
Recapping our picks for an awesome seven-game slate tonight in the NBA: Raptors ML, Heat -5, Nets ML, Pelicans ML (+1.5), Blazers -3, Mavericks ML (+2), Lakers ML.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 10/29/21

There are no expectations for the Oklahoma City Thunder entering the 2021-22 season, and that&rsquo;s just how they like it.
The Thunder are in the midst of one of the most extensive rebuilds in NBA history, possessing multiple future first-round picks each year through 2027. They have one entrenched building block who recently signed a rookie-scale max extension, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but everyone else within their rotation are high-upside swings of the bat courtesy of OKC general manager Sam Presti.
Once Thunder legend Russell Westbrook and his All-NBA sidekick Paul George officially asked out three years ago, it jump-started what&rsquo;s currently taking place within Oklahoma City. It&rsquo;s allowing Presti to build a team in his own image, from literally the ground up. Building each piece of the foundation methodically, the Thunder have now put together such an intriguing collection of talents within their current vision.
Alongside star combo guard Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC has all of the following players under 25 years old within its extensive test trial run of figuring out who fits the long-term puzzle: Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, Theo Maledon, Aleksej Pokusevski, Tre Mann, Isaiah Roby, Ty Jerome, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins. Only one of these players was drafted in the lottery &mdash; Giddey, the 2021 No. 6 overall pick who has already flashed some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-giddey-ascension-to-top-nba-draft-prospect-happened-in-blink-of-an-eye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exciting potential as a jumbo-sized playmaker</a>, forming a fun backcourt duo with SGA.
The Thunder figure to be once again near the bottom of the barrel in the Western Conference standings this season. However, don&rsquo;t be surprised if Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s star equity wills this extremely raw core to unexpected heights early on. Last season, the team carried a 15-21 record into the All-Star break thanks in large part to his brilliance, as he averaged 23.2 points, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds on a fantastic 62.7% True Shooting percentage. Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s beautiful brand of basketball vaulted him into an elite category for lead guards who carried a high-usage rate.
SGA joined the following guards during OKC&rsquo;s surprising early run who had both above 62% TS and 27% usage percentage (min. 20 games played pre-ASB): Stephen Curry, James Harden, Zach LaVine. This shows the leap Gilgeous-Alexander showcased as the lone star-in-the-marking for the Thunder&rsquo;s rebuild, doing so even when teams blitzed him every game defensively.
Although the Thunder ranked last in offensive rating over that span, they were No. 10 overall in defensive rating, allowing only 109.8 points per 100 possessions. Once they officially pulled the plug on trying to win games, which included resting Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC fell off a cliff and finished with a 7-29 record post-All-Star break.
If everything clicks with the Thunder&rsquo;s young core, they are going to be a feisty team that competes on most nights. Gilgeous-Alexander is the straw that stirs the drink, but early preseason flashes from Giddey and Bazley could be foreshadowing their own regular-season performances. OKC is nowhere close to being a legitimate competitor, especially within a tough slate in the West, but this group could certainly qualify as an NBA League Pass team.
So much young talent is developing within the Thunder&rsquo;s player-friendly system put into place by head coach Mark Daigneault. Who&rsquo;s to say they won&rsquo;t at least surprise some people early, especially if teams treat OKC on their schedule like a layup win? And if Gilgeous-Alexander continues to blossom into one of the most exciting young prospects in the Association, OKC will compete each night thanks to his ascent to All-Star levels.
How does OKC&rsquo;s projected rotation look heading into the 2021-22 campaign? Let&rsquo;s examine it below.
Starters: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, Derrick Favors
Second Unit: Tre Mann, Theo Maledon, Aleksej Pokusevski, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Isaiah Roby
As you can see, so much unproven talent is still on tap for the Thunder&rsquo;s lineup combinations. Gilgeous-Alexander is the stalwart for the backcourt, but everyone else alongside or behind him still has much more seasoning ahead in their development curves (Giddey, Mann, Maledon). Dort and Bazley are actually an intriguing wing combination, and Pokusevski is a true wildcard who saw a lot of playing time last season to accentuate his own raw aspects. Favors fills the veteran-big-man void left behind by Al Horford, who was shipped back to the Boston Celtics this offseason in the Kemba Walker trade.
Walker and the Thunder were never going to be a fit, especially with the longtime point guard&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/finally-home-kemba-walker-hopes-to-turn-back-clock-with-knicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">desire to play for his hometown Knicks</a> in Madison Square Garden. Luckily for the Thunder, he now is in New York, so no possessions will be zapped away from Gilgeous-Alexander in OKC.
Back to Favors: How long will he actually be on the roster, let alone within their rotation? It&rsquo;s doubtful Favors finishes the season in Oklahoma City; whether he's dealt at some point or if he enters the buyout market after February&rsquo;s trade deadline, we will see. However, in the short-term, Favors will provide a stable pick-and-roll partner for SGA and Giddey to showcase their talents. And if Favors performs well (he should gobble up nightly double-doubles), Presti could be in line to snatch up another future draft pick for his services.
Oklahoma City is still in the infancy of its historic rebuild attempt, but the flashes shown last season indicate that this can be a scrappy, competitive roster already. Add in another year of development for Gilgeous-Alexander, who seems poised for another leap, and Oklahoma City could soon escape the abyss into respectability ahead of its projected timeline.
The next step for the Thunder is finding their co-star alongside SGA, and that should soon come with Giddey or another top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Don&rsquo;t discount the Thunder in 2021-22, because they actually have the pieces in place to be an entertaining watch.

Although the Thunder are still in the beginning stages of their historic rebuild attempt, there's some exciting potential brewing together.

Thunder far away from competing, but pieces are coming together

Preseason NBA basketball is here, which means we're not far off from the regular season tipping off. This is where I make the obligatory "you should take everything you see with a grain of salt" disclaimer, though we should know the deal with preseason hoops by now.
The "grain of salt" portion is key. If a projected eighth man in the rotation averages 18 points per game during the preseason, it's probably safe to assume they won't match those numbers when the games start counting. However, that doesn't mean that the player hasn't showcased skills that could lead to a successful season.&nbsp;
By now, every team in the NBA has played at least one game. I won't bore you with 30 different takeaways &mdash; that may be a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast episode</a>/segment in the future &mdash; but here are a few things that have caught my eye so far.&nbsp;
THE WOLVES ARE PLAYING DEFENSE
The Minnesota Timberwolves were pretty darn bad at defending last season. They ranked 28th in both defensive rating and field goal percentage allowed, largely because they hemorrhaged shots at the rim (fifth-largest share of rim attempts allowed).
I was annoyed watching the Wolves defend pick-and-rolls; specifically, I wasn't a fan of Karl-Anthony Towns operating in (a deep) drop coverage. He struggled to navigate the gap, either allowing fruitful shots from ball-handlers from playing too far back or giving up lobs from committing too early.
We saw a slight-but-important shift from the Wolves in their preseason opener; Towns is playing closer to the level of the screen when the action starts.
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Beyond that, Anthony Edwards does his homework early by rotating down to the "nail" to cut off the roll from Willy Hernangomez. D'Angelo Russell could be in a "split the difference" scenario behind Edwards, but opts to stick to the corner. You generally don't want help from the strong side corner, but Josh Okogie is able to stunt at the drive, recover and contest the shot.
I really appreciate the energy the Wolves played with, as well as the schematic tweaks from last season. This doesn't mean they're going to be a&nbsp;good&nbsp;defense this year &mdash; the Russell-Towns pairing is one good teams can exploit regardless of scheme right now &mdash; but they at least look sensible.&nbsp;
TYLER HERRO LOOKS MORE COMFORTABLE
I wrote about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-lowry-makes-early-impact-in-miami-heat-debut" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Lowry's debut</a>, so I won't rehash that. I'll instead turn my attention to a different guard the Heat hopes will have a major impact on the offense: Tyler Herro.
Herro didn't have a true "sophomore slump" last season, but he certainly didn't take the leap many were hoping for. Injuries/COVID, role changes and a shortened offseason all contributed to Herro's uneven year. He seems to have enjoyed the fruits of a full offseason; muscle has been added, which should only aide him as an on-ball creator.
Beyond that, the dude just looks smooth. His combination of footwork and touch allows him to get to a variety of pull-ups, side-steps and stepbacks almost at whim.
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If this is the level of shot-creating the Heat can expect from Herro this year, second units are going to have their hands full dealing with him.
JOSH GIDDEY IS FUN
I was excited to see Josh Giddey, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-giddey-ascension-to-top-nba-draft-prospect-happened-in-blink-of-an-eye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the OKC Thunder's sixth overall pick</a> from this year's draft, during Summer League play. His first game was against Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. A matchup for the ages in my jumbo-wing-creator-enthusiast eye.
So of course, Giddey got hurt in what felt like 10 seconds and the dream died with his absence.
Giddey made his&nbsp;real&nbsp;debut on Monday and didn't disappoint: 18 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in a little under 29 minutes.
My official analysis: Sign me the heck up.
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Three assists undersold the kind of passing game Giddey had. He made good decisions just about any time he was able to generate a deep paint touch. I want to see more from his jumper moving forward &mdash; his spot-ups look a bit wonky to me (though he shot 2-of-4 from three), so I'm curious to see what his mechanics look like off the dribble.&nbsp;
PRECIOUS ACHIUWA: UNLEASHED
This isn't me projecting Achiuwa to have some sort of insane leap; I mostly mean he's actually going to get the oppportunity to do stuff. He didn't get much leeway during his rookie season in Miami. Relegated to handoff, screening and glass-crashing duties, Achiuwa was a bit pigeonholed before (rightfully) losing a consistent spot in the rotation as playoff time approached.
The Toronto Raptors don't have title aspirations this season, nor do they have an All-Star center blocking the path to heavy minutes like the Heat with Bam Adebayo. This year is set up for Achiuwa to be given some freedom, so it's nice to see him have the flashes he's had so far.
Eurosteps in transition, pull-up jumpers, three-pointers &mdash; he's already taken more threes (2) than he did last season (1). Achiuwa has been allowed to push the break after grabbing rebounds.
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I'm here for it, honestly.

Nekias Duncan highlights four things that have stood out during the first week of preseason basketball.

NBA Preseason Musings: Early trends that may matter later

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

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Divison

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

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Southeast Division

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

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

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

It&rsquo;s not often that the team who has the defending MVP on its roster is flying well-under the radar heading into the following season &mdash; but that&rsquo;s exactly what is happening with the Denver Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic epitomizes the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-the-nba-top-10-unicorns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unicorn mold</a> that is so valuable and transcendent within the modern NBA. As a 7-footer who can operate the offense and score efficiently from all three levels, Jokic manipulates defenses with rare savvy. Jokic is like Peyton Manning, thinking two or three moves ahead and putting defenders exactly where he pleases. The end result? Easy baskets for optimum offensive output. After averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists on an outstanding 64.7% True Shooting percentage, Jokic is just now reaching his top form on the basketball court.
Denver has magnificently built a team to strengthen his incredible gifts.
Jamal Murray is the perfect 1B to Jokic&rsquo;s 1A, a flamethrowing scorer who can erupt at will. In addition, Michael Porter Jr.&rsquo;s development as a scorer adds another wrinkle to the Nuggets&rsquo; long-term ceiling. Looking back on it, Porter dropping to No. 14 overall because of back concerns was a gamble that could have changed the fortunes of Denver&rsquo;s window with Jokic. Aaron Gordon is a bulky, uber-athletic big who can guard three positions and move effectively without the ball, capitalizing on easy cuts to the rim. To top it off, Will Barton and 2021 first-round pick <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nba-draft-prospect-nahshon-bones-hyland-demands-your-attention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nah&rsquo;Shon &ldquo;Bones&rdquo; Hyland</a> provide microwave scoring off the bench and can further supplement a continuous wave of offensive firepower.
Looking ahead to the 2021-22 season, how does Denver stack up? With Murray&rsquo;s rehab moving forward from a torn ACL &mdash; a setback that really dampened Denver&rsquo;s high-end outcome last season &mdash; a potentially slow start could be in store. Murray&rsquo;s projected timetable for a return could last until around the All-Star break or later, which means Jokic and Porter will have to buoy the Nuggets&rsquo; output every night. We know what to expect from Jokic, but Porter having the opportunities to further his talented rise is a great scenario for Denver. From April 6 and on, Porter averaged 21.4 points while shooting 42.7% on three-pointers in 32 games. This was a preview of Porter&rsquo;s upcoming role as the top secondary option behind Jokic, one that will play such a critical factor to Denver maintaining its elite status without Murray.
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Porter has flashed immense potential as a scorer, but he still needs work as a defender and playmaker. During the Western Conference semifinals, Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams told his star backcourt duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker to continuously hunt Porter in switch opportunities. Once Phoenix figured this formula out, the team made Porter nearly unplayable while Denver was swept with emphatic fashion. If Porter is able to take strides forward as a passable defender &mdash; similar to the development we&rsquo;ve actually seen from Booker in Phoenix, actually &mdash; it will go a long way toward him reaching a potential star-level profile within the Association.
When you look outside of the Nuggets&rsquo; trio of Jokic, Porter and Gordon, it&rsquo;s an unproven bunch that will need to supplement well-rounded play in Murray&rsquo;s absence. Until the "Blue Arrow" returns to play Robin to Jokic&rsquo;s Batman, Denver will need more development from its young core. Hyland shined in the summer league, further hammering home the case that he should play an immediate role off the bench to alleviate the pressure off Jokic and Porter. However, question marks loom over the big-man duo behind Jokic: Bol Bol and Zeke Nnaji. Bol is a true wildcard, but he&rsquo;s never been utilized within the Nuggets&rsquo; rotation as he enters the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, Nnaji had a rough summer-league outing where he looked lost at points. If neither can step up, Jokic is in line to lead the NBA in minutes played this season.
Let&rsquo;s take a look at the Nuggets rotation without Murray for the 2021-22 campaign:
Starters: Monte Morris, Will Barton, Michael Porter, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Second Unit: Facundo Campazzo, Bones Hyland, Austin Rivers, P.J. Dozier, JaMychal Green, Bol Bol
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It&rsquo;s a lot of question marks and unproven depth behind a solid starting lineup, which maybe caps where Denver can go this season without a fully healthy Murray providing scoring fireworks. The Suns exposed the Nuggets in the playoffs, and surely many teams will test that theory to further extends early on. If Denver stumbles out of the gate, the team's ceiling could be a No. 4 seed. However, as we saw once Murray went down, Jokic can carry a roster single-handedly. If Jokic maintains MVP-level production, which should be a near-lock, Denver can stay afloat near the elite tier of the West. Are they better than Phoenix, Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers and potentially even a Dallas team with a forthcoming superstar leap again from Luka Doncic? Probably not.
Denver will need Porter to produce Murray-esque levels of offensive production, while Gordon needs to be more assertive within the streamline of the Nuggets' free-flowing offense that runs through their jumbo-sized playmaker.
Once Murray returns, Denver has already shown how lethal it can be. If you add another dynamic scorer to the mix in Porter &mdash; whose confidence should reach all-time highs in Murray's absence &mdash; this team can go on a run. Murray&rsquo;s wildcard factor late into the regular season and playoffs will be the top factor to watch with Denver.
If Murray is back to Murray &mdash; soul-snatching, back-breaking moments as a deadly scorer &mdash; the Nuggets are ready to pounce as a dark-horse contender who can make a deep run. Jokic and Porter will need to keep the Nuggets afloat and within a solid positioning, and the Nuggets hope to have Murray provide the much-needed jolt of stability and star-power back into the equation.
We don&rsquo;t talk enough about the Nuggets heading into the 2021-22 season. But it&rsquo;s the Nuggets&rsquo; 1B to their MVP who truly holds the trump card for where they can go upon Murray's eventual return.

The Nuggets are flying under the radar. Will they be able to maintain elite status in the West as Jamal Murray rehabs from an injury?

Will Nuggets stay afloat in West without Jamal Murray?

The Indiana Pacers are at a crossroads, with the 2021-22 season looking like their final opportunity to make significant noise with this current core. On paper, Indiana&rsquo;s roster is strong, especially with their projected rotation of Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. McConnell, Justin Holiday, Chris Duarte and Torrey Craig.
But it&rsquo;s led to little success in recent years. The Pacers created one of the Association&rsquo;s best rivalries with the Miami Heat, with Paul George, Roy Hibbert, David West and Lance Stephenson leading the charge versus LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Ever since those days, Indiana has struggled to be competitive in a playoff series.
As long as the Simon family owns the Pacers, Indiana will never hit the reset button completely. It&rsquo;s why they traded George to Oklahoma City for Victor Oladipo and Sabonis instead of accepting a draft-pick-heavy package from another team. Indiana later shipped off Oladipo for Caris LeVert in the massive James Harden trade early last season.
Although Indiana is a smaller market, and tanking would probably be their best bet to ensure long-term success, the franchise has made a living off of finding these win-now deals and making playoff appearances. For small-market teams, playoff revenue matters. The Pacers are the perfect example of this, especially since they&rsquo;re so against selling off any of their core players for picks.
The Nate Bjorkgren experience was disastrous for the Pacers, as the first-time head coach not only failed to connect with the locker room, but his style of play also did not fit Indiana&rsquo;s personnel. It was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Enter one of the league's best head coaches in Rick Carlisle, who used to coach Indiana before his decade-plus stint with the Dallas Mavericks. The Pacers coughed up a pretty penny to land Carlisle (over $7 million) in hopes that he can help this roster jell together and climb the Eastern Conference standings.
Carlisle was the Pacers' big offseason addition. He's viewed as their saving grace &ndash; someone who can potentially turn the team around without drastic changes (health-permitting). If Carlisle isn't able to deliver, it may be time for Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan to seriously assess what happens next in the Hoosier State.&nbsp;
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Warren is entering the final year of his $50 million extension and if he's anywhere close to the player we saw in the Bubble, he could be headed for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a potential $100 million deal next offseason</a> since he projects to be one of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/after-years-of-star-movement-2022-offseason-is-shaping-up-to-be-the-opposite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best scorers available</a>. Meanwhile, LeVert, Turner and Brogdon each have two years remaining on their deals. Sabonis is the only core piece whose contract extends past the 2022-23 season. The window for this Pacers group is right now, and it may only be open for another year or two.
Since 2015, the Pacers&rsquo; draft history has been gruesome. Outside of Turner, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-rick-carlisle-make-a-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-pairing-work-for-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who very well could be entering his final season in Indiana</a>, the front office has failed to find long-term answers. After Turner, Indiana&rsquo;s first-round draft picks have been T.J. Leaf (18th), Aaron Holiday (23rd), Goga Bitadze (18th) and, most recently, Chris Duarte (13th) and Isaiah Jackson (22nd). The 24-year-old Duarte certainly showed flashes during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and he may be able to make an immediate impact since he's widely regarded as one of the most NBA-ready prospects in this class.
It remains to be seen what Duarte and Jackson will do, but Leaf and Holiday are already off the roster. Bitadze has failed to develop past a 10-to-15-minute-per-game role, and his playing time could stagnate even further with Jackson&rsquo;s arrival. Also, the Pacers have continuously missed on second-round picks in recent years. (In 2010, Lance Stephenson was a solid find at No. 40, but that was the previous regime.)
With missed opportunities in the draft and ownership that's completely against losing revenue, Indiana is constantly a fringe playoff team &ndash; stuck in the middle of the pack. It helps the bottom dollar, sure, but where does it get the organization in the end?
The 2021-22 season is a fork-in-the-road moment for Indiana. If the Pacers miss the playoffs or just barely squeak in with everyone healthy and Carlisle running the show, massive changes should ensue. Breaking up <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-rick-carlisle-make-a-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-pairing-work-for-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the jumbo-big duo of Sabonis and Turner</a> should be in the cards. Warren could leave for nothing as an unrestricted free agent in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/after-years-of-star-movement-2022-offseason-is-shaping-up-to-be-the-opposite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a barren 2022 free-agent market</a>. Brogdon and LeVert would enter contract years of thier own the following season.
Is it realistic to expect the Pacers to make a serious leap up the East standings? The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets are not vacating the top spots. The Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls have all potentially leapfrogged them in the hierarchy. Unless we see a magical season in which everything falls perfectly into place, Indiana&rsquo;s ceiling looks to be around the No. 6 seed. It's possible they'll make another appearance in the play-in tournament.
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Although Indiana's collection of talent keeps them around the playoff picture each year, is it really worth it if they keep getting bounced in the first round every single season? Bringing Carlisle onboard signals that the Pacers know the time is now to show how competitive they truly are. However, the hourglass may have already run out, as the expiration date with their current core seems to be fast approaching. Outside of Sabonis, LeVert and rookies Duarte and Jackson, everyone else could potentially be available come February&rsquo;s trade deadline or next offseason.
It takes such a delicate balancing act for small-market teams to compete nowadays. You have to luck into drafting a superstar or consistently hit home runs with signings and trades. When Indiana was at the peak of its powers and giving Miami's Big Three a run for their money, the franchise had an ascending superstar in George. However, as we all know, that relationship soured over time and they shipped him off to Oklahoma City. Now, it seems like the Pacers are betting on Sabonis to become a Nikola Jokic-type player or for LeVert to take a massive all-around leap that puts him the Most Improved Player discussion.
However you want to slice it, it&rsquo;ll be tough sledding for the Pacers moving forward. If everything coalesces under Carlisle, he could help make them a sleeper contender in the East. If the pieces fail to come together, Indiana could potentially blow it all up within the next calendar year. The stakes are raised, and it&rsquo;s time to either double-down or fold the hand with this current roster.

The Indiana Pacers will either take the much-needed leap forward in 2021-22 or major changes could be coming for the organization.

Pacers' roster faces make-or-break 2021-22 season

We got some August randomness on Friday, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers hooking up on a three-way sign-and-trade deal.
The <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/instant-reaction-cleveland-cavaliers-lauri-markkanen-trade-chicago-bulls-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cavaliers landed forward Lauri Markkanen</a> (four years, $67 million) from the Bulls; the Bulls received Derrick Jones Jr. and a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick from the Blazers, and a 2023 second-round pick (via Denver) from the Cavaliers.&nbsp;
The early winner of the trade would be the Blazers, who acquired forward Larry Nance Jr. from the Cavaliers. It isn't the star swing that Blazer fans &ndash; and probably Damian Lillard &ndash; were hoping for. It is, however, a strong move toward adding frontcourt versatility on both ends of the floor.
The 28-year-old is coming off a productive, yet injury-shortened campaign in which he averaged 9.3 points (55/36/61), 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a career-high 1.7 steals per contest. Those aren't numbers that scream at you (aside from the steals, maybe), but they paint the picture of one of the NBA's most underrated gap-fillers.
Off the ball, Nance Jr. provides value as a screener or cutter. Thanks to his blend of athleticism and improved shooting stroke, he can operate as a roller or pop man in ball-screen actions. He doesn't just recognize what space to fill; there's a certain cadence to the way he fills it. It depends on how zippy his ball-handling partner is and, naturally, how the defense reacts.&nbsp;
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A big who can space and roll is inherently valuable as a screening partner. The fact that Nance Jr. has a little bit of short-area creation &ndash; he can take a dribble or two, spin, then finish over the top with jump hooks &ndash; is a bonus. Factor in his processing speed and passing ability, and you have a true short-roll threat on your hands.
That makes the future partnership between Nance Jr. and Damian Lillard a fun one to envision. Lillard has logo range on his jumper and consistently draws two defenders in ball-screen situations. Giving Nance Jr. a runway should make him even more dangerous as a finisher, and further unlock his passing chops. Get ready for more possessions like this.
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Nance Jr.'s utility to a short-roll passer will be useful, but it's important to note that isn't the only context in which his passing can provide value. He's a grab-and-go threat after defensive rebounds, able to map out the floor and make reads in transition. In the half-court, he can be used as a high-post hub, or create passing windows with random cuts against bent defenses.
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The possibilities with Nance Jr. are endless. High pick-and-rolls or impromptu handoffs with Lillard or C.J. McCollum. Post split action with Norm Powell flying downhill. High-low reads between Nance Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic. The Blazers will appreciate the versatility &ndash; and the randomness &ndash; that he'll inject into the offense.
On the other side of the floor, Nance Jr. provides a level of versatility that few forwards in the NBA can match. Before injuries derailed his (and the Cavaliers') season, Nance Jr. was putting together an All-Defensive-Team-caliber campaign.
He's truly destructive as a help defender, an important trait for a Blazers team that employs a pair of small guards who struggle with screen navigation. Nance Jr.'s combination of length and mobility allows him to disrupt ball-handlers at the nail, play the passing lanes on kickouts, and erase interior openings with timely rotations.
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Nance Jr. is also switchable as a defender. He's most comfortable defending forwards &ndash; he's primarily a 4, though the Cavs played him at the 3 in some of their jumbo lineups. He does, however, possess the mobility to hang with guards in a pinch. For a guy his size, he does a solid job of mirroring ball-handlers in space.
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He doesn't possess the strength to consistently play the 5, though there may be certain matchups that the Blazers could slide him down a spot. We may very well see a Lillard-McCollum-Powell-Robert Covington-Nance Jr. lineup get burn throughout the year.
In Nance Jr., the Blazers have a bridge on both ends of the floor. With his playmaking and vertical "oomph," he serves as a near-perfect complement to the pull-up prowess of Lillard. More importantly, his creativity &ndash; random screens, cuts, handoffs &ndash; can help make life easier for the non-Lillard/McCollum players if possessions break down early in the clock.
Defensively, it's hard not to get excited about the type of impact Nance Jr. can provide. If the Blazers do stick with drop coverage as their base, he can get busy as a helper at the nail or as a weakside rim protector lower on the floor. The prospect of Nance Jr. and Covington wrecking worlds on the perimeter while Nurkic, a steady if not scheme-limited rim protector, sets up shop in the paint could be the foundation of a good-enough defense.
Is the Nance Jr. move enough to save what has otherwise been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-worst-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a questionable offseason for the Blazers</a>? The jury is very much out right now. But it is undoubtedly a move in the right direction, and one that should make life easier for the franchise's star on both ends of the floor.

Nekias Duncan breaks down what newly acquired forward Larry Nance Jr. can bring to the Portland Trail Blazers on both ends of the floor.

What Larry Nance Jr. brings to the Portland Trail Blazers

Nowadays, a unicorn-type player in the NBA is becoming more commonplace than ever. We&rsquo;re hitting a golden age of talent in basketball where so many unique body types develop into mismatch nightmares at the professional level. What was now a rarity is more frequent than usual, which is a testament to how far the game has come &mdash; and also what is valued at the highest level in prospects.
How should a unicorn be classified? For reference, there are a few criteria I&rsquo;m putting in place, so if you&rsquo;re wondering where a player is and why he might not be on the list &mdash; don&rsquo;t fret. I am categorizing unicorns as multi-faceted players who provide more than one element on the basketball court standing at least 6-foot-10.
&ldquo;Where&rsquo;s Zion?! Where&rsquo;s LeBron?! Where&rsquo;s Luka?! Where&rsquo;s Bam?!&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s your answer. Even with those criteria put into place, this list is pretty darn impressive if I must say so myself. It&rsquo;s a perfect blend of elite-level pros who provide so much versatility. We&rsquo;re at the peak of the unicorn age, and it seems like this prototype is just now beginning to pick up steam.
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Without further ado, here are my top-10 unicorns currently in the NBA:
1. KEVIN DURANT
The original himself. Kevin Durant is a "cyborg unicorn," if we want to make a new term for it. Durant&rsquo;s sharpshooting equity as a jumbo floor-spacer, who has also shown an improved awareness as a defender, makes him consistently one of the best players in the Association. Even after tearing his Achilles and missing the entire 2019-20 season, Durant returned and became an MVP contender once more. That&rsquo;s even more jaw-dropping from that aspect. Durant is the original unicorn, and he certainly deserves to lead off this list.
2. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s resume at this stage of his career is already absurd, but his fluidity as an athlete with his size is outrageous. Giannis can cover the full length of the court in just a dribble or two. His ability to glide around and make impact plays on both ends is what makes Giannis one of the best players on the planet. After winning his first NBA championship, Giannis is near the top of the pedestal for unicorns. Providing amazing two-way versatility as a Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal-esque finisher around the basket with solid rim protection, Giannis could soon supplant Durant and become No. 1.
3. NIKOLA JOKIC
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🗓 SEASON REVIEW ◆ AWARDS 🏆 🏆 MVP Nikola Jokic 📼 Season mixtape<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/BVzWTxCqwr">pic.twitter.com/BVzWTxCqwr</a>
&mdash; NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFRANCE/status/1431209886554017794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Last season&rsquo;s MVP award-winner inspired the idea for this article. Jokic is everything you look for in a unicorn &mdash; a large player who provides a unique ability on the court. As a seven-footer, Jokic is a triple-double machine, averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists during his miraculous MVP run. Add in the fact that Jokic can spread the floor as an adequate three-point shooter, and his unicorn qualities shine even brighter.
4. JOEL EMBIID
Everything you want in a unicorn Embiid possesses in spades. Above-average three-level scoring, defense, basketball IQ &mdash; Philadelphia's "Process" stays near the top of award races for a multitude of reasons. Embiid just <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/76ers-sign-joel-embiid-to-4year-196-million-max-contract-extension" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed a max extension with the 76ers</a>, and Philadelphia will continue to build a roster that bests suits Embiid&rsquo;s transcendent abilities. If Embiid can become an even better three-point shooter, he could challenge for the top unicorn spot down the road. But everything else in Embiid&rsquo;s bag is already what makes him one of the best giants walking around the NBA today.
5. ANTHONY DAVIS
Davis has long been one of the best unicorns in the NBA. As a multi-time All-NBA player who provides elite production as a two-way big, Davis is slowly but surely becoming the 1A to LeBron James&rsquo; 1B with the Los Angeles Lakers. Just now entering his prime years, Davis is poised to eventually take the mantle from LeBron as the best player on the Lakers&rsquo; roster. In the meantime, Davis is the best complementary piece in the league that can go off for 40-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and 5-plus blocks on any given night. With that type of potential, Davis had to crack the top five of the NBA&rsquo;s best unicorns.
6. KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS
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Karl-Anthony Towns stuffs the stat sheet in the <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Timberwolves</a> victory. 26 PTS 18 REB 5 AST 4 BLK 64.1 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/bwEzES2xLK">pic.twitter.com/bwEzES2xLK</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1384726284333469698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Towns is a fantastic scorer for any big man. Did you know the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves has shot above 40% on his three-pointers since the 2018-19 season? Seemingly way too far under the radar, Towns has become one of the NBA&rsquo;s best scorers. Towns would&rsquo;ve been even higher on this list if not for his lack of consistent effort on defense. If it ever clicks for Towns on that end, he will become the best big man in the league. Minnesota has so much young talent on its roster to accompany KAT, including former No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards. If the Wolves take a leap, Towns will get more national respect that he deserves for the caliber player that he is.
7. MICHAEL PORTER JR.
This may seem high for Porter Jr., but his breakout sophomore campaign (technically MPJ&rsquo;s third season, but he sat out Year 1 due to back surgery) helped him surge up the list of unique talents within the NBA. Porter's shooting ability among 6-foot-10, score-first wings is only matched by Durant, as Porter shot an incredible 44.5% on 6.3 three-point attempts per game last season. Having such an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-denver-nuggets-michael-porter-jr-affect-game-other-ways-michael-malone-nikola-jokic-paul-millsap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unguardable shot launch-point</a>, Porter can go off for 20-plus points on any given night.
With an expected leap coming from Porter next season &mdash; and also a flash of some better defense before a regression in the playoffs &mdash; he could become one of the best under-25 players in the league. Discussing jumbo-sized young prospects, Porter is one of the most intriguing of the bunch. If Porter hits his sky-high ceiling for Denver, the Nuggets will have a potent trio of scorers who could go up against anybody and win.
8. BEN SIMMONS
Simmons has become a controversial player to discuss after his disappointing playoff run with Philadelphia. Passing up a wide-open dunk because of his lack of shooting confidence, Simmons could soon be on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-what-should-the-76ers-do-with-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">way out of the Sixers&rsquo; long-term plans</a>. But even if that&rsquo;s the case, it still doesn&rsquo;t knock all that the 2016 No. 1 overall pick can provide to any organization. Although the shooting is woeful, to say the least, he&rsquo;s still a jumbo-sized point-forward who offers All-NBA defense and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-is-driving-success-in-philadelphia-76ers-sixers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">above-average playmaking chops</a> for his size.
In the right situation that optimally spaces the floor, Simmons could look more like a Giannis-type of player who attacks the basket with reckless abandon on every possession. In the meantime, Simmons&rsquo; stock is at an all-time low. It wouldn&rsquo;t shock me if Simmons cracked the top-five on the 2022-23 unicorns list if he gains some semblance of scoring ability outside of the paint.
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9. KRISTAPS PORZINGIS
Porzingis made the unicorn phrase popular within NBA circles. After beginning his career with the New York Knicks, Porzingis&rsquo; 7-foot-3 frame would single-handedly carry his team to victory in some games. With such a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-balancing-act-of-kristaps-porzingis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unique frame and an ability to protect the rim and shoot three-pointers so fluidly</a>, Porzingis used to be a player many thought you could build a team around. Nowadays due to injury concerns, Porzingis is settling in as a second or third option with the Dallas Mavericks alongside Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr.
New head coach Jason Kidd&rsquo;s top task in Dallas is to bring back the New York version of Porzinigis which terrorized opposing gameplans. If it all clicks back together for Porzingis, the Mavericks will be a force in the Western Conference, with a top MVP contender already on their roster in Doncic.
10. EVAN MOBLEY
It's bold to put a rookie who has yet to play a single NBA game at No. 10 on the unicorns list, but I&rsquo;m going for it. Mobley was one of the safest big man prospects we&rsquo;ve seen enter the NBA in years. His ability to shoot, defend multiple positions and even facilitate made many believe he was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/cavs-feel-super-fortunate-to-land-potential-twoway-star-evan-mobley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a transcendent prospect coming out of USC</a>. Now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Mobley will likely be a starting power forward alongside Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt. Add in an interesting backcourt combination in Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, plus Isaac Okoro on the wing, and the Cavs have an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-cleveland-cavaliers-banking-on-organic-growth-supplementing-talent-to-take-next-step" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exciting young core to build around</a>.
Mobley should soon become the No. 1 building block in Cleveland with his immense upside as a multi-faceted seven-footer who can impact the game in so many different ways. Eventually, Mobley could see himself be one of the game&rsquo;s top unicorns if his skill set translates as smoothly as it&rsquo;s expected to.

Who are the best "unicorn" players in the NBA? What classifies as one? Evan Sidery lists his top-10.

Ranking the NBA's top-10 unicorns

A new era of Detroit Pistons basketball has officially begun in the Motor City. After over a decade of waiting anxiously for a return to relevance since the golden years of Chauncey Billups, Richard &ldquo;Rip&rdquo; Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace, Detroit is back on the map.
Securing their first No. 1 overall pick in franchise history, Detroit landed one of the most pro-ready star prospects in the modern era.
Cade Cunningham instantly became Detroit&rsquo;s top sports figure once he donned the Pistons&rsquo; hat during the 2021 NBA Draft. After dominating the competition at Oklahoma State University on his way to winning the Wayman Tisdale Award (given to the top freshman in college basketball), Cunningham was a sure-fire No. 1 selection with limited flaws in his repertoire.
Cunningham represents how franchise-changing players enter the NBA: jumbo playmakers who can score efficiently on all three levels. Many of today's top young stars, such as Devin Booker, Trae Young, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum, possess these traits that have helped them reach new heights in short order.
Becoming the immediate No. 1 option in Detroit&rsquo;s system, Cunningham will put up numbers during his rookie season, but don&rsquo;t sleep on his defense. Cunningham has every tool at his disposal to become a top-20 player in the league within the next few years, which should make Pistons fans giddy for their immediate- and long-term future.
During the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Cunningham has continuously flashed his sky-high potential by averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting an eye-opening 50% (13-for-26) on three-point attempts. Of course, it&rsquo;s a small three-game sample size, but Cunningham is showing exactly why he was one of the easiest No. 1 picks in recent memory.
With their young superstar secured for nearly a decade, Detroit also has a promising trio of prospects already in their development system.
2020-21 All-Rookie forward Saddiq Bey is locked in as Detroit&rsquo;s wing of the future. Perfectly fitting within the 3-and-D label, Bey shined last season, averaging 12.2 points with a 38.8% clip from deep.
Killian Hayes, the No. 7 overall pick from the 2020 draft, struggled adjusting to NBA speed on both ends, but he looks the part of a low-usage primary initiator who can play solid point-of-attack defense.
Isaiah Stewart made veteran center Mason Plumlee expendable after showcasing real value as a multi-faceted big man who can contribute in every fashion. Among players who logged at least 700 minutes last season, only four averaged 13.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per 36 minutes: Rudy Gobert, Clint Capela, Robert Williams and Stewart.
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The No. 1 pick can join this solid young core and quickly expedite their rebuild. Cunningham, Bey and Stewart check the boxes at each of the game&rsquo;s three foundational spots (ball=handler, wing and big), but questions still loom about whether Hayes is a compatible fit long-term alongside Cunningham due to his lack of shooting at this stage.
We haven&rsquo;t even discussed Jerami Grant yet, who exploded onto the national scene once he finally received an expanded role in Detroit. Showcasing himself as one of the NBA's best role players in Oklahoma City and Denver &mdash; thriving alongside stars such as Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray &mdash; Grant decided to bet on himself, signing with the Pistons instead of returning to a potential Finals contender. During the 2020-21 season, Grant averaged 22.3 points as his career-best usage rate jumped over 10 percentage points from the year prior with the Nuggets (18.0% to 28.5%).
Detroit is still a year or two away from playoff contention, but having Grant on board will ease the pressure placed upon Cunningham. The Grant-Cunningham duo will create highlight moments and wreak havoc in two-way situations as a guard-wing combination. Cunningham will allow Grant to slide back into a secondary role as well, which should make him an even stronger complement to the Oklahoma State product.
Although they will surely fly well under the radar next season, Detroit has a complementary core that fits well together. Cunningham, Bey and Stewart are part of the long-term core, while Grant has the potential to ascend to an All-Star-caliber player with extra help surrounding him.
This leads us back to the biggest question currently on Detroit&rsquo;s roster: Hayes. The 20-year-old French point guard is the X-Factor in Detroit's status as a rising franchise. Hayes struggled mightily during his rookie campaign, which resulted in a porous 42.2% True Shooting percentage. Hayes flashed the defensive ability to handle point guards in one-on-one matchups, but the offense was a net negative. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 6.8 points per game while shooting 27.8% on three-pointers. In order for Hayes to become a strong complement to the sturdy core already in place, he needs to expand his two-way profile.
So far in Las Vegas, the results haven&rsquo;t been encouraging during Summer League action. Hayes is 7-for-22 (31.8%) from the floor, including 2-for-11 (18.2%) from deep. Hayes&rsquo; inability to keep defenses honest is a real concern moving forward, questioning again whether he can be a real complementary piece around Cunningham, who needs floor-spacers to showcase his playmaking chops as a 6-foot-8 offensive engine.
Once Detroit added Cunningham, they made a real effort to acquire perimeter gravity within their system. Signing Kelly Olynyk to a three-year, $37.2 million contract on the first day of free agency &mdash; the best floor-spacing big on the open market &mdash; sent a message about how the Pistons' offense will function in 2021-22 and beyond: completely through their generationally-talented rookie. Detroit also signed Trey Lyles, another jump-shooting big, and re-signed Frank Jackson and Rodney McGruder.
Hamidou Diallo, whom Detroit acquired mid-season from Oklahoma City, has his restricted offer waiting from the Pistons. It&rsquo;s currently a waiting game between both sides, but it should get done eventually, returning a springy athlete to feast on lobs and cuts around the basket from Cunningham.
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Scanning through Detroit&rsquo;s rotation, it&rsquo;s not a collection of misfit toys. There&rsquo;s real talent assembled in the Motor City, allowing head coach Dwane Casey to trot out a potential 10-12 man unit that could look like this:
Starters: Killian Hayes, Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart
Bench: Frank Jackson, Saben Lee, Hamidou Diallo, Rodney McGruder, Josh Jackson, Trey Lyles, Kelly Olynyk
Sure, the Pistons are not a real threat in 2021-22 and perhaps not in 2022-23. However, don&rsquo;t be surprised if the team makes a leap quicker than expected. With Cunningham, they have a win-now, face-of-the-franchise prospect who could lift a subpar roster on his own terms. Throw in their strong ancillary pieces and Detroit is coming down the pipeline as a real Eastern Conference playoff threat. In the meantime, they&rsquo;re definitely near the top of the list of squads to follow on NBA League Pass throughout the season.

Although the Detroit Pistons are still a few years away, a new era led by an enticing young core provides hope for the future.

Motor City Renaissance: The future is now for the Pistons

Heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the NBA&rsquo;s most intriguing teams. They have a solid young nucleus, a new head coach, new ownership, and a tough climb in terms of scaling the ladder in the Western Conference.
With so many teams either in win-now mode, or ascending rapidly thanks to internal development, Minnesota once again could be on the outside looking in for a real playoff opportunity in 2021-22.
In their current state, the T-Wolves have to rely on their 25-and-under trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. When all of them were on the floor together last season, Minnesota was 13-11.&nbsp;
In a small sample size (324 minutes) featuring Minnesota's trio, their three-man lineup offensive rating was 120.9, which would&rsquo;ve ranked No. 1 for any team last season. However, the defensive rating checked in at 116.0 &mdash; a mark that puts Minnesota last in the Association for team-wide advanced metrics. Although the overall net rating for Minnesota&rsquo;s young Big 3 still checked in at +5.3, they were relying on outscoring the opposition at a pace that seemed unsustainable over a full 82-game schedule.
Toss starting shooting guard Malik Beasley into the mix &mdash; who has canned 40.6% of his three-pointers since arriving in Minnesota two years ago &mdash; and the total sample size for the four-man unit was 13 minutes. Yes, you read that right, 13 minutes. That's all that Towns, Russell, Edwards and Beasley suited up together for during the 2020-21 campaign.
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Minnesota is betting on its young core to take necessary steps forward, but new head coach Chris Finch must also figure out how to utilize his pieces more efficiently. Once Finch replaced Ryan Saunders &mdash; an incredibly tough adjustment coming over from the Toronto Raptors &mdash; Minnesota&rsquo;s offense started to click into high gear. One of the biggest beneficiaries from Finch&rsquo;s arrival was 2020 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards.
Edwards began to turn heads over the final stretch of last season, with many ending the campaign under the belief that he could eventually become a consistent 25-plus point per game scorer. Edwards&rsquo; emergence became one of the few bright spots from another downtrodden season for Minnesota.
Pre-All-Star Break: 14.9 points, 4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals; 37.1 FG%, 46.6 TS%
Post-All-Star Break: 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals; 45.4 FG%, 56.7 TS%
After the All-Star break, Edwards placed himself in elite company. Only six other players averaged his stat line and efficiency over that span: Stephen Curry, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum and Julius Randle. During his rookie season at age 19, Edwards put the NBA world on notice; he&rsquo;s one of the brightest young wing scorers.
With Edwards&rsquo; fast rise, another rookie for Minnesota turned into a legitimate rotation piece: No. 28 overall pick Jaden McDaniels. Although McDaniels&rsquo; numbers weren&rsquo;t gaudy &mdash; 6.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 blocks in 24 minutes &mdash; his improvement as a shooter late in the season provides promise for him complementing their core. McDaniels drained 38.3% of his three-pointers after the All-Star break for Minnesota, where he also forced Finch&rsquo;s hand with his plus-defensive versatility. At his peak, McDaniels figures to be a jumbo 3-and-D do-it-all big who doesn&rsquo;t need plays run for him. He's already passed the eye test with flying colors, and now he should slide right in as Minnesota&rsquo;s starting power forward alongside Towns, Russell, Edwards and Beasley.
Minnesota also drafted point-forward Leandro Bolmaro from Argentina in the 2020 draft, who plans to join the roster after being stashed last season overseas. After Ricky Rubio was traded to Cleveland for veteran wing Taurean Prince, Bolmaro figures to play an important role as a playmaker off the bench immediately.
&ldquo;This draft class was a game-changer for this organization,&rdquo; <a href="https://theathletic.com/2738320/2021/08/11/jaden-mcdaniels-is-becoming-the-rare-late-first-round-success-story-for-the-wolves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timberwolves GM Gersson Rosas recently told The Athletic&rsquo;s Jon Krawczynski</a>. &ldquo;When it happens like that, you want to be right more often than you&rsquo;re wrong. And nobody&rsquo;s always right.&rdquo;
With high hopes for the 2020 draft haul helping pull Minnesota into real playoff contention eventually, how does their rotation stack up for 2021-22?
Starters = Russell, Beasley, Edwards, McDaniels, Towns
Second Unit = Bolmaro, Josh Okogie, Jarrett Culver, Prince, Juancho Hernangomez, Naz Reid
Although the starting lineup has huge potential &mdash; especially with the projected sophomore leaps for Edwards and McDaniels &mdash; Minnesota&rsquo;s second-unit is shallow on NBA experience and net-positive players. For the Timberwolves to become a real playoff threat, the Towns/Russell/Edwards trio needs to be dominant. And it&rsquo;s fair to wonder if Edwards needs to become his post-All-Star break self every single night for Minnesota to take those necessary steps forward.
Minnesota&rsquo;s core is locked in for the foreseeable future. Towns and Russell are best friends on-and-off the court and have a bond that developed during the 2015 pre-draft process. But is the former No. 2 overall pick the best fit moving forward with Edwards&rsquo; becoming a real 1B option?
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Moving forward, there&rsquo;s no reason for Minnesota to not treat Edwards as their second star behind Towns. He&rsquo;s already proven to have more two-way ability than Russell, who is an above-average three-level scorer. Still, the point guard has been graded across multiple metrics as the worst defender for his position. For a team starved of impact defenders, Russell is the opposite. He brings scoring and some playmaking, but not much else.
For Towns, the clock is already ticking in Minnesota. He&rsquo;s experienced the playoffs one time in his six-year career after being selected No. 1 overall. And that one appearance was due to Jimmy Butler, who is no longer with the franchise. Towns&rsquo; career record is nearly 100 games below .500 at 185-279. Halfway through his rookie-scale max contract extension &mdash; which expires after the 2023-24 season &mdash; the time is now for Minnesota to put the necessary pieces around him before it&rsquo;s too late.
Edwards feels like a lock to be a key cog in the Timberwolves' rise. McDaniels has shown flashes of a competent frontcourt partner alongside Towns. Questions still loom about Russell&rsquo;s overall value in a winning situation, but right now, Minnesota&rsquo;s roster is still on the youthful side of the spectrum.
Banking on the young core is a necessary risk for a small market like Minnesota, but there needs to be some urgency. If all goes well for the Timberwolves this season, these Towns-related concerns will wash away.
In the end, it'll be determined by whether this appealing core centered around he and Edwards stakes their claim as a rising team in the Western Conference.

The 2021-22 season will be an important one for the Timberwolves. Can they defy the odds and make an improbable run to the postseason?

Can the Timberwolves step forward in the loaded Western Conference?

The biggest offseason domino yet to fall is Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons.
Coming off a forgetful playoff run where he seemed allergic to having the basketball in his hands late in games, Simmons and the Sixers are at a crossroads. Will the 25-year-old max All-Star stay in Philadelphia, or will he be shipped off elsewhere before the 2021-22 season begins?
Last season, Simmons averaged a career-low 14.3 points to go along with 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists. However, he's been a plus-defender his entire career; there&rsquo;s no denying the impact he has on that end of the floor. Coming off two consecutive seasons in which he was named to the All-Defense First Team, any organization should be able to utilize the jumbo-sized, uber-athletic point-forward on both offense and defense.
However, it&rsquo;s fair to wonder whether Simmons can reach his full potential in a Sixers uniform. With Joel Embiid, Simmons isn't utilized as a post-passing savant who can abuse mismatches against slower-footed bigs. In an offense built entirely around Simmons, he could flourish with more freedom.
Simmons is an interesting case study for star-caliber players on massive salaries. With his trade value at an all-time low, Philadelphia is still asking for an enormous return &mdash; four first-round picks and an All-Star has been reported. Nobody will give Sixers GM Daryl Morey that much value in any Simmons deal, so what makes sense in a potential package?
Let&rsquo;s go ahead and take a look, name some teams that should be calling Philadelphia and assemble some trade packages.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS
The pressure is on for Sacramento to finally field a winning team and snap their 15-year playoff drought. Whether it be Simmons or Pascal Siakam, I&rsquo;ve suggested that the Kings finally push their chips into the middle of the table for an aggressive win-now move.
Simmons would be the perfect piece to fit into their puzzle alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. The Kings&rsquo; backcourt duo had a positive net rating last season, and adding Simmons to the mix gives them a very fun playmaking trio that can play off one another.
Playing the four alongside Richaun Holmes provides little spacing, but Simmons could become the de-facto primary ball handler with Fox and Haliburton providing spacing around the perimeter. A potential starting unit featuring Fox, Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Simmons and Richaun Holmes could hold up on both ends of the court.
Philadelphia receives: Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks
Sacramento receives: Ben Simmons
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
In a similar position as Sacramento, Minnesota could rise in the Western Conference with an impact move. Karl-Anthony Towns is a bonafide superstar, while Anthony Edwards has great potential. Tossing Simmons into the Timberwolves&rsquo; lineup would be exactly how they can become a more well-rounded team.
The question is, would Minnesota pull the trigger on trading Towns&rsquo; good friend D&rsquo;Angelo Russell? If so, Minnesota&rsquo;s new Big 3 would be outstanding.
Imagine the endless possibilities with Simmons flanking Towns and Edwards. The Wolves&rsquo; primary scoring duo could still have their way offensively, but Simmons would be the glue holding everything together from a playmaking and defensive standpoint.
Philadelphia receives: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Jaden McDaniels, future first-round pick
Minnesota receives: Ben Simmons
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
What exactly are the Spurs up to right now? Signing Doug McDermott and Bryn Forbes, San Antonio might be picturing a scenario where they are good enough to push for the playoffs. The strategy for San Antonio should revolve around tanking and focusing on the internal development of their young core.
However, if the Spurs want to make one more big push before head coach Gregg Popovich&rsquo;s presumed retirement, maybe a Simmons trade could go down.
San Antonio has a strong ecosystem in which Simmons could rebuild his value. Surrounded by plus three-point shooters, Simmons can reach his ceiling in a role where everything is built around his strengths.
Philadelphia receives: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, Thaddeus Young, future first-round pick
San Antonio receives: Ben Simmons
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Would the Warriors even be interested in Simmons? It&rsquo;s a real question to ask with Draymond Green already playing a similar role. However, as Green ages, he&rsquo;s the perfect mentor for Simmons to learn from.
Golden State has one big move left up their sleeve with Andrew Wiggins' contract and a lot of young prospects &mdash; James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Jordan Poole. Surely they have their eyes on All-NBA talents such as Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, but Simmons could be the most realistic player to add with their current collection of assets.
Imagining Simmons flanked by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson is a fun exercise, too. Maybe down the line, this is the type of environment where Simmons could become a player where the offense is adequately spaced for him to feast on drives to the basket.
Philadelphia receives: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, two future first-round picks
Golden State receives: Ben Simmons
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WASHINGTON WIZARDS
One team that has finally tried to build around their star the right way is Washington, which is set to give Bradley Beal a competent roster for the 2021-22 season. However, Beal is entering the final year of his deal.
Would Simmons work well alongside Beal? That&rsquo;s a legitimate concern, but a home run swing that could be necessary for Beal to commit long-term in the nation&rsquo;s capital.
Simmons and Beal flanked by shooters and prospects is a nice foundation for Wizards GM Tommy Shepard to build around for the next five-plus years.
Philadelphia receives: Davis Bertans, Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, two future first-round picks
Washington receives: Ben Simmons
TORONTO RAPTORS
Another team facing a fork in the road with their current roster construction, Toronto has to decide on what happens with Pascal Siakam. Will Toronto keep Siakam around with their young core, or flip him for more long-term value?
If the Raptors want to make an aggressive win-now push while also offloading Siakam, enter Simmons.
A potential lineup of Simmons with Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa sounds like something Toronto would love to try.
Is Simmons open to moving across the border? If so, this could be a win-win deal for both sides as they begin new eras for their respective organizations. Siakam and Embiid is a terrifying frontcourt for Philadelphia, and the duo would allow Tobias Harris to slide back into the small forward position. Meanwhile, Toronto brings Simmons aboard as their new face of the franchise with a solid young nucleus surrounding him.
Philadelphia receives: Pascal Siakam
Toronto receives: Ben Simmons
INDIANA PACERS
No surprise, Indiana is another team that could be staring down the barrel of important, franchise-altering decisions within a year. The Pacers have a great, well-balanced roster that&rsquo;s been plagued by injuries over the last few seasons. T.J. Warren, who broke out in a huge way during the Orlando Bubble, only played four games during the 2019-20 campaign. Caris LeVert missed time due to a cancerous tumor that was discovered after the James Harden trade. Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon continue to miss time here and there due to various injuries, not helping remove the "injury-prone" labels placed on them in the past.
Rick Carlisle is making a triumphant return to Indiana after more than a decade, and the Pacers feel a coaching switch and better health might be their best bet to jump up another rung in the Eastern Conference standings.
Indiana has sniffed around Simmons' availability already this offseason, though. Having a tough time being able to pitch top free agents on coming to Indianapolis, making an aggressive trade might be the only way for it to happen.
Although one of Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis would need to be moved to a third team in this hypothetical scenario, Indiana going star hunting could be the necessary tweak to change their long-term fortunes.
Philadelphia receives: Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, two future first-round picks
Indiana receives: Ben Simmons
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
After drafting Evan Mobley No. 3 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cleveland has a bright, young core. Darius Garland, Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro and Collin Sexton will be fun to watch, but do all of the pieces actually fit together? The Cavaliers have reportedly shopped Sexton this offseason with a big-money extension potentially waiting for him in 2022. Cleveland prefers Darius Garland, who has continued to develop in his first two seasons. Being able to play off the ball as well, Garland has already shown the ability to function alongside another primary ball handler.
Kevin Love is the odd man out of Cleveland right now, but a buyout doesn&rsquo;t seem to be on the horizon; he has two years remaining on his extension.
Could Philadelphia and Cleveland build a win-win package around Simmons for Love and Sexton? It&rsquo;s a long-shot, but one that might have already been explored. Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein mentioned earlier this offseason that Cleveland is another team who has previously expressed interest in acquiring Simmons.
A core in Cleveland consisting of Simmons, Garland, Mobley, Allen and Okoro is something that&rsquo;s at least intriguing on surface level.
Philadelphia receives: Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, two future first-round picks
Cleveland receives: Ben Simmons
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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
This is Portland&rsquo;s last chance to build a Finals contender around Damian Lillard. So far this offseason, they haven&rsquo;t come close. Re-signing Norman Powell was a necessary step, but retooling their bench with Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore won&rsquo;t get it done.
The Blazers are stuck in the middle, which is the worst place to be. With that being said, it&rsquo;s time to finally break up the Lillard, C.J. McCollum backcourt. Whether it be Simmons or Siakam, Portland needs to finally make an aggressive push to appease their disgruntled superstar.
A deal revolving around Simmons and McCollum makes sense for both parties. McCollum can function as a score-first combo guard who can play well off Embiid, while Simmons provides a beautiful blend of playmaking and defense alongside Lillard.
Philadelphia receives: C.J. McCollum, Nassir Little, two future first-round picks
Portland receives: Ben Simmons
Simmons' future is the biggest question remaining in an already eventful 2021-22 offseason. Odds are, he'll be moved to the highest bidder. Perhaps it'll end up being one of the aforementioned teams.

Ben Simmons is the last big domino left to fall this offseason. Will he stay in Philadelphia? It's time to explore potential destinations.

Examining potential trade destinations for Ben Simmons

For the first time in over a decade, the Boston Celtics enter an offseason without a clear point guard hierarchy.
Dating back to 2007-08, when Rajon Rondo broke out and helped the franchise earn an NBA title, Boston had an established line of clear-cut floor generals. Rondo carried the torch (albeit through some injury-shortened seasons) before Isaiah Thomas came along, and then Kyrie Irving, and then Kemba Walker.&nbsp;
All four were established starters and played signficant roles in the team's offense. But when newly promoted team president Brad Stevens sent Walker to Oklahoma City in the first major trade of the summer, the chain broke. Boston is in layers of unfamiliar territory this offseason -- new head coach, new general manager, new starting point guard -- and that's what makes this one of the more interesting offseasons in recent team history.
The point guard question isn't just about what name will appear on the jumbotron. It could challenge that bloodline of Celtics scoring guards and signal a shift to a different style of offense.
Does Boston's lead ball-handler need to be the point guard? Do Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown need a third self-creator? What about the bench -- how do the Celtics resolve the revolving door at backup point guard and stabilize an inconsistent second unit? How many chips do the Celtics push in this summer with a potential spending spree looming in 2022?
Each answer changes depending on what avenue Stevens and head coach Ime Udoka choose. I'm just here to lay out the plausible options. Let's get started.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">In-House Solutions</h2>
The Celtics have five incumbent options to fill out the rotation. But according to Jared Weiss of&nbsp;The Athletic, two-way player Tremont Waters <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tremont-waters-looking-to-leave-celtics-find-nba-rotation-role-elsewhere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appears to be on his way out</a>. So that leaves four choices, with the most unproven player also being the only traditional point guard.&nbsp;
Marcus Smart is the longest-tenured Celtic. He's played seven seasons as a complement off the ball alongside all four of Rondo, Thomas, Irving and Walker. But Smart is&nbsp;different. Unlike the latter three in particular, he doesn't command touches or consistently make shots, but instead plays All-NBA-caliber defense and play-makes at an underrated level.&nbsp;
Despite what disgruntled Celtics fans might say about him hijacking possessions, Smart's usage rate has never exceeded 20%. He's a familiar fit next to Tatum and Brown, and could be the fuel that can jump start last year's disappointing defense.
Udoka sees it, too. He called Smart a <a href="https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2021/06/29/ime-udoka-invaluable-marcus-smart-celtics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'foundational piece'</a> back in June. If the Celtics re-sign Evan Fournier, Smart can focus on distributing to three solid scorers while setting the defensive tone. He's a capable starter -- even if his role looks different from Celtic point guards' past.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Great pass from Marcus Smart here. He's up to eight assists. <a href="https://t.co/hrQSmaEGl3">pic.twitter.com/hrQSmaEGl3</a>
&mdash; Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisgrenham/status/1389024830901604354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The experience level plummets after Smart. Payton Pritchard carved out a spot in the rotation as the 26th overall pick last season. The 23-year-old rookie made 41.1% of his threes and generally looked composed with the ball, but Pritchard has a ways to go as a defender and overall decision-maker.
Then, there's 2019 lottery pick Romeo Langford. The oft-injured guard may get some burn <a href="https://theathletic.com/2712647/2021/07/19/celtics-summer-league-roster-taking-shape-ahead-of-nba-draft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at point guard in Summer League</a>, and has shown glimpses of a versatile defender and attacker off the dribble. At this stage, though, Langford would be unprepared for a role he hasn't taken on since high school.&nbsp;
Carsen Edwards has yet to find consistency in his pro game and in the lineup. That leaves 21-year-old Israeli prospect Yam Madar -- the only player with a season of professional experience as a true point guard -- as a longshot option.
I'm as bullish on Madar's NBA future as anyone. At 6-foot-3, Madar's on-ball tenacity, athleticism and 40% three-point clip could shape up as a lethal combination. But it would be risky to even slot Madar in as a backup from the jump, much less put him in the starting lineup.
If the Celtics made no offseason addition, I'd expect Smart to roll as the starting "point guard." The position is in quotes because his role, and the position in general, lines up less and less with traditional responsibilities. Smart could be the "point guard," while Pritchard and Langford operate as backup "point guards," but Tatum and Brown will be just as important in setting the offensive table.&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Draft and Free Agency</h2>
Boston traded its No. 16 overall selection to OKC in the Kemba Walker deal. As things stand, Stevens only has the 45th pick to work with. If the choice is a point guard, that rookie is unlikely to be a Year 1 contributor. So we'll move on to free agent options.
The Celtics do not have cap space. They're actually $16.3 million over the salary cap, <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Spotrac</a>, and that's before potentially bringing back Fournier, who they can go over the cap to re-sign. Free agent signings will have to come via the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (worth about $9.5 million), the Bi-Annual Exception ($3.7 million) or veteran minimum contracts.&nbsp;
The pickings slim right down. I won't speculate on projected contracts, but consider that the Celtics signed Tristan Thompson to a similar deal (two years, $19 million) last offseason. Thompson was expected to be a borderline-starting player, and he more-or-less met that projection. Guards who could fit a similar tier include: Derrick Rose, T.J. McConnell, Reggie Jackson and Alex Caruso.&nbsp;
Boston signed Jeff Teague to a vet minimum deal last season. The move didn't pan out -- Teague was dealt at the trade deadline -- but he was brought in to be a steady, seasoned backup. Some names matching that description could be Patty Mills, Ish Smith or Langston Galloway.
Both pathways can infuse the rotation with quality players, but they likely won't be a long-term answer at the position. Plus, point guard isn't the only need on the roster, and the Celtics may find better value at another position. They shouldn't feel boxed in with these two avenues.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Trade Market</h2>
Do not expect Boston to swing another layered blockbuster this summer. If the salary cap sheets tell you anything, it's that Stevens is loading up to make a splash in 2022, when they have just three players locked down. The front office will bide its time until then.
The Celtics do have a whopping six trade exceptions at their disposal. Four of them are significant, worth approximately $11 million, $6.7 million, $5 million and $4.7 million. Teams cannot combine exceptions, so these would have to be used separately. But the $11 million TPE in particular must be used soon, or else it will expire on August 16.
What could the Celtics do with it? Potentially absorb a starting-caliber point guard, or package it with other players to make a more sizeable splash. For example, according to The Athletic's Zach Harper, both Dejounte Murray and Derrick White <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dejounte-murray-derrick-white-could-both-be-gettable-in-spurs-trade-talks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are "gettable"</a> in trade talks. They haven't been linked to Boston, but Murray and White are two examples of players who could fit the rotation while being financially attainable in a trade.
Ultimately, I think there are three standout routes the Celtics can take without upending the roster.
Smart is going to be on this team barring an utter shock, and he should start -- but at point guard? I believe so... unless, in the interest of preserving the all-powerful 2022 cap space, the Celtics let Fournier walk. Then Smart could return to his usual role off-ball, and the starting point guard could be acquired via trade or the $9.5 million free agency slot.
At backup, I would predict a platoon of Pritchard, Langford and a veteran acquired with that $3.7 million Bi-Annnual Exception. Perhaps Madar breaks through, as well.&nbsp;
But the key takeaway should be that the point guard situation will differ from the past decade. Let's look back at the pipeline. Rondo's four highest seasonal usage rates of his career came in Boston. Thomas, Irving and Walker all logged usage rates of at least 26% in every season wearing green, per Basketball Reference.&nbsp;
Gone could be the days of the ball-dominant point guard in Boston. Whoever plays point has to facilitate, defend and find rhythm without extended touches. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the franchise's two faces, and every other player should be working off of the young stars.

The Celtics traded Kemba Walker this summer, creating a roster question mark. Ethan Fuller mulls Boston's options at point guard.

How can the Celtics build out their 2021-22 point-guard rotation?

With 6:36 remaining in the third quarter of Sunday&rsquo;s game between the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz, Draymond Green stripped the ball away from a driving Bojan Bogdanovic and was whistled for a foul.
Green knew it was a clean strip and immediately spun his index finger in the air, motioning for head coach Steve Kerr to challenge the call. Ideally, teams will hold on to their challenges until the fourth quarter, but in this instance, overturning the call was crucial. The Warriors would have been over the foul limit in a six-point game and Bogdanovic would get two free throws.
Cue the clip!
As Kerr weighs his options, one of his assistant coaches pulls out a portable video system called DVSport&nbsp;Rewind and the play in question appears within seconds. After watching the possession from several different angles, it's clear that Green didn't foul Bogdanovic. Kerr signals for a challenge and the call is ultimately overturned, stifling any momentum that the Jazz would've had.
In addition to the Warriors, there are 13 other NBA teams that currently use DVSport Rewind, hoping to get an edge when critical calls and games are on the line.&nbsp;
The Charlotte Hornets believe that this tool could win them a few extra games over the course of the season, which could make a difference in playoff seeding. That's why they made a five-figure investment in DVSport Rewind. So far, it has worked: They have challenged seven calls this season and six have been successfully overturned.
The Pittsburgh-based DVSport Software is a well-known and trusted brand in the sports space, providing replay and coaching solutions in college basketball, college football and the NFL. Getting involved with the NBA seemed to be an obvious progression.
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THE VISION 
In 2019, DVSport basketball account specialist Kenny Brown had an idea that the company could tailor some of their college sports products to NBA benches for coaches. Brown altered a couple products and headed to Las Vegas for NBA Summer League to pitch and demo his solution.
Initially, the product was promoted as a coaching solution until a phone notification changed the course. As Brown was preparing to demo the product, he got a notification that the NBA approved bench challenges for coaches. Craig Davis, DVSport's director of team solutions, believed that the announcement was a revelation.
During the first season of challenges, NBA coaches would look to the JumboTron after dicey calls, waiting for replays that may or may not be shown. A year later, DVSport&rsquo;s system became more in demand.
&ldquo;When we went to Summer League, our initial thing was using this as an instructional method, and I don&rsquo;t think we were getting a whole lot of traction down that track," Davis said. "That was kind of the &lsquo;eureka&rsquo; moment when they approved the challenges. Then, everyone was asking that question more in tune with challenging like, &lsquo;How am I going to be able to see this video fast enough to make a decision to challenge or not?'
"And I think what happened since then, as people have initially got the product in order to help with challenges, they&rsquo;ve also seen our thing at the beginning was that this can also help you on the bench with coaching players and giving immediate feedback to people.&rdquo;
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FIRST EIGHT 
When the league announced that they'd approved bench challenges and when teams began to inquire about DVSport Rewind, Brown and Davis won them over by selling them on adaptations of their NFL and college-sports products. The first eight teams -- the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs -- were sold on the fact that they could get video on demand and be more efficient when editing film.
While the initial interest was for bench challenges, Brown shared how the tool could be used for more.
&ldquo;The benefit of what we have is that we can get video to the bench in real time," he said. "We have a challenge product and also a coaching product that we packaged together."
The Mavericks know all about the capabilities of DVSport&rsquo;s tool since they are the only team in the NBA that uses both the challenge product and the coaching product. (The Rockets also use the coaching product, but they haven't invested in the challenge software.)
While most teams use products such as Final Cut Pro for their editing solutions, Dallas was years ahead of everyone else.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been uniquely involved in creating that in-game bench solution," said Mavericks basketball technology director Mike Shedd. "Now, the other teams are being able to take advantage of it since their providers can&rsquo;t quite keep up with what DVSport provides."
When Shedd came to the Mavericks in 2006, the team didn&rsquo;t have an editing company they could rely on and, like most of the league, they were using over-the-counter editing software like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere. After the initial demo of DVSport, Shedd was sold.
&ldquo;With all their expertise in the replay game -- college football, NFL, hockey -- they kinda got the market as far as being the best and the quickest and the most efficient,&rdquo; Shedd said.
DVSport created the Mavericks&rsquo; stand-alone system five years ago, which allows Shedd to receive clips on the bench within one second of the play happening. After every score or stop, the footage is readily available on Shedd&rsquo;s tablet.
One feature that stands out is the halftime edit. The tablet has an app where favorite plays are stored. The video staff can extract clips out of a couple plays to show the players and coaches at the half and then make adjustments instead of going through the work to splice, cut and paste on more traditional non-linear editing tools.
Despite being involved with DVSport for many years, Shedd is still in awe of not only the technology itself, but also its versatility and durability.
&ldquo;A college team plays 30 games; we play 30 games in two months. [I'm impressed] by how they've been able to morph their system into handling the sheer amount of things we put into it," Shedd said. "We&rsquo;re [loading in] three-to-five games a week, plus all the opponent games. That's a few thousand games each season whereas NFL teams, for example, take multiple years to get to that level as far as the amount of content. So them being able to adjust as our staffs expanded and the different technological needs expanded, there&rsquo;s nothing I can&rsquo;t go to them with and say, 'Hey, can we figure out a way to do this?' When I do that, it&rsquo;s instantly put into the queue and they try to figure it out. And more often than not, they do.&rdquo;
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NEW TO THE WAVE 
The Hornets have seemed to be on the verge of a playoff berth for at least two seasons. In the 2018-19 campaign, they were contending for the eighth seed before losing it to the Detroit Pistons on the final day of the season. Even last year, the Hornets had a chance to state their case for a spot in the play-in game in the bubble.
This season, they looked for some marginal advantages, and found it in DVSport Rewind. They invested in the portable video system, and they have two team officials behind the bench viewing the action &ndash; zooming in, speeding up and slowing down replays in time for head coach James Borrego to determine when to use his one challenge.
Since January, Borrego and the Hornets boast an 86% success rate in reversing calls -- nearly doubling the league-wide average of 46%.
George Rodman, the Hornets' director of basketball analytics and strategy, and Jordan Surenkamp, the team's head video coordinator, scroll through a cache of on-demand videos for plays that may be worth challenging.
Brown is impressed with how his new clients are performing with the device.
&ldquo;They've actually been great. They are ahead of the curve," Brown said of the Hornets' staff. "Day 1 of the demo, [Rodman] was obsessed with it. He spent more time playing and rewatching things to have coaching points and to make sure calls were right than he'd been watching games from the bench.
&ldquo;He jumped in right away and he looks at almost every call. If a call happens early in that possession and it might be something they want to look at, he knows already he&rsquo;s going to give the confirmation to the head coach to make that challenge. It's something that sits with him non-stop and he can&rsquo;t stop reviewing.&rdquo;
While teams are gravitating toward the challenge product, Brown anticipates that teams other than the Mavs and Rockets will eventually utilize the scouting and coaching software, especially since their competitors increase their prices.
&ldquo;Several of the new teams [that invested] had demos last year and were out of the playoff race and didn&rsquo;t want to totally invest," Brown said. "The main thing is being able to be there so they know where to turn when management wants to make the leap.&rdquo;
DVSport now has plenty of NBA clients (including the Bulls, Cavaliers, Clippers, Heat, Hornets, Lakers, Mavericks, Nets, Raptors, Rockets, Sixers, Spurs, Warriors and Wizards), and that list should only continue to grow.

Fourteen NBA teams have invested in DV Sport Rewind and it's giving them an edge when it comes to coaches challenges.

Instant replay on demand: How DVSport is impacting the NBA

You've heard of small-ball. You've heard of big-ball.
But have you heard of JUMBO ball?
That's what the Cleveland Cavaliers went with at several points during their 94-90 road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. Missing a plethora of bodies -- including a number of key guards -- head coach J.B. Bickerstaff had no choice but to beef up his rotations, forcing his frontcourt players to play down from their regular positions.
Andre Drummond and JaVale McGee shared the floor together for seven minutes total. Although advanced statistics can be loud, the net rating is hilariously astonishing. According to NBA.com, the Drummond-McGee combination boasted the <a href="https://go.nba.com/30uy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest offensive rating on the team</a> (158.3) among two-man combinations on Thursday night. In their 15 total minutes shared together, <a href="https://go.nba.com/hu74" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Twin Towers have a net rating of plus-23.3</a>.
"I mean, honestly, with all of our smalls being hurt, sometimes we're just trying to make five out there, and it happens to be big guys," Bickerstaff said with a chuckle following the win. "Our big guys are skilled. They can pass, they can handle, they can space the floor. I think we've got a 5 and a 5.5; I don't think we have a 4 technically with that group."
"I don't know what I am at this point," said a smiling Drummond, who recorded his ninth consecutive double-double to start the season. "I'm just out there to make the best decisions possible. Whatever position I need to be in, I'll get the job done. I love playing with JaVale, man, just 'cause he's such a smart basketball player and he makes my job a lot easier when he's out there."
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"Do you know how to guard that lineup?" In the 15 minutes they've shared the floor together, Andre Drummond &amp; JaVale McGee have a plus-23.3 net rating as a duo. With injuries, J.B. Bickerstaff &amp; the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> have gone BIG. Dove into it for <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a>: <a href="https://t.co/dQkKVrgXSq">https://t.co/dQkKVrgXSq</a> <a href="https://t.co/hNHEBY147y">pic.twitter.com/hNHEBY147y</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1347604540871290883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Larry Nance Jr. shook off a slump Thursday night, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and knocking down all four of his treys. He also shared the floor with the big-man duo for five of those seven minutes, and that <a href="https://go.nba.com/tyum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-man group led the way</a> with a net rating of plus-87.8.
"I've had the center position on my resume, I knew I had the power forward, I've got the small forward, but I think [Thursday] I may have added shooting guard as well," Nance said. "When people draft me for fantasy, you can use me for 2-through-5. They better update that... It was funny! I love it.
"...Do you know how to guard that lineup? I don't! Basketball's gone so small, and sometimes when you go big, it shocks people. They didn't know what to do. They didn't have the bodies for it, they didn't have the size for it... It worked for us tonight, and until we have more bodies, it's gonna have to keep working."
Drummond agrees with Nance's assessment.
"It scares teams," Drummond added. "Not only are we a big lineup, but we're able to move our feet defensively, so it makes teams uncomfortable as well, too. And offensively, we find ways to feed off each other. JaVale got the open corner three, which nobody expected, which is why he was wide open.
"For myself, being able to drive and then, when people come over to me, I'm able to get that dish off to JaVale for him to get the finish. And then Dean Wade, being the three-point shooter that he is, it's hard to guard."
When asked to discern between the four and the five of the Drummond-McGee pairing, Nance went with McGee because of his 4-for-9 start to the year. Considering the performance he had and the way things worked out, McGee's end to the night on Twitter was apropos.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
BRING THE &ldquo;BIG&rdquo; LINE UP OUT! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BRINGTHEBIGMANBACK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BRINGTHEBIGMANBACK</a> <a href="https://t.co/7fNwiVRDeS">pic.twitter.com/7fNwiVRDeS</a>
&mdash; Javale McGee (@JaValeMcGee) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaValeMcGee/status/1347385955062329347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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After seeing what transpired in Memphis, we can probably all agree on that one: #BringTheBigManBack.

Missing a number of backcourt players, J.B. Bickerstaff had to turn to a larger lineup to step up against the Grizzlies -- and it did.

Tufts Jumbos