It wasnt long ago that Aleksej Pokusevski, fresh off minimal minutes for the Olympiacos of the EuroLeague, was thrust into the NBA spotlight.Drafted No. 17 overall and the youngest player in his class, Pokusevski was hardly ready for the big leagues, but he earned some crucial Thunder minutes nonetheless.A, fairly unproductive, stint in the G-League helped Pokusevski immensely in his freshman season. In his first 17 games, he averaged 3.3 points on 24 percent shooting overall and 17 percent from 3-point land. Dreadful. In the last 28 of his debut season, he averaged 11 https://www.nykprostore.com/Ryan_Arcidiacono_Jersey-42.1 per game on 36 percent shooting, while shooting 31 percent from three. It was by no means the stats of an 19 year old that should be seeing the floor often, but an improvement nonetheless.Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY SportsPokusevski sophomore season again got off to a rocky start, but after multiple G-League stints, he finally beginning to settle in again.Sure, there have been highs much better. But the flash hes been unable to sustain usually brings along lows that leave him relegated https://www.nykprostore.com/Rj_Barrett_Jersey-24.Pokusevski has found middle ground, and will now look to build upon the foundation he currently laying down in the late-stretch of his sophomore season.Miraculously, Pokusevski is still younger than a large portion of the 2022 NBA Draft class.Oklahoma City is back in action on Wednesday with a road matchup against Denver at 8 p.m.

When he has played he has proven to live up to the hype as one of the best young players in the NBA.The 2019 first overall pick has career averages of 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game https://www.mtprostore.com/Omari_Spellman_Jersey-23, and made the All-Star game last season.He also has a career field goal percentage of over 60%.I believe that the New York Knicks should try to make a trade for Williamson either during the off-season or next season at the trading deadline.In college, Williamson played with Knicks players Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett at Duke, so the three of them could be reunited.Their roster is in an interesting position as the Knicks have a mix of super young players, but also have veterans such as Julius Randle, Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose. If the Pelicans were to ever trade Williamson, they already have Brandon Ingram and C https://www.mtprostore.com/Karl_anthony_Towns_Jersey-10.J. McCollum, so some of the Knicks veterans could be a good fit in New OrleansAt the end of the day, the Pelicans probably want to keep Williamson for his entire career, but in the NBA a trade is always possible for any player.

The Miami Heat added Victor Oladipo back to their lineup by coming to an agreement on a one-year deal that will also position Oladipo to be a free agent again next summer. Victor had surgery during the end of the season and is still recovering, hoping to be able to return to game action anywhere from late November to late January. Oladipo only played 4 games for Miami last season, but the goal was to have him here for longer. Now, the Heat have him at a low-risk and high-reward move for this season. That great news for the Heat for several reasons.#1 Having Oladipo on the roster completely reshapes their ability to be a contending team. It uncertain what type of player they will get back, but they will control his rehab and when allowed to return, Vic could be a great scoring option for them. It appears they have a solid starting group already, and so having Oladipo and Herro off the bench https://www.mhteamstore.com/Solomon_Hill_Jersey-26, Miami could have one of the strongest backup backcourts in the league. This makes them pretty powerful. It would also allow them to remove Duncan Robinson in late-game situations for the more defensive presence of Vic which we all know Spo prefers. #2 The Heat will retain the bird-rights to Oladipo going into next offseason. That important because if he does come back healthy, Miami can go over the cap to sign him, or use him also as a sign-and-trade option like many teams did this year https://www.mhteamstore.com/Tyler_Herro_Jersey-21. Miami now has 12 players under roster, and maybe one is penciled for Udonis Haslem. They have a few more moves to make.

General manager Jon Horst has always taken an aggressive approach when it comes to patching up the biggest needs for the Milwaukee Bucks Serge Ibaka Jersey, which is precisely what he just did https://www.mbprostore.com/Bobby_Portis_Jersey-23.As reported by The Athletic Shams Charania, the Bucks are signing big man DeMarcus Cousins to a one-year non-guaranteed deal. It seems safe to say that this move is surprising, but it makes sense. Of course, the Buck have been without starting center Brook Lopez for all but one game to start the season as he continues dealing with lingering back soreness. With Lopez not returning to the lineup anytime soon it seems, bringing in another center was a great idea. In fact, Cousins is a name that many Bucks fans wanted to see the team make a run at, which is what they have just done with their final roster spot.How will DeMarcus Cousins fit in with the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks after signing a non-guaranteed deal?Obviously, Cousins will give the Bucks another big body in the frontcourt, which is something they have lacked in Lopez absence. Bobby Portis has done a fantastic job since taking Lopez place in the starting five, but the bench is incredibly thin. This has forced Giannis Antetokounmpo to play a career-high 62 percent of his minutes at center this season, which is not something that the team would like to continue throughout the entire season. Cousins will come in and give the Bucks a big body to give them solid minutes in the frontcourt and alleviate that constant pressure off of the Greek Freak.Cousins might not be the four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA honoree player that he once was as injuries have plagued him over the past few years https://www.mbprostore.com/Jeff_Dowtin_Jersey-32, but he will be a solid addition to bring aboard some much-needed depth. Out of all the centers now available on the free agent market, Cousins was certainly the most notable, and the Bucks made the right choice bringing him in. The sweetener in this is that it comes on a non-guaranteed contract, so there is little to no risk for the team. The move has high potential written all over it, and Cousins should be motivated to prove that he can still play at a high level after going unsigned this past offseason.Overall, there is not much to dislike about this signing, especially after seeing how the Bucks have struggled to protect the paint and grab rebounds without Lopez early on. Cousins does not fix the problems there on impact, but he will undoubtedly help until Lopez is eventually cleared to return, whenever that might be. This signing might signal that the Bucks are bracing to be without Lopez for an extended period of time https://www.mbprostore.com/Deandre_Bembry_Jersey-30, but only time will tell.

Wednesday is an important day on the NBA calendar: On December 15, most players who signed new contracts during the offseason are able to be traded, meaning more than 80 percent of the NBA will be tradable. Though most deals don happen until we get closer to the February 10 trade deadline, general managers are beginning to have more serious talks. The market is relatively mild right now, with few high-profile players readily available. Still, there are plenty of swaps that could shake up both the championship race and the lottery standings.With that in mind, here are seven thoughts and observations from around the NBA, including one answer to a question I pulled from my social media mailbag:1. Do the Experimental Jazz Have Enough?Rudy Gobert anchors an elite Jazz defense once again https://www.lacprostore.com/Marcus_Morris_Jersey-12, and their offense is wrecking opponents, posting a 117.5 offensive rating, which is by far the highest in the NBA. Per usual during the regular season, the Jazz are filthy.But to get over the hump in the playoffs, the Jazz are experimenting with smaller lineups to better prepare for teams like the Warriors and Clippers, both of whom have successfully downsized against them. When Gobert is on the bench, Quin Snyder now has two primary options: Plug in Hassan Whiteside to keep a traditional center on the floor, or go with his other Rudy, Rudy Gay, as a small-ball center.Just like many aging players, Gay has transformed to survive in the league. He gone from a 6-foot-8, high-volume-scoring small forward during his prime athletic years to a spot-up 3-point shooter playing the 4 and sometimes the 5 for Utah. Now 35, he retains some quickness to defend on the perimeter and is strong enough to handle some bigs inside Los Angeles Clippers T-Shirts.In 12 games since returning from offseason surgery on his heel Kawhi Leonard Jersey, Gay has played 24 of his 228 minutes at the 5, and those lineups play far differently than the Jazz do with Gobert or Whiteside. With Gay at center, the Jazz are switching 40 percent of on-ball screens and 33 percent of handoffs, which is way up from only 13 percent and 10 percent, respectively, when Gobert is on the floor, according to Second Spectrum.Much like the Bucks used last regular season to get experience with switching on-ball screens, Utah is learning how to play a brand-new style.Results have been mixed. Utah greatest weakness is its lack of perimeter stoppers, and putting Gay in the middle leaves little rim protection on the floor to stop attackers. Teams have also crashed the boards against the small-ball Jazz. But Gay is good positionally and the defensive switching can be an advantageous wrinkle. It also provides a different look on offense, with shooters surrounding the backcourt combinations of Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and Jordan Clarkson.In that tiny 24-minute sample with Gay at center, Utah is outscoring teams by two. Playing even might be all the Jazz need to survive non-Gobert minutes. But more than anything, Utah actions are indicative of a desire to have this style in their repertoire by the postseason Marcus Morris Sr. Jersey. Is Gay alone enough for the role? Finding another wing defender like Gay who can play the 4 next to Gobert or Whiteside and also play small-ball center would bolster Utah title odds.If the Jazz explore the trade market, Jerami Grant makes sense as a target if he be willing to embrace the role he had in Denver: spot-up shooting and hard-nosed defense, plus sprinkles of the on-ball scoring he does now in Detroit. Grant is currently out with torn ligaments in his right thumb and will be reevaluated in six weeks, but executives around the league don expect that to stop the Pistons from listening to offers for him. Closer to the trade deadline, flipping Bojan Bogdanovic and a package involving future picks and youth for Grant would subtract shooting from the Jazz but add significantly to their defense Kawhi Leonard Jersey. Acquiring help at wing should be the priority because the window is open for Utah. Gobert is better than ever. After a slow start, Mitchell is back to posting All-Star numbers. And with a greater emphasis on playmaking, Conley is having his most efficient scoring season. The Jazz already do so much well; they just need a little fine-tuning ahead of the deadline.

Former Houston Rockets players Clyde Drexler, Chris Paul Eric Gordon Jersey, Scottie Pippen and Rick Barry were among 25 names announced Wednesday during part two of the three-part BA 75 reveal.The NBA 75 is the league official 75th anniversary team, honoring the 75 greatest players in league history as selected by a panel of media and current and former players, coaches, general managers and team executives.On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the league is announcing 25 of the NBA 75 names. TNT will announce the remaining 25 players on Thursday at 5 p.m. Central.With the latest reveal, 50 players on the list of 75 are known. Tuesday announcement included five players with Houston ties: Hakeem Olajuwon, James Harden, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes and Charles Barkley. See below for the full lists from Tuesday and Wednesday.Of the nine former Rockets named to the NBA 75 list thus far, seven are in the Basketball Hall of Fame. The other two are not yet eligible because they are still playing. Each of those two is a virtual lock to join the others after their careers end.Pippen and Barry spent very limited time in Houston Josh Christopher Jersey. Pippen played one abbreviated season there in 1999, and Barry played two at the end of his career . The other seven players had more distinguished accomplishments with the Rockets.Detailed information regarding the Houston careers of each legend is available in ournewly released all-time Rockets roster.

The Utah Jazz will go for their seventh consecutive victory when they head on the road to take on the Washington Wizards, which snapped a three-game losing streak earlier this week, on Saturday night.Utah is a 5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook with -195 moneyline odds Chauncey Billups Jersey, making Washington a +165 underdog. The point total is set at 220.Jazz vs. Wizards, 7:00 p.m. ETPick ATS: Utah -5The Jazz are playing at a much higher level right now than Washington, and it tough to back the Wizards in this spot. Washington only win in their last four games was an overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons, the worst team in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Jazz will go for their third straight cover with one of the top offenses in the league.Over/Under: Over 220Utah offense is why wee going with the over on Saturday night. The Jazz are averaging 126 points per game over their six-game winning streak, and they rank second in the NBA in points per game over the course of the season https://www.dpprostore.com/Jerry_Stackhouse_Jersey-17. Neither team plays at that quick of a pace, which is a bit scary with this high of a total, but wel continue to ride the Utah offense to the over.