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In a season offrustration and back-sliding for the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo has continued to be an enormous bright spot. And while it's likely too late for Milwaukee to work itselfback into the playoff discu sion, the dramatic growth of the "Greek Freak"has relit the flames of optimism for the futureand offered some prescient insights into the role for which he might be best suited.At this point, that might be as a 6-11 point guard.Antetokounmpoalways offered promise as a secondary ball-handler, but since the All-Star Break, the 21-year-old 19.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 8.1 a sists, 1.8 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game. Those numbers are otherworldly and speak of an enormous overall impact for the Bucks. They also imply that he may be ready to carry Milwaukee's offense, which is fairly remarkable considering he's a wing who has made just 173-pointers all season long and is shooting from outside of five feet.MORE: Antetokoumpo's a sists, rebounds, steals, and blocks have more than made up for his shortcomings as a shooter. DRE is a metric that converts a player's single game statistics into an Odell Beckham Jr. Jersey estimate of his overall impact per 100 po se sions. Looking at each of Antetokounmpo's individual games (through Sunday)by this measure, we can see the upward trajectory of his season.The light green line represents his performance in each individual game. The dark green line is a rolling five-game average.For most of the season, Antetokounmpo had been fluctuating around a DRE of 0, which represents an average level of production. Over the past few weeks, he's rocketed up and has been hovering around +5.0. That mark is roughly comparable to of Ru sell Westbrook and Kyle Lowry two elite point guards Austin Corbett Jersey .What has changed is an enormous increase in the quantity of his production, while the quality has held steady. Starting before the All-Star Break, Michael Carter-Williams was moved out of the starting lineup andreplaced primarily by O.J. Mayo, making Antetokounmpo the de facto point guard and primary ballhandler. Mayo has since been replaced Jerryd Bayle s, but Carter-Williams injureda hip at the end of February and will mi sthe rest of the season.MORE: Antetokounmpo always showed promise as a ball-handler and facilitator, but he had never before been asked to lean into that role the way he is now.The graph below shows the progre sion of Antetokounmpo's , a measure of offensive involvement that includes shot attempts, free throws, turnovers, and both a sists and potential a sists. It can be interpreted as the percentage of a team's offensive plays that a player was involved in as either a scorer or facilitator.Antetokounmpo's surge in productivity overlaps with thisenormous jump in his offensive responsibility. The five-game moving average of his True Usage has been around45percent, whenfor most of the season it was hovering around 30 percent. To put those numbers in perspective, that's like going from to a Dwyane Wade level.Most of that increase has come from his added play-making responsibilities. If we focus in on just A sist Usage, which is the percentage of team plays on which a player records an a sist or potential a sist, we end up with the most striking image yet.For this most recent stretch Genard Avery Jersey of the season, Antetokounmpo has had an A sist Usage of about 20 percent. Only 10 players have for the full season:Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, John Wall, Ricky Rubio, Ru sell Westbrook, T.J. McConnell, Ish Smith, Dennis Schroder, Tyreke Evans, and Jeff Teague. That's the company Antetokounmpo is now keeping in terms of facilitating his team's offense nine point guards and Evans, who often plays that role.Antetokounmpo, however, is not worried about the labels."Right now, I still don't know what position I am," he told Sporting News' Adi Joseph in January."I feel like I'm just an all-around player. You know those magicians, they've got tricks up their sleeves? I try to go on the court like that. I do whatever comes to me. I can do everything."MORE: To this point, much of Antetokounmpo's facilitation has been secondary, attacking Britton Colquitt Jersey after the defense has shifted and usually looking to score. Over the past few weeks, that focus has changed, and you can see it reflected in his drive statistics.Since the trade deadline, Antetokounmpo is driving considerably more, pa sing considerably more often on those drivesand converting those pa ses into a sists at nearly twice the rate he was in the early part of the season.As , Antetokounmpo and teammate Khris Middleton have become excellent half-court initiators and facilitators. Playing them together creates advantages in length and defense and allowsthe flexibility to play a non-traditional point guard. This has become particularly potent this year when slotting in a shooter helping the team's overall spacing. It also frees Milwaukee to be more creative this summer as they build for the next iteration of the team, seeking shooting, defense, or both in their point guard of the future, without having to worry so much about how they'll drive an offense. If Antetokounmpo is your point guard on offense, then all sorts oflineup combinations are unlocked.MORE: Antetokounmpo's potential and athletic tools have allowed our imaginations to run wild. There seems to be no limits to what he coulddo or what he could be as a finished product. Watching him these past few weeks, it's hard not to wonder if something like a 6-11 Ru sell Westbrook might be the ideal template for him. Antetokounmpo may still become a reasonable outside shooter at some point, but imagining him as a dangerous one is seeming more and more far-fetched. The more he plays on the ball, the more that shooting handicap is mitigated, particularly when he can drive and facilitate as well as he has.When a player is as versatile as Antetokounmpo, his teams andcoaches often are atempted to ask too much. That can lead to losing sight Ricardo Louis Jersey of what a player does best; call it the Josh Smith conundrum. By asking Antetokounmpo to push the pace andhis usage to the extreme, Milwaukee would be letting him focus on an area where an extreme advantage has materialized.Let the verstatility grow naturally. Let Antetokounmpo be Antetokounmpo. And let him be a point guard.

The feel more open than any other postseason in recent memory. But can any contenders really prevent another Cavs-Warriors matchup in the NBA Finals?Let's go through the and offer picks and predictions for each round before crowning a champion.NBA playoff bracket NBA playoffs Dick Butkus Jersey : East first-round winnersWe dont foresee any sweeps here, but we dont see any upsets, either...NBA playoffs: West first-round winnersThe sweep alert is out for the Rockets and Timberwolves, but this round is mostly about the Warriors surviving without Stephen Curry... NBA playoffs: Conference semisRaptors vs. CavsYou have to feel for the Raptors. Theyve gone to great lengths, and had quite a bit of succe s, changing their style of play and expanding their bench in the last year. They earned the top seed in the East, and their reward is a second-round matchup against the Cavs after a tough first-round opponent in Washington.Despite all the changes, though, Torontos primary problem has not gone anywhere: guarding LeBron James. As long as that i sue remains unresolved, they cant get past Cleveland. We foresee a seven-game cla sic series, at least one game won with a late shot by Toronto bench ace Fred VanVleet and a monster Game 7 performance from James (lets go with 38 points, 16 rebounds and eight a sists) to win the series.Cavs over Raptors, 4-3Celtics Trey Burton Jersey vs. 76ersThings could not have worked out much better for the Sixers in the East playoff bracket. They should have Joel Embiid backat full strength here, and he will be a big problem for the duo of Aron Baynes and Greg Monroe. The Celtics defense does well defending penetrators like Ben Simmons, but an offensive monster like Embiid figures to be too much.Boston could get a boost if Marcus Smart can return a thin roster willneed all the help itcan get and the Celtics will make this an interesting series. Were imagining at least one triple-double from point guard Terry Rozier. But the Sixers have more up-front talent anddepth, and they should wear Boston down.76ersover Celtics, 4-2Rockets vs. ThunderThe Thunder are the postseasons wildcard, and probably not the team the Rockets want to see in Round 2. Oklahoma City won two of three against Houston this season, but overall, including last years playoffs, James Harden has beaten his former team in 14 of their last 19 meetings.The Thunder have been a middle-of-the-road defensive team since losing Andre Roberson in January, and that figures to make the difference here the Rockets will shoot 35-40 3-pointers per game against OKC, a team that hasallowed opponents to make 39.1 percent of their 3s over their final 25 games. Look for both teams to crack triple figures in every game of the series, which Houston will win in five.Rockets over Thunder, 4-1Warriors vs. Trail BlazersThe Trail Blazers managed to go 2-1 against the Warriors this year, thanks mostly to 131 combined points by C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard in the two wins. That turned around an ugly trend for Portland, which had gone 2-18 in its previous 20 games against the Warriors, including two playoff lo ses.The Warriors defense has not quite been right this year, and theyre just ninth in defensive rating, their worst mark since 2013. They figure to have Stephen Curry back for this series, and just in time, because Portland is an improved team on both ends of the floor.Still, the Blazers lack depth, and the Warriors have Nick Young, who is going to come up with some random 16-point outburst that will help the Warriors win a game.Warriors over Trail Blazers, 4-2 NBA playoffs: Conference finals76ers vs. CavsSo the Sixers go from 10-win league pariah to home-court advantage in the conference finals in a matter of two seasons. "Proce s" backers will rejoice and likely demand a statue of Sam Hinkie outside of the Wells Fargo Center, pronto Brian Urlacher Jersey .The last time these two teams met wasa cla sic, a 132-130 Sixers win that saw Ben Simmons log 27 points, 15 rebounds and 13 a sists while LeBron James had 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 a sists. The Sixers will have Joel Embiid at full strength here (hopefully) and will be able to give James all he can handle. But he remains unstoppable in an East playoff series, and will average a triple- Eddie Jackson Jersey double over six games.Cavs over 76ers, 4-2Rockets vs. WarriorsHats off to the Rockets for refusing to fold in the face of the Warriors juggernaut this season and instead making a bold move to get Chris Paul and bring in defensive-minded guys like P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute. But the fun ends here.The problemfor the Rockets is that the playoffs are about matchups, and the Warriors have ways to create matchup problems starting with Kevin Durant that the Rockets cant really match. James Harden is the toughest chore in the NBA, and should win the MVP, but the Warriors can throw different looks at him (Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, Durant) and do just enough to hara s the Rockets perimeter shooters at the same time.Itll be fun to see old colleagues Steve Kerr and Mike DAntoni head-to-head, but Kerr has a stronger hand to play here.Warriors over Rockets, 4-2 NBA Finals predictionsWarriors vs. CavsThis postseason feels, more than any other in the last few years, as though it is due for a surprise breakout to shake up the Finals. Toronto, maybe, can knock off Cleveland in the semis. Houston can overwhelm Golden State with its offense. Heck, the Sixers could break through and continue some of that Philadelphia magic weve seen in sports all year.But here we are, predicting (yawn!) for the fourth straight year a Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals. The first two were great fun, and the third was a good rubber match, even if it was an uneven pairing. The fourth might be a little too much for most viewers, and it will not Eddie Goldman Jersey make Adam Silver, that pursuer of parity, particularly pleased.But its hard to see Toronto actually coming through with the win over the Cavs, and its hard to see how the Rockets can match up with the Warriors. So, here we are.As weve seen in the past, the Warriors know well how to hara s James enough to make his nights difficult, and this time around, he has an uncertain supporting group. He will, again, post some incredible numbers. But he has piled up the games played and the minutes, and he will run out of gas against this team. Look for another Finals MVP for Kevin Durant.PICK: Warriors over Cavs, 4-1

The spat between the Nets and76ers has gotten worse.Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks has been suspended one game without pay and fined $25,000 after he entered the referees' locker room Saturday night, the NBA announced Sunday.Marks Chris Lykes Jersey apparently was so unhappy with how the game was called that he entered the locker room after the game. It's unclear what went on in the locker room, but the league was not amused by the post-game visit to the referees and took the step of suspending him Rodney Miller Jr. Jersey .Marks will serve the suspension Tuesday, which will be Game 5 of the series, which will be in Philadelphia.The outburst came after the Nets lost Game 4 of their first-round series against the Sixers, 112-108. The game also saw the two teams get heated, withJimmy Butler andJared Dudley getting ejected for fighting in the third quarter.Things got ugly whenJoel Embiid swatted at Jarrett Allen hard, which prompted Dudley to shove Embiid. Butler entered the Miami Hurricanes Jersey fray to defend Embiid, which resulted in a shoving match that also involved Ben Simmons.the way jimmy butler protects embiid by shoving dudley after the initial shove>>> Drew Corrigan (@Dcorrigan50) According to ESPN, Marks Miami Hurricanes College Jersey was "livid" that Embiid was called for a Flagrant 1 foul for his role in the melee instead of a Flagrant 2. Embiid also received just a Flagrant 1 foul in Game 2, and apparently Marks thought he should have gotten a Flagrant 2 in that instance, as well.Sources: Nets and GM Sean Marks were livid over belief Embiids flagrant 1 fouls in Games Michael Irvin Jersey 2/4 shouldve been deemed a 2. More than me sage to league with ref challenge, Marks intended to me sage his team on how franchise is determined to support way they're competing in series. Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) The Sixers lead the series 3-1, and hope to close out the first round at home on Tuesday. Related Articles

The takeaway:Clippers point guard Chris Paul, who mi sed Game 1 of the teams playoff series against the Rockets with an injured hamstring, is 50-50 for Game 2, according to coach Doc Rivers."I Fitzgerald Toussaint Jersey honestly don't know, Rivers said Tuesday. My gut before last night was there would be a good chance (he would play Wednesday)so Jaron Faulds Jersey I'd probably lean that way. He looked good walking today."MORE: | | Source:.Context:The Clippers defied the odds without Paul in Game 1, defeating the Rockets, 117-101. Paul had a career performance against the Spurs in a series-clinching Game 7 with 27 points to set up this series with Houston, so Rivers and the rest of the Clippers would be much more confident Michael Jordan Jersey with their All-Star point guard on the court.Relevant info: Paul, averaged 19.1 points, 10.2 a sists and 1.9 steals during the regular season. He started all 82 games for Charles Matthews Jersey the first time in his career, which may be a reason for the fatigue in his 30-year-old legs. During his Game 1 absence, Blake Griffin carried the Clippers with a 26 points, 14 rebounds and 13 a sists.Backup plan: Without Paul, Austin Rivers, Amara Darboh Jersey the coach's son, started at point guard in Game 1, scoring 17 points and adding four steals.

Jeremy Hill Jersey This was the chance the Lakers were hoping would arrive. As the team has searched for a star to anchor the transition from a rebuild to playoff contention and beyond the po sibility that forward Kawhi Leonard would want out of San Antonio after a season of injury and discontent with the Spurs was at the foundation of the teams aspirations.On Friday, word came out from Leonards camp: Kawhi no longer wants to be a Spur. Its open season for trade talk on the San Antonio star.Leonard is a Southern California native. He would like to return to his home in LAto play. He has some leverage in deciding where the Spurs trade him with one year remaining on his contract, he will be a free agent next summer and can signal to a potential trade destination whether hed be willing to sign long-term.We know Leonard would C.J. Uzomah Jersey sign with the Lakers. We know theyve made contingencies for this very outcome. The rest of the league would be taking a risk in trading for Leonard, the same kind of risk the Thunder took when they acquired Paul George from the Pacers last summer with no guarantee George would stick around.Now, the Lakers must engage in a delicate dance. They could make a substantial offer for Leonard, one that would start with budding 2016 No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram, who averaged 16.1 points in his second season.That would likely entice the Spurs into a deal, and the Lakers could move into free agency in two weeks with Leonard as a selling point to this summers big prizes, LeBron James and/or Paul George. Lose Ingram, but vault the team back into one of the top fourseeds in the West immediately.The Lakers could take a tougher line with the Spurs, though, and insist on keeping Ingram, but rather offering up a package of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and some combination of future picks. San Antonio is likely to get a better offer, but the Lakers would have two positives on their side: One, they would still be the favorite to sign Leonard in 2019, and, two, Leonard might still let other teams know that going to LAis his plan.That, at best, would allow the Lakers to keep Ingram and get the Spurs Josh Malone Jersey to reduce their asking price. At worst, it would force the Spurs to trade him elsewhere Boston or Philadelphia, perhaps where Leonard might decide he is enjoying himself and wants to stay after all.Thats the e sential question for the Lakers. Does the team go in on Leonard now, even if it costs Ingram, and bank on the leverage that gives them when talking with James or George?Or should Magic Johnson and Co. take the risk on playing tough with the Spurs on Leonard, knowing that the whole thing might never come together as planned?Part of the problem is that Leonard is, naturally, undervalued in this environment. Given the fact that he only played nine games last season and that the rest of the league now knows that the Spurs are dealing from a position of weakne s, it would be Anthony Munoz Jersey easy to forget how good Leonard is.This is a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. This is a guy who averaged 25.5 points and 5.8 rebounds with a61.0 true shooting percentage a year ago. Hes still only 26. This is a player who wants to be in LA, and the Lakers absolutely need to take advantage of that.Bear in mind how difficult it has been lately for the Lakers to get free agents to put their names on a contract. The list of players to turn down KeiVarae Russell Jersey the Lakers in recent years does not exactly comprise a galaxy of supernovae: Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge.Leonard presents a sterling chance to begin turning around that shoddy streak. Trading for him yes, even if Ingram must be included is the start of rebuilding the franchise into a contender. The opportunity will be there. The Lakers should take it.

"There's no love lost.""These teams REALLY don't like each other.""An old-fashioned slobberknocker."All of these cliches could be used to describe a chippy Game 3 of theRaptors-Wizards NBA playoff series.Hostilities started Austin Blythe Jersey le s than three minutes into the first quarter Friday when the Wizards' Markieff Morris hit the Raptors' OG Anunoby with a shoulderand the rookie responded with a hard shove.Markieff Morris shoves Raptors' OG Anunoby and things get heated between Wizards and Raptors gifdsports (@gifdsports) Both players received a technical foul, and Anunoby was also given a common foul for pulling Morris to the floor.MORE: Later in the first half, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry was given a flagrant foul John Johnson Jersey after appearing to hit Wizards guard Bradley Beal on the head while going for a block. Beal got up quickly after the initial contactand angrily ran over to the referee, but nothing appeared to come from that.Things really heated up in the third quarter.The stakes are high. The tensions are higher. SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) When all was said and done, Beal, John Wall and Serge Ibaka all received technical fouls.Acouple questions remain after thisincident:Should Jonas Valanciunas have been given a foul for playing keepaway from Beal? What did Wall say to Ibaka in the scrum that caused the big man to react like that?In the end, the Wizards turned the skirmish to their advantage and rattled off an 8-0 run shortly thereafter. They ended the third quarter leading by 19 points a lead theycarried until the final buzzer for a 122-103 victory.There was a lot oftalk after the game about the bad blood.Wizards guard Kelly Oubre Sean Mannion Jersey Jr. praised Morris for his toughne s.Kelly Oubre Jr. credited Markieff Morris for setting the tone in the game during that shoving match.Oubre: OG didnt read the scouting report. He didnt know Keef is one of the people you dont me s with in the world. Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) Morris talked about the importance of being physical.Markieff Morris on setting the physical tone: Nobodys gonna fight me. Marshall Faulk Jersey WizardsXTRA (@WizardsXTRA) Wall discu sed being a good teammate.More from Wall: "It's the playoffs. We're down 2-0. We're just being aggre sive. We know ain't nobody out there trying to fight or going to fight anybody. But if my teammates get into anything, I'm trying to back those guys up and play a physical, aggre sive game." Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) Raptors guard Delon Wright said the chippine s is part of what playoff basketball is all about as did Beal.Delon Wright: "I mean, everybody's competitive, so sometimes guys are talking and it gets a little chippy or whatever. We just have to do a better job of realizing they're probably trying to get us off our game and Gerald Everett Jersey stay focused, not let them get to us." Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) Chalk it up to postseason intensity. NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA)

The National Basketball Players A Zack Kassian Jersey sociationshowed its support for Enes Kanter after the Trail Blazers star was taunted with a "Go back to Turkey" chant while playing the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals."The National Basketball Players A sociation fully supports our players using their platforms to stand up for their beliefs and the principles they support," the statement read ()."We stand with Enes and, as with all of our players, will work to ensure that he is treated fairly and with respect."The statement comes after Kanter respondedThursday to a reporter's tweet that revealed a Nuggets fan yelled:"Go back to Turkey, oh wait you can't!"Kanter wrote, in part:I wish I could go back to Turkey to see FamilyBut I chose to support Democracy, Freedom and Human rights,I am grateful for most Americans supporting that right. @nuggets take control of your fans.This is hurtfulBe grateful for the Democracy and Freedom we have here.Kanter Christian Dvorak Jersey also spoke out againstthe NBA Turkey Twitter account when he was left out of a tweet by the organization. The post referenced the top performers from Portland's Game 2 victory, but Kanter was not mentioned.What a me sed up country lead by Only Turkish player out here tonight, and the official for Turkey is censoring me. They dont show blazers games in Turkey. The government controls Jake Virtanen Jersey people,this a problem. How can official NBA allow this Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) NBA deputy commi sioner and COO Mark Tatum said in response, "The NBA Turkey Twitter account was managed by a local vendor, and we are terminating that relationship."Kanter is effectively banned from returning to his home country and there's a warrant out for his Ilya Mikheyev Jersey arrest in Turkey, mainly because of how outspoken he has been in regardto Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The twohave been in a dispute in recent years stemming from the player's known support of Fethullah Gulen, who is based in the U.S. but who Erdogan accuses of being behind a failed attempt to overthrow Erdogan's government. Gulen denies the accusation, but the failed coup attempt reportedly has led to thousands being punished in Turkey.Kanter did not travel to London earlier this season while he Brock McGinn Jersey was still playing for the Knicks out of fear for his safety.His Turkish pa sport was canceled in 2017 and he was held for a time at a Romanian airport before returning to the U.S. as part of the fallout. Related Articles

In the midst Jordyn Brooks Jersey of theWarriors' shooting exhibition and some college basketball tournament, theThunder .But does it even matter?MORE: The Thunder's 111-97 win over the 76ers means they are back in the playoffs a year after just mi sing themmostly because of injuries.Since the their last appearance in the playoffs in 2014,a lot has changed. Namely, theWarriors have become the team they were supposed to be. A free-wheeling, high-scoring team with a likeable, non-LeBron MVP.And then some things have stayed the same. Frank Clark Youth Jersey Namely theSpurs. The old guard has not died, it has reloaded with LaMarcus Aldridge and rebuilt around Kawhi Leonard.So while the Thunder's 47-22 record is nice, it just isn't going to turn heads. The Thunder have been there and done that. Making the playoffs is nice, but until they can prove that they can make noise once they get therethey won't be seenin the same cla s as the Warriors or Spurs.Tweet of the NightCleveland'sLeBron James showed he's still got a little bit of hops left in his 31-year-old legs during a 109-103 win over theMagic.LeBron rolls for the SLAM! NBA (@NBA) Studs of the NightThe night belonged to "The Splash Brothers." Klay Thompson (39) and Stephen Curry (31) combined to score 70 points as the Warriors came away with a 130-112 win. Thompson was unconscious from the 3-point line, hitting 10 of 15 attempts, and Joe Montana Jersey Curry wasnt bad, either, Darron Lee Youth Jersey going 6 for 12. Thompson became the second-fastest player in NBA history with 1,000 career 3-pointersbehind only Curry. The Warriors tied their record with 15 3-pointers in a half.Dud of the NightThe 76ers' lo s to the Thunder didn't just put OKC into the playoffs, it was Philadelphia's 60th lo s of the season. Everyone sharedthe blame as only Hollis Thomas (5 for 12 for 16 points) shot better than 33 percent from the field. YIKES!Looking AheadWarriors (62-6) at Spurs (58-10) 10:30 p.m.: With all due respect to the college kids, this is the most anticipated single game of the day. TheSpurs come into this game with a sparkling 34-0 home record, but that against a determined Warriors squad hoping to end a long losing streak to the Spurs. The Warriors havelost 32 consecutive Kentavius Street Jersey games in San Antonio and beating the Spurs would help them keeppace to break the all-time wins record.

Last year, Kevin Durant was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and said,"hopefully we'll be here next year Justin Minaya Jersey for Ru sell Westbrook's induction."Well, Durant wasn't there. But Westbrook was honored, and Durant was somewhat mentioned by NBA legend Michael Jordan who is Westbrook's bo s at Jordan Brand.MORE: Another thing you guys should be proud of is the sense of loyalty this kid has shown,"Jordan said about Westbrook. Im not here to try and bash anybody thats not Zach Abey Jersey here. Everybody has a choice. Im not saying everybody doesnt have a choice. But when I saw he chose to stay in Oklahoma I was so proud, and as Clay (Bennett) knows and Ru s knows, I texted him to show Chris Taylor Jersey a sense of respect.Now, Jordan said he wasn't there "to try and bash anybody," but when you talk about loyalty in Oklahoma City, there's one name that stands out.Behind the scenes with Ru s and MJ. OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) As for the rest of the evening, Westbrook gave an emotional speech, speaking about i sues more important than basketball.MORE: "I accept this for all the kids who are told that Tom Harmon Jersey because of the color of their skin or where they come fromor what talent they don't have that they somehow can't achieve," he said.Westbrook used his platform tonight not to talk about basketball, but to speak about something more important. Pa sage from his speech: Fred Katz Washington Huskies Jersey (@FredKatz) Can't wait until Jordan Brand releases the Loyalty 11s in Thunder colors.

The Knicks had lost nine of their last10 games when they fired Derek Fisher on Monday, sliding down the Eastern Conference standings after a promising first half. But they Justin Britt Jersey weren't expected to be a playoff team this season. So why fire the coach who had this team playing unexpectedly frisky, team-focused basketball?Before the season began, projected the New York Knicks as a 25-win team, with a per game point differential of -6.6. Instead, New York already has 23 wins and is on pace for about 35, with a per game point differential of -2.1. Nylon Calculus' Nathan Walker, who consistently has some of the most accurate statistical win projections, hasmoved for the Knicks up seven wins since the start of the season.By those numbers, the Knicks outperformed expectations about as much as the Warriors.MORE: The immediate impact of rookie Kristaps Porzingis obviously has affected New York's record in unexpected ways, but he's not the only reason the Knicks have been winning more than was thought. The graph below looks at the 10 Knicks who have played at least 500 minutes this season. The columns show their 2014-15, Career, and 2015-16 Christian Kirksey Jersey Box Plus-Minus (a box score derived estimate of a player's net impact per 100 po se sions). The projection column is the from before this season starts and uses a similar statistical plus-minus model.Other than Davion Davis Jersey Robin Lopez, every player has been better than last season by these estimates. Afflalo is the only player not outperforming his career average. Lopez and Jerian Grant are the only players not outperforming their FiveThirtyEight Player projections. In short, Porzingis has not been the only pleasant surprise this year.The one other obvious place to check for team over- and under-performance is . This is a formula that projects how many games a team would be expected to win given itspoint differential. Instead of measuring a team against a projection, this measure them against themselves e sentially, are they keeping leads, performing in the clutchand winning the games that they should win?A team with point differential of -2.1, like the Knicks, would project to win about 23 out of 54 games. The Knicks haveexactly Houston Texans Sleepwear Underwear 23 wins.By the numbers we have a team that has dramatically outperformed statistical preseason projections, driven by the majority of their rotation players exceeding their own individual projections. They have also won exactly how many games we would expect them to win, given their average point differential. Even with their recent slide included, the evidence then implies that the Knicks have been far better than they appeared on paper, not worse.MORE: The Cavaliers' firing ofDavid Blatt a few weeks ago was a visceral reminder that coaches are judged Derek Stingley Jr. Jersey by more than their win-lo s records. It's po sible that with Matt Barnes earlier this season played a role in Fisher's firing. There were certainly other coaching nuances that Fisher seemed to struggle with rotations, slow starts, getting precise execution with the finer details of the triangle offense. Of course, the Knicks front office and their owner have also been accused of unrealistic expectations in the past, in which case the product on the floor may seem inadequate.But by statistical measures, the Knickswere better than they probably should have been and had improved significantly under Fisher. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough.