Tyreek Hill is an end-all.

He was in Week 12.  Kansas City’s 27-24 win over Tampa Bay was a game where the score didn’t tell the story at all.  The Chiefs’ blazing-fast wide receiver cooked Carlton Davis and the Buccaneers’ secondary.  Kansas City led 17-0 after the first quarter, and Hill had 200 yards by that point.  Despite Tampa Bay’s late rally, the Chiefs and Hill gave the Bucs no chance from the very beginning. Hill started and ended the game in an instant.

Tampa Bay gets a second crack at containing Hill on Sunday in Super Bowl 55.  Stopping him is not a possibility.  It just doesn’t happen.  You can only hope to contain him, make him work and make things harder on him.  Once you do that, you just say your prayers from that point on.

The biggest reason for Hill’s show-stopping performance in Week 12 was his ability to score, not necessarily his ability to get open and run.  As mentioned, you’re just not stopping that aspect of his game.

What Tampa Bay can stop though is Hill’s ability to break free and score.  Keeping a safety high and their fastest cornerback on Hill is the best allocation of resources that Bucs’ defensive coordinator Todd Bowles can deploy against him.  As silly as it sounds, letting Patrick Mahomes or literally anyone else on Kansas City’s offense beat them is the best way to go about business for Tampa Bay on Sunday.  A re-creation of Week 12 puts the game away almost immediately.

The thought of letting someone like Travis Kelce not be a priority is scary, but Devin White and the Bucs’ linebacker bunch is extremely skilled in coverage.  White should be matched up man-to-man with Kelce, and that battle is going to be more contested than we may think.  White is elite and can have help from a second safety or linebacker if needed.

Negating the presence of Kelce puts a lot of pressure on Hill to perform like he did in Week 12.  Of course, that is entirely possible – Hill’s inevitability and pure dominance are capable of taking over any defense in any game.  But it’d be quite embarrassing for Tampa Bay to go out like that, and essentially get shredded by the same player twice on the premise of them just not being able to stop him.

Letting Mahomes and others beat you sounds like a recipe for disaster.  But the Bucs have ways of controlling what he and the Chiefs do.  Kansas City is down both starting tackles for this Super Bowl after Eric Fisher tore his Achilles in the AFC Championship Game.  Being weak on the ends is not ideal against Tampa Bay’s pass rush, which is ferocious inside and out.  Pressuring and getting to Mahomes – who has no shortage of in-game ding-ups and trips to the medical tent in his career – is key for the Bucs, not only in hopes of potentially knicking Mahomes up (who was bothered by a toe injury in addition to the head/neck injury suffered against the Browns) but in order to force the quickest throws possible.

Those balls might be going to the likes of Mecole Hardman if the Bucs execute defensively, who is still ridiculously fast like Hill.  But the former Georgia wide receiver has been best used in gimmick, one-trick pony type plays rather than in a featured role throughout his short career thus far.  If the Bucs clamp Hill and Kelce and get pressure on Mahomes, it’s on Hardman to step up and have a Hill-like game off of dump-offs and quick throws.  That seems like a big ask.

Pressure is key for Tampa Bay on Sunday.  The same argument can be made for the Chiefs.

Kansas City has some balancing to do on the defensive end in this game.  On one hand, the age-old philosophy that beats Tom Brady is getting pressure on him, specifically with four or fewer defensive linemen.  The Chiefs can bring more, but they then risk Brady picking them apart effortlessly.  It’s an older Brady though, who may not pick apart a defense like he used to.  Bringing five might not be the death sentence it has been in the past.

The more concerning aspect of bringing pressure is that it opens up the run for the Bucs.  Tampa Bay’s rushing attack isn’t something to necessarily be afraid of, but it can be potent when firing on all cylinders.

The best way – conventionally – to beat the Chiefs is to play defense with your offense.  That doesn’t mean scoring as much as they do, but running the ball and eating as much clock as possible to limit their scoring chances.  Even with their matchup advantages, the Chiefs are still a handful for Tampa Bay’s defense.  The Bucs’ offense has to do its part in helping out the other side.  Running the ball does that most effectively.

But all of this strategy is complacent with the Bucs’ offense actually showing up.  That’s been a bit of a struggle for them throughout the season.  Blame it on the installation of a new quarterback and new system all you want, but these things should have been figured out by the time Tampa Bay’s first playoff game against Washington took place.  In that contest, the Bucs’ offense stalled, and Washington legitimately had a chance to win at the end.  The next week, Tampa Bay redeemed itself – and did so again against Green Bay.  But the inconsistency is concerning, and an offense can’t just not show up against Kansas City.  

Hill’s Week 12 performance still looms extremely large.  What is so different this time around for the Bucs?  Why would Hill not go off again?  Is Davis just permanently moved off of him?

A lockdown of Kelce does not win this game for Tampa Bay.  Hill needs to kept in check, and the pressure has to be on Mahomes.  Both things on top of the objective of Kelce has to happen for the Bucs Sunday.

In addition, their offense has to show up.  That could be the toughest bet of them all.  

Hill is inevitable.  Tampa Bay’s scheming on Hill Week 12 wasn’t the outcome of bad coaching or stupidity.  They were simply out-executed and outran.  

It’s hard to expect things to be much different Sunday, even with a safety looming over the top.  Hill and the Chiefs might just have Tampa Bay’s number.  If that holds true, Brady has a lot of work to do.  It might be the Super Bowl – where the GOAT typically shows up – but there’s a chance we leave Sunday realizing it just wasn’t the Bucs’ year – yet.

Prediction: Chiefs-34 Bucanneers-23

It’s rare when NFL teams admit defeat.

Front offices usually hold onto players they were wrong about too long.  They’re unwilling to concede to the owner or the fans they that messed up – perhaps big time.  They know it can cost them their job.  They know it will at least put them on thin ice.

The Los Angeles Rams didn’t necessarily hold onto quarterback Jared Goff too long.  Sure, the warning signs of his limited ceiling were there during the 2019-20 season, but the team’s overall regression was in full force.  Running back Todd Gurley – arguably the focal point of the Rams system – fell off a cliff.  Sean McVay seemed rattled as a play-caller after Bill Belichick pulled down his pants in Super Bowl 53.  Last year was the classic Super Bowl hangover season for the Rams.  At that point in time, Goff’s performance was okay.

This season changed things.  After a good start, Goff regressed once again.  The Rams were good enough to make up for his deficiencies, but ultimately the former No. 1 overall pick was the cog holding LA back from being great, not just good.

In response – in a move that’s so rarely made by front offices across sports – the Rams not only eliminated their problem but went all in to solve it.  

The acquisition of Matthew Stafford from the Lions in exchange for Goff, two first-round picks and a third-round pick elevates the Rams from that dreaded “good” description to the desired “great.”  No longer does Los Angeles have a quarterback who’s scared to throw the ball deep, will miss wide receivers and turn the ball over.  They have a gunslinger who – with good coaching and good weapons – which the Rams have – can perform at a level that breaches the NFL’s best.  Stafford is the quarterback we’ve lusted to see McVay have, and now he has him.

The price was steep – perhaps ridiculously so.  But it’s likely that it was LA’s fault it was so high – Detroit’s swallowing of Goff’s contract and shakiness on the field drove Stafford’s price up.  If the Lions moved Stafford elsewhere, perhaps their return would have been much lower.

The picks are stunning, especially considering that the two firsts were practically the only ones Los Angeles had left.  But the Rams go from a team that was middling and a QB away to a Super Bowl contender now.  That tradeoff – and likely upgrade – is almost invaluable.  If things don’t work out now, there’s almost nothing left to try.

The Rams’ side of the Stafford deal sets precedent for Houston and Deshaun Watson.  Have a QB that is as good or worse than Goff?  Great, that will be four first-round picks and other stuff for Watson, please and thank you.

Sure, not every QB has the contract Goff does, but not every QB can – even with significant coaching and weapons on top of an elite defense – get to the Super Bowl.

The point is that there’s worse than Goff on the market.  The teams in that situation should and will unequivocally be in on Watson, but to land him they will have to give up literally everything.  Those teams are as follows:

• Carolina
• San Francisco
• Washington
• New York Giants
• New England
• Pittsburgh (if Ben Roethlisberger returns)
• Minnesota
• Detroit (hold this thought)
• New Orleans (if Drew Brees returns)
• Atlanta
• Denver
• Indianapolis
• Las Vegas 

The seven teams that shouldn’t be pursuing Watson in addition to Chicago, Dallas and Philidelphia are left out of this exercise as well.  

The Eagles are left out due to the fact that it’d cost them at least double on the cap to go get Watson, thanks to Carson Wentz’s trade kicker or his cap hit if he were to serve as Watson’s backup.

If the teams above want Watson, their current quarterback and double what the Lions got in picks for Stafford will likely be the starting point for conversations with Houston.  For the teams not listed, the return is probably similar to Stafford or less, depending on who the other quarterback is in the deal (For example, Arizona including Kyler Murray in a Watson deal is worth more than Miami throwing in Tua Tagovailoa).  Watson nets fewer picks than Stafford if a team like Cincinnati decides to move Joe Burrow for him (which is obviously unlikely, but probably needs to be a conversation for both).

The bottom line is this: if you’re one of the teams listed above, the Stafford trade was a kick in the balls in your attempt to make Watson your starting QB.  If Stafford nets what he did, then Watson brings back what could amount to the largest trade package in NFL history.  There’s a good chance he’s worth it, but that is some risky business.

A couple last notes on the potential Watson suitors above.  1) How funny would it be if Detroit leveraged Goff and the picks they received for Stafford on top of likely two more firsts and some other stuff to land Watson?  Detroit might be a sneaky suitor here if they want to be.  With their extra capital, they’re giving up much less than every team would in a Watson.  They’re working with a surplus.  2) New Orleans and Pittsburgh fall right into the Dallas/Chicago conversation if their respective QBs retire.  The Steelers absent Big Ben don’t have a QB nor pick that lands a QB that they can offer back to the Texans for Watson.  Houston should not be interested in either Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston to lead a reboot at the position post Watson in a theoretical deal with New Orleans.  And if either Brees or Roethlisberger are flipped for Watson, both Pittsburgh and New Orleans would be giving up hauls with unimaginable amounts of draft capital thanks to both players’ age and lack of production.

Detroit’s side of this trade is conflicting.  On one end, the haul they reigned in for Stafford was stunning – two firsts and a third for a quarterback that’s not elite and needs significant help is great work.  The picks allow them to be more aggressive in trying to move up for a quarterback in this year’s draft or next’s if they want to.  It can also enable them to pursue Watson if they choose.  Or – and this is the most likely outcome – allows Detroit to draft more good players, unlike they’ve done in the past.

But the Goff side of things is puzzling.  The picks are hard to turn down, but Goff’s contract is one of those that is not easily navigable.  Detroit can’t get out of it for free for two seasons.  After next year, it’s a $15 million dead cap hit to release him.  

The Lions are a teardown.  Evaluating Goff for next season makes sense, just to make sure he’s not salvageable.  But beyond that it’s a tough sell, assuming he’s not the guy for Detroit.  At that point, the Lions need to find their future signal-caller instead of treading water with Goff.  That’s tough though with Goff’s contract situation – moving on is not easy or cheap.

Detroit attaches themselves to Goff with this deal for a little longer than we’d like them to.  At the same time, evaluating Goff next season then cutting him for $15 million wouldn’t exactly hurt the Lions.  If they’re in the market for a quarterback next offseason, they’re not likely to be competitive or wanting to maintain cap room – meaning that Goff’s dead cap isn’t something they should qualm about accepting if it’s just a one-year payment.

It’s more about what else could have been out there for the Lions.  Again, the Rams’ picks were tough to turn down.  But why was Goff the QB Detroit had to receive back in the deal?  Was Denver not willing to move Drew Lock?  Was Jacob Eason in Indianapolis not appealing?  Even Taylor Heinicke from Washington?  Neither of those QBs might be great, but they’re at least young and cheap, and make more sense than Goff does for the Lions.

Regardless, this is about the picks for Detroit.  And why wouldn’t it be?  Two firsts and a third is an almost undeniable offer and certainly makes up for the presence of Goff, whether we like it or not.

Here are some thoughts on the NFC and AFC Championship Games along with a look at the market for Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Buccaneers-31 Packers-26

• The effect of turnovers on a single game are talked about ad nauseam.  But no contest greater magnified their importance than Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.
• From the start, Green Bay was overmatched.  Tampa Bay was a team of sputtering yet scary offense all season that at its worst featured a fearsome defense.  On one side of the ball, teams knew what they were getting with the Buccaneers throughout the year.
• The Packers struggled against Tampa Bay’s defense.  Its offense had no chance against Tampa Bay’s front, resulting in discombobulation. The Bucs and Tom Brady were having a good day, cooking Green Bay’s defense, thanks to beautiful balls from Brady to a host of receivers (in addition to a terrible blown coverage right before halftime which resulted Scotty Miller’s touchdown catch).  The Packers offense was left with no room for error, which it certainly encountered and resulted in them being down 21-10 at the half.
• The break didn’t bring good fortune right away.  Desperately needing a score, Green Bay fumbled three plays into its first drive of the second half.  The Bucs scored immediately after, seemingly putting the game away by virtue of a three possession lead.
• But Tampa Bay kicked off its own turnover party after Green Bay’s miscues allowed them to build the lead.  Brady threw three picks – all of which had some of his fault embedded in them.  The first was a deep shot to Mike Evans that was lofted a bit too high, allowing Packers safety Adrian Amos to fly over and intercept the pass on what was truly a great play by the former Bear.   The second was a high ball intended for Evans, who probably could have caught it given that his fingers made contact, but Brady’s placement was a little too high even for the 6-foot-5-inch receiver to snag it.  
• The third pick was a pure duck as Brady attempted to escape pressure. Green Bay didn’t recoup points from that pick, and only went 1/3 with points off of each possession change.  Blame whatever occurred later in the game for the Packers’ loss if you want, but the inability to cash in on two golden opportunities looms large as well.
• Green Bay had a chance to redeem itself for the missed chances.  Down eight with 2:05 left, the Packers opted to kick a field goal on the eight yard line on fourth down as opposed to going for it.  An egregious decision, Matt LaFleur essentially called the game away there.  
• Skeptics will tell you that points is better than no points.  That’s fine, and sometimes true, but only to a certain extent.  If the Packers were able to stop Tampa Bay on the ensuing drive, they’d still need to a score a touchdown in order to take the lead – which is the same thing they would have attempted to do on 4th and goal while leaving more time on the clock for a last-second heave if they didn’t convert on the 4th down and forced Tampa Bay to a three-and-out.
• A touchdown on 4th and goal likely would have led to a two-point conversion attempt, which if converted, obviously ties the game, but if not, allows a field goal to take the lead if the Packers defense made a stop after the change of possession.
• Going for it just makes things easier.  It’s a move that has a higher ceiling when it comes to the objective of winning the game, while causing zero harm if not successful.  In addition, you’re backing up the Buccaneers offense deep in their own territory.  Their backs are against the wall, and while unlikely, the odds of a safety increase.
• The Packers didn’t even play it safe by kicking.  They played it stupidly.  
• You would have thought, after watching two teams go home from these playoffs as a result of the same dumb play-calling, that the Packers would have learned.  But they didn’t, and now Aaron Rodgers is mad.
• Green Bay fans can be upset all they want about the pass interference call on Kevin King with 1:46 left that sealed the game for Tampa Bay, which, yes, was an outlier call given how the referees officiated the contest and, yes, was probably awarded partially due to a magnificent flopping job by rookie wide receiver Tyler Johnson who, yes, was not affected at all by King’s jersey grab.  But it’s in the rules – you can’t tug on someone’s jersey to defend them, and had the Packers just decided to go for it on 4th and goal, we likely wouldn’t be arguing about this at all.
• Green Bay might have gotten screwed over (Hint: not really), but they could have avoided it.  Instead, they enter an offseason that might have more drama and turmoil than they could have ever imagined.

Chiefs-38 Bills-24 

• The Chiefs being down two possessions is like any other team being down eight points.
• Coming back from down eight is a harder task than doing the same against seven or fewer points thanks to the variability of the two-point conversion, but neither of those compare to thee challenge two possessions is for most teams.
• Buffalo’s 9-0 lead felt insecure in the moment.  The immediate shock value of Kansas City’s sudden deficit was surmised by almost a comforting feeling: that this was the Chiefs, and that almost no lead on them ever matters.
• The Bills’ lead was also not a byproduct of their own doing.  A long field goal gave them the first three points, while a horrible fumble by Mecole Hardman on a punt return set Buffalo up at the three yard line soon after, where the Bills scored immediately and missed the extra point.  It all happened fast – which typically isn’t the formula best suited to beat the Chiefs.
• In an instant, Kansas City led.  Nine-to-zero Bills was soon 21-9 Chiefs, thanks to Tyreek Hill and Kansas City’s blazing offensive speed once again torching another defense.  As defensive backs chased around Hill and Hardman, Kelce sat wide open in the middle of the field and cleaned up as usual.  
• You just don’t defend the Chiefs.  It’s a pick-your-poison offense that is likely going to beat you one way or the other.  Buffalo needed its offense to show up Sunday to have a chance, and instead Josh Allen turned in a performance that looked like it was off of his rookie tape.
• Averaging just six yards per attempt, Allen completed just 28/48 passes.  He missed receivers, threw dangerous balls and made dumb decisions while scrambling.  His 88 yards rushing led the team by a wide margin, and Cole Beasley’s own 88 receiving was the most on the Bills as well in that respective category.  Kansas City’s defense surprisingly got immense pressure, which seemed to throw Allen off the scent just enough.  It was the worst game Allen has played since he made the leap forward, which dates back to before last season.
• The Bills attempted to make a rally late, but became the latest team (Four of them in two weeks time!) to waive the white flag and get sent home by not going for it on 4th down or not attempting a two-point conversion.  Down 12 midway through the third quarter, Buffalo decided to kick on 4th and 3 on the Chiefs’ eight yard-line instead of attempting to gain three yards.  The good field goal was a purely lateral move – the Bills then watched Kansas City take a 31-15 lead on the ensuing drive, which had the possibility of being a 31-20 lead had the Bills been aggressive.  An 11 or even 12 (if they didn’t go for two – which would have been decently acceptable) point deficit only requires one two-point attempt, not two to tie or take the lead.  If the Bills were in the business of making things easier on themselves and not relying so heavily on one play must-haves, going for it early would have been the right move.
• No matter what the Bills did on the end of that possession, them winning was still unlikely.  Kansas City – unsurprisingly – was the better team, and looked purely unstoppable almost the entire game.  If Allen had showed up, perhaps a duel would have ensued, but offense – most notably the type Buffalo doesn’t play (run-heavy, clock eating-schemes) – is what it takes to put the Chiefs away.  The Bills couldn’t do that, and there’s a good chance the last team standing in football aside from Kansas City won’t either.

On Matthew Stafford’s impending trade…

The Matthew Stafford market is much different than the one that exists for Deshaun Watson.

As written about last week, Watson is the type of player that almost every team in the league has to consider acquiring.  He’s an elite, top ten QB in the league, which is invaluable at the age of 25.

We’ve also seen the bare minimum of what he is capable of.  The Texans have wasted most of his young years so far, and the Clemson product has still shone and at times been an MVP candidate.  Imagine what he’s capable of literally anywhere else.

Stafford is not Watson.  His numbers and his ability (or lack thereof) to affect winning are indicative of that.  Detroit hasn’t treated Stafford much better than Houston has Watson over the course of his career, but the former No. 1 overall pick hasn’t came through like Watson has.  In four seasons as Houston’s quarterback, Watson has taken the Texans to the playoffs twice.  Stafford has done the same with the Lions just once more, and that’s with a six-year head start.

The bottom line: most of the teams in on Watson should be much different from those in on Stafford.

The Cardinals, for example, are not trading Kyler Murray for Stafford unless Detroit sends multiple attractive draft picks back in a deal (There’s almost no deal that makes that worth it for Arizona).  Arizona dealing Murray and some other stuff (hint: it wouldn’t be much else) for Watson, however, might make sense.

The teams that can use Stafford likely miss out on Watson.  But that doesn’t mean everyone can use Stafford.

The gunslinger needs foundation, coaching and weapons.  That’s been made clear after what we’ve seen in Detroit.  These need to be teams that have contending-level rosters and solid skill position players in place in order for Stafford to succeed.

Who are those teams?  Well, New Orleans has one of the best rosters in football whether Drew Brees retires or not.  If he has played his last down, the Saints would make perfect sense.  The same goes for Pittsburgh, whose quarterback (Like New Orleans) might have been the biggest thing holding them back this year.  The 49ers would make a ton of sense, as San Francisco is a year off from making the Super Bowl and has underrated offensive weapons.  Indianapolis was clearly attempting to go as far as they could this season with Phillip Rivers, though that team may not be good enough to elevate Stafford and might be better off going in a younger direction at QB.  Chicago could use anything they could get right now at QB, and there’s some sneaky talent on both sides of the ball there (On the sidelines and in the front office however, not so much!).  The Rams swapping out Jared Goff for Stafford would be mighty intriguing, and Denver throwing him into that loaded offense could light up the league.

But that’s about it for Stafford.  Every other team is better off going all in for Watson or staying put where they are.  It’s a limited market for the Lions, and in a low leverage situation, a potentially concerning, sell-low move awaits.

Here are some notes from Sunday’s Divisional Round games followed by a primer on what could be an offseason trade of Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson.

Chiefs-22 Browns-17

• Who gets the blame here?  Patrick Mahomes’ greatness or the Browns?
• Mahomes and the Chiefs came out of the gate ablaze.  Kansas City was up 19-3 at halftime, which should have been 23-3 thanks to a missed extra point and field goal by the usually ultra-reliable Harrison Butker.  Butker’s missed kicks – most notably the extra point – were perhaps the only thing keeping Cleveland in the game.  A single point before half would have put Kansas City up three possessions in a contest where Cleveland struggled to comeback from down two.
• The Browns defense – which was arguably the team’s downfall at the end of the day – had no chance against the speed of Kansas City’s offense.  Dump-offs to Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman gained big yardage.  Travis Kelce was a sieve as usual over the middle.  Mahomes got nifty, rushing for a touchdown and getting first downs with his (at times hurting) legs.  
• It didn’t last forever.  Mahomes – as if he wasn’t hurting enough with a supposed toe injury – was concussed midway through the third quarter after Cleveland put together its best drive of the game to make it 19-10.  Prior to that, Kansas City squandered an opportunity to once again to extend its lead to three possessions after Baker Mayfield threw a horrible pick, only for Butker’s missed field goal to follow up the forced turnover.  Chad Henne salvaged the drive Mahomes left, but the Chiefs didn’t score again.
• Once Henne entered, the game not only felt within reach for the Browns, but inevitable.  The momentum had flipped, and Mahomes to Henne represented perhaps the biggest talent drop-off in the league.  It felt like the Browns should win.
• They came damn close.  A score on the backs of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt cut the Chiefs’ lead to five.  Henne’s attempt to put the game away on the ensuing drive resulted in a horrendous interception – allowing Cleveland right back in it.  
• The drive came up short.  To the dismay of many, Cleveland punted on 4th and 9 down five with 4:19 left on its own 32.  The Browns’ single timeout remaining caused most of this commotion – they had no way to stop Kansas City’s rushing attack more than once minus the two-minute warning.
• Both sides had a good case.  Going for it and not securing the first down puts pressure on Henne to ice the game, or Butker to make a big kick on a bad day.  A Butker make keeps it a one-score game – whereas a miss would be the best case scenario.
• Henne’s ability to go 32 yards for a score seemed feeble – though that was certainly proved wrong after the punt.  
• At the same time, nine yards is a long way.  Mayfield was horrible Sunday, and you’re not running the ball in that situation.  Despite the timeout disadvantage, four minutes is much longer than two.  
• With the way Cleveland’s offense played Sunday, it’s hard to say that had it hadn’t punted, it would have won the game.
• The Browns probably weren’t expecting Henne to turn into a mix of Mahomes and Kyler Murray once they punted, nor were they thinking that a 3rd and 14 for the Chiefs wouldn’t result in them receiving one final chance.
• Whether it was bad defense or a fluke, the Chiefs back-to-back plays on 3rd and 14 and 4th and 1 were something out of a Madden game.  Henne’s run was one of the most improbable postseason plays ever, while the 4th and 1 call had the widest range of outcomes out of any play in the game (An incredible statement to make considering the Browns’ fumbling of a touchdown out of the back of the end zone for a touchdown earlier).
• The play-call was perfect.  Despite Mahomes’ absence, the Chiefs went back to what burned Cleveland in the first half: speed.  A simple, shallow crosser to Hill sealed it, and the Browns never touched the ball again.
• Cleveland leaves this game perhaps clueless.  They never had a chance against Mahomes, and let Henne do things a backup quarterback should never dream of doing.  That would signify that the defense is at fault, but Mayfield’s performance is hard to ignore, and when Mahomes is playing at that level, it begs the question as to whether Mayfield can ever even put up a fight.

Buccaneers-30 Saints-20

• This was the most hotly contested bad game in awhile.
• Neither offense or quarterback played well, even though both sides combined for 50 points.  No one dominated, as the score was tied at halftime and a brutal Drew Brees interception secured the two possession lead and victory for Tampa Bay.
• Alvin Kamara was New Orleans’ saving grace.  Aside from Brees’ beautiful touchdown pass to Tre’Quan Smith, the QB’s likely swan-song game was a struggle, and the Bucs’ defense magnified it by keeping all their defenders up near the line of scrimmage.  That made gaining yards solely Kamara’s job.
• It was an okay performance.  Kamara finished with 85 yards on 18 carries, but Saints turnovers doomed what should have been a lieu of successful drives.  New Orleans punted just twice Sunday, but an early interception thrown by Brees doomed one of its empty drives in the first half, which enabled Tampa Bay to take a 10-6 lead.
• Brees and Saints couldn’t get out of their own way later in the game.  A fumble by Jared Cook allowed Tampa Bay to tie the game at 20 with 4:41 left in the third quarter.  New Orleans got nothing in response, picking the worst possible time to punt the ball back to the Bucs.  A score there would have provided a buffer for what was about to come.
• After the Bucs took a 23-20 lead, New Orleans met their destiny for the day.  On a play that seemed to be more of a miscommunication than Brees’ fault, Kamara ran a go route from the backfield that was intended to be a hitch.  Brees threw it right to Devin White – who was in perfect position thanks to Tampa Bay’s second half adjustment of playing its linebackers up – as Kamara ran straight downfield, not turning his head, and sealed the game for the Bucs as they scored four plays later.
• The Saints were able overcome Brees’ deficiencies all year.  A fantastic defense and Kamara’s brilliance allowed for that.  But a meltdown was coming, and that came Sunday. A gimmick with Jameis Winston throwing the ball 40 yards downfield was the Saints’ best play of the day, and Brees’ turnovers were the single difference between him and Brady.  The challenges faced by New Orleans were small, but in the end were still too much.

On the escalating Deshaun Watson situation….

It seems increasing likely that a Deshaun Watson trade will occur at some point this offseason.  To prepare for what could be the largest, most important trade in NFL history, here’s a primer which will serve as part one to a future column that breaks down potential destinations for the star quarterback.

The Texans certainly should not trade Watson.  He’s one of the game’s elite signal-callers, and still has the “young” adjective attached to his name.  Those players don’t just become available.

It doesn’t seem like Houston will accommodate him, though.  Reports have suggested that Watson wants a combination of his choosing of the team’s next head coach, executive Jack Easterby fired (Not a bad idea) and owner Cal NcNair to relinquish control (Also not a bad idea).  The stories about Easterby are damning and are a perfect illustration of how sour things can get when those unqualified are in charge.  Firing him shouldn’t be hard, but McNair’s supposed religious bond with the former Patriots staffer seems to be what’s keeping him around.  McNair, obviously, won’t sell – and why would he?  He’s making money whether his team is a dumpster fire or not.

That reasoning is why the Texans likely lose Watson this offseason.  McNair – as no owner would – isn’t selling the team for a single player to be happy.  He personally gains nothing from that.

Easterby’s departure and the hiring of, perhaps, Eric Bieniemy would be positives for the Texans – and should result in Watson actually giving them a chance.  But neither of those things seem likely to occur, and we’re here as a result.

Watson is the type of player and talent that requires every front office to sit down and have a meeting about whether it makes sense for their respective team.  He’s too good, and quarterback is too important.

However, there are seven teams that shouldn’t be in this discussion:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Finding the succession plan for Tom Brady would make sense.  But the Bucs aren’t flipping Brady based on how invested they are in him, and you’re not keeping Watson and Brady on your roster at the same time.

• Seattle Seahawks

We saw what Russell Wilson is capable of early in the season.  Seattle needs to hone in on what enabled that run of success, sure up its offensive line and add a play-maker on offense.  If they did want to get involved, their offer might trump everyone else’s.

• Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers’ MVP season makes his age become a non-factor.  Plus, the Packers already have his successor in Jordan Love.  It’s likely both players would have to be moved to Houston for a deal to work.

• Buffalo Bills

If the Watson situation blew up before this season, then perhaps there’d be a conversation had here.  Josh Allen’s MVP-caliber season makes the AFC Championship-bound Bills non-participants in trade talks, though. 

• Kansas City Chiefs

Duh.

• Los Angeles Chargers

It’s truly incredible that Los Angeles is on this list, but Justin Herbert established himself as the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year this season and is three years younger than Watson.  If the Chargers were to jump in, their immediate offer is better than almost everyone else’s.

• Jacksonville Jaguars

Potentially the most controversial team on this list, the thinking here for the Jaguars is complicated.  This is no easy decision.

Jacksonville has the simplest trade package in the league.  It’d be April’s No. 1 overall pick for Watson straight up.  That would be the whole deal.  Trevor Lawrence is that good, and breaks the barrier of sure-thing/knowing what you get (Watson) versus potential and the unknown (To some people, Lawrence).  

But prospects who are this highly-touted and this good just don’t fail.  Lawrence is on the Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Joe Burrow level of players – neither of those guys failed, or have so far.  

Those are generational players.  Lawrence deserves that description, and he’s going to live up to it too.  As good as Watson is – a (at least) top 10 QB and MVP candidate this past season – he’s never had the “generational” label, and never will.

You can’t pass up generational, and therefore, Jacksonville needs to stay out of it.

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With these teams out of the mix, what’s left for the remaining teams in the sweepstakes to offer is one the following: a serviceable quarterback or a draft pick than ensures Houston either Trevor Lawrence (not happening) or Justin Fields in April’s draft (There’s a hint at how the Hub’s QB big board is shaking out), plus other players and/or picks. 

Houston can’t come out of this trade and head into next season with (checks notes) AJ McCarron or Josh McCown as its quarterback.  There has to be some direction at the position, whether it’s building toward the future with a rookie or attempting to win now with whatever (likely underwhelming) pieces.  In essence, any trade Houston makes that involves Watson must have a quarterback in the return.

A serviceable QB doesn’t have to mean a necessarily good one.  By using that term, we’re basically ruling out these QBs coming back to Houston in a deal: Gardner Minshew, Mitchell Trubisky, Nick Foles, Taylor Heinicke, Nick Mullens and Andy Dalton.  It’s viable to see the Texans talking themselves into everyone else, and some deals might actually make sense (That is, given Watson refuses to play).

With that in mind, the Bears and Cowboys are likely out (Fields falling to Dallas would be insane), as they lack a pick that truly secures Houston Lawrence or Fields and don’t have a QB they could offer in a trade back (Dak Prescott is a free agent).

That leaves 21 teams who should be in on Watson.  Let the bidding commence.

When all cylinders were firing for every team involved in this new, ugly NBA season, arguably no team looked and played better than the Brooklyn Nets.

Kevin Durant was back – and not just playing basketball – but playing basketball the way he used to play it, showing no signs that his Achilles tear in the 2019 NBA Finals was going to slow him down.  Kyrie Irving was a sorcerer, scoring in his usual variety of ways while making defenses pay for focusing too much attention toward Durant.  

Caris LeVert was playing perhaps the best basketball of his career.  He’d tied his career-high field goal percentage while handling an uptick in usage and raising his assist total from last season by 1.6 a game.  He had limited his turnovers while handling the ball at a greater clip thanks a new, exciting role as a sixth man.

All of that action on the Nets court left Joe Harris completely wide open, where he’s cashed in threes at a 51.7% mark this season on 5.7 attempts per game.  His number of shots could double and the same percent of them would likely go in.

The Nets – even at just 6-6 and seventh in the Eastern Conference – were killing it. They ranked fourth in offensive rating and 12th defensively – the latter more impressive as Brooklyn has been without its two stars for a majority of the season and has the character of a team that’d mail in on that side of the ball.  They also lost Spencer Dinwiddie for the year – a key rotation player whose minutes and production fell into the laps of a struggling Landry Shamet and an inexperienced Bruce Brown.  Plus, a first-time head coach in Steve Nash was charged with navigating all of this.

Now, the sailing through potentially tough times with little expectations turns into the opposite of that.  The Nets now have James Harden instead of Caris LeVert, and thing are great.  But the pressure is on.

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The package it took for Brooklyn to land Harden is massive and unprecedented.  For the third time in two years, we’ve seen the biggest draft pick package in NBA history moved along for a superstar (Anthony Davis, Paul George/Kawhi Leonard, and now Harden).  Houston’s control of Brooklyn’s next eight picks represents the exact type of deal the Rockets wanted in exchange for its former MVP’s services, and like the Lakers’ deal for Davis did in 2019, makes up for the lack of a true star or young player coming back from Brooklyn (Houston was able to get that star though, as we’ll address soon).

For the Nets, Harden, those picks, LeVert and Jarrett Allen is all a risk worth taking.  There’s few excuses for them to win the title now.  Harden’s replacement of LeVert gives Brooklyn more reliable shooting, upgrades the its No. 1 ball-handling role and affects winning to a much higher degree (Harden’s not the best player on a championship team despite his definite status as a top 7-8 player in this league, but he doesn’t need to be that on this team).  

Most fascinating about Harden’s move to Brooklyn is whether he or Irving is the point guard.  That doesn’t mean one has to necessarily take a backseat, but these are both players that we’ve haggled with in the past about what their true position is.  Harden’s been paired with multiple point guards in the past, only for those duos to result in failure.  It would be interesting to see what Harden can do solely as a shooting guard, where he’s focused on purely scoring and not running an offense.  Brooklyn offers him the opportunity to return to his Oklahoma City-like role, but then it’s Irving – a less gifted passer and perhaps more selfish player – deciding who gets the ball.

Flip things the other way around and the same problem emerges.  Irving might be better suited just getting his own buckets rather than facilitating them out.  Harden’s fantastic passing skills make him at the 1 work, but his historic usage rates and built-in habits of initiating possessions could lead to a clogging of the Nets offense, and fizzle Durant and Irving completely out of the scheme.

These scenarios are scary.  Perhaps its the result of overthinking though.  Brooklyn now has two of the seven best guys in the league, and three of the top 15 or so, with Irving able to elevate to Harden’s level with a sense of unselfishness.  Those three guys can get any shot they want at any time.  

There’s also a chance Brooklyn doesn’t have all of those three guys, and that the trade for Harden serves as insurance for that.  Irving remains away from the team for personal reasons, with not only us but the Nets uncertain of when his return will be.  That’s concerning – for Irving and for Brooklyn – and might have been the catalyst for the Harden deal.  Durant’s playing at a level high enough to carry Brooklyn without Irving – though Dinwiddie’s absence would have meant a large ball-handling load for the forward coming off Achilles surgery.

Harden serves as a fall-back for that deathly scenario, and pairs Durant with his former OKC teammate to form perhaps the most potent guard-forward combo in the league.  

If Irving’s absence is prolonged, the loss of LeVert may prove larger than expected.  Brooklyn was getting by with its two stars and its sixth man.  In a world without Irving, its down to just two stars and… Jeff Green.

The sending off of Jarrett Allen wasn’t shocking but also shows the true colors of Brooklyn’s intentions.  They’re a star-based team now, and such means appeasing those stars as well.  That means DeAndre Jordan plays, starts and closes, a laughable load considering Allen’s presence on the team prior to Wednesday. At least Brooklyn has eliminated controversy, but Allen’s youth and athleticism is a stark contrast from the low effort and washed look of Jordan.  In addition, only receiving a second round pick from Cleveland in exchange for Allen is majorly selling low.

Brooklyn rid itself of literally all depth it possessed in Wednesday’s deal.  The Rockets also got Rodions Kurucs – who’d get more shine if Harris wasn’t on the Nets and needs more minutes to show off his shooting stroke.  At 22, he’s a rare young player on Houston’s roster that Brooklyn probably could have gotten away with keeping.

The Nets need the trade for Harden to work.  Like, really need for it to work.  Riding on its success is only eight first round picks and two young pieces sent away.  For a team to make a deal like that, it has to be sure, have no second guesses and no questions about whether it was worth it.  

Brooklyn is paying for its team to have a higher ceiling here.  While the roster the Nets have is guaranteed on paper to a win a title, nothing in this league ever is exactly that.  However, with Harden in hand, Brooklyn has more of a guarantee than it did previously.  Issues and questions exist – violating the rules set above – but finding a team more talented and scary throughout basketball is tough.  Nothing was guaranteed with Brooklyn’s prior roster construction, but the same adjectives could have been used on Tuesday – or any day before.

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For as contentious as the situation got and as subordinated as the Rockets were,  their dumping of Harden to the Nets resulted in one of the biggest returns ever for a star player, and gave Houston a rare mix of present and future value that keeps both timelines afloat.

First, Houston landed the star player they coveted in a Harden trade in Indiana’s Victor Oladipo, who while likely not an All-NBA talent, is just outside that range and could elevate to it with health on his side.  They chose Oladipo over LeVert, which is a purely win-now, upside-focused move with Oladipo’s impending free agency.  While it won’t make Houston a contender this year, it at least gives Oladipo a familiarity with the city and team, which could make him more likely to stay next summer.

At that point, Houston could be an intriguing bunch.  John Wall, Oladipo, Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker and Christian Wood certainly isn’t a bad team and would figure to be a solid playoff bunch with proper acquaintance.  Wall’s renaissance this season has been a great story, and Oladipo’s shown his potential in the past.  Wood is a monster, and Houston’s impressive and surprising youth (Jae’Sean Tate, Sterling Brown and Mason Jones) gives them more to work with than previously thought (That’s not accounting for Kurucs and Dante Exum, who’s suitable as a fourth guard).  

If Oladipo doesn’t work out and leaves, Houston takes a swing at raising its stock for this season and potentially next while losing out on LeVert.  As much as we’d like for LeVert to be that guy, he doesn’t have the ceiling Oladipo does.

The picks received from Brooklyn aren’t only incredible in a vacuum, but are massive for a Houston team that owes Oklahoma City at least two first round picks and potentially four depending on whether the Thunder want to swap spots this draft and in 2025.  With this surplus, it gives Houston the flexibility to dump some of them into a trade for another star player someday – whether that be to maximize a roster hampered by Wall’s contract or well into the future.  Either way, Houston now joins only two other teams in the league with a war chest this deep – New Orleans and OKC being the other two.  That’s a rare class, and neither of those teams are currently better than Houston is right now.

After a slow start to the season on the Harden front, things blew up Tuesday night and quickly manifested.  Despite what was a rapid escalation of talks, the Rockets miraculously talked themselves out of a negative leverage situation and set up its present and future in a matter of hours.  Any doubts cast about the new front office in Houston headed by Rafael Stone were eliminated Wednesday, as a toxic situation stunningly turned into one of the league’s best.

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The Indiana Pacers saw an opportunity as the Harden trade developed.

Oladipo has wavered on his commitment to the franchise ever since returning from his quad injury suffered in 2019.  The summer and subsequent Bubble was marred by trade rumors, questions about opting in or out of Orlando and struggles with his play on the court.

Wednesday suggested that Indiana couldn’t trust Oladipo, and understandably so.  With free agency upcoming, the Pacers couldn’t afford to lose him for nothing.  Him bolting had to be their inkling, because a team as good as Indiana is – with as much promise and potential, too – doesn’t trade their potential best player like this without real cause.

But the Pacers did what they had to do, and made out quite well.  While Oladipo might reduce their ceiling thanks to his perimeter shot creation and gamer attitude on both ends, LeVert brings a similar offensive prowess even if it’s a tad less impactful.  The defense isn’t there with him, but a lack of LeVert on the roster leaves Indiana with just Malcolm Brogdon outside the paint to create shots for himself and others.

Contract situation aside, Oladipo could have been a bit expendable thanks to Domantas Sabonis’ emergence as a shot creator for himself.  The nifty passer has thinned out, added explosiveness and gotten to the rim with ease so far this season, giving Indiana another weapon to deploy late in games.  Sabonis’ games just continues to evolve, and the Pacers are reaping the benefits of it.

The questions for LeVert entering Indiana revolve around what’s likely to be another change in role.  He was thriving off the bench as Brooklyn’s sixth man – where he was given freedom to play his way, create and run the show.  The Pacers are an organized team, with a sets revolving around Sabonis and Brogdon handling the ball.  LeVert could emerge as the team’s go-to scorer if they need it, but how far does that ultimately get the Pacers?

LeVert’s likely going to be adjusting once again, which could lead to a decrease in performance.  His high volume scoring will help mitigate the loss of TJ Warren, who figures to be out a “significant portion of the season,” according to ESPN.  When Warren is back, Indiana has significant firepower between him, LeVert, Brogdon and Sabonis.  In the meantime, Aaron Holiday likely slides into the starting lineup, balancing out efficiency issues LeVert may bring to the table.

Indiana sold high on Oladipo, and got out of losing him for nothing. The Pacers operated similarly to Houston, and acquired value out of a low-leveraged position.  A lot of front offices justified themselves Wednesday, but the biggest surprise might be the group below.

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The idea of the Cleveland Cavaliers acquiring yet another big man was silly.

Swamped with Andre Drummond, JaVale McGee, Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., Thon Maker and the unanticipated Dean Wade, the last thing Cleveland needed was another front court presence.

But Jarrett Allen is different.

The Cavaliers had been operating two different timelines with their roster: the youthful backcourt of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland and the aging front-court with seemingly washed up veterans.

It had worked.  Cleveland has been playing way better ball than expected this season, mostly thanks to the tenacious defense of rookie wing Isaac Okoro and the dynamism of Sexton and Garland.  Drummond is also partially responsible, turning himself into player that could find himself on a contender by the trade deadline.  

Still, the ceiling on that squad was low.  Cleveland has routinely played lineups with three or four of the players listed above together, with Nance Jr. playing at the 3 or even the 2.

Now, the Cavaliers have a lineup of the future in place, with Allen’s 22-year-old frame at the center of it.  By the time Love’s contract is up, Drummond is moved and McGee is gone, Cleveland will have a young, solid eight man rotation – with one more wing being the missing piece.

The trade was a no-brainer for the Cavaliers, as Allen was acquired for the price of a second round pick.  Allen’s capable of being the starting center on a Finals contender as a 22-year-old, and Cleveland got him essentially for free.

Here are some thoughts on from Super Wild Card Weekend followed by a look at the head coaching landscape throughout the NFL.

Bills-27 Colts-24

• Blame analytics and Frank Reich’s coaching all you want, but this game ultimately came down to Buffalo’s explosive offense.
• Sure, kicking on fourth-and-goal on the four yard line instead of going for it with 1:52 left in the first half might have provided the Colts with the three points needed to get Saturday’s game to overtime, but Indianapolis also missed a field goal on their first drive of the second half – which represents those same three points – and squandered a gift from the officials on the last drive of the game.
• The Colts two plays immediately after the (unnecessary) review were the dagger.  No rhyme or reason existed for either.  Indianapolis only needed 16 yards for a reasonable kick and neither play was predicated on completing that objective.
• Zach Pascal’s fumble being upheld as “down by contact” had the potential to be one of the worst blown calls in playoff history if Indy capitalized on it.  The refs throughout the game reviewed plays that didn’t needed to be looked at.  If the plays did, then the review went on way too long.  The end of the game only epitomized the issues that plagued it throughout.
• Indy had chances to win even outside of its own mistakes.  The Colts got down two possessions and simply couldn’t close that gap up.  They let Allen run all over them.  Jonathan Taylor had just two good runs.  Phillip Rivers only averaged 6.7 yards per attempt, thanks to a second half which saw downfield passing opportunities close up for the 39-year-old.
• Blame the call on fourth down all you want, but Buffalo was just better.  Overtime gives no promises.  Reich’s decision represented a higher ceiling for Indy in the game.  If they convert, the Colts are up two possessions instead of down two.  That arguably puts the game away, and is a much better guarantee than overtime.

Rams-30 Seahawks-20

• This was what we feared with Seattle.
• The Seahawks looked nearly unstoppable early in the year and suffered a perhaps greater than expected regression after its start, leaving their viability in the playoffs to be one big ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
• There was no way to the trust the offense coming in.  Its turnovers – mostly thanks to the sudden carelessness from Russell Wilson – and the Rams formidable defense made betting on Seattle a risky proposition.
• Our fears were right.  The Rams stifled everything the Seahawks did.  Wilson was downright horrible, going 11/27 for 174 yards.  He was sacked five times without Aaron Donald on the field for over a quarter.  He fell victim to a pick-six, which was more of a great play by Darious Williams than a bad throw, but it ultimately put Seattle down two possessions early after their slow start.  For an offense that’s been as jammed as the Seahawks’ has, a turnover like that was a death sentence.
• It was so important that Seattle couldn’t even fight its way back against an offense partially led by a QB making his second-ever career start and Jared Goff with a broken thumb.  Goff did enough – when he threw he wasn’t holding back.  Cam Akers made up for the Rams’ troubles at QB, gashing Seattle consistently on the ground and eating clock while doing so. But it was the Rams defense that put Seattle in a cage, locked them up and ran away with the game.
• Seattle needs another playmaker on offense.  That – in addition to getting younger up front offensively and keeping its defense healthy – will allow the Seahawks to make their early season form a consistency. 

Buccaneers-31  Washington-23

• Concerns similar to those held about the Seahawks followed Tampa Bay into this game.  Both teams teetered on them, with Seattle falling and the Bucs escaping.
• The inconsistency was on full display.  Tampa Bay couldn’t pull away from Washington the way we expected them to.  The Buccaneers defense let Taylor Heinicke hang around, who wasn’t amazing but beat expectations in his second career start, thanks to incredible poise he displayed while in the pocket.  Tom Brady finished just above the 50 percent mark completing passes.  Tampa couldn’t contain Cam Sims.  It wasn’t exactly a performance that should make us ooze with confidence in them.
• Heinicke is too old for Washington to consider him to be a part of their future, but he should serve as a nicely-paid backup QB for somebody next year.
• A ton of credit should be given to Washington for this game and everything they accomplished this season with Alex Smith coming back and playing quite well.
• Tampa, meanwhile, has a date coming up with New Orleans where they will likely be the underdog, and deservedly so.

Ravens-20 Titans-13

• In what was really two different games, Baltimore proved (for now) that their run to close the regular season was much more about them getting right than a fluke.
• After Tennessee took a 10-0 lead, the Ravens and Lamar Jackson turned into the team and player we saw last season.  Jackson’s legs were an unstoppable force.  The Ravens defense turned Ryan Tannehill into his Miami self.  It also stuffed Derrick Henry in his tracks.
• When you take away Henry from the Titans, it forces their offense into flux.  Tannehill’s improvement over the past two seasons has been incredible,  but there’s still aspects of his game that haven’t and won’t change.  Take away play-action from him – as Baltimore did Sunday – and Tannehill’s still among the average tier of QBs in the league.
• It’s a massive credit to Baltimore overall.  Stopping Henry is no easy task, but the offense’s ability to turn on the jets and execute exactly when needed made the defensive effort mean that much more.
• Tennessee had a chance to take the lead late.  They got into Baltimore territory with about 10 minutes left and hit a 4th and 2 “wall” at the 40 yard line, and punted instead of going for it.
• Ultimately, it was a time wasting move.  The Ravens only scored a field goal on the ensuing drive to make it 20-13, but Tennessee was then left with just one possession to make up the deficit, which ended in an interception that was partially Tannehill’s fault and partially the field’s fault as his intended receiver slipped.  There’s a good chance that without Kalif Raymond falling down, the pass would’ve been picked since it was a bit high.
• Mike Vrabel’s call to punt wasn’t a vote of confidence in his defense – it was one in his offense.  And based on how that group had played in the second half, it couldn’t have been more wrong and misguided.

Saints-21 Bears-9

• This is what Mitch Trubisky in a playoff game looks like.
• It started off okay.  Trubisky showed a bit of a willingness to push the ball downfield, but only truly connected on one of them thanks to a penalty and Javon Wims’ horrible drop in the end zone – which if caught would have tied the game at seven late in the first quarter
• After that drop, everything seemed to fall apart for the Bears.  Trubisky took the crown as the checkdown, short throw king.  David Montgomery was way too involved for how ineffective he was.  The offense simply couldn’t move the ball, and killer penalties on both sides of the field (including a million false starts) didn’t help.
• New Orleans’ offense wasn’t that much better in terms of aggressiveness. The Saints just possessed the play-makers Chicago didn’t.  Their running game showed up, with Alvin Kamara running for 99 yards and a touchdown.  Short passes got action after the catch from Deonte Harris and Michael Thomas, who picked apart the Bears zone defense like it was nothing.  
• New Orleans could move the ball despite their QBs limitations.  Chicago couldn’t.

Browns-48 Steelers-37

• You know those games where it’s so evidently clear from the very beginning that it’s going to go a certain way?  That was how this one went.
• The high snap by Maurkice Pouncey on the very first play from scrimmage that rolled into the end zone and gave the Browns a 7-0 lead right off the bat was the catalyst for the feeling described above.  Pittsburgh – which has an offense not designed to come from behind thanks to its washed up, dink-and-dunking QB – was in a hole from the very start.  And before they could climb out of it, it only got deeper.
• The Steelers’ next drives were additional disasters.  Roethlisberger threw a bad interception once they got the ball back, which Cleveland capitalized on immediately thanks to Nick Chubb.  A three-and-out followed, which the Browns converted into a 21-0 lead.  Then another pick followed – this time not Roethlisberger’s fault – which put the nail in the coffin before the casket was even picked as the Browns turned it into a 28-0 before the first quarter ended.
• Pittsburgh didn’t go out uninspired.  It had the Browns on edge for a little bit in the second half, but four possessions ultimately became too insurmountable.  An unwise decision to punt on 4th and 1 with a quarter left while down just 12 thwarted the comeback.
• While it wasn’t all their own doing, the Browns looked scary Sunday night.  Pittsburgh’s defense is good, and Cleveland gashed it with the duo of Chubb and Kareem Hunt.  They may not be able to put up as many points as Kansas City, but they could come quite close next weekend.
• As for Pittsburgh, Sunday isn’t who it truly was, but 11-0 wasn’t either.  The Steelers were destined to run out of steam at some point – an offense that has that much trouble moving the ball can only be supported so heavily by the other side, no matter how much talent may exist.  Decisions from players and the front office await in Pittsburgh this offseason, and 2021-22 could bring about a much different team than we’ve been used to.

On the head coaching mill…

Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is the hottest name on the market, and deservedly so.  There are four teams that should be leaning toward hiring him, and if they can’t, they should be in the business of hiring an offensive-minded, potentially play-calling head coach instead.

Those four organizations are the Jets, Texans, Eagles and Chargers.  Why them and not Jacksonville, Atlanta or Detroit?  Well, New York either needs someone to A) Turn Sam Darnold into the quarterback the Jets traded up for in 2018 despite limited weapons or B) Develop a rookie QB taken at No. 2 overall in the upcoming draft despite limited weapons.  The Chargers defense is among the best in the league from a talent standpoint and just needs to stay healthy, negating the need for a head coach who focuses on that side of the ball.  Plus, if Justin Herbert had the season he did with bad coaching, then imagine what’s possible with good coaching.  

The Eagles recent firing of Doug Pederson seems to be a culmination of a couple things.  It’s not his 100 percent his fault that Carson Wentz likely isn’t who we thought he was.  It’s also not his fault that Philadelphia has been ravaged by injuries since its Super Bowl winning season, and that no overhaul of the medical and training staff has taken place since then.  It is on Pederson – however – that he wasn’t Frank Reich, who seemed to unlock Wentz before he tore his ACL.  Philly needs someone who’s going to be able to do what Reich, for reasons we’ll address below.

Finally, there’s Houston, which seems to be a complete and utter fiasco organizationally right now.  Nobody could use Bieniemy more, and the Texans have refused to even interview him – irking franchise QB Deshaun Watson to the degree that he might be on the trade block.  With limited talent and draft capital, Houston has to make something out of nothing offensively outside of Watson.  No better coach exists to do that than Bieniemy.  If Houston uses its brain, Bieniemy should be the hire, no matter what the bill to ownership might be.

If that is what Houston does, here’s how the rest of the market should play out:

Brian Daboll: Jets

The Jets and Chargers don’t need to pony up the money for Biememy as much as Houston does, especially considering the consolidations that are available.

Daboll’s ability to elevate Josh Allen from a talented and incredibly frustrating QB to an MVP candidate makes him a prime candidate to turn Darnold around, if that’s what the Jets intend to do.  If not, Daboll’s developmental skills would serve whichever QB the Jets take in the draft well.

Darrell Bevell: Chargers

Justin Herbert put up an Offensive Rookie of the Year performance under a staff that likely didn’t maximize him.  While Titans’ offensive coordinator Arthur Smith would be the perfect fit here, the new opening in Philadelphia should be where he ends up.

The Chargers get one of the best options left.  Bevell has been a hot name since his Seattle days, and has never gotten a shot.  Him working with Herbert would be a blast, and ignite the Chargers offense to a whole new level.

Robert Saleh: Falcons

Atlanta needs a culture change and a reset on the defensive end.  The Falcons roster, like the Chargers’, is consistently banged up and just needs health to be successful.  Experience is aplenty on the offense, and Atlanta could use Saleh’s leadership and defensive prowess to get back to the playoffs.

Jaguars: Brandon Staley

Assuming Trevor Lawrence is who Jacksonville selects No. 1 overall in April’s draft, Staley makes the most sense.  Lawrence doesn’t need an offensive mastermind to be his head coach – he’s good enough already.  Jacksonville’s defense is still incredibly talented, and even if Lawrence struggles, Staley has spent this year at the helm of a defense that dragged an offense almost single-handily to round two of the playoffs.

Lions: Doug Pederson

Detroit seemed locked into promoting Bevell until Pederson became available.  Now  the best option, Pederson would be an excellent fit while attempting to lift the Lions offense.  It seems as though Pederson needs at least some talent around him as a coach, and Detroit offers more of it than we may think – if they decide not to blow things up.

Eagles: Arthur Smith

The Eagles don’t need a quarterback developer.  They need a fixer and elevator.

The bottom line is that it’s not possible or worth it for Wentz to not be on the roster next season.  Cutting him would put the team in salary cap hell, while trading him would still incur a cap hit the size of his salary.  Wentz likely told the Eagles it’s him or Pederson, and Pederson was much easier to cut bait with, causing his firing.

This means Wentz is an Eagle next season, and also means he’s the starting quarterback over Jalen Hurts.  Philly has to get as much as they can out of Wentz and the offense.  Smith would be the perfect fit – the turnaround Tannehill experienced in Tennessee under him is exactly what needs to happen with Wentz in order for the Eagles to be successful.

Today, Part 3 of the 2020-21 NBA Preview covers any teams that have not yet been previewed yet this week.

Lets go!

No. 30 through No. 20 can be found here.

19. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies go as far as Ja Morant takes them.

That doesn’t mean Memphis’ surrounding cast around Morant is bad.  They have an ideal roster around their second year star, with length, shooting and switchability.  But the Grizzlies are banking on Morant being their whole offense, which might be a bit too tall of a task for the former Murray State guard if they want to actually crack the playoffs this year.

Morant was the Grizzlies’ sole offensive creator last year.  His ability to do on as good of a team as Memphis was made him a revelation.  Rookie point guards tend to struggle.  Morant instead won Rookie of the Year, and deservedly so.  But while his unprecedented performance had Memphis overachieving, it still left them short of the playoffs and a shot at the championship.

He’s going to have to go up yet another level this season.  That happening shouldn’t be shocking.  But if it doesn’t, Memphis might find itself sitting further back than anticipated.

18. Atlanta Hawks

For a team that felt truly committed to a rebuild around young, raw players, the Hawks offseason was a little strange.

But there’s no doubt that they’re now a better team.

Anything that will give Trae Young help – AKA take the ball out of his hands – makes Atlanta better.  Continuing on they usually do, the Hawks brought in offensive-minded players who can’t guard anyone in Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who give them a baseline of offensive production if Cam Reddish and DeAndre Hunter don’t work out on that end of the court (Reddish came on pre-shutdown, but he’s going to need the ball more for that to continue.  Bogdanovic doesn’t help with that).  

Despite the upgrades, Atlanta feels like a team that’s just playing for the eighth seed.  The play-in tournament offers them some hope, but the East’s 1-10 is much better this year than in the past.  The Hawks might have veteran help, but need a step forward from either Young or Reddish to make up for the team’s struggles on the defensive end.  Their intriguing rotataion of bigs – John Collins, Clint Capela, rookie Onyeka Okongwu and Bruno Fernando – can’t solidfy the other four positions, unless Capela emerges as a Rudy Gobert-like force and Okongwu is the second-coming of Bam Adebayo immediately.

17. Toronto Raptors

Toronto’s constant grittiness and fight toward the postseason deserves immense respect, but there’s a way for things to go south up North this year quite fast.

There seems to be a bit of a lack of direction with the Raptors.  This is rare for Masai Ujiri, who wasn’t afraid to go all in by trading for Kawhi Leonard in 2018 and seemed to keep options open for the Raptors throughout last season, only to be surprised by his team’s overachievement.

Toronto moved through this offseason as if it isn’t planning to tear things down. It brought in Aron Baynes to replace Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. The Raptors also re-signed Fred VanVleet, who’s still young enough to be part of a future core.

Pascal Siakam is the key here.  Last season, he was once again a candidate for Most Improved Player of the Year, but all of his advancement as a No. 1 scorer seemed to go to waste in the playoffs.  Kyle Lowry isn’t that guy, and at his age, might be a piece the Raptors could look to move to a real contender in exchange for a younger, higher upside scorer.  

Toronto figures to be competitive this year, but improvements atop the East could have them battling for a playoff spot.  The Raptors come down to Lowry and Baynes’ roster spots, or Siakam’s improvement.  One has to change if the Raptors want to return to the place Leonard took them.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves

Most of the projections for Minnesota on the Internet are a bit surprising.

This should be a pretty good team!

Defensive struggles are aplenty.  The Timberwolves two best players are well below average on that end of the court.  But it’s why Minnesota re-signed Malik Beasley, has Jarrett Culver (who’s certainly raw but has the prototype) and Josh Okogie, drafted Anthony Edwards (same description as Culver) and traded for Ricky Rubio and Ed Davis.  It’s not an ideal situation, but the hope is that the offense from D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns – in addition to everyone else – makes up for it.

This is the best team Towns has had around him.  While Jimmy Butler gave Minnesota the same boost as a great perimeter creator, his (rightfully) toxic at times presence hurt the Wolves ability to win games.  Now, KAT has a friend on the court with him who’s able to give the Wolves what Butler brought – to an extent.

The Timberwolves ability to win in the playoffs needs to be looked at by them having the duo of KAT and Russell, not one or the other.  Towns has guard skills that have never been put to the test thanks to the inefficiency that has typically surrounded him.  Now, with Minnesota’s wings and the passing of Russell and Rubio, unlocking him offensively should come with ease.  If we get that version of Towns, Minnesota is guaranteed to be a playoff team.

15. Washington Wizards

Russell Westbrook is the wild card here, and that’s not a compliment.

Let’s first evaluate the Wizards as if he doesn’t exist.  Washington was able to shed John Wall, clearing the way for this to become Bradley Beal’s team.  That’s an important step – Beal was deserving of All-NBA honors last season, and now has a pretty competent squad around him with shooting and spacing.

Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimera (who will be out for the first three weeks of the season), Isaac Bonga and Troy Brown Jr. are all long wings who can at least cut and slash.  Shooting needs to come a ways for all of them, but that can be offset by each’s ability to drive and get to the rim and the presence of Davis Bertans.  Beal can cook at the top, while Thomas Bryant either drops or spaces the court (His shooting is also a question mark).

But then there’s Westbrook.

He throws off a lot.  The shooting issues of almost everyone mentioned above are exacerbated by the high-usage, inefficient and ball-hogging guard.  Beal is turned into strictly a shooter with Westbrook creating instead of him.  

The Wizards could use the former Rocket in similar ways that Houston did at times – planting him at the elbow or free throw line and have him attack from there once receiving a pass.  But that means Beal or others takes on lead ball-handling duties, which might be an overtask.

The Wizards need a point guard that isn’t Westbrook, because if he’s the lead ball-handler, it’s never coming out of his hands.  It’s a shame, because Washington is extremely close to being potentially really good.

Washington’s success is predicated on how much Westbrook changes his style of play.  Him being used like the wings mentioned above could be deadly.  But then the Wizards are putting a burden on Beal or relying on Raul Neto or Ish Smith a little too much at point guard.

The Wizards should make the playoffs, and that could be selling them a little short.  But Westbrook requires a buffer, and that’s being accounted for here.

14. Golden State Warriors

13. Philadelphia 76ers

This season must be the calling card for the duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

Under new management that we can trust, Philadelphia deserves the benefit of the doubt this season as to whether its two stars can mesh.  

They’ve put what might be the perfect team around the two, finally.  Simmons and Embiid simply have shooting surrounding them now.  Danny Green and Seth Curry were brought in to replace Al Horford and Josh Richardson, which means half a shooter (Richardson) becomes at least one-and-a-half (Curry is lights out and Green can fluctuate).  That opens up the paint for Embiid to dominate, if he can stay healthy and in shape, while also clearing the lane for Simmons to be aggressive and attack – barring that he shows any willingness to do that.

Perimeter shot creation is still an issue.  Perhaps a massive Embiid season or any sort of jump-shot from Simmons (unlikely) solves that.  The answer could lie on the bench with rookie Tyrese Maxsey, who has star potential with his scoring ability and defensive prowess.  At worst, he could be Philly’s sixth man this year, but him entering into the starting lineup and playing in crunch-time seems unlikely early in the season.

Perhaps Philly’s big solution to their ultimate problem comes in the form of James Harden.  Depending on the cost, it’s a move the 76ers should probably act on.  But that still could be unlikely, given Philly’s public assurance that they want to give this roster a try.  It’s likely they’ll be regretting that statement at some point this year.

12. Phoenix Suns

This is what getting Devin Booker real help looks like.

The Suns found the keys to success in the Bubble and double-downed on it this offseason: play the wings at forward, let Booker score, and have someone good running it all.

At the one spot they needed the upgrade, they went out and got it.

Point Booker was too much for the 24-year-old the past few years.  Now, they have one of the best to ever do it at the position instead.

Chris Paul is backup if Booker’s apparent leap taken in the Bubble isn’t legit.  Not only should Paul help Booker focus solely on scoring more, but the Point God was one of the league’s best players last year in crunch-time.  He’ll also serve as the perfect passer for Deandre Ayton, whose strides defensively will make the offense he brings much more valuable and plentiful with Paul in the fold.

Phoenix also isn’t bound to the performance of young, inexperienced guys either.  Cam Johnson blew away expectations last year, but his defense leaves you wanting more.  Jae Crowder now steps in to bring the defense Johnson can’t at a bargain (Off that playoff performance, it’s surprising Crowder didn’t get more than $10 million a year).

It’d be disappointing if the Suns didn’t make the playoffs.  Their biggest question is how far in to the postseason they can get.  That, ultimately, comes down to Booker, and just how much Paul means to him.

11. Utah Jazz

Utah is running it back, and understandably so.  As close as they came to beating Denver in the first round thanks to a ridiculous performance from Donovan Mitchell, they didn’t give everything they had to offer.

The consistent problem with the Jazz is firepower and a little more of it could have been used against Jamal Murray.  Bojan Bogdanovic was out for the playoffs, and could have brought an immense shooting presence to the series.

The Jazz struggled early to open last season.  Mike Conley wasn’t the guy they traded for, and it reeked of previous Utah teams that couldn’t muster enough around Mitchell.  The hope would be that Conley rounds back into shape this season, and Bogdanovic comes off his injury aflame while Mitchell carries his playoff self into this season and competes for All-NBA honors.

The West is tough this year though, as almost everyone got better.  Utah didn’t.  But Mitchell himself might have, and it’s going to be up to him once again for to translate into wins.

10. Indiana Pacers

The Pacers might be the most underrated team in basketball.

The amount of offensive options they have is stunning.  First, the Pacers can run the classic big man passing offense centered around Domantas Sabonis, where he’s plopped at the elbow, dotting up the court as cutters and slashers move around him.  

Second, they have the occasional TJ Warren night – where the forward can put up 30.  Third, they have last year’s most common weapon – a Malcolm Brogdon “I’ve got this” outing that the Bucks gouge their eyes at.  And fourth, they have Victor Oladipo’s shot creation to get them a bucket when none of the others are going down for them.

Oladipo’s health and overall ceiling, in addition to the team’s defense, might limit them.  But this team should be able to score with ease unless its facing a team with a better player than Oladipo.  In the Eastern Conference, that list of players who are that is small.  

9. Portland Trail Blazers

From a pure roster standpoint, the Trail Blazers have a case for having the best offseason.  Though it cost a lot, the import of Robert Covington and emergence of Gary Trent Jr. might have finally solved Portland’s long-standing problem on the wing.

They also added Derrick Jones Jr. for additional athleticism at forward, and Harry Giles is a nice flyer in the front-court.

While the sudden wing depth is nice, it remains to be seen whether Portland can make up for their back-court’s deficiencies on the defensive end.  There’s a case that the Blazers need elite defenders at every other position that Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum don’t occupy to cover the duo on that end.  Trent Jr. and Jursruf Nurkic don’t exactly fit that bill, though both have improved significantly.

McCollum and Lillard both have incredibly high ceilings offensively.  Lillard might be a sneaky MVP bet this year.  If he can play at that level, Portland climbs significantly higher on this list.  Covington is the piece that – with a ridiculous Lillard stretch that we’ve become accustom to in the regular season and playoffs – gives Lillard and Co. a lot more support and doesn’t drag the team down. That would be a nice change from previous years.

8. Boston Celtics

The Celtics moving off of Gordon Hayward for nothing might have ruffled some feathers, but the constant shuffling of their lineup thanks to Hayward’s constant injuries might actually benefit Boston.

A larger role for Marcus Smart might be a little frightening, but he’ll make Boston’s starting lineup even more imposing on the defensive end.  ‘

The bottom line with Boston is the ceiling of Jayson Tatum.  Kemba Walker’s lingering knee issue is a big cause for concern, as it will keep him out for what seems to be a couple weeks to begin the season.  Whether that’s still bothering him throughout the year or not, Walker’s absence offers Tatum the chance to show us what he’s truly made of, and prove whether that pre-shutdown run he went on last year was legit or not.

Boston is going to need that out of Tatum this year.  Walker is a good player, but doesn’t bring to the table what Kyrie Irving did from a talent standpoint.  That’s the gap Tatum has to make up for.

Getting past the likes of Brooklyn and an improved Bucks team will be hard, but if Tatum’s the player some believe him to be, then the Celtics should find themselves challenging both teams for a spot in the Finals.

7. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets miraculous playoff run might have had a bit more to do with the Clippers than Denver themselves, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Jamal Murray’s ascension combined with what should be a much larger role for Michael Porter Jr. gives Denver a much higher ceiling than what we thought was possible with this team.  

The losses of Torrey Craig and Jerami Grant free up the Nuggets’ wing rotation signifcaltly.  The return of Will Barton will likely result in him starting, but MPJ closing games alongside Nikola Jokic and Murray gives Denver a ton of offensive firepower.

Murray played like someone who could go toe-to-toe with anyone against Utah and the Clippers in the playoffs.  MPJ’s ceiling as a shot creator also gives him that potential as well.  If those two can pull everything together, Denver is going to be a force.

If not, the Nuggets are still in good shape.  Murray turning back into his pre-playoff self is still an offensive threat.  Denver has Jokic and everything he brings to the table.  Defense is likely their downfall if Murray and MPJ aren’t the next level shot creators we want them to be, but if they rise and Jokic remains himself, the Nuggets could see themselves in a favorable position against the Clippers again, and this time it’d wouldn’t be due to their opponent laziness.

6. Dallas Mavericks

For a team that goes as high as one player goes, the No. 6 spot on this ranking is quite high.

That’s the potential Luka Doncic has.  For all we know, it could be higher than this.  

Dallas should hang around the top of the West.  Expecting Doncic to top Kawhi Leonard or LeBron James’ teams is unreasonable, but Doncic is probably the third best player in the West if you started counting after the two above (Stephen Curry is still ahead of him, and Damian Lillard could rise or fall behind him this year).

Dallas was incredibly good last year with a limited roster and is now even better.  They added Josh Richardson – who’s the exact type of player you want around Doncic – and rookie Josh Green, who’s stronger than Richardson and provides similar shooting.  They swapped Seth Curry for his cheaper, younger clone in Tyrell Terry.  More athleticism came with the arrivals of rookie Tyler Bey and Wes Iwundu.

Doncic has to prove he’s better than the West’s top stars.  It might be unreasonable, but it shouldn’t be surprising if he is.

5. Miami Heat

The Finals runner-up might be getting some disrespect here, but consider Brooklyn adding someone who could be the best player in the league (Durant looked like it Tuesday night) and Milwaukee’s addressing of perhaps the biggest issue it encountered facing Miami in the playoffs (The Heat’s impressive defensive against Giannis Antetokounmpo), and a fall to five makes more sense.

Miami added some size in rookie Precious Achuiwa, who could help against bigger centers like Anthony Davis.  Avery Bradley replaces Crowder.  Aside from that, it’s really the same team. 

The Heat were built on players eclipsing levels they’ve never breached before.  Tyler Herro was a revelation as a rookie.  Jimmy Butler emerged from the Finals as a potential top ten player.  Duncan Robinson came out of nowhere.

What improvement is left for the Heat?  Better injury luck deep in the playoffs?

This, additionally, is why the Heat rank so low.  Nothing is that much different with them, and their run last year can be debunked as a tad flukey.  Where’s the improvement?  It will have to come from Butler, who needs to put up a Finals-like performance over the course of this regular season, and Herro – who has the path to becoming a special player with more experience.

4. Milwaukee Bucks

Similar to the Clippers, the Bucks didn’t solve everything they need to this offseason.  The difference is that they could have, though.

While Mike Budenholzer’s schemes and principles still seem a tad sketchy in postseason play, Milwaukee did address two big issues: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s presence on the team and making that presence finally translate into titles instead of early playoff exits.

In terms of value, the Jrue Holiday trade is a farce.  But from a basketball standpoint, he’s the type of player the Bucks needed to take the load off Antetokounmpo late in playoffs games

The back-to-back MVP’s drives to the hole are still unstoppable, but they clearly can’t be Milwaukee’s whole offense anymore.  Toronto and Miami in back-to-back playoffs have stopped Antetokounmpo in his tracks.

Holiday forces teams to treat Antetokounmpo like a center.  The Bucks can throw the ball into the post and let him eat.  His stunning frame and athleticism make him unguardable.

Holiday also brings another scoring presence to the court, and will get easier shots for everyone – not just Antetokounmpo.  

The questions Milwaukee still has to answer could be its downfall.  Will their defensive schemes still be as frustrating and as costly?  Does Antetokounmpo’s mix of center play and his typical drives prove to still not be enough?  What if Antetokounmpo has any jump-shot, three or general pull-up?  Is that truly his missing piece?

Milwaukee’s new, impressive bench won’t matter.  It could make them even more dominant in the regular season, but being good that time of the year isn’t what the Bucks are attempting to do.  Milwaukee needs strides from its coach, and strides from its best player.  If neither occur, changes must be made, and serious reconsideration of what Antetokounmpo really is will likely need to take place.

3. Brooklyn Nets

2. Los Angeles Clippers

1. Los Angeles Lakers

Final standings predictions

Eastern Conference:

1. Brooklyn Nets
2. Milwaukee Bucks
3. Miami Heat
4. Boston Celtics
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Philadelphia 76ers
7. Toronto Raptors
8. Washington Wizards
9. Atlanta Hawks
10. Charlotte Hornets
11. Detroit Pistons
12. Orlando Magic
13. Chicago Bulls
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
15. New York Knicks

Western Conference:

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Denver Nuggets
5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. Utah Jazz
7. Phoenix Suns
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
9. Golden State Warriors
10. Memphis Grizzlies
11. Sacramento Kings
12. Houston Rockets
13. New Orleans Pelicans
14. San Antonio Spurs
15. Oklahoma City Thunder

Today, Part 2 of the 2020-21 NBA Preview covers four teams: those tipping off the season Tuesday night.

Any teams not yet covered will be in Part 3 on Wednesday.

14. Golden State Warriors

This might be a pretty good year for the Stephen Curry detractors.

Of course, those people have been wrong, are still wrong and will continue to be wrong.  But this season could shine light on just how much the Warriors and Curry himself need Klay Thompson.

The two usually work for each other.  Curry’s gravity on the court is a common talking point, but Thompson has his own as well.  The gap between the two shooters is probably tighter than we think.  They’re both equally as dangerous – Curry’s range is just a little bigger.

Taking Curry away from Thompson would affect the Warriors just as deeply if not more than vice-versa.  Without Curry, the Warriors lose his ball-handling and pull-up ability from 30-35 feet.  Thompson’s the off-ball, spot-up, catch-and-shoot guy who’s not necessarily creating on his own.  He needs Curry to set him up, and draw attention.

Thompson doesn’t make Curry, but he’s a crucial part of what he does.  Just as Curry takes attention away from Thompson, Thompson does the same for Curry.  Rather than Thompson being a moon to Curry’s planet, the two are both planets around the sun.  They’re truly their own spheres.

Take one of those away, and the Warriors are worse – significantly.  Golden State didn’t have many options, but it didn’t construct the ideal team around Curry this offseason.  While you’re going to want scoring as opposed to shooting, neither Kelly Oubre Jr. nor Andrew Wiggins do it very efficiently – with the latter not necessarily doing it well at all at times.  Defenses are going to know that every other night, one of those two are going to shoot themselves out of games whether they’re being swarmed or not.  That offensive load then falls back on Curry.

The Warriors would love for Draymond Green to turn back into his prime-self on the offensive end, but his shooting seems like it will be permanently low from now on.  James Wiseman is intriguing, and could give Curry an interesting pick-and-roll partner, but the rookie’s offensive game is still extremely raw outside of lobs.

The Warriors this year are reminiscent of the Cavaliers teams LeBron James tugged to Finals through the mid 2010s, only to be beaten down by Golden State.  If there’s any proof that time is a flat circle, then Curry now being in James’ shoes is it.  The question will be if Curry can truly carry the Warriors in the same way.  It shouldn’t be surprising if he does, but the task feels a bit insurmountable. 

      3. Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn has a pretty good case to top the upcoming Lakers and Clippers on this ranking.

The last time Kevin Durant played in a NBA game, he was the best player in the league.  He had came off outplaying LeBron James in back-to-back Finals, was dominating the playoffs and about to potentially cement himself as a top ten player ever.

Then his Achilles popped and Kawhi Leonard briefly took the throne.

If Durant is that player we saw from 2017-2019, the Nets would be at least second on this list.

But we can’t bet on that.  Nobody has been as good as Durant was, had that injury and returned to the same level.  The only person who ever became themself again was Dominique Wilkins.

A lesser Durant is still a great player.  But can that guy still be the best player on a championship team, which Brooklyn expects to be?   While Kyrie Irving has the talent to be that, it’s clear he doesn’t have everything else that comes with it.  The rest of the Nets roster is built to surround Durant and Irving, not be a part of them. Brooklyn needs KD to be the old KD this year.  If they get that player, the Nets all the sudden have the best player in any playoff series.

If they don’t get that player, massive leaps will be needed from Irving – who’s shown he’s capable of it in the past – and from Caris LeVert, who has all the makings of turning into a top 35-40ish player in the league but has had health and shooting struggles plague him.

The Nets are beautifully built.  They have a deep bench and players that make sense around their superstar duo.  Their new coaching staff is exciting and innovative.  This should be the best team in the league.  It’s not really anyone’s fault though if they aren’t.  It’s nature’s.

          2. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers would likely find themselves atop this ranking if the Lakers kept their team from 2019-20.

They fixed what they could control.  Doc Rivers was almost solely responsible for the team’s collapse against Denver in the second round of the playoffs with his lack of defensive adjustments and overall lack of care in the team’s defensive effort.  Ty Lue is a new voice who will get a supremely talented defensive team to, well, actually play defense.  

The Clippers can only do so much about Paul George’s postseason struggles.  It’s not the reason they lost the series against Denver, but certainly raises questions about what type of player he really is.  Bottom line, it’s not an issue if the Clippers actually defended.

Their offseason was fine.  They added some depth to an already loaded roster.  Serge Ibaka isn’t Montrezl Harrell in the pick-and-roll with Lou Williams, but he’s probably better on the defensive end (which will certainly helps against the likes of Nikola Jokic).  Nicholas Batum provides sneakily-needed wing depth.  The Luke Kennard trade was a steal – his new contract was not, especially given that minutes for him seem a bit limited on the surface of this season.

The Clippers simply needed a culture change.  Lue did that in 2016 with the Cavaliers.  He should be able to get what we expected last year out of this team.  We’ll see if it’s enough.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

While it’s not uncommon to see the defending champions be the favorites coming into the following season, it is uncommon to see them improve so much.

The Lakers owned the offseason.  They replaced Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard with Dennis Schroder, Wes Matthews, Talen Horton Tucker (Rotationally – Horton Tucker was on the roster last year) and Harrell and spent very little capital and money to do so.  They also brought in Marc Gasol, who at a different stage of his career, will be excellent as the third big behind Anthony Davis and Harrell.

Schroder, despite the signing of Harrell to a bargain deal, is probably the most important addition.  The days of LeBron James at point guard are over with his arrival, an unfortunate but probably necessary shift.  James finished second in MVP voting playing point guard last season, but at his age and with the wear he’s accumulated, it’s smarter to take that burden off of him now that better talent than Rondo exists on the roster.

Schroder not only gives the Lakers more scoring, but allows LeBron to play a devastating off-ball role.  It also puts at least two passers on the floor to get Davis the ball down low.  Schroder’s going to have to prove that last year’s shooting uptick wasn’t a fluke, but it’s not like he’s going to get away with wrestling the ball away from James on this team.

With Davis’ infamous unwillingness to play center, Harrell’s exact role should be interesting.  Him, Davis and James is huge, but works thanks to Davis’ shooting and athleticism.  At the same time, spacing is still tight, and Harrell’s not making enough money (A cheap $8 million the next two years) that the Lakers have to play him late in games.

Regardless, the Lakers have options, which wasn’t totally the case last season.  Los Angeles’s success was solely reliant on how Davis and James played and that’s it. In this ready-set-go year, those guys can take more of a backseat, and they deserve to.

To preview the suddenly-here 2020-21 NBA season, we’re going to rank the teams most likely to win the 2021 Finals.  These rankings do not correlate exactly with the standings listed below, as certain circumstances (Like James Harden’s in Houston) can lead to an inflated record with a low chance of playoff success, but should maintain a pretty close relationship.

Today, we look at the ten teams least likely to win the title come season’s end, starting with the league’s basement occupiers and ending with its borderline playoff teams.

30. New York Knicks

The Knicks are the Obi Toppin show.

That’s not totally a bad thing.  Toppin was one of the most NBA-ready players in the 2020 draft class, and arguably has the highest floor out of anyone who went in the top ten.  He could be the Knicks best player immediately – not bad for a player picked at No. 8 overall.

But on the larger landscape of the league itself, a season in which Toppin is everything for the Knicks probably makes them the worst team in the league.  There’s just not a lot else here.  Kevin Knox is likely just a wing defender rather than the scoring forward some projected him to be.  Mitchell Robinson would make up for Toppin’s inability to protect the rim (or play defense at all, really), but his minutes have been limited to a frustrating extent over the past few years.  RJ Barrett provides offense alongside Toppin, but there seems to be a ceiling to how efficient and impactful he can be.  A lack of a point guard for the Knicks won’t help, though if they fulfill this projection as the worst team in the league, the lottery odds will fall in their favor for that position not to be an issue in 2021-22.

29. Oklahoma City Thunder

The trio of George Hill, Trevor Ariza and Al Horford next to Shai Gilegous-Alexander has the makings of a pretty solid team.

The problem is that three-quarters of those players seem unlikely to be on the roster by season’s end.

Horford is the biggest fish out of the veteran trio, and probably has the most impact.  A good Horford season gives OKC a switchable rim protector, a gifted passing big man and a three point shooter at the center position.  That’s the makings of a coveted player – and someone who shouldn’t be on OKC’s roster for too long.

The longer Horford remains on the roster, the better the Thunder are.  Horford’s game is complex and plentiful – he shouldn’t be a deadline move for a team looking to simply add a big.  The good stuff he offers will likely take time to install and marinate into schemes on both ends of the court.  That doesn’t exactly fit the definition of a plug-and-play move in March.  

Horford and others being moved early causes the Thunder to fall down the standings rather than climb up them due to paltry talent elsewhere.  A lack of wings was the Thunder’s biggest setback last year.  That hasn’t changed much, as Aleksej Pokusevski is their only real offensive option there.  Pokusevski has a serious acclimation period ahead of him if he is to contribute in a significant way to OKC this season.  Otherwise, it’s SGA’s show with not much help.

28. Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland owns one of the most confusing rosters in the league entering this season.

While the fit is questionable, the Cavaliers at least have some direction in their back-court.  It was a tough rookie season for Darius Garland, who was pigeoned-holed next to a much-improved Collin Sexton.  Rookie Isaac Okoro gives those two some cover defensively, though doesn’t provide efficient offense Cleveland could use.  The talent may not be great, but at least the Cavaliers have a direction and players to develop there.

The front-court is a completely different offering.  Kevin Love’s contract is unmovable, and has to be in the Cavaliers’ planning until it’s up, but Cleveland’s decision to pair Love with Andre Drummond – who was acquired by actually giving up assets – is no less mind-boggling a whole pandemic later.  

There was no reason to bring in Drummond.  A young big like Onekya Okongwu or Toppin was available at the No. 5 spot in the draft.  Cleveland could have punted on the position, tanked and guaranteed itself a high pick next year (which it will likely have anyway).

Cleveland’s roster indicates it is trying to delay a true rebuild by a year or more.  Assuming Garland can’t emerge as a primary offensive option in the shadow of Sexton, it is likely they will fail at trying to contend, and be stuck in worst team-building position possible.

27.  Chicago Bulls

Under new management and a new coach, it was a quiet offseason in the Windy City.  It’s clear new GM Arutras Karnisovas and coach Billy Donovan want to evaluate the roster for themselves up close.

Not much should change.  Coby White is a winning player, but isn’t necessarily a future star.  The book on Zach Lavine is out.  Lauri Markkanen simply can’t stay healthy.  Wendell Carter Jr. additionally needs health on his side, but at this point presents a much higher ceiling than Markkanen does long-term.

To be competitive and improve this year, Chicago needs a spark.  That might have been the thinking behind drafting Patrick Williams at No. 4 overall, who was an intriguing lottery pick whose size, frame and athleticism was responsible for him shooting up boards draft week.  It seems a tad unrealistic Williams emerges as anything more than a super versatile defender with a jump-shot, but it’s the type of swing Chicago needed to take with that pick.

A Williams breakout could make the rest of the roster safe from future moves.  That’s unlikely though, and Chicago could be looking at the reset button come the trade deadline or offseason.

26. Orlando Magic

Ranking Orlando as the fifth-worst team in the league on the backs of an eighth seed berth (and a Game 1 victory against Milwaukee in round one) might seem harsh and surprising.  But a lot of teams got significantly better over the offseason while Orlando stood mostly still.

The lack of true direction with the Magic is frustrating.  It seems as though they’re just going for that eighth seed every year.  

A bit of a shift occurred this offseason.  They selected Cole Anthony with the No. 15 pick in November’s draft.  If the Magic are set with this current core of players, Anthony is the type of guy who could develop into their best player and No. 1 offensive option.

Players like him are hit or miss though.  It’s extremely unlikely Anthony comes in, gets significant minutes and becomes the best player on a playoff team as a rookie.  

Aside from Anthony’s X-factor potential, the Magic are the same team from last year, if not worse.  The loss of Jonathan Isaac for the season hurts – his defensive presence is not one that’s easily replaced, even with 2019 first round pick Chuma Okeke now in the picture.

Teams out East have either retooled to become more talented or simply have been more talented than Orlando.  As a result, the Magic slide down the totem pole a little bit.

25. Detroit Pistons

Detroit is one of those teams that leapfrog the Magic thanks to major upgrades in overall talent this offseason.  While the Pistons moves don’t make a ton of sense in the long term or short-term, it will likely put them in contention for a playoff spot in the East.

No team had a bigger influx of talent than Detroit did this offseason.  The Pistons had one of the worst situations in basketball last year, and now have solid experienced players in addition to a young core.

Detroit will need health and performance from Blake Griffin, as its offense feels a bit too reliable on rookie Killian Hayes, Derrick Rose and Jerami Grant.  Hayes has the chance to be a real offensive threat with Griffin in the pick-and-roll, but expecting him to emerge as someone who carries a good team on a night-to-night basis is unreasonable.  Grant and Mason Plumlee’s contracts were a bit on the high side for the roles each will play – Grant’s a ridiculous athlete who can do practically everything defensively, but leaves a lot to be had offensively at $16 million.  Plumlee never played better than he did in Denver, and that’s likely because he wasn’t relied on heavily thanks to backing up Nikola Jokic.

The Pistons currently feel like an empty calories team with Griffin still in the picture.  Hayes, Saddiq Bey, Delon Wright and Sekou Doumbouya could turn the Pistons into more than that, but money seems like it will be playing over youth for Detroit this year.

24. Houston Rockets

The Rockets are practically impossible to project.  What if James Harden miraculously plays the entire season in Houston?  What if he’s traded for young players and draft picks?  What if he’s traded straight up for someone like Ben Simmons?  What if it’s for only win-now players?

Despite an exodus of brainpower in the offseason, Houston is smart.  Assuming its owner isn’t involved, the Rockets aren’t going to ship Harden out for a package similar to what the Spurs traded Kawhi Leonard for.  That means Houston’s win total plummets significantly without Harden on the roster.

A player like Ben Simmons coming into the picture is perhaps Houston’s most complicated path this season.  Is Houston, with John Wall, Christian Wood and a young, immediately impactful player – and only that player – a playoff team?  Who knows.

It’d have to be the right player.  Simmons probably isn’t it – there’s still too many questions about his ceiling offensively thanks to a complete lack of a jumpshot and overall aggressiveness.  None of the teams known to be on Harden’s list have someone like Simmons that would make sense value-wise and timeline-wise.  Other teams would have to enter the picture, and speculating on them seems reckless.

The most likely Harden deal is one centered around young players and picks.  That is what Houston wants, reportedly, and it’s the type of deal that the Rockets should make.  It would also be the deal that puts them at 24th in these rankings.

No piece in a young player/picks package for Harden elevates Houston significantly when it comes to potential playoff success this season.  A deal like that leaves a team with Wall, Wood and the leftover wings (PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon).  That team doesn’t sniff the playoffs out West, unless Wall is somehow better than his prime self post Achilles tear.

That’s Houston’s basement.  It’ ceiling involves keeping Harden and probably ending up somewhere in the 5-10 range of the West.  Harden’s hypothetically fit with Wall is better than his with Westbrook, as it’s easy to forget that Wall’s a special passer and could unlock a previously untapped, off-ball role for Harden.  Houston’s defense should be a tad better with Wood in the fold as a legitimate center, and some of the bad threes encouraged by previous coaches and management should decrease.  Even with all of that, it’s hard to bet this will be a happy, successful team, which drags it down to the back half of the Western Conference playoff teams in a best case scenario.

23. San Antonio Spurs

Detroit might have overtaken the Spurs for having the league’s most confusing roster this offseason.

The remnants of the Leonard trade mentioned above is hurting San Antonio’s ability to reset and rebuild the right way.  That’s a bummer, because they’re close to doing it right.

The presence of DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge is clogging the Spurs’ rotation.  San Antonio had to say goodbye to Bryn Forbes in free agency as a result and has a decision on Derrick White’s future soon – DeRozan’s presence could complicate that. The Spurs need to find minutes not only for 2019 first round pick Keldon Johnson this season, but for 2020 first round pick Devin Vassell.  Lonnie Walker Jr. is also up for an increased role, and deserves it the most as he’s the Spurs best shot at having a future best player on the roster thanks to his shot creation skills.  Vassell also fits that description, but he’s likely to get the treatment Johnson got last season.

If the Spurs can clear their veterans and secure minutes for their younger guys, a push for the playoffs is viable.  For now, they’re stuck closer to the back of the league than the middle, and that’s a bad place to be when you’re actually trying.

22. Charlotte Hornets 

Another contender for most improved roster, Charlotte also gets thrown into the Detroit group of those not totally understanding their timeline.  But the Hornets are at least fun, and have some really solid aspects to their team.

In a sneaky way, Charlotte is following the Toronto model of having as many players as possible who can create their own shot.  Terry Rozier and his contract can be maddening, but he’s someone who can get buckets if given permission. Devonte’ Graham looks like a future perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate.  LaMelo Ball should ignite the offense first with his shot creation for others, and secondly with his own.  Gordon Hayward, if healthy, is still a really good player who’s underrated as a creator.

The Hornets have dudes.  Miles Bridges and PJ Washington are hard-nosed defenders who can make up for defeicnies on that end in the back-court.  Both’s athleticism makes them dynamic PNR partners for Ball or Hayward.  

Center on both ends is troublesome.  Washington at the five is a fun lineup no matter who Charlotte surrounds him with, though he may not be up to the task of being a reliable rim protector.  That leaves the Hornets with the scary sight of Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo down low, with rookie Vernon Carey Jr. possibly getting some run as well.  

The Hornets have a good coach in James Borrego and a lot of craft.  Their issues are surmountable to an extent.  They don’t have the guy yet, but Ball might have something to say about that.

21. New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans have a Houston-level amount of variability to them in 2021-22.

While we don’t have to go into this season questioning Zion Williamson’s health, we can question, or perhaps dream, about what his role could be.

Last year’s version of Williamson was dominant, but not in the way we expected.  It seemed as though New Orleans was being careful with the rookie off of his knee injury, and weren’t allowing him to show off his well-rounded game.  Williamson was a monster in the post – his athleticism on tip-ins and on the boards made any missed shot a make.  But the Pelicans limited Zion solely to a post-up role, and at times it was disappointing.

Those days seem over.  It’s time for the Williamson that unleashed hell at Duke – the player that was creating his own shot off the dribble, driving to the rim, passing like a guard, etc.

But New Orleans’ roster is just not well constructed enough to support Williamson in a role like that.  While we can dream about him being a crunch-time five, it’s not incredibly likely he’ll be able to maintain the defensive discipline it takes to play there while carrying a heavy offensive load.  

That doesn’t mean Steven Adams is the right center to play next him, though.  Adams isn’t the most mobile defensively, and won’t provide the spacing New Orleans needs if Williamson is to take over the offense.  

Shooters don’t exactly surround Williamson either.  While the Jrue Holiday trade was fantastic from a draft capital standpoint, the Pelicans didn’t receive anything that will help this year’s roster.  Taking a first round pick or two less from the Bucks to not receive Eric Bledsoe in the deal might have been a better route to go, as his contract and on-court semantics are at times tough to deal with.  He brings defense New Orleans could use, but has too high of a usage percentage for someone of his level and is a poor shooter.  Behind him is Lonzo Ball, who’s simply fine, and Kira Lewis Jr., New Orleans’ 2020 first round pick who’s practically a Bledsoe clone.

New Orleans needs a lot from Williamson and Brandon Ingram.  On his new deal, a performance as a top 40 player in the league shouldn’t be out of the question for Ingram.  The Pelicans ceiling in 2020 will be determined by if, and how much, Williamson can go above that.

20. Sacramento Kings

The Kings may not have the ceiling New Orleans does, but they certainly have the higher floor.

There should be a change from whatever last year was in Sacramento.  The Kings did the exact opposite of what they were good at in 2018-2019 last season.  They slowed the pace down and made offense harder for themselves.

Smart people like Monte McNair are finally in charge in Sacramento.  The new GM’s analytical approach should speed the Kings back up, which is what we thought head coach Luke Walton would instill.  

Sacramento doesn’t have that pure offensive creator yet.  De’Aaron Fox’s speed can be an offense in itself, which is why the Kings should play as fast as possible all the time.  They have decently good pieces around him, although the front-court with Marvin Bagley’s lack of position is concerning.  Will he be the five or a four in this offense?

The most fun lineup Sacramento could run out would be Fox, Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes and Bagley.  It’s quite small, but defensively competent with Fox’s tenacity, Haliburton’s overall awareness and Barnes’ length.  A defensive stride from Bagley this year would be nice – he’s got the prototype to be great on that end with more development and effort.  

But what’s the true ceiling of that unit?  Factor in a still potentially unhappy Hield, a potentially lame-duck coach (Walton wasn’t hired by this front office and could be out with limited success) and a stagnant Bagley, and the Kings just don’t crack the top ten in the West quite yet.

Standings finish for the teams ranked above:

Eastern Conference teams:

15. New York Knicks

14. Cleveland Cavaliers

13. Chicago Bulls

12. Orlando Magic

11. Detroit Pistons

10. Charlotte Hornets

Western Conference teams:

15. Oklahoma City Thunder 

14. San Antonio Spurs

13. New Orleans Pelicans

12. Houston Rockets

11. Sacramento Kings

The top nine seeds in the Eastern Conference and the top ten in the Western Conference will be revealed Tuesday and Wednesday in the second and third parts of the 2020-21 NBA preview.

Below is a culmination of the Sports Hub’s 2020 NBA Draft preparation and scouting.  It features The Big Board 2.0, a breakdown of what each team should do with their first round pick, and an overview of some of the most notable prospects left out of the first round.  

Here is the link to The Big Board 2.0 (the final edition).  It is recommended to keep it open while reading, as it will be referenced multiple times while analyzing picks.

Without further ado, here is a 2020 NBA Mock Draft, predicated on what teams should actually do and not what teams might do Wednesday night.

No.1, Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, Georgia

Some of the circumstances written about last week have changed, but if Minnesota keeps the pick, Edwards should be their selection.  It’s sounding possible that they could be able to move down and still secure him, though.  Trading out seems to be even less likely now that Jrue Holiday has been officially moved and Bradley Beal’s availability (or lack thereof) has been made clear.  The Magic still could pull off the Aaron Gordon deal, and that might be Minnesota’s best option at the time being.

No.2, Golden State Warriors: Deni Avdija, Israel

Similar to Minnesota, things have changed since the above article was published, but if Golden State remains here, Avdija is the best fit.  Gordon is another good fit for the Warriors, and Wendell Carter Jr. would be as well.  The Warriors moving down just a couple spots makes reaching for a wing like Devin Vassell or Aaron Nesmith less troubling, and picking up someone of Carter Jr.’s potential would be a valuable move.

No.3, Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball, New Zealand 

The Hornets seem to (rightfully) covet a big with this pick, but Ball being here is too hard to pass up, even with Onyeka Okongwu on the board.

The need at guard may not be obvious or exist at all, but consider what Charlotte actually has in its current group.  

Devonte’ Graham’s breakout season was a nice surprise and earned him some serious Most Improved Player buzz, but it’s likely he is best suited as a potent sixth man off the bench in the league.  

Despite a perhaps underrated season in 2019-20, Terry Rozier’s contract is still a disaster, and neither his play or age fits Charlotte’s timeline.  Additionally, his free agent deal signed last summer was for just three years.  The Hornets have to be thinking about what lies ahead after that deal is up.

In Ball, Charlotte would land a player they can truly feel confident in as their franchise point guard.  There are certainly some concerns and dark spots, but Ball’s skill of passing and seeing the court is not just his best attribute, but the best attribute any player in this draft class has.  Ball checks the top box of what you want in a point guard, and it’s the reason he finds himself atop the big board.

Ball is a special passer.  He’s on a completely different level than his brother Lonzo was coming out of UCLA in 2017, and that’s saying a lot.  It’s not just the passes with LaMelo.  It’s the ability to see passes before anyone else.  He scans the court like a quarterback progressing through his reads.  

There’s been few better passers than Ball in recent drafts.  Perhaps the scariest part is that his distribution is potentially just half of his game.

Ball’s unselfishness passing occasionally morphed itself toward the other direction.  The 18-year-old consistently jacked up bad shots during his time in New Zealand, and played like he was trying to make things harder on himself rather than easier.  His persistent dribbling, shot selection and hero-ball mentality doesn’t have to be shuttered in the NBA, but it must be reduced until the efficiency can improve.

If Ball can get threes to fall consistently and become less selfish when scoring, then we have everything people thought Lonzo could be and more on our hands in LaMelo.  Lonzo was never going to be someone who got the ball and cooked with it in the NBA, despite certain performances at UCLA.  Ball’s got the shot creation skills his brother doesn’t possess, but they’re raw.  

The concern is that Charlotte isn’t built up well enough offensively yet to help take some of the load off Ball early.  That could create bad habits, and lead to a worst-case scenario of what Ball could be in the NBA.  That type of player isn’t a liability though.  No one with that good of a passing gene is.

Ball could ultimately be a microcosm for this draft.  If everything works out, he’s going to be a star.  But there’s a lot to work out, and if a good amount of things don’t, then what’s left?  

Ball’s likely the execption to most in this draft.  If the rest doesn’t work out, you’re still getting someone who could be a generational passer and will still have a positive impact in the league.  If Ball tops out at someone like Rajon Rondo, is that a bad thing?  Rondo was a great player, and is still contributing even beyond his prime.  The issues are that if Ball doesn’t pop, someone else in this draft will.  Nobody really knows who that is going to be.

No.4, Chicago Bulls: Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky 

Of guys selected in this mock, Maxey is probably the biggest surprise (Bigger surprises could emerge amongst who is not picked).  Here’s an explanation.

Maxey is ranked third on the board.  He’s an absolute killer on both ends.  He’s an incredible defensive presence given his short stature, using his speed to keep up with practically anyone and his quick arms to get into passing lanes.  Even for towering wings, Maxey is a hassle.  At just 6’3, he’s switchable 1-3.

Offensively, Maxey’s got what you want in a lead guard and potential No.1 offensive option.  He hit big shot after big shot at Kentucky, and has to the poise to keep cool in big moments.  He’s got the type of game that could lead a successful team – the hesitations and herky-jerky dribbling allows him to create his own shot effortlessly.  

His size is an issue – big wings could swallow him.  But his moves are just that good, which enables Maxey to get to the rim instead of pulling-up.  We’ve seen defensive-minded wings still not be able to guard smaller 1s and 2s – just ask Boston how they handled Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet in the playoffs.

Maxey’s considerably lower on likely every board that exists, and some of those reasons make sense.  He’s small.  He’s not a knockdown shooter, especially from three.  He’s a bit of a ball-hog and takes shots he shouldn’t.  To most, he seems to be a boom or bust type player.  But there’s a chance he’s actually one of the safer bets in this draft, even if he doesn’t emerge as the star the board projects him to be.

How often are you getting the competitiveness and defense Maxey brings to the table?  That’s what Maxey can ultimately fall back on if his size and poor shooting limits his ability as a No. 1 shot-creator.  Additionally, his potential as a sixth man is  limitless.  The energy he brings is undeniable.

The Bulls are in need of a star player.  Coby White is solid.  Zach Lavine is not.  Wendall Carter Jr. needs a serious chance, and he wasn’t ever projected as someone who was going to be a shot-creator at the center position anyways.  Lauri Markkanen has battled injuries, is unhappy and hasn’t totally panned out.  New GM Arturas Karnisovas has so far been operating the Bulls as if they’re a clean slate – Kris Dunn’s declined option proves that.  That means he likely won’t care about Lavine’s starting role, or the fact that the Bulls drafted White last year.  Karnisovas also won’t care about the fact that Avdija would be the perfect replacement for Markkanen if he’s available, and that Avdija would be everything the Bulls hoped Markannen would be.  Karnisovas is going to take the best player available.  Maxey is it.

No.5, Cleveland Cavaliers: Onyeka Okongwu, USC

The Cavaliers should be estatic if Okongwu falls to them here.  Almost guaranteed to take a big after selecting guard after guard in previous drafts, Okongwu’s the best big available in this draft.

Written about briefly in Monday’s breakdown of Golden State’s options (linked above), Okongwu is essentially a team inserting a Bam Adebayo-type into their lineup.  The two are extremely similar players: switchability and rim protection defensively, intuitive passing and feel offensively, and a developing jump-shot that could lead them to step out to the perimeter someday.

Okongwu may not be the all-around defensive player Adebayo is – his switching isn’t quite there yet.  But the athleticism is, and with better instincts he could be an effective 3-5 switcher.

Okongwu has the ability to get to the rim, though he’s not as smooth as Adebayo is creating his own shot. Instead, he could be a dominant and efficient post presence, something that Adebayo doesn’t totally have in his game.

The Cavaliers have washed up veterans in their front-court and need to be looking toward the future.  Okongwu fits the timeline of their young guards, and each can help one another.  Okongwu’s passing allows the guards to develop their off-ball game a bit, and suddenly, Cleveland’s once dim future would seem much brighter.

No.6, Atlanta Hawks: Killian Hayes, France

The Hawks have put themselves in a position hard to get out of.  Their fascination with Trae Young is irreversible at this point, so they must strive to build the best team they can around him, and maximize what he’s good at.

Atlanta has done a good job of this so far.  Their mix of youthful wings compliments Young nicely, and Cam Reddish’s late-season improve providing much needed scoring.

But Young is still going to be need more help if Atlanta views him as their franchise.  The third-year point guard is best at scoring, and he should solely be geared toward that facet of his game.  This means reducing his playmaking and, stoutly put, possibly moving him to shooting guard.

Killian Hayes has perhaps the widest range of outcomes on draft night.  Some boards begin with him, others have him in the late-lottery or out of it all together.  Ranked sixth on this board, Hayes could be the perfect ladder for Young to hang on.  He’s an astute passer in and out of the pick-and-roll, brings length and effort to the defensive side, and plays unselfishly – a vital trait in playing next to Young.

The unselfishness is a little frustrating when he’s without the ball.  The three point shooting numbers are bleak, and pairing him with a high-usage guard could make him quite idle when he’s not running the show.  But Hayes has upside that few others do in this barren draft, and Atlanta doesn’t have crippling needs aside from giving Young help.  Hayes is the player who can do that best at this point in the draft, and his potential is worth the pick.

No.7, Detroit Pistons: Obi Toppin, Dayton

The Pistons should be in best player available mode, especially after moving on from young guard Bruce Brown Sunday morning.  Per the board, Toppin is that player.

Toppin is polarizing, and it’s deserved.  He’s a destructive force offensively, thanks to his leaping ability out of the pick and roll and his three point shooting on pops.  His athleticism allows him to not rely on post-ups to score – he can be effective as a cutter, slasher, and a quick-and-easy bucket guy since his size is just so overpowering.

Defensively is where the questions arise.  For all of his athleticism, the lateral quickness and foot speed is practically non-existent.  The only players he has a chance against are old school bigs and traditional power forwards – those who are slowly being faded out of the game.  Teams are rarely feeding guys in the post anymore, and if they are, it’s because nobody can stop them.  Toppin’s not an exception.

The former National College Player of the Year makes sense for Detroit despite his drawbacks because 1) he can be their whole offense for as long as they need him to be 2) Christian Wood’s a free agent and could leave, giving Detroit a need long-term in the front-court 3) Wood, if he stays, can make up for Toppin’s limitations defensively and take some of the pressure off.

No.8, New York Knicks: Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State

The Knicks could go a variety of routes here, but ultimately, it’s smart for them to take the safe one.

Haliburton’s not as highly rated on the board as he is others, and it’s due to a lack of an elite skill.  The No. 1 trait assigned to Haliburton is his intelligence on and off the court, but his passing and decision-making doesn’t totally reflect his IQ.  He’s kind of just okay at a bunch of things.

Haliburton projects as a great distributor and a solid defender – particularly off the ball.  His longer frame makes him able to guard opponents 1-3, if he can stay on them after receiving the pass.  Everything else checks out fine.  He’s not a good shooter or shot-creator.  He needs to be a better disruptive and locked-in defender.  His athleticism is meh.

But New York should be okay with these things.  They need to be.  The Knicks are on track to rebuild the right way now, and with R.J. Barrett, Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson in place, all they lack is a true superstar and a solid point guard.  Haliburton takes care of one of those, and New York should be bad enough in 2020-21 to land one of the stars atop next year’s draft class, completing what should be an intriguing lineup nonetheless come 2021-22.

No.9, Washington Wizards: Isaac Okoro, Auburn

Okoro is one of the top players left on the board here and it’s thanks to his destructive defensive presence.  He’s a rare mix of someone who’s a switchable, solid defender and a disruptive defender all in the same package.  His length allows him to be a viable 1-4 defender, while his long arms poke balls from smaller, shiftier guards.  

Okoro’s offense leaves a lot to be desired.  The shot just isn’t there, and doesn’t project well either.  He’s likely just a slasher and cutter on offense, as his dribble penetration game could get swallowed at the next level.  But Okoro’s defense has the chance to be valuable enough to make up for the deficiencies offensively.  There are few players like that in basketball.  If they exist, they’re locking down the opponent’s best player.  That’s likely where we’ll be seeing Okoro for years to come.

Washington could use any defense it can get.  The team was horrific last season on that end, and Okoro serves as someone who can help clean up teammates’ mistakes instantly.  A lineup of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimera, Okoro and Thomas Bryant makes the Wizards seem a lot better than they might be.

No.10, Phoenix Suns: Aaron Nesmith, Vanderbilt 

This might be high, but the Chris Paul trade and Hayes and Haliburton’s drafting shifts Phoenix’s thinking here.  

If Hayes or Haliburton is available here Wednesday night, the Suns should pull the plug on one of them (Hayes, preferably).  Paul’s trade doesn’t change the need for a long-term point guard, though it shores up the immediate impact that position can bring to the Suns.  Paul’s age is no laughing matter though, and there’d be no better mentor than the Point God himself to a young player.

But here, neither are available.  Phoenix could reach for another lead distributor, but even though reaches are encouraged in this no-trades mock, better players exist for Phoenix.

Enter Nesmith.  The best shooter in this class, Nesmith simply doesn’t miss.  He was over 50 percent at Vanderbilt last season, and that was with a heavy offensive workload on a bad team.

He’s a tad limited defneisvly, but Mikal Bridges’ lockdown tenacity on that end can make up for almost all of Phoenix’s wings.  Taking Nesmith after drafting Cam Johnson last year might seem redundant, but if Golden State taught us anything, it’s that the more shooters you have, the better.

No.11, San Antonio Spurs: RJ Hampton, New Zealand 

The Spurs are similar to the Bulls in that they have some young, intriguing pieces of which none can offer true superstardom in the future.  They’re solid almost everywhere, which means they can afford to take a swing or a risk here.

Hampton has an incredibly low floor but a high ceiling.  He’s a shot maker and creator, but if he can’t be great at those two things, then there’s nothing else to really get out of him.

He’s a star or he’s not.  If he’s not, then the Spurs are fine.  If he is, then watch out.

No.12, Sacramento Kings: James Wiseman, Memphis

One of the consensus top prospects in this draft doesn’t receive the same shine here.  

Wiseman may be underrated on the board, but it seems as though some teams feel the same way the board does as well.  Multiple reports have suggested that certain teams have Okongwu over Wiseman on their boards, and that’s probably the right ranking.

Wiseman’s ranking isn’t suggesting that he’ll be a bust, but it’s more of an overall summary of what he actually is: a rim running and protecting big.  It’s as simple as that.

There isn’t much else to it, even though Wiseman may seem to think so.  All of the speculation about his offensive game morphing into that of a wing’s is silly when Wiseman will have to face NBA defenders.  His rim protection has the chance to be elite, though his skinny frame will need bulk for him to truly contain bigger centers.  For someone who moves as fluidly as Wiseman does at his size, the switchability isn’t really there.

So why does a skillset like that warrant a top three pick, even in a bad draft?  Perhaps it’s his polarizing nature and a team’s business side playing its hand, but in terms of straight talent, Wiseman takes a backseat to a lot of prospects in this draft.

All of that said, he’s a good fit for the Kings here as one of the top prospects left on the board.  Marvin Bagley is a not rim protector, and Sacramento’s backcourt is set.

No.13, New Orleans Pelicans: Devin Vassell, Florida State

New Orleans is ecstatic to land Vassell here, as the sophomore is the classic example of what “solid” looks like in this draft class.

Vassell likely won’t fail in the league.  He’s reminiscent of Trevor Ariza – someone who can play good defense and knock down shots on a good team.

His reason for sliding down the board lies in his lack of an elite skill – similar to Haliburton.  Vassell’s a good shooter and a good defender.  Some feel as though there’s some shot creation skills that could be developed, but it feels like more of a pipe-dream than a reality.

The Pelicans are still looking for a point guard of the future after the Jrue Holiday trade, but drafting a passer here is a bit of a stretch.  Taking Vassell gives New Orleans a solid player to add to their core, and makes a (enter point guard)-Vassell-Brandon Ingram-Zion Williamson–Jaxson Hayes lineup extremely scary.

No.14, Boston Celtics: Patrick Williams, Florida State 

Seminole teammates go back-t0-back here, and it’s likely Boston would have ended up with one of them regardless.

The Celtics need to fill out their bench, and they can do so by taking the best player available that’s not a point guard.  The board says that’s Patrick Williams.

Williams probably won’t make it here, as his stock has risen dramatically in the weeks leading up to Wednesday’s draft.  Reports Tuesday night indicated he could be Chicago’s pick at No. 4 overall.

If he’s here, he’d be excellent value for the Celtics.  Williams is an imposing defensive presence who’s got a sweet jump-shot for his size.  The Celtics love their big, defensive-minded wings and Williams fits the bill.

There’s a lot of potential with him as well – though projecting him into a star is a tough bet.  He’s got good shot-creation skills for his size – the wingspan makes jumpers of his impossible to guard.  There could also be some untapped potential at center on both ends, though rim protection could be a more likely role as his foot speed won’t match the fastest wings.  Williams is simply massive, and could play anywhere from the 2 to the 5 in a given lineup.

Like Maxey, Williams is a safe bet.  If he hits a high ceiling, we’re looking at one of the most gifted and versatile players in the league.  If not, you’re getting great, strong defense and an unguardable shooter.

No. 15, Orlando Magic: Cole Anthony, North Carolina

Cole Anthony is among the most polarizing players in this draft class.  Nobody has fell harder from the preseason draft rankings, and it’s not totally his fault.  His injury decimated the Tar Heels’ season, and it seemed as though Anthony himself never fully recovered from it.

There isn’t much tape on Anthony, so teams are resorting to a lot of high school film, which is always an immediate concern.

Anthony’s a scoring point guard, but his size and usage could limit him.  He made a lot of bad shots when he played in college, and has the body that could very well get swallowed by wings.  There isn’t elite speed or athleticism to make up for it, either.

Anthony is the boom or bust prospect of this class.  His shot-making could be as good we think at the next level, but if it isn’t, then we’re looking at an inefficient, undersized player who’s out of the league shortly.

The Magic have a lot of pieces in place, and just need the guy who’s going to make it all come together.  Anthony is likely not that, but it’s probably worth the shot at this point in the draft.  It wasn’t long ago that we thought Anthony would be in contention for the first overall pick.

No. 16, Houston Rockets: Saddiq Bey, Villanova

With Robert Covington out of the picture, Houston can use the pick they got in return to find his replacement.

Bey’s another one of the safest, most solid picks in this draft.  Like Vassell and Williams, you’re getting good defense and good shooting.  But Bey’s pedigree at Villanova in addition to his insane frame allows him to truly be a multi-positional defender at the next level.

He’s the perfect Covington hole-filler, and will fit Houston’s system like a glove, assuming it doesn’t change dramatically with James Harden’s trade demand.

No.17, Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Green, Arizona

The Timberwolves continue to fill out their roster with mostly wings, and they take the best available one here in Arizona’s Josh Green.

A knockdown shooter, Green’s an underrated defender.  His thick frame is rare for someone who moves as well as he does, making him not just switchable but strong as well.

The Wolves stealing Green here devastates Dallas, and Minnesota adds another quality wing to a team that could use defense greatly.

No. 18, Dallas Mavericks: Robert Woodward Jr., Mississippi State 

The Mavericks simply need two-way players on their roster, making Green’s selection a tough swallow.

Better players than Woodward Jr. exist on the board, but none fit Dallas’ select need.

Woodward is another strong and long wing who can really shoot it while doubling as an off-ball threat in multiple sets.  He’s straight firepower and certainly won’t kill Dallas defensively – two traits they desperately need to surround Luka Doncic with.

No.19, Brooklyn Nets: Isaiah Joe, Arkansas 

Isaiah Joe was on track to be the best shooter in this draft class until Aaron Nesmith showed up.

Joe’s so ridiculous from the three point line that in 2018-19, his three point percentage topped his field goal percentage – a stat that doesn’t feel like it should be possible.

Additionally, Joe moves like a pinball around the court.  He’s constantly fighting through and flying around screens and trying to get open.  His effort to shoot it is just as impressive as the shot itself.

Brooklyn is in best player available mode or most tradeable asset mode, depending on how real the smoke around a Harden trade is.  If the Nets keep their current team together, Joe would fit right in.

No.20, Miami Heat: Paul Reed, DePaul

Likely another reach, Reed is arguably the most switchable player in the draft.  He’s got legitimate chops guarding all positions, which is unbelievable considering his size.

The Heat strictly need Reed to help Bam Adebayo protect the rim.  This could be placing a limit on Reed’s ceiling, but it’s also very possible him guarding 1-5 at the NBA level is unfeasible.

Reed doesn’t have a great offensive game, but the Heat are so deep and loaded with offense that they can afford the reach here.  Reed gives them what they need.

No.21, Philadelphia 76ers: Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech

Pinpointing what the Sixers should do here is tough considering their new management and current roster.  Splitting the bill seems like the right thing to do.

It seems unlikely that the 76ers are going to make any major moves this offseason, so addressing their needs given what they have is the right approach.  Philly could certainly use more shooting and more shot-creators around Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.  Ramsey provides both.

He’s an upside pick, but Ramsey has shot creation chops that could let him develop into a crafty offensive player someday.  He’s also a good shooter for how high his usage can run, indicating that Philly could use him and his athleticism off the ball in certain sets.

It’s unlikely, but the Sixers could be looking at their future No. 1 offensive option here, depending on how you value Embiid’s post game.  Ramsey has the dog and skill in him to hit that point.  He’s a bit boom or bust, though the shooting provides a foundation no matter what he turns out to be.

No.22, Denver Nuggets: Precious Achiuwa, Memphis 

Paul Millsap might be a goner in free agency this offseason, and the Nuggets could use more long defenders after watching what the Lakers did to them in the Western Conference Finals.  Achiuwa is raw, but the one trait he does bring is energy and athleticism.  The dude is long as all hell, and can use his arms to make himself a problem for practically anyone.  His offense needs to come a long way, but Denver has not been adverse to risk and swinging for the fences in the draft.  Achiuwa’s a bit of a project, but they Denver can let him play and develop him at the same time.

No.23, New York Knicks: Jordan Nwora, Louisville

The Knicks trade-up Wednesday morning is a bit concerning, considering that it was previously thought that they were going to be patient and rebuild the right way.

If they keep the pick, Nwora would be a good choice.  After taking Haliburton in the lottery, New York can still fill a hole on the wing.  Nwora’s a reach here, but his placement at No. 24 on the board shouldn’t make it a surprise.

Nwora’s got an ideal scoring arsenal.  He’s not just a pure shooter, though he’d excel in that role.  The 22-year-old was Louisville’s No. 1 offensive option last season, and his tall frame allows him to get buckets over anyone.

He’s comparable to Cam Johnson with a more diverse offensive game.  Both have lengthy frames, are older and are a tad stiff defensively, but they shoot the hell out of the ball and likely won’t disappoint.

No. 24, New Orleans Pelicans: Tyrell Terry, Stanford 

Terry’s small size is a cause for concern, and the board reflects that.  But he’s a dynamic shooter and good passer, making him New Orleans’ perfect long-term point guard as Zion Williamson figures to have the ball in his hands more given a healthy year.

Terry’s slide to being the No. 28 overall prospect in this draft class has to do with his value defensively.  He’s going to get relentlessly attacked, and there’s not much he or the Pelicans are going to be able to do about it.  

No.25, Oklahoma City Thunder: Elijah Hughes, Syracuse

Oklahoma City is simply in asset acquisition mode.  That means they can afford to take swings.

Hughes is the last of his kind in the draft.  The 22-year-old was Syracuse’s whole offense last year, and did a pretty job running the show.

Hughes’ workload forced him into a lot of bad situations, but the guy has a knack for getting buckets and beating anyone off-the-dribble.  OKC will likely find their star in upcoming drafts, but Hughes isn’t a bad flyer.

No.26, Boston Celtics: Jalen Smith, Maryland

The Knicks’ trade-up with Utah costs the Jazz Smith here, and Boston should be ecstatic.

Boston’s fallen on hard times trying to replace Al Horford.  Smith doesn’t offer the same type of game, but he’s a big, modern center who can switch decently well and shoot threes.  He’s not the passer Horford was and never will be, but could offer Boston a solution to an immense problem.

No.27, Utah Jazz: Zeke Nnaji, Arizona

Trading back and scooping up a high second round pick gives the Jazz Zeke Nnaji, who isn’t a bad consolation prize to Smith.

Nnaji is arguably more switchable than Smith, as he’s got a more wiry frame and more athleticism.  Rudy Gobert’s contract situation and character seems to be limiting his days in Utah, and the Jazz can easily transition to a more modern brand of ball by letting Nnaji takeover when and if Gobert is out the door.

No. 28, Oklahoma City Thunder: Ty-Shon Alexander, Creighton

Once again, Oklahoma City is in best player available mode.  Alexander is a sizzling shooter who’s an absolute beast against guards defensively.  He’s not super switchable, but is able to lockdown almost anyone playing the 1 and 2 positions  while providing shot-making from anywhere on the court.

No.29, Toronto Raptors: Theo Maledon, France

Fred VanVleet’s free agency and Kyle Lowry’s age make Maledon the perfect pick for the Raptors.  Maledon is among the safer players in this draft – he plays like a professional, sees the court incredibly well and carries poise with the moves he makes  There’s a chance he’s just a backup, but the Raptors need depth at the position in the immediate future.

No.30, Boston Celtics: Cassius Stanley, Duke

Boston finishes filling out their bench by taking another wing.  Stanley has rocket-boosters in his shoes, which should help him become a better defensive player than he currently is.  But his shooting is undeniable, and the Celtics love for athletic wings makes this a good fit.

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Now for a breakdown of the most surprising prospects not to go in the first round mock, separated into three tiers.

How did these guys not go in the first round?

• Leandro Bolmaro: The dude is basically jumbo-size Steve Nash, but he’s likely to be overseas until at least 2022, making his value tough to gauge.  A further developed jump-shot could make him an unstoppable force offensively. (Note: A previous version of this article had Bolmaro going No. 11 to the Spurs, which left RJ Hampton without a spot in the first round.  Apologies for the error).
• Immanuel Quickley: Better shooters just exist.  He’ll be a threat off screens and cuts in the league.
• Ashton Hagans: NBA teams just aren’t as high on him.  It’s understandable, as he’ll never, ever shoot.  But his defensive tenacity and knack for running a team should lead to some success at the next level.
• Peyton Pritchard: An intriguing target for Toronto at No. 29.  Maledon just projects as a better distributor.  Pritchard’s frame might limit his scoring impact, too.
• Cassius Winston: Here’s another safe pick.  It’s just that there is almost zero ceiling with him.
• Isaiah Stewart: Moves really well for how much of a throwback big he is.  Is a beast defensively and can guard pick and rolls.  Problem is lack of a modern offensive game.
• Malachi Flynn: Just another really solid backup point guard.

Want to like, but…

• Desmond Bane: He doesn’t move his feet well for someone who’s acclaimed defensively.  Should be able to hit shots at the next level, but the NBA might be a wakeup call for him on the other end.
• Udoka Azubuike: He’s similar to Stewart but can’t move like him.  Injuries really hurt his stock at Kansas.  One of those guys you wish was better.
• Tyler Bey: What is there besides insane athleticism?  A bit raw.
• Killian Tillie: Tillie would be a guaranteed top 20 pick if his medicals weren’t horrifying.  There will likely be teams staying completely away, and it’s purely a shame.
• Yam Madar: Projects as a fourth-guard, where as the Pritchard’s and Maledon’s of the draft can probably be third guards.
• Devon Dotson: Could be a fun scorer but lacks the athleticism needed to do it.

Tough swallows:

• Kira Lewis: He doesn’t have De’Aaron Fox’s speed or passing ability, which was the reason Fox was able to make up for his lack of shooting out of college.  Also might be a tough hang defensively due to his small size.  That’s the complete opposite of Fox.
• Grant Riller: Riller is basically the equivalent of someone 6’7 playing basketball against people who are 5’8.  He was that much better than everyone else at Charleston, making all the highlight reels hard to really believe in.
• Tre Jones: A great defender but plays way too reckless offensively.  Maybe his brother Tyus can teach him some things about settling down.
• Jaden McDaniels: Hard pass.  Nobody was more underwhelming in college basketball last year.  The tools are there but the execution and effort is not.
• Nico Mannion: If Grant Riller is the 6’7 dude, then Mannion is one of the 5’8 people.  He might be able to shoot it and pass at the next level, though his stature is concerning on both ends.
• Aleksej Pokusevski: Another hard pass.  He’s the exact type of player you don’t want to fall in love with.  He’s not a fluid mover, which is concerning given his ridiculous frame.  He’s robotic shooting and dribbling, and will get banged around endlessly.
• Daniel Oturu: Oturu has been dominant since his high school days, but his style of play doesn’t totally fit the modern NBA.  He’s been rumored to be shooting it well, but there’s still no switchability or rim protection on the other side.
• Xavier Tillman: No shooting and no rim protection is a bad combination as a big these days.
• Vernon Carey Jr.: Nope.  Way too much old-school in his game, and Duke didn’t help modernize him at all this past year.