The Knicks and Timberwolves sent shockwaves around the NBA on Friday night, agreeing to a blockbu...

The Knicks and Timberwolves sent shockwaves around the NBA on Friday night, agreeing to a blockbuster trade days before training camps open league-wide.The Knicks continued to cash in their chips in pursuit of the team's first championship since 1973, sending All-Star power forward Julius Randle, key reserve Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round draft pick to Minnesota for star big man Karl-Anthony Towns. So, what do we make of the new-look Knicks and Wolves?<h3>Knicks the clear winner, but ...</h3>From a basketball lens, this looks like a perfect fit in New York, where Towns could theoretically serve as the missing piece to the Knicks' championship puzzle.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Though Randle predictably played some of his best ball after the Knicks traded RJ Barrett to open up the floor, there was genuine reason for concern about how the three-time All-Star - and pending 2025 free agent - would coexist on a new-look Knicks team now featuring Mikal Bridges. In a Knicks season-preview piece written prior to this transaction, I asked of Randle: Can a shaky-shooting, defensively inconsistent forward impact winning with less of the ball?Towns' otherworldly offensive skill set for a 7-footer means there's no such concern regarding his fit, with the four-time All-Star a more universal and malleable secondary star. As a career 40% 3-point shooter and floor-spacer, Towns doesn't need the ball to compromise opposing defenses and positively impact his team's offense. Still, he can beat teams with the ball in his hands in more ways than Randle can (though Randle's improved playmaking is worth noting here). A pick-and-roll combination consisting of Towns and star guard Jalen Brunson - with shooters like Bridges and OG Anunoby around them - unlocks countless possibilities for the Knicks and Towns alike.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747401/cropped_GettyImages-1930482670.jpg?ts=1727547671" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747401/w220xh124_GettyImages-1930482670.jpg?ts=1727547671 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747401/w320xh180_GettyImages-1930482670.jpg?ts=1727547671 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747401/w640xh360_GettyImages-1930482670.jpg?ts=1727547671 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747401/w768xh432_GettyImages-1930482670.jpg?ts=1727547671 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/747401/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1930482670.jpg?ts=1727547671 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Mitchell Leff / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Defensively, the Knicks can protect Towns in perhaps even more ways than the top-ranked Timberwolves defense did. There are questions to ask of a defense featuring Towns and Brunson, but in Anunoby and Bridges, New Yorks boasts two of the league's best perimeter and wing defenders. Plus, the Brunson-Towns duo isn't any more defensively vulnerable than the Brunson-Randle duo was, with Randle originally penciled in for plenty of time at the five while starting center Mitchell Robinson remains sidelined after ankle surgery.Now when the Knicks go small to start the season, they'll do so with a more talented and offensively potent quintet, and one featuring a big man in Towns whose size makes him a lot closer to a traditional defensive center than Randle ever would've been. Anunoby also remains an option to play as a small-ball five on the defensive end while Towns abuses mismatches as an offensive center. And when Robinson eventually returns, he and Towns can share the frontcourt thanks to Towns' aforementioned floor-spacing abilities.Randle was a workhorse - akin to an innings-eater in baseball, even if his flaws made him a tricky fit on a loaded roster. And DiVincenzo was a relentless, two-way guard who was both a fan- and locker-room favorite on this Villanova-heavy squad. New York now needs a lot more from new sixth man Miles McBride. But the Knicks are unquestionably a better and more balanced team than they were before, and they're wholeheartedly going for it. Such steadfast pursuit of a championship - a quest to end the most famous drought in pro basketball - requires some shrewd decisions and tough goodbyes.However, the Knicks' star-studded plan is far from foolproof. This is Towns we're talking about. For all of his outrageous offensive talents, he's still prone to bouts of tepid play, indecisiveness, and poor decision-making, especially in the game's (and season's) biggest moments. After seemingly exorcising his postseason demons during a heroic performance against Nikola Jokic's defending-champion Nuggets in the 2023 West semifinals, Towns turned into a pumpkin again in the West finals, shooting 37.9% from the field against Dallas.Such inconsistency and occasionally uninspiring play was tolerated in Minnesota, where Towns was a beloved franchise lifer. It won't be at Madison Square Garden, where impatient fans can taste genuine contention for the first time in decades. In addition, any slippage from Towns - who's cracked the 70-game mark only once in the last five years - will lead to angst that his contract could become unmovable, even if the bargain deals Brunson and Bridges are on make Towns' salary less of a concern for the Knicks.On paper, New York won this trade in a landslide. But I won't be shocked if we're talking about this as a lose-lose deal six months from now. Such is the KAT experience - a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Can't win with him. Can't win without him. The Knicks and Wolves may both be about to find that out. - Joseph Casciaro<h3>Wolves sacrifice frontcourt fit for financial flexibility </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/575643/cropped_GettyImages-1245035477.jpg?ts=1727543218" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/575643/w220xh124_GettyImages-1245035477.jpg?ts=1727543218 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/575643/w320xh180_GettyImages-1245035477.jpg?ts=1727543218 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/575643/w640xh360_GettyImages-1245035477.jpg?ts=1727543218 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/575643/w768xh432_GettyImages-1245035477.jpg?ts=1727543218 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/575643/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1245035477.jpg?ts=1727543218 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jordan Johnson / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>There are ways to rationalize this trade from Minnesota's end in the short and long term, but at first blush this feels like a step backward for a team that just had its most successful season in two decades. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2920240" href="https://thescore.com/news/2920240">Volatile as his play could be</a>, Towns was deeply embedded in the fabric of the Wolves' identity. Not only was he their longest-tenured player by far, his expansive skill set was essential to making their double-big frontcourt viable at the offensive end. (They scored 6.2 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the bench.) And in putting together the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2833452" href="https://thescore.com/news/2833452">best defensive season of his career</a>, especially as a back-side helper behind DPOY winner Rudy Gobert, he also had a big hand in Minnesota's top-ranked unit at the other end.Sure, things went haywire for Towns in the West finals in ways that felt all too familiar, but the Wolves wouldn't have had a prayer of getting there without his two-way contributions, especially in dethroning the Nuggets in the second round. Those contributions included taking on the primary Jokic assignment for that entire series and carrying the Wolves to a Game 7 victory while Anthony Edwards shot 6-for-24. And Wolves fans who had trust issues with Towns in the postseason would be wise not to dig too deeply into Randle's playoff game tape.In a vacuum, the gap between Towns and Randle feels pretty negligible. Randle made three All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams across his five seasons in New York. He's a more polished playmaker, a better defender in space, and an all-around more physical presence than Towns is. But when it comes to fitting them around other players, the gulf widens in favor of Towns, whose adaptability and off-ball utility make him an ideal complementary star. His superior size also makes him more viable as a center, whereas Randle can only really play the four.The Randle-Gobert frontcourt fit is going to be offensively tenuous, especially with Jaden McDaniels (a competent but low-volume 3-point shooter) playing alongside them at the three. Randle's a somewhat credible 3-point shooter, but not one defenses feel compelled to respect on the perimeter. Take away his outlier 2020-21 season and he's at 31.6% for his career. And that's to say nothing of his penchant for stopping the ball and jab-stepping his way to 18-foot jumpers.This was a middle-of-the-road offense (17th in the regular season) even with Towns there to provide Edwards and Mike Conley a deadly pick-and-pop partner, and use his spot-up gravity to open the floor for Gobert's rim rolls. In order for Randle to be effective on offense, he'll need to touch the ball a lot more than Towns did, and he and Gobert will need to develop some high-low passing synergy in a hurry. His fit with Naz Reid feels a bit cleaner, and that tandem could unleash hell on opposing transitional lineups, though defense could be a concern given neither is much of a rim-protector.The DiVincenzo addition goes some way toward salvaging this trade for the Wolves. (The Pistons first-rounder they acquired also adds a much-needed arrow to a draft quiver that was completely depleted by the Gobert trade, but it's heavily protected and may not convey for several years.) They badly needed more guard depth, and while DiVincenzo isn't the kind of ball-handler or passer who can serve as an insurance policy for the soon-to-be 37-year-old Conley at the point, he brings a nice balance of on- and off-ball skill, along with nasty point-of-attack defense that'll fit very well with this group. The rearview pressure he applies as a chaser over screens should pair especially nicely with Gobert in drop coverage.Losing Towns' shooting in the frontcourt obviously stings, and there's inherently less value in adding a comparable shooter in the backcourt. Still, it's worth noting that DiVincenzo shot 40% on 8.7 3-point attempts per game last season. If he can replicate that level of volume and efficiency, the Wolves' offense may be fine. He's also on a ridiculously team-friendly contract that runs three more years, which was surely a big selling point for Minnesota.Towns' four-year, $220-million extension kicks in this season, and it's clear the luxury-tax crunch coming the Wolves' way was a big part of their calculus here. But even as a cost-cutting maneuver, this puts them in a complicated spot. Randle's on an expiring deal, so the team's options may boil down to letting him walk for nothing next summer (which would mean they traded a franchise cornerstone for one quality role player, one so-so pick, and one Randle season) or giving him a new contract that could push them into deep-tax territory anyway.They could try to go the in-season trade route, but I'm not sure they'll love the offers they get for Randle, given the aforementioned fit issues baked into his game. Their best hope may be that the lack of cap space and/or interest around the league allows them to extend or re-sign him on an affordable medium-term deal.All in all, it's a fascinating trade, and one that could prove beneficial for Minnesota in the long run. For now, it's a bit of a tough pill to swallow considering how close this team just got to the top of the mountain. It would've been nice to see the same core group get another chance to scale it together. - Joe Wolfond

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Sizing up Knicks and Wolves after KAT-Randle blockbuster

If someone had told you in 2003 that Vince Carter's No. 15 would be the first jersey retired by t...

If someone had told you in 2003 that Vince Carter's No. 15 would be the first jersey retired by the Toronto Raptors, no one would've batted an eye. Of course, Carter's contentious 2004 exit and the events that preceded his midseason trade to New Jersey changed the equation. The perennial All-Star left behind a complicated and polarizing legacy.Two decades later, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3082062" href="https://thescore.com/news/3082062">news</a> that the Raptors will bestow Carter with this unprecedented honor has been met with understandable debate. But those still fighting this reconciliation need to let it go.No one's defending the way Carter handled his final days in Toronto. He half-heartedly pledged to stop dunking, he reportedly tipped off opponents about what game-ending play the Raptors were about to run, and he later admitted that he didn't always push himself as hard as he should have.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>That attitude, and Carter's injury history at the time, played a role in the Raptors settling for perhaps the <a href="https://youtu.be/boW-Go76Zu0?si=fqNeRPAsKkFaI6_d">worst</a> trade return for an All-Star in NBA history. Carter then made matters infinitely worse by playing some of his best basketball as a member of the Nets. He took great pleasure in saving his most <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2PeB0ufbPo">dramatic</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/7LalLq9ysII?si=u7JvzvVz0vVgRExG">road</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/X9_czj7M3DM?si=IFAkiGBT1pV-2gnS">heroics</a> for the Air Canada Centre, an arena he'd helped <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsKT_waryXQ&amp;t=40s">christen</a> only a few years earlier.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Carter's 2004-05 season" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-AD0IC" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/AD0IC/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="237" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure>No matter how <a href="https://forums.redflagdeals.com/yet-another-reason-fire-babcock-156256/">inept</a> the mid-aughts Raptors front office was or what was going on behind the scenes to disgruntle Carter (like the team taking his mother's parking spot away), the way he handled it was inexcusable. Few players have earned the level of <a href="https://youtu.be/4gp1tu-zYgc?si=0dkzO433F3EKgpP1&amp;t=36">vitriol</a> hurled Carter's way the first few times he returned to Toronto. So this decision wasn't exactly cut and dried, especially with only one playoff series victory to show for all the Carter-era drama.But the franchise wasn't blameless in how the relationship deteriorated and ultimately ended.Over the last decade, the hatchet has mostly been buried between the player and team, with boos turning to <a href="https://youtu.be/2-g_H6c3lNM?si=Fp12q22_0SVrcGrd">cheers</a> during the franchise's 20th anniversary season. Carter has also acknowledged the younger version of himself could've handled things better and stated unequivocally that he'll represent Toronto when he's inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame next month.What better time to rise above the pettiness and hang Carter's jersey?Some, including people within the walls of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, <a href="https://www.tsn.ca/sources-toronto-raptors-to-retire-vince-carter-s-jersey-on-nov-2-1.2178142">believe</a> franchise icon Kyle Lowry should have his No. 7 retired first. That would've been a tremendous gesture if Lowry had retired at the end of last season. In that case, raising Lowry's jersey to open the season and hanging Carter's next to it a week later would've made sense.But Lowry is still active, Carter is set to become the first true Raptors Hall of Famer (all due respect to Hakeem Olajuwon, Tracy McGrady, and Chris Bosh), and the franchise is preparing to celebrate its 30th anniversary season. The timing for Carter just feels right.It also would've been embarrassing for all involved if Carter's jersey hung in Brooklyn, of all places, before it did in Canada. (The Nets will retire Carter's jersey in January.)<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/408387/cropped_GettyImages-3061387.jpg?ts=1727208259" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/408387/w220xh124_GettyImages-3061387.jpg?ts=1727208259 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/408387/w320xh180_GettyImages-3061387.jpg?ts=1727208259 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/408387/w640xh360_GettyImages-3061387.jpg?ts=1727208259 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/408387/w768xh432_GettyImages-3061387.jpg?ts=1727208259 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/408387/w1080xh607_GettyImages-3061387.jpg?ts=1727208259 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Sam Forencich / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Carter may not be the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nba/players/4200" href="https://thescore.com/nba/players/4200">best</a> Raptor ever, and he no longer boasts the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nba/players/160" href="https://thescore.com/nba/players/160">greatest</a> Raptors resume, but he was the franchise's first megastar. He brought a desperately needed measure of relevance and respectability to a burgeoning team north of the border at a time when the country was losing professional sports teams from Vancouver to Montreal.I don't believe the Raptors would've gone the way of the Grizzlies without Carter, but Toronto's development as a basketball city undoubtedly got a boost from the hysteria of Vinsanity. Fans of a certain age will never forget where they were the first time the Raptors appeared on U.S. national television, with NBC's iconic "Roundball Rock" giving way to shots of the Toronto skyline and scenes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/j6yDGNTyyzg?si=pF6crIs2mZkSSJwR">inside</a> the Air Canada Centre. Carter then dropped 51 points on the Phoenix Suns.Two weeks earlier, Carter had put his stamp on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OJMLCF5oK4">Slam Dunk contest</a> history. The ensuing years saw him become the All-Star Game's leading vote-getter, with No. 15 Raptors jerseys appearing in rap videos and countless other mainstream settings.Future Raptors legends like Lowry and DeMar DeRozan may have usurped Carter in terms of on-court success, but no one who's ever worn a Raptors uniform - save for perhaps Kawhi Leonard during the team's 2019 championship run - has ever been as popular or must-watch as Carter was around the turn of the century. You could argue no Toronto sports figure has ever been as internationally renowned as Carter was then.That level of stardom sparked a Canadian basketball boom that's still reverberating today. Such lasting impact far outweighs any ill will created in Carter's last year as a Raptor.There's something to be said for what's now a championship organization, on the cusp of celebrating a milestone anniversary, burying any petty disputes of the past - closing the book on an era defined by an inferiority complex. This isn't 2004. Times have changed. Vince Carter and the Toronto Raptors have changed, their rabid fan base included.What better way to celebrate that, the first true Hall of Famer in franchise history, and all the memories made in the house that Vince built than by raising Carter's number to the rafters and letting it hang forever in the rarified air where he soared.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28458107/related

Vince Carter's No. 15 belongs in Toronto's rafters

With the 2024-25 campaign approaching, we're diving deep into some of the players we're most inte...

With the 2024-25 campaign approaching, we're diving deep into some of the players we're most interested in watching. Next up: a young shooting guard trying to prove his worth in San Antonio.Previous entries: <a href="https://thescore.com/news/3048800">Damian Lillard</a>, <a href="https://thescore.com/news/3048813">Darius Garland</a>, <a href="https://thescore.com/news/3058364">Christian Braun</a>, <a href="https://thescore.com/news/3048806">Jalen Green</a><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center>                         </center></figure>If I asked you to <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/jdg3i">name the four qualified players</a> aged 23 or younger who averaged at least 19.5 points in a season on 54% shooting inside the arc and 37% shooting from deep, how many of you would say Devin Vassell? The Spurs youngster hit those marks last season - his fourth year as a pro - averaging 19.5 points on an effective field-goal percentage of 55.0.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The other three players to achieve the feat were Karl-Anthony Towns (twice), Jaylen Brown (2019-20), and Tyrese Haliburton (2022-23). Towns was a young All-Star in each season he achieved this impressive combination of production and efficiency, while Brown and Haliburton made All-Star teams in the seasons immediately following their offensive breakthroughs.Could such an All-Star leap be possible for Vassell, whose work last season flew largely under the radar? Consider the hype Bulls guard Coby White generated for his 2023-24 breakthrough. Now consider that Vassell, who's six months younger than White, scored more with a higher efficiency.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/552618/cropped_GettyImages-1453928981.jpg?ts=1725396022" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/552618/w220xh124_GettyImages-1453928981.jpg?ts=1725396022 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/552618/w320xh180_GettyImages-1453928981.jpg?ts=1725396022 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/552618/w640xh360_GettyImages-1453928981.jpg?ts=1725396022 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/552618/w768xh432_GettyImages-1453928981.jpg?ts=1725396022 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/552618/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1453928981.jpg?ts=1725396022 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Dustin Satloff / Getty</figcaption></figure>If Vassell's upward trajectory continues, his production won't go unnoticed much longer. The presence of Victor Wembanyama alone gives the Spurs a head start in constructing a competitive roster, with some already projecting the sophomore big man as a <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDBailey/status/1827771842964373510">top-10</a> player in 2024-25. Though the Western Conference is unforgiving and the Spurs have plenty of ground to cover after a 22-60 campaign, it's virtually <a href="https://youtu.be/tcvzWLQVFsA?si=6D8jZf0O2hmy5SkK">unprecedented</a> for a player as good as Wembanyama should be this year to play for a team that finishes outside the top 10 in its conference.In other words, the Spurs should be in the postseason hunt, with the additions of Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes, and rookie guard Stephon Castle bolstering that quest. The spotlight Vassell deserves is coming. Whether he's ready for it could go a long way in determining San Antonio's fate.It's fair to question whether Vassell's 2023-24 uptick in 2-point efficiency is sustainable. From floater range alone, he went from a 26th-percentile finisher among wings in 2022-23 to a 94th-percentile finisher last season, according to <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4755#tab-shooting_accuracy">Cleaning The Glass</a>. But I'd argue there's actually room for overall growth.Paul's arrival will result in a more organized offense, with Vassell (like Wembanyama) sure to benefit from more consistently competent point guard play. Though the youngster is already a three-level scorer who can create for himself and punish teams from the midrange, his shot diet should stabilize in a more structured setting. The looks will be cleaner, and more of Vassell's shots will come from higher-efficiency spots on the court.All that time spent without a genuine starting point guard may have benefited Vassell and the Spurs in the long run, though. The 24-year-old improved as a facilitator. As a low-turnover scorer, he has the skills necessary to grow into a secondary playmaker who can make the most of the advantages created by Wembanyama and others.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Vassell tablke" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-1R8Pw" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/1R8Pw/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="450" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure>Though Vassell's defense has regressed since his days at Florida State, he boasts the size and physical tools to be a difference-maker on that end, too. Perhaps a more competitive environment will reinvigorate the once stout perimeter defender.All the ingredients for a two-way breakout are here. Fans will surely spend countless hours on trade machines trying to find the secondary stars necessary to help get Wembanyama's Spurs over the hump, but one of those stars might already be in San Antonio.The Spurs sure hope so, as Vassell's five-year extension is about to kick in. He's set to see his salary quintuple, from roughly $5.9 million last season to $29.3 million this year. Still, with the salary cap projected to increase by 10% each year and Vassell's salaries diminishing over the life of his contract, he could prove to be a bargain. For example, his $27-million salary in 2028-29 would account for only 13.1% of the projected cap.If Vassell remains an efficient three-level scorer capable of averaging 20 points per game, there will be value in his new deal, whether in San Antonio or elsewhere. But if he can make the kind of All-Star leap that seems possible, San Antonio will be knocking on the door of something much larger than just play-in contention. Now that's worth watching.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28244808/related

Does Devin Vassell have All-Star potential beside Wemby?

With the 2024-25 campaign approaching, we're diving deep into some of the players we're most interested in watching. Next up: a third-year guard with some big shoes to fill in Denver.Previous entries: <a href="https://thescore.com/news/3048800">Damian Lillard</a>, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3048813" href="https://thescore.com/news/3048813">Darius Garland</a><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center>                         </center></figure>The Denver Nuggets enter the 2024-25 season once again trying to recapture the magic of their 2023 championship run, but with one less member of that squad around.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green during the 2023 offseason was a blow, but they were merely key reserves. Losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic this summer could be far more consequential. Caldwell-Pope, a two-time champion with the Nuggets and Lakers, was a stalwart of Denver's starting five - an elite 3-and-D guard who shot 41.5% from deep over the last two seasons.Two-way starters of KCP's ilk aren't easily replaceable, and if the Nuggets hope to reach the summit again, third-year guard Christian Braun will have to fill Caldwell-Pope's shoes. But there's reason to believe the 23-year-old can do that, and then some.For one, Braun is bigger than Caldwell-Pope, allowing him to guard up a size defensively. His defense may not be as consistent yet, but he arguably offers more upside, as evidenced by some of his work on Anthony Edwards in the Western Conference semifinals.Braun's liable to drive the ball and is also better suited to create for himself than KCP at this stage of their careers. His insertion into the starting lineup could further juice an offense that ranked in the top five the last two seasons, providing a tad more self-creation and unpredictability.Of course, the bulk of Denver's attack will continue to flow through three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and point guard Jamal Murray, with Braun expected to knock down the shots engineered by that two-man game. Though he's yet to show he's a dead-eye shooter of Caldwell-Pope's caliber, Braun increased his 3-point percentage from 35.4% on 1.3 attempts per game as a rookie to 38.4% on 2.0 attempts per game as a sophomore. The question is whether those numbers and efficiency can continue to scale up with increased minutes, usage, and overall demand.Playing with Jokic (and Murray) more often should help, as evidenced by Braun's 2023-24 numbers:<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Braun's efficiency" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-ljxg2" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ljxg2/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="261" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure>An increased role beside the game's best player - and playmaker - means Braun will get more shots and consistently cleaner looks. If he can knock those down while using his size (6-foot-6, 200 pounds) on the defensive end, the Nuggets may not miss Caldwell-Pope as much as some fear.But KCP is an accomplished veteran - a consistent starter and more reliable perimeter defender who averaged more than 31 minutes per game the last two seasons. He navigates screens on the defensive end with the instincts and skills of a battle-tested vet who has seen all there is to see in this league. Braun has started 10 games in his career, has yet to average 21 minutes per game in a season, and is coming off a campaign in which he shot a putrid 30.4% from the corners. His ability to replace Caldwell-Pope's production and value is merely a hopeful projection tied greatly to Jokic's floor-raising brilliance.However, Braun has the skills, the size, and the supporting cast to emerge as one of the NBA's most improved players - an integral component of a surefire contender. He's only 23, and the difference between Braun sinking or swimming could be the difference between another title run in Denver or another year of fading further from past glory.Not to mention, fellow youngsters like Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson - plus whatever's left of Russell Westbrook - will be champing at the bit to eat into Braun's minutes.How Denver's guard and wing rotation shakes out without Caldwell-Pope will be an interesting story to monitor this season with Christian Braun as the featured player.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28141755/related

Can Christian Braun fill the void KCP leaves behind in Denver?

Welcome to the series finale of "Pound the Rock," an NBA podcast hosted by Joseph Casciaro and Jo...

<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/where-is-the-nba-trending/id1369218588?i=1000665256155"></iframe></figure>Welcome to the series finale of "Pound the Rock," an NBA podcast hosted by Joseph Casciaro and Joe Wolfond.Find the show on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/pound-the-rock/id1369218588">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/poundtherock">Soundcloud</a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3w7IKqqxVzKJZIEImWg3k3">Spotify</a>.For the final mega episode of the show, we’re joined by a quintet of returning guests to discuss the various trends shaping the NBA’s present and future:<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://x.com/william_lou">William Lou</a> on potential rule changes, the league’s changing media landscape, and the influence of Nick Nurse’s Raptors teams (1:19)</li>
<li>
<a href="https://x.com/TrillBroDude">TrillBroDude</a> on the two sides of the Joel Embiid discourse, the marginalization of "unitaskers," and the future of Slop in a second-apron world (41:09)</li>
<li>
<a href="https://x.com/outsidethenba">James Herbert</a> on this age of skilled bigs, the new possession game, and defense getting increasingly weird (1:24:44)</li>
<li>
<a href="https://x.com/YourManDevine">Dan Devine</a> on defense as a weak-link system, positional size and the phasing out of small guards, Julius Randle and the state of the power forward position, and trying to solve the Cavs’ big puzzle (2:06:20)</li>
<li>
<a href="https://x.com/seeratsohi">Seerat Sohi</a> on the 3-ball as the last great paradigm shift, offensive rebounding, the homogenization of shot profiles, and the importance of stretch 5s (2:44:25)</li>
</ul>

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NBA Podcast: Where is the NBA trending?

An Olympic tournament that began with so much promise for Canada - and one Canadian basketball fa...

An Olympic tournament that began with so much promise for Canada - and one Canadian basketball fans waited 24 years for - came to a frustrating end with an 82-73 quarterfinal loss to France. A team that arrived in France with genuine gold-medal hopes and entered the knockout rounds with a perfect record is suddenly going home without anything to show for it.Losing a 40-minute, single-elimination game to this French squad (on its home court, no less) isn't exactly an inconceivable result. In what was billed as the deepest and most balanced international basketball tournament ever staged, the margin for error was slim. Even the mighty Americans are capable of losing on any given day. But Canada was coming off a bronze medal at last year's FIBA World Cup, brought an even stronger squad to Paris than it did to Asia last summer, and fully <a href="https://x.com/theScore/status/1820630871927312441">embraced</a> the pressure and expectations that came with its collective talent.From that vantage point, falling short of the medal rounds has to be seen as an abject failure. Here's how it all went wrong:<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>The biggest disappointment</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740001/cropped_GettyImages-2165084838.jpg?ts=1722970583" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740001/w220xh124_GettyImages-2165084838.jpg?ts=1722970583 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740001/w320xh180_GettyImages-2165084838.jpg?ts=1722970583 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740001/w640xh360_GettyImages-2165084838.jpg?ts=1722970583 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740001/w768xh432_GettyImages-2165084838.jpg?ts=1722970583 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740001/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2165084838.jpg?ts=1722970583 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> DeFodi Images / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Jamal Murray couldn't have envisioned a worse Olympic performance in his nightmares. It was wretched from start to finish.Whether it was the lingering calf issue that's hampered him since the spring, the <a href="https://x.com/sreekyshooter/status/1820881650911473696">absence</a> of an all-world pivot like Nikola Jokic to orbit around, or his unfamiliar role as a sixth man, Murray just never looked comfortable or found his rhythm on this Canadian squad.He forced jumpers that should've never been hoisted and balked at open looks that were seemingly the right shots to take. He was sloppy and indecisive as a playmaker, especially in Tuesday's loss to France. He mixed in a few inspiring defensive plays over the last week, but overall, it was a tournament to forget.There was hope that Murray, one of the NBA's ultimate big-game performers, would awaken just in time for the knockout rounds. With the team sputtering out of the gates on Tuesday, Canada desperately needed him to. Instead, Murray's first contribution off the bench was a ghastly turnover, followed by an unsportsmanlike foul in an attempt to prevent a fast break the other way. It was a sign of things to come, as the Nuggets guard scored seven points on 3-of-13 shooting while committing three turnovers and recording just one assist.Over Canada's four games, only fellow reserve guard Andrew Nembhard posted a worse plus-minus. But at least Nembhard shot the ball well. Bringing Murray off the bench should've allowed him to overmatch inferior competition while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated the ball with the starters. Instead, Murray was arguably Canada's weakest link - a shocking turn of events.Between Murray and Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada was supposed to have the best backcourt in the tournament. Instead, little-known French guard Isaia Cordinier (20 points) nearly matched Murray's entire tournament output (24 points) in the quarterfinal alone.The rest of Canada's bench wasn't much better, and the team's dearth of quality bigs undoubtedly held them back, but that wasn't surprising. Murray being such a negative was the unexpected disappointment, and it made Canada's expected flaws too much to overcome.<h3>No bigs, no medal</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740023/cropped_GettyImages-2165562291.jpg?ts=1722975726" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740023/w220xh124_GettyImages-2165562291.jpg?ts=1722975726 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740023/w320xh180_GettyImages-2165562291.jpg?ts=1722975726 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740023/w640xh360_GettyImages-2165562291.jpg?ts=1722975726 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740023/w768xh432_GettyImages-2165562291.jpg?ts=1722975726 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/740023/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2165562291.jpg?ts=1722975726 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Gregory Shamus / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>We talked about it at every stop along the way - Canada's lack of size and quality bigs was always going to be the team's undoing. In a tournament where the U.S. boasts three All-Star centers, Serbia boasts the three-time reigning MVP, and France has the freakish Victor Wembanyama, a Canadian rotation of Dwight Powell, Kelly Olynyk, Trey Lyles, and Khem Birch was never going to cut it. Tuesday's loss to France laid it bare for all to see.With the undersized Dillon Brooks taking on the inspiring role of Wemby-stopper to start the quarterfinal matchup, starting center Powell was rendered useless. The Mavericks big man wasn't quick enough to guard France's forwards and isn't talented enough offensively to use his size on the other end, though he did pull down a game-high four offensive rebounds and team-high nine total boards.After Powell came Olynyk, whose first taste of quarterfinal action saw him unable to score on French guard Evan Fournier. The possession ended in such ugly fashion that it was hard to tell if Olynyk had recorded a field-goal attempt or turnover while trying to post-up his much smaller opponent. Lyles didn't fare much better, either, as he and the rest of Canada's bigs were bullied by French forwards Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort.Unable to contend with the French frontcourt's physicality, Canada sent France to the free-throw line 42 times, with Lessort and Yabusele combining for nearly as many free-throw attempts (23) as the entire Canadian team (25). You could argue the officials were swayed by a raucous French crowd, and there were certainly a few questionable whistles, but the disparity had more to do with the matchup than anything else. Canada was ill-equipped to handle the French frontcourt as a whole and lost a game in which Wembanyama scored seven points on 2-of-10 shooting (and reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert barely played).Of course, the French phenom's impact can't simply be measured by his offensive contributions. Wembanyama's work on the glass, his ability to steal back possessions with his otherworldly length, and his mere presence in the paint mucked up Canada's offense.If Canada's golden generation is going to deliver something grander than a World Cup bronze at some point, the country's going to have to find at least one quality big man who fits this core's timeline. Perhaps the answer is already waiting in the wings in Zach Edey, the two-time NCAA Player of the Year who withdrew from Olympic consideration shortly after being drafted by Memphis.<h3>Taking stock</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/739538/cropped_GettyImages-2164402234.jpg?ts=1722975839" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/739538/w220xh124_GettyImages-2164402234.jpg?ts=1722975839 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/739538/w320xh180_GettyImages-2164402234.jpg?ts=1722975839 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/739538/w640xh360_GettyImages-2164402234.jpg?ts=1722975839 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/739538/w768xh432_GettyImages-2164402234.jpg?ts=1722975839 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/739538/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2164402234.jpg?ts=1722975839 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Garrett Ellwood / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>In the end, the second-most talented team in this tournament leaves France knowing only a few players lived up to expectations. Gilgeous-Alexander was predictably brilliant and nearly dragged Canada back from the brink against France. Lu Dort put forth a herculean effort. RJ Barrett proved a terrific and efficient secondary scorer. Brooks had a disastrous shooting performance (1-of-9) against France, but the polarizing Canadian took on outsized defensive challenges and was an overall positive for the tournament despite his two-point woes and decision-making inside the arc.Nembhard was a mixed bag, Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed every shot he took and slowly fell out of the rotation, Murray was the most disappointing player in the tournament, and the bigs weren't up to the task. Birch was solid, but the fact he emerged as one of Canada's best two big men is a scathing indictment.Canada's best players are either in or just entering their primes, and there's more talent coming, whether it be Edey, Bennedict Mathurin, Shaedon Sharpe, or others. There will be more opportunities for hardware in the future, and Canada should become an Olympic mainstay. But the country's depth of top-tier talent didn't prove to be the strength it should've been in France, and that's what makes this feel like such a bitter disappointment.This team didn't bow out playing its best against superior or even equal competition. It dropped the ball while the majority of its players underperformed.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28023918/related

One and done: What went wrong for Team Canada in France?

In the country's first foray into men's Olympic basketball in 24 years, Canada has jumped out of ...

In the country's first foray into men's Olympic basketball in 24 years, Canada has jumped out of the gates with two wins over Greece and Australia to put itself atop Group A. Here are five thoughts on what we've seen so far.<h3>2 very different wins</h3>Canadian basketball fans had gotten used to disappointment over the last quarter-century, even when the talent started coming in waves. These games against Greece and Australia are exactly the type of contests Canada always found a way to lose before breaking through for a bronze medal at last year's FIBA World Cup.The Canadians survived their best defenders being in foul trouble and a late Greek onslaught to go wire to wire against a dangerous Greece squad led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (and shooters). Against a more balanced Australian side, it was team MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who found himself in early foul trouble as Canada played from behind for much of the first half. An explosive third quarter and some lineup tinkering saw the team pull away for a double-digit victory anyway.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>There have been moments of tension, as expected. In the toughest group of the deepest international basketball tournament ever staged, nothing will come easy. But Canada has found a way to win two very different games against two very different opponents to essentially assure themselves a quarterfinal berth. This is what Canadian fans have been waiting for.<h3>The starting lineup</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/738913/cropped_GettyImages-2163891020.jpg?ts=1722349903" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/738913/w220xh124_GettyImages-2163891020.jpg?ts=1722349903 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/738913/w320xh180_GettyImages-2163891020.jpg?ts=1722349903 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/738913/w640xh360_GettyImages-2163891020.jpg?ts=1722349903 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/738913/w768xh432_GettyImages-2163891020.jpg?ts=1722349903 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/738913/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2163891020.jpg?ts=1722349903 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> AFP / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>It was assumed Jamal Murray would start alongside Gilgeous-Alexander to give Canada arguably the best backcourt in the tournament. Instead, SGA's defensive-minded Thunder teammate Lu Dort has gotten the call, with Dillon Brooks, RJ Barrett, and Dwight Powell rounding out the starting five.When that lineup debuted against Greece, I thought it was perhaps to give Canada more options to throw at Antetokounmpo. But then the same five started against Australia, and honestly, it makes sense. There are no defensive weak spots to exploit. The four guards and wings starting alongside Powell are virtually interchangeable defensively, with each capable of guarding up a size or two - a welcome quality for a team that lacks interior size.Dort's improved shooting also means the team doesn't have to sacrifice its offensive spacing by benching Murray. It would be nice to have a second ball-handler out there, but perhaps it's more important to make sure Gilgeous-Alexander is driving the bus on as many possessions as possible. Plus, Barrett has looked plenty capable of serving as the secondary attacker, creator, and playmaker. The Raptors swingman has been Canada's leading scorer in both games.Right now, this lineup works (with Dort a team-leading plus-41 in 40 minutes). Maybe that will change as the tournament continues and the team evolves, but Murray will also have to play a lot better if he's going to snag a starting spot or even a consistent place in closing lineups.<h3>The 1 glaring flaw</h3>We always knew that size and the general quality of Canada's big men would be the team's Achilles' heel, especially with Zach Edey not in the mix. That hasn't changed through two games of Olympic basketball.Powell had a strong finish to Tuesday's victory over Australia, but Kelly Olynyk and Trey Lyles have been weak spots so far, combining to shoot 2-for-12 while missing a few easy looks and not exactly standing out defensively. Overall, Canada has survived in the paint and on the glass (76.1% defensive rebound rate versus 76.8% opponents' DReb rate) thanks to a collective effort. But potential matchups versus the U.S., France, and Serbia could present interior challenges this roster is ill-equipped to solve.For now, perhaps Fernandez found something in Khem Birch. The veteran logged eight good minutes in the second half versus Australia and might've just usurped Olynyk and Lyles in the team's rotation. One advantage Birch has is his comfort playing the FIBA game, as the former NBAer finished last season playing in the Spanish league. That familiarity was on display in the closing minutes on Tuesday, as Birch knocked a ball off the rim without hesitation, leading to a big defensive rebound for Barrett.It was one moment across 80 minutes of basketball thus far, but you'd be surprised how many full-time NBAers still hesitate before pulling rebounds off the rim (which isn't allowed in the NBA) in international contests. Those split-seconds of indecision can cost teams.<h3>Need more from bench</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/637560/cropped_GettyImages-2160918664.jpg?ts=1722350009" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/637560/w220xh124_GettyImages-2160918664.jpg?ts=1722350009 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/637560/w320xh180_GettyImages-2160918664.jpg?ts=1722350009 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/637560/w640xh360_GettyImages-2160918664.jpg?ts=1722350009 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/637560/w768xh432_GettyImages-2160918664.jpg?ts=1722350009 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/637560/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2160918664.jpg?ts=1722350009 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Brian Babineau / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Canada's depth of NBA talent - second only to the Americans - was supposed to be a strength, but it's yet to pay dividends. While the starters have been excellent, Birch had his moment against Australia, and Andrew Nembhard was solid against Greece, the bench has by and large been bad (if not disastrous).Again, Murray needs to be better (though he's had a couple of nice defensive moments against bigger players), but Canada also needs more from Nembhard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker if the team is to achieve its goals. Alexander-Walker, in particular, has been slumping for months. His minutes dwindled in Minnesota's conference finals loss to Dallas, and he has yet to regain his form or rediscover his jumper since, missing all seven of his field-goal attempts so far for Canada.<h3>No such thing as garbage time</h3>In a tournament setting where point differential could come into play, there's no such thing as a meaningless bucket. Canada has already boosted its differential by five points on two baskets that would rarely have been attempted in the Association. Against Greece, Barrett threw down an emphatic dunk rather than kill time in the closing seconds of what was already a two-possession game. Versus Australia, Brooks sunk a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining against a team that had already conceded. Those two buckets are the difference between Canada being plus-17 rather than plus-12 through two games.Remember, in addition to potentially breaking ties within each group, point differential could help determine how quarterfinalists are seeded. Assuming the U.S. finishes as the top overall seed, Canada will need to finish as the second-best group winner if the team wants to avoid the American side of the bracket and delay that matchup until a potential gold-medal clash.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/27973300/related

Off and running: 5 takeaways from Canada's 2-0 start in men's hoops

LAS VEGAS - Take one look at the United States' star-studded men's basketball team, and you'll se...

LAS VEGAS - Take one look at the United States' star-studded men's basketball team, and you'll see a through line of prolific production.Among the 12 players <a href="https://x.com/usabasketball/status/1780576958415257627">originally</a> selected to represent the U.S. at the 2024 Olympics, 11 were named All-Stars during the 2023-24 NBA season. Each averaged at least 19.3 points per game.Among the four selected players aged 34 or older, three - LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant - averaged between 25.7 points and 27.1 points per game. Those three players each have at least 10 All-Star appearances and 10 All-NBA selections to their name.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Then there's Jrue Holiday. The 34-year-old averaged 12.5 points last season and was not named a 2024 All-Star. In fact, Holiday is a mere two-time All-Star who's never made an All-NBA team in his 15-year career. Yet you can argue no American baller better exemplifies the Olympic spirit.For as much as that spirit has been defined by the phrase, "Faster, higher, stronger," the International Olympic Committee has since added the word "<a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-values">together</a>" while trumpeting the Olympic values of excellence, respect, and friendship. Embodying those values while competing at the highest level isn't easy, but no one checks all the boxes like Holiday.The Hall of Famer who selected this year's team needed no convincing. "(Holiday) was a top priority for us this summer," Grant Hill, the men's national team managing director, told theScore before an exhibition victory over Canada. "He may not have the name or sizzle as others, but what he does, who he is, his approach, what he represents, it's everything we want for USA Basketball."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737855/cropped_GettyImages-2160492966.jpg?ts=1721670758" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737855/w220xh124_GettyImages-2160492966.jpg?ts=1721670758 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737855/w320xh180_GettyImages-2160492966.jpg?ts=1721670758 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737855/w640xh360_GettyImages-2160492966.jpg?ts=1721670758 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737855/w768xh432_GettyImages-2160492966.jpg?ts=1721670758 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737855/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2160492966.jpg?ts=1721670758 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Mercedes Oliver / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Holiday's career arc tells the story of sustained two-way excellence, perseverance, humility, and sacrifice.It was derailed in 2016 when Holiday took a leave to care for his wife, Lauren, after the American soccer great was diagnosed with a brain tumor while pregnant with the couple's first child. "I'm obviously blessed to play this game and be in the position I am in, but my wife is the most important thing in the world to me," Holiday said at the time. "She comes before anything else."It's that type of perspective and grace Holiday's peers have come to admire. But his on-court career speaks volumes, too.He's a defensive point guard who became a 40% 3-point shooter in his 30s after spending his 20s at 35%. A six-time All-Defensive selection whose offensive abilities have always flown under the radar, Holiday once averaged 21.2 points per game. Five of his All-Defensive seasons also came in years he averaged 17-plus points.His two All-Star appearances came a decade apart - in 2013 as the youngest All-Star in 76ers history and in 2023 as the oldest Bucks All-Star in 41 years. After earning the last of those nods for averaging 19.3 points on a 58-win Bucks team, Holiday happily accepted a role as the fifth option on a juggernaut Celtics squad that went on to win the title. That victory gave him a second championship ring in four years to go along with the Olympic gold medal he won in 2021.Over the last five years, he's won the Teammate of the Year award three times and won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2021. He owns the league's <a href="https://x.com/statmuse/status/1793832168638308369">highest</a> win percentage (minimum 300 games played) over the last four seasons. During that time, he's been involved in trades that netted his former teams Damian Lillard, Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, and a combined six first-round draft picks. He's also signed multiple nine-figure contracts in his 30s.It's for all those reasons, and countless others, Hill likes to say Holiday is "your favorite player's favorite player.""He's a selfless guy. All he cares about is winning. He does the little things. He stands out without trying to stand out," Hill said. Perhaps Hill sees a bit of himself in Holiday - not in their star status, size, or style of play, but in their steely nature. As a three-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award himself, Hill knows all too well how labels like "sportsman" and "good teammate" can overshadow one's competitive fire."Don't mistake kindness for weakness," Hill said. "You can be a gentleman like Jrue and still be a fierce competitor. He's shown that you can do it with grace, dignity, and class at the highest of levels. We're looking at who he is off the court and what he does on the court, and his combination of those things is superior. It's elite. And we're lucky to have him."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737857/cropped_GettyImages-1185108091.jpg?ts=1721671277" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737857/w220xh124_GettyImages-1185108091.jpg?ts=1721671277 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737857/w320xh180_GettyImages-1185108091.jpg?ts=1721671277 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737857/w640xh360_GettyImages-1185108091.jpg?ts=1721671277 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737857/w768xh432_GettyImages-1185108091.jpg?ts=1721671277 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737857/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1185108091.jpg?ts=1721671277 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jeff Haynes / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>To appreciate just how lucky the Americans are to have Holiday, consider that his inclusion might've helped secure the services of Anthony Davis.The superstar big man spent six years with Holiday in New Orleans, during which time he grew to admire everything the point guard represents. "He's one of my best friends in this league. It just feels right to be his teammate again," Davis told theScore after beating Canada in Las Vegas. "Our families are really close, and to be honest, I told my wife I'll do (the Olympics) if Jrue does it. I'm just happy to be his teammate again."When asked to explain what makes Holiday the league's best teammate, Davis had no shortage of answers. "His unselfishness. He has no ego; he just wants to win. He should have multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, but he just wants to win."Not one to revel in the spotlight, Holiday had a tougher time answering that same question. "I don't know," Holiday said. "I have no clue. I go out there, I feel like I don't complain, just try to do my job, and get the (team's) job done."At the end of the day, I'm trying to make everybody around me better, no matter what that means. I feel like having that type of mentality is how you win games and how you win championships." Perhaps the world's most underrated baller, it's no coincidence Holiday essentially served as the missing piece to championship puzzles in Boston and Milwaukee.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737856/cropped_GettyImages-2157874820.jpg?ts=1721671145" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737856/w220xh124_GettyImages-2157874820.jpg?ts=1721671145 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737856/w320xh180_GettyImages-2157874820.jpg?ts=1721671145 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737856/w640xh360_GettyImages-2157874820.jpg?ts=1721671145 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737856/w768xh432_GettyImages-2157874820.jpg?ts=1721671145 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/737856/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2157874820.jpg?ts=1721671145 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Adam Hagy / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>His two-way work in the 2024 Finals was sensational. Holiday averaged 14.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 54-42-100 shooting while providing the stiffest defensive challenge for Mavericks superstars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic; quick and sound enough on the perimeter to deter the former, strong enough on switches to stand the latter up. He also served as the undersized - but never overmatched - center of Boston's 2-3 zone throughout the season."He's a high-character guy who plays the right way on both ends of the floor," Jayson Tatum, his Celtics-turned-USA teammate, said. "He's somebody you can plug into any system and any team."That's why even on this unfathomably loaded American squad, Holiday won't just be along for the ride in Paris. He'll be <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2938408" href="https://thescore.com/news/2938408">starting</a>. He'll also be terrorizing opposing guards all tournament long, as <a href="https://x.com/JoeVirayNBA/status/1811237187360641341">he did</a> to Canadians Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray in the team's first exhibition game.Devin Booker, who started with Holiday that night, is thrilled to be on Holiday's side again rather than competing against him. Holiday's defensive work on Booker and Chris Paul helped Milwaukee defeat the Suns in the 2021 Finals. Days later, Holiday and Booker were Olympic teammates, helping the Americans to another gold medal."He does everything," Booker told theScore. "He makes no mistakes. He's a big reason why Milwaukee and Boston have won championships, and he was a big part of winning gold in Tokyo. He's a winner through and through."A winner who plays mistake-free basketball. A selfless, two-way guard. A leader and sportsman revered by his peers. Every team on the planet needs a Jrue Holiday.Unfortunately for the rest of the world, there's only one.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

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'Your favorite player's favorite player:' Jrue Holiday embodies Olympic spirit

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LAS VEGAS - As far as pre-Olympic tuneups go, it doesn't get more star-studded than this. A coupl...

LAS VEGAS - As far as pre-Olympic tuneups go, it doesn't get more star-studded than this. A couple weeks before the Paris Games tip off, Team USA - the four-time defending gold-medal champions - played an exhibition contest against the best men's basketball team Canada has ever fielded. The U.S. won the game, 86-72. Here are five takeaways from what most believe will be a championship game preview.<h3>Jrue fits, Embiid doesn't (yet)</h3>No one was surprised to see Joel Embiid starting at center for the U.S., but the decision to start Jrue Holiday alongside Steph Curry and Devin Booker in the backcourt was far from obvious. Yet Holiday shined in his role against Canada, while Embiid's fit looked clunky.Ever since Embiid - who was born in Cameroon but holds dual French and American citizenship - decided to represent the U.S., the thought of adding the 2023 MVP to an already Monstars-like lineup felt almost unfair. However, Wednesday night in Las Vegas was a reminder that things aren't always as easy on the court as on paper.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Among a lineup wanting to get out and run and on a team with too many options to force-feed him in the post, Embiid looked lost trying to find his role within the offense. In less than 13 minutes of action, Embiid scored five points on 2-of-5 shooting, recorded as many turnovers (four) as made field goals and assists combined, and somehow fouled out. He also picked up an unsportsmanlike foul for good measure.In fairness to Embiid, it was his FIBA debut, and he admitted afterward that he's still getting used to the rules and physicality of the international game (no foul-baiting here!). He'll surely be better at the Olympics than in Vegas, but would anyone be surprised if Anthony Davis supplants him as a starter before the end of the tournament?As for Holiday, his <a href="https://x.com/JoeVirayNBA/status/1811237187360641341">ability</a> to guard the opposing team's best perimeter players, the fact he can play on the ball but doesn't need the ball, and his shooting make him the perfect fit on this modern Dream Team (and any team, for that matter)."He does everything, and he makes no mistakes," Booker said of Holiday after Team USA's victory.One of Wednesday's five starters will move to the bench if and when Kevin Durant returns from a calf injury. My money's on Booker, with Holiday continuing to balance the best starting five on the planet.<h3>Canada's size problem</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636488/cropped_GettyImages-2160918403.jpg?ts=1720693735" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636488/w220xh124_GettyImages-2160918403.jpg?ts=1720693735 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636488/w320xh180_GettyImages-2160918403.jpg?ts=1720693735 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636488/w640xh360_GettyImages-2160918403.jpg?ts=1720693735 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636488/w768xh432_GettyImages-2160918403.jpg?ts=1720693735 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636488/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2160918403.jpg?ts=1720693735 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Mercedes Oliver / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Even with Embiid struggling, the Americans still exposed Canada's glaring weakness in the middle. The U.S. outscored Canada 50-32 in the paint, held the visiting team below 50% shooting in the paint, and dominated the glass until Canada's garbage-time lineup (featuring players who didn't make the Olympic team) crashed the offensive boards.Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell, Trey Lyles, and Khem Birch bring plenty of FIBA experience and important skills the team can use in doses, and Canada can probably get away with playing small in some matchups. But this team is playing for a medal, and that rotation of bigs won't be enough against the U.S., Serbia, and France. This is where two-time NCAA Player of the Year Zach Edey will be missed.Head coach Jordi Fernandez will need to get creative, and Canada will have to rely on its tremendous depth of guards and wings to fill the gaps (with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett providing most of the rim pressure). They'll also need more from the bench, especially from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, whose left-handed 3-point attempt at one point summed up how out of sync he was.<h3>The talent gap, and a rest advantage</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636489/cropped_GettyImages-2160918472.jpg?ts=1720693946" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636489/w220xh124_GettyImages-2160918472.jpg?ts=1720693946 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636489/w320xh180_GettyImages-2160918472.jpg?ts=1720693946 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636489/w640xh360_GettyImages-2160918472.jpg?ts=1720693946 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636489/w768xh432_GettyImages-2160918472.jpg?ts=1720693946 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636489/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2160918472.jpg?ts=1720693946 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Brian Babineau / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Canada came into this game as the healthier team and boasted more roster continuity. The exhibition contest also meant more to the Canadians, as evidenced by the number of times Lu Dort and Andrew Nembhard hit the deck in pursuit of loose balls. So, it wasn't exactly shocking Canada looked like the more fluid, cohesive squad early, building an 11-1 lead before the U.S. knew what hit it.Then Team USA trotted out an all-bench lineup of Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, Tyrese Haliburton, and Bam Adebayo - 21 All-Star appearances between them. In addition to turning the game in its favor, that second unit provided a stark reminder of how big the talent gap remains between the U.S. and everyone else when the Americans bring their A-team.Oh, and the U.S. will soon add Durant and Derrick White to the mix. "We feel like this will be the worst we look," Haliburton told reporters postgame. That's a scary thought for the rest of the world.Then again, while Canada would have little hope of winning a series against the Americans, it only needs to beat them once in a tournament setting. And no team in Paris will be better equipped to do so. Plus, the Canadians are heading straight to France from Vegas. The U.S. will first navigate stops (and four more exhibition games) in Abu Dhabi and London before going to the Olympics. It's a grueling schedule that could catch up to the gold-medal favorites.<h3>Playing their parts</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636487/cropped_GettyImages-2138278144.jpg?ts=1720693594" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636487/w220xh124_GettyImages-2138278144.jpg?ts=1720693594 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636487/w320xh180_GettyImages-2138278144.jpg?ts=1720693594 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636487/w640xh360_GettyImages-2138278144.jpg?ts=1720693594 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636487/w768xh432_GettyImages-2138278144.jpg?ts=1720693594 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636487/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2138278144.jpg?ts=1720693594 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Stephen Maturen / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Anthony Edwards and Dillon Brooks couldn't have been received more differently in Vegas, and it was perfect.Edwards, the media darling who's established himself as one of the NBA's faces of the future, got raucous ovations every time his name was announced in T-Mobile Arena. Only LeBron James and Steph Curry elicited more fervent responses.Meanwhile, Brooks embraced his role as a universal basketball villain, welcoming a chorus of deafening boos I wouldn't have believed possible from an exhibition crowd in a non-NBA market. (Canadians would surely prefer Brooks plays within his role as a 3-and-D star rather than leading the team in 2-point attempts, though.)Just days after proclaiming himself as Team USA's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2937110" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2937110">No. 1 option</a>, Edwards was the game's leading scorer (13 points). His 10 field-goal attempts also matched Davis and Gilgeous-Alexander for the game high. When one media member jokingly asked whether Edwards looked like a No. 1 option against Canada, the Timberwolves star replied, deadpan, "What do you think?"In a fitting end to the night, Brooks and Edwards addressed the mixed-zone media at the same time, just a few feet apart. When Brooks finished his scrum, he exited by walking directly through Edwards' scrum, briefly interrupting it, much to the chagrin of some grumbling American media members.An innocent mistake in an unfamiliar arena? Possibly. But as is usually the case, Brooks likely knew what he was doing. Canada's hoping he'll continue getting on everyone's nerves over the next month.<h3>Leonard out, White in, and awkwardness all around</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636356/cropped_GettyImages-2160498678.jpg?ts=1720694073" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636356/w220xh124_GettyImages-2160498678.jpg?ts=1720694073 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636356/w320xh180_GettyImages-2160498678.jpg?ts=1720694073 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636356/w640xh360_GettyImages-2160498678.jpg?ts=1720694073 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636356/w768xh432_GettyImages-2160498678.jpg?ts=1720694073 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/636356/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2160498678.jpg?ts=1720694073 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Brian Babineau / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Everything about the decision to <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2938051" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2938051">replace Kawhi Leonard</a> with White brought uncomfortable questions for USA Basketball. Managing director Grant Hill tried to answer some of them in a pregame press conference.Hill said the decision was made Tuesday night in conjunction with Leonard and the Clippers but that it was ultimately USA Basketball's call. "We just felt that we had to pivot. Not to get into the particulars in terms of what went into the decision, but we felt it was in our best interest, the Clippers' best interest, and also in Kawhi's best interest to move in a different direction."Leonard's camp <a href="https://x.com/MarcJSpears/status/1811051000515678512">reportedly</a> expressed concerns Monday (the third day of training camp), but Leonard addressed the media Tuesday and said he thought he'd be suiting up for Wednesday's game.However, Hill deflected when asked if there was any doubt about Leonard's status at the time the roster was announced. The team architect noted that while the hope was to have all 12 players arrive at camp in shape, management discussed contingency plans for a number of players and potential worst-case scenarios.This begs the question, why name your 12-man roster before training camp? Why not bring 13 or 14 prospective Olympians to Vegas and whittle the roster down after camp and/or injuries? Especially when one of those 12 players has missed an average of 37 games per season over the last seven years due to knee and leg injuries and was just sidelined by knee inflammation two months ago. Canada named its 12-man roster on Wednesday. The Americans named theirs on April 17.Finally, with conspiracy theories <a href="https://x.com/FCHWPO/status/1811149549827936563">swirling</a> that Jaylen Brown's past criticism of Nike was why the All-NBA forward and Finals MVP was snubbed, Hill said such speculations are nothing more than theories. He also mentioned that among the many things he likes about White's game, the fact that White will play a similar role for Team USA as he does for the Celtics - as a complementary piece playing off multiple stars - makes him a good fit.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's senior content producer.

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'This will be the worst we look:' 5 takeaways from USA vs. Canada

Welcome to the latest edition of "Pound the Rock," an NBA podcast hosted by Joseph Casciaro and J...

<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-biggest-moves-of-the-offseason/id1369218588?i=1000661076241"></iframe></figure>Welcome to the latest edition of "Pound the Rock," an NBA podcast hosted by Joseph Casciaro and Joe Wolfond.Find the show on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/pound-the-rock/id1369218588">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/poundtherock">Soundcloud</a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3w7IKqqxVzKJZIEImWg3k3">Spotify</a>.Topics for this episode include:<ul>
<li>Why Paul George makes so much sense for the 76ers</li>
<li>Why the Clippers were insane to let George walk for nothing</li>
<li>How Klay Thompson changes things for the Mavericks after turning the Lakers down</li>
<li>How the Warriors pivoted in a post-Klay world</li>
<li>Is Lauri Markkanen next for Golden State?</li>
<li>Was the Mikal Bridges trade a justifiable overpay for the Knicks?</li>
<li>Chris Paul to the Spurs comes with no downside</li>
<li>Why Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a nice get for the Magic</li>
<li>The Thunder addressed their biggest areas of need without surrendering any of their valuable draft capital</li>
<li>OKC is now the West's best team </li>
</ul>

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NBA Podcast: Breaking down the biggest moves of the offseason

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Breaking down the biggest deals from Day 2 of NBA free agency

The NBA offseason's officially here. In addition to negotiating with their own free agents, teams...

The NBA offseason's officially here. In addition to negotiating with their own free agents, teams are now permitted to negotiate with free agents from rival teams (though new contracts can't be signed until the NBA's moratorium is lifted July 6). Here's some quick-hitting analysis on the biggest deals reached on the first day of free agency.<h3>Spurs sign Chris Paul (1 year, $11M)</h3>Sometimes an NBA transaction just feels right. This is one of those times. San Antonio may not be the ring-chasing endgame some had in mind for one of the best point guards of all time, but in so many ways it feels like the perfect place for Paul to play one of the last seasons (if not the last season) of his illustrious career; a place where he can play for a legendary coach he's admired and competed against for two decades, and where he can mentor and feed lobs to a generational talent 19 years his junior, without the burden of expectations that soured his brief Golden State sojourn.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>This isn't purely sentimentalism, either. Paul can still play, and the on-court fit makes a lot of sense. On balance, the Spurs were a 22-win doormat last season, but put Victor Wembanyama on the court with anything resembling a competent floor general and they morphed into a playoff-caliber outfit. To wit: they outscored opponents by 4.3 points per 100 possessions in nearly 1,300 minutes with both Wembanyama and Tre Jones on the floor.What San Antonio needed a lot of the time was someone capable and willing to deliver Wemby the ball. And Paul, even at age 39, is one of the most capable and willing distributors in the sport. Their two-man game could be legitimately dangerous. Paul's entry passing and hit-aheads will also be helpful in getting the young phenom easy early offense.Paul has a chance to be a positive influence not only on Wembanyama but on all the Spurs' youngsters, from Jones to Devin Vassell to Jeremy Sochan to new draftee Stephon Castle. You can scoff at the unquantifiable value of that kind of thing, but players often go out of their way to tell you how much it matters. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still talks about the impact Paul had on him during their one season together in Oklahoma City.Besides, if it doesn't work out, what's the downside? The Spurs are on the long-term development track, and aren't going to hit the accelerator until Wemby forces their hand. This move comes with basically no risk, but with plenty of opportunity for fun, feelings, and some wins along the way. - Joe Wolfond<h3>Clippers re-sign James Harden (2 years/$70M), sign Derrick Jones Jr. (3 years, $30M)</h3>Whatever you think about the Clippers as a concept, however doomed you think they are in their current form, keeping Harden on a short-term deal with a manageable price tag is a win. The second-year player option makes it less team friendly, and the prospect of doing the same year-to-year dance with Harden in 2025 doesn't sound appealing, but it's better than feeling pressured into locking up the soon-to-be 35-year-old long term, or letting him walk for nothing.Of course, the Clippers are letting Paul George walk for nothing, which means this offseason is a disaster no matter what and the team's championship window is firmly shut (if it wasn't already). But unless Harden falls off a cliff, he and Kawhi Leonard can still keep this team respectable, and if the front office decides to pivot, this deal should make Harden a very appealing trade chip.Harden when healthy and engaged is still capable of playing at an All-Star level. He had a rocky start with L.A. after being traded there a couple weeks into last season, but then hit his stride and for about two months played some of the most fluid and selfless basketball of his career. He gave the Clippers the offensive organizer they'd long sorely lacked, and made them <a href="https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2800596">look like legit championship contenders</a> in the process. Even after wheezing to the finish line, he ended the season with a 61% true-shooting clip, and the Clippers performed seven points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor. He had a couple monster performances in the first round of the playoffs, too.This deal isn't going to alleviate any of the despair in Clipperland, but it's good business all the same.The same can be said of signing Jones using the bulk of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception that was made available to L.A. when it became clear George wouldn't be re-signing. Jones provides a massive jolt of athleticism that's in fairly short supply on this Clippers team, and he's arguably a better overall defender than George is at this point.It's obviously an enormous offensive downgrade, and a team that was once stuffed to the gills with shooters is now going to have a very tough time spacing the floor. Jones did shoot a career-best 34% from 3-point range last season and 37% in the playoffs, but he likely won't be getting the same kinds of looks in L.A. as he did playing with Luka Doncic in Dallas.Alas, this is what you get when the MLE is what you have to work with. There was never going to be any replacing George. This is about as well as the Clippers could've done under the self-imposed circumstances. - Wolfond<h3>Magic sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3 years/$66M)</h3>One of the NBA's more exciting young teams adds one of the game's best veteran role players, a two-time champ who gives the Magic's already-nasty defense another ace point-of-attack stopper while also providing a sorely needed 3-point threat. Caldwell-Pope is basically a way better version of what Gary Harris was for Orlando last season.He may not shoot 42% from deep like he did across his two seasons alongside Nikola Jokic in Denver, but he should still get plenty of quality looks orbiting Paolo Banchero's on-ball gravity. His ability to shoot off of movement will be a huge boon to a team that finished 25th in 3-point attempt rate and 24th in 3-point percentage last season. Caldwell-Pope is also an adept and experienced guard screener, and the Magic should mine some great stuff out of him screening for Banchero and Franz Wagner. Meanwhile, he and Jalen Suggs will form one of the league's most stifling perimeter defensive tandems.The Magic still need a legitimate offensive lead guard, but adding Caldwell-Pope shouldn't preclude them from acquiring that missing piece. Though it does jam up their ability (for now) to make a competitive free-agent offer to George, as they're left with just shy of $30 million in cap space, it wouldn't have been worth passing up the chance to sign KCP because they were holding out for a PG pipe dream. And hey, if that pipe dream comes true and George indicates he's prepared to sign there, Orlando can probably find a way to clear another $20-odd million off its books.Unless or until that happens, this team is probably still too flawed to be taken seriously as a legitimate contender. But it's a rising young power that's now a bit more dangerous. - Wolfond<h3>Mavericks sign Naji Marshall (3 years/$27M)</h3>A year ago, a minimum contract for Jones Jr. turned out to be one of the biggest bargains in the league, as he played a key role in Dallas' run to the Finals. This time next year, we might again be talking about how the Mavs made one of the offseason's best low-key moves.Marshall's a grimy defensive forward coming off the best shooting season of his career (38.7% on 2.3 3-point attempts per game) while serving as a member of one of the league's best benches in New Orleans. His 42% conversion rate from the corners may have been an aberration, but the drive-and-kick creation of Doncic and Kyrie Irving will put Marshall in advantageous positions to build on that career year. It's also a fantastic result for an unheralded player who went undrafted four years ago.This is a great get for the reigning Western Conference champions, with the only downside being it appears Jones' brief time in Dallas is over. - Joseph Casciaro<h3>Pacers re-sign Obi Toppin (4 years/$60M)</h3>After trading for and re-signing two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam, and with 2023 No. 8 pick Jarace Walker entering his sophomore season, no one would've blinked if fellow power forward Obi Toppin found himself the odd man out in Indiana. That the Pacers instead re-signed him long term is a testament to Toppin's fit with Tyrese Haliburton.Toppin's transition game makes him a perfect match for the Pacers, who look to push the ball up the court at every opportunity. That fit led to a career year for Toppin, who supplemented his efficient interior scoring with an improved stroke from behind the arc. In his first season as a Pacer after three up-and-down seasons as a Knick, Toppin averaged 10.3 points while shooting 70.6% inside the arc and 40.3% from deep.His lackluster defense is part of a larger problem in Indiana, but Toppin is a low-maintenance offensive role player who knows his job, does it well, and fits the system the Eastern Conference finalists want to play. An average salary of $15 million might seem steep, but it's far from egregious in today's booming NBA economy. - Casciaro<h3>76ers sign Andre Drummond (2 years/$10M), Eric Gordon (1 year/$3.3M)</h3>For all of Drummond's well-documented offensive limitations, he's quietly become a very solid reserve who's coming off his best season in years. The 30-year-old remains one of the league's absolute best rebounders, posting 100th percentile marks in both offensive and defensive rebound rate in 2023-24, according to Cleaning The Glass. In fact, Drummond's offensive rebound rate ranks in the 96th percentile or higher among big men in every season of his 12-year career, while his defensive rebound rate has ranked in the 98th percentile or higher for 10 straight seasons.For a Sixers team always looking for quality center minutes off the bench behind Joel Embiid, reuniting with Drummond (who spent part of the 2021-22 campaign in Philly) at this price is nice work.As for Gordon, the former Sixth Man of the Year may be a shell of his former self, but contenders can never have enough shooting. Bringing him to Philadelphia on a veteran's minimum is nothing to sneeze at. The 35-year-old still converted 37.8% of his 5.8 3-point attempts per game in 2023-24, which accounted for more than 64% of his shot diet. - Casciaro<h3>Wizards sign Jonas Valanciunas (3 years/$30M)</h3>Valanciunas' once-improved perimeter shooting fell off last season and his defensive mobility is a concern, but he remains an efficient interior scorer, a good rebounder, and a durable big man. The 12-year vet started all 82 games for a 49-win Pelicans team that ranked sixth on defense and 11th on offense. An average salary of $10 million for a player of that caliber is fine value, but three years for a 32-year-old center who's declining is a little puzzling from the perspective of a rebuilding Washington team.The Wizards remain perplexing, though perhaps they view the veteran as a potential trade chip going forward. Valanciunas' presence (along with the recently re-signed Richaun Holmes) could also be good for recent draft pick Alex Sarr. As for JV, who hasn't been part of a rebuilding situation since his rookie year in Toronto, it seems obvious Washington outbid other suitors. - Casciaro<h3>Heat re-sign Kevin Love (2 years/$8M)</h3>Love was quietly excellent as Bam Adebayo's backup last season, gobbling up rebounds and slinging full-court outlet passes while continuing to serve as a credible stretch-big. He put up per-36 averages of 18.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 60% true shooting, and had the Heat's second-best on-court net rating.But he'll also turn 36 before next season starts, his defense is always going to be an issue (even though he's held up reasonably well in Miami's zone-heavy system), and he proved to be unplayable in the first round against Boston. All those things considered, this feels like a pretty fair deal for both player and team. - Wolfond<h3>Suns sign Mason Plumlee (1 year/$3.3M)</h3>Phoenix gets a backup center who's better than Drew Eubanks. - Wolfond

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Breaking down the biggest deals from Day 1 of NBA free agency

The most contentious second-round prospect in NBA history is officially off the board. The Los An...

The most contentious second-round prospect in NBA history is officially off the board. The Los Angeles Lakers spilled the league's worst-kept secret when the franchise made Bronny James the 55th selection in the 2024 draft.Now it's time for critics to lay off the kid.Had LeBron James' son been selected in the first round, thereby robbing a more deserving youngster of his chance at a guaranteed two-year contract (plus two additional option years), I'd understand the gripe. But spare me the outrage over a late second-rounder.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Over the years, teams looking to save money and preserve flexibility have used countless second-round picks to draft and stash international players they sometimes know will never sniff the NBA. I don't remember anyone complaining that those selections could've been used on more legitimate NBA prospects.A 2019 <a href="https://sportsanalytics.studentorg.berkeley.edu/articles/trash-or-treasure.html#:~:text=Slightly%20less%20than%20half%20of,specified%20timeframe%20are%20still%20playing.">study</a> by the Sports Analytics Group at Berkeley found that roughly one-fifth of second-round picks drafted in the previous 5-10 years were still in the league. Looking at the 55th pick specifically, besides Oklahoma City Thunder revelation Aaron Wiggins, the other nine players drafted in that spot since 2014 have averaged 20.2 games in the Association. Only <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;match=player_season_combined&amp;order_by=games&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=300&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=games&amp;draft_status=drafted&amp;draft_year_min=2000&amp;draft_year_max=2023&amp;draft_pick_min=55&amp;draft_pick_max=60&amp;draft_pick_type=overall">seven players</a> drafted 55th or later in the 21st century have appeared in 300 games.The chances are always slim that a player drafted as late as Bronny can carve out an NBA career. He isn't the worst player whose name has been called in the second round. Heck, plenty of first-round busts were probably worse ballers than LeBron's son. But they weren't LeBron's son, which is obviously where all of this vitriol is rooted.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/618139/cropped_GettyImages-1249939659.jpg?ts=1719532508" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/618139/w220xh124_GettyImages-1249939659.jpg?ts=1719532508 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/618139/w320xh180_GettyImages-1249939659.jpg?ts=1719532508 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/618139/w640xh360_GettyImages-1249939659.jpg?ts=1719532508 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/618139/w768xh432_GettyImages-1249939659.jpg?ts=1719532508 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/618139/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1249939659.jpg?ts=1719532508 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Brian Spurlock / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>As <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1806450381972746663">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a> noted during Thursday's second-round broadcast, the NBA is rife with nepotism at all levels. Nowhere is this familial favoritism more rampant than in front offices and coaching circles, where jobs are even more scarce than they are on the court. Funny - no one seems to be clutching their pearls about that. Just like no one bats an eye when agents try to steer their clients to their desired destinations, or out of the second round <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nba/players/25275" href="https://www.thescore.com/nba/players/25275">altogether</a>, when that client's last name isn't <a href="https://x.com/ESPNNBA/status/1806433501299773945">James</a>.And while there are genuine concerns about Bronny's size and overall skill set, remember that he was a bona fide NBA prospect before his cardiac arrest caused by a congenital defect (which has since been addressed). His willingness to get after it defensively, his length - James has a 6-foot-7 wingspan despite standing 6-foot-1 - and his shooting upside led draft experts to project him as a potential 3-and-D guard.A top-20 recruit coming out of high school, he reminded us of those earlier projections at this year's combine, where his athleticism, energy, and shooting raised eyebrows. He recorded the sixth-highest max <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-strength-agility?dir=D&amp;sort=MAX_VERTICAL_LEAP">vertical leap</a> out of 77 prospects who took part in the testing, and he posted the <a href="https://x.com/DraftExpress/status/1790172336483688868">second-best</a> mark in the non-stationary shooting drill.There's also every indication that he's a coachable and diligent worker. I'm not ready to dismiss all of that because a teenager struggled in his lone collegiate season following a near-death experience, or because I'm in a rush to pile on the adolescent son of a player who's in the polarizing, often toxic GOAT debate.Another year of schooling and NCAA ball might have been beneficial, but entering a more highly touted 2025 draft class would've brought risk as well. Having already secured an NBA opportunity, Bronny will now work with the highest level of skill-development staffers and trainers.The next step is up to him. Bronny's name helped him get here, but it won't afford him meaningful playing time or NBA staying power. He'll sink or swim in the Association based on his performance alone.If he manages to earn a role, what a wonderful story it would be for a young man who nearly lost everything a year ago. If he falls by the NBA wayside like most players drafted in his range, it seems there's a miserable lot who'll be eager to rejoice in that result, too.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's senior content producer.

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 27: Bronny James gets drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2024 NBA Draft - Round Two on June 27, 2024 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE

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Lay off Bronny: Criticism of NBA's 55th pick is uncalled for

This feature originally ran on May 15. It has been edited to reflect Monday's news that Scottie B...

This feature originally ran on May 15. It has been edited to reflect Monday's news that Scottie Barnes and the Raptors have <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2923558" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2923558">reportedly</a> agreed to terms on a five-year extension.It was only fitting that the Raptors' wretched 2023-24 season was bookended by a failed trip to the draft lottery, where Toronto officially saw its top-six protected pick convey to San Antonio in the form of the eighth overall selection.Normally, such luck would be catastrophic for a 25-win team coming off the franchise's worst campaign in 13 years. All that for the solid yet unspectacular Jakob Poeltl?<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>But while the Raptors have taken plenty of self-inflicted punches over the last couple of years, any attempt to paint this result as a devastating knockout blow would be wrong.It can't be overstated how poorly regarded the 2024 draft class is, which no doubt played into the light protections Toronto placed on the first-rounder. The Ringer's Ryan Russillo was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL6UBrshlNU">told</a> by one team's employee that the No. 1 pick in this year's draft might be equivalent to the seventh or eighth pick in an average year. ESPN's Zach Lowe <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/40134868/lowe-latest-draft-intel-trade-buzz-superstitions-nba-secret-draft-lottery-room">reported</a> that team officials from clubs who stood to potentially lose their picks seemed indifferent to the results leading up to the lottery.Had the Raptors landed a top-six pick this year, the pick owed to the Spurs would've rolled over to 2025. Assuming Toronto improves to something closer to a play-in team next season, would a top-six pick in 2024 have been much more valuable than a mid-first-rounder in 2025? Based on every expert's opinion at the moment, probably not.In addition, by conveying the pick to San Antonio now, the Raptors have access to all their future first-rounders as tradeable assets. Had Toronto kept its 2024 pick, the team wouldn't have been able to trade its own first-rounder until 2028. Finally, the Raptors also have the 19th and 31st selections in the draft (plus the Pacers' top-four protected pick in 2026), thanks to the midseason trades that shipped Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby to Indiana and New York, respectively.Of course, none of this is ideal. There's no sugarcoating that the optics are hideous when a 57-loss team doesn't have a pick in the top 18. As uninspiring as this year's class appears, let's not forget that the last truly terrible draft (2013) still produced two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.Those optics won't ease the pressure on a front office whose standing in Toronto has shifted from unimpeachable to questionable.If nothing else, the lottery results were a reminder that team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster temporarily lost their way - or at least their sense of timing. The Poeltl trade stemmed from the fact Toronto entered the 2022-23 campaign with a glaring need at center. By the time the Raptors addressed it, a 10th-place team with a losing record was trading a future first-rounder for a middling starting center.While the Anunoby trade was an excellent piece of business that infused the Raptors with more bankable young talent in Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, the way Toronto <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2824403" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2824403">botched</a> the Siakam situation was shameful (though that deal now looks <a href="https://twitter.com/JosephCasciaro/status/1755695731413787065">slightly better</a>).With the lottery and the first-round payout for Poeltl finally behind them, it's time for the Raptors to get back on track. Some would argue that with all their picks at their disposal again and the 2025 draft expected to be stronger, now is the time for Toronto to tank and commit to a longer-term rebuild. That's a bad idea.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/583509/cropped_GettyImages-1240544394.jpg?ts=1715721719" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/583509/w220xh124_GettyImages-1240544394.jpg?ts=1715721719 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/583509/w320xh180_GettyImages-1240544394.jpg?ts=1715721719 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/583509/w640xh360_GettyImages-1240544394.jpg?ts=1715721719 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/583509/w768xh432_GettyImages-1240544394.jpg?ts=1715721719 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/583509/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1240544394.jpg?ts=1715721719 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Vaughn Ridley / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Ujiri was correct when he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/7Osjme7mEqw?si=TErED8vJ7YxGZxAB&amp;t=2279">acknowledged</a> that, in 22-year-old All-Star Scottie Barnes, the Raptors already have the type of talent that is most coveted - and most difficult to acquire - for rebuilding teams. But the head start a talent like Barnes provides also leaves teams with less time to waste.Barnes' reported extension will keep him under contract through 2030, but fans know how quickly time moves in the NBA. Barnes' deal comes with no guarantees he'll be a Raptor for the life of that contract. The best way to ensure that is to win, or to at least show Barnes that success is on the horizon.That quest should begin immediately. Quickley (who is a pending RFA) appears poised for a breakout after taking the reins as Toronto's starting point guard. He has the on-ball chops, movement shooting, and playmaking to thrive beside Barnes. A rejuvenated Barrett looks comfortable and optimized in head coach Darko Rajakovic's system of quick decision-making. Gradey Dick averaged 11.1 points and shot 39.5% from deep over the final 40 games of his rookie campaign. Rajakovic will enter his second year as an NBA head coach with a team that has a clear direction and purpose after his debut season was derailed by constant roster reshuffling and injuries.Losing their 2024 first-rounder means the Raptors can carve out roughly $30 million in cap space to use before re-signing Quickley, depending on what decisions are made about pending free agent Gary Trent Jr. and Bruce Brown, whose 2024-25 team option is worth $23 million. A tanking team might use that space to take on unwanted contracts in exchange for additional draft capital. The Raptors should use it to expedite their rebuild, which doesn't have to mean acting recklessly.If Toronto retains at least one of Trent or Brown and operates as an over-the-cap team, it should seriously consider whether the midlevel exception is enough to land caretaking Wizards guard Tyus Jones, for example.There are options. Just don't expect one of those options to involve purposely banking on the 2025 lottery. "I'm patient, but I'm not trying to wait, like, six years," Ujiri reminded us at his end-of-season media availability.The day of this year's lottery, Barnes wrote on Instagram, "I promise we will be better." The Raptors need him to keep that promise. They also need to help him deliver on it. Now's the time.<a href="https://twitter.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's senior content producer.

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With lottery and Barnes extension behind them, Raptors can get to work

<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/lingering-finals-thoughts-and-first-offseason-dominoes/id1369218588?i=1000659819351"></iframe></figure>Welcome to the latest edition of "Pound the Rock," an NBA podcast hosted by Joseph Casciaro and Joe Wolfond.Find the show on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/pound-the-rock/id1369218588">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/poundtherock">Soundcloud</a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3w7IKqqxVzKJZIEImWg3k3">Spotify</a>.Topics for this episode include:<ul>
<li>The Celtics finish off the Mavericks to win the franchise's record-setting 18th championship</li>
<li>Why Boston and Dallas are both set up for sustained success</li>
<li>Why the Celtics won't face the same future concerns as some other second apron teams</li>
<li>Oklahoma City makes the first big splash of the offseason</li>
<li>Alex Caruso makes an already nasty Thunder defense even nastier</li>
<li>What are the Bulls doing?</li>
<li>Pascal Siakam and the Pacers are just getting started together</li>
<li>The Kings retained Malik Monk at a bargain</li>
<li>Monty Williams may not have been the problem in Detroit, but he definitely wasn't going to be the solution</li>
<li>JJ Redick's future as NBA head coach</li>
<li>Which teams make sense for LeBron if King James actually considers free agency?</li>
</ul>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/27612287/related

NBA Podcast: Celts crowned, Caruso traded, coaching carousel spins

It's a new day for Canada's men's basketball team, with the nation finally in position to bring i...

It's a new day for Canada's men's basketball team, with the nation finally in position to bring its absolute best to a major tournament - in this case, the Canadian men's first Olympic tournament in 24 years.Even the squad that won bronze at last year's FIBA World Cup was missing Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins. That's where Canada now stands as a talent factory: with enough quality to go into a tournament without a key piece from the reigning NBA champions (at the time) and a recent All-Star and still compete for a medal.Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, one of the breakout stars of the 2024 playoffs, was also absent last summer in Asia.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>This summer, Murray, Wiggins, and Nembhard will all take part in Canada's pre-Olympic training camp. Twelve players will be selected from a star-studded group of 20 that includes 2023 returnees Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Kelly Olynyk, Lu Dort, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Dwight Powell.It's a group that includes the NBA's MVP runner-up and a two-time All-NBA first-team selection, multiple All-Stars, multiple 20-point scorers, a former All-Defensive team selection (Brooks), and another (Dort) who narrowly missed an All-Defensive second-team nod this season. As general manager and former Olympian Rowan Barrett said at a news conference announcing the camp roster this week, Canada has two defensive-minded players who want to maul opponents every time they take the floor.Oh, and don't forget two-time NCAA Player of the Year Zach Edey. The giant Purdue product was included on Canada's training camp roster, although the NBA team that drafts him next week will have some say in Edey's availability this summer.It's an embarrassment of riches for Canada and head coach Jordi Fernandez, who was also named head coach of the Brooklyn Nets two months ago.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633663/cropped_GettyImages-1652946474.jpg?ts=1718904938" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633663/w220xh124_GettyImages-1652946474.jpg?ts=1718904938 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633663/w320xh180_GettyImages-1652946474.jpg?ts=1718904938 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633663/w640xh360_GettyImages-1652946474.jpg?ts=1718904938 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633663/w768xh432_GettyImages-1652946474.jpg?ts=1718904938 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633663/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1652946474.jpg?ts=1718904938 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Xinhua News Agency / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Not long ago, Canada had to beg what scarce NBA talent it had to show up for such events. One player who always answered the call was Cory Joseph, and much was made this week of the decision not to invite the 13-year NBA veteran to camp."There were times when I put FIBA basketball and playing for my country over my NBA situation at the time, whether I was in a contract year and I had no contract at the time and I went to go play for my country, whether I had little bumps and tweaks, I was there," Joseph told <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/veteran-cory-joseph-mad-about-canada-basketball-snub-despite-years-of-service/">Sportsnet's Michael Grange</a>. "For me it's a little disheartening to be like, 'Wow, I wasn't even given an opportunity to compete for whatever position?'"But with the power of a full arsenal at Rowan Barrett's disposal comes great responsibility. The team's GM understands the weight of the expectations that will be placed on the Olympic squad. "We are going to this competition in Paris to win. That's our plan," Barrett told reporters about a team that's been given the second-best odds to claim gold, behind only the USA.Embracing those expectations means Canada must move past the point of lifetime achievement awards. Tough, seemingly ruthless decisions will be made, with Barrett stressing the need to put feelings and relationships aside. "We love those guys," Barrett said of Joseph and Valencia guard Kevin Pangos, another national team mainstay who was left off the camp list. "At the same time, we are putting together the strongest possible roster that we can in the areas that we believe we need in order to compete and be successful at the Olympics in Paris."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633665/cropped_GettyImages-1572966864.jpg?ts=1718905381" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633665/w220xh124_GettyImages-1572966864.jpg?ts=1718905381 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633665/w320xh180_GettyImages-1572966864.jpg?ts=1718905381 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633665/w640xh360_GettyImages-1572966864.jpg?ts=1718905381 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633665/w768xh432_GettyImages-1572966864.jpg?ts=1718905381 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633665/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1572966864.jpg?ts=1718905381 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Lance McMillan / Toronto Star / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Joseph should be commended for his service to the national team over the years, especially when fellow Canadian NBAers weren't making the same sacrifices. But he's well past his prime, Canada is flush with guard depth, and the country's best players are all committed.Joseph had no shot to make the final cut, and as Barrett stated, Canada Basketball wants this training camp to be an intensely competitive launching pad toward the Olympics. The only players invited outside of the core 20 are youngsters Bennedict Mathurin (who's recovering from injury) and Shaedon Sharpe, who Barrett and Co. view as part of the program's future.Being able to leave NBA players at home – to tell respected vets like Joseph, 'Thanks, but no thanks' - is a blessing, no matter how uncomfortable the conversations might get. It's a good problem to have, and one that used to be reserved for the Americans.Near the end of Wednesday's news conference, Barrett shared a story about a legendary coach who told him he never believed in the idea that players should check their egos at the door. Rather, the coach wanted his players to bring their egos with them and leave managing their outsized personalities up to him.Barrett now wants Canada's stars to bring their egos and self-belief to Paris. Canadians just want the country to finally bring its 12 best basketball players to the Olympics.At long last, they have the chance to do that. There's no time to cry over the bruised egos that won't be there.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's senior content producer.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/27610106/related

Canada's going for Olympic gold, feelings be damned

<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/nba-mourns-jerry-west-breaking-down-the-finals-hurley/id1369218588?i=1000658942461"></iframe></figure>Welcome to the latest edition of "Pound the Rock," an NBA podcast hosted by Joseph Casciaro and Joe Wolfond.Find the show on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/pound-the-rock/id1369218588">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/poundtherock">Soundcloud</a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3w7IKqqxVzKJZIEImWg3k3">Spotify</a>.Topics for this episode include:<ul>
<li>A tribute to the late Jerry West</li>
<li>How the Celtics won Game 3 of the Finals to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the Mavericks</li>
<li>The impact of Kristaps Porzingis' absence</li>
<li>Boston staying the course and trusting its personnel and defensive principles</li>
<li>Luka Doncic losing the plot on defense</li>
<li>The ridiculous depth disparity between these two teams</li>
<li>Does Dallas need another creator?</li>
<li>Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, or Jayson Tatum for Finals MVP?</li>
<li>Will a Celtics championship feel inevitable in hindsight?</li>
<li>Thoughts on Dan Hurley spurning the Lakers</li>
</ul>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/27558991/related

NBA Podcast: Celtics push Mavs to the brink 

Regardless of who the Los Angeles Lakers hire to fill their head coaching position, Dan Hurley re...

Regardless of who the Los Angeles Lakers hire to fill their head coaching position, Dan Hurley reminded us this week that the job isn't all it's cracked up to be.There were factors outside the Lakers' control in their reported $70-million pursuit of Hurley, who's won back-to-back NCAA championships at Connecticut.College coaches of Hurley's stature enjoy a level of control over their programs and authority over their players they would never have in the modern NBA. Successful college programs often become cults of personality built around their high-profile head coaches, and Connecticut under Hurley is no different.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Beyond the fact his <a href="https://x.com/tcf_15/status/1777749622393340109">sideline</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFRSq73G_vI">antics</a> would draw ire in the Association, making the NBA leap would see Hurley go from being the most influential man on campus to making less money than almost every rotation player he's barking orders at.Hurley also has a chance to join legendary UCLA coach John Wooden as the only bench bosses to win three straight Division I men's championships.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632262/cropped_GettyImages-2126228860.jpg?ts=1718168273" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632262/w220xh124_GettyImages-2126228860.jpg?ts=1718168273 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632262/w320xh180_GettyImages-2126228860.jpg?ts=1718168273 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632262/w640xh360_GettyImages-2126228860.jpg?ts=1718168273 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632262/w768xh432_GettyImages-2126228860.jpg?ts=1718168273 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632262/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2126228860.jpg?ts=1718168273 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Michael Reaves / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Hurley already has one of the safest and most prestigious coaching jobs in the country and reaps the benefits of a heroic reputation at the most successful basketball school of the 21st century.Prying him away from all of that for the pressure and instability of the NBA would be an uphill battle for any team. It'd take an offer Connecticut's current godfather couldn't refuse. The Lakers aren't in position to make such an offer.I don't just mean financially, though that's part of the problem. The Lakers' six-year, $70-million offer may have dwarfed Hurley's current $32.1-million contract - and it might still top Hurley's reported <a href="https://www.ctpost.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/dan-hurley-ned-lamont-contract-huskies-19508918.php">new deal</a> at UConn - but it wasn't the kind of mind-blowing offer required to make the potential pitfalls of a move worth it.Lakers governor Jeanie Buss takes pride in the Lakers being a uniquely family-run business among pro sports franchises. Her father <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winning_Time:_The_Rise_of_the_Lakers_Dynasty">famously</a> bought the team in 1979, and his 66% share passed to his six children via a trust upon his 2013 death. But the family isn't on a level playing field with the growing list of multi-billionaire owners who now call the NBA their playground.Team ownership for those rivals is merely an expensive toy. For the Buss family, it's the source of their wealth. There's a difference. The offer to Hurley was less than Detroit spent on Monty Williams last year. The Lakers also famously low-balled <a href="https://x.com/ramonashelburne/status/1126309875158437888">another</a> top coaching target five years ago.Beyond the financials, the Lakers job comes with an awkward uncertainty. LeBron James can opt for free agency this summer, and even if James decides to ride it out with the Lakers, he can't play forever (despite what his greatness might fool us into believing). While the team remains hostage to the King's whims, the end for James in Los Angeles is coming sooner than later, at which point the Lakers will be turned over to Anthony Davis. That transition alone brings a certain uneasiness. Though he did play a career-high 76 games this season, Davis is an injury-prone 31-year-old who's never been the best player on a contending team.Meanwhile, general manager Rob Pelinka's list of hits is shorter than his misses when it comes to optimizing rosters around L.A.'s stars. He's also looking for his fourth head coach in seven years, a run that included the Lakers firing Frank Vogel two years after Vogel led the franchise to its 17th championship.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/527228/cropped_GettyImages-1228832678.jpg?ts=1718139759" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/527228/w220xh124_GettyImages-1228832678.jpg?ts=1718139759 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/527228/w320xh180_GettyImages-1228832678.jpg?ts=1718139759 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/527228/w640xh360_GettyImages-1228832678.jpg?ts=1718139759 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/527228/w768xh432_GettyImages-1228832678.jpg?ts=1718139759 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/527228/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1228832678.jpg?ts=1718139759 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Andrew D. Bernstein / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The glitz and glamor of L.A. and the team's gilded history will always give the Lakers a leg up in attracting star talent. It's why James wanted to wear purple and gold for the home stretch of his career, why Davis followed him there, and why they're an underrated threat to trade for an All-Star <a href="https://youtu.be/pu-VpTaRy1M?si=JinUQFONRliNNZih">this summer</a>. Hurley's smart enough to understand all that, yet he's back in Storrs prepping for another season in the Big East rather than enjoying Santa Monica or Venice Beach. That speaks volumes.It's all very reminiscent of Mike Krzyzewski turning the Lakers down to remain at Duke in 2004. Back then, L.A. was coming off of four NBA Finals appearances in five years, but the team was on the verge of trading Shaquille O'Neal to embark on a Kobe Bryant-led era that wouldn't produce a playoff series victory for another four years.Like Coach K then, Hurley can see the writing on the wall. It doesn't appear he liked what he saw, no matter how many generic <a href="https://x.com/LakersEmpire/status/1799944906674450752">compliments</a> he paid the Lakers.Can you blame him?<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's senior content producer.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/27558539/related

Why Lakers weren't right fit for Hurley

<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/how-boston-dominated-game-1-of-the-finals/id1369218588?i=1000658198817"></iframe></figure>Welcome to the latest edition of "Pound the Rock," an NBA podcast hosted by Joseph Casciaro and Joe Wolfond.Find the show on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/pound-the-rock/id1369218588">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/poundtherock">Soundcloud</a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3w7IKqqxVzKJZIEImWg3k3">Spotify</a>.In this episode, we unpack the Celtics' 107-89 win over the Mavericks in Game 1 of the Finals. Topics include:<ul>
<li>The monster two-way impact of Kristaps Porzingis</li>
<li>Boston's cross-matching, and the challenges of using Derrick Jones Jr. as a ball-screener</li>
<li>The Celtics' flawlessly executed game plan at both ends</li>
<li>How Jaylen Brown and Co. went mismatch hunting and picked on Luka Doncic's defense</li>
<li>How Boston's switching defense held Dallas to only nine assists and three corner 3-point attempts</li>
<li>Can Doncic and Kyrie Irving force the Celtics to adjust?</li>
<li>The impact of Irving's struggles in a matchup that hinges on iso scoring</li>
<li>How Boston used the dunker spot and responded to the Mavs' one-man zone</li>
<li>The Celtics' perfect shooting night at the rim</li>
<li>Jayson Tatum stirring the drink</li>
<li>Boston's massive bench advantage</li>
</ul>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/27511212/related

NBA Podcast: How the Celtics dominated Game 1 of the Finals 

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/joseph-casciaro/content_cards

Joseph Casciaro

Senior NBA Writer

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/joe-wolfond/content_cards