NBA Notebook: Marcus Smart became the point guard the Celtics needed

Quin Snyder spent much of his pre-game conversation with reporters lauding Marcus Smart on Wednesday. He reminisced on the time he spent on the phone with the Oklahoma State sophomore; a special prospect, Snyder remembered, who the Utah Jazz passed on in the 2014 NBA Draft for Dante Exum. With Exum out of the league, Snyder could look back more fondly on a player who's become a staple of the Boston Celtics -- recently clinching a playoff spot for the eighth straight season since drafting him -- and a thorn Utah's side.

Smart's receiving more praise than ever before, including defensive player of the year hype from teammates and media members exalting the impact of a floor general who can switch against all five positions, and call out opposing plays for the best defense in the NBA. 

"His anticipation is so unique," Snyder said. "You look at his strength, his size, his quickness, his physical attributes. He's not a shot-blocker, but in some sort of ironic way, he's able to do things off the ball that are the equivalent, because he's a deterrent. It's almost like (Jalen) Ramsey in the Super Bowl. You don't want to throw to that side of the field, but then he figures out a way to rush the quarterback and get a sack.

"I think his versatility is what makes him unique, and to be that versatile, and then be that good in all those areas, I think he's a special player. There's also sort of a middle linebacker component, quarterback, middle linebacker, where I think they get energy when they see him out on the court and the things that he's doing. His aggressiveness and the way that he plays, if you're behind that and you're watching that, you can't underestimate the impact that has on other players, like 'I've got to get my level up.' He has that ability to kind of raise the level of his teammates in how he defends." 

We've heard that before. Heart-and-soul. One of the best defenders in the league. Smart is setting a new standard for himself on the end of the floor where he's already earned two All-Defensive First Team honors, now playing in a system Ime Udoka believed would perfectly suit him. Boston's defensive leader made an early pounce for a loose ball as Snyder looked on with his head lowered along the sideline. Smart dove to the floor and narrowly lost the ball out-of-bounds, pounding the floor over the missed opportunity for a steal. The Celtics went on to stop 10 of the Jazz' first 12 shots into the second quarter and build a fifth straight 20-point lead. In between those two moments, Smart racked up nine assists in the first quarter on his way to a career-high 13 while attempting only three shots. He's undergone an offensive renaissance in 2022, too, with Celtics broadcaster Cedric Maxwell recalling Smart told him in an elevator that letting the point guard run Boston's offense keyed the team's turnaround. Smart is the point guard -- and the team now believes it. 

Smart always defiantly lobbied for what his role should be on this team. He said before the season that making plays for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum would be easy. After Boston's infamous second-half collapse against the Bulls in November, he bemoaned standing in the corner in crunch time, offering his own ball-handling services while critiquing how the stars handle those moments. Smart even challenged Ime Udoka in The Athletic later in the season, sensing that Udoka didn't believe he could fill that role. Udoka had focused on improving Brown and Tatum's playmaking, while including Smart when he mentioned the franchise's pillars. Smart knows his role, Udoka said to open training camp, balancing aggressiveness with getting guys shots in their spots. 

Through state championships, Oklahoma State and his early career with the Celtics, Smart always saw himself succeeding as a point guard. Isaiah Thomas, Terry Rozier, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker would all dig into his ball time in the years that followed, setting up an almost decade-wide gap between his entry into the league and ability to have full reign as a starter. Boston's defensive splits between its lineups with the smaller guards and Smart's defensively dominant backup groups always raised a point of intrigue: what would this team look like if Smart manned that position every game? 

Even to begin this season, his severe shooting struggles and Dennis Schröder's presence seemed like they would limit Smart's playmaking abilities, but along with adjustments to his own game, Smart's decision to focus strictly on moving the ball boosted the Celtics into the top-10 in team assist rate since late-January. He had just returned from COVID and a thigh contusion, ominously telling all his teammates he loved them as the trade deadline loomed. His six assists in his +36 minutes drove a blowout win over the Wizards, before his lineups won by 36 again while Smart posted seven assists in a 53-point mashing of the Kings. Boston went on to win 11 straight games with Smart in the lineup, including 20 of the team's last 22, while he averages 13.0 PPG, 6.9 APG and 9.7 field goal attempts per game. 

"For me, really, it's just taking what the defense gives me," Smart told Boston Sports Journal. "A lot of teams play me for the pass, and that's when I have to become a little selfish and take those shots, because nine times out of 10 it's me that's open, but really just creating. Beating my guy, waiting for the other guy to help up and really just setting my team up. Especially when my teammates are going, hitting a couple shots early, trying to get it back to them and keep them hot. For me, that's really it as a point guard, finding those guys and when those guys are obviously not on or get in a little trouble, as a point guard you have to take over and do certain things. So the point guard ... you have a lot of responsibility. A lot of things are on you. Getting us into the offense. Getting us set up defensively. Getting guys in position. You've got to know all five positions. Things like that. So the progression, for me, has been easy, because like I said, I've been doing it. To others, it might be a surprise, but that's just simply because, unfortunately ... people only see the bad things when it comes to certain players, and that's just what it is." 

Having Smart at the point of attack defensively creates numerous transition opportunities, whether following steals, or stops that his big men rebound behind him. Smart's often already at half court ready to catch an outlet pass and initiate early offense. 

He's rarely shooting outside the flow of the offense or dribble penetration now, with his shots per game overall down from 11.4 two seasons ago to 9.9 this year, and his three-point attempts from 6.6 to 4.8, 4.0 of which come via catch-and-shoot opportunities. His 8.9 drives per game represent Smart's career high, up from 7.0 last year, with a near-perfect split between layups and three-pointers. Smart's also finishing 59.3% on shots at the rim, after 47% and 52.3% seasons each of the last two seasons. He's even flashing a shockingly reliable left hand and making himself a real drive-and-kick threat. 

While Tatum emerges as the lead pick-and-roll facilitator and scorer for the offense, Smart's creating secondary dribble drives and making quick decisions off the catch that are key to Udoka's offensive scheme, labeled 0.5 seconds. Nobody feeds Robert Williams III more consistently and accurately with lobs, while Wednesday's win flashed Smart's ability to get teammates the ball where they need it as the Celtics started the game 10-for-10 from the field. 

Smart revealed his offensive philosophy for when Tatum cooks earlier this month: get out of the f***ing way. 

The word trust gets thrown around when describing Smart's ascension to his current role. Brown and Tatum previously took over the ball in the fourth quarter, trying to isolate their way to wins and blowing double-digit leads. After getting fed up with those results, everyone involved needed to adjust. Udoka stressed that his stars continue to make passes, even as teammates missed shots, and Smart's now hitting 40% of his threes in March. Smart began to empower rather than criticize his teammates publicly, affirming his unseen closeness with Brown earlier this year and his bond with Tatum's son while talking up the duo's progress as players.

"Marcus has been great," Brown said on Wednesday. "Marcus has been running the show. We're trusting him to be the point person and he's made it easier for everybody. So I tip my hat off to Marcus. Marcus has done a great job. We believe in him. We empower him. What he does on both sides of the ball is great for us and a big reason why our team has really turned it around. Give credit where credit is due, Marcus has been a huge anchor on offense and defense for us that's led to the results that we see now." 

It's no surprise Smart's offensive transformation has gone under the radar. His flurry of assists against the Jazz proved to be an anomaly in an offense where numerous players create for one other. He's only averaging 5.8 APG, up from his career average of 4.4. While Smart has now notched 13 assists once, Rajon Rondo did it 90 times in Boston between 2007-2014. Smart's defensive impact will always draw more attention, setting up an intriguing defensive player of the year vote where his sterling reputation will balance against typical big man bias in DPOY voting.

Williams III, also considered a candidate for the league's top defender recognition, endorsed Smart in two different press conferences, affirming Snyder's observation that teammates model their defensive intensity after the guard. The communication aspect funnels from the top, with everyone needing to be on a string to run Udoka's switch-heavy scheme. Smart's often the one guiding switches and pointing out movements, which is hard to measure in perhaps the most analytically driven out of all the major NBA awards. 

Winning DPOY would be an affirmation of Smart's entire career, where his value once stood as one of the most hotly debated topics among Celtics fans. He'd be the first guard to take home that trophy since Gary Payton in 1996. Michael Jordan, Kawhi Leonard and other special perimeter defenders showcased the enormous threshold needed to surpass the Rudy Gobert rim protectors of the world, but Snyder made an apt comparison between Smart and previous winner Draymond Green. How are their roles all that different? 

Smart circled Nikola Jokic like a shark during the team's home win earlier in the season, preventing the entry pass and predicting his movements away from the ball to force nine turnovers in one of his most impressive showings all season in February. The Celtics went on to score a 108-102 win in February over a team that had been averaging over 110 points per game in their 15 prior contests.

"(Smart) does his homework on play calls, as we all do. He can kind of read the sets they're going to run, but he's a very timely double teamer," Udoka said before the team's next game against Denver this month. "We don't like to go every time if we have an advantage in the post defensively. We rely on our bigs to guard, but he seems to read at certain times, when he turns his back, he makes plays. So he keeps him off balance as far as that. Then, with all the switching we do, that's one of the benefits of Marcus and our big wings, that they can guard some of these guys inside. As big as Jokic is, he makes it tough to catch, then when he's there, he has the strength to kind of get up under him and hold him up until help arrives or he takes a poor shot. Obviously invaluable as far as what we do defensively, but that's who he is. A defensive-minded guy that does his homework on teams and sets, and calls out a lot of stuff and gets everybody in their places." 

Smart's ability to do that on both ends of the floor has the Celtics ranked No. 1 in offense and No. 2 in defense through the first 11 games, with enough wins over quality opponents to make Boston start believing it can win a championship. When Brad Stevens signed Smart to a four-year, $77-million extension and Williams III to four years and $54-million, he spoke of flexibility. The same thinking went into trading Kemba Walker for Al Horford. Maybe they could utilize those contracts later to lure a star to Boston. That trio and a pair of long, defensive-minded wings have embraced Udoka's vision, that defense would turn into offense and make a top-ranked defensive team one of the best on offense too. The Celtics seemed like they would need help to make that happen. More shooting. More playmaking. A real point guard. 

Now, regardless of what happens this postseason, the team appears to have at least settled into defined roles. Tatum emerged as an MVP candidate late this season. Brown recently began thriving in a finisher role. Williams III and Horford can spell each other and share the floor to play unbreakable interior defense before initiating some offense with their passing. Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Grant Williams and Daniel Theis all played valuable bench minutes since coming together after the deadline. Everyone's under contract through at least next season. Including the point guard.

"There's never been any doubt, in my mind, about Marcus' ability and him leading this team and being a point guard," Horford told BSJ at practice earlier this week. "I think that he's been able to show that. I think that for all of us, we had to figure it out early in the year, when we kept talking about we've got to be patient, we've got to keep working, we've got to work through a lot of these things. It's not only him, it's all of us. Getting acclimated. Getting used to playing with one another. Getting used to the coaching style, new system, things like that. Those things take time, and I'm just glad that they gave us the opportunity to keep working and breaking through. Also, we had injuries, a lot of guys missing games, we just never had kind of that full group. So there's never been any question about Marcus' ability. It's just fun to see him lead our team right now. He leads us, making the game easy, but also making plays for us defensively. On offense, he's feeling it out. He's speaking up when he needs to, so we're really happy with him and it's just nice to see him come into his own." 

Here's what else happened in the NBA this week... 

Atlanta (37-37): Magic number is six to clinch a playoff spot. Currently the east's No. 10 seed, 5.0 games up on New York, 1.0 game behind Charlotte for No. 9 and 2.0 games behind Brooklyn for No. 8 with nine games to play. Trae Young, who now leads the league in point and assists, dealt a near-fatal blow to the Knicks' playoff chances with 45 points and eight assists in Atlanta's now highly-anticipated follow up trips to visit Madison Square Garden and their anti-Young crowd. 

A crucial play-in game likely looms against Charlotte, with both teams jockeying for home court in the elimination game, or the off chance either could leap into the double-elimination 7-8 game. Atlanta holds a narrow division record tiebreaker on the Hornets by one game, and would likely play on the road if they lose that. They lost their tiebreaker to Brooklyn, and John Collins remains out for multiple weeks with finger and foot injuries, which he received injections and non-surgical treatment for last week.

Boston (46-28): Still the hottest team in the NBA after sweeping a four-game west coast trip and mashing the Jazz in their return home. Their blowouts over top teams like Denver continue to pile up. Jayson Tatum, averaging 29.8 points per game over his last 27 games on 50.3% shooting, rocketed up to No. 4 in the NBA's MVP hierarchy, while the Celtics shot within 1.0 game of the Heat in a packed race for the east's No. 1 seed. 

Boston hosts Miami this week, already owning the tiebreaker over them, a division record tiebreaker over Philadelphia, a 2-1 advantage over Milwaukee with one game to play in April and a conference record advantage over Chicago, who's now 3.5 games back of Boston making the Celtics a near lock for home court (magic number: 7).

Brooklyn (38-35): They got the news they've been waiting for all season. New York Mayor Eric Adams announced an exception to the city's vaccine mandate for athletes and entertainers, making Kyrie Irving eligible to play at Barclays Center when the Nets return home on Sunday to face the Hornets, a critical game with Brooklyn only ahead of Charlotte by 1.0 game. The Nets remain the most-watched player in the east standings, still the eighth seed after a loss at Memphis. They're 3.0 games back of Cleveland and Toronto, owning tiebreakers, and are tied for the sixth seed above the play-in line. They're also 4.0 games back of No. 5 Chicago, but lost the tiebreaker. Kevin Durant's led the Nets to six wins over their last eight, averaging 30.5 PPG on 53.7% shooting. Brooklyn is No. 1 in offense and No. 16 in defense since his return. 

Charlotte (38-36): Reached seven wins over their last nine before losing to the Knicks on Wednesday, a late-season burst helped in part by Isaiah Thomas' 45.8% three-point shooting since joining the team on multiple 10-day deals. Charlotte signed Thomas for the rest of the season, as the Hornets try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. Gordon Hayward (ankle) hopes to return in time to make that happen. The team is 26-22 when he plays.

They sit 0.5 games back of Brooklyn for the No. 8 seed and a spot in the double-elimination section of the play-in tournament. Their play-in magic number is five, and can clinch a tiebreaker with the Nets when they visit Barclays Center on Sunday. Charlotte is the No. 6 offense and No. 16 defense over its last 15 games. 

Chicago (42-31): Gave up 126 points to the Bucks and Pelicans to lose their fifth game over their last six, sliding 3.5 games behind the Celtics and the upper-tier of the east. They're 26th in offense and 22nd in defense over their past 15 games, capsizing after flashing as a contender midway through the season even with heavy injuries. Patrick Williams returned from wrist surgery to shoot 37.5% in his three games with Alex Caruso 34.8% in seven games. Demar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic are shooting under 50% in their last 15. 

Lonzo Ball, meanwhile, isn't running for at least the next week following a setback from his knee surgery. They visit Cleveland on Saturday, with a 1.0 game lead on the Cavaliers and Raptors. Chicago owns the tiebreaker against Toronto, and can clinch one over the Cavs with a win. 

Cleveland (41-32): Their slide continued with the Lakers and Raptors blowing up their defense, now 25th over their past 15 games where they once dominated. The loss in Toronto dropped them into a tie on the play-in line, with a further drop setting them up with a dreaded Nets matchup in the play-in game. Brooklyn, too, closed within 3.0 games of the Cavs. They'll likely lose a tiebreaker to Chicago, 2.5 games worse against the east, and already secured one over Toronto. Darius Garland is shooting 40.7% since Jarrett Allen went down, with Evan Mobley losing his minutes without his stronger counterpart inside. They host Chicago on Saturday. 

Dallas (45-29): Squarely in the middle of the west race, tied with Utah for No. 4 (lose tiebreaker), 3.0 games back of the No. 3 Warriors and 2.5 games ahead of the No. 6 Nuggets. They've won 11-of-15, despite a 0.8 net rating. The Spencer Dinwiddie trade continues to look like a smash hit, averaging 18.2 PPG on 50.3% shooting with a 40.5% mark from three since joining Dallas, playing in 15 of their 16 games. Dallas' magic number to avoid the play-in tournament is six with nine games left. 

Denver (43-31): Michael Malone, who received a contract extension this week, took the rare move of benching the Nuggets' starters early last week against the Celtics after going down by 25 points at halftime. They bounced back with a key win over the Clippers, Nikola Jokic scoring 30 points there before adding another 28 in a 140-130 shootout loss to the Suns. Despite their 10 wins over the past 15 games, they're only 1.0 game up on the scorching Timberwolves above the play-in line with eight to play. They lost tiebreakers to Dallas, Utah (2.5 games back) and Minnesota, as their season-long reliance on Jokic takes a turn toward exhaustion. Joel Embiid even passed Jokic in the NBA's MVP hierarchy. 

“We don’t want to go into the playoffs with these habits right now, because (it will be) an early exit,” Bones Hyland said after the loss to Boston. “We’ve got to tighten up right now and crack down and really address this stuff now.”

Detroit (20-54): Began winding down their season by shutting down Hamidou Diallo (finger) for the season, the Pistons only one game better then the NBA-worst Rockets. Jerami Grant left Friday's game with a calf strain ahead of an uncertain offseason with the team hoping to complement Cade Cunningham with another future franchise cornerstone. Marvin Bagley III scored 25 points on Friday, the team's late-season silver lining after acquiring him from Sacramento, and seems poised to stay with the team in restricted free agency as Blake Griffin's $29.8-million in dead money finally comes off their books. 

Golden State (48-26): Jordan Poole regained his footing to pour 30 points on the Heat in a much-needed blowout win. The Warriors continue to receive a positive outlook on Steph Curry (foot), who stepped out of his walking boot and is expected to return before the playoffs. They did receive a mild blow with James Wiseman (knee) officially ruled out for the season after a G-League stint and unsuccessful comeback attempt.

Golden State fell 3.0 games back of Memphis, which also owns the tiebreaker between the two, nearly the same amount of room they have above Utah and Dallas (3.0 games). Their magic number for a home-court seed is seven with eight games to play, and eight for No. 3. 

Houston (19-55): Christian Wood went off for 39 points in a win over Washington around two more blowout losses. Weird situations continue to emerge around Kevin Porter Jr. as the Rockets attempt to rebuild his career, perhaps difficult on a team losing as regularly as this one. Porter is averaging 13.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 5.9 APG with 3.2 TOV on 40% shooting in his first full season as Houston's point guard. The Rockets are the worst team in the NBA by 1.5 games with nine games to play. Former Celtics guard Dennis Schröder is averaging 10.7 PPG and 5.9 APG on 37.9% shooting in 13 games, while Bruno Fernando rarely plays. 

Indiana (25-49): Narrowly lost to the Kings in a meeting between the teams that pulled off the deadline's biggest trade. Tyrese Haliburton posted 13 points and 15 assists in the loss though, as Sacramento's fall from the playoff race, and Haliburton averaging 16.7 PPG and 9.4 APG on 48% shooting with his new team already has the Pacers looking like winners. Buddy Hield is posting 18.3 PPG and 4.9 APG in Indiana after essentially joining the deal as a throw-in, though his turnover factored heavily into Friday night's loss. Head coach Rick Carlisle will miss the team's next two games for personal reasons. 

Clippers (36-39): A five-game losing streak emerged at the worst time for a group hoping to play long enough to see its three best scorers return. Los Angeles still holds a near-decisive 4.0 game lead on the Pelicans and Lakers for the No. 8 seed, with a magic number of five with seven games to play. Their upcoming schedule includes the Jazz, road games in Chicago and Milwaukee, before a key game against surging New Orleans next week. Paul George (elbow) returned to practice on Thursday and participated in 4-on-4 with Clippers coaches. Norman Powell (foot) and Kawhi Leonard (ACL) still haven't been cleared to do the same. 

"Hell yeah, I keep (the door) open," Lue said, in a reversal of their past outlook. "To hit the playoffs going at 100, from zero to 100, that is pretty tough. But if the medical guys say they are cleared and they are able to do that, that is totally up to them."

Lakers (31-42): LeBron James sat with more knee pain in a loss to the 76ers, and he might as well rest up for an uphill climb into the postseason ahead next month. The Lakers are all but locked into the 9-10 matchup with the Pelicans, who they'll actually play twice this week in an unlikely rare home-and-home preview of an inevitable play-in matchup. Russell Westbrook is playing his best basketball all season, averaging 22.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 9.3 APG with 4.3 TOV on 52.2% shooting through a four-game bump for LA's offense. 

LA rose into the top half of the league in scoring over their last 10 games, losing seven games while playing bottom-10 defense without Anthony Davis (ankle). ESPN reported Davis could rejoin the team for the first week of April, an optimistic update for their play-in chances. Their playoff magic number is seven with nine to play. 

Memphis (51-23): The most fun team in the NBA built a 3.0 game lead on the Warriors for the No. 2 seed with a decisive win over the fully-loaded Nets at home and a 30-point blowout over Indiana. Seven Grizzlies scoring double figures over Brooklyn and most of the team joining a post-game celebration during the walk-off interview is so typical for this group. The moment won't phase Ja Morant this group. You could feel that in Jaren Jackson Jr.'s recent appearance on Zach Lowe's podcast too. Their magic number for the two seed is seven with eight to play.

Miami (47-27): A timeout feud between Jimmy Butler and Eric Spoelstra wasn't as shocking for this wearing-pads-to-practice group as their recent play. They've endured three straight fourth-quarter collapses against the depleted 76ers and Warriors before a 17-point meltdown against the Knicks without Julius Randle at home on Friday night. The Heat held a commanding lead at the top of the east last week, and now sit 0.5 games in front of Milwaukee and 1.0 game above the Celtics and 76ers. They host Brooklyn and Sacramento before a key mid-week trip to Boston. Spoelstra chalked up the Heat's sideline fight, which followed a 19-0 Warriors run out of halftime, to frustration over their play.

Milwaukee (46-27): The champs dropped a game against the surging Timberwolves to begin last week, before tearing through the Bulls, then the Wizards without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. They continued their climb to the top of the east during an 8-2 March where they rank No. 5 in offense and No. 16 in defense. Milwaukee is also establishing its playoff rotations with Pat Connaughton and Brook Lopez back in the lineup following extended absences with injuries. Wes Matthews and Connaughton split bench wing minutes, while Lopez overtook Serge Ibaka and dug into more of Antetokounmpo's center time as he, Jrue Holiday and Middleton took late-season rest. They'll need to try to find minutes for Jevon Carter too, who could become an upgrade last year's Jeff Teague, Carter now averaging 6.1 PPG on 52% shooting for his new team while playing good defense. 

They travel to Memphis, Philadelphia and Brooklyn on a gauntlet through some of the league's best teams this week. 

Minnesota (43-32): Seven Timberwolves scored double figures with D'Angelo Russell connecting the effort with eight assists, avenging a loss earlier in the week to Dallas in blowout fashion. Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton exposed their occasional defensive weakness in a shootout win between the two Mavericks games, but the Wolves still rank No. 1 in defense in March alongside a No. 5 offense. 

They're the second-hottest team in basketball behind Boston, sneaking up 0.5 games behind Denver (MIN owns tiebreaker) to potentially avoid the play-in tournament and play a banged-up Warriors team in the first round. They visit Boston on Sunday, before traveling to Toronto and Denver in a crucial ramp-up week with seven games left. Their magic number is three for the seven seed, and nine for the six seed. 

New Orleans (31-42): Zion Williamson (foot) is unlikely to return for the stretch run, according to The Athletic, but New Orleans has already built under first-year coach Willie Green into the No. 10 offense and No. 9 defense in the league over their past 15 games. They'll ironically play in the play-in tournament created, in part, to give Williamson a chance to make the 2020 playoffs, which never happened. This would be the franchise's first postseason appearance since 2017-18. 

Brandon Ingram (hamstring) has missed nine games in a row, questionable to return on Saturday, while Larry Nance Jr. scored nine points after quietly arriving injured as a throw-in (and swapping houses with Josh Hart) in the C.J. McCollum trade. They play the Lakers twice this week in games that'll likely decide home court in the 9-10 play-in game. New Orleans' magic number is eight for the postseason with nine left. 

New York (32-42): They fought hard to stay in the postseason race, but it is too late. Even with their comeback win over the Heat on Friday, their elimination number is five with eight games to play. Trae Young's latest masterpiece in MSG secured a tiebreaker over the Knicks this week and a 5.0 game lead in the standings for his Hawks. The Knicks have won 6-of-10, ranking No. 1 in defense over that stretch, encouragement that they can build a floor on that end into next season when it dismantled their hopes for so much of this year. 

Tom Thibodeau continued to debate the topic of youth minutes though, after Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, Jericho Sims and Miles McBride played key minutes in the comeback over Miami. This team has good young players, and should lean into them as their playoff hopes fade. Julius Randle (quad) has missed three straight games. 

Oklahoma City (21-52): If you're watching this team late in the season, you're probably seeing Isaiah Roby, Tre Mann, Darius Bazley, Aleksej Pokusevski and Aaron Wiggins. Their young trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Josh Giddey proved all they needed to. A 10-game losing streak pulled them within 1.5 games of Detroit and Orlando for bottom-three lottery odds. 

Orlando (20-54): Lost a key game to the Thunder in the tanking race, moving into eighth place for most losses in franchise history with a real chance to move into the top five. Wendell Carter Jr. has quietly used the losses to build a 15.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG and 2.7 APG on 52.5% shooting, but until more people notice him, they'll need performances like these one to wow fans. 

Philadelphia (45-27): After an uneven week-and-a-half following the embarrassing loss in Philadelphia to Ben Simmons' Nets, they've had Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton lead a win over the Heat, with James Harden and Joel Embiid sitting, before Harden, Embiid, Maxey and Tobias Harris all scored 20 points against the Heat. Harden capped a three-game win streak with 29 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in a 122-97 blowout at the Clippers. They'll visit Phoenix for a potential NBA Finals preview just 1.0 game behind Miami for the No. 1 seed, then host the Bucks on Tuesday in a game that could decide much of the top of the eastern conference standings. 

Phoenix (60-14): Chris Paul (thumb) stunningly returned from injury sooner than expected, after missing 14 games, to join Devin Booker as he made a late MVP push with 49 points against the Nuggets. Paul scored 17 points and dished 13 assists, extending Phoenix' seven-game win streak. The Suns now own four of the 11 longest win streaks in the NBA this season, including the best, 18 games in a row early in the season, and 11 wins after the new year. Their magic number for securing the west's top seed is two with eight to play, likely allowing the Suns to take the last few games off. They have a 14-game lead on the east's top-seeded Heat, who they beat by 21 earlier this month. This is the team to beat. 

Portland (27-46): They owned the No. 10 seed entering the all-star break, 1.5 games over the Pelicans, before going on a tanking masterclass, losing 12 of their last 14. They rank 30th in offense and defense over that stretch, with Brandon Williams and Trendon Watford logging most of their minutes while Anfernee Simons and Josh Hart take spot games off. Keon Johnson, their biggest return in the Norman Powell trade, is averaging 7.3 PPG on 33% shooting in his first 13 games with the team, though it's hard to take much away from these rotations. 

They're No. 7 in the lottery, with the Pelicans' play-in tournament result to decide whether or not they'll get a second pick (1-4, 15+ protected). 

Sacramento (26-48): They're 5.5 games back of the No. 10 seed with eight to play, placing their elimination number at four. It's no surprise De'Aaron Fox (hand) and Domantas Sabonis (knee) will possibly be shut down for the season. The Kings will miss the playoffs for an NBA record 16th straight season, despite going all-in on Sabonis at the deadline to avoid that fate. Monte McNair may get a chance to see out this Sabonis plan through a full season, but it's hard to imagine interim coach Alvin Gentry leading that team after ranking No. 23 in defense since the deadline. Meanwhile, Richaun Holmes reportedly left the team to respond to accusations of domestic abuse by his ex-wife. 

San Antonio (29-44): Former Celtics guard Josh Richardson continues to thrive with the Spurs, averaging 13.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 2.3 APG on 42.5% shooting and 43.2% three-point efficiency since he began playing regularly nine games ago. It's tempting to look back at the Derrick White trade, while White shoots 23.4% from deep, with some second-guessing. Despite Richardson's apparently higher scoring upside, he would've needed to step into a playmaking role White's now thriving in. White is making 29.4 passes per game since the deadline, compared to 25.3 for Richardson. The Richardson acquisition makes sense for San Antonio though, as they could flip him for another pick this summer. Meanwhile, Boston's first-round pick the Spurs own is down to No. 24 overall. 

Toronto (41-32): When the season began, they were expected to avoid the play-in tournament by missing the playoffs entirely. Now, the Raptors could finish the season above the play-in line, after wins in seven of their last 10 over the Nuggets, Suns, Lakers and Clippers, before starting their four-game home stand with a win over the Cavaliers to tie them for the No. 6 seed. OG Anunoby (finger) returned after missing 15 games, scoring 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting. 

They're No. 5 in defense over that stretch, continuing Nick Nurse's random defensive attack, with long defenders scrambling and trapping alongside elite offensive rebounding. It's a non-traditional formula for a winning team that struggles offensively in the half court, but it's one that could make things difficult for Boston and Minnesota when they travel north of the border this week. 

Utah (45-29): They've been great all year statistically and in the standings, but with questions constantly lingering following their playoff collapse last season against the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard. The Celtics left them soul-searching after a 125-97 loss where they allowed 10-for-10 shooting to begin the first quarter and fell behind by 30 points midway through the game. Utah lost to Charlotte on Friday, falling into a tie with Dallas for No. 4 in the west before playing them on Monday night that'll likely decide the tiebreaker between them. 

"A lot of (the offensive rebounds) were on me," Rudy Gobert contended in Charlotte, after blocking zero shots in Boston. "A lot were funky bounces, but a lot I could've got. That was the game. It gave (the Hornets) life. It gave them a lot more confidence to shoot again. And those shots are usually easier shots."

Washington (31-42): Their late-season dynamic, Kristaps Porzingis leading the offense, mid-season additions in Ish Smith and Tomas Satoransky filling point guard minutes, while sidelined star Bradley Beal inspects and occasionally comments on the state and future of the team. 

"I think we need bigger guards," Beal said on NBC Sports Washington after the Wizards lost to the Rockets. "We need more guys who can get in the paint for us. More ball handlers. More guys who can really create, get two feet in the paint, but also who can knock town threes.”

With Beal already signaling his intention to stay with the team ahead of his player option this offseason, it's worth wondering from Washington's perspective whether they should go all-in with the super max on the 28-year-old when almost nothing on the roster around him is solidified. The Wizards haven't pulled off a full-scale tank either, currently in a three-way tie for No. 9 in the lottery.