But in Houston, Oklahoma City, and now Phoenix, Paul has ceded some of the offense to others. Russell hits those shots at a solid rate. • Mitchell's season has been a little scattershot for lock status. since Stan Van Gundy unleashed Point Zion, Supplemental Privacy Policy for Singapore. ... Facebook Messenger; Email; Feb 12, 2021. VanVleet's advanced numbers are bonkers. That makes life easier for everyone else. Pretty much every lineup composition featuring Mitchell has fared well. He's an ace defender at both guard positions. I had an official ballot for the starters. 70d Zach Lowe. He tosses away too many turnovers. He is comfortable playing off the ball alongside Fox. He bears the brunt of every opposing defensive game plan -- of being the guy who draws the toughest defender every night. They have outscored opponents by a fat 10.5 points per 100 possessions -- second overall. Wisconsin Badgers. 30 to No. The Knicks -- the woebegone Knicks -- have outscored opponents by 2.4 points per 100 possessions with Randle on the floor. You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. Fine. I haven't known quite what to make of Conley's season. Paul knows the screen might catch the Kings off-guard, and generate a switch. ESPN's Pablo Torre Feb 13, 2020 Zach talks to ESPN's Pablo Torre about the Rockets small-ball experiment (4:02), Philly's lineup change (35:52), the new All-Star format (20:54), much more. Create your own deals with ESPN's Trade Machine. The NBA is back! Create your own deals with ESPN's Trade Machine. I understand that only to a point. Records are so compressed in this rickety pandemic season. • Adebayo is averaging 19.6 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on 57% shooting. • This was the toughest set of choices in a decade doing this column. But the few, the brave, stayed and foraged. Turnovers plummet. He is still hugely effective in that role as a ball hawk always in the right place. • I have been lower than consensus on LaVine, and some issues persist. The Suns are good. 2021 Australian Open experts' picks: Naomi Osaka, Novak Djokovic clear favorites. James Harden's basketball strengths are varied and, for a defense trying to guard him, frustrating. He also has lots of championship-level experience around him as compared to someone like Randle.NBA Trade MachineWant to forecast where your favorite NBA stars could wind up? Paul George. The question is whether the bump is large enough to justify the cost, and the answer depends in part on how good Brooklyn's brain trust thinks the team can be as is. Nearby defenders have a choice: let it go out of bounds, or scramble after it to record a tightrope rebound. Doncic is the superior playmaker, though Curry is brilliant and Lillard makes subtle improvements every season. He is one of the league's half-dozen most explosive cutters. FC Nikola Jokic. 1 hr 2 min 11 MAR 2021 Milwaukee and Middleton recovered in back-to-back wins, but that losing streak dragged Middleton's statistical résumé into the muck of this mix. Butler has been a triple-double machine in those games, but with so many good first-time candidates, I felt less queasy leaving him off. The Knicks are moving more, cutting harder, playing with some organized purpose. He'd be a great choice. • We (or the league office, anyway) still have the matter of an Anthony Davis injury replacement. But the Wiz aren't surrounding him with the 1992 New York Knicks. Young and the Hawks appear up for that problem solving. And we are a cautious lot today, even as Randle rampages from baseline to baseline for the 2-3 New York Knicks, coming off easy wins over the Milwaukee Bucks (yup!) • On the Lowe Post podcast, I mentioned the possibility of leaving Harden off the Eastern Conference roster after he loafed his way out of Houston. Also, it's Kevin Durant. Fultz is 15-of-16 at the line, continuing a trend from last season, but the improvement on his jumper has been slower to come in the flow. • A lot of media made picks early -- a week or two ago. Randle is in better shape, and that has shown on defense. ... Zach Lowe's 2021 picks and tough decisions. Lowe: The most difficult NBA All-Star ballot of the past decade, Raptors' Nurse fined $50K for throwing mask, Ronaldo gets G.O.A.T. Butler's case snuck up on me. Australian Open 2021: Key storylines and matches to watch. Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print. His explosiveness is legitimately shocking in a league featuring the world's best athletes. Zach talks to ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry about the built in advantage for big market teams in free agency and how the new playoff format will affect the trade deadline. VanVleet and Mike Conley are this season's prime examples. Critics have focused on Russell's on-ball defense. (Advanced metrics mostly agree on that.) He's shooting 21% from deep. Atlanta won't finish as the most potent offense ever -- it would be as of today -- but the Hawks are a problem. Perhaps there is some vulnerability to attack on the other end, though that is rarely the case since the opponent sets its defense during the rebound pursuit. ESPN's Zach Lowe talks to Utah forward Joe Ingles about the surging Jazz, the art and limits of trash talk, the wild fires ravaging his native Australia and much more. The one-handed sling is easier to disguise. You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. Some thought about carrying over the virtual fans from the bubble, sources say, but that apparently proved expensive and cumbersome. (Washington is 4-3 when Westbrook sits and 7-14 with him, though five of those seven wins have come in the last nine days as Westbrook surges.). Or Middleton and Fred VanVleet? He almost always makes the right pass, at the right time, spoon-feeding teammates into success. Remove them -- and that's not entirely fair -- and we have 14 games. It's time for the agonizing exercise of picking 12 NBA All-Stars for each conference. • DeRozan is, as ever, a midrange maestro and crunch time stalwart, and has blended well with the San Antonio Spurs' marauding kiddos as a distributor -- averaging a career-best 6.9 assists. Zach Lowe reluctantly, considering what's going on in the world, puts together another list of likes and dislikes. It gives me the shivers. That leaves three spots for at least 11 candidates: Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, DeMar DeRozan, De'Aaron Fox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Christian Wood, Ja Morant, and perhaps a couple of others. His jumper has improved from "totally broken" to "only kinda broken," but defenses are going to treat it as broken maybe forever -- and duck screens to wall off Fultz's path to the paint. On some nights, opponents can't keep him off the line or the offensive glass. Both are good to great defenders. Close. Close. The best-case scenario there is turning a bad-odds proposition -- Nikola Jokic's prayer -- into a zero-point proposition. Williamson has hit almost 62% on 2s. Lots of candidates missed time due to injuries and coronavirus protocols. Cam Reddish and De'Andre Hunter are jacking with audacity; they might make more pull-up 3s in the first 25 games than they did all of last season. • Three spots left. Like, your constant foul trouble hurts the team. In a high-stakes playoff game, I'd prefer VanVleet and Middleton to both. He is the only thing keeping Orlando relevant amid endless injuries. He is the VanVleet of the West in that advanced numbers portray a very different player than traditional stats -- and, sometimes, the eye test -- and for some of the same reasons. Close. Vucevic checks in at 48-40-86, Randle at 48-41-80.5, Terry Rozier at 50-46-80.5, and Gordon Hayward at 48.5-43-86.5. Simmons is Philly's main generator of 3-pointers, and he's putting up 16-8-8. The Hawks can play big, small, or even super-small with Danilo Gallinari at center. Catch all the 2020-21 season action on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App. Anthony Davis To some degree, fouling is the price of full-throttle Beverley. • Two spots left. He'd be a worthy choice. The Wolves rank in the bottom 10 on both offense and defense, and they've been much worse with Russell on the floor. He breathes momentum into wayward possessions: Paul spots Jae Crowder with the ball on the wing -- a place where a possession might stall. A lot has happened since, including the reemergence of Jimmy Butler as a candidate. Their teams are about equal. Why risk it? Coaches have more leeway with positions in picking reserves. ESPN’s Zach Lowe called Doncic “one of the biggest whiners in the NBA” earlier this week on his podcast. Want to forecast where your favorite NBA stars could wind up? The Knicks are a feel-good story, the Heat a disappointment, the Chicago Bulls a ceaseless mediocrity -- and yet almost nothing separates them in the standings. Stream Zach Lowe predicts 'pain' for the Rockets in Harden's return on Watch ESPN. "It might take me more hands than I have to count … Friday, March 26 They still don't have much shooting, or a reliable point guard -- ingredients that would make life easier for RJ Barrett. His ability and willingness to defend every position -- including point guards -- means opposing offenses can't scheme away from him as they might against some of the best wing defenders. Atlanta's offense is laying waste to the league. 21h ESPN Staff. Adebayo has been just as efficient on offense as Sabonis, who made my ballot last season but falls short here. Davis will miss the All-Star Game due to injury, but he deserves the on-paper spot for his résumé. But other than Gilgeous-Alexander -- not exactly a stopper -- none of the final candidates is a plus defender. Only 6% of Russell's shots have come in the restricted area, below his share in any prior season, per Cleaning The Glass. • Hawks at Warriors, 10 p.m. on ESPNAll times Eastern. Atop the hill, we drink deeply from the chalice of analytics. ESPN's Zach Lowe talks to Utah forward Joe Ingles about the surging Jazz, the art and limits of trash talk, the wild fires ravaging his native Australia and much more. On the right night, Westbrook helps in transition, sets up shooters, and draws some attention in the half-court -- the sheen of past dominance. But the Wolves have grander ambitions, and to meet them, Russell has to embrace the grimy stuff. Young has drawn fouls on 12.5% of pick-and-rolls that have ended possessions, a mark that would have led the league by a mile last season. Close. He has been perhaps the most impressive player in the bubble playoffs so far, and ESPN's Zach Lowe has fully bought in to the hype, saying that he … Their ballots were due Monday. You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. He's probably ... average? The Pelicans are losing the minutes Williamson plays without Ingram, though the carnage is slightly worse in the reverse scenario, per NBA.com. And when all else fails, Young jumps, sticks his butt out, and draws (bogus) fouls. And yet, advanced stats paint Conley as maybe the most deserving reserve. • Fox has faded with the Sacramento Kings. Sure, there are semi-legitimate reasons for keeping the ball live. They are not overthinking things on offense. He transitions from dribble to pass before Fox knows what's going on. The Spurs have outscored opponents by five points per 100 possessions when DeRozan plays without LaMarcus Aldridge, signaling that the struggles of San Antonio's normal starting five have less to do with DeRozan. Only four teams generate a lower share of attempts from deep. • Nets at Jazz, 10 p.m. on ESPN (The same is true for Vucevic this season, though it does not seem a disqualifying factor for him.). (The Clippers -- minus one shellacking without Kawhi Leonard -- look great so far, with more flowing and varied offense.) Quin Snyder has tethered Conley to Gobert, bringing them in and out of games almost in sync, making it harder to untangle Conley's individual impact. There are meaningless basketball moments that stir my anxiety. (Ask the Denver Nuggets.) Young is an unusual mix of incredible athleticism and straight-up weirdness. Follow on Twitter. • I usually focus on production in each particular season, but that was trickier this time. There is something poetic about huge banners looming over the game. He looks trimmer, and more explosive -- quicker from zero to 60. The Magic have been winning games with their bench. The playoffs loom as the ultimate referendum, but he's an All-Star. In the half court, the Nets run copious spread pick-and-roll with both Irving and Durant; toggle through classic Durant set pieces; and make gorgeous use of Joe Harris' roving gravity. ... Zach Lowe ESPN Senior Writer . Lowe: Ten NBA things I like and don't like, including the weirdness of Trae Young, Brickman, Gray eager to play PBA 3x3 with eye on 5x5 next year, PBA unsure of season opening with spike in COVID-19 cases, Terrafirma inks top pick Munzon to three-year pact, Meralco Bolts sign up Jason Brickman for 3x3 team, Ex-PBA player Mac Cardona arrested for role in 2020 brawl, Jaworski family addresses rumors about Big J's health, James Laput wants to show everyone he's not just another tall player, Cariaso hoping Adamos can help fill void left by Manuel, Thoss, PBA eyes Ynares Antipolo as venue for 46th season. Haliburton is as delightful as advertised -- crafty, and playing with bravado that is rare among rookies. • Heat fans might question Durant's staring spot given he has appeared in only 19 games. Harris is in best passing stretch of his career, and has played with fierce decisiveness. Onto what turned out to be the easier conference, for once. Teams are trying lots of gimmicks to compensate for the lack of live fans. Keep an eye on Mikal Bridges, averaging 15.5 points and hunting points with more confidence now that two elite guards can spoon-feed him. Harris kicks there. He has attempted eight free throws in four games. Listen now! He finds oxygen in tight corridors, and conjures those pockets of space with jitterbug dribbling: Fultz worms underneath the basket, then slices diagonally back out -- crisscrossing with Nikola Vucevic. Watch him download that he has a mismatch in semi-transition, accelerate into an attack of Darius Garland, and then slip a beauty to Mitchell Robinson -- the correct, simple read: Randle has assisted on 34% of New York's baskets while on the floor, a mark typical of a point guard -- fitting, as Randle acts as co-point guard of sorts with New York's starters and shoulders more ballhandling responsibility when Frank Ntilikina replaces Elfrid Payton. Now, teams are trying something different against the Houston Rockets' versatile star. This Australian Open was just what Novak Djokovic needed. But they look solid, and their offense -- about average so far -- should improve. As always, there are going to be some tough omissions. But he has the wit and change-of-gears speed to squeeze everything from the rest of his game. 1d Jake Michaels. I get why fans outside of Oklahoma City enjoy him. Overall, he's averaging a cool 20.5 points and 5.7 assists -- a tick behind Antetokounmpo for the team lead in dimes. Visit ESPN to get up-to-the-minute sports news coverage, scores, highlights and commentary for AFL, NRL, NFL, MLB, NBA and more. (He is filling those gaps really well.). The Lowe Post. The next big question is how the Collins-Clint Capela frontcourt functions on offense. That's not nothing. • Celtics at Bucks, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN FC Joel Embiid. 1, TNT moves up in draft, gets no. He fouls in the backcourt. They have carried a thin Boston team with Kemba Walker missing half the season. He's a tad overrated on defense. Advanced stats lean Young. ), Adebayo is the best and most versatile defender in that group, and only peak Siakam is even in the same universe. He and Devin Booker will build chemistry so that Phoenix's offense has layers beyond "your turn, my turn" predictability. That puts him on the floor with both Fox and Hield. These Bulls, like every prior LaVine team, have been better with LaVine on the bench -- though the margin is shrinking of late. It's clear the Hawks need Capela to have any chance defending anyone, but the double-big setup requires adjustments. Williamson jumps three times before most human basketball players get up and down once. He starts over Kyrie Irving. 1 seed, and I don't hear clamoring for him as a lock. Everyone appears to play smarter; Paul has them in the right places at the right times. The NBA is back! Whew. The NBA is back! All could miss out. Capitol attack conjures American legacy of racial violence. Beverley can be himself without doing stuff like this. I voted him All-NBA last season. You could argue there is only one true lock: whichever Nets guard you leave off your starters ballot, and that is Irving here. Pick two names from a hat. • Hawks at Warriors, 10 p.m. on ESPNAll times Eastern. ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe joins Mina Kimes to measure Harden's impact on the league this season and to discuss effective ways to stop him. He bobs and weaves and screens without the ball, contorting the defense in subtle ways. And so on this day heralding the start of 2021, we uncork the finest champagne atop Julius Randle Hill. The Celtics have been qualitatively better than Miami; they have outscored opponents by 1.2 points per 100 possessions, while the Heat are minus-2.6 -- and about even with Butler and Adebayo on the floor. Haliburton won't sustain anything close to that efficiency, but a good start is better than a bad one. The Jazz live with Mitchell forcing it, at times, because he is a dynamic shot-maker. FC Giannis Antetokounmpo VanVleet is a shaky finisher around the rim; larger defenders can swallow him up at times. Mark Cuban goes after ESPN's Zach Lowe over Luka Doncic criticism Jason Rowan, Sportress 2/5/2021. Williamson is a liability on defense -- slow in space, occasionally disinterested on the defensive glass, a target for pick-and-roll chess masters. But with Utah holding the best record and (by far) point differential, I would be fine with the league celebrating Conley's tremendous career by awarding him this spot. Haliburton is a long-armed menace on defense who rotates in sync with the opposing offense. The Knicks get out in transition much more with Randle on the floor, per Cleaning The Glass. • Celtics at Bucks, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN Beal is seeing two and three defenders every time he peers around screens. Against almost all evidence, we chanted: One day, he will put it together. ESPN's Zach Lowe and Bobby Marks pick their five most intriguing trade deadline teams ahead of the upcoming deadline. Paul instead sets a pick for Crowder -- a point guard in the corner screening for his power forward. NBA Power Rankings: How long will the Sixers' East lead be safe? Harris jets off a DeAndre Jordan pindown, and the threat of a Bandana Joe triple draws Marcus Smart away from Irving.
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