The 75 things you need to know about the 20 teams still standing

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The 75th season in league history could deliver one of its most wide-open chases to the title.

The Phoenix Suns ran away with the league's best regular-season record, but can they repeat their run to the Finals? They will have to contend with a number of Western Conference competitors, including Luka Doncic and the dangerous Dallas Mavericks, the reigning Most Valuable Player and current award favorite, the Denver Nuggets, and Ja Morant and the young but bold Memphis Grizzlies.

The Golden State Warriors are back in the playoffs for the first time since reaching the Finals in 2019.

In the Eastern Conference, the top seeds are separated by just 10 games. It is the closest conference since the NBA-ABA merger in 1977.

The Miami Heat lead the way, but the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown, James Harden, and the Philadelphia 76ers were close behind.

The Brooklyn Nets are in the play-in tournament after an injury- and drama-filled season. If the Nets make it to the opening round of the playoffs, watch out.

You need to know about the 20 teams still playing for a title, as well as the other things, with the play-in and the playoffs just days away.

The NBA title odds are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. The Phoenix Suns are on a redemption tour.

The Suns are trying to become the 15th team in league history to lose in the NBA Finals and then win the title the following season. The last team to do that was the Warriors in the year of 2016-17, who added Kevin Durant after their 73-win team fell short against the Cleveland in the 2016 Finals.

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Some of the best plays of the season were discussed by Chris Paul and Devin Booker.

2. Booker is the most under-the-radar candidate.

The league's top team was led by Devin Booker, who averaged 26.8 points, 5.0 rebound and 4.8 assists. All 12 players in NBA history who averaged 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the team with the best record in the league went on to win the award. Booker is a longshot for the award, and the snub could motivate him even further in the playoffs.

Record	64-18
Point diff.	7.4 (1st in NBA)
Off. rating	114.2 (5th)
Def. rating	106.8 (3rd)
Net rating	7.5 (1st)
PPG leader	Devin Booker (26.8)
NBA title odds	+270

3. Father Time is being defended by the Point God.

Chris Paul will be one of seven players who are 37 or older to start a Finals game since the NBA officially started tracking starting lineups in 1970-71.

4. The Suns are in a ridiculous huddle.

JaVale McGee barks like a dog when he gets down on all fours. The two dancers dance like they are a budding act on America's Got Talent. It is a thing. It is a lot of fun for the NBA-best Phoenix.

Dave McMenamin.

5. Ja Morant is about to hit his biggest stage.

The bright lights are something Morant loves. During his young NBA career, he has produced in pressure situations. Morant averaged 30.2 points in the first round of the playoffs, but Memphis bowed out in five games to the Jazz. He had a pair of 35-point performances against Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard.

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In a conversation with Mike Schmitz, the Grizzlies star talked about his game and where he thinks he should have been drafted.

6. These are young people who want to make history.

The Grizzlies' average age, weighted by playing time, is 24.4 years old. They're the youngest team to finish with a top-two record since minutes became official in 1951-52, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. By that metric, the Grizzlies could become the youngest team ever to make the NBA Finals, a distinction currently held by the 1976-77 Trail Blazers (24.99).

7. They found a big steal in the 2020 draft.

Most NBA teams didn't think he had a lot of upside after four years in college, a rarity for draft prospects. The development of Bane was projected to continue by the Grizzlies. A major reason Memphis went 20-5 when Morant wasn't available was because of the emergence of Bane, who was a second-team All-Freshman selection.

There are 8. One of their best young stars stayed healthy.

The healthiest Jaren Jackson Jr. might have been the most encouraging development of the regular season. Jackson was limited to 11 games last season because of knee issues. He played all but three games this season and was a candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year.

There are 9. Morant could pull off something like this.

This Ja Morant Sports Science is incredible 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7x0zig3van

— ESPN (@espn) February 2, 2022

Tim MacMahon.

10. The big three shared the court. 11 minutes.

Klay Thompson came back to the Warriors lineup in January and was supposed to be the final piece to the puzzle. That was not true. Draymond Green went out for two months with a back injury after Thompson came back. Stephen Curry injured his foot when Green came back. The big three have only played 11 minutes together this season. The projected starting lineup of them has played just seven seconds. The Warriors had an offensive and defensive rating of 92.3 and 85.2 in those 11 minutes.

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The Warriors are missing key elements that will help them in the playoffs according to Perkins.

11. Jordan had a great season, playing more than 11 minutes.

When Thompson was working his way back from his injuries, Poole stepped in as the starting 2-guard and had a hot start to the season. With Curry out, he has been plugged into his spot and excelled again. In March, he averaged 25.4 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds, scored 20 or more points in 17 consecutive games, and led the league in made 3s.

There are 12. The Splash Brothers might have some relatives.

The Warriors and 3-pointers have become synonymous over the past 10 years. They added more shooting to the roster. The combination of Curry, Thompson, and Poole will present a challenge for the defense. Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica have been reliable bigs who can spread the floor. Gary Payton II can shoot from deep. The Warriors are third in the NBA in 3s made per game, and they have four players who make at least two 3s per game.

13 Golden State's defense started strong.

The Warriors defense had a 102.2 rating through the first three months of the season. It took a huge tumble around February. It is not a coincidence that this happened at the same time as Green was hurt. In the two months after Green was out, Golden State's defensive rating plummeted to 110.4, still good enough for eighth in the NBA. Now that Green is back, the Warriors are trying to reestablish their defensive mindset.

There is a person named "Kendra Andrews."

There are 14. Luka Doncic hits another level in big games.

When he arrived in the NBA as a teenager, Doncic had a long track record of performing. He was the Most Valuable Player of the EuroLeague Final Four in his last act before moving to the NBA, and he was a part of the team that won the EuroBasket title. The Mavs have yet to advance past the first round with Doncic, but he has been a dominant force in the playoffs, averaging 33.5 points, 8.8 rebound and 9.5 assists in two series against the Clippers. Sources told Adrian Wojnarowski that there is initial optimism that the calf strain Doncic left the season finale is not a significant injury.

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Luka Doncic throws the ball behind his head to a wide-open player.

15. The Mavs went from worst to first in a single clutch stat.

After a Feb. 2 overtime loss to Oklahoma City, Dallas was dead last in clutch-time efficiency. The Mavs have a clutch net rating of plus-41.6. Two major factors in the Mavs' clutch transformation: Doncic playing his way into shape and Spencer Dinwiddie arriving at the trade deadline in the Kristaps Porzingis deal.

16. Their defense will be worth watching.

Dallas climbed to homecourt advantage in the first round. The Mavs held teams to 105.7 points per 100 possessions in the first two months of the year. The Mavs have continued winning despite slipping on that end of the floor since, as the defensive rating spiked to 113.8 from March 1 on.

17 There is something to prove.

The Mavs can offer a four-year, $55 million extension before he becomes a free agent, but he still has a lot to prove in the playoffs. After undergoing shoulder surgery, he missed the playoffs, and his playing time decreased over the course of the series.

MacMahon.

18. The Utah Jazz have a player in the playoffs.

Mitchell is one of the premier playoff scorers in NBA history. He's fifth all-time in playoff points per game at 28.9 (minimum 25 games). It hasn't resulted in a deep playoff run. Wilkins is the only other player who has never appeared in a conference finals.

19 Small ball is not their thing.

The hope was that the free agency signing of Rudy Gay, or perhaps the trade for Mitchell's childhood friend Eric Paschall, would give the coach the option of playing small-ball lineups. That has not happened. The Jazz lineups without a traditional center have been terrible, getting outscored by 16.7 points per 100 possessions. The groups have allowed opponents to shoot 68.1% on dunks and layups, which would rank last in the league.

20. They blow a lot of big leads.

The perception that the Jazz are prone to blowing big leads was taken exception to by Snyder. In this case, perception is reality. Utah has lost six games this season in which they held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. Over the past few weeks, the Jazz have lost second-half leads to the Clippers and Warriors. It is a painful subject that brings back memories of the Jazz's elimination-game collapse against the Clippers last year.

21. The future of the franchise is at stake.

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Rudy Gobert talked to NBA Today about his relationship with his teammate.

There is a lot of speculation that a deep playoff run could lead to drastic changes for the Jazz. Rudy Gobert said on NBA Today that the Mitchell-Gobert partnership could be coming to an end. The season ends when the season is over. No one plays together for 20 years in the NBA. We know how it works.

MacMahon.

22. Jokic won the Most Valuable Player last season.

Jokic became the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebound 500 assists in a season, and his 32.92 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) set the league's all-time record. Jokic hopes to have some help for the playoffs, but if he doesn't he will look to continue the type of performances the league hasn't seen from a center in a long time. Jokic averaged 29.8 points, 11.6 rebound and 5.0 assists last postseason, but he heads into these playoffs having posted massive numbers in March and April -- 31.6 points, 13.7 rebound, 7.5 assists and 62.3% shooting. He did it while Denver was fighting to stay out of the West play-in.

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The straw poll conducted by Tim Bontemps has shifted the votes.

There is a new date for this. Reinforcements could be on their way.

On Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of Murray's injury, will be marked. The 25-year-old guard has been ramping up his activity, but the Nuggets will be very cautious with a possible return. Porter Jr. has missed all but nine games this season after having back surgery. No one will want to face Jokic with another offensive weapon by his side if the Nuggets get one or both players back.

24. Denver may have found its spark off the bench.

The Nuggets have struggled when Jokic rests and have tried to find the right mix to keep them afloat. He may have found it in a new person. The Nuggets will need that kind of offensive punch off the bench from the No. 26 overall pick in 2021.

Ohm Youngmisuk.

25. The Minnesota Timberwolves might have the best big man in the world.

After joining Dirk Nowitzki as the two tallest 3-point contest winners, the 6-foot-11 Karl- Anthony Towns declared himself the greatest big man shooter of all time. Pro Basketball Talk said he also matches Nowitzki on long 2s. Dirk has edges in both foul shooting and volume, so it might be time to give him the nod.

26. The starting five of the Wolves is frightening.

The primary starting five for the Wolves are Patrick Beverley and DAngelo Russell at guard, Anthony Edwards and Jarred Vanderbilt at forward, and Towns at center, and they are one of just seven lineups in the league that outscore their opponents by at least 100 points. It will be interesting to see if coach Chris Finch leans more on this group in the playoffs.

27. Do you like the play-in tournament? It was cool that the Wolves did it.

The viability of the play-in tournament was demonstrated by Minnesota and the Nuggets. The Wolves snapped a 13-year playoff drought by beating the Nuggets on the final night of the season in front of a national TV audience. Minnesota is going to the play-in to try to get back in the playoffs.

There is a new date for this. The laws of physics are being changed by the man.

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Anthony Edwards takes flight for a throwdown, but he is called for a foul by the ref.

The playoffs will be the best place for a national audience to see him take flight because he isn't interested in entering the dunk contest. The best throwdown of the season was not counted because he was called for a charge.

Kevin Pelton.

29. Small ball is something the LA Clippers love.

The Clippers thrived last postseason when coach Ty Lue went small and had a lineup that could disrupt and create mismatches. With Norman Powell returning last week after nearly two months out due to a fractured bone in his foot, Lue could trot out a lineup that includes switchable defenders like Paul George, Nicolas Batum, Powell, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington and Terance Mann. Powell is getting Raptors vibes from the Clippers, and he thinks we can be dangerous. I think teams are going to have to worry about how deep our team is.

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In his return, Paul George dropped 34 points, leading the Clippers to their third 25-point comeback victory of the season.

30. There is a Playoff play-in.

The Clippers have a huge boost going into the play-in after George came back after missing three months with an elbow injury. He scored 34 points in his return on March 29 and has looked confident since. He gives the Clippers an elite scorer, someone who can play-making, draw double-teams and disrupt opponents with his defense. If he can regain his rhythm in a few games before the playoffs begin, he can win a series.

31. The door is open on a Leonard return.

Leonard began an individual workout on the court before a Clippers practice in front of media members on Tuesday, working on jab-step jumpers from mid-range and behind thearc. The Clippers will move forward with an abundance of caution because he isn't a year removed from tearing his rightACL. Will the Clippers get far enough for it to make a difference?

There are 32. Mr. June is needed by the Clippers in April.

Reggie Jackson scored 20 or more points nine times during the Clippers run to the first conference finals in franchise history. Jackson, who signed a two-year deal with the Clippers last summer after reviving his career in L.A., has been up to the task in carrying the Clippers with Leonard and George out. Jackson averaged 19.1 points and 5.8 assists in March for the Clippers, who were locked in a race for play-in seeding.

Youngmisuk

33. The stars of the New Orleans Pelicans are happy.

The Pelicans have won eight of their last 10 games, and they have two players who have played together before. The two have found a chemistry on the court despite the fact that he has missed time. The team's offensive rating with those two on the court is the third-best among two-man lineups with at least 200 minutes. The other two better are McCollum and Valanciunas.

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The Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes grabbed the rebound and took it to the rack for the and-1.

34. The person is taking people's cookies.

If you take your eyes off the ball, the point guard could cause havoc. This season, the hide-in-the-corner-and-chase-you-down steal has been perfect by Alvarado. He leads the league with 19 backcourt steals, despite only playing 812 minutes.

Don't let Jose find you in the backcourt 🍪

Jose Alvarado currently leads the league is backcourt steals with 19 and is also averaging 3.1 steals per 36 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OhmXFO8f65

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 31, 2022

35. The 3s are not falling in The Big Easy.

The deadline deal for McCollum was made to improve their outside shooting. The Pelicans are last in 3-pointers made and 27th in 3-point percentage. The Mavericks are 21st in the league in 3-point percentage. New Orleans didn't improve from behind the 3-point line after acquiring the former Portland Trail blazer.

Andrew Lopez.

36. The San Antonio Spurs want to start a new streak.

The Spurs won five NBA titles in a row from 1998 to 2019. The NBA record for consecutive years in the playoffs was set by the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers. If the play-in bound Spurs can knock off the Pelicans and then win one more game, they can start their quest for a new record after missing the playoffs the last two seasons.

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Keldon Johnson throws down a one-handed jam for the Spurs.

37. Murray has been a constant force.

First-time All-Star Dejounte Murray has averaged 21.2 points, 9.3 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game to go along with his single-season franchise-record 13 triple doubles. Murray is the first player in NBA history to average over 20 points per game over an entire season.

38. The Spurs set a record.

San Antonio is second in the league in assists per game. The Spurs are sixth in the league in turnovers per game. The assist to turnover ratio of 2.19 is the best in the league, but no team has ever reached that ratio.

Lopez

EASTERN CONFERENCE

39. The Miami Heat and the case of Jimmy Butler.

Heading into the last month of the season, the splits from beyond the rim were not great.

• October made on 1.3 attempts per game.

• There were 0.2 attempts per game in November.

• There were 1.3 attempts per game in December.

• There were 2.5 attempts per game in January.

• 0.2 makes on 1.8 attempts per game in February.

• There were 2.4 attempts per game in March.

He recorded 1.3 makes on 3.0 attempts per game, while noting his teammates have been telling him to shoot more from distance. The trend the Heat need to stick to is in the playoffs.

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The Miami Heat are a title contender.

40. The sixth man of the year is the runaway favorite.

Tyler Herro has had a great season off the bench, averaging 20.7 points, 5.0 rebound and 4.0 assists per game. The Heat vaulted back to the top of the East this season because of him. The 22-year-old's ability to maintain that production in the playoffs will be critical to the Heat's success. Herro scored just 9.3 points on 31.6% shooting.

41. They have a weapon off the bench.

Max Strus had a great season in Miami, shooting 41% from beyond the rim. When the Heat need to stretch the floor, the 26-year-old showed he could provide solid minutes. Strus, Herro and Duncan Robinson have the ability to create problems.

Nick Friedell.

42. The Boston Celtics are a new team.

Boston was a.500 team before going to Washington. The Celtics have been the best team in the East since then, out scoring teams by more than 14 points per 100 possessions while rocketing up the table from the bottom of the play-in tournament to claiming home-court advantage in the first round.

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The Celtics had a tough loss to the Knicks in January, but the highlights helped turn the season around.

There are 43. They lost their anchor in March.

Robert Williams III has been one of the NBA's most improved players this season and a linchpin of Boston's league-leading defense. Without him, the Celtics will rely on the combination of Al Horford, Daniel Theis and Grant Williams to hold the fort until Williams returns from his knee surgery.

44. One of the best deadline additions had an up-and-down second half.

The arrival of White at the trade deadline has helped the team as he is both a quick decision-maker and a stout defender. As teams lock into their opponents more closely in the playoffs, White's 3-point shooting will be a key to watch.

45. Marcus Smart could end the domination of big men.

One of the leading candidates for Defensive Player of the Year is Smart, who says hisVersatility is a big reason he should win the award and become the first point guard to do so in 20 years. Smart has switched as the ball-handler defender against on-ball screens more than any other player in the NBA. The Celtics have allowed more points on these plays than the league average.

Tim Bontemps.

46. Antetokounmpo just put up another worthy campaign.

The defending champ, Antetokounmpo, is a contender to win his third award. He's spent stretches this season as their primary playmaker and spent more time at center than ever before, all while challenging for the scoring title at 29.9 points per game (third in the NBA) and being a contender for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

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Antetokounmpo went in for the slam to extend the lead.

47. In crunch time, Antetokounmpo gets even better.

Antetokounmpo has been at his best when the game is on the line. He has scored over 500 points in the fourth quarter in over 500 minutes, one of only five players in the play-by-play era to average at least one point per fourth quarter minute. He was the first player in the past 25 years to average at least eight points on 45% shooting in the fourth quarter.

48. Just in time, brook is back.

The Bucks played almost the entire season without their starting center, who had back surgery in December. Lopez has come back exactly as Milwaukee remembers, holding opponents to 12-for-40 shooting at the rim. Lopez was second in field goal percentage allowed at the rim, trailing only Warriors forward Draymond Green.

49. Milwaukee's defense slipped, but history is on its side.

For the first time in Mike Budenholzer's four years as Milwaukee's coach, the Bucks finished outside the top 10 in defensive efficiency. The defense went from 9th to 1st in the playoffs last year, so they will be looking for a similar step up this year.

The man is named Jamal Collier.

50. The Philadelphia 76ers are unstoppable when Harden and Embiid are on the court.

Philadelphia has seen the new superstars dominate since the trade deadline. Philadelphia scored 15.9 points per 100 possessions with their two All-Stars sharing the court, the second best mark among NBA duos with at least 600 minutes playing together.

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Perkins picked Embiid as the NBA's Most Valuable Player.

51. The Ben Simmons trade might have been won by Tyrese Maxey.

While Simmons was waiting to be traded, Maxey was given the keys to Philadelphia's offense as its starting point guard. He averaged 17.4 points per game and shot 43.3% from 3-point range. That shooting improvement and Maxey's blinding speed has made him a great find for the 76ers late in the 2020 draft and a core piece of their future.

52. Anyone in transition can be guarded by the 76ers.

76ers opponents have shot 64.9% in transition, the worst field goal percentage allowed since Harden arrived in Philadelphia at the trade deadline. It was good for 20th in the NBA before the deadline. There will be teams running on Philly.

There are 53. They are stuck in a carousel.

Doc Rivers has been mixing and matching his backup center options, most often going with DeAndre Jordan, though he did go with Paul Millsap against Milwaukee late in the season. Philadelphia has an issue of playing poorly whenever Embiid is on the bench, as the net rating drops almost 12 points per 100 possessions when he sits.

Bontemps

54. The Toronto Raptors don't use their bench very often.

In an NBA where managing player health is more important than ever, Toronto is willing to play its starters heavy minutes. Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby are the top two minutes per game players for the Raptors. It will be interesting to see how the Raptors' ceiling is adjusted in the playoffs as other teams play their top players more.

55. Barnes is in the real deal.

This is a historically strong rookies class, with Cleveland's Evan Mobley and Detroit's Cade Cunningham also making strong cases for the award, so if Barnes doesn't win the award, it's only because he doesn't fit the mold. Toronto has a keeper in Barnes, a 6-foot-7 wing who is averaging 15.4 points and 7.6 boards and plays with an infectious energy. It is rare for a rookies to land on a playoff team, but it will be fun to see how Barnes plays.

56. The Raptors finds a way.

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While shooting free throws, Booker complains to the referees that the Raptors mascot distracts him behind the backboard, so they send him to the opposite end of the court.

The mascot of Toronto caused a stir in January when it antics during Booker's free throws led to a Phoenix win. There is a player who could be feuding with The Raptors in the playoffs.

Bontemps

57. The new king is the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls have won a few close games this season thanks to the excellent play of DeRosa. He has scored 157 points on 53.5% shooting in clutch time this season, becoming only the fourth player in the past 10 years to pull it off.

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DeMar DeRozan hit a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Bulls a victory.

58. They couldn't beat the East's best.

The Bulls started the season competing for one of the top seeds in the East but fell back in the rankings because they had very little success against the other playoff teams. The Chicago Bears finished the season with the second worst winning percentage against the top four teams in the conference since 1984. The Magic went 0-14.

59. No Chi Slamma Jamma in the playoffs.

One of the Bulls surprising starts was when Lonzo Ball would shoot cross-court, fast-break lasers from behind the basket. Ball finished third in transition assists per game on passes that traveled at least 40 feet, one of the more fun elements to a Chicago offense that has been lost after his left knee injury. Ball will not return this season.

60. On both sides of the ball, the Bulls had trouble with 3-point shots.

The team's shooting struggles from 3-point range were worsened by the absence of Ball in the second half. Chicago ranked in the top five in the NBA in 3-point percentage. They ranked 23rd in 3-point percentage after the All-Star break, but still took the fewest attempts per game. The Bulls dropped from 10th in the league to 23rd on the defensive side.

The person said that it was Collier.

61. The Brooklyn Nets stars have overcome their weaknesses.

Two of the most dynamic offensive players in recent NBA history are Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They can get their own shot whenever they want, and both players continue to show their dominance, as evidenced by the 55 points scored by KD in an April 2 loss to the Hawks and the 60 points scored by Irving in a March 15 win over the Magic. Is that offensive brilliance going to hold up? The Nets are ranked 20th in the playoffs with a 112.3 defensive rating, which is down from a strong start to the season.

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Jordan Cornette and Jay Williams got into a heated debate about the state of the Nets season.

62. There is a chance that Ben Simmons is in the picture.

Nets coach Steve Nash has been clear that he wouldn't have an issue plugging Simmons into a playoff game even though the three-time All-Star hadn't played all season. Simmons has been ruled out of the play-in tournament, but the door is open for a potential debut later in the playoffs. According to sources, Simmons progress is fueling hope that he could debut in the first round.

63. Brooklyn has a 6-foot-4 spark plug.

In March, the 25-year-old wing averaged 14.7 points, 5.5 rebound and 3.7 assists. He provides a defensive lift and has been open about how motivated he was to improve this summer after the way the Bucks defended him in the East semifinals last season.

64. The Nets got a steal last summer.

After being on a two-way deal all season, Kessler Edwards was given a standard contract after he played well down the stretch. The second-round pick out of Pepperdine has made a difference with his length and athletic ability on the floor, and he shot a robust 47.4% from beyond the 3-point line in 12 games in March.

Friedell.

65. It's kind of a big deal that the Cleveland Cavaliers are a big deal.

Why did Cleveland exceed expectations? They beat their preseason over-under total by a league-high 17.5 wins. The success of a frontcourt with three players taller than 6 feet is surprising. According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Cavaliers scored 7.9 points per 100 possessions with those three on the court. Cleveland is 22-14 when all three players start.

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The Knicks were defeated by the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.

66. Don't go into the paint.

The rim has been protected by the duo of Allen and Mobley. Cleveland has made just 60.5% of their attempts in the restricted area. According to Second Spectrum tracking, Allen's block rate is the fifth-lowest among players contesting at least 200 attempts.

67. There is a problem with the person, namely, the person, namely, the person, namely, the person, namely, the person, namely, the person, namely, the person, namely, the person, namely, the person, namely, the person, namely, the person,

Garland was one of the league's worst high-minute players when he was a rookies, after a knee injury limited him to five games. He was an All-Star in the game Cleveland hosted at the age of 22. Garland has become one of the league's best pick-and-roll maestros, capable of pulling up for 3, driving to the basket or setting up teammates.

There is a limit to the number of items that can be put together. Early on, the injury bug hit Cleveland.

Despite being hit hard by injuries, the Cavaliers put together their first.500-plus season since LeBron left for Los Angeles. No Cleveland starter played more than 70 games, including season-ending injuries for guards Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton. After All-Star Jarrett Allen was lost to a finger injury, injuries hit hard as the team went 7-11 down the stretch, sending them into the play-in tournament.

Pelton.

69. The Atlanta Hawks are going to shock the NBA world again.

The Hawks shocked the league with their late-season resurgence and made it to the East finals. Could they surprise everyone again? They will need to win twice to make it out of the play-in tournament. The Hawks have excelled at home this season and any team with Trae Young in the playoffs will have a chance.

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Trae Young let the boos fuel him in the win over Knicks.

70. Trae set a record.

Young was the only player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and total assists, and he did it in the final week of the season. Young held off Chris Paul for the lead in assists and the lead in points. Young averaged 28.4 points and 9.7 assists, finishing fourth in scoring and third in assists.

There is abaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaoutbaout The Hawks are an elite 3-point shooting team.

Young has a reputation for being an excellent high-volume 3-point shooter, but he is not the only deep threat for Atlanta. The Hawks have 10 players with at least 100 3-point attempts and they are the worst in the NBA at 36.1%. Nineteen NBA teams are worse than that number.

72. Their defense could send them home early.

Atlanta has a positive net rating despite being 26th in the season in defensive rating. Atlanta is the worst in the league in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.

Lopez

73. LaMelo Ball took a leap.

Ball is the fourth- youngest All-Star in NBA history, trailing Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson. It isn't fair to expect Ball to live up to the standard of those legends, but it is reason to believe LaMelo's future is bright.

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LaMelo Ball goes through his legs and off the glass to a trailing Montrezl Harrell for a big-time flush.

74. And so did Terry Rozier.

After starting just 19 of the 66 games he played in, Bridges has emerged as the leading scorer for the Hornets with 20.2 points per game. Ahead of restricted free agency, Bridges increased his usage rate to a career-high 23% and is creating his own shot on a more regular basis. He is a player to watch this summer despite a drop-off from 3-point range. The Hornets stayed the course without Gordon Hayward because of Rozier's play. After a slow start that produced questions about the four-year, $97 million extension he signed last summer, Rozier caught fire in March, averaging 21PPG while shooting 43% from 3-point range and 9-of-34 from the foul line. Look out if Charlotte gets that type of shooting performance from Rozier.

75. The ball is flying around the court.

The Hornets averaged 28.1 assists per game. Charlotte was third in assist rate behind the Warriors and the Nuggets. The Hornets had five players average at least three assists, but LaMelo was the key. Three other teams had more.

Pelton.