Back in 2017, the Boston Celtics in the NBA draft thanks to a pick swap acquired in the famed Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster trade. University of Washington guard Markelle Fultz was the top available prospect, but Celtics general manager Danny Ainge saw things differently. Rather than standing pat and selecting the player nearly everyone viewed as the best prospect, Ainge traded down and almost immediately declared that he at No. 3 that he would have taken at No. 1.The twists and turns taken by Fultz’s career were hardly foreseeable, but three years in, Ainge is looking pretty...…Back in 2017, the Boston Celtics in the NBA draft thanks to a pick swap acquired in the famed Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster trade. University of Washington guard Markelle Fultz was the top available prospect, but Celtics general manager Danny Ainge saw things differently. Rather than standing pat and selecting the player nearly everyone viewed as the best prospect, Ainge traded down and almost immediately declared that he at No. 3 that he would have taken at No. 1.The twists and turns taken by Fultz’s career were hardly foreseeable, but three years in, Ainge is looking pretty...WW…

There is perhaps no more valuable commodity in the NBA at the moment than space. The best offenses go all out to manufacture it, flooding the floor with as many shooters and playmakers as possible in an effort to stretch point-prevention units to their limits. Top defenses, meanwhile, do everything in their power to erase it, employing a diverse range of schemes in an effort to throw scorers off their respective games.This season, no offense has compelled opposing defenses to ramp up their aggression more than that of the Portland Trail Blazers. Using the , we can see that the Blazers’...…There is perhaps no more valuable commodity in the NBA at the moment than space. The best offenses go all out to manufacture it, flooding the floor with as many shooters and playmakers as possible in an effort to stretch point-prevention units to their limits. Top defenses, meanwhile, do everything in their power to erase it, employing a diverse range of schemes in an effort to throw scorers off their respective games.This season, no offense has compelled opposing defenses to ramp up their aggression more than that of the Portland Trail Blazers. Using the , we can see that the Blazers’...WW…

When the Phoenix Suns followed up their with a for Chris Paul, the goal they had in mind seemed clear: and solidify themselves as a surefire playoff team, rather than one that had a chance to be left on the outside of the picture, looking in. Halfway through the 2020-21 season, it’s difficult to imagine the Paul trade having worked out better for the Suns than it actually has.Paul himself was based on his play during the first half of the season, and he has — as is his wont — transformed the Suns in his image. Phoenix plays a decidedly CP3-style , and it works.The Suns have a 26-12 record,...…When the Phoenix Suns followed up their with a for Chris Paul, the goal they had in mind seemed clear: and solidify themselves as a surefire playoff team, rather than one that had a chance to be left on the outside of the picture, looking in. Halfway through the 2020-21 season, it’s difficult to imagine the Paul trade having worked out better for the Suns than it actually has.Paul himself was based on his play during the first half of the season, and he has — as is his wont — transformed the Suns in his image. Phoenix plays a decidedly CP3-style , and it works.The Suns have a 26-12 record,...WW…

If they could, most NBA coaches would simply play their best players for 48 minutes a game, every game. After all, it’s the stars who largely drive team performance, and most teams are at their best when their best guys are on the floor.Of course, we know that can’t happen. The science of is fairly clear, and most teams have taken heed of it. For proof, just look at the rapid decline over the past decade-and-a-half in the number of players receiving 36-plus minutes a night. That used to be fairly standard for a team’s best and even second-best player; nowadays, it’s exceedingly rare.Players...…If they could, most NBA coaches would simply play their best players for 48 minutes a game, every game. After all, it’s the stars who largely drive team performance, and most teams are at their best when their best guys are on the floor.Of course, we know that can’t happen. The science of is fairly clear, and most teams have taken heed of it. For proof, just look at the rapid decline over the past decade-and-a-half in the number of players receiving 36-plus minutes a night. That used to be fairly standard for a team’s best and even second-best player; nowadays, it’s exceedingly rare.Players...WW…

During the 2020 offseason, there was no single than the Charlotte Hornets’ decision to sign Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $120 million deal. Hayward was, after all, coming off of three injury-plagued years with the Boston Celtics, and simply had not looked like the same player since suffering a five minutes into his Celtics tenure and missing the rest of the 2017-18 season.That Hayward was injured again during the 2020 playoffs (he missed 12 games after spraining his opposite ankle in Game 1 of the first round) did not help his perceived value — especially after he returned and looked...…During the 2020 offseason, there was no single than the Charlotte Hornets’ decision to sign Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $120 million deal. Hayward was, after all, coming off of three injury-plagued years with the Boston Celtics, and simply had not looked like the same player since suffering a five minutes into his Celtics tenure and missing the rest of the 2017-18 season.That Hayward was injured again during the 2020 playoffs (he missed 12 games after spraining his opposite ankle in Game 1 of the first round) did not help his perceived value — especially after he returned and looked...WW…

For a few hours this past weekend, it seemed like the Utah Jazz’s chances of winning the NBA title (which FiveThirtyEight’s pegs at 15 percent) might have evaporated. Donovan Mitchell’s looked plenty scary in the moment, but an MRI revealed no structural damage, and Mitchell is merely expected to miss “,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, as opposed to the rest of the season.But while Mitchell’s injury may have sealed the fate of Utah’s season had it resulted in a prolonged absence, he has not gotten the Jazz where they are now — holding a in the race for the Western Conference’s No....…For a few hours this past weekend, it seemed like the Utah Jazz’s chances of winning the NBA title (which FiveThirtyEight’s pegs at 15 percent) might have evaporated. Donovan Mitchell’s looked plenty scary in the moment, but an MRI revealed no structural damage, and Mitchell is merely expected to miss “,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, as opposed to the rest of the season.But while Mitchell’s injury may have sealed the fate of Utah’s season had it resulted in a prolonged absence, he has not gotten the Jazz where they are now — holding a in the race for the Western Conference’s No....WW…

Now that they have Giannis Antetokounmpo under contract through 2026, the Milwaukee Bucks can narrow their focus. With the day-to-day, will-he-stay-or-will-he-go pressure removed, the only thing left to do is turn the championship-level roster into an actual champion.The Bucks won than any team in the league in each of the past two seasons, but they ultimately found themselves on the losing end of a playoff series against the eventual Eastern Conference champions in both 2019 () and 2020 (). The Bucks lost those two series for myriad reasons, including Mike Budenholzer’s minutes management,...…Now that they have Giannis Antetokounmpo under contract through 2026, the Milwaukee Bucks can narrow their focus. With the day-to-day, will-he-stay-or-will-he-go pressure removed, the only thing left to do is turn the championship-level roster into an actual champion.The Bucks won than any team in the league in each of the past two seasons, but they ultimately found themselves on the losing end of a playoff series against the eventual Eastern Conference champions in both 2019 () and 2020 (). The Bucks lost those two series for myriad reasons, including Mike Budenholzer’s minutes management,...WW…

No NBA team had a busier offseason than the Oklahoma City Thunder. After being eliminated from the 2020 playoffs by the rival Houston Rockets, the Thunder parted ways with longtime head coach Billy Donovan, with the two sides not to pursue a new contract. A little more than two months later, the Thunder , who had been the franchise’s G League coach for five seasons before joining Donovan on the bench last year.Of course, the Thunder’s wheeling and dealing had yet to even begin when they hired Daigneault, but within days, general manager Sam Presti agreed to a sweeping series of deals meant...…No NBA team had a busier offseason than the Oklahoma City Thunder. After being eliminated from the 2020 playoffs by the rival Houston Rockets, the Thunder parted ways with longtime head coach Billy Donovan, with the two sides not to pursue a new contract. A little more than two months later, the Thunder , who had been the franchise’s G League coach for five seasons before joining Donovan on the bench last year.Of course, the Thunder’s wheeling and dealing had yet to even begin when they hired Daigneault, but within days, general manager Sam Presti agreed to a sweeping series of deals meant...WW…

Coming off a that vaulted the Miami Heat back into the NBA Finals, Jimmy Butler had it going again early on in Game 4. He was aggressive out of the gate, knocking down all five of his and collecting 11 points, two rebounds and two assists.What made Butler’s early game performance all the more remarkable is that the majority of his production came while he was being defended by Anthony Davis. Prior to Game 4, Davis had defended Butler on 16 possessions during this series, according to Second Spectrum, and Butler didn’t score at all. In the first quarter of Game 4, things flipped, with Butler...…Coming off a that vaulted the Miami Heat back into the NBA Finals, Jimmy Butler had it going again early on in Game 4. He was aggressive out of the gate, knocking down all five of his and collecting 11 points, two rebounds and two assists.What made Butler’s early game performance all the more remarkable is that the majority of his production came while he was being defended by Anthony Davis. Prior to Game 4, Davis had defended Butler on 16 possessions during this series, according to Second Spectrum, and Butler didn’t score at all. In the first quarter of Game 4, things flipped, with Butler...WW…

This year’s San Antonio Spurs are an anomaly. First of all, they have the distinction of being only the second Gregg Popovich-coached team to begin a season having not made the playoffs the year before. The 1996-97 Spurs missed out on the postseason as well, though they had the built-in excuse of having star center David Robinson . The Spurs finished that season with the NBA’s , but they and the right to select Tim Duncan — and the rest is (literally) NBA history, as the team made the playoffs in a 22 consecutive seasons following Duncan’s selection.This particular Spurs team is also...…This year’s San Antonio Spurs are an anomaly. First of all, they have the distinction of being only the second Gregg Popovich-coached team to begin a season having not made the playoffs the year before. The 1996-97 Spurs missed out on the postseason as well, though they had the built-in excuse of having star center David Robinson . The Spurs finished that season with the NBA’s , but they and the right to select Tim Duncan — and the rest is (literally) NBA history, as the team made the playoffs in a 22 consecutive seasons following Duncan’s selection.This particular Spurs team is also...WW…