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The NBA is undergoing an epiphany on positional value, much like the NFL has begun to re-evaluate modern-day running backs. Since positions are becoming less and less important and versatility is the name of the game, what&rsquo;s next for NBA centers?
Centers are slowly but surely being phased out, aside from some rare exceptions. Long gone are the Roy Hibbert-archetype bigs who patrolled the paint with slow-footed speed. The upgraded version looks more like Rudy Gobert in Utah, producing at an even higher level. But even with Gobert, long-term questions have arisen due to his bloated super-max salary.
If Gobert&rsquo;s on-court value is diminishing as well, which bigs will be deemed worthy of a lucrative second contract? It&rsquo;s an elite club where the positional value more than outweighs the price tag: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo top the list. For all other centers, will they be worth their price in the long run?
For the Phoenix Suns, a $100-plus million decision awaits on Deandre Ayton, their only No. 1 overall pick in franchise history. Does Ayton deserve to be mentioned among those names, or does he fall a tier or two below? Ayton is an anchor of the Suns&rsquo; historic defensive turnaround under head coach Monty Williams, plus his soft touch on the offensive end already brings super efficient scoring value too.
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The Suns and Ayton&rsquo;s representation are about to enter an awkward period, and it seems like the odds of Ayton playing elsewhere next season are increasing. Do the Suns believe Ayton is worth a max-level contract? Does Suns general manager James Jones believe Ayton can be on the same tier as an Adebayo or Gobert?
Based on Ayton's usage within Williams&rsquo; system (19.8% usage rate since 2020-21), Phoenix&rsquo;s need to reconstruct the roster for more wing-based scoring as well as the big man's own desire to be a more featured piece on offense (plus his desire for a max deal), I wouldn't be surprised if Ayton&rsquo;s days with the Suns are numbered.
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One could argue that Ayton would be even more valuable if he were to leave Phoenix and sign elsewhere. In another situation &mdash; in Detroit with Cade Cunningham, for example &mdash; giving Ayton the max would be an acceptable allocation of resources that benefits both parties. However, in the Suns&rsquo; system, I don&rsquo;t believe Ayton is worthy of max-level money.
A fatal flaw that prevents Ayton from being mentioned in the top tier of big men is his lack of self-creation ability, which he's failed to develop throughout his first four seasons with the Suns. According to Cleaning The Glass, 74.8% of Ayton's shots have been assisted on in his career. Compared to his max-salary counterparts, Ayton is nowhere close on self-creation capabilities. And at this point, I have serious doubts that this will ever become a consistent part of his game during his upcoming prime years.
Percentage of FGs Assisted in 2021-22
Deandre Ayton: 81%
Rudy Gobert: 72%
Nikola Jokic: 62%
Karl-Anthony Towns: 62%
Bam Adebayo: 61%
Joel Embiid: 54%
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 43%
The NBA&rsquo;s elite big men buck the trend of super small-ball and three-point-shooting barrages because they bring unique traits to the table.&nbsp;Antetokounmpo and Embiid can simply punish any defenses that are thrown at them. Jokic&rsquo;s demigod-like ability to run an offense and be its primary scoring engine speaks for itself. Towns is one of the greatest perimeter-shooting bigs of all-time. Adebayo&rsquo;s defense and playmaking versatility, coupled with his recent development as an on-ball creator, raise his value. Gobert&rsquo;s price tag is a tough pill to swallow, especially later on, but he&rsquo;s one of the most impactful rim-protectors we&rsquo;ve ever seen (while also providing efficient scoring around the rim).
Ayton is a very good basketball player, but he fails to emphatically check any of the boxes that the other max bigs do. He brings immediate value as a scoring threat and rim-protector, with a rare ability to easily rack up 20-and-10 outings like it&rsquo;s nothing. His stat line shows that there&rsquo;s real promise if he is fed like a primary offensive hub, but that&rsquo;s not going to happen in Phoenix.
The Suns are moving away from the inside-out approach in favor of outside-in, a modern flip of the script that likely provides some insight into how they view centers. JaVale McGee was an excellent free-agent addition for Phoenix last summer, and he ended up putting up nearly identical numbers to Ayton on a per-36-minute basis:
Ayton: 21.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 blocks, 65.6 TS%
McGee: 20.9 points, 15.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.5 blocks, 65.1 TS%
McGee is another example where working within the Suns&rsquo; system, especially playing alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker, brings immense improvement on the margins. From the Suns&rsquo; perspective, would they rather just pay McGee $5 million again and add a difference maker elsewhere for the same price as Ayton? For example, would it make more sense to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bring aboard a unique modern fit in Jerami Grant via a sign-and-trade deal</a>? There&rsquo;s no doubt that these discussions are ongoing for the Suns, because this decision will decide what direction the team is heading in the post-CP3 era.
As a restricted free agent, Ayton is heading toward a negotiation standoff with Phoenix. If the organization doesn&rsquo;t view him as a max-level player, expect to see the Suns&rsquo; offer come in around a similar annual value as Al Horford ($27.8 million) or Nikola Vucevic ($25.0 million). John Collins provides a recent example of restricted free agency leading to a cheaper payday, as he signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 offseason.
For Ayton, it seems like a lock that he'll get a max contract from some front office. The Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers are all expected to show interest once free agency's moratorium period opens on July 1. Will Phoenix try to pull off a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign-and-trade to bring back some win-now pieces</a>? If another team extends a max-level offer sheet, would the Suns match it or let him walk? These are the big questions entering this offseason.
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Another angle that is falling under the radar is how the Suns view Ayton&rsquo;s motor. Will Ayton continue to improve his game or eventually become an albatross contract a few years from now?&nbsp;
&ldquo;Definitely getting to my second contract; that&rsquo;s my success,&rdquo; Ayton said before being drafted by the Suns.
Throughout Ayton&rsquo;s career in Phoenix, teammates like Paul, Booker and Mikal Bridges have had to keep him locked in throughout games to ensure he's playing at a certain intensity level. They have even mentioned it during press conferences. When Ayton is locked in, he&rsquo;s one of the most dominant two-way bigs in the NBA. The issue is his inconsistency and those moments where he loses focus. It's unclear why this occurs, but there are some games where it's apparent in the first few minutes whether it will be a positive or negative outing for the big man. If there are concerns about Ayton&rsquo;s motor, that will also enter this discussion.
Jones and Williams know more about Ayton's work ethic and motor than just about anyone given all the time they've spent with him behind the scenes, so we'll see if this factors in to their decision.&nbsp;
The drive to be great and the sheer will to refuse failure are what separate great players from good ones. Does Ayton possess this trait to become one of those exceptions to the rule for non-floor spacing bigs within the modern NBA?
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This year&rsquo;s Finals matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics further paints a picture of spacing and wings/on-ball creators buttering the bread of success nowadays. For their bigs, the postseason usage rate is a tell-tale sign of letting the perimeter-oriented stars cook (Al Horford: 13.0 USG%, Robert Williams: 13.0%, Kevon Looney: 11.2%). Can the Suns rely upon Ayton to be a player who takes over 20% of their offensive possessions? If it&rsquo;s a hit-or-miss proposition in their eyes, Ayton will be looking for greener pastures within the next six weeks.
As an elite finisher around the rim who also excels in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations, Ayton already brings a rock solid baseline for a floor. When you add in his supreme athleticism for his position, it brings even more intrigue as a two-way force. Entering into his age-24 season in 2022-23, what&rsquo;s the next step for Ayton? If there&rsquo;s not much room left for Ayton on the developmental curve, a max contract shouldn&rsquo;t be coming his way from Phoenix.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s so divisive here,&rdquo; Suns owner Robert Sarver told BasketballNews.com in April about Ayton&rsquo;s future in Phoenix. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us both on the defense and the offense. I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Ayton averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 blocks for the Suns this past season. In an environment where he's more heavily featured, those numbers likely rise closer to 22-23 points and 12-13 rebounds per game. Is that the way to go though?
Welcome to the new evaluation process of great, non-transcendent bigs. Ayton is the first case study, and this expensive decision that's on the horizon is going to change the Suns&rsquo; future one way or another.
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With centers becoming the NBA's version of running backs, is Deandre Ayton worthy of a max deal? Evan Sidery explores.

Should Suns give Deandre Ayton a max deal? Positional value says no

In terms of their title-contending window, the Memphis Grizzlies are perhaps in the best position of any team in the NBA.
The fact is that Memphis forced their window open a few years earlier than anyone would have anticipated. The oldest guys on the current roster are Steven Adams and Kyle Anderson, both 28 years of age. At the start of the 2022-23 season, the top three players for the Grizzlies will be 24 years old (Desmond Bane) and 23 years old (Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.). The team with the second-best record in the league has a core that has not even scratched its prime.
Memphis is here, and with Morant likely to be locked up through 2027, this franchise will be competitive for quite a while. And moving ahead, recently named 2022 NBA Executive of the Year Zach Kleiman is now tasked with some decisions for Memphis to continue on this fast-rising arc.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s definitely a lot to be said about core continuity,&rdquo; Kleiman <a href="https://dailymemphian.com/article/28749/zach-kleiman-named-nba-executive-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently told Drew Hill of the Daily Memphian</a>. &ldquo;We are not going to have any issue paying anyone who we want to pay. There is not going to be any issue with retention here. I&rsquo;m very grateful, and we wouldn&rsquo;t be in this spot without (Grizzlies owner) Robert [Pera]&rsquo;s vision and support and commitment on that end. We are not worried about small-market notions or this or that. We are not going to have any issue whatsoever keeping together who we want as we continue to prioritize continuity.&rdquo;
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There a few names that come to play in regards to "retention." Heading into this offseason, Tyus Jones, Jarrett Culver and Anderson will all be entering unrestricted <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free agency</a>. The Grizzlies were able to steal Jones and Anderson from their respective teams during their restricted-free-agency summers, but now the question is whether they will retain either of them this offseason.
There should be little to no argument that Jones is the best backup point guard in the NBA. His steady play and care of the ball played a major role in the Grizzlies winning the way they did this season, even when Morant went down with injury. In his exit interview, Jones told reporters that, while he does desire to be a starting point guard, he "loves the organization and playing with this team."
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Paying Tyus starter money to back up Morant is like paying for an expensive insurance policy. You may never get your money's worth, but when you need it in an emergency situation, you are sure glad you have it. With Ja's style of play, having Jones on the roster seems like the most valuable potential signing Memphis could have this summer. They could front load the contract to make the money work long-term, and then draft another point guard to be ready by the end of Jones' next deal.&nbsp;
Anderson, while more likely to return than Culver, has probably played his last game in a Memphis uniform. His veteran presence was important in the playoffs this season, but his inability to shoot leaves Memphis looking for an upgrade. Anderson is a holdover from the Chris Wallace regime, and though he has been a cultural fit in the locker room, it may be time to move on.
Adams, Dillon Brooks and Killian Tillie will all be on expiring deals worth over $30 million combined going into next season, and both Morant and Brandon Clarke are eligibile for their rookie-scale extensions. While Morant will get a max offer the second he is eligible, the decision on Clarke will loom large this summer. Memphis would do well to avoid restricted free agency in 2023 with the springy forward, and should look at a four-year, $50 million dollar extension as the ceiling for him.&nbsp;
With a pair of first-round picks and enough expiring money and cap space heading into the 2022 NBA Draft, will Memphis make a splash? The free-agent market is not enticing enough for them to sign anyone &mdash; especially considering they are going to have to pay Bane soon as well. A reunion with Delon Wright seems to be the best option if Memphis were to lose the Jones sweepstakes. Don't expect the Grizz to put their name in the hat for Zach Lavine this summer either.&nbsp;
Could Memphis pry Pascal Siakam away from Toronto for a package of Adams, Brooks and three first-round draft picks? Or perhaps Utah is open for business and there is a similar package, plus De'Anthony Melton, for Donovan Mitchell. A simpler upgrade for the Grizz could be Brooks and a pick for Bojan Bogdanovic, a veteran shooting presence Memphis needs.&nbsp;
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The Grizzlies' summer will be unpredictable. On one hand, they could be completely silent, doing nothing crazy and opt to run it back. On the other, they could swing for it, seeing their window open before Morant hits his first max contract.
Another big storyline for them will be the development of Ziaire Williams at NBA Summer League. The previous season, Bane went from a low-usage rookie to a summer-league standout to receiving a Third Team All-NBA vote. Williams is on the Bane plan, and if he were to breakout in a similar way, that is a massive development for the Grizzlies' title aspirations.
No matter what Memphis does this summer, the organization is ahead of schedule. Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane make up one of the most lethal trios in the league, and they are just getting started.
The Grizzlies do not care if you believe in them. They believe in themselves, and are going to be in the thick of it for years to come.&nbsp;
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Justin Lewis takes a look at the upcoming decisions the Grizzlies have to make in free agency and with their own roster this summer.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Memphis Grizzlies?

The Oklahoma City Thunder came out of last Tuesday&rsquo;s NBA Draft Lottery as the night&rsquo;s runner-up, taking home the No. 2 overall pick.&nbsp;
The Thunder have never received the first-overall pick in their franchise history, which technically goes back to 1967 when they were still the Seattle Supersonics. They have selected second on two occasions though, and both worked out really well (Kevin Durant in 2007 and Gary Payton in 1990).
The Thunder have a war-chest of draft picks in the coming years, but those picks are meaningless if they don&rsquo;t select a franchise-altering talent. Fortunately, the No. 2 pick should provide an opportunity to do so. The 2022 draft class features a few &ldquo;can&rsquo;t-miss&rdquo; prospects, including Auburn&rsquo;s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga&rsquo;s Chet Holmgren and Duke&rsquo;s Paolo Banchero. All three have their pros and cons, but adding any of them to the existing core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey should work out beautifully.
In the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder made six selections, but they traded three of those players. They added Giddey (who was named to the 2021-22 All-Rookie Second Team), Tre Mann and Aaron Wiggins &ndash; none of whom are bigs. The Thunder did trade for a seven-footer in the 2020 draft (Aleksej Pokusevski), but he&rsquo;s still extremely raw and is not the same caliber of player as the top-three prospects.
Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done through the scouting process to effectively evaluate all three of this draft's most-coveted prospects, but a look back at the last 10 NBA drafts reveals a murkier history than one might assume. After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-the-success-of-teams-selecting-first-in-the-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examining the success of teams selecting No. 1 in the NBA Draft</a> last week, let's look at how recent No. 2 overall picks have fared.&nbsp;
2012 NBA Draft: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets
The Hornets bombed with the second pick in 2012. Kidd-Gilchrist had a fine career, averaging 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game across eight seasons in the NBA. The thing is, Bradley Beal was selected third and Damian Lillard was selected fifth, and both of those guys are All-NBA-caliber players annually. Comparatively, that&rsquo;s a huge miss for Charlotte.
Verdict: Failure.
2013 NBA Draft: Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
The Cavaliers certainly surprised many of us by picking Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick, but the Magic stuck to the script. Oladipo was universally seen as a top-three player in this draft, and he became the second-best player in the class before knee and quad injuries derailed his career.
As much as injuries have robbed much of what Oladipo was, he is still an intriguing player, and he&rsquo;ll probably command some decent free-agent offers this offseason. Obiously, CJ McCollumn (selected 10th) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (selected 15th) are better players, but neither was being considered by the Magic. Considering that Oladipo is a two-time All-Star, an All-Defensive selection and a one-time All-NBA selection, I&rsquo;d say the Magic did a fine job in picking Oladipo.
Verdict: Success
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2014 NBA Draft: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
The 2014 draft was a weird one. Neither the first nor the second pick ended up being the best player from this draft class. Andrew Wiggins found a good role, even if he is far less successful than most thought he&rsquo;d be, but Jabari Parker really underwhelmed. Granted, Parker stuck around in the league for eight seasons, including some of the current one, but his career simply never materialized even if it&rsquo;s not his (nor Milwaukee&rsquo;s) fault.
Parker tore his ACL twice. He looked like he was becoming a pretty darn good player (even if he was a defensive liability) before the second ACL injury, averaging 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2016-17. However good Parker could have been, the fact of the matter is that Joel Embiid was intriguing enough as of draft night to be taken one pick later, and that stings.
Verdict: Failure
2015 NBA Draft: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
Here&rsquo;s an instance where a player actually was worth a top-three pick. The problem is that the Lakers had the second pick, and there&rsquo;s a big difference between Karl-Anthony Towns or Devin Booker and Russell. Making matters worse, the Lakers sent Russell to Brooklyn before he matured. His immaturity was part of the reason he was traded, but that doesn&rsquo;t change the fact that the Lakers picked him and moved on very quickly. Russell may or may not end up being a franchise-altering talent, but he hasn&rsquo;t realized his full potential yet, and he clearly won&rsquo;t do so for the Lakers.
Verdict: Failure
2016 NBA Draft: Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
Ingram is one of the best No. 2 picks in the last 10 drafts. He&rsquo;s a true number one option on a playoff team, a career 18.5 points-per-game scorer and a one-time All-Star. It&rsquo;s debatable that Jaylen Brown (selected third) and/or Jamal Murray (selected seventh) are as good or better players, but both have played alongside more talented teammates throughout their careers.
Ingram has been the best player on the New Orleans Pelicans for a few years now, and we shouldn&rsquo;t take for granted the fact that Ingram led a playoff team this season. Sure, the Lakers didn&rsquo;t cash in on him specifically, but he was part of the package that led to Anthony Davis landing in Los Angeles. So, it worked out for them too.
Verdict: Success
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2017 NBA Draft: Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers picked second overall again in 2017. They weren&rsquo;t as successful this time around. First, there&rsquo;s Jayson Tatum to consider. Tatum was selected third and is the best player in the 2017 draft class. Being selected by the Lakers wouldn&rsquo;t have changed that, and that should be enough. But there&rsquo;s also Ball&rsquo;s rough shooting mechanics to consider. Sure, he&rsquo;s grown into a good shooter, but the Lakers didn&rsquo;t benefit from that. It&rsquo;s hard to categorize Ball&rsquo;s selection as an outright failure because like Ingram, he helped facilitate Davis to the Lakers. Still, it's tough to classify his selection a success.
Verdict: Push
2018 NBA Draft: Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings
Bagley might be the worst second pick in the last 10 years. The 2018 NBA Draft will forever be remembered as the Luka Doncic class. The Kings could have drafted Doncic, as he was still on the board, but they chose to go with Bagley instead. Bagley isn&rsquo;t even on the Kings any longer, and his time in Sacramento was not memorable.
Bagley is a sub-par defender and three-point shooter. He&rsquo;s scored the ball at a decent pace, averaging 19.5 points per-36 minutes, but he&rsquo;s never earned a big enough role to demonstrate what he can really do, and he&rsquo;s exclusively been on losing teams. Comparatively, Doncic and Trae Young (selected No. 5 in 2018) have turned their franchises around.
Verdict: Failure
2019 NBA Draft: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Ingram was the best second pick in the last 10 years, until 2019. Morant stole that made-up accolade almost immediately in his rookie season. The thing is, the 2019 NBA Draft was supposed to be all about Zion Williamson. However, unlike Williamson, Morant has backed up all the hype and then some. So, while Williamson has dealt with injuries for much of his young career, Morant has brazenly become the face of his draft class.
Morant is drawing comparisons to numerous superstars, and he was named to the 2021-22 All-NBA Second Team. No one selected after him comes close to making the Grizzlies think twice about their decision.
Verdict: HUGE success
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2020 NBA Draft: James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
Unlike his brother Lonzo, LaMelo Ball was deserving of the second pick in 2020. Instead, the Golden State Warriors went with James Wiseman, though the logic behind the pick is clear, even in retrospect. The Warriors already had two All-NBA guards. The thing is, Jordan Poole looks pretty good alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, doesn&rsquo;t he? So, it&rsquo;s feasible to assume that Ball would have fit too.
After two seasons, Ball is a significantly better player, but he&rsquo;s also had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate that fact. Wiseman has had terrible health-related luck. He played in 39 of the Warriors' first 53 games in 2020-21, but he tore his meniscus in Golden State&rsquo;s 53rd&nbsp;game of the season and hasn&rsquo;t been seen since. Wiseman could still be a serious contributor, as his per-36 numbers were impressive for a rookie (19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 assists on .542/.316/.628 shooting). This is one we&rsquo;ll have to continue monitoring.
Verdict: Unclear
2021 NBA Draft: Jalen Green, Houston Rockets
Basing the success of a pick on only a rookie season is tough. Green posted an impressive rookie campaign, but his defensive deficiencies were clear. That&rsquo;s an understandable flaw for a rookie. Green was the assumed second-best player in the class. Having the luxury of hindsight, we now know that Scottie Barnes (selected fourth) and Evan Mobley (selected third) translated to the NBA incredibly well. But wing scorers have a tougher time making the jump, as they must shoot deeper three-pointers and compete against far more athletic competition. Green&rsquo;s floor may be lower than that of Barnes and Mobley, but I'd argue that his ceiling is still higher. Let&rsquo;s give him a little more time.
Verdict: Unclear&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
In the last 10 drafts, the second overall pick has clearly been one of the best players in the draft class just three times (2013, 2016 and 2019).&nbsp;
A deeper examination of No. 2 overall picks reveals a limited number of franchise-altering talents. For every Kevin Durant, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Earl Monroe and Bill Russell, there are a number of players who didn't live up to expectations. Sometimes, there isn't a generational player on the board; other times, the team picking No. 2 overall just overthinks it or goes in the wrong direction. Either way, No. 2 hasn&rsquo;t produced as many all-time greats as you might expect, but there have been quite a few significant contributors.
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Oklahoma City will pick No. 2 in the 2022 draft. A look back at the last 10 drafts reveals that there are no guarantees for No. 2 picks.

Examining the success of teams selecting No. 2 in the NBA Draft

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been selected to the 2021-22 All-NBA First Team, the NBA announced today.&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo was the only player to receive All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots (500 total points), earning his fourth consecutive selection to the First Team and sixth All-NBA Team honor overall (First Team, Second Team and Third Team). This is the third All-NBA First Team selection each for Dončić (476 points) and Jokić (476 points), the 2021-22 NBA Most Valuable Player.&nbsp; Booker (460 points) is making his debut on the All-NBA Team.&nbsp; Tatum (390 points) joins Booker as a first-time selection to the All-NBA First Team.&nbsp;
With the selection of Antetokounmpo (27 years old), Dončić (23), Jokić (27), Booker (25) and Tatum (24), the All-NBA First Team is made up entirely of players age 27 or younger for the first time in 67 years (1954-55 season).&nbsp; Dončić is the fourth player in NBA history to be named to the All-NBA First Team three or more times before turning 24, joining Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant and Max Zaslofsky.
The 2021-22 All-NBA Second Team consists of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (414 points), Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (301 points), Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (276 points), Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (274 points) and Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (184 points).
Embiid, the 2021-22 NBA scoring champion, has been named to the All-NBA Second Team for the fourth time in the last five seasons.&nbsp; Morant, the 2021-22 NBA Most Improved Player, is an All-NBA Team honoree for the first time.&nbsp; This is the 10th&nbsp;All-NBA Team selection for Durant, the eighth for Curry and the third for DeRozan.
The 2021-22 All-NBA Third Team is composed of Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (174 points), Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (169 points), Suns guard Chris Paul (114 points), Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (110 points) and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (63 points).
This is the second All-NBA Team honor for both Towns and Siakam and the first for Young.&nbsp; James has extended his NBA record for most All-NBA Team selections to 18.&nbsp; Paul has been voted to the All-NBA Team for the 11th&nbsp;time, the second-most selections among active players behind James.&nbsp;
The 2021-22 All-NBA Team was selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.&nbsp;&nbsp;Players were awarded five points for each vote to the All-NBA First Team, three points for each vote to the Second Team and one point for each vote to the Third Team.&nbsp; Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly.&nbsp; Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most voting points.
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The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA First Team: 🏀 Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) 🏀 Devin Booker (Phoenix) 🏀 Luka Dončić (Dallas) 🏀 Nikola Jokić (Denver) 🏀 Jayson Tatum (Boston) <a href="https://t.co/D0H6GEDrea">pic.twitter.com/D0H6GEDrea</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1529257510481416192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Second Team: 🏀 Stephen Curry (Golden State) 🏀 DeMar DeRozan (Chicago) 🏀 Kevin Durant (Brooklyn) 🏀 Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) 🏀 Ja Morant (Memphis) <a href="https://t.co/qHqDWB42tz">pic.twitter.com/qHqDWB42tz</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1529257815654776832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Third Team: 🏀 LeBron James (L.A. Lakers) 🏀 Chris Paul (Phoenix) 🏀 Pascal Siakam (Toronto) 🏀 Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) 🏀 Trae Young (Atlanta) <a href="https://t.co/uYiQpdkFeh">pic.twitter.com/uYiQpdkFeh</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1529258023121825793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The NBA announced the three All-NBA teams for the 2021-22 season.

NBA announces 2021-22 All-NBA teams

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Stephen Curry had 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, Golden State's defense held Luka Doncic in check, and the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 112-87 on Wednesday night for a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Doncic scored 20 points but shot just 6 for 18 and 3 of 10 from deep. He made back-to-back 3-pointers late in the first half to get his team within 54-45 at the break, but Curry and Klay Thompson helped the Warriors pull away in the second half.
Jalen Brunson scored 14 points but missed all five of his 3s for the surprising Mavs, who stunned the top-seeded Suns in a 123-90 thumping in Game 7 on Sunday in Phoenix.
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Friday night at Chase Center, where the raucous, yellow-clad sellout crowd brought back memories of that 2007 &ldquo;We Believe&rdquo; Warriors playoff team that shocked the No. 1-seeded Mavericks in a six-game first-round upset at Oracle Arena.
That helped propel Golden State back to prominence. The Warriors reached five straight NBA Finals from 2015-19 but missed the playoffs the past two years before this run. Now, they're one win closer to getting back to the big stage.
Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, getting Golden State going by making six of his first eight shots on the way to shooting 8 for 17.
Doncic received a scratch across his face early from a first-quarter swipe by Wiggins. The mark went from the bridge of his nose across his right cheek under the eye. Donic also tugged at his troublesome right shoulder that has been taped previously during these playoffs.
Stopping Doncic is the tall task this time after the Warriors already handled two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in the first round, then Ja Morant early last series before his knee injury.
Curry hit two quick 3s in sparking a 10-2 burst to begin the third for a Golden State squad that eliminated Memphis in a six-game semifinal series. Thompson scored all of his 15 points after halftime, his first of the game on a layup at the 10:22 mark of the third after missing his first four shots.
Curry, last season's scoring champ, missed his initial five 3-point tries &mdash; four in the first &mdash; before connecting with 50 seconds left in the first half when he was 1 for 7. But he got involved other ways by dishing out four assists and grabbing seven rebounds in the first half.
Kevon Looney remained in the starting lineup for Steve Kerr as the coach made his return to the bench after sitting out the final three games against Memphis with COVID-19.
Looney finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists after coming in to start in the Game 6 clincher against the Grizzlies.
Coach Jason Kidd&rsquo;s Mavericks couldn't keep up in a drastic contrast of styles featuring the slow-paced Dallas attack and up-tempo Warriors.
&ldquo;We would like to play our pace but the Warriors have a unique pace, they're going to get out and put a lot of pressure on your defense in transition," Kidd said. "We have to be cautious of that. We don't want a track meet.&rdquo;
MAVS FINED
Dallas received a $50,000 fine by the NBA &mdash; the team's second penalty this postseason &mdash; for &ldquo;team bench decorum&rdquo; during the Suns series after players and a member of the coaching staff remained standing for extended time far enough from the bench area that they were &ldquo;encroaching upon the playing court during game action&rdquo; during Game 7 against the Suns.
&ldquo;Just trying to figure out what we did wrong to get the fine,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;... Who complained? It was a blowout so I don't think the fans were complaining. I thought the guys did what they were supposed to do. They were cheering on their guys.&rdquo;
The previous fine against the Mavs was for $25,000 on May 6.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Reggie Bullock shot just 4 for 12 &mdash; 3 of 10 from long range &mdash; for 12 points. ... The Mavericks were outrebounded 28-18 in the first half as Curry led all players with seven.
Warriors: F Otto Porter Jr. returned after missing Game 6 with soreness in his right foot and contributed 10 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes, one of seven Warriors to score in double figures. ... Golden State, which averaged 19.2 turnovers per game last series, had six in the first half leading to 11 Dallas points and 15 overall. &ldquo;I'm confident we'll get that straightened out,&rdquo; Kerr said pregame. ... Golden State improved to 7-0 at home this postseason. ... The Warriors are 21-2 in Game 1s since their 2015 title run that ended with the franchise's first championship in 40 years. ...

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was a blowout, as Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors won 112-87.

Curry's 21 points, 12 boards lead Warriors in Game 1, 112-87

The Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors couldn't be more different if they tried.
In one corner, you have the #BeautifulGame Warriors. Post splits and cuts galore. Glorious ball movement heightened by the hide-and-seek skills of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole. All three can boogie on you to varying degrees, but they're at their best when they're moving targets. You can't defend what you can't stay connected to.
The Warriors with Curry on the court blitzed the league to the tune of <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=201939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">116.0 points per 100 possessions</a> during the regular season, a mark that would've led the NBA. In the 129 minutes that Curry, Poole and Thompson <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=201939,202691,1629673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared the floor</a>, that number rose to 125.6.
On the other end, you have the methodical Mavericks. Luka Doncic leads the dance &mdash; he slightly trailed Joel Embiid for the NBA's usage rate title (37.5% to 36.8%), and is blowing away everyone this postseason (39.3%). While the Warriors dice you up with cuts and movement, the Mavericks make you pick your poison with countless ball-screens.
There&nbsp;is&nbsp;variety in the Dallas half-court attack. You'll see pindowns, stagger sets and Veer action for Reggie Bullock, for example. Even with those ball-screens, they'll flow between traditional high pick-and-rolls, Spain pick-and-rolls and sets that include an exit screen to further place strain on help defenders. A quick example:
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That's nasty stuff from Dallas. Bullock as the lone shooter on the weak side to stress Tyrese Maxey as a helper. Jalen Brunson receiving the exit screen from Dorian Finney-Smith to occupy Seth Curry and&nbsp;Tobias Harris. It's a tough scene.
Luka-led offense is elite in its own right. The Mavs generated 115.7 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor during the regular season &mdash; slightly below the Curry-led figure, but still a number that would've topped the NBA if extrapolated.
Both teams will need to find answers, obviously.
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Dallas found the right blend of switching, soft hedges and all-out traps to stifle the Phoenix Suns' vaunted half-court offense; the Warriors are a different challenge. Golden State has had to deal with a dynamic primary ball-handler already in Ja Morant, but Luka's size and passing ability throws a wrench into that equation.
While both teams approach offense differently, a common ground was found defensively during the regular-season meetings: Hunting the stars.
The Warriors were relentless. Doncic defended 65 picks (16.3 per game) in their meetings, with Golden State generating 1.05 points per possession (PPP) on those trips, per Second Spectrum. Only the Utah Jazz (23.3 per game), funny enough, went after him more frequently.
Curry "only" guarded 57 picks (14.3 per game) as the screener-defender during the regular-season series, with the Mavericks generating 1.00 PPP. The Clippers (12.3), Nets (11.0) and Heat (10.0, one game) were the only other teams to target him more than 10 times per contest.
Keep an eye on those Spain pick-and-rolls from the Mavericks. Well communicated switches are a way to contain the action, but how willing are the Warriors to do that when Bullock &mdash; Curry's likely matchup &mdash; is the back-screener?
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You can see the cat-and-mouse above. It's common for the two perimeter players &mdash; in this case, Curry and Wiggins &mdash; to switch. But because the Warriors don't want to give that, it's a quick stunt-and-recover from Curry. Doncic is able to string it out while maintaining inside leverage on Wiggins, thus drawing the foul on the drive.&nbsp;
If show-and-recover is going to be the move, it'll be up to the Mavs to counter that. Doncic is good enough to drive past or string out that hedge, but there are built-in scheme things to do. With Bullock being a good movement shooter, don't be surprised if we see flare screens for him.
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This is a poor rep, but the template is clear &mdash; make Curry work. If Dwight Powell is able to connect on the flare screen, Bullock should have a open three, especially with Kevon Looney in a drop. If Looney steps up, that should be a drive opportunity for Bullock, or, if Curry switches onto Powell, it should be an opportunity for the ball to swing back to Doncic to set up another ball-screen.
For the Warriors, they may be able to attack that matchup a little cleaner. Doncic was often in a bit of a drop, or outright switched when they went after him. That could open up rolls or slips, particularly if they empty the corner first.
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They may also opt to keep their flow going. Doncic switching onto Curry is one thing; doing so then asking him to track him off ball is another thing entirely. If there's a positive to take from the Suns series, it's that making him navigate multiple actions within a possession can generate some goodness.
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There's plenty to discuss about how these superstars will be defended. Bullock or Finney-Smith will see plenty of Curry. Andrew Wiggins will likely start on Doncic, but we may see some Klay or Draymond Green mixed in.&nbsp;
But the most important battleground of the series is shaping up to be how&nbsp;they&nbsp;guard &mdash; specifically, how they guard each other.&nbsp;
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Nekias Duncan previews this year's Western Conference Finals series between the Warriors and Mavericks.

Star hunting: How defense will determine Warriors-Mavs series outcome

Klay Thompson knocked down eight 3-pointers on the way to 30 points, Stephen Curry scored 29 with six 3s, and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the Western Conference finals by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 110-96 in Game 6 on Friday night.
Curry found his shooting touch late and made two straight baskets late in the third for a 78-77 lead entering the final 12 minutes. Draymond Green contributed 14 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. Kevon Looney grabbed 22 rebounds and Andrew Wiggins scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth with a pair of timely 3s.
Golden State &mdash; eliminated by Memphis in the play-in tournament last year &mdash; withstood a testy series to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2019, when the franchise reached its fifth straight NBA Finals before losing to Toronto in the deciding Game 6.
The third-seeded Warriors will face the Phoenix-Dallas winner in the conference finals. Game 7 of that series is Sunday in Phoenix.
&ldquo;Whoop that trick!&rdquo; the delighted, raucous home crowd chanted in the waning moments, the fans&rsquo; steal away from Memphis.
Dillon Brooks scored 30 points with a career-best seven 3-pointers but picked up his second flagrant foul of the series. Desmond Bane added 25.&nbsp;
Curry checked back in for the final 8:21 and delivered a 3 with 5:45 remaining off a beautiful bounce pass by Green. Looney found Green for an easy dunk the next time down, capping a decisive 10-0 run.
After Wednesday&rsquo;s 134-95 debacle on the Grizzlies&rsquo; home floor in which they trailed by as many as 55 , the Warriors were determined to do everything better, especially cutting down on the 22 turnovers leading to 29 points.
Bane scored the first two baskets of the game before the Warriors ran off 10 consecutive points, with a pair of layups by Green and a 3 by both Curry and Thompson.
Looney started after Jonathan Kuminga had the previous three games following the injury to guard Gary Payton II. He broke his left elbow in an awkward fall after being hit over the head by Brooks in Game 2 that earned Brooks a Flagrant 2 foul and one-game suspension.
He was booed loudly again at every chance by the sellout crowd at Chase Center. When Payton was shown on the big screen during a first-quarter timeout he received a rousing ovation and touched his hand to his heart before encouraging them to get louder.
Memphis again played without All-Star guard Ja Morant, who missed his third straight game with a bone bruise in his troublesome right knee that the Grizzlies blamed on Jordan Poole pulling on the knee while going for a loose ball in Game 3.
Center Steven Adams limped off gingerly on his right ankle and headed to the locker room 3:23 before halftime but returned. At the same time, Brooks received a Flagrant foul 1 for taking down Curry and the Grizzlies forward and Thompson were hit with double technicals.
THOMPSON&rsquo;S TOUCH
Thompson, back shining in the playoffs after his 2 1/2-year absence with a pair of serious injuries, notched his fourth career postseason game with eight 3s &mdash; tying Ray Allen, Curry, and Damian Lillard for most in NBA history.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Brooks had three flagrant points and finished one from an automatic one-game suspension. ... Memphis missed its final 10 shots of the second quarter. ... The Grizzlies held a 55-37 rebounding advantage in Game 5.
Warriors: Curry was 6 for 17 from deep. ... Looney&rsquo;s 11 first-quarter rebounds are a career high for any quarter and they match a Warriors playoff record in the team&rsquo;s West Coast era also accomplished by Larry Smith on May 12, 1987, on the road vs. the Lakers. ... F Otto Porter Jr. was out with soreness in his right foot. ... Veteran Andre Iguodala, still sidelined with a left cervical disc injury, is scheduled to be re-evaluated again later next week.
FRIDAY THE 13TH
The Warriors had a playoff game on Friday the 13th for just the second time in franchise history, previously when they beat the Bucks 100-86 on April 13, 1973, in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals to clinch the series 4-2, according to Elias. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored a game-high 27 points and led the Bucks with 14 rebounds. Jim Barnett scored 26 for the Warriors.

Klay Thompson knocked down eight threes on the way to 30 points, Stephen Curry scored 29 with six threes and the Warriors advanced.

Curry, Thompson send Warriors into Western Conference Finals

For those who don't know, when I am not living the dream as an NBA writer at BasketballNews.com, I moonlight as a law school student at the venerable Michigan State University. (Sidebar: That&rsquo;s also where I got my undergraduate degree. We bleed green for life here, folks).
Over my first year of law school, I like to think I learned a thing or two. However, the bit of information I will rely upon the most as I continue my journey as an analyst is my experience with the argumentative technique of concessions.
Before we continue, a quick vocabulary lesson: The term concessions, as it pertains to argumentative literature, means:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-13-at-10-55-08-am_lg.png" alt="" width="562" height="370" />
*Source: SuperSummary.com
This technique is highly prevalent in legal arguments. It&rsquo;s basically the lawyer saying, &ldquo;Yeah, this, this and this may be in the opposition's favor, but my client should win because of this, this and this."
In legal situations, seldomly does one come across a fact pattern that 100% favors their client. There&rsquo;s almost always some small piece that they end up having to heed to their opponent. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean they lose because, in the law, you don&rsquo;t need a bulletproof case to win. You just need to present enough evidence to meet the standard of review necessary for victory in that jurisdiction.&nbsp;
In many ways, the NBA playoffs are like a legal argument. In order to advance, you don&rsquo;t need to best your adversary in every singular component of the game. You just need to beat them four times in a best-of-seven series.&nbsp;
Such conditions open the door to the possibility of concessions. In the NBA, teams are too damn good for one team to completely stymie all their sources of income, so teams need to strategically pick and choose which aspects they will hone in on stopping and what aspects they are willing to concede.&nbsp;
To further paint this illustration in your mind, let&rsquo;s go over some overarching examples of concessions in this year&rsquo;s playoffs.
No Middle For You
After DeMar DeRozan decided it was time to stop playing Mr. Nice Guy and lit the Bucks up for 41 points in Game 2 of the first round, Milwaukee decided it was not going to let him get <a href="https://streamable.com/jnedo4">two feet in the paint</a> anymore.&nbsp;
So, the Bucks chose to turn to <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/ice-f9ea7d7d7d51">ICE pick and roll coverage</a> on ballscreens featuring DeRozan and his co-star teammate, Zach LaVine.&nbsp;
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The hallmark feature of this alignment is that the point-of-attack defender forces the ball-handler to reject the screen and lures them towards the sideline, in the process hindering their quest for the interior.
Defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeau is <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/29/nba-experts-break-down-strengths-of-knicks-tom-thibodeau/">often credited with popularizing this configuration</a>, but the coverage does come with an inherent fatal flaw.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll notice in the above plays that the player defending the screener has to sink back into a drop position, which helps protect the interior. But it leaves them vulnerable <a href="https://streamable.com/ac24oq">if the screener decides to pop out for a three-pointer</a>.&nbsp;
The Bucks knew such a shot was a necessary evil in order to execute their gameplan, so they decided to concede this shot to the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explaining-why-we-need-to-appreciate-screening-more">Bulls&rsquo; most prominent screener</a>, Nikola Vucevic.&nbsp;
To his credit, Vucevic has developed into a pretty solid outside shooter over the last couple of years, but this season he regressed to a <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/202696/shots-dash">32.6% conversion rate on wide-open attempts</a>.&nbsp;
The Bucks were willing to surrender these open looks to Vucevic over having DeRozan and LaVine knife their way into the paint. They did the &ldquo;Yeah, but&rdquo; thing. Yeah, you&rsquo;re going to get open threes with Vucevic, but your two best players won&rsquo;t be able to collapse our defense with drives to the paint. Ultimately, this argument worked for Milwaukee, as they held the Bulls to a 91.1 offensive rating over the final three games of the series. For reference, the 1964 Boston Celtics posted a 90.9 offensive rating.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ve also seen Dallas turn to this <a href="https://streamable.com/o9h6my">defensive philosophy</a> a little more against Phoenix, and it&rsquo;s contributed to their ability to claw their way back into that series.&nbsp;
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Can&rsquo;t Do it Alone
Although the sample size is small, Nikola Jokic experienced a dip in his usual assist rate and an increase in his field-goal attempts from the regular season to the playoffs.
Nikola Jokic Regular Season v. Postseason Stats (Per 100 Possessions)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 47.9111%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 17.2029%;">&nbsp;</td>
<td style="width: 2.66546%;">Assists*</td>
<td style="width: 9.80786%;">FGA Attempts*</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 17.2029%;">Regular Season</td>
<td style="width: 2.66546%;">11.6</td>
<td style="width: 9.80786%;">26.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 17.2029%;">Playoffs</td>
<td style="width: 2.66546%;">8.4</td>
<td style="width: 9.80786%;">30.7</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Source: Basketball Reference
This change is a byproduct of the Warriors' decision to concede Jokic&rsquo;s individual scoring brilliance in order to mitigate the value of his playmaking.
Golden State did this by playing him straight up in most instances and largely avoiding sending a second defender to dig or stunt at the ball until they were certain he had built up the conviction to score.&nbsp;
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This (and Draymond&rsquo;s prodigious defensive abilities) helped the Warriors limit the amount of <a href="https://streamable.com/cln6xv">double team, kickout, swing, swing power play sequences</a> and forced his motley crew supporting cast to create advantages for themselves. Of course, the Nuggets couldn&rsquo;t manage to do this, and the jury reached a 4-to-1 verdict in favor of the Warriors.&nbsp;
Concessions Don&rsquo;t Always Work
There are plenty of times when an opponent miscalculates the depth of their opponent's powers and lets the wrong person burn them.&nbsp;
For instance, the Minnesota Timberwolves opted to <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/show-f1461d61b8">hedge/blitz</a> ballscreens captained by Ja Morant, which means after the low man rotates over, they were conceding the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdILqIRFh0A">weakside corner skip pass</a> (please click this hyperlink, Manu is so cool, man).
In these spots, Coach Taylor Jenkins was wise to make sure that the person waiting in that corner was none other than <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/desmond-bane-and-the-truth-about-the-nba-playoffs">Desmon Bane</a>.&nbsp;
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Bane eviscerated the Timberwolves to the tune of 23.5 points on 67.3% True Shooting, and in the end, many cite his contributions as one of the main reasons Minnesota couldn&rsquo;t pull off the Cinderella upset against Memphis.
In this round, the Grizzlies&rsquo; prerogative over the first three games of the series was to try and limit the Warriors' perimeter opportunities, which led to them getting absolutely throttled in the <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/05/nba-playoffs-how-the-golden-state-warriors-are-beating-the-memphis-grizzlies-at-their-own-game/">points in the paint battle</a>.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the Bucks&rsquo; decision to concede relatively open catch-and-shoot threes in order to let Brook Lopez and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/slowing-giannis-the-wall-still-the-way">Giannis Antetokounmpo</a> protect the paint led to the Celtics torching them from downtown in Game 2 (shooting 46.5% from three). This shooting forced the Bucks to switch from allowing more open catch-and-shoot threes to them forfeiting over more lightly-contested pull-ups (which the Celtics also figured out how to exploit in Game 5, but that&rsquo;s for a different article).&nbsp;
As we continue to project the outcomes of playoff series until we move to Mars (I am shagging back on Earth if that happens), it&rsquo;s important that we stop and ask ourselves a few questions: What is each team willing to concede to the other? What are the consequences that come with these concessions? And, most importantly, can they endure these consequences and put together a strong enough counterargument to warrant progressing to the next round?
Huh. Maybe law school isn&rsquo;t so bad after all.&nbsp;
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A big part of NBA Playoff success is practicing the art of making concessions, which some teams have quite well this postseason.

The NBA Playoffs and the art of concessions

The Milwaukee Bucks want to build off the momentum from a thrilling comeback. The Golden State Warriors seek to put an embarrassing loss behind them as both teams attempt to end their second-round series.
Both have 3-2 leads and are at home Friday night for Game 6. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-boston-celtics-nba-sports-jrue-holiday-283eb76b6fe3d6f0f13f25cef890ebb8">The defending NBA champion Bucks rallied from a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win 110-107 in Boston </a> on Wednesday night while the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-state-warriors-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-steven-adams-dec896a83e00219d5d7e118e7cd3dd82">Warriors squandered an opportunity to close out their series by losing 134-95 at Memphis.</a>
&ldquo;At the end of the day, we can&rsquo;t get too high from this,&rdquo; Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said after the Buck&rsquo; Game 5 victory. &ldquo;Obviously, it&rsquo;s great to win the game, great to go back home and feel good ourselves, but the job is not done.&rdquo;
Although Milwaukee is savoring an emotional win and Golden State is coming off a blowout loss, the trends of these series indicate the Warriors should feel more comfortable going home.
The home-court advantage hasn&rsquo;t meant much in the Bucks-Celtics series. The road team has won three of the five games, including each of the last two.
Through the first five games of the other three second-round series, home teams owned a 14-1 record. The Warriors are 2-0 at home against the Grizzlies after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-san-francisco-58423e24a28a1254004f6a00a5c1b83c">winning 142-112 in Game 3</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-state-warriors-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-tyus-jones-a8a966c6b43a04e7eba8b85e5811e638">101-98 in Game 4. </a>
History suggests the lopsided nature of Golden State&rsquo;s Game 5 loss shouldn&rsquo;t have a carryover effect. The Warriors are the sixth team in the past 10 years to lose by at least 39 points in a playoff game that didn&rsquo;t end a series. Four of the previous five losing teams won their next game.
&ldquo;Well, it doesn&rsquo;t feel good losing by as much as we did,&rdquo; Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. &ldquo;At the end of the day it is just a loss and you flush it from your mental and you remind yourselves who you are. You go in and play with 100% effort on Friday, and I like our chances.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies also have reason to feel confident, even with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-state-warriors-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-jordan-poole-5d6963a01c0f84c7421c9f4ff7711011">Ja Morant likely out for the rest of the postseason</a> with a bone bruise in his right knee. The Grizzlies have gone 1-1 against the Warriors since Morant&rsquo;s injury and are 21-6 in games their All-Star guard has missed this season.
&ldquo;We know how to respond,&rdquo; Grizzlies guard/forward Dillon Brooks said. &ldquo;We know how to play with each other better than any team in the NBA.&rdquo;
In the Celtics-Bucks series, the teams have alternated victories through the first five games. The Celtics&rsquo; season depends on that pattern continuing Friday.
The series has been full of comebacks already. The Celtics want to close it out by rallying from a 3-2 deficit and winning a potential Game 7 in Boston on Sunday.
&ldquo;We had a golden opportunity,&rdquo; Celtics coach Ime Udoka said after the Game 5 loss. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the story here. It&rsquo;s going to be tougher now. Got to go get two in a row. But what we&rsquo;ve done throughout this series and throughout this season is bounce back when we&rsquo;ve been tested.&rdquo;
CELTICS AT BUCKS
Bucks lead 3-2. Game 6, 7:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Bucks took the series lead with a Game 5 comeback as Bobby Portis scored the go-ahead basket on a putback of a missed Antetokounmpo free throw with 15 seconds left. Jrue Holiday sealed the victory by getting a block and a steal in the last 10 seconds. Antetokounmpo had 40 points. The team that has led entering the fourth quarter has lost the last three games of this series.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Rebounding. Over the past two games, the Bucks have outrebounded the Celtics 97-74 and own a 32-18 advantage in second-chance points.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Bucks F Khris Middleton will miss a ninth straight playoff game with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Celtics F/C Robert Williams III has missed two straight games with a sore left knee and is questionable for Game 6.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Celtics F Jayson Tatum. The three-time All-Star has been productive, scoring 34 points in Game 5 and 30 in Game 4. But he's just 5 of 27 from 3-point range over his last three games after going 9 of 19 from beyond the arc in the first two games of this series. Tatum will need to regain his 3-point accuracy for the Celtics to win this series.
GRIZZLIES AT WARRIORS
Warriors lead 3-2. Game 6, 10 p.m. EDT, ESPN.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: Golden State committed 22 turnovers that led to 29 Grizzlies points in Memphis&rsquo; Game 5 blowout victory. Every starter for the Warriors had a negative plus-minus rating. Thompson&rsquo;s minus-45 rating tied the worst plus-minus in any playoff game over the past 25 years with Andre Drummond&rsquo;s minus-45 against Milwaukee in 2019.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Memphis used its size advantage with 6-foot-11 Steven Adams leading the way to outrebound the Warriors for the first time in this series with a 55-37 edge on the boards. The Grizzlies had an 18-4 difference on the offensive boards, leading to a 24-5 scoring advantage in second-chance points.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Golden State&rsquo;s Otto Porter Jr. dealt with right foot soreness that kept him out the second half of Game 5. His status is questionable. ... Warriors coach Steve Kerr could be recovered from his two-game absence with COVID-19 in time for Game 6, though that hadn&rsquo;t yet been determined. He needs two negative tests first. ... Morant has missed two games and remains doubtful to return this postseason.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: The Warriors. Memphis is the youngest team to reach this round in 25 years, so forcing this series to a sixth game already is a big accomplishment with Morant injured. Each team has had a blowout win with each of the other three games decided by five points or less. But over the last two games without Morant, Memphis has led for all but the final 45.7 seconds of Game 5.
___
AP Sports Writers Kyle Hightower, Janie McCauley and Teresa M. Walker contributed to this report.

The Bucks want to build off the momentum from a thrilling comeback, and the Warriors seek to put an embarrassing loss behind them.

Bucks, Warriors try to close out second-round series at home

During the regular season, Jaren Jackson, Jr. fouled out three times in 78 games. Aside from his brief 2020-21 stint, those three foul-outs represented the lowest mark of his four-year career.
During the first eight games of the 2021-22 playoffs, Jackson matched that number.&nbsp;
This is not a random occurrence. Jackson improved his discipline and technique this year, but he also was the beneficiary of enjoying a ton of time alongside Steven Adams. The Kiwi center was benched after Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, then entered health and safety protocols before returning in Game 4 of the second round.&nbsp;
Adams&rsquo; presence has rippled across Memphis&rsquo; entire team. Despite Ja Morant being sidelined for Games 4 and 5, the Grizzlies narrowly lost Game 4 in San Francisco and rollicked the Warriors, 134-95, in Game 5 to extend their season. The grandest impact of Adams&rsquo; return, though, has been enabling Jackson to stay on the floor and wield his tantalizing two-way portfolio.&nbsp;
His 34 minutes in Game 4 matched a playoff career-high, while he only picked up three fouls in 25 Game-5 minutes, tying his low-water total of this postseason. His 21 points in back-to-back contests are his second- and third-highest scoring clips.
With Adams on the floor during the regular season, Jackson averaged 5.1 fouls per 100 possessions. Without his veteran running mate, that spiked to 6.9 fouls. The disparity has heightened in the playoffs, falling to 4.5 and then vaulting to 8.8, respectively. When Adams exits the floor in the playoffs, Jackson&rsquo;s True Shooting percentage tumbles from 61.1 to 52.9.
Although the Grizzlies still typically flanked Jackson with a big in Adams&rsquo; absence, whether it was Xavier Tillman or Brandon Clarke, Adams is a dependable backstop defensively in ways the other two are not.&nbsp;
Jackson thrives as a roamer, soaring into events with his mobility, length and awareness. Yet he also struggles to control his movements when only afforded a moment&rsquo;s notice, which leads to gaudy foul outputs.&nbsp;
Adams&rsquo; deterrence and delaying of actions, given the size and strength advantage he holds over the other two big men, provides Jackson the time he needs to properly diagnose plays and influence them without fouling. Precision is everything as a rim protector and helper. Adams helps ensure Jackson&rsquo;s rotations are precise.&nbsp;
In amplifying Jackson&rsquo;s defensive talents, Adams also invites him to play more. Because Jackson only had four fouls until 10 seconds remaining (after entered the fourth with two), Memphis closed with him at the 5 in Game 4. Golden State missed a ton of triples, but encountered mighty trouble targeting him on switches or attacking him around the basket much of the night.
Whenever he&rsquo;s stayed on the court this postseason, his defense has been superb. Per NBA.com, opponents are shooting 12% worse than their average on shots within 6 feet of the rim against Jackson. The problem has been staying on the court. Adams is remedying that problem.
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Not only is Adams elongating Jackson&rsquo;s run of playing time and heightening his defensive value, he&rsquo;s unlocking his scoring chops. Draymond Green was generally toggling across frontcourt assignments whenever Clarke or Tillman shared the court with Jackson. During minutes with Adams, in an aim to neutralize him on the glass, Green has predominantly tethered himself to Adams rather than Jackson.
That&rsquo;s a welcomed plotline for Jackson. He is 4-of-18 for 14 points (35.4% TS) with Green on him, struggling to fire jumpers cleanly, finish in the paint or draw fouls. When any other member of the Warriors has guarded him, he&rsquo;s 28 of 64 for 89 points (59.3% TS), applying his length, touch and size to generate compelling shots.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s not a coincidence that his three best scoring performances of the series have occurred when Green was ejected early (Game 1) and Games 4-5, when Green isn&rsquo;t seeing many minutes against the fourth-year big.
Jackson&rsquo;s long ball is more subject to variance than anything else, but in the three games Adams has suited up for rotation minutes, Jackson is 13 of 26 (50%) on 2-pointers. In eight games without Adams, Jackson is 15 of 46 (32.6%). Mismatch-hunting is his most reliable form of interior scoring, and Adams is best equipped among his frontcourt mates to produce those mismatches.
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Adams&rsquo; mere existence as a slingshot for Jackson&rsquo;s game isn&rsquo;t the sole manner in which he&rsquo;s cast his shadow upon the series. His offensive rebounding, screening and high-post playmaking are all enhancing the Grizzlies, who have outscored the Warriors by 45 points during his 49 minutes.&nbsp;
One of Memphis&rsquo; best traits is their ability to bounce between play styles with and without Morant. When he&rsquo;s unavailable, they scale up Tyus Jones&rsquo; role, increase dribble hand-offs for Desmond Bane and crash the offensive glass even more. Adams factors into all three components, and that&rsquo;s remained the case in Games 4 and 5. He has chiseled openings as a screener, preserved possessions on the boards and set up teammates with his facilitating.&nbsp;
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He also possesses an aura of deterrence and attention that the 6-foot-8, 245-pound Tillman does not. At 6-foot-11, 265 pounds, Adams occupies substantial concern from offensive and defensive players. It&rsquo;s by no means the headlining facet of his value, but it&rsquo;s nonetheless apparent on both sides of the ball and a boon to the Grizzlies.
Golden State is already a limited interior scoring team, and Adams exacerbates that flaw. When he&rsquo;s on the court, the Warriors are shooting 66.7% in the restricted area with a rim frequency of 11.8%. When he&rsquo;s off the court, they&rsquo;re shooting 73.7% with a rim frequency of 29%.&nbsp;
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Every year, the playoffs reveal themselves to be matchup-dependent festivities. Round 1 against the Timberwolves, with the mobile, sweet-shooting Karl-Anthony Towns, was not necessarily a favorable context for Adams. But Round 2, against an undersized Warriors team short on rim pressure, has proven to be his platform.&nbsp;
By easing responsibilities for Jackson, complementing Memphis&rsquo; primary ball-handlers sans Morant and exploiting Golden State inside, he&rsquo;s quickly demonstrated why this is his matchup to flourish.&nbsp;

Steven Adams has proven to be an important cog for Memphis in their series against Golden State, and will do so again in Game 6.

Steven Adams' return has upsized this series for the Grizzlies

Everyone has seen the stat:&nbsp;The Memphis Grizzlies are 20-5 without Ja Morant.
It doesn't make sense... unless it does.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Are we gonna have a discussion about the fact that many of these beatdowns have happened without Ja Morant? Is there a discussion to be had?
&mdash; Peter Edmiston (@peteredmiston) <a href="https://twitter.com/peteredmiston/status/1524591756901294086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
The discussion is not about whether the Grizzlies are better without Ja Morant. They aren't.
They are different, and different in ways that give Memphis rightful hope that it has a puncher's chance at winning this series against the Golden State Warriors.
The Grizzlies have outplayed the Warriors for the majority of the series. Golden State is up 3-2 due to its experience closing out games versus <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-the-grizzlies-overcome-their-youth-against-experienced-warriors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the youth of Memphis</a>. Game 4's ending is evidence that Memphis needs Morant, as the team could not create baskets down the stretch to stave off the Warriors' comeback.&nbsp;
So, without their superstar, how can the Grizzlies complete a 3-1 comeback? What's the formula?
Let's dig in.
DEFENSIVE INTENSITY AND FOCUS
The formula for Memphis in the regular season was defense leading to quick offense. The Grizzlies thrived on creating chaos and led the league in points off turnovers and fast-break points.&nbsp;
In Round 2, Memphis currently leads the NBA with 20.8 points off turnovers per contest. They are fourth in Defensive Rating (108.0), first in steals per game (10.6) and second in blocks per game (6.0). Another indicator of defensive intensity is a team's amount of deflections, a stat in which the Grizzlies lead the NBA with 16.0 per game in the second round as well.
In two games without Morant, Memphis has held the Warriors to an average of 98.0 points and forcing 19.0 turnovers per contest while amassing 32 total deflections during that span. Even more wild is the team's 94.7 DRTG without Morant in this series, holding the Warriors to a 49.1% Effective Field Goal percentage.&nbsp;
In the first two possessions of Game 5, the Grizzlies got exactly what they wanted from the Warriors &mdash; an Andrew Wiggins three and a Draymond Green three. Memphis is clearly forcing someone other than the Splash Brothers to try and beat them. In fact, the first five shots by the Warriors were by players not named Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson, and Curry did not take his first shot until there was 4:43 left in the first quarter.
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At this point in the game, Jordan Poole had been struggling with his shot. Since Kevon Looney isn't much of an offensive threat, Steven Adams plays drop coverage and allows De'Anthony Melton plenty of space to navigate the screen. Dillon Brooks face-guards Curry while Jaren Jackson Jr. is in help position due to the non-shooting threat of Green. Melton is a plus-defender off the bench. and his wingspan creats havoc for opponents, as Poole experienced on this possession.
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Memphis has made it quite clear that its game plan is to funnel the Warriors into the paint. When Green is playing on the perimeter, it allows Adams to cut off the backdoor plays, forcing Thompson into a baseline jumper rather than a layup while having the step on Tyus Jones.
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Jackson blitzes Curry on the screen, forcing Curry to get off the ball making a soft pass to a rolling Nemanja Bjelica. Jones gambles by leaving Thompson and gets the steal, but its the positioning of Desmond Bane and Adams that matters.
Again, Adams is 15 feet away from Green while Bane vacates Wiggins in the corner. Both are in help, and Memphis will either live with a Wiggins three or recover and rotate if the ball were kicked to Green on the perimeter.
In the two games without Morant, the Grizzlies have made life incredibly difficult for Curry, Thompson and Poole.
<ul>
<li>Curry: 14-of-35 (40.0%) and 6-of-22 from deep (31.8%)</li>
<li>Thompson: 13-of-32 (40.6%) and 3 of 3 from deep (23.1%)</li>
<li>Poole: 5-of-18 (27.8%) and 1 of 6 from deep (16.7%)</li>
</ul>
Meanwhile, Poole and Green have combined for 15 turnovers alone during the two games and 37 in the series. Green has more than doubled his total turnovers from the first round against the Denver Nuggets.
Memphis must continue creating chaos on defense and scoring off turnovers in order to have a chance without Morant.
JAREN JACKSON JR. 
Simply put, the Warriors do not roster a player who can guard Jaren Jackson Jr. when he is not settling for perimeter shots. It has been an interesting case study when it comes to the offense of JJJ with and without Morant.
The strength of Ja is getting downhill and attacking the rim; therefore, Jackson must not be occupying that space. JJJ floats around the perimeter for catch-and-shoot opportunities way too often when Morant is on the floor. So it makes sense that Jackson shoots 3.7% better when Morant is not playing, because he gets to the rim more often.&nbsp;
A contributing factor to the team's Game 4 loss was Memphis failing to get the ball to JJJ down the stretch, as he shot just four times in the final eight minutes. Jackson has to be the featured guy for this team to have any hope of advancing.&nbsp;
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Mismatch.
Just call it what it is for the Warriors attempting to guard him. Memphis obviously drew this up to look for Jackson early on a post-up on the young and undersized Jonathan Kuminga. A key to featuring a player is getting him looks early. Look for the Grizzlies to do much of the same in Game 6 (and potential Game 7).
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Thompson has certainly lost a step and is not the perimeter lockdown defender he once was; the 7-foot Jackson is able to get by Thompson on the perimeter, forcing a Klay foul to prevent an easy bucket. As long as JJJ does not resort to only going left when he is headed downhill, he can put immense pressure on the Warriors' defense.
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Memphis has run this action multiple times for both Jackson and Bane, and should continue to do so. When Jaren has it going from deep, it is a massive game-changer for the Grizzlies in any game. Memphis needs a repeat performance from Game 5 Jaren.
AUXILIARY OPTIONS
Bane has been dealing with a bulging disc in his back. The Warriors have obviously game-planned to render Brandon Clarke ineffective on the offensive glass. Melton is still a wild card, and Brooks has been a hot mess.
In order for the Grizzlies to survive and advance, Bane has to be lethal, Clarke needs to be active on the glass, Melton has to show up and Brooks needs to play within himself. In Game 5, those things happened for the most part.&nbsp;
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This should tell you that Bane is closer to 100%. In the previous meetings, he was mostly limited to spot-up shooting. His ability to put the ball on the floor and turn the corner is crucial for Memphis' offense.
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Clarke got loose in Game 5. After four games of focused boxing out on BC, the Warriors allowed him to make a massive impact on the offensive glass. Clarke was the biggest X-factor in the first round for Memphis, and will need the same level impact going forward.
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Melton can be very hit or miss offensively. If he hits his first shot, watch out, because he is about to go on a binge. If he misses the first few, his minutes get cut rather quickly. Melton is a player who thrives off chaos on the defensive end, constantly deflecting balls, blocking shots and racking up steals. His ability to defend off the bench is key for the Grizzlies.
Its a long shot, but the Memphis Grizzlies are capable of coming back from a 3-1 deficit &mdash; even without their superstar. Can the Grizzlies stay locked in and play exceptional basketball for two more games?
Obviously, many things have to go right &mdash; but they did in Game 5.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Justin Lewis highlights what led to the Grizzlies' win in Game 5 over the Warriors and explains why Memphis can still take this series.

Despite missing Ja Morant, the Grizzlies can still defeat the Warriors

NEW YORK &ndash; NBA team basketball executives have selected Memphis Grizzlies Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Zach Kleiman as the winner of the 2021-22 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award, the NBA announced today.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
NBA team basketball executives have selected Memphis Grizzlies Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Zach Kleiman as the winner of the 2021-22 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award, the NBA announced today. More ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/XbxgH6RXZ2">https://t.co/XbxgH6RXZ2</a> <a href="https://t.co/innXghwI5m">pic.twitter.com/innXghwI5m</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1524766484160864256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

This is the first NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award for Kleiman, who has led Basketball Operations for Memphis for the last three years. &nbsp;Kleiman, 33, is the youngest recipient of the award, which has been presented annually since the 1972-73 season. &nbsp;He also becomes the second person to earn the honor with the Grizzlies, joining Jerry West (2003-04).
Kleiman received 16 of 29 first-place votes and earned 85 total points from a panel of team basketball executives across the NBA. &nbsp;Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman and Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karni&scaron;ovas tied for second place with 27 points each. &nbsp;Phoenix Suns General Manager James Jones and Miami Heat President Pat Riley tied for fourth place with 26 points each. &nbsp;Executives were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
As Memphis&rsquo; lead personnel decision maker, Kleiman assembled a roster that finished with the second-best record in the NBA this season (56-26) and matched the franchise single-season record for victories. &nbsp;The Grizzlies secured the No. 2 playoff seed in the Western Conference, their highest seed ever.
This season, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was named a starter for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game and the winner of the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award, and head coach Taylor Jenkins finished in second place in the voting for the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year Award. &nbsp;In 2019, Kleiman selected Morant with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft and hired Jenkins to his first NBA head coaching position. &nbsp;The same year, Kleiman acquired forward Brandon Clarke and guards Tyus Jones and De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, three valuable contributors to the 2021-22 team.
Memphis guard Desmond Bane, the 30th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, finished in fifth place in the voting for the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award after averaging 18.2 points and ranking second in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage (43.6). &nbsp;In November 2020, Kleiman acquired Bane&rsquo;s draft rights as part of a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers.
Under Kleiman, the Grizzlies also signed guard-forward Dillon Brooks and forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. to multiyear contract extensions in February 2020 and October 2021, respectively. &nbsp;Brooks averaged 18.4 points this season. &nbsp;Jackson averaged 16.3 points and an NBA-high 2.27 blocks, finishing in fifth place in the voting for the 2021-22 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
In August 2021, Memphis acquired center Steven Adams and the draft rights to guard-forward Ziaire Williams, the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, as part of a three-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. &nbsp;Adams started 75 of his 76 games this season and ranked 12th in the NBA in rebounding (10.0 rpg). &nbsp;Williams started 31 of his 62 games as a rookie and averaged 8.1 points.
Kleiman joined the Grizzlies in 2015 as their in-house legal counsel. &nbsp;He served as assistant general manager during the 2018-19 season and was promoted to his current role in April 2019. &nbsp;Prior to joining Memphis, Kleiman worked as an associate at the international law firm Proskauer Rose LLP.
Kleiman will be presented with a special edition 75th Anniversary commemorative trophy today in celebration of the honor, gifted in addition to the NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award trophy, which he will receive later. &nbsp;The commemorative trophy, composed of a solid crystal basketball, features the NBA 75 logo 3D laser etched and suspended within its center.
The voting results for the 2021-22 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award are below. &nbsp;The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young LLP.
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Grizzlies' Zach Kleiman has been chosen as the winner of the 2021-22 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award.

Grizzlies' Zach Kleiman wins 2021-22 NBA Executive of the Year award

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Memphis Grizzlies routed the Golden State Warriors 134-95 on Wednesday night to avoid elimination and force a sixth game in the Western Conference semifinal.
Dillon Brooks added 12 points for Memphis. Ziaire Williams and Brandon Clarke had 11 apiece and De&rsquo;Anthony Melton 10. Steven Adams had 13 rebounds, six offensive.
The Grizzlies never trailed, turning in their best performance of this series to pull to 3-2 even with All-Star guard Ja Morant sitting out his second straight game because of a bone bruise in his right knee. They improved to 4-11 when facing elimination.
Memphis scored 77 points in the first half, the most in franchise postseason history. The Grizzlies pushed their lead to 55 in the third quarter, threatening the three biggest postseason blowouts in NBA history. Their 52-point lead after three tied for the largest in a playoff game in the past 70 years.
When Memphis fans chanted &ldquo;Whoop That Trick! Whoop That Trick!&rdquo; early in the fourth, Stephen Curry laughed on the court laughing while Draymond Green swung a towel in unison with the crowd.
Game 6 is Friday night in San Francisco, where the Warriors have won five straight playoff games and their last seven overall.&nbsp;
Klay Thompson led Golden State with 19 points, Jonathan Kuminga added 17, Curry had 14 and Damion Lee and Moses Moody each had 10.
The Warriors lost for the first time with assistant Mike Brown filling in for coach Steve Kerr, who missed his second straight game since testing positive for COVID before Game 4.
The Grizzlies got back to doing the things that helped the post the second-best record during the regular season. They outrebounded Golden State and dominated on the offensive boards. They forced plenty of turnovers and got their best production from the bench of this series.
Golden State, thanks to Poole coming off the bench, had outscored Memphis&rsquo; reserves each of the first four games. Facing elimination, the Grizzlies had a 28-8 edge through the first two quarters and finished with a 52-35 margin.
Memphis led 38-28 at the end of the first quarter and continued a 24-8 run into the second quarter to go up 53-36t. They finished the second on a 20-4 run, including 14 straight, to outscore Golden State 39-22 for a 77-50 lead at halftime.
Then the Grizzlies opened the third quarter outscoring Golden State 20-6, prompting fans to start chanting &ldquo;Whoop That Trick.&rdquo; Memphis just pushing, outscoring Golden State 42-17 in the third for a 119-67 lead going into the fourth.
Brown benched most of his starters by 3:44 of the third, and Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins followed to start the fourth resting up for a flight to California and Game 6.
TIP-INS
Warriors: The 77 points allowed in the first half matched the most allowed all season. They also gave up 77 on Jan. 13 at Milwaukee. ... The Warriors also fell to 12-4 in Game 5s since 2015. ... Nemanja Bjelica started the third quarter in place of Jonathan Kuminga. Bjelica had played only four minutes in this series. ... Otto Porter Jr. played 12 minutes before being sidelined by a sore right foot.
Grizzlies: They matched their most first-half points, also scoring 77 against New Orleans on March 8. They did it by outscoring Golden State 24-5 on second-chance points with a 18-4 edge on the offensive boards.
POSTSEASON BLOWOUTS
The Bucks also led Philadelphia by 52 (124-72) on March 30, 1970. Denver beat New Orleans by 58 on April 27, 2009, matching the margin Minneapolis beat St. Louis on March 19, 1956. Golden State beat the Los Angeles Lakers by 56 on April 21, 1973.
GRIZZLIES&rsquo; D
Memphis scored 25 points off turnovers in the first half &mdash; most by any team in the 1st half over the last 25 postseasons. The Warriors had been averaging 19 turnovers a game in this series and had 14 by halftime and finished with 20.
BROWN&rsquo;S FIRST LOSS
Brown, the next coach of the Sacramento Kings, had been 12-0 coaching the Warriors in the postseason, winning 11 straight in the 2017 playoffs. He also won Game 4 when the Warriors took the lead for the first time with 45.7 seconds left to pull out a win for a 3-1 series lead.&nbsp;

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Grizzlies routed the Warriors 134-95.

Grizzlies rout Warriors to avoid elimination, force Game 6

Memphis&rsquo; chances of staving off elimination are even tougher now.
The Golden State Warriors put the Grizzlies on the brink of the offseason after they rallied late in Game 4 on Monday night to grab a 3-1 series lead as Memphis star Ja Morant sat out with a sore right knee.
Morant is doubtful for the remainder of the postseason after an MRI and further evaluation revealed a bone bruise on his injured knee, the team announced Tuesday night. The NBA&rsquo;s Most Improved Player winner and All-Star guard had been averaging 38.3 points a game.
The Warriors now head to Memphis needing one victory to advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2019 &mdash; when they lost in the NBA Finals before missing the last two postseasons.
That&rsquo;s been a long wait for a franchise that won three championships in the last decade.
&ldquo;Wednesday is going to be the hardest one yet,&rdquo; Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. &ldquo;It always is, the closeout. We have to put this behind us and put together a good game plan.&rdquo;
Even without Morant, Memphis still led for all but 45.7 seconds of Game 4 before Golden State rallied for a 101-98 victory. It was the first time Memphis had been held under 100 points this postseason.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re back home,&rdquo; Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got our fans. It&rsquo;s going to be loud, so we&rsquo;re excited to get back home and go play again, man. We have another chance to play. They&rsquo;re a good team. We obviously know how the game went. Yeah, we get another chance at it.&rdquo;
And that &ldquo;it&rdquo; is pushing this series back to San Francisco for Game 6 on Friday.
In the Bucks-Celtics series, Boston's Al Horford has tapped into a level of his game during the playoffs that many thought he&rsquo;d lost at age 35.
His play reached a new height in Game 4 during the Celtics&rsquo; 116-108 win over the Bucks on Monday night. The five-time All-Star scored 16 of his playoff career-high 30 points in the fourth quarter to help Boston tie the Eastern Conference semifinal series with the defending NBA champions at two games apiece.
Equally important, the Celtics have reclaimed home-court advantage as the series shifts back to Boston for Game 5 on Wednesday.
After spending a challenging season in Oklahoma City last year, Horford was packaged in the Thunder&rsquo;s trade for Kemba Walker, returning Horford to where he last earned All-Star honors in the 2017-18 season.
Horford said he feels like he&rsquo;s experiencing the fruits of an offseason in which he focused on being ready to play meaningful games again. He has gone from averaging 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds during the regular season to 15.9 points and 9.4 rebounds in the postseason.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s from sitting at home,&rdquo; Horford said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s from watching the playoffs, not knowing what my future was holding and really just hoping to have an opportunity to be in this type of environment.&rdquo;
The resurgence has coincided with Boston needing someone to step up after big man Robert Williams III was sidelined for the second time this postseason, sitting out Game 4 with soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. He is questionable for Game 5.
After missing an opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead, Bucks guard Wesley Matthews said there&rsquo;s no time to sulk.
&ldquo;If it was easy to get to the semis, every team would get to the semis. It&rsquo;s hard. It&rsquo;s hard as hell,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;At the same time, you can&rsquo;t hold your head too high, can&rsquo;t hold your head low at all, and you&rsquo;ve got to bounce back.&rdquo;
Wednesday&rsquo;s games:
BUCKS AT CELTICS
Series tied 2-2. Game 5, 7 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: After dropping the series opener at home, Boston is back at TD Garden with a chance to put the defending champion Bucks on the brink of elimination. The Celtics are 3-1 at home this postseason and continue to find ways to frustrate Giannis Antetokounmpo late in games.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Milwaukee in the fourth quarter. The Bucks were outscored in the final 12 minutes in three of the four games, including 43-28 in Game 4. The only time it didn&rsquo;t cost them was their 103-101 win in Game 3.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: The Celtics said Williams is questionable with left knee soreness &hellip; Bucks forward Khris Middleton (sprained left knee) remains out. George Hill (abdominal soreness) is listed as probable.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: The Bucks. With no reinforcements coming in the form of Middleton returning, Antetokounmpo will need the best from his remaining supporting cast to avoid going down 3-2.
WARRIORS AT GRIZZLIES
Series tied 3-1. Game 5, 9:30 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: Golden State is 43-24 all-time in series-clinching games and 19-8 since 2015. The Warriors also are 12-3 since 2015 in Game 5s. The Grizzlies are 3-11 when facing elimination.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Jordan Poole. Dillon Brooks heard boos from Warriors fans in Game 4 after returning from a one-game suspension for his flagrant foul that sidelined Gary Payton II with a broken left elbow. Now Poole figures to be the target of Grizzlies fans after his involvement in the play that sent Morant to the sidelines.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who missed Game 4 after testing positive for COVID-19 and being placed in the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols, will remain out for Game 5. Associate head coach Mike Brown will again coach in his place. ... With Morant out, Tyus Jones (19 points, six rebounds, five assists in Game 4) is expected to start again.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Brooks. He is just 8 of 35 from the floor and 4 of 18 from 3-point range in this series, with questionable shot selection. He missed a 26-footer that could&rsquo;ve padded Memphis&rsquo; lead in the final minute, possibly helping the Grizzlies pull out a gritty win.
___
AP Sports Writers Janie McCauley, Teresa M. Walker, Steve Megargee and AP freelance writer Jim Hoehn contributed to this report.

The Warriors have a chance to close-out on the road in Memphis, while the Celtics have regained home-court advantage on the Bucks.

Pivotal Game 5s on tap for Bucks-Celtics, Warriors-Grizzlies

On Monday, Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown experienced arguably the craziest 24 hours of his 25-year coaching career.
The whirlwind of a day started that morning, when the Sacramento Kings announced that they were hiring Brown as their new head coach. Brown would continue coaching the Warriors throughout their postseason run, and then his four-year deal with the Kings would begin.
"Mike has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead winning teams throughout his long and successful coaching career," Kings general manager Monte McNair said in a press release. "He has worked with some of the best players in the NBA and is one of the league's premier defensive minds. I am excited to bring his extensive experience to Sacramento."
Previously, Brown coached the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers &mdash; even winning the NBA&rsquo;s Coach of the Year award in 2009. However, after working as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr in recent years, this would be his first head-coaching gig since 2014.
While Brown was understandably excited about this new opportunity, he tried to focus on the task at hand: beating the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The Warriors were up 2-1 in the series and Monday's game was pivotal.
Little did Brown know, he would be thrust back into a head-coaching role sooner than expected.
&ldquo;Steve called me on his way in at about 4:45, and said he just wasn't feeling well and there's a chance that he may not be able to coach tonight,&rdquo; Brown recalled. &ldquo;We've done this drill before, and so I said, &lsquo;Okay.&rsquo; He came in, got tested; I get a call back at 5:15 saying that he's out. So that's how I found out [I&rsquo;d be the head coach]."
That&rsquo;s not an easy transition to make moments before a game, and Brown admits that he felt nervous after receiving that call.
&ldquo;Obviously, there's butterflies because you're going into the game with a certain mindset and it's a big game,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;Every game that we play at this point in the year, it's huge. So to have that kind of thrown at you, you've got to switch gears because I know what my responsibilities are going in as 'Mike Brown the assistant coach,' and it changes. Now, you have to manage everything and not necessarily manage the specific things that you were asked to do before gametime. So, I had to change hats quickly.&rdquo;
The atmosphere surrounding this playoff game was unique too, as Draymond Green was playing with a heavy heart. Earlier that afternoon, Green learned that his college teammate Adreian Payne had been shot and killed the night before in Orlando. Green and Payne played together for two seasons at Michigan State, and Green was devastated. (Green announced a $100,000 fund in Payne's name and called on other Spartan alumni to contribute as well).
&ldquo;I love Draymond and when he hurts, we all hurt,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;It was an up-and-down, emotional day.&rdquo;
Despite everything the Warriors were dealing with, they managed to beat the Grizzlies 101-98 to take a 3-1 lead in the series.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm so proud of them," Brown said. "Our leader in Steve being out with COVID right before the game. Draymond, emotionally, he's our emotional heart and soul, and for him to get hit with something that impactful, not only was it tough for him, but we felt it. We felt it as a group. It was a tough night for us. But at this point in the year, you win ball games. It doesn't matter how you get there, but you win ball games. We found a way to win tonight and that's why I'm excited.
&ldquo;When we went in the back, [Warriors assistant] Chris DeMarco says, &lsquo;Punch 42. Dive 52.&rsquo; I'm like, &lsquo;What are you talking about?&rsquo; He said, &lsquo;We just kept handing the ball off to the fullback left and right, and at the end of the game, we kicked a field goal to win it. Hell of a football game.&rsquo; And that's what it was. But that's playoff basketball. Sometimes it's grimy. Sometimes it's gritty. They turned it into that in Game 2 in Memphis and we lost. They turned it into that again tonight, especially with Ja [Morant] out, but our guys found a way."
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While Stephen Curry led the way with 32 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds, Brown credited the leadership of Green and Andre Iguodala, while also shouting out the rest of Golden State&rsquo;s coaching staff.
&ldquo;Andre, I know he's not playing but just his voice, his presence, he's always saying the right thing. It uplifts all of us; it uplifted me,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;I told him and Draymond, &lsquo;I need you guys tonight. I need you guys. I'm going to lean on you guys.&rsquo; And those guys stayed steady the whole game; Andre on the bench, obviously, and Draymond out on the floor.
&ldquo;To have veterans like Andre and Draymond who have been through the highs and lows of many playoffs series, when they are reassuring the guys of that, it gives everybody else confidence because we are playing guys right now who haven't been as far. Again, their presence, their voice, their calmness, their reassurance, all that stuff means a lot for our group, especially with Steve out&hellip; All of our guys &ndash; Kenny Atkinson, Bruce Fraser, Chris DeMarco, Jama [Mahlalela], [Dejan Milojevic], all of our coaches &ndash; were fantastic.&rdquo;
After the game, Curry and Klay Thompson raved about Brown and how well he did on such short notice. They both pointed out that Brown had thrived in this position before back in 2017, when Kerr missed a stretch due to back pain and Brown led the team to an 11-0 record.
&ldquo;It's been a wild day all the way around,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;You just had to kind of figure it out on the fly. And I understand we've been through this before &mdash; guys that were here in 2016-17, with Coach [Kerr] and his back problems back in the day when he was out of the lineup and still had an influence. Mike B. stepped up, so we really didn't have a lot of time to react&hellip; He's coached in Finals before, coached some high-powered teams, some big-market teams &ndash; he's been through it all. He&rsquo;s been with us for these last six years, and he's been interim coach for a little bit and made his presence felt, especially defensively leading us this year. He has a good presence about him, a great way about him.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Really happy for Mike B.,&rdquo; Thompson added. &ldquo;He's going to do great things for Sacramento. His head-coaching record for Warriors playoff games, I think, is undefeated. We did miss Steve a lot, just his voice, his presence. But we've been here before in 2017 when Mike took over and we rolled off a lot of wins. I reflected on that a lot. Just an up-and-down day as far as emotions&hellip; It was an emotional day. Prayers up to Adreian and his family and Draymond; I know they played together. Just a terrible loss of life and his legacy will live on. It was just a sad day.&rdquo;
Brown will once again coach the Warriors in Game 5 tonight &mdash; this time with significantly more heads up. And, in typical Kerr fashion, Brown praised his players and downplayed his role in the Game 4 win.
&ldquo;Any time you have Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and a guy who if he wasn't hurt would have been Defensive Player of the Year in Draymond Green on the floor, you know good things can happen,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;If it's a one- or two-possession game down the stretch, whether you're down or up, you feel pretty confident. A lot of it has to do with the playoff experience that these guys have, but their talent and IQ, in my opinion, are second-to-none.&rdquo;
Brown will never forget the day that the Kings hired him, and he'll likely go down as an interesting trivia answer too.
"I don't know in history if [anyone else has been] named the head coach of two teams in 24 hours," Curry said with a laugh. &ldquo;He's continuing to set many trends!&rdquo;
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Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown experienced arguably the craziest 24 hours of his 25-year coaching career on Monday.

A crazy day: Mike Brown gets Kings' job, then fills in for Steve Kerr

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will be listed as doubtful for the remainder of the playoffs due to a bone bruise in his right knee, the team announced. The injury occured during the fourth quarter of Game 3 against the Golden State Warriors, when Morant and Jordan Poole collided (and Poole grabbed his knee).&nbsp;
Morant has been the breakout star of this postseason, and he's been virtually unstoppable in this series against Golden State, averaging 38.3 points, 8.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 threes and 3.0 steals on .518/.451/.797 shooting splits.
The Grizzlies were 20-5 without Morant during the regular season, but losing their best player is obviously a huge blow to their championship hopes.
Morant <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/did-jordan-poole-break-the-code-and-hurt-ja-morant-in-game-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seems to think that Poole grabbing and pulling his knee "broke the code,"</a> as he tweeted (and later deleted) this shortly after he suffered the injury.
Several Grizzlies players and head coach Taylor Jenkins agreed with Morant, while several Warriors players (such as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson) shot down the notion that Poole intentionally injured Morant.
Game 5 between the Grizzlies and Warriors is Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT. The Warriors are leading the series 3-1.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will be listed as doubtful for the remainder of the playoffs due to a bone bruise in his right knee.

Ja Morant doubtful for rest of playoffs with bone bruise in knee

With nearly a full month of NBA playoff action in the books, we've witnessed a handful of players surprisingly exceed expectations and drive their league-wide value to increasingly high levels. On the other end of the spectrum, several stars have seen their market price dip quite a bit.
So whose stock has soared? Whose has plummeted? Let's dive in with an in-depth breakdown.
Stock Up
Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks
Heading into the 2021-22 season, the Dallas Mavericks could have signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $56 million extension. However, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33801390/nba-playoffs-2022-jalen-brunson-star-turn-dallas-mavericks-massive-free-agency-implications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Tim MacMahon</a> reported that the Mavs chose not to make an offer and didn't even engage in negotiations with Brunson's representatives. You have to assume Dallas is now regretting that decision.
After averaging career-highs in scoring (16.3 points), assists (4.8), rebounds (3.9) and steals (0.8) during the regular season, Brunson has taken his game to another level in the playoffs. With Luka Doncic sidelined early on in the Mavs' first-round series vs. Utah, Brunson got off to a scorching hot start, tallying 96 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists over the first two games. He became just the third player in NBA history to tally at least 70 points and 10 assists while committing fewer than 2 turnovers over a two-game span in the postseason. Incredibly, Brunson led all players in total points scored in the first round (167).
After struggling a bit in the first two games of Dallas' first-round series vs. Phoenix, Brunson was again a crucial factor in the Mavs' victories at home in Games 3 and 4 over the weekend.&nbsp;
Through 10 postseason contests, Brunson is averaging 23.5 points, 4.6 boards and 3.9 dimes per game. He's done most of his damage by relentlessly attacking the rim. Among all postseason performers, Brunson ranks third in drives per game (behind only Ja Morant and Doncic) and third in points scored off drives.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WHAT A NIGHT FOR JALEN BRUNSON! 🔷 Career-high 41 PTS 🔷 6 3PM 🔷 8 REB 🔷 Gets the W in Game 2 <a href="https://t.co/GixvrcCqIM">pic.twitter.com/GixvrcCqIM</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1516250998607540229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It could be argued that no player has boosted his stock more over the past few weeks than Brunson. And it couldn't come at a better time for the versatile combo guard, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. We know the New York Knicks are interested in making a run at Brunson, and <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-slow-spinning-coaching-marketplace-1ce?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0MDU5OTIyOCwicG9zdF9pZCI6NTMyMjYzMDQsIl8iOiJscTRCVSIsImlhdCI6MTY1MTUyMjAxMywiZXhwIjoxNjUxNTI1NjEzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMzkyMjA1Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.Tiw_7fovr2Ot5a6LeR_ujN2MyJCkgAuKahkQLnMBOMU&amp;s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Marc Stein</a>, Detroit and Indiana have shown interest as well. However, Mark Cuban has stated publicly he plans to re-sign Brunson &mdash; even if it has an outsized impact on Dallas' luxury tax bill.&nbsp;
Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat
Due to a slew of serious injuries that limited him to only 88 games over the past three seasons, Victor Oladipo was forced to settle for a one-year deal with Miami on the veteran minimum back in August. The hope was he'd be able to show teams during the 2021-22 campaign that he was finally fully healthy. Unfortunately, Oladipo was sidelined for nearly all of the regular season as he recovered from a debilitating right quadriceps injury. 'Dipo didn't make his season debut until March 7.&nbsp;
After playing sporadically in late March and early April, Oladipo exploded for 40 points in the Heat's regular-season finale. Yet, he was a DNP-CD in each of Miami's first three playoff games. However, with both Jimmy Butler (knee) and Kyle Lowry (hamstring) ruled out for Game 5 of the Heat's first-round series vs. the Atlanta Hawks, Oladipo slid into the starting lineup. He finished that contest with 23 points (8 of 16 from the field, 4 of 4 on free throws), 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 triples in 36 minutes. Needless to say, 'Dipo has been a part of the Miami rotation since. In Game 2 of Miami's second-round matchup vs. the Philadelphia 76ers, he tallied 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 triples. He also chipped in 15 points off the bench in Game 4.&nbsp;
Oladipo will undoubtedly have plenty of interest on the free-agent market this summer.
Al Horford, Boston Celtics
Al Horford's 2022-23 salary is only partially guaranteed. And when the Celtics initially acquired Horford last summer in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, some pundits speculated that Boston might look to get out from under the $26.5 million owed to Big Al next season.&nbsp;
But with as well as he has played this postseason, that will no longer be a consideration. Horford has been a godsend for Boston, averaging 15.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per contest through the Celtics' first eight playoff games. In Game 3 vs. Milwaukee on Saturday, Horford became the first player in Boston's franchise history with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 made three-pointers in a single playoff game. Then, in Monday's Game 4 victory, he exploded for 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 triples and 3 assists.
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Stock Down
Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Rumors of a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/expect-the-knicks-to-make-a-real-run-at-donovan-mitchell-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rocky relationship between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have been swirling for years</a>. Unfortunately for Utah, it appears the team will be forced to trade one of its two best players at a time when their respective values have depreciated.
The two pillars of the Jazz franchise played relatively well during the regular season, but the rumblings of toxicity in Utah grew louder as the year dragged on. Mitchell not sharing the ball with Gobert has become a topic of conversation in early April. Shortly thereafter, Gobert called out his teammates for not wanting to play physically and "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/03/30/triple-team-jazz-lost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get our hands dirty</a>." When asked about the perceived finger-pointing, Mitchell characterized it as "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/04/01/utah-jazz-vow-not-fall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">childish</a>."&nbsp;
Utah backed into the playoffs after losing five straight games in late March, but was hoping to take advantage of a Mavericks team playing without its best player, Doncic, who was sidelined by a calf injury for the first two contests. However, the Jazz lost Game 2 and lost the series in six games.
Over the six-game series vs. Dallas, Mitchell averaged over 22 field-goal attempts per contest, but shot just 39.8% from the floor and 20.8% from downtown. He became the first player in league history to attempt more than 20 field goals but shoot below 40% from the field and under 21% from three-point territory over a postseason run. And Mitchell's poor defense was arguably more problematic than his offense. Utah allowed over 115 points per 100 possessions vs. Dallas with Mitchell on the court. That number dropped to 104.5 with Mitchell on the bench.
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Here&rsquo;s video of Rudy Gobert talking about the defensive improvements he&rsquo;s seen from Devin Booker on January 14th&hellip; As well as the Donovan Mitchell responses to 2 separate questions a day later: <a href="https://t.co/irKTufQJ1L">pic.twitter.com/irKTufQJ1L</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1520538333482749952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Gobert averaged just 12.0 points per game on 5.5 attempts per game (a career-low in his six postseason appearances) and blocked a total of 6 shots in the six-game series. It was the first time in his career he averaged more turnovers than blocks and steals combined. The Mavs often attempted to take advantage of Gobert's difficulty covering the perimeter by going small and spreading the floor.&nbsp;
Dating back to the 2021 postseason (when they dropped four straight to a shorthanded Clippers team that lost Kawhi Leonard to an ACL tear), the Jazz have lost 8 of their last 10 playoff games. With Gobert, Mitchell, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Royce O'Neale locked into contracts that will pay them north of $133 million in guaranteed money next season, Utah won't be able to make any significant upgrades via free agency.&nbsp;
Last week, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/jazz/news/rudy-gobert-him-or-me-ultimatum-donovan-mitchell">it was reported</a> that Gobert had reached a "him or me" point with Mitchell and would demand one of the two be traded this summer. It's difficult to envision the Jazz entering the 2022-23 season with both <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gobert</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell</a> on the roster.
Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat
As noted above, Oladipo has stepped in and stepped up for the Heat over the past two weeks. On the flip side of the coin, we have Duncan Robinson, who has gone from a crucial contributor to a non-factor.&nbsp;
Robinson started all 72 games for Miami in 2020-21, averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from beyond the arc (on 8.5 three-point attempts per game). The Heat rewarded him with a five-year contract worth $90 million. However, Robinson regressed during the 2021-22 regular season, as his production and percentages dipped. After starting 68 of the team's first 72 games, he was bumped to the bench in late March. Following a solid outing in Game 1 vs. Atlanta, coach Erik Spoelstra clearly didn't feel comfortable trusting his sharpshooter. Robinson averaged just 2.3 points in 10.7 minutes per contest in the final four games of the first round.&nbsp;
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Remarkably, Robinson has logged a total of just 55 seconds thus far in Round 2, and has been a DNP-CD in 3 of the 4 contests. This is obviously not what Pat Riley and company had in mind when they ponied up $90 million less than nine months ago.
With $74.5 million still owed to Robinson over the next four years, will Miami look to dump his contract this summer already?&nbsp;
Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-nets-should-part-ways-with-kyrie-irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As I detailed in this space last month</a>, the Nets are on the precipice of a difficult decision.&nbsp;
Kyrie Irving has a player option worth $35,328,700 for the 2022-23 campaign. If he declines his option, he would be eligible to sign a new five-year deal with Brooklyn worth up to $248 million. While Kyrie is still capable of playing at an incredibly high level, the Nets have to decide how much he's worth considering his injury history (since signing with Brooklyn in 2019, Irving has appeared in just 103 of 216 regular-season games) and the off-court drama he brings to the table.&nbsp;
In the three years since Brooklyn added Kevin Durant and Kyrie, the Nets have won just one playoff series. This past season, Nets owner Joe Tsai spent $266 million in salary and luxury tax payments, the second-highest amount in league history. The Nets don't have a single playoff victory to show for it.
And over the team's final three games in the first round, Irving averaged just 15.3 points while shooting a putrid 37.2% from the floor and a frigid 18.2% from downtown.
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Whose stock in the NBA Playoffs has soared before this offseason? Whose has plummeted? Tommy Beer dives in.

Stock Up, Stock Down: NBA Playoffs edition

With just one minute and 15 seconds remaining in Game 4, James Harden stared at holes in the Miami Heat's defense, preparing to make his move.
Danny Green crept up to Victor Oladipo's right side to create a driving lane for Harden's preferred left, and so Tyler Herro hedged the pick-and-roll to stop Harden in his tracks. Then, with just five seconds to improvise, Harden whipped out a slew of crossovers, stepped back to his right while gathering across his body, nearly dropped the ball and proceeded to nail the game-sealing three.
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Harden's 16 fourth-quarter points were the most he's scored in the final frame of an NBA playoff game since way back in 2015. Moreover, Sunday was just the second time since the turn of the new year that Harden broke 30 points in a game, regular season or the playoffs. It was only fitting that the shot that had failed him most in his down year signed, sealed and delivered his keystone performance of the season.
It's true. Harden's step-back three, a weapon that once sent shivers of fear up and down defenders' spines, fell off a statistical cliff during the 2021-22 season. The Beard connected on just 33.3% of his 199 step-back treys this season; yet, in his previous four seasons, that percentage sat at 38.9% on 1,431 shots. Quite the tailspin, indeed.
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It's tough to decipher what has fueled that decline. One could make the case that his lift has failed him; now, he's unable to generate the same level of space when moving front-to-back on his signature shot. Maybe it's his free-falling first step, as James is no longer able to keep defenders on their toes in lieu of the threat of his drive, making those step-backs all the easier to contain. More than likely it's a combination of both, a consequence of multiple hamstring strains in the previous season and an offseason set back by slow, plodding rehabilitation.
But that was the beauty of Sunday. Those arguments about the former MVP's decline, for the first time in a while, were best saved for another day. In Game 4, he was sublime &mdash; nah man, let's be real &mdash; he looked like Prime Harden in certain stretches, knocking down 4 of his 7 step-backs en route to 31 points on 69.2% True Shooting. Heck, the dude was feeling it so much he even took (and made!) a catch-and-shoot three.
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But Harden's barrage of step-backs wasn't his only divine moment. 
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This drive in the second quarter was one of Harden's best rim attacks of the entire 2021-22 season after getting the switch against Herro. An hour(-ish) later, he did similar things against Bam Adebayo, first getting a half-step on the Defensive Player of the Year finalist, and then whipping out a nasty&nbsp;hesitation dribble to clear his way to the rim for the uncontested lay-up.
Of course, Harden wasn't without his flaws. On numerous occasions, the 32-year-old was stonewalled on drives to the rim, a trend that has reared its ugly head throughout the entirety of the season; his 59.8% shooting within 3 feet of the basket was his worst regular-season mark since his rookie year. It didn't really matter who was in front of him &mdash; PJ Tucker, Jimmy Butler, Victor Oladipo... shoot, even Herro &mdash; if Harden couldn't generate any space with his dribbling forrays, his drives were as good as done-zo, swallowed up or just flat-out swatted into nothingness by a defense eager to pounce. Overall, the Beard shot just 1 of 7 on his drives to the rim.
I've long worked under the hypothesis that Harden's decline in zippiness, and especially his first step, has dramatically affected his once-touted decelaration game. Why? Well, because his top speed has been dampered, Harden now has nothing to contrast with when he drags his feet to slow down. What I'm saying is: He's effectively working at one speed for the entirety of his drives, and it makes him all too predictable as a downhill-heavy player.
The first clip in the video below is a great example. Harden does a nice job getting a shoulder into Butler's body after a series of crossovers, but because his first three steps are so sluggish, Butler is able to stay an arm's reach away. Then, when Harden decelerates in the cadence that once made him so tough to tango with, his change-of-pace game actually works against him and gives Butler ample room to recover for the block.&nbsp;
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One thing that has remained a constant this year has been Harden's passing, which, whew. He tossed out some beauties versus Miami. 
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Harden was just about the only Sixer who could capably feed Joel Embiid entry passes against the relentlessly fronting Miami Heat defense, powering a 15-point first quarter for the MVP front-runner. His second-quarter lay-down pass to a cutting Tobias Harris after faking it to Tyrese Maxey in the strong-side corner was just vintage stuff from one of the best passers in the Association.
Sunday marked Harden's sixth game of tossing out 9 dimes or more, which ties Ja Morant for the most&nbsp; playoff games with 9+ assists this current postseason.
Game 4 was more than just another extraordinary performance etched into a storied legacy; it was the physical representation of a player breaking out of the shackles of his least efficient season since just 20 years of age.
Is it sustainable? Can Harden continue to supercharge and lead a playoff offense? And, maybe more importantly, can The Beard helm the Sixers into winning the minutes (by +3) with its superstar in Embiid off the floor?
That much is to be determined... and is maybe the biggest swing factor of the 2022 postseason. Sure, Harden had himself a monstrous showing with his team's season on the line, but 6 of his 8 makes came from the three-point line; otherwise, he went just 2 of 8 from two-point range on the night &mdash; a troubling trend for a player that's so rim-dependent.
It's crazy, but suddenly, one of the league's most prestigious scorers &mdash; a walking 50-point bucket just two seasons ago and a former MVP &mdash; is one of the NBA's biggest X-factors in the postseason.&nbsp;
The success of his Philadelphia 76ers rides on his ability to take a step back, step-back and reclaim his greatness on the shot that brought him to the forefront of the NBA landscape.
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Matt Brooks details James Harden's extraordinary performance in Game 4 for the 76ers and why he is a huge X-factor for Philadelphia.

Taking a step-back: How James Harden found his groove in Game 4

Stephen Curry converted eight free throws over the final 45.7 seconds on the way to 32 points, leading the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; fourth-quarter comeback for a 101-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night and a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Curry also dished out eight assists and grabbed five rebounds as Golden State rallied to win without coach Steve Kerr after he tested positive for COVID-19 less than two hours before tipoff.
Curry took charge just like he has so many times on the playoff stage and now his Warriors are one win from a trip to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2019. He tied it at 90 on a fall-away baseline jumper with 3:25 to go and his two free throws with 45.7 seconds to go gave the Warriors a 94-93 lead, their first of the night.
Tyus Jones had 19 points, six rebounds and five assists as Memphis missed injured All-Star Ja Morant. Dillon Brooks returned from a one-game suspension and struggled mightily, missing a 3-point try with 53 seconds left and finishing 5 for 19 with 12 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Andrew Wiggins had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Klay Thompson scored 14 points despite missing all seven of his 3-point attempts for the cold-shooting Warriors, who didn&rsquo;t have to contend with do-everything Morant this time. The Grizzlies guard missed the game with soreness in his right knee after Jordan Poole grabbed him while going for a loose ball late in Game 3 &mdash; leading Morant and Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins to question Poole&rsquo;s intentions.&nbsp;
It remained unclear whether Morant would be back for Game 5 on Wednesday in Memphis.
Brooks sat out Game 3 as a penalty by the league for his Flagrant 2 foul that injured Gary Payton II in Game 2, when Brooks hit the Golden State guard over the head on a driving layup attempt and Payton fell hard and broke his left elbow. Kerr called it a &ldquo;dirty&rdquo; play and said Brooks had broken an NBA code of conduct.
Brooks was booed nearly every time he touched the ball, fouled or when he checked back into the game.
Golden State trailed 69-62 going into the fourth quarter after Desmond Bane&rsquo;s 32-foot 3-pointer beat the third-quarter buzzer. However, both teams struggled all night to make their 3s.
Kerr was replaced by associate head coach Mike Brown, who agreed Sunday to become the Sacramento Kings new coach after this postseason run.
Poole scored 14 off the bench for the Warriors as they survived a nail-biter following a postseason-record point total in Saturday&rsquo;s 142-112 Game 3 blowout.
CURRY&rsquo;S KICKS
Curry sported special edition pair of orange Curry 9 Flow sneakers with colorful decorations to honor the late TNT broadcaster Craig Sager and his impact on the NBA.
Curry will autograph the shoes for auction on Wednesday on the NBA auction website with all proceeds going to the SagerStrong Foundation. The two-time MVP changed to lavender-colored sneakers in the second half.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: C Steven Adams, who returned from the health and safety protocols to play six minutes in the waning moments of Saturday&rsquo;s blowout, started and contributed 10 points and 15 rebounds as Memphis did a better job staying with the Warriors on the boards &mdash; outrebounded 54-48. ... The Grizzlies were 9 of 35 on 3s.
Warriors: The Warriors committed 11 first-half turnovers and 16 total. ... Golden State started 0 for 15 from deep before Otto Porter Jr. connected 3:24 before halftime. Thompson missed all seven of his 3s and Curry his initial five before becoming the first player in NBA history to make 500 postseason 3-pointers when he connected 46.2 seconds before halftime. ... The Warriors were the first team to go 0 of 15 from long range to start a game since the 2011 Thunder were 0 for 16 against Dallas in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, according to Elias. ... The Warriors had no immediate additional positive COVID tests, the team said.&nbsp;

Stephen Curry converted eight free throws over the final 45.7 seconds on the way to 32 points, leading the Warriors’ comeback.

Curry, Warriors rally past Grizzlies 101-98 for 3-1 lead

Grizzlies&lsquo; Ja Morant (right knee) is likely to miss Game 4 vs. Warriors, coach Taylor Jenkins says, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1523410215617851394" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
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Grizzlies&lsquo; Ja Morant (right knee) is likely to miss Game 4 vs. Warriors, coach Taylor Jenkins says.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1523410215617851394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS:&nbsp;On the surface, this is a potential death blow for the Grizzlies knowing the series deficit and how much Morant means to them. However, the Grizzlies' depth has proven resilient time and time again throughout the course of this season. If there was a time for that quality to shine, it's now.

Taylor Jenkins said that Ja Morant is likely to miss Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors because of his knee injury.