NBA Notebook: Where did all this Celtics' switching come from?

The Wizards sent Bradley Beal downhill multiple times around screens in last month's win over the Celtics in Boston, shedding perimeter defenders and freeing himself for shots over Robert Williams III in the lane. Another play saw Daniel Gafford ditch Jayson Tatum away from the ball, diving downhill toward Jaylen Brown who didn't pick him up until it was too late with Tatum pointing his way. The Celtics gave those switches up willingly, handing off responsibilities between defenders at the point of a screen, and sometimes even without an off-ball pick. 

"It wasn't really a lot of switching going on my rookie year," Williams III told Boston Sports Journal on Saturday. "But it's something I talked to all my coaches, my teammates about, just telling them it's something I'll work on. I like the challenge. I like taking on the challenge of switching onto guards. Sometimes we need to maintain our matchups though, so it's just all about personnel and the game plan." 

Ime Udoka's system frustrated fans as Boston fell toward the bottom of the league in defensive rating before the team's trip to Florida, where the Celtics and Heat met as the NBA's two switchiest defenses. Through Thursday, the Celtics switched on 31 screens per 100 possessions to lead the NBA, with Miami ranking No. 2, as Zach Lowe noted on his podcast this week. 

As Udoka promised, point switching only represented one of an array of schemes for the Celtics, as they flashed drop coverages, zones and brought help throughout a dominant lockdown effort over the Heat's fifth-ranked offense. Boston stayed attached to their men more often away from the ball, avoiding fluff as Udoka called irrelevant offensive movements, and Erik Spoelstra left the game knowing Boston's remaining propensity to switch exposed them in the loss. 

“I think (Boston's) switching flattened us out," he said. "I think we held the ball a little bit on some possessions. I think some of the turnovers were very uncharacteristic with missed catches and miscues on passes where guys were open. All those things played a part and they capitalized on that and created separation, but it is not the first time or the only time that we will face those kinds of schemes.”

The Celtics emphasized switching early in the season for good reason, allowing a staggeringly low 0.76 points per possession (per Lowe) on initial defensive possessions following switches, and 0.93 PPP on ones factoring in continuations through offensive rebounds. Udoka threw wrinkles into the scheme, occasionally switching one-through-four and keeping Williams tied to players like Julius Randle and Miles Bridges early in the season. While showing some flexibility, the switch remains the core of Udoka's defensive ideology for this group -- and he's far from alone. 

David Fizdale pointed toward Spoelstra as the innovator behind Miami's switching when he coached alongside Spoelstra between 2008-2016. The Heat under Spo also embraced zone defense as often as any other team this past decade, which in turn can produce ample numbers of switches with how it's played -- tied to matchups -- at the NBA level. 

"The Heat, we never switched. We never would have switched anything, that was the easy way out back in the day," Fizdale told the Knuckleheads podcast last year. "Defensively, we got all of these guys that's between 6'5" and 7'0", that's athletic, let's start switchin'. We ended up suffocating people, and that's why I said Chris Bosh was so important and Shane (Battier) at the four was so important." 

The Grizzlies embraced switching later that decade under Fizdale, which he recalled required that Zach Randolph and Fizdale come to an agreement, as the veteran power forward didn't carry great confidence in his ability to switch. It's a difficult system for big men, as the Celtics showcase with Al Horford and Williams III constantly being floated to the perimeter. 

It forces a player like Grant Williams to defend in space and can leave guards to handle the rebounding against bigger defenders in the post. The Celtics rank 23rd in defensive rebounding percentage. 

"I think our players play multiple positions, and when you're going against a guy like Doncic, or whoever it may be, guys that really pick apart the gym in traditional coverages in pick-and-roll, it kind of forces them (offenses) to score at times instead of just being a facilitator as well as scorer," Udoka told BSJ. "You can kind of keep bodies in front of bodies. Not every team has guys, like say a Brooklyn has 2-3 guys, who can really go one-on-one all game long. If you can take away their strength offensively, and try to score instead of being facilitators, I think that's a big part of it. But it's also working (in), defensively, positionless players who can guard multiple positions, not the traditional seven-foot bigs who can't move their feet on the perimeter. We have one in Rob and we have on in Al, just versatile, agile bigs that can do a lot of things, and then we have strong wings and guards so we're confident doing both."

Switching everything can become beautiful and disruptive when done with the right personnel, as the Warriors accomplished when they courted Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, before eventually upgrading Barnes to Kevin Durant. That team became a dynasty behind their elite shot-making at every position, but they piled up stops too, ranking second in defensive rating in 2016-17 and 11th the next season. They overcame abysmal defensive rebounding during those years to win back-to-back championships. 

"I think the game has changed so much with the three-point shooting, you've got to have a versatile defensive unit out on the floor and we're lucky to have Draymond Green, who can guard all five spots," Steve Kerr said in 2018. "We also have all these long, versatile athletes ... so if you have the ability to guard the post or guard the perimeter now you can just switch and so I think that's where we really have influenced the league more than anything. Our ability to switch at multiple spots has changed, I think, the way a lot of teams are defending." 

The Rockets took that notion to the extreme by playing without bigs at all in 2019-20, dubbed microball, under Mike D'Antoni and they lost badly to a bigger Lakers team in the playoffs. Brad Stevens also learned and borrowed from Golden State's rise as he entered the league and switched liberally with the Celtics, as did much of the league. 

Scramble switches on the back side of the defense provided an outlet to prevent players like Isaiah Thomas from constantly needing to defend post-ups in the lane, and Boston successfully switched with a point guard under 6-feet on the floor, often tying him to stationary shooters who wouldn't get involved in pick-and-roll action anyway. He also loved to drop his big men into the lane for rim protection. Zak Boisvert broke down Stevens' scram switch from the 2018 east finals below: 

Udoka erased the drop at the beginning of camp in favor of a far more aggressive tactic, one some of his players like Dennis Schröder and Williams III had little experience with before, switching everything. He wanted the team to master that concept before moving on to different coverages based on who Boston would play, admitting it put players in unnatural positions. 

Several opponents, nonetheless, praised Boston's ability to court a massive five-man starting lineup with no weak links to attack. Williams III fouled only 1.6 times per game in it, down from 2.0 while almost doubling his minutes per game from last season. The Celtics rank 29th in the league in fouling overall though, a product of that adjustment Udoka noted this week. It culminated in Boston rising to 10th in defensive rating. 

“Usually when you’re switching, there’s a worst defender and you can kind of pick and choose who you want (to attack),” said Rockets coach Stephen Silas after losing to Boston last month. “With the group they had on the floor last night, we’re picking Marcus Smart or Al Horford. It was tough, because they have five guys on the floor who can switch, defend their guy, and contain the ball. And they’re all smart and they’ve done it for a long time.”

Udoka told me in New York he thought the system could accentuate Smart in particular, due to his ability to defend multiple positions and play up physically to bigs in the post. He's guarded Spencer Dinwiddie, Bradley Beal, Gordon Hayward, Jae'Sean Tate and Julius Randle, along with Mason Plumlee, Christian Wood, Montrezl Harrell and Bam Adebayo so far.

Opponents shoot 42% against Smart, 1.7 percentage points worse than they normally do. Brown boasts a 41.3% DFG%, Tatum 47.1%, Horford 42.9% and Williams III 40.4%, amounting to a 94.4 defensive rating for Boston's double big starting unit, the seventh-best defensive five-man lineup that's logged at least 50 minutes together in the league this year.

Not everyone switches. As Silas noted, the Rockets don't feel ready for that kind of defense, but aspire to play it eventually. Teams like Philadelphia utilize elite shot blockers like Joel Embiid in regular drop schemes while the Bucks just won a championship filling the lane with Brook Lopez. Wes Unseld Jr. announced less switching when he became Washington's head coach. Boston deployed Horford heavily in the drop coverage against Miami, allowing him to instinctually help on plays like his great help block on Tyler Herro. 

"I think switching has become big in this league," Jason Kidd told BSJ before the Mavericks hosted the Celtics. "Trying to keep a body in front and make it as tough as possible. I think it's really also you have a lot of isolation play. There's not a lot of plays in today's basketball. It's can a player cause a problem, where he can get two on and can you promote or get wide open threes? So that's what you're seeing."

The Celtics aren't married to the switch in any given game. In fact, they've shown a greater propensity in recent matchups to allow Josh Richardson and Smart to utilize their screen-hedging abilities. Getting caught under screens remained a challenge for the Celtics early, but they've improved to top-10 in three point defense in the last week as they've grown more flexible. 

Teams will still come to recognize them as the switching team though because nobody does it more often than them. 

"It's something that I'm able to do if we need to do it," Horford said. "It's always whatever's best for our group, but I'm always comfortable in those positions. I think we're just being put in different positions and we're just being very active, contesting and really just trying to help off the help side and just trying to be active on defense ... and that's something that coach has been preaching to us about." 

Here's what else happened in the NBA this week

Atlanta: Somehow taking a back seat to the Braves after a 1-3 week and the first Atlanta major sports championship since 1995. The alternate jerseys might rank up there with any of the league's 75th-anniversary specials. 

Trae Young's among the slowest-starting stars in the NBA, shooting 40% from the field and 25.5% from three. His 5.6 free throw attempts per game are his lowest since his rookie year, when he last had free throws constitute 22% of his scoring. Nobody else gets to the line here, they don't shoot many threes and their 50% mark from two-point range is 22nd in the league. Worse, they're 24th in defensive rating, and their starter's 110.2 rating would rank 26th. 

They'll be intriguing midseason trade partners with an expensive roster struggling to find minutes for Danilo Gallinari and Cam Reddish.

Boston: A tumultuous week featured a mind-blowing collapse where the Celtics entered the fourth ahead 14, and lost by 14 to the Bulls. Marcus Smart criticized the Jays, and a "maybe not even beneficial" players-only meeting followed in Orlando, along with two inspiring defensive performances in wins over the Magic and Heat. They held both teams to under 80 points, only the third and fourth times the Celtics did so since 2015. The defense now ranks in the top-10 two games after it sunk to the bottom-10. No team better embodies the swings of the early season, but their shooting remains a consistent concern, 33.6% from three (21st), which I noted is the career average of this team during the preseason. 

Dennis Schröder playing for Al Horford with the starters (+7.8) passed double-big (+8.5), which boasts a 94.4 defensive rating, as the team's most-used lineup last week. They blocked the most shots in basketball. The switching works so far, and with greater comfort in that defense, Ime Udoka will need to search for consistent minutes from bench floor-spacers Payton Pritchard, Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith. 

"Overall, the bench scoring was what kind of brought it home for us," Udoka said after the team's 17-point victory over Miami. 

Brooklyn: A win over the Pistons on Saturday where James Harden aimlessly tossed around nine turnovers marked Brooklyn's fourth straight win. Kevin Durant seems to carry this super team more by the day, shooting 59.2% from the field on a franchise-record run of nine straight 20-point games to begin a season. The Nets win his minutes by 4.7 points per 100 possessions, while Harden posts a net-0. 

A 20th-ranked offense should come around as Joe Harris and Patty Mills shoot lights-out, and LaMarcus Aldridge provides an interior scoring boost missing last season. Increased size bolstered an encouraging ninth-ranked start to the season on defense. 

Don't expect Kyrie Irving to impact either end of the floor anytime soon, with NYC mayor-elect announcing he won't intervene to reinstitute Irving's eligibility on CNN. This comes as Adrian Wojnarowski reported Brooklyn began receiving trade calls on the star, who the Nets sent home due to his ineligible status as an unvaccinated home player in NYC. And no, Brooklyn-Philadelphia haven't discussed a Ben Simmons deal. 

Charlotte: Losers of four-of-five on a difficult west coast trek, with their starters posting a net-negative rating (-4.9) thanks to a 28th-ranked defense. Terry Rozier returned from injury shooting 34.1% in his first three games. P.J. Washington's minutes went from an advantage at the five to an all-out disaster (-7.4). Miles Bridges likely leads the pack for most-improved player so far, averaging 24.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He's central to everything the Hornets do well, including a league-best 39.6% mark from three. That's another worrisome point of possible regression for a team that started the year hot as any other.

Chicago: Look like they can play with anybody: New York, Utah, Boston, Philadelphia games all went their way or came down to one possession, marking a successful 2-2 week against tough competition. Chicago's Ayo Dosunmu (+11.3 per 100) can really play, passing from everywhere, running the floor and playing defense with Chicago's fun second unit. 

Demar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Tony Bradley, Derrick Jones Jr. and Dosunmu outscored opponents by 47 points per 100 possessions through 11 minutes (thanks Boston). Alex Caruso playing for the injured Patrick Williams with the starters posted a +20.3. They rank eighth in offense and fifth in defense, and DeRozan appeared to fit in just fine scoring 37 points on the Celtics. 

"It definitely has to start [with defense],’’ DeRozan said after this week's loss to Philadelphia. “That’s when we’re at our best, getting out in transition. When we work together defensively, we’ve shown it throughout the games when we’ve needed it the most. We got to put that pressure on as soon as tipoff.’’

Cleveland: Winners of three straight games by one possession over Charlotte, Portland and Toronto, with Lauri Markkanen in COVID protocol. It barely seems to matter with Evan Mobley already dazzling so early in his development. He posted 18 points, five rebounds, two assists and a block in the win over the Raptors, where the Cavaliers trailed for 47 minutes before Darius Garland's last-minute free throws. 

Mobley on-paper looks like an average scoring four, who struggles to shoot and plays some defense. The context, a 20-year-old big man with face-up game, enormous size and a potential two-way centerpiece for the Cavs should excite their fans as much as this start. He posted double-doubles with blocks in Cleveland's other two wins during this streak. 

Dallas: It's stunning to see this team struggle so mightily on offense two seasons after setting efficiency records on that end with largely the same roster. They were beating who they should and losing to good teams ahead of a vital home win over the Celtics on Saturday. This week marked some improvement for them, ranking in the top half of the league in offensive rating (108.7). Luka Doncic, the preseason MVP favorite, remains a startling negative though (-14.6) as teams attacked him on the defensive end of the floor. Dallas' starters post an astounding 121.8 offensive rating alongside a 115 defensive rating that would rank last in basketball. 

Jalen Brunson led the Mavs' bench unit, scoring 25 and 31 points in back-to-back games as he continues to emerge as one of the best sixth men in the league and a rare plus player on this roster. He may end up becoming this team's centerpiece to a transformative trade. 

“Brunson was a killer again,” Gregg Popovich said. “In both games, he was the difference. He plays really smart, is a tough kid, he is skilled, and in the fourth quarter, he got us both times.”

Denver: They lost back-to-back games to the Grizzlies and barely beat the Timberwolves. Nikola Jokic will boast a solid MVP case again, carrying the Nuggets' lineups, which outscored opponents by 14.5 points per 100 possessions in his minutes. His +39.6 on-off differential for Denver ranks in the 100th percentile of basketball, meaning no team's fortunes swing more based on one player's availability on the court more than Jokic. Aaron Gordon, Will Barton and Monte Morris contribute to an encouraging top-five start on defense, while Bones Hyland showed an encouraging ability to play alongside Jokic. 

"Every time he comes out, everything just falls apart," head coach Michael Malone said. "It's every night."

Detroit: No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham returned from an ankle injury to shoot 7-for-39 in his first three games (17.9%) before a 6-for-17 showing against the Nets with six turnovers. He started his career 0-for-21 from three. The Pistons won one game in their first nine, ranking last in offense and 20th in defense. This team isn't built for Cunningham to find wins year one, but it should at least be a stable enough situation for him to find his NBA footing. Right now, it's not. 

"I said this before the game tonight, it’s just going to take the young man some games to get his sea legs under him,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “Now, we’re four games in. I think you’re just going to see him grow and grow and grow and get more comfortable with his conditioning, body, what he can do on the floor, what he can get away with." 

Golden State: I'm wondering why Gary Payton II went so long into the offseason without a team. He's posting an 89 defensive rating through the Warriors 6-1 start, where they ranked No. 1 in defense. This team's transformation from the KD and splash brothers era, which believe it or not paused three seasons ago now in the 2019 Finals, to an array of wings piling up stops next to an MVP candidate in Steph Curry was impressive. They own the third-best net rating in the NBA (+9.7) and Jordan Poole continues to develop as a legitimate running mate to Curry, averaging 17.6 PPG. 

Poole scored 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting to lead a blowout win over the Pelicans, as Klay Thompson watched on from the sideline riding the bike, as visuals of him shooting and continuing his recovery from an Achilles tear nearly one year ago remind everyone of this team's underlying championship potential entrusted in his return. 

"I'm feeling great," Thompson said on the ESPN telecast. "Just working every day like I have been the last two years and I'm playing 3-on-3 and just getting back into the tip-top game shape."

Houston: The offense is a mess and they've lost six straight games through a tough schedule that won't get much easier this week. They play with league-high pace and league-worst ball control, as Kevin Porter Jr.'s turnover totals continue to race his assists. Alperen Şengün started two games in place of the injured Daniel Theis, settling into his post passing role with nine assists and seven turnovers. His shot chart, efficient at point-blank and messy elsewhere, shows as much as anything else how far this young group has to go. 

Eric Gordon, 54.8% from three on 31 tries, should finally net the Rockets something tangible in a deal closer to the deadline, as they've long dreamed. He's on the first of a three-year deal with a non-guaranteed final season. His $18.2-million salary is just above what Boston can absorb with its trade exception. 

They played the Lakers tight, a growth moment Jalen Green said, which lined up Kenyon Martin Jr. against his father's longtime teammate Carmelo Anthony in a cool moment. 

Indiana: They'll become among the intriguing sellers if they continue to struggle, splitting four games this week after a 1-5 start. They need to see what this group looks like with Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert and T.J. Warren on the court together, which could be weeks away after an encouraging update on Warren's foot. Warren averaged 15.5 points per game through a 3-1 Pacers start almost one year ago before his foot injury, following a 31 PPG run in the Bubble as one of Orlando's breakout stars. 

Clippers: They won three straight games through a softer portion of their schedule and get a pleasant surprise with Serge Ibaka expected to return soon from back surgery, saying he's close.

They've gotten by without Kawhi Leonard and Ibaka behind a third-ranked defense, with the team outscoring opponents by over eight points per 100 possessions with Terance Mann on the floor. They trailed by 20 midway through the third quarter on Friday and won by 20, with 20 points on 50% shooting for the second consecutive game. Nic Batum continues to provide good secondary shooting, while Luke Kennard provides the bench scoring. Give Ty Lue his flowers, he can coach up a team and Paul George circumvented shooting woes in the win.

“He’s been good," Lue said. "We just talked about it from last season that him and Kawhi were going to command a lot of attention ... so we’re getting to the paint, we got to make those passes to make guys pay. So the more shots we make, the more the floor will open up and now you’ll be able to get downhill and get to the basket because they won’t leave as much. Last year, with Kawhi and PG taking I think 10% fewer midrange shots when they got into the paint and passing it out, 10% more, it’s a totally different team. So he’s continuing to do the same thing, but also getting to his spots and raising his will.”

Lakers: They're essentially a net-neutral team getting through early-season injuries with good shooting, with two maddening losses to the Thunder and a new injury to LeBron James weighing down this group as they try to integrate Russell Westbrook. Part of the idea in trading for him was to allow Anthony Davis and James to take their time through ailments, and LBJ will miss at least a week with this one. 

Westbrook settled into 23.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 6.5 APG on 46.7% shooting over the last four games, as he posts 15.9 potential assists per game and creating the fifth-most points on assists to plays like Carmelo Anthony, Austin Reaves and Malik Monk. His defense remains sporadic, abandoning Lu Dort, who scored the decisive basket in the second loss to Oklahoma City. 

They'll love to get Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza and Talen Horton-Tucker into those roles eventually, but an old team appears as brittle as expected early. Swapping Avery Bradley in for Deandre Jordan with the starters marked a step toward reality for their rotations, before Jordan replaced James on Thursday. 

Memphis: They're a blast to watch and Steven Adams seems to perfectly fit the attitude of this team next to Ja Morant, as he once did on those Westbrook Thunder squads. They rank last in defense though, over one point per 100 possessions worse (112.7) than the 29th-ranked Pelicans. When they lock in on that end, as they did in back-to-back wins over Denver, they've thrived behind high amounts of steals. The other nights resulted in blowout losses to Miami and Washington. Jaren Jackson Jr. contributes some of their most consistent defensive minutes, but has opened the year shooting an abysmal 43.7 eFG% as this team struggles to find balance. 

Miami: Nearly perfect until Boston's switching defense blew their offense up and ended a five blowout wins in a row. Miami shot 34.6% from the field in the loss and Kyle Lowry turned the ball over six times before leaving with an ankle injury. His loss will test their depth if he misses time, likely lifting Tyler Herro from a second unit largely carried by his 20 PPG this season. Their floor spacing consisted entirely of Duncan Robinson (17 3PA), P.J. Tucker and Lowry in the Boston loss. Free throws and transition largely drive their offense, with ample movement leading to a fourth-ranked offensive unit through a 6-2 start. 

They should be fine, but concerns do exist in the half court when the whistle doesn't blow.

Milwaukee: Not a ton to do with their 4-5 start as long as their most-used lineup features George Hill, Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen (-12.8). Their NBA Finals starters, with Allen replacing Tucker, posted a +90 net rating in six minutes before injuries struck. Mixing in newcomers like Jordan Nwora and Semi Ojeleye hasn't gone smoothly with the offense lagging around league average, ranking 24th in assists and 16th in offense. The Lopez (back) loss, in particular, underscores a real need for this group though. Outside of Giannis, they don't have a backup center. Milwaukee ranks 24th in rebounding percentage.

"I need Brook to get back. I need Brook to get back,” Giannis Antetokounmpo quipped last week. “Brook, I don’t know, maybe you are at home right now, Brook, please come back. We need you to rebound the ball, brother.”

Minnesota: Four straight losses to an inconsistent Nuggets team, the Magic and getting swept by the Clippers in a mini-series sounded alarms here after a solid start we'd seen before from Karl-Anthony Towns' team. Offensive concerns lingered through the 3-1 start, and this past week saw the Wolves slip to 29th, ahead of only the Thunder. The defense slid to 22nd over the four-game stretch too. 

"We’re on a three-game slide right now in the NBA," said Towns, who went through a Twitter hacking this week too. "If I know one thing about slides here in Minnesota, it could go from three to 18 to 19, 20 really quick." 

New Orleans: Only the Thunder and Pistons rate worse per 100 possessions (-10.7). Herb Jones somehow posts a +8.2 amid all the negative ratings and losses through a 1-9 start. The defense is nonexistent outside Jones after an offseason where they struggled to fundamentally address it and, instead, traded away defenders in Eric Bledsoe and Adams. 

Zion Williamson (foot) appeared heavier working out pregame last week, with no timetable for his return, or as Charles Barkley put it: "(he) looks like me and Shaq had a baby." 

New York: They broke a two-game losing streak with a late breakaway from the Bucks on the road after trailing by 21 points. The Knicks flew and shot lights-out to begin the season, exploding to third in offense (112 points per 100), but slipping all the way to 21st in defense. It's a tradeoff Tom Thibodeau has to find hard to stomach even if it's more of a necessity in today's game. They lose Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier's minutes (-8.5) and lean on Derrick Rose's second unit to clean up opponents. It's an awkward rotation. 

“It’s probably too early to really tell,” Thibodeau said discussing the team's defensive slippage. “There’s things we have to do better. I think when we get Nerlens [Noel] back, that’ll be a big plus for us. We got guys that are still — basically it’s like having three new starters. So we’re still adjusting there. This is what we have to continue to do. We have to continue to work each and every day.

R.J. Barrett quietly caught up with Julius Randle as the team's lead scorer by posting 20 points in five straight games, quietly more efficient than the All-NBA star as New York carves out its two-man answer to the Jays.

Oklahoma City: It's easy to forget how good Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is since the Thunder picked him up in the Paul George trade. He hit an audacious shot to down the Lakers on Thursday. 

It says a lot about the state of the league that even the worst team on paper has an exciting young star to watch, for now. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23.5 PPG through OKC's first eight games, dishing two assists for every turnover. Rookie Josh Giddey averaged 6.1 APG and 1.6 SPG, while Lu Dort will heavily challenge opponents on the defensive end. Adding another top-end young talent to this group could begin to make them intriguing. 

Orlando: The Magic's starters win their minutes by 15.5 points per 100, with Franz Wagner among the standout rookies this season. He's the only player in NBA history averaging 14.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.1 SPG while shooting 49.5% from the field before turning 21. Opponents shot 38.4% from the field against the No. 8 pick in this past NBA Draft through Thursday. 

His comfort as a complementary player makes this group all the more enticing when Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac return, which still seems far into the season. There's young talent everywhere on this roster. 

Philadelphia: They survived nine games atop the east without Ben Simmons, as they resumed fining the star for games missed until he cooperates with team staff regarding his mental health absence. Philadelphia had paused the fines when Simmons told the team he wasn't mentally prepared to return to basketball.

"Simmons has been showing up regularly at the team's facility for some daily basketball activity with coaches and individual teammates," Woj wrote. "But Philadelphia will begin fining him again for failures to participate in other requirements, such as strength training, film study and some presence at team practices and game-day shootarounds." 

The No. 1 offense in basketball hasn't missed Simmons, though they've slid to 14th in defense. Tyrese Maxey filling in with the starters posts a sub-100 defensive rating, while Seth Curry is on an unimaginable tear from three at 53.1% on 49 attempts for a staggering 74.7 eFG%. Tobias Harris averaged 19 PPG and 9 RPG through the Sixers' hot start, with wins over Chicago, Portland and Atlanta. 

Their light strength of schedule will give way to the Bulls, Knicks, Bucks and Raptors this week before a west coast swing. 

Phoenix: An ESPN report on owner Robert Sarver, long-awaited and contested by the Suns, released last week and speaks for itself. It's filled with examples on-and-off the record accusing Sarver of using the N-word, sexually explicit language in meetings and overseeing an uncomfortable work environment for employees, based on more than 70 interviews. The NBA launched an investigation, which comes in the wake of other notable institutional changes around the Clippers, Hawks and Mavericks organizations in recent years over varying levels of toxic cultures within the organizations. 

It'll be some time before we learn what possible consequences could be in store for Sarver and Phoenix. 

Portland: Damian Lillard started the season 33.7% from the field and 21.7% from three as he shared an inspiring perspective on dealing with struggles on the court:

Chris Haynes' recent story detailed a meeting between Lillard and Lakers stars during the offseason and the Portland star's challenge navigating his future and desire to win over the offseason. Lillard clearly stood conflicted over his future with the Trail Blazers over the offseason, when he challenged the organization publicly, but stopped short of demanding a trade. He's all-in on Portland, according to various interviews this season, and wants to see the team's fortunes improve so that can remain his position with two years remaining on his contract before a player option at age 34 in 2024. His future probably won't wait that long, and the team's announced investigation into the workplace GM Neil Olshey oversees with the Blazers now further complicates any positive outlook for the franchise.

Sacramento: Richaun Holmes lifted the Kings over the with 23 points and 20 rebounds as part of a 140-point explosion from Sacramento over Charlotte's sinking defense. Buddy Hield added 26 off the bench (with a Kings record eight threes) and De'Aaron Fox another 21 as the Kings shook off their offensive inconsistency through a lighter patch in the schedule (AKA multiple Pelicans games). They rank fourth in offense, and a 5-4 start shows some promise for a group that looks decent on paper, but continues to lag defensively under Luke Walton.

Harrison Barnes, a former favorite trade target of the Celtics and others, averaged 23.3 PPG and 9.5 RPG through the team's first eight games.

San Antonio: They're hanging in there on defense, ranking sixth in steals and 11th in defensive rating. The Spurs held Orlando to 89 on Friday and Milwaukee to 93 last Saturday, struggling to contain the Pacers and narrowly losing twice to Dallas. They're a fascinating deadline this year as Popovich's run reaches its final stages and this group possibly needing some sort of reset if their 3-6 pace continues. Doug McDermott, Thad Young and the Spurs' guards all fit within Boston's $17-million trade exception, but the Spurs rarely make trades. 

Toronto: They face Brooklyn, Boston and Philadelphia on the road this week after a 6-4 start. Pascal Siakam's return will likely follow, with the Raptors net positives across the board aside from Goran Dragic. They rank eighth in defense and a surprising 12th in offense, going all-in on crashing the offensive glass with a league-best 35 OREB%. They have the length, youth and athleticism to play aggressive and they play versatile personnel across the board on the perimeter, which Siakam will only fit right into. Toronto's eFG% shooting ranks 25th, which Dragic will need to step up to help.

If nothing else, Scottie Barnes will be a joy to watch all season. 

Utah: They narrowly trail the Warriors for the league's top net rating (+12.9). They've beaten the Nuggets, Bucks, Hawks and lost to the Bulls. An east coast swing starting in Miami tonight should test them, but the Golden State matchup will need to wait until New Year's Day. Rudy Gobert is scoring better and shooting more efficiently than a year ago, while grabbing a league-best 17.3 RPG in Dennis Rodman fashion. 

Washington: They're a top-tier free throw attempt, rebounding and field goal shooting team with balance and multiple layers of playmaking. Spencer Dinwiddie makes them fun to watch, and Bradley Beal eventually shaking off a slow start should keep them in play for a top-six seed in the east all season. He's shooting 38.7% from the field and 24.5% from three. 

“(It) gives me a little peace that I ain’t the only one out here struggling," Beal said. "The whole league is struggling. It’s an adjustment. I think I’ve seen somebody blame the ball the other day ... there’s really not one thing you could pinpoint, honestly. It could just be the way the chips are falling this year. I don’t know.”