Darius Garland is averaging fewest assists for team leader since 1951

NBA rookie Darius Garland is averaging 2.8 assists per game, which is actually the lowest for a team leader in the 24-second shot clock era.

Cavs rookie Darius Garland is averaging 2.8 assists per game, which is actually the lowest for a team leader in the 24-second shot clock era.

Most of the lowest figures came before 1951, which is when the current rule was introduced. Since then, the previous-worst since 1968 was by Marcelo Huertas (3.4) on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015-16 and Tony Parker on the San Antonio Spurs (3.5) in 2017-18.

To contextualize how bad it has been for Garland, who still manages to lead the Cavaliers in assists: The rookie has produced 2.3 assists per game in a set offense, per Synergy, which ranks No. 103 so far this season. His assists per game when running his team’s transition offense (0.5) ranks No. 120 as well.

Garland is averaging just 1.0 assist per 70 possessions to Kevin Love, which is quite a bit lower than he has received from teammates in previous years. compare that to last season when Cleveland’s Cedi Osman had 1.7 assists per 70 to Love. Love received more than three assists per 70 from LeBron James during their final two seasons together.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently wrote about how frustrating this has clearly been for the veteran big man, citing an intentional lane violation after just planting himself in the key (via The Lowe Post):

“He still stood there even as Brett Brown was on the court yelling for a three-second violation. And then as the coup de gras, he raised his hand to call for the ball and alert, on purpose I think, alert the referees to say: ‘That’s right. I’m still here.'”

Lowe believes that was his way of trying to signal to Garland and fellow young guard Collin Sexton that he wanted more touches.

Cleveland, overall, is passing at a fairly normal rate during the 2019-20 season. They are averaging 288.4 passes per game, which ranks 16th in the league.

But only 7.2 percent of those passes have been on assists, the second-lowest rate among all teams. The Cavaliers are averaging 20.7 assists per game this season, the third-worst mark in the NBA.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this reportPossession data is pulled from NBA Wowy.

How would Danilo Gallinari fit in Portland?

Following a disappointing start, the Portland Trail Blazers have been linked in rumors to Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari.

Following a disappointing start, the Portland Trail Blazers have been linked in rumors to Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari.

After a trip to the Western Conference Finals last season, Portland now has a losing record (.400) and are two games back of the playoff picture this year. It has been a tough time for Portland, though they seem more likely to add trade assets like Gallinari rather than ship off bigger pieces like CJ McCollum.

Based on recent reporting from Kevin O’Connor, all of the veterans on the Thunder, including Gallinari, are available in trade talks (via The Ringer):

“OKC remains a playoff contender even after trading Westbrook and Paul George last offseason. The Thunder are just 11-12, but that’s good enough today for the 7-seed in the West. Despite their moderate success, plans haven’t changed; Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Steven Adams and other veterans are all available, according to league sources … Portland is expected to pursue Oklahoma City’s Danilo Gallinari, according to league sources. The Blazers have options to help save their season following the Carmelo Anthony Band-Aid.”

Gallinari has produced 1.14 points per possession for the Thunder this season, via Synergy Sports, which ranks in the 91st percentile among all NBA players. He has been one of the best shooters in the league on non-corner attempts.

When identifying the market for Gallinari, however, one of the traits to look for is teams’ tempo. According to Synergy, Gallinari ranks in the 93rd percentile in a set offense but just in the 18th percentile in a transition offense.

Perhaps the main reason why this would be a good fit for Portland is that only one team (the Cleveland Cavaliers) finishes possessions in transitions less often than the Trail Blazers.

Similarly, the most commonly-used five-man lineup for Portland has played at one of the slowest paces in the league. That pace (99.6) is nearly identical to what Gallinari has averaged (99.9) for Oklahoma City.

However, he would also provide an offensive weapon that they are desperately missing after the devastating injury to Rodney Hood. Before he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles, Hood was the most prolific spot-up shooter for Portland.

As such, the Trail Blazers need another catch-and-shoot option waiting on the perimeter. Gallinari has averaged 7.4 points per game off the catch for Oklahoma City, which ranks fifth-best in the NBA. Portland has scored the second-fewest points per game on catch-and-shoot opportunities, which is where Gallinari can provide immediate relief.

Portland is also shooting just 58.7 percent at the rim, per Cleaning the Glass, which currently ranks as the fifth-worst in the NBA. Gallinari, meanwhile, is shooting a career-best 68 percent in this zone.

For a team that will need immediate scoring relief without Hood available, the Trail Blazers would have plenty of use for Gallinari. The question would only be what they could offer but his fit is there without question.

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NBA MVP Race: Jimmy Butler surges into Top 6

Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. Which stars have stood out thus far?

Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.

Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

10. KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS, MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

STATS: 25.8 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 BPG, 42.2 3PT%

One of the most productive players in basketball, Karl-Anthony Towns is putting up insane numbers for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season, ranking 10th in points per game, ninth in rebounds per game and ninth in three-point percentage (minimum: 100 attempts) on the year. The advanced stats love Towns’ prowess as a scorer, as evidenced by Synergy Sports ranking the Wolves big as an excellent producer in five separate play-types: as a spot-up shooter, on put-backs, in isolation, coming off screens and as a cutter. Towns would rank higher on this list if his team hadn’t just lost four games in a row by a combined 44 points. Minnesota needs to get their star center some help.

Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

9. DAMIAN LILLARD, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

STATS: 26.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 44.3 FG%

Another star player putting up big numbers for a losing team, Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers have had a tough time getting on track this season, sitting at 9-15 through 24 games. It’s impossible to fault Lillard for that, however, considering how productive he’s been on the year. This season, the Blazers are 12.9 points per 100 possessions better with Lillard on the floor, proving how valuable he’s been to the team. The problem is, Portland completely falls apart during stints with Lillard on the pine, and that’s something that could cost the Blazers a shot at the playoffs. We’ll see if that affects the star floor general’s future with the team, though Lillard has stated multiple times how much he loves it in Portland.

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

8. KEMBA WALKER, BOSTON CELTICS

STATS: 21.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 39.5 3PT%

The Boston Celtics are excelling as a team, so it’s tough to pick just one of their players to honor in these rankings, but when forced to choose, Kemba Walker was the clear choice. Walker has acclimated wonderfully to life on a winning team, putting up impressive numbers for Boston while proving to be a fantastic teammate, which could not be said about the All-Star point guard he replaced over the offseason. The Celtics only played twice last week, but they were both matchups against top playoff teams in their respective conferences, the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets. Boston battered both opponents by a combined 32 points with Walker leading the way, averaging 23.5 points and 5.0 assists on fiery 51.5/47.4/100.0 shooting splits.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

7. PASCAL SIAKAM, TORONTO RAPTORS

STATS: 24.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.3 3PG, 46.0 FG%

Prior to last week, the Toronto Raptors hadn’t lost back-to-back games all season long. Now, they’re sitting on a three-game losing streak, and it happens to coincide with a slump from Pascal Siakam. Toronto’s burgeoning star swingman averaged 18.3 points over three games last week, shooting 38.9 percent from the floor and a paltry 14.3 percent from three-point range. Regardless, after losing Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors are still exceeding expectations this year with a 15-7 record and a Top-5 league-wide ranking in net rating, and Siakam has been unquestionably the reason why, which explains why we still rank him favorably for MVP.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

6. JIMMY BUTLER, MIAMI HEAT

STATS: 20.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 6.8 APG, 2.2 SPG, 43.2 FG%

After not making the Top 10 of our rankings last week, Heat forward Jimmy Butler surges into the Top 6 this time around thanks to an insane four-game stretch in which Miami went 3-1 and Butler averaged 27.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.3 steals on 48.4/41.7/77.6 shooting splits. Butler earned Player of the Week honors in the East on Monday thanks to that impressive run. Despite shooting poorly on the season as a whole (43.2 FG%, 30.3 3PT%), Butler still ranks Top 7 in advanced metrics Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus, Win Shares and Win Shares Per 48, which speaks to how incredibly valuable he’s been on both ends of the floor. Butler is one of just five players putting up a 20/6/6 stat line this season, and has Miami sitting preetty with a 17-6 and third in the Eastern Conference.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

5. ANTHONY DAVIS, LOS ANGELES LAKERS

STATS: 27.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.7 BPG, 50.7 FG%

The reigning Player of the Week out of the West, Anthony Davis capped an impressive four-game week with a 50-point (20-of-29 shooting), 4-steal performance for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Davis has been spectacular all season long, making a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year while still ranking seventh in the league in scoring. In years past, there’s been a lot of preseason buzz about Davis turning the corner and becoming the best player in the league, and though that hasn’t happened quite yet, the 2019-20 version of Davis is the closest we’ve come to seeing it, with the Kentucky product playing the role of a legitimate two-way monster who is among the best scorers and fiercest rim-protectors in the league

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

4. LEBRON JAMES, LOS ANGELES LAKERS

STATS: 25.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 50.1 FG%

Davis’ super teammate, LeBron James is also performing at an MVP level, which would explain why the Lakers are widely considered either the best, or second best, team in the league right now. The most impressive part of LeBron’s game is that although he looks like he’s playing in cruise control for the most part, he’s still producing at a ridiculous pace; James’ nonchalant nature of dominance has been downright scary in 2019-20. Per Synergy, the four-time MVP ranks as an excellent scorer out of the post, in spot-up situations, coming off screens and on put-backs. James turns 35 in a few weeks, and he’s still this good. Crazy.

Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

3. JAMES HARDEN, HOUSTON ROCKETS

STATS: 38.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 7.4 APG, 2.0 SPG, 43.1 FG%

Leading the league in scoring and nightly minutes played, James Harden is having yet another spectacular season for the Houston Rockets. While dropping a 50-spot against the San Antonio Spurs last Tuesday, Harden had a dunk called no-good by officials despite clearly going in, which you could argue cost Houston the game since the contest wound up going to double-overtime before San Antonio prevailed by two points. At the same time, you could also make the case that Harden’s (and Russell Westbrook’s) porous shooting that night were what ended up costing the Rockets the game. In fact, one troubling recent trend regarding the bearded superstar has been his shooting in general. Harden has made just 10 of his last 42 three-point attempts, good for a 23.8 three-point percentage, although he’s making up for it by averaging 16 free throws over his last three games while converting 93.8 percent.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

2. LUKA DONCIC, DALLAS MAVERICKS

STATS: 30.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 9.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 47.6 FG%

At all of 20 years old, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been one of the very best players in all of basketball this season, putting up otherworldly numbers on a nightly basis while leading Dallas to a 16-7 record and the league’s third-best net rating (+9.4). In Doncic’s rookie season, the Mavs’ net rating was No. 21 league-wide (-1.5) and the year prior to the Slovenian star’s arrival, it was No. 22 in the NBA (-2.9), which goes to show the absurd trajectory both Doncic and Dallas as a whole are on. The one slight criticism that can be made about Doncic recently is that he’s getting too emphatic with his in-game officiating complaints. That’s not to say referees can’t be criticized, but we don’t need another Chris Paul-type of star who becomes hard to watch due to constant complaining. Thankfully, Doncic admitted he’s been too animated with the officials, and that he’s going to try and tone it down moving forward. Good. We would also be remiss not to mention that Doncic recently broke Michael Jordan’s record of most consecutive 20/5/5 games with 19 straight such games.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

1. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS

STATS: 30.8 PPG, 13.1 PPG, 5.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 56.4 FG%

All you need to do is read the above stats recap to understand why we ranked Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 1 of our MVP rankings for the second week running. If Antetokounmpo maintains the pace he’s on, he’ll become just the third player in league history to post a 30/13/5 stat line for an entire season, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor on the illustrious list. Giannis’ impact is far from empty, too, as the Milwaukee Bucks are 20-3 and have the NBA’s No. 1 net rating at +12.9. The league’s second-best team in net rating, the Lakers, are just at a +9.4. As far as Antetokounmpo’s recent form is concerned, the Greek Freak had a marquee matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers and their super wing duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on Friday. Antetokounmpo responded by scoring 27 points, securing 11 rebounds and holding Leonard to 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Outrageous averages and elite team success give Giannis the nod for No. 1 in our rankings.

You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.

Matisse Thybulle shooting better off catch than he ever did in college

Philadelphia 76ers rookie wing Matisse Thybulle was drafted for his defensive prowess but has also improved on the offensive side as well.

Philadelphia 76ers rookie wing Matisse Thybulle was drafted for his defensive prowess but has also improved on the offensive side as well.

Thybulle was electrifying during a victory against the defending-champion Toronto Raptors, hitting five three-pointers on December 8. The rookie ended the night with a career-high 20 points.

After 23 games, the first-year player is shooting 44.0 percent from three-point range. That is currently quite a bit better than league average (35.7 percent) in the NBA. Despite the fact that the college three-point line is shorter than the professional distance, that mark is also better than he ever shot in the NCAA.

The 23-year-old has never been a player who has been able to create his own shot from the perimeter. During his four-year college tenure at the University of Washington, per Hoop-Math, over 90 percent of his successful shots from beyond the arc were assisted.

This season, all of the 22 three-pointers he has made have come off an assist. That means he relies on his teammates for his outside attempts, used mostly as a spot-up finisher for Philadelphia.

Especially considering how much attention is required by opposing defenses for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, there are often open shooters waiting on the perimeter.

For example, watch how much space Thybulle has as Simmons drives to the basket. While he may have been able to continue for a contested shot near the rim, he instead finds Thybulle for a catch-and-shoot three-pointer.

As such, it is no surprise that the rookie is averaging 5.8 three-point attempts per 36 minutes when playing alongside Simmons but just 2.6 per 36 when he has not been on the court with the point forward.

More than two-thirds (68.1 percent) of his connected three-pointers have hit while sharing the floor with Simmons — who has actually assisted on nearly half (45.5 percent) of his long-distance makes. Watch one of them during the victory over Toronto:

Thybulle is averaging 1.16 points per possession (75th percentile) as a spot-up shooter for the Sixers. The wing is shooting 18-for-36 (50.0 percent) on these looks.

During his tenure for the Washington Huskies, he was just 178-for-471 (37.8 percent) on spot-up possessions. He ranked below the 50th percentile in both his junior and senior campaigns.

You can see the progress he has made shooting off the catch and as a spot-up shooter below:

Overall, Philadelphia currently ranks fourth-best among all NBA teams in spot-up efficiency this season. Thybulle has both been a beneficiary and also played a big role in the team’s success in these opportunities.

Before the draft, that is exactly what Jonathan Wasserman projected for the wing (via Bleacher Report):

“Optimizing Thybulle means surrounding him with scorers and playmakers so he can receive open catch-and-shoot looks and play to his strengths as a spot-up threat and defensive ace.”

Thybulle has found a role and a niché in the offense for the Sixers and will have even more trust from his teammates and coaches get more used to his style.

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Bar Races: The NBA teams with the worst winning percentages this century

The Knicks are the worst team in the NBA this century when considering winning percentage.

The Knicks are the worst team in the NBA this century when considering winning percentage. (They were not one year ago).

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Four potential Kevin Love trade destinations

HoopsHype breaks down the latest Kevin Love trade rumors and examines potential destinations for the five-time All-Star.

After a long, painfully dry drought of trade rumors in the NBA, one that was historically lengthy, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the silence on Friday by reporting that the Cleveland Cavaliers are finally ready to hear offers for five-time All-Star Kevin Love.

If one deal is on the way, it would make sense considering the stage of rebuilding Cleveland is currently in (very early on in the process), and how much time is left on Love’s contract (three more seasons after this one). Simply put: Love doesn’t make much sense on the Cavaliers’ roster the way it’s construed at the moment, and he would be better served suiting up for a contender.

Now, that doesn’t mean finding a suitor for Love will be easy. He’s 31, somewhat injury prone and owed a ton of money – over $120 million, to be exact.

Still, Love is putting up good numbers this season (16.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg  on 44.6/37.6/88.1 shooting splits) and if he is made available, contenders will come calling.

So we decided to break down four potential trade destinations for the former champion. Without further ado, let’s check them out.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

UTAH JAZZ

The Utah Jazz are off to a slow start this season, which isn’t totally out of the ordinary for them under head coach Quin Snyder. Over the past couple of campaigns, Utah has begun at a mediocre level before going on long runs and establishing themselves as a Top 4-caliber team in the West.

So far in 2019-20, the Jazz are 12-10 and boast a net rating of  +0.1, which is about as mediocre as you could get. And considering the expectations they had coming into the season after the additions of Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic, among others, Utah has been pretty disappointing.

One area they could use help in is at the 4-spot, where Snyder has turned to Royce O’Neal and Jeff Green to be the primary options, and the duo have responded by averaging a combined 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Love’s production would far exceed that. What’s more, from a basketball fit sense, the big man’s floor-spacing would form a wonderful synergy with the paint-bound Rudy Gobert, whose defensive prowess would mask Love’s deficiencies on the other end of the floor.

Finding the salaries to match in order to make a deal between the Jazz and Cavs work is tricky, especially with the struggling Joe Ingles ineligible to be traded until the offseason, but a trade can be found using a core package including Bogdanovic, Dante Exum and Ed Davis. Add a Top-10 protected first-rounder and that could be enough to entice Cleveland, who would be acquiring one elite asset and a promising young player on a relatively cheap deal in Exum, who could use a change of scenery.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

BROOKLYN NETS

Another playoff team in need of a power forward, the Brooklyn Nets would also make sense as potential Love suitors.

Without an injured Kevin Durant, Brooklyn isn’t expected to compete for a title this season, but acquiring Love would raise their ceiling and put them on the same tier as everyone behind the Milwaukee Bucks in the East. Plus, with Kyrie Irving in the fold and Durant set to return next season, having the modern version of the 2015-16 title-winning Cavaliers, with Durant playing the role of LeBron James, could appeal to the Nets.

Love’s post game, one that will be able to flourish again on a team with more threats to score besides just him, will garner the Nets simple buckets when needed, while his floor-spacing would fit well next to a rim-diver like Jarrett Allen. Plus, a frontcourt of Allen and Love would absolutely dominate  opponents on the glass, and the extra possessions gained from the duo’s offensive rebounding could come quite valuable when the playoffs roll around.

Again, due to Love’s massive salary, finding the right swap of salaries here is tricky, but a package including DeAndre JordanJoe Harris (he would be tough to lose but it’d be either him or Spencer Dinwiddie, and the Nets would likely rather keep the latter) and Taurean Prince would come close.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX SUNS

The Phoenix Suns are fighting to reach the playoffs this season for the first time with Devin Booker, and acquiring Love could help them achieve that goal, especially with their need at the 4-spot.

Phoenix’s current starter at power forward, Dario Saric, is doing an admirable job manning the position, averaging 10.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, but there’s little doubt he’d be better suited for a bench role where he can make plays and attack the basket against weaker second units.

Love at power forward for the Suns would quickly strengthen their starting five; his screen-setting and pick-and-pop prowess would mesh wonderfully with Booker, his floor-spacing would fit well next to the pick-and-rolling Deandre Ayton (due back from suspensions on) and his scoring would give Phoenix a legitimate No. 2 option to get buckets.

Ricky Rubio, Booker, Kelly Oubre, Love and Ayton would form a strong starting lineup, with a healthy blend of both young talent and experienced production.

Additionally, thanks to Tyler Johnson’s bloated (but expiring) $19.3 million salary, finding an acceptable trade between the two parties is a lot easier than it is for other suitors. Phoenix would just have to add just under $5 million in outgoing salary, and some draft capital, to make a reasonable offer for Love.

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

BOSTON CELTICS

The Boston Celtics are a team that has been rumored to have interest in Love at different points over recent years, so it makes sense that Woj mentioned them in his original report on ESPN on Friday.

With lineups featuring so many athletic wings, so much ball movement and an All-Star point guard, the one area Boston is a bit lacking is in the frontcourt, where Daniel TheisEnes Kanter and Robert Williams are taking the majority of the minutes at the 5.

Love would present an immediate upgrade over any of those guys, and thanks to the versatility defensively of monster point-stoppers like Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, Love’s lack of chops as a defender at center could be masked. The Celtics could also choose to keep Theis, an adept rim-protector, starting at center, play Love at the 4 and surround the two bigs with Kemba WalkerJayson Tatum and Brown to form a nasty-yet-well-balanced starting five.

Of course, any deal between the two Eastern Conference rivals would have to include Gordon Hayward, who actually earns more than the player Boston would theoretically be trading for in Love (the swingman is making $32.7 million this season to Love’s $28.9 million).

Considering Boston is 7-4 (while boasting the league’s No. 8 net rating) since Hayward went down, and with how well Brown and Tatum are playing, there’s a chance general manager Danny Ainge feels comfortable moving the former Utah Jazz forward to fill another deficient spot on the roster.

After an awkward and disappointing 2018-19 season, the Celtics look quite impressive thus far this campaign. And Love would only make them better.

You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.

Wizards’ Davis Bertans is shooting the lights out from three-point range

When the Washington Wizards acquired Davis Bertans from the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason, they knew they were getting a sharpshooter.

When the Washington Wizards acquired Davis Bertans from the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason, they knew they were getting a sharpshooter.

Bertans, 27, shot over 40.0 percent from three-point range during his first three NBA seasons in San Antonio. This year, however, he has gotten off to such a hot start that he has become one of the more fascinating stories of the year.

He is averaging a career-high 3.7 three-pointers per game, nearly double his previous best. The forward is also shooting 45.3 percent from downtown, the best mark of his career as well.

The Wizards have scored 121.2 points per 100 possession when Bertans has played alongside star guard Bradley Beal, the best offensive rating among all two-man lineups (minimum: 250 minutes) in the Eastern Conference.

During the first half of a victory against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, the forward went a perfect six-for-six from three-point range. After the game, Washington rookie Rui Hachimura said Bertans is “the best shooter” he has ever seen.

Bertans, overall, is averaging an impressive 1.26 points per possession. That ranks in the 98th percentile this season, according to Synergy Sports. Among the 141 players who have finished at least 200 possessions so far, no one has been more efficient.

Most of his field-goal attempts have been three-pointers, which especially makes sense considering that he was the most accurate corner shooter in the league last season.

This year, he has been fantastic when shooting from long-range above the arc. James Harden (4.5) and Kemba Walker (3.5) are the only players who have connected on more non-corner three-pointers per game than Bertans has (3.3) in 2019-20.

Earlier this season, Fred Katz wrote about how the Wizards planned to use him in a different way than he had been implemented on the Spurs (via The Athletic):

“San Antonio kept him stationary more often and used his gravitational pull to yank defenders to the perimeter. Washington has implemented him as someone who can both set screens and run off them. He has an uncanny ability to make sure he’s always squared to the hoop. It doesn’t matter if he’s running in the opposite direction of the basket or not. When he turns and elevates, his shoulders are lined up; he lands in the same place he takes off.”

He has shot well coming off screens, which will only continue if he gets more playing time with teammate Thomas Bryant. Only five NBA players have averaged more screen assists than Bryant (5.3) thus far.

When shooting off a pick set by the Washington big man during a game vs. the Pacers on November 28, he also showed how efficient he has been on his contested shots.

Among all players in the Eastern Conference, he is tied for the most three-pointers made (18) when the defender has been within four feet.

Bertans, who leads the league in catch-and-shoot three-pointers (63) this season, is averaging 1.25 PPP on guarded catch-and-shoot opportunities. That ranks in the 82nd percentile among all players, per Synergy.

This offseason, the 6-foot-10 forward will be a free agent and if he is able to continue shooting the lights out, expect a massive offer sheet headed his way.

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Beat writers discuss covering lousy teams: ‘There’s only so many ways you can write that they’re bad’

NBA beat writers Marc Berman, Jon Krawczynski, Fred Katz, Vince Ellis and Keith Pompey discuss what it’s like to cover a struggling team.

Supporting a team that finishes near the bottom of the standings each year is extremely frustrating. It’s no fun rooting for a perennial loser. 

But what’s it like covering a team that’s constantly struggling? Beat writers spend nearly every day of the season with their assigned team, so how exactly is a beat writer impacted when their respective team keeps losing?

HoopsHype asked the following veteran beat writers: Marc Berman (New York Knicks beat, the New York Post), Jon Krawczynski (Minnesota Timberwolves beat, The Athletic), Vince Ellis (Detroit Pistons beat, the Detroit Free Press), Fred Katz (Washington Wizards beat, The Athletic) and Keith Pompey (Philadelphia 76ers beat, The Philadelphia Inquirer).

HOW LOSING AFFECTS THEIR COVERAGE

“When you cover a really bad team – a 50-loss team or a 60-loss team – there’s only so many ways you can write that they’re bad and they lost the game,” Jon Krawczynski said. “It really does challenge you to find unique angles on a day-to-day basis.”

“Someone explained this to me a long time ago: You aren’t rooting for a team, you’re rooting for a story,” Vince Ellis said. “And it’s hard to come up with story ideas when you’re covering a perennial loser.”

When a team enters a season with zero expectations of winning, that kind of losing season isn’t as bad as when a team was projected to do well and then fails to live up to the heightened expectations. Fred Katz pointed out that it’s important to adjust your coverage and overarching voice to fit that season’s circumstances.

“Your voice has to change, but no matter what, you’re still covering 15 people,” Katz said. “A team doesn’t necessarily need to be winning to find interesting stuff. Bradley Beal is an awesome player and he’s always interesting. It might not get the national play that it would get when I was covering Russell Westbrook during his MVP season, but in terms of just interest, if you’re passionate about your job, your beat and the subject you write about, I think you can always find stuff.”

During a successful campaign, everyone is happy and candid about what’s working. During a losing campaign, people are often frustrated and closed off. A good beat writer can uncover what’s happening behind closed doors.

When the team is winning, you’re basically painting a picture of what’s right in front of you,” Krawczynski said. “When the team is losing a lot, it’s up to you to really dig and leverage your relationships and your reporting skills to find out the real reasons why things aren’t going well or why certain decisions were made in terms of trading a player or firing a coach.”

Because a beat writer spends virtually every day around their team, they’re likely going to hear a lot of explanations from a wide variety of people when the squad is struggling. 

“When things are going wrong, there are going to be a lot of people who are giving their version of what’s happening and there are generally problems with every viewpoint or things that are being left out,” Krawczynski said. “A coach may say, ‘It’s the players’ fault and they aren’t doing what I want.’ A player may say, ‘It’s the coach’s fault; he doesn’t have the right system.’ Everyone is going to be pointing fingers. While fans are typically looking for us to validate whatever they think is wrong with the current situation, what we’re actually trying to do is find that middle ground that’s as close to accurate as possible and then present that. We’re just trying to get the truth.”

In addition to doing more investigative reporting, some beat writers are given the green-light to pursue unique stories that may not have seen the light of day if the team was winning.

“I think it gives you a little bit more freedom to get weird,” Katz said. “I, personally, get really excited about weird statistical trends. My big thing – and you hear musicians talk about this with their music – is that you write the songs that you like and if other people like those songs, then great. But when you start writing songs for other people, you kind of lose the heart of it.”

Sometimes, a beat writer’s coverage will change toward the end of a losing year. As Marc Berman noted, some outlets cut game stories in half or scrap them altogether in the final weeks of a season. Instead, there’s more of a focus on pieces about the future of the franchise (such as features on young prospects or breakdowns of possible offseason moves).

When the Philadelphia 76ers were tanking, it became clear that fans didn’t want to read about each regular-season loss. Instead, as Keith Pompey notes, they were eating up draft content and Summer League articles because they were looking ahead for future contributors (AKA Trusting the Process).

“Back then, Sixers fans got so excited for the Lottery and the NBA Draft was huge,” Pompey said. “It was ridiculous; my numbers used to be off the charts when I was writing about Summer League games. It was completely different. Last year, when they made the playoffs, it was almost like, ‘Okay, what do we do now?’ as far as covering the team. It was new to everyone.”

There’s often more national visibility for beat writers who are covering contending teams (particularly those in large markets). Some care about this more than others.

“I guess covering a winning team is good for things that some people care about like visibility, more eyeballs on the stuff you’re writing about and things like that,” Ellis said. “I don’t dislike visibility or people consuming my stuff, but that’s really not a concern of mine. My assignment is to cover the team that I cover, and I don’t care about how much visibility I get or the team gets.”

Photo by Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports

HOW LOSING IMPACTS PLAYER INTERACTIONS

“It’s not fun to walk up to somebody and ask them, in a public platform, why they aren’t doing well in their job,” Katz said with a laugh. “That’s never a fun thing.”

That’s essentially what beat writers must do after losses, though. This part of the job is difficult, as the players are often frustrated and guarded. Some players take out their anger on the journalist, while others shut down and give one-word answers.

“When a team is losing, it’s generally really quiet in the locker room,” Krawczynski said.

“It’s tougher to get thoughtful, illuminating answers during losing streaks,” Ellis added. “It can be a lot tougher when a team is struggling. After a game, it’s almost impossible. But after practices, when they’ve had some time to cool down from the latest loss, they can be more thoughtful.”

When the interviewee knows the beat writer well, they’re more likely to open up and try to give usable quotes, even if they aren’t in the best mood. Remember, beat writers spend more time with the team than just about anyone outside of the organization, so they often get to know these players, coaches and executives well.

“That’s where the relationships come in handy because there’s trust,” Katz said. “You have more leeway too. You can ask certain questions and they’ll know, ‘I know Fred, he’s a fine guy and he’s not out to get me or get a [out-of-context] soundbite.’ That’s when the relationships come in, when they’re losing. It’s why the No. 1 most important thing to do as a beat writer is to have relationships with everybody you cover.”

Certain losing locker rooms are worse than others. As previously mentioned, the higher the pre-season expectations, the more disappointed and dejected that team will be if they end up losing the majority of nights. For example, look at last year’s 17-win Knicks versus this year’s squad.

“Once it became evident that wins and losses didn’t matter because they were tanking, I’ve never been a locker room more happy to lose than last season,” Berman said. “Unless they got destroyed, it was pleasant after losses. And one of the great things about David Fizdale last season is that he was always upbeat and always talking about the future.

“The atmosphere this year, early on, is definitely more somber. First of all, there are a lot more veteran players on the team who want to win. Fizdale isn’t talking about the future, he’s not talking about cap space. After some of these bad losses, he’s really dejected.”

Interestingly, some players give their best interviews when times are tough.

“The irony is that sometimes you get the best quotes in a losing locker room,” Berman said. “The team may get blown out, but then the players are very candid and willing to look in the mirror and criticize themselves and the team. Sometimes, after a victory, you just hear a lot of clichés. But in general, when a team is losing over and over, the locker room is tougher to cover.”

Sometimes, when a team starts rebuilding, it can lead to more access for journalists. For example, several years ago, one team went from being a perennial contender to a bottom-feeder after losing their star player. Suddenly, the team’s PR department gave journalists more access than ever before and went out of their way to help the media. This obviously doesn’t happen with every organization, but there are some instances where a team’s sudden struggles actually make the journalist’s job easier.

“I’m sure there are specific scenarios where a team gets bad and they say, ‘We need more good publicity. We need people to see how good of a guy Player X is, so that we can get more people to tune in or come to games or buy jerseys.’ But that’s definitely not a rule of thumb,” Katz said. “Who is the toughest team to cover in the league? The Knicks, and they’ve won one playoff series in the last two decades and they’re banning journalists from the arena! And the Warriors win our Professional Basketball Writers Association award [for best media relations] pretty much every year and they just went to the NBA Finals five years in a row. It’s totally dependent on the organization and how they view things.”

“I think this season, if the losing continues, they’ll want less publicity,” Berman said of the Knicks. “They would rather us write less than more during these times.”

Photo by Angelo Merendino/Getty Images

HOW THEIR AUDIENCE HANDLES THE STRUGGLES

In sports-talk radio, it’s often said that it’s great for business when the local teams are losing. Suddenly, the station gets more calls because the passionate fans are upset and want to vent. Also, the hosts can fill segment after segment by criticizing the struggling teams, which leads to even more callers.

However, this doesn’t apply to beat writers.

“The Pistons being good or on a winning streak is better for me numbers-wise than a team that’s losing and playing poorly,” Ellis said. “As a matter of fact, my numbers are bad this year. My content hasn’t changed and I still think I do a pretty good job with the content, but it’s just that the audience isn’t there. There are some angry fans who are mad and want to blame somebody. They want to find a boogeyman for why their team isn’t good. That engagement is there on Twitter and talk radio, but overall, fewer people are reading my articles.

“The passionate fans are going to care either way, but the casual fans tune out when the team is losing. And for the casual fans, the NFL is easier to keep track of and less of a time commitment because it’s only one game a week. There are a lot of casual fans who check out when the Pistons are losing. That’s what our metrics say too.”

Berman has noticed the same thing. This would be the Knicks’ seventh-straight season missing the playoffs and New Yorkers are tired of watching their favorite team struggle.

“No, the losing is not a good story for us right now – not anymore with the Knicks,” Berman said. “It is not selling papers, it is not encouraging more clicks. When the losing has gone on for seven-straight seasons, it’s old and tired.”

In fact, Berman has been on the Knicks beat for 20 years and he’s never seen the fan base like this.

“The fans are beat up, to the point that I’ve noticed in recent months that a super-negative story is going to be ripped on Twitter by a lot of the Knicks fans,” Berman said. “I know with Twitter it’s tough to gauge if that’s the general thinking of the public, but they are so desperate for a winning team and a positive story that they’ll criticize a writer for going too negative. I’ve never experienced that – never – on this beat until very recently, and that just shows that Knicks fans are so beaten down that they just can’t read constant negativity. If there’s any little glimmer of hope, that’s what they want to read.”

At the end of the day, fans get tired when the narrative is the same year after year.

“When I took over this beat in 2008-09, people were tired that the Pistons were going to the Eastern Conference Finals every year (but couldn’t win it all more than once). They said it was ‘stale’ and interest was starting to wane,” Ellis said. “Unless the team is winning championships, some fans get tired when it’s the same players and the same situation over and over – whether they’re at the bottom of the standings or falling short in the playoffs.”

Krawczynski witnessed this firsthand during the Timberwolves’ 13-year playoff drought, as the losing caused fans to check out and feel hopeless about the team’s direction.

“When a team has been losing for a long time, for several seasons, and there are no real expectations because of it, there’s an apathy that sets in and fans really just check out on the team,” Krawczynski said. “There will always be a group of diehards who are living and dying with the team and getting emotional about things. But there can be an overall malaise that sets in and I think that’s what teams really want to avoid the most. When fans are really upset and making those angry fan calls, at least that means they care. When that apathy sets in, they don’t buy tickets or don’t turn on the TV.”

When things are going poorly, frustrated fans sometimes want to see the beat writer use their platform to go after the head coach or general manager. Each of the beat writers had experienced this. What these readers don’t understand is that the beat writer is an objective journalist and not a fellow fan.

Photo by Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

DYSFUNCTION SOMETIMES LEADS TO GREAT CONTENT

When a team keeps finishing near the bottom of the standings, there’s often behind-the-scenes drama, which gives beat writers some interesting stories to chase.

“Sometimes, I find the controversy that occurs during losing to be more interesting than winning,” Ellis said. “The Pistons’ mutiny in 2011 is a great example of the kind of controversy and dysfunction that can come with covering a bad team. That kind of stuff doesn’t happen when you’re covering a good team!”

For those who don’t remember, the mutiny that Ellis mentioned occurred in 2011. Half of the Pistons’ roster (including Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Tracy McGrady and Ben Wallace among others) refused to show up for a morning shootaround to send the message that they wanted head coach John Kuester to be fired. Ellis’ coverage of the mutiny received national attention, as he appeared on numerous television and radio shows that week. But that wasn’t even the most controversy-laden season he’s covered while on the Pistons beat.

“That 2008-09 season with Allen Iverson is probably still the most memorable season that I’ve covered – seeing Iverson refuse to acknowledge the fact that he was a diminished player and seeing that a player who is a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer can still wreck a locker room,” Ellis said. “To this day, out of my 12 seasons, that was the most fascinating season and I had a front-row seat for that dysfunction. If Joe Dumars doesn’t trade Chauncey Billups for Iverson, that season probably isn’t anywhere near as memorable for me.”

Depending on the circumstances, a losing season can generate just as many interesting stories as a winning squad (if not more). For example, Krawczynski covered Jimmy Butler’s trade request and subsequent exit from Minnesota, which gave him plenty to write about that season.

“When there’s major drama, that is where it really requires a lot of reporting experience, a lot of relationship-building, a lot of source work and essentially investigative journalism,” Krawczynski said. “We’re presenting a clear and accurate picture of what’s going on when times are tough. We’re wading through all of the BS that’s thrown our way and thrown the fans’ way to get to the bottom of things. It’s not pleasant and it’s not easy to do, but I think that’s where the really good reporters separate themselves from the mediocre ones.”

But just because a team is losing doesn’t necessarily mean there’s dysfunction. Some struggling teams are more interesting than others. Berman points out that there’s not much drama to cover when it comes to the 2019-20 Knicks, especially compared to how things were just a few years ago.

“When they’re losing amid controversy, there’s more interest,” Berman said. “When Phil Jackson was running the show, for more than three years he was always putting out one brush fire after another. Phil was always controversial. Now, there’s not really any of that. The only drama is if the Knicks continue to lose badly, David Fizdale’s seat will become hotter and hotter – and, yes, fans do like to read about [coaching changes].”

During the Trust-The-Process years, there wasn’t too much controversy surrounding those teams (aside from the tanking itself). All of the young guys in the locker room knew not to worry about losses – the goal was improving each day – and they were all happy to be there. Many of their players just weren’t NBA-caliber.

“During my first year on the beat, the Sixers were playing Indiana and I used to always get to the arena early to watch guys warm up,” Pompey said. “When Indiana’s [end-of-bench] players were warming up, they were making 80 percent of their shots (if not more). I looked at someone and said, ‘Wow, so this is a real NBA team?’ And the guy looked back at me and said, ‘Yeah, I don’t know what the hell you’re covering,’ and started laughing. It was bizarre; the Sixers just didn’t have it, man. Their guys just weren’t that good. That was one thing that really stood out to me – how much better these players who didn’t even play were than the Sixers’ [starters].”

Despite the fact that the Sixers didn’t have a realistic shot of winning on most nights and won just 47 of a possible 246 games in a three-season stretch from 2013 to 2016, Pompey kept fans informed about everything going on with the franchise. That’s what a beat writer does.

“Your job as a beat writer is always to tell the stories,” Katz says, “regardless of what’s going on.”

Who has scored the most points for losing teams in NBA history?

Who has scored the most points for losing teams in NBA history?

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