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A clutch performer made late-game mistakes. A stationary wing is jumping inches off the ground in glorious ways. A dynamite shooter is dynamite once again. And a forward has converted into a long snapper.
Let’s open up the notebook to run through four NBA trends that have caught my eye over the past week:
Inevitable bad luck
Wednesday was a rare bad day for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland.
Garland has been one of the most consistent guards in the league this season. He’s one of the world’s greatest 3-point marksmen. He’s wowed around the basket. Not many can reel off as many types of spicy layups as he can — and not many can create for teammates as well once leaving their feet under the hoop. Garland is the full package, someone who should slide onto the Eastern Conference All-Star team.
GO DEEPER
Why Darius Garland has an excellent — and difficult — All-Star case to be made
But Wednesday was not his night.
Down two points to the tough-as-nails Houston Rockets, Garland put up a 3-pointer and missed but got fouled. After review, referees deemed the hack a flagrant. He went to the line for a trio of free throws, after which he would get the ball back. But Garland, an 87-percent shooter from the stripe, missed the first two before making the final free throw, then erred seconds later on a putback layup that would have won Cleveland the game.
One unfortunate event followed another, as if a season where nothing could go wrong for the Cavs was making up for lost time … though maybe that’s exactly what happened.
The 36-7 Cavaliers lead the league in various remarkable stats. They own the best offense and are challenging the single-season record in points per possession. They are hitting 40 percent of their 3s, an NBA best. And they excel late in close games like no team ever.
Aside from that short stretch from Garland, the Cavaliers have locked down fourth quarters.
More than halfway into the season, they have outscored their opponents by 48.5 points per 100 possessions during clutch time, defined as when a game is within five points with less than five minutes to go. It is by far the highest clutch-time net rating since the NBA began tracking that statistic in 1996-97.
The offense in those moments flows through Garland and Donovan Mitchell, both of whom have been otherworldly with their shooting. The two freebies Garland missed to close the Rockets game were the first clutch-time free throws he has clanked all season. The Cavs are shooting 63 percent on 2-pointers and 48 percent from deep during clutch time. They own by far the best winning percentage in the NBA in games that come within five points with less than five minutes to go, squeaking out 15 victories in 18 tries.
The NBA introduced a new award a few years ago: Clutch Player of the Year, for which there are no parameters. After all, how are we possibly supposed to conclude that one player is more clutch than another in any meaningful way? And even if we could measure it, what reasonable person would argue that any player’s clutchness varies depending on the season?
The following is not a sentence anyone has ever said: “Michael Jordan was way more clutch in 1992 than he was in 1997.”
He was Michael Jordan. He was clutch. Period. And the concept of whether someone has that gene will inspire debates for the rest of our lifetimes and beyond.
But there is one element we know about clutch-time stats: Over time, they tend to regress to whatever a team’s or player’s norm happens to be. In this case, the Cavaliers’ norm is exceptional, as is Garland’s. Those trends have carried into high-pressure situations.
So yes, Garland had a bad few seconds, but he’s also in the midst of his best season, and when his team needs it most, he’s been the best version of himself.
Sometimes, randomness prevails.
Jake LaRavia’s glitchy jump passes
Imagine the NBA’s best jump passers, and the guys who come to mind are usually high flyers. John Wall would leave his feet to sling bullets to shooters in the corner. Tyrese Haliburton will leap to the basket, then wrap dump-offs to a big man or fling them out to the wing.
Some amount of hang time, or at least a plan when a player jumps, is required — at least, so you would think.
Enter Grizzlies extraordinaire Jake LaRavia, a jump passer like no other and one of many having a breakout season in Memphis. There are few greater joys in basketball — nay, in life! — than the sparse instances when LaRavia hops inches off the court with only a split-second to figure out a plan. Yet, it somehow always seems to work out for him.
LaRavia isn’t your usual jump passer, and he doesn’t go to it much. Instead, he uses jump passes to mess with opponents’ timing. He’ll Euro step through a defender, reach another and then somehow come to a full stop, which throws off the cadence of his drive, only to toss a pass out to the corner.
It’s as if he’s supposed to keep moving forward but the video skips a frame or two.
LaRavia is a master at improvising once suspended in the air, even if his hang time lasts only for a blink. He jumps just 13 inches in the air on his average jump pass, per Second Spectrum, one of the lowest figures in the league this season.
Somehow, it’s always an adventure, such as on this sublime play, which turned into more of a Cirque du Soleil reenactment once he realized he had nowhere to go and dropped the basketball to big man Brandon Clarke behind him.
The floater went in, but that’s a theme here.
The Grizzlies score 1.29 points per possession when LaRavia tries jump passes, making him — not Haliburton nor Ball nor anyone else — the most efficient jump passer in the NBA this season, according to Second Spectrum.
So the next time someone tells you that all NBA games look the same these days, show them the Grizzlies, who run less pick-and-roll than any other team in the league, rely on off-ball cuts like no one else and have a quirky reserve who improvises midair from angles that should throw his neck out only for his team to score on most of those plays anyway.
Isaiah Joe has found his shooting form for Oklahoma City. (Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
A fresh cup of Joe
Isaiah Joe is draining 3-pointers again, just as the Oklahoma City Thunder suspected he would. And now, OKC’s bench has reached a new level of dangerousness.
For years, dating back to before the Thunder were even contenders, Joe was part of the secret sauce. The No. 1 rule of the Thunder was, if Joe was on the court, this team was pretty good. According to Cleaning the Glass, they were eight points per 100 possessions better with Joe on the court two seasons ago, when they won 40 games and sneaked into the Play-In Tournament. Last season, that figure was a still-impressive five points per 100.
Joe has never been the top of the Thunder’s talent, but he has represented a different type of style.
Until this season, OKC had Josh Giddey, a non-shooter who was at his best with the basketball in his hands, hanging on the perimeter alongside stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. The moments when Joe took Giddey’s slot showed what the Thunder could do when a shooter, someone who nailed more than 40 percent of his 3-pointers during each of the past two seasons, plugged in instead of a do-it-most facilitator.
Now, the Thunder are deeper — and, at 36-8, they don’t have as many flaws, including in their starting lineup, which has decimated opponents this season.
Joe is a vital piece of the puzzle, an energy guard who can win them games when he bombs away from long range. Yet he didn’t look like himself for a couple of months, shooting worse than 35 percent on 3s through the end of the calendar year. All the while, coach Mark Daigneault contested Joe would find his shot eventually.
Eventually has arrived.
He’s shooting 49 percent from 3-point land in January and has drained eight 3s in two of his past six games, most recently doing so in only 22 minutes during a blowout of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Thunder could use the help. They are shooting only 36 percent from deep this season, 17th in the NBA. Williams is at an uncharacteristic 34 percent. Cason Wallace got off to a slow start with his jumper, though he’s come on more of late, as well. Alex Caruso is still wallowing below 30 percent.
But the rest of the league didn’t need the arguable title favorites to find that help. No surprise, the Thunder are once again running teams off the floor when Joe is in the game.
Joe, as should have been expected, is now dynamite. And so is Oklahoma City.
Ryan Dunn at center … but not that kind of center
With all the uncomfortable vibes in Phoenix — the will-they, won’t-they with Jimmy Butler; the awkward Bradley Beal situation, etc. — let’s focus on a cute new trend.
Ryan Dunn, the Suns’ newest starter who replaced Beal in the first unit, now hikes the basketball to point guard Tyus Jones to begin games.
If the Suns win a jump ball and the basketball comes to Dunn, watch the rookie. He will spread his legs, bend over as if Jones is in shotgun formation, and snap it backward through his wickets.
The Suns have won only three jump balls to begin first quarters since Dunn entered the starting lineup 10 games ago. He’s had the opportunity to morph into Nick Mangold on two of them. Phoenix is 1-of-2 on the ensuing possessions — a Devin Booker missed mid-range shot and a wide-open Booker layup.
Not bad.
Clearly, this is the dynamic that will solve all the Suns’ issues.
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(Photo of Darius Garland: Jason Miller / Getty Images)
In the ever-changing landscape of the NBA, there are always new storylines and trends to keep an eye on. From injuries to breakout performances, here are a few things catching my attention right now:
1. Darius Garland’s bad luck: Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland has been dealing with a string of injuries this season, including a sprained ankle that has kept him sidelined for several games. It’s been frustrating to see such a talented young player struggle with health issues, but hopefully he can bounce back soon and show off his skills on the court.
2. The Thunder’s jolt of Joe: Joe Ingles, who was recently traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, has been making a big impact with his new team. The veteran forward has been providing leadership and solid play on both ends of the court, helping the Thunder stay competitive in games. It’s been fun to watch Ingles thrive in his new role and I’m excited to see what he can bring to the team moving forward.
3. The rise of the Miami Heat: The Miami Heat have been on a tear recently, with a strong defense and balanced scoring leading them to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Players like Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro have been playing at a high level, and the team’s depth and chemistry have been key to their success. The Heat are definitely a team to watch as the season progresses.
These are just a few of the trends and storylines that I’m keeping an eye on in the NBA right now. With so much talent and excitement in the league, there’s always something new and interesting happening on the court. Stay tuned for more updates as the season unfolds.
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