Zach Lowe 10 things

This week, we feature amazing -- and season-long! -- interior defense from the 6-foot-3 Ja Morant, clever new moves from an MVP and two rising Blazers, then show some love for "The Legend of Zelda" and its gold cartridge.

1. Ja Morant's rim protection was a thing before The Block

We witnessed man take flight in Los Angeles on Sunday, when Morant -- the snarling, trash-talking, audacious soul of the league's hottest team -- rose from the dotted line to impale Avery Bradley's shot into the backboard.

Morant was moving up and forward, on an diagonal trajectory like a rising stock price, up until the second he obliterated Bradley's layup. He almost literally resembled a superhero taking to the skies.

But it's the tranquility that makes the play -- makes you tremble at what possibilities this comet of a point guard holds within him. Morant floated down from the heavens after the block, landed easily on two feet, and jogged the ball up the floor as if nothing remarkable had happened -- as if the block was no big deal, a feat of revenge he expected to execute the moment Bradley stole the ball from him.

Morant has been leaping in front of enemy layups with ferocity and precision all season:

That is Morant fulfilling his job as low man, with verticality that would make Roy Hibbert proud.

There he is thwarting another fast break -- this time against Stephen Curry during the Memphis Grizzlies' statement win Tuesday.

Morant has played the best defense of his career since returning from injury, and the Grizz rank sixth in points allowed per possession in that stretch. Watching the franchise player fling himself into (sometimes) unglamorous parts of defense has a catalyzing effect on chemistry. It sets the tone for the team -- defines what it stands for.

One reason Morant is the real deal as a franchise player is that he never carries himself as if the franchise belongs to him. One of Morant's clutch buckets against Golden State came on a catch-and-go drive out of a Tyus Jones pick-and-roll; Jones was cooking, and Morant was happy to cede some late-game offense to him. (Jones unlocked a new level of aggression when Morant was out, and has sustained it; the Grizz are plus-7 per 100 possessions when their two point guards play together.)

Earlier in that game, Morant slowed down in semi-transition, pitched the ball back to Desmond Bane, and in one motion screened off Bane's man to create a trail 3. Morant could outrun everyone if he wanted, but he senses when slowing down might open a pocket of space for a teammate.

He also dunked out of a backdoor cut; Morant entered the league with an advanced off-ball game -- rare for a young point guard. He doesn't just cut to score, either; he cuts to suck in attention that might create a shot for someone else.

This guy is special. The Grizz -- having just passed the Utah Jazz for No. 3 in the West -- might be, too, and way ahead of schedule.

2. Nassir Little, becoming the player the Blazers thought they'd need

With Damian Lillard undergoing surgery, Portland is officially engaging tank mode -- hoping for some Tim-Duncan-to-the-Spurs-style miracle to jumpstart the Lillard era. (Portland had no plans to trade Lillard pre-surgery, and has none as of now to trade him going forward, sources say. Lillard, of course, could change that with one conversation.)

Portland punting could have major trickle-down effects: putting a play-in berth (at minimum) on a silver platter for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and turning the No. 10 spot into a slap-fight between the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, and San Antonio Spurs.

The problem with the Duncan one-year-tank comparison is that the Spurs had a winning foundation when injuries destroyed their team in 1996-97, and Duncan walked into the NBA as an MVP candidate. That does not happen. Do the current Blazers have the foundation for it to matter in the short-term if they luck into a top-three pick? The presumed top three are good -- scouts are drooling over Jabari Smith's recent performances -- but it's asking a lot.

Meanwhile, Little may be turning into the 3-and-D tweener forward the Blazers needed when they were trying to win. Little's shot comes and goes -- he's at 32% on 3s -- but his form looks fine, and he's stepping into them with confidence. He's only 21.

More encouraging has been watching Little zip by defenders who run him off the arc, knife into the lane, and make the next pass. He has shown glimpses of a post game against switches, or when defenses hide guards on him.

Little is a solid defender, with a chance to be really good. He's strong enough to defend power forwards, and envelopes wings with his massive 7-1 wingspan. Little isn't super athletic, but he's the right kind of fast to excel on defense -- quick in tight spaces, nimble changing direction, with good balance and instincts.

He erased Kyrie Irving twice during Portland's win this week:

He also spent a lot of time on Kevin Durant, and anyone who survives Irving and Durant without looking foolish is someone to watch.

3. Nikola Jokic, slippin'

The forgotten MVP is still out there, hauling the broken Denver Nuggets above .500, slapping up that 26-14-7 line, and leading the league in almost every advanced metric. Jokic overtook Rudy Gobert in defensive rebounding rate, and remains on pace for the highest single-season player efficiency rating ever.

The Nuggets are still very good with Jokic on the floor (+9.3 per 100 possessions), and still the Washington Generals (-11.8) without him.

Every season, Jokic unveils some weird new skill or masters something he only dabbled in before. This year, it might be approaching for a ball screen before slipping hard to the rim:

On lots of those plays, Jokic doesn't come within 10 feet of the ball handler before changing course.

Without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., Jokic has to do everything for the Nuggets. Opponents expect Jokic to exert that control via traditional actions; they anticipate Jokic setting real picks and then popping for a 3, rolling hard, or posting up a switch.

This darting, early slip plays against those expectations.

4. Blake Griffin's finishing

It's worrisome that Griffin was perhaps the Brooklyn Nets' best defender on Giannis Antetokounmpo in last year's playoffs -- and definitely the Net who guarded Antetokounmpo most -- because Brooklyn may not have a role for Griffin on offense right now.

Almost half of Griffin's shots since the 2018-19 season have been 3s, and he's 18-of-86 this season. Defenses aren't guarding him. Brooklyn's best lineups provide space for Griffin's rim runs, but then this happens:

Griffin is shooting 52% in the restricted area, the lowest mark of his career -- and one that ranks in the 5th percentile among bigs, per Cleaning The Glass. Watching early-career Griffin spike Timofey Mozgov into the earth's core is like watching a totally different player -- and basically is, considering how leg injuries sapped Griffin's once-godly leaping ability.

Every layup is an adventure:

Peak Griffin throws that down before Myles Turner recovers. Even last season's Griffin generates a smidgen more air time to complete that up-and-under.

It's hard to play a big struggling on 3s and at the rim. Griffin will always be an elite passer, but the Nets are not built for him to leverage that skill. This isn't fatal to Brooklyn, even if they meet Antetokounmpo again. Milwaukee gradually figured out Griffin's drop-back defense during last season's seven-game epic. (Antetokounmpo does not get enough credit as a problem-solver over long series.)

The Nets could try that scheme with James Johnson, LaMarcus Aldridge, and even Paul Millsap in Griffin's place. Nicolas Claxton would get lots of chances at Antetokounmpo, but he's at a severe strength disadvantage. Brooklyn's failsafe is outscoring teams. This isn't to close the book on Griffin, either. He was plus-34 in Brooklyn's Scary Hours demolition of the Chicago Bulls Wednesday. He will get hot from 3. He plays really hard; only Kyle Lowry has drawn more charges. If the Nets get where they want to go, Griffin will play some part.

5. What to do with Jae'Sean Tate?

I love Tate. He's a turbocharged cinder block with the strength to jostle against centers on defense and the speed to chase guards. If Tate is barreling at you, get the hell out of his way. He's a good pick-and-roll screener -- clever passing on the move, with a mashing post game against smaller guys on switches. (Tate is shooting 57% on 2s.) The Rockets have scored 1.265 points per possession when Tate shoots out of post-up, or dishes to a teammate who fires -- second (!) among 85 guys with at least 20 post touches, per Second Spectrum.

The tanktastic Rockets have a dead-even scoring margin when Tate plays power forward next to Christian Wood in one-center lineups, per NBA.com. But Tate can get lost in more of a spot-up role around Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, and Wood. He is setting 10.6 ball screens per 100 possessions, down from 16 last season, per Second Spectrum. That leaves Tate chilling along the arc. Defenses ignore him to clog the paint. More teams are slotting their centers onto Tate -- allowing power forwards to take Wood -- and planting them in the paint.

That leaves Tate three choices when he gets the ball: chuck wide-open 3s; drive into the wall awaiting him; or pivot into a handoff. Tate is not shying from open 3s. He knows he'll have to hit them eventually, and the Rockets encourage him to let it fly.

Tate has made just 30% from deep -- not enough to pull defenses out of that scheme. He's probably best right now as a small-ball center, and the Rockets should use him in that style more often given Wood's shooting ability.

Regardless, the Rockets do and should view Tate as a keeper. (Houston's biggest on-court problem is their defense collapsing into a sinkhole whenever opponents put Green and Porter in any screening action.)

6. Anfernee Simons' float game

The happiest subplot of a miserable Portland season is Simons looking like a surefire starter with some chance of stardom on offense. He's averaging 14 points on solid shooting, and almost 30 during his recent five-game tear.

Simons has a filthy first step -- powerful and fast. He's hitting enough 3s -- about 40%, though only 32% off the bounce -- that help defenders pressure him on the pick-and-roll. Simons roasts those guys in open space.

His floater has been a revelation. He gets huge elevation, and lofts from odd angles going left or right.

Good freaking luck with that. Simons puts Claxton on skates with a vicious lefty hesitation dribble, and zooms into that super-long floater from the elbow -- a place where guys usually take normal jumpers. Buttery.

He jumps so high, he can get this baby off in heavy traffic:

Simons has nailed an amazing 53% from floater range, per Cleaning The Glass. Portland has scored 1.09 points when Simons shoots out of a pick-and-roll, or passes to a teammate who launches -- fifth among 126 players who have run at least 200 such plays, per Second Spectrum.

The Blazers are only minus-5 in 283 minutes when Simons has played without both Lillard and CJ McCollum.

Simons' next step is playmaking for others. He's a gunner, and over-dribbles setting up pick-and-rolls. Even so, you can see some early strides in his passing.

The Blazers hyped up Simons for years, which makes you wonder: If they knew this was coming, should they have tried to trade McCollum?

7. Two Magic Men, trending in opposite directions

Maybe injuries, virus protocols and roster circumstances have conspired against Chuma Okeke -- one of my most intriguing players going into this season -- but he is lost at sea on offense.

The Magic hoped to toss Okeke more ballhandling work -- pick-and-rolls, post touches -- but the development of Cole Anthony and immediate emergence of Franz Wagner scuttled those plans.

Okeke is having trouble figuring out life off the ball. He's shooting a dismal 24% on 3s, and his future as a role player is rickety until that shot comes along. His confidence seems to vary by the minute. He'll demur on one wide-open look, and two possessions later, bomb some tightly contested pull-up. Okeke has the vision and off-the-bounce chops to turn some random drives into profitable stuff, but a fair chunk end up zig-zagging to nowhere:

Advanced stats rate Okeke as one of the league's worst offensive players this season. (Only Daniel Theis ranks below him in 538's model.) Okeke has the outlines of someone who can defend every position. He plays hard, with pure intentions. There's a good all-around player in here somewhere.

A happy Magic addendum: Given I mentioned his early-season struggles, it's fair to note Gary Harris has transformed back into a stout 3-and-D guy. Since Nov. 27, Harris is averaging 16 points on 48% shooting -- including 41% on 3s. He has some pop back in his legs; Harris has hit 75% in the restricted area in that span.

His defense never waned. Contenders have noticed, and inquired about Harris as a potential trade candidate or buyout signing, sources say.

8. Cam Johnson, stretching his game

Johnson has been the league's most accurate high-volume 3-point shooter over the last seven weeks, having drained almost half his triples in that stretch. He has hit multiple 3s in 22 straight games, and scored in double-figures every game since Nov. 27. Yowza. Johnson can pump-and-go past defenders, and keep the Suns' efficiency machine moving. Still, Johnson is mostly an off-ball sniper. But amid injuries and virus-related absences, the Suns have let Johnson stretch himself. He's trying a few more mid-rangers, including pull-up 2s: The results have been uneven. Johnson is shooting poorly on midrangers, and doesn't probe for assists or free throws. But against postseason defenses, you need as many guys as possible who can create something from nothing late in the shot clock. With Phoenix a good bet to earn a top-two seed, there's little harm in giving Johnson leeway. Johnson's rim attempts are up a tick. He's a cagey cutter, with a knack for bullying smaller defenders on those plays. Johnson catches the ball on the move, lowers his shoulder, and keeps plowing until he's at the basket. (Johnson is shooting a tidy 70% in the restricted area.) That bulldozing becomes important when defenses stick bigger wings on Chris Paul and Devin Booker -- and stash smaller guards on Johnson. Johnson might have only one "A"-level strength -- lights-out shooting -- but he has very few (maybe zero) glaring weaknesses. Perhaps the best compliment coaches can give a role player is never worrying about him when he's on the floor. Monty Williams would probably say that about Johnson.

9. Herb Jones, flashing into your life

I would like to congratulate Jones -- the 35th pick in last year's draft -- for already reaching the point where executives from other teams go out of their way to reveal they were *this close* to drafting him. I call that Draymond Green Hindsight Syndrome, though it will never be as widespread for Jones as it is with Green (or Desmond Bane). Hounding defense is Jones's calling card. "Not on Herb!" was a catchphrase within the Pelicans before they opened camp. His ludicrous arms appear everywhere at once -- right in your face if you have the ball, but also somehow in every passing lane. He averages 1.5 steals and one block per game, and is one of only four guys leading their respective teams in both categories, per ESPN Stats & Information. Those go-go-Gadget arms help Jones finish around the rim on offense, where he has been less of a liability than expected. Defenses treat Jones as a non-shooter, but he's a respectable 24-of-62 (38.7%) on 3s -- as good above the break as from the corners. He has launched without hesitation in big moments. He's a smart cutter -- including on flashes into the middle when the defense isn't paying attention: If Jones slithers into inside position, he can extend the ball -- with either hand -- and flick it in. Jones is making a strong case for both the All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams. The Pels' reimagined starting five -- Devonte' Graham, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Jones, and Jonas Valanciunas -- has outscored opponents by 10.2 points per 100 possessions. The Ingram/Hart/Jones trio is rangy and switchable. Ingram is in the middle of perhaps the best stretch of his career. Almost every roster guy has played some role in the Pels grinding to 15-14 since their 1-12 start. They are within reach of the play-in, hoping Zion Williamson might return.

10. Jarrett Allen's Zelda love affair

The release of The Legend of Zelda, with its gold game cartridge, was a landmark event for any child of the 1980s and early 1990s. Allen was born in 1998, but grew up playing subsequent versions of the Zelda series. He collects Zelda-related memorabilia; his favorite such piece, he says, might be his 3D printout of one particular shield. Every time Allen scores, the Cavaliers' game operations staff plays a specific Zelda sound effect -- the jingle that (in the original) played when the protagonist uncovered some secret item or entry point. (Apparently that same sound -- or something very close to it -- has carried over into more recent Zelda iterations.) That sound triggers a little hit of dopamine in my brain. I smile every time. It brings back the excitement of having discovered something new in that game -- once you blew in the cartridge enough times for it to load. Allen first requested the effect with the Nets, when staffers approached players for suggestions. "It took me about 10 seconds to come up with the perfect one," Allen says. "Short and sweet." Facebook