Pistons Notes: Langdon, Weaver, Draft, Fontecchio

To succeed as the Pistons‘ new head of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon will have to be given total freedom to remake the organization as he sees fit, contends Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press. Windsor notes that Langdon impressed team owner Tom Gores by building one of the league’s best young rosters with the Pelicans. He’ll have a head start on that process with a Detroit team that’s about to pick in the top five for the fourth straight season.

Windsor expects Langdon to part with general manager Troy Weaver, whose roster moves haven’t produced any on-court success during his four years on the job. A decision will also have to be made about head coach Monty Williams, who is still owed $67.5MM in guaranteed money from the record-setting contract last summer. Williams failed to develop the team’s young talent, according to Windsor, and often gave the impression that he only took the job because of the money.

Langdon’s greatest challenge will be trying to forge a competent roster from a group that only had 14 wins this season. Windsor observes that the Pistons won’t really know how good Cade Cunningham can be until they surround him with teammates who complement his skills. He adds that Langdon built a reputation as an effective talent evaluator in New Orleans, so management should trust his judgment as a new rebuilding process begins.

There’s more from Detroit:

  • Finding or developing a rim protector should be an offseason priority, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes in a mailbag column. Sankofa says Jalen Duren is physically able to handle the job, but he needs to improve in terms of timing and consistent effort. Isaiah Stewart is undersized for a center, which makes him less of a deterrent under the basket. Sankofa lists ball control and shooting as other areas of concern, as the Pistons were 28th in turnovers per game and assist-to-turnover ratio and 26th in three-point shooting percentage.
  • Trading out of the draft may help spark the rebuild quicker than adding another young player, Sankofa adds in part two of his mailbag. He notes that the Pistons’ roster already includes six first-round picks made by Weaver. Stewart has signed an extension and Cunningham is expected to this summer, while Ivey and Duren become extension-eligible in 2025. Sankofa points out that decisions are already being made about which young players are going to form the team’s foundation, and another lottery pick might complicate the process.
  • Simone Fontecchio, who recently underwent left foot surgery, won’t be able to play for Italy this summer in an Olympic qualifying tournament, according to a Sportando report.

Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Irving, Olympics, Lively Trade

Numerous media members were calling Anthony Edwards “the new face of the NBA” after Minnesota upset Denver, but that honor actually belongs to Mavericks star Luka Doncic, writes Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic strengthened his case as the league’s best player and top clutch performer with a game-winning three-pointer Friday night that gave Dallas a 2-0 series lead. Sherrington notes that after sinking the shot over Rudy Gobert, Doncic displayed his fearlessness by shouting “you can’t guard me” and some stronger comments at the Defensive Player of the Year.

The argument for Doncic as the league’s No. 1 star starts with five first-team All-NBA appearances, including this season. He finished third in the MVP voting behind Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Sherrington points out that they were both eliminated in the second round while Doncic has a chance to add to his reputation with the longest postseason run of his career.

“There are moments where he shows his brilliance and can score so easily,” Kyrie Irving said, “and then he comes back and he looks like he’s laboring a little bit, but that guy’s a warrior.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

  • Irving was able to keep his composure after missing two free throws with 1:44 remaining, Sherrington states in a separate story. The misses provided free fried chicken for all the fans in attendance, but more importantly they cost the Mavs a chance to slice the lead to one point. Irving made up for it a few seconds later with a clutch three-pointer from the corner that set the stage for Doncic’s heroics. “I think I was as surprised as a lot of people in the arena,” Irving, a 90% free throw shooter during the regular season, said of his misses from the line. “In those moments, I’ve got to stay focused and be aware of how much it means to our team to make those. But when you miss, you’ve also got to take that accountability and be better. The next-play mentality was the only thing I could carry forth. I got into that corner and knocked it down.”
  • Irving could be in line for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team this summer if Tyrese Haliburton opts out because of his hamstring issues, speculates Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Haliburton, who was held out of tonight’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, also missed 10 games with a hamstring strain in January.  Irving was disappointed about not making the team last month after being one of the finalists.
  • Dallas and Oklahoma City both benefited from last year’s draft-day trade, Rylan Stiles writes for Inside the Thunder. Dereck Lively II has been an interior force for the Mavericks throughout the playoffs, while Cason Wallace became a three-and-D specialist in the Thunder backcourt.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Game 3, Porzingis, Kornet, Holiday

With the Celtics down two centers, Jayson Tatum is ready to spend time in the middle in small-ball lineups, writes Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe. Luke Kornet, who was initially listed as doubtful after spraining his left wrist in Game 2, has been downgraded to out. He’ll be on the bench alongside Kristaps Porzingis, who hasn’t played since April 30 because of a strained right calf.

That leaves Boston with few options behind starter Al Horford. Xavier Tillman played just three minutes on Thursday after missing Game 1 for personal reasons, and Neemias Queta has only made two brief appearances during the playoffs. Tatum admitted that he’s not used to playing center, but added that the team has prepared for this scenario.

“At this point in the season, it’s whatever you’ve got to do to help the team win,” he said. “It doesn’t feel unnatural, but it is something different that we’ve worked on and talked about throughout the season in practices and things like that. So, it’s not like a shock or anything like that.”

Despite a size disadvantage, the Celtics were able to out-rebound Indiana by a 40-37 margin in Game 2, holding 6’11” Myles Turner to just four boards. Tatum said rebounding is a team effort that starts with boxing out the Pacers’ big men.

“We’ve got to rebound. And maybe, it’s not always, ‘I’m getting it,’” he explained. “I’ve got to make sure I’m boxing out (Isaiah) Jackson or Turner, whoever I am guarding and you know five guys got to be in the paint and it’s your job to put a body on a man and somebody else to grab the ball.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

  • Tatum warns that a series can change quickly, which happened after the Pacers fell behind New York 2-0 in the second round, Thompson adds. Indiana is unbeaten at home in the postseason, and the Celtics will enter hostile surroundings tonight. “I think Game 3 is always the toughest just because you are going to a new environment, their first home game,” Tatum said. “Obviously they’re excited to be back home and we expect a great atmosphere. They’ve been really good at home, so we’ve got to be that much better.”
  • In his pregame meeting with reporters, coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t offer any clues about when Porzingis or Kornet might be able to return, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Mazzulla responded to questions about both players by saying he has “no idea.”
  • The Celtics have determined that Jrue Holiday will be able to play tonight, according to Brian Robb of MassLive (Twitter link). Holiday, who was listed as questionable with a non-COVID illness, went through a pregame warm-up before a final decision was made.

Central Notes: Pacers, Haliburton, Bickerstaff, Bulls

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has a couple of options to rearrange his starting lineup with the absence of Tyrese Haliburton, who will miss tonight’s Game 3 due to an injured left hamstring, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

One obvious choice is backup point guard T.J. McConnell, who would provide a second ball-handler to pair with Andrew Nembhard. Dopirak notes that they have logged a lot of minutes together this season. McConnell finished seventh in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, and he leads all bench players with 76 assists during the postseason.

Dopirak states that Carlisle could choose to go with power forward Obi Toppin or rookie guard Ben Sheppard instead to get more size in the starting lineup. That would keep McConnell in a reserve role and may provide more minutes for Doug McDermott, Jarace Walker and possibly Jalen Smith, who were all used in Game 2.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • In his pregame press conference, Carlisle told reporters that Haliburton lobbied to play tonight, but the medical staff determined that it’s best for him to sit out, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “He very much wants to play. Desperately wants to play,” Carlisle said. “But the decision on tonight was taken out of his hands earlier in the day. It was determined that tonight was not an option. He’s feeling better and we’ll see where he is on Monday. And that’s it.”
  • Carlisle, who serves as president of the NBA Coaches Association, reached out to J.B. Bickerstaff after the Cavaliers fired him on Thursday, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Carlisle said Bickerstaff did “an amazing job” with a “culture makeover” in Cleveland, but all NBA coaches understand the realities of their jobs. “I have great respect for him. I’ve been in touch with him,” Carlisle said. “In our profession, no one likes it, but teams, ownership, they can hire and fire who they want to. Our business has got to be a very resilient one. And he’s been through a lot in his career and he’s grown so much as a coach. J.B. will be fine and he certainly will be a head coach again, sooner than later.”
  • Even if executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas makes the changes he has promised this summer, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times is skeptical that the Bulls can rise very far in the Eastern Conference standings. Cowley looks at the eight teams that finished ahead of Chicago this season and concludes that they all have staying power.

Hornets Notes: Miller, Williams, Draft, Lee

After a productive rookie year, Hornets swingman Brandon Miller knows how he’s going to spend his first NBA offseason. “Weight room and eating,” he told Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, explaining that he wants to get bigger and stronger to better handle the physical nature of the NBA.

“I’m ready to start another season right now,” Miller said. “I think my main focus this summer is to just keep putting on weight. I kind of want to build muscle mass just to be prepared for next season.”

A year ago, the Hornets were debating whether to take Miller or Scoot Henderson with the second overall pick, and the decision came down to the wire as both players made a final trip to Charlotte shortly before draft night. Miller rewarded the organization’s faith in him by appearing in 74 games and averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 44% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range. He became the sixth player in Hornets history to earn first-team All-Rookie honors.

Miller talked to Boone about wanting to become more of a leader now that he has a full year of NBA experience. He also plans to spend part of the summer working out with Clippers star Paul George, a player to whom Miller has often been compared.

“I think just being on the same court with him,” Miller said, “working out together, I think that’s a blessing, just being there with your favorite player, working with him, getting better, competing with him. So, it’s all going to be fun and a great summer.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

  • Appearing on the TruTV broadcast of Friday’s playoff game, Grant Williams confirmed that Dallas considered sending him to the Bucks at the trade deadline before finalizing a deal with the Hornets, relays Brian Robb of MassLive. “It’s one of those things where we kind of worked our way, figured out what team that would look the best I feel like and Charlotte was the best opportunity,” Williams said. “I think the only other team that probably would have been an option was Milwaukee but that deal kind of fell through. Things happen.” Reporting at the time suggested there were exploratory talks between Dallas and Milwaukee involving Bobby Portis, but those discussions didn’t get serious.
  • After falling to sixth in the draft lottery, the Hornets’ best option is to trade the pick to the highest bidder, Boone contends in a separate story. With an eight-year string of missing the playoffs, Boone believes there’s an urgency to turn around the team’s fortunes right away, which is more likely to happen with a veteran player than a young project. Boone also notes that the franchise is renovating its arena and raising ticket prices, so something has to be done to spark the fans’ interest.
  • The team’s top priority for the summer involves building up a support staff for new head coach Charles Lee and making sure the entire organization is in sync with his philosophies, Boone states in a mailbag column. Boone expects Lee’s coaching staff to be completed fairly quickly, saying it won’t be like when Steve Clifford was brought back and assistants were still being hired after Summer League.
  • With Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington both being moved at the trade deadline, finding another wing is the biggest positional need this offseason, Boone adds. He said the Hornets believe in positionless basketball, so whoever add sign will likely have the responsibilities of both a shooting guard and small forward.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Base Year Compensation

The term “base year compensation” no longer shows up in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and hasn’t since 2011. A relic of past agreements, the base year compensation rule was intended to prevent teams from signing free agents to new contracts that were specifically intended to facilitate salary-matching in trades.

While the base year compensation rules have, for the most part, been adjusted and/or removed from the CBA, there’s still one situation where they apply. Teams have to take them into account when completing sign-and-trade deals.

The BYC rules apply to a player who meets all of the following criteria in a sign-and-trade:

  • He is a Bird or Early Bird free agent.
  • His new salary is worth more than the minimum.
  • He receives a raise greater than 20%.
  • His team is at or above the cap immediately after the signing.

If the player meets those criteria and is included in a sign-and-trade deal, his outgoing salary for matching purposes is considered to be his previous salary or 50% of his new salary, whichever is greater. For the team he is being signed-and-traded to, his incoming figure for matching purposes is simply his new full salary.

Here are a couple specific examples to help make things a little clearer:

Let’s say the Knicks want to sign-and-trade OG Anunoby this offseason. There’s no indication they do, but the likely salary gap between his current contract and his next one make him a good example of a base year compensation player. Anunoby is a Bird free agent, his new salary will be well above the minimum, and New York projects to be an over-the-cap team. Having made $18,642,857 in 2023/24, Anunoby figures to receive a raise significantly higher than 20% — his next deal could easily start above $30MM. So he meets the BYC criteria.

In a scenario where he signs a deal with a $38MM starting salary as part of a sign-and-trade, Anunoby’s salary for matching purposes from the Knicks’ perspective would be $19MM, which is 50% of his new salary (that amount is greater than his previous salary). From his new team’s perspective, Anunoby’s incoming figure would be his actual salary, $38MM.

On the other hand, if Anunoby were to get a starting salary worth $35MM from a new team, his outgoing salary for matching purposes would be $18,642,857, the amount he made in 2023/24, because that figure would be higher than 50% of his new salary ($17.5MM).

Often, a team acquiring a player via sign-and-trade doesn’t have the cap room to sign the player outright, or else there would be little incentive to negotiate a sign-and-trade. That means salary-matching is required, which can be complicated by base year compensation rules.

In the first Anunoby scenario outlined above, the Knicks wouldn’t be able to take back more than $26.5MM in salary in exchange for the forward due to the league’s matching rules. That number would dip to $19MM if New York’s team salary is above the tax apron. However, in order to take on $38MM in incoming salary, New York’s hypothetical trade partner – assuming they’re over the cap – would have to send out at least $30.2MM in order to account for those salary-matching rules themselves.

The gap between the salary-matching figures from the two teams’ perspectives would complicate sign-and-trade talks, requiring the two clubs to include additional pieces or get a third team involved to make the numbers work.

There were a few examples last summer of teams navigating base year compensation rules to complete sign-and-trade deals. For instance, when the Celtics signed-and-traded Grant Williams to the Mavericks, he met the BYC criteria when he received a raise far above 20%, getting $12,405,000 in the first year of his new contract.

That meant Dallas had to match his incoming $12.4MM salary (and did so sending out Reggie Bullock‘s $11MM+ salary to San Antonio in the three-team deal), but for Boston’s purposes, Williams’ outgoing cap figure was just $6,202,500, half of his new salary. The Celtics didn’t take back any players in the three-team swap, but created a trade exception worth that amount.

The Heat took a similar path when they signed-and-traded Max Strus to the Cavaliers. Strus’ first-year salary on his new deal with Cleveland was $14,487,684, which was the amount the Cavs had to account for when they salary-matched, but it only counted as $7,243,842 in outgoing salary for the Heat, who created a trade exception worth that amount.

In order to legally acquire Strus, the Cavs sent out Cedi Osman ($6,718,842) and Lamar Stevens (whose deal featured a $400,000 partial guarantee). They were permitted to take back up to 200% of that outgoing salary, plus an extra $250K. It’s no coincidence that if you take those two cap figures ($7,118,842), double them ($14,237,684) and add that $250K cushion, the end result is $14,487,684, Strus’ exact salary.

The base year compensation concept doesn’t surface all that often, due to the specific criteria that must be met. However, it looms large over sign-and-trade attempts involving free agents who receive significant raises, reducing the likelihood of teams finding a deal that can be legally completed.


Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Previous versions of this post were published in 2019, 2022, and 2023.

Eastern Notes: Atkinson, Cavs, Wizards, Wagner, Hawks, More

Discussing the Cavaliers‘ head coaching search this week on an episode of the No Cap Room podcast (YouTube link), Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports described Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as the candidate who “seems to be the leader in the clubhouse right now.” Atkinson has also been linked to another coaching search this spring, according to Fischer.

“Kenny Atkinson was definitely a name involved in the Wizards‘ search,” Fischer said. “… There was definitely expectation around the league that Kenny’s next job would be one of those more developmental teams on the up-and-up, which in theory Cleveland still kind of is, but there are obvious expectations there now. So that would be a much different circumstance – probably a better circumstance, I would say – for Kenny Atkinson, to shed that ‘I’m a rebuild guy’ label.”

Fischer confirms that James Borrego of the Pelicans and Johnnie Bryant of the Knicks are a couple more assistant coaches who are candidates for the Cavaliers’ job, citing Bryant’s connection to Donovan Mitchell dating back to their time in Utah together.

According to Fischer, former Sacramento head coach Dave Joerger is another candidate who will receive consideration from Cleveland. Joerger was hired by the Bucks as an assistant coach after Doc Rivers joined the team earlier this year.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Magic forward Franz Wagner won’t soon forget his performance in Orlando’s Game 7 first-round loss to Cleveland (six points on 1-of-15 shooting), but his goal is to turn it into a learning experience rather than beating himself up about it, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “That’s going to stick with me all summer,” Wagner said. “Hopefully, I can use it as motivation and fuel that the right way.” As Beede observes, Wagner will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, and while the Magic will likely look to lock him up, it remains to be seen whether the team is prepared to go up to the max to get something done before the 22-year-old’s fourth NBA season.
  • In a 2024 draft class considered to lack star power, whichever player is selected with the No. 1 overall pick will benefit from not being asked to single-handedly turn a franchise around. As Marc J. Spears of ESPN pointed out on the Hawks Report podcast (link via Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), the No. 1 pick will be joining a Hawks roster that features more talent than a typical club drafting in that spot. Even if Atlanta trades one of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray this offseason, the team would still have one former All-Star in its backcourt, along with promising 22-year-old Jalen Johnson at forward.
  • The WNBA’s Board of Governors unanimously voted this week to approve an expansion franchise for Toronto, while the NBA’s Board of Governors voted 29-1 in favor of the move, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Unsurprisingly, as Wojnarowski details, the only opposing vote belonged to the Knicks, who sued the Raptors last season and remain engaged in a legal battle with their Atlantic rivals. Raptors chairman Larry Tanenbaum is spearheading Toronto’s new WNBA franchise.

Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton To Miss Game 3

2:04pm: Haliburton will be out for Game 3 and will be reevaluated ahead of Game 4, according to Wojnarowski, who says the guard’s availability for that game “remains in serious question” (Twitter link). Indiana will err on the side of caution with its franchise player, Woj adds.


1:40pm: Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who re-injured his left hamstring on Thursday, is expected to miss Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday, according to reports from Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link) and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Haliburton exited Game 2 in the third quarter due to hamstring soreness and didn’t return. As we detailed that night, the issue was especially concerning because the Pacers star strained his left hamstring in January and missed 10 games as a result of that injury — he attempted to return after just five games, but ended up being out for five more following that lone appearance.

The Pacers, who entered the Eastern finals as massive underdogs, are already facing a 2-0 deficit in their series vs. the Celtics and will face even longer odds without Haliburton, the engine who drives Indiana’s offense. The 24-year-old was named to the All-NBA Third Team this week after averaging 20.1 points and a league-leading 10.9 assists per game during the regular season. He has put up 18.7 PPG and 8.2 APG in the playoffs.

As we wrote on Friday, the team has solid alternatives at point guard in Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell, but neither player can replicate the kind of play-making and outside shooting that Haliburton provides.

“He does so many things for our team where everyone just has to move the ball more and get in the paint more,” McConnell said. “The ball movement, like I said, just has to be at another level. He gets 10 assists in his sleep. It’s hard for another person on our team to replicate that. It’s a group effort when he goes down to kinda get people the ball and get moving.”

While Nembhard and McConnell will take on increased responsibilities at point guard, the Pacers will also lean more heavily on star forward Pascal Siakam to initiate the offense and be the team’s go-to scoring option.

In related news, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday – Haliburton’s primary defender – has been added to the injury report for Game 3 due to a non-COVID illness, as Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets. Holiday is listed as questionable to play.

Central Notes: Allen, Bryant, Pistons Offseason, Bucks

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen‘s injury status in the postseason was a source of controversy, as he was ruled questionable with a rib contusion for eight straight games but didn’t appear in any of them. A report following the Cavs’ elimination indicated that some people in the organization were frustrated Allen didn’t push harder to suit up. As Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor writes, Marcus Morris essentially confirmed as much during a recent appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link).

You don’t have an option to rehab but you have an option to play,” Morris said. “I can’t speak on how bad it was for Jarrett. If you put me in that same position, do I play? Yes. I can’t say how his body felt. Orlando was a very physical series, so I wasn’t surprised he didn’t come back in that one. He got hit one more time and it could have been different. A little bit surprised about the Boston one. I think Boston is not as physical, more just talented and skillful guys.

However, the exact definition of Allen’s injury was unclear until Friday, when general manager Koby Altman told reporters that Allen suffered a “pierced” rib. The injury has been described as a bruise or contusion until that point.

NBA insider Marc Stein wrote in a recent Substack post that fellow insider Chris Haynes reported Allen’s reluctance to take a pain-killing injection for his rib stemmed from an incident in the NFL. In 2020, then-Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a punctured lung after receiving such an injection.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant is one of the coaches the Cavaliers will consider for their now-vacant head coaching position, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. Bryant has been in his role the past four seasons, lining up with the most successful New York seasons in recent history. Bryant joins James Borrego and Kenny Atkinson as reported candidates. The Knicks would have to give Cleveland permission to interview Bryant.
  • After joining the Pistons, new head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has some major decisions to make soon about how much of Detroit’s rebuild can be salvaged, says Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required). Langdon first must decide on general manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams, the latter of whom Sankofa reports ownership is willing to move off of despite the $67.5MM guaranteed he has remaining on his contract. After that, it’s a matter of sorting through young players on the roster. As Sankofa writes, historically bad teams don’t often keep much of the roster that failed to produce, usually holding on to one or two players over time. Time is ticking to put a competitive team on the floor, Sankofa writes, and Langdon might be best suited to gut the roster.
  • In order to improve on their worst season ever, the Pistons will need to improve across the board. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic highlights four archetypes of players Detroit needs to hone on in the offseason, including three-and-D players, perimeter defenders, rim protectors and high-IQ pieces.
  • The Bucks have largely maintained an elite defense over the course of their contention years, but that changed this season as they plummeted to the middle of the pack in that category, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. They improved during the change from Adrian Griffin to Doc Rivers, but in order to get back to contention, they’ll need to continue to be better. To start, Brook Lopez will need to maintain his elite rim protection, though he is getting older (36). Outside of that, Nehm writes they’ll need better guard defense and should look to improve in transition.

Wolves Notes: Shooting, Edwards, KAT, Gobert

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards took the NBA world by storm through the first two rounds of the playoffs, helping Minnesota achieve its first conference championship appearance in 20 years. However, his shot isn’t falling through two games against Dallas and it has resulted in an 0-2 hole for the team that knocked off the defending champs, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski writes.

On Friday, Edwards had as many turnovers as field-goal attempts (two) in the fourth quarter and produced a shooting line of 29.4% (5-of-17). In his last three games, Edwards is shooting just 29.8% from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns is slumping too, shooting just 27.8% from the field in the first two games of the series compared to his 51.7% clip in the first two rounds.

As Krawczynski writes, it’s as simple as the Mavs’ stars showing up while Minnesota’s haven’t. If Edwards and Towns had shot at replacement level in the first two games, the Wolves’ outlook might be different, considering they’ve lost both games by a combined four points. That’s one key reason why Minnesota’s stars aren’t hitting the panic button yet.

“I don’t think anybody in the locker room is panicking,” Edwards said. “I hope not. Just come out and play our brand of basketball. We let ‘em make a run.”

To their credit, the Wolves are 5-1 on the road this postseason and weathered the storm of Denver winning three straight games just last round.

We have more from the Timberwolves:

  • Towns played 25 minutes in Game 2, making four of his 16 shot attempts. He was benched for the final 8:40 of the fourth quarter (hat tip to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin) while Naz Reid played the entire fourth quarter and registered 23 points off the bench. “I’m with winning, so whatever it takes to win,” Towns said. “Naz has it going. Coach’s decision, I’m fully supportive of my coaching staff. Wouldn’t question them one bit. Of course, I’m always going to be ready to play whenever he calls. Naz got it going, our team was playing well.”
  • While the Wolves themselves don’t seem to be worried, Edwards’ shooting calls into question whether Minnesota can win a title if the All-NBA guard isn’t shooting at his peak, The Star Tribune’s Jim Souhan writes (subscriber link). “He’s got to get more in transition,” head coach Chris Finch said. “He’s got to get out [and run]. … I thought he started the game with a great burst, was really going downhill well. That really phased out as the game went along. He went in there a few times. I thought he could do it more. I thought he turned down some open looks, too.
  • Rudy Gobert made the critical mistake of allowing Luka Doncic to get the step back he was seeking on his game-winning shot, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. When Gobert reacted strongly to Doncic’s first step, it gave the Mavs superstar all the space he needed to get his shot off. Jones writes that it’s disappointing because Gobert has been exceptional in the playoffs and has defended similar shots from Doncic before.