1 Thing We Like From (Almost) Every Tanking Team Down The Stretch Of The NBA Season

The weeks before the NBA postseason can often drag. Some teams are clawing for playoff position, but many top seeds begin to cruise and the league’s bottom feeders turn to full tanking mode. Still, there are always exciting things happening around the league, even if they aren’t receiving as much mainstream attention.

Let’s discuss one thing I’ve enjoyed lately from most teams out of the playoff hunt, shining a spotlight on some under-covered NBA storylines down the stretch.

Washington Wizards – Alex Sarr Is Becoming A Star 

Winning games was never a realistic priority for this edition of the Wizards. Head coach Brian Keefe and his staff were open from the beginning about their intentions to prioritize player development and create a positive ecosystem. Despite Washington’s record, it’s accomplishing this goal, exemplified by the recent play from its No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 Draft.

Sarr has flipped a switch on the offensive end lately, playing with newfound aggression and confidence. Since the beginning of March, he’s averaged 16.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game on 51.3 percent true shooting. He’s drilling 37.1 percent of his 5.8 3-point attempts per game.

Dangerous 3-point shooting forces defenses to guard him deeper out and opens up his driving game. Sarr still has to develop as an interior scorer, but his height, coordination and fluidity are already overwhelming for many defenders. He’s made 56.5 percent of his half-court shots at the rim this season, up from 55.4 percent last season in Australia.

Really enjoying Alex Sarr’s expanded driving comfort as of late. He’s such a weapon off of the bounce with his handle, fluidity and coordination.

Up to 37.1% from 3 in March, which helps draw closeouts and open driving lanes. pic.twitter.com/63VlGDFNK6

— Sportscasting NBA (@SportcastingNBA) March 24, 2025

Khris Middleton’s arrival coinciding with Sarr’s ascension is more than a coincidence. Middleton’s passing, off-ball shooting and gravity have made life easier for Sarr. With Middleton on the floor (210 minutes), Sarr’s true shooting jumps to 51.6 percent, while his 2-point efficiency climbs to 48.4 percent, according to PBP Stats.

With Middleton off the floor (147 minutes), his true shooting dips to 46.2 percent and his 2-point efficiency is a putrid 27.5 percent. It’s still a small sample, but he’s helping Sarr move towards his lofty ceiling, which would make this losing season a resounding long-term success.

Utah Jazz – Experimenting With Walker Kessler

No head coach in the NBA represents the mad scientist archetype like Will Hardy does. During a lost season, he has free rein to experiment and tinker, resulting in some eye-popping lineup choices. His most recent project seems to be expanding Walker Kessler’s shooting comfort.

Over his last five games, Kessler attempted 26 3-pointers, making just three of those shots. Before those five games, Kessler had taken 28 threes across his three-year NBA career. Hardy’s perceived qualms with Kessler’s lack of spacing are evidenced by sporadic usage and playing time, as he prefers shooting bigs like Lauri Markkanen and John Collins for his offensive scheme. With nothing to play for but draft position, Hardy has instructed his big man to fire away from deep, regardless of the result.

It’s a jarring play style shift for a paint-bound center who hasn’t attempted volume threes since high school. Usually as a back-side cutter, Kessler spends as much time on the perimeter as any non-shooting big, but an actual 3-point threat would change the calculus for him. We’ll see if this late season tinkering makes any actual difference, but it’s refreshing to see coaches prioritize in-game player development as Hardy does. 

New Orleans Pelicans – Karlo Matvokic’s Emergence

Pelicans fans may remember Nicolo Melli, who the team signed for big man depth in the summer of 2019. I was quite high on Melli (the breakdown I wrote of him back then sadly no longer exists), but he flamed out in the NBA. This led me to approach last summer’s signing of Croatian big Karlo Matkovic cautiously, but he’s exceeded my expectations to this point.

Matkovic is one of the only consistent bright spots for New Orleans this season, emerging as a consistent rotation player late in the year. He’s averaging a sturdy 8.7 points (64.3 percent true shooting) and six rebounds in his 22.7 minutes per night. His excellent vertical bounce helps him finish plays efficiently at the rim (72.2 percent) and block shots (5.6 percent block rate) as a help defender.

Since Anthony Davis’s departure, the Pelicans have searched for consistent front-court play next to Zion Williamson and have largely come up empty. Yves Missi looks like a possible foundational piece and Matkovic could be a long-term rotation player. It’s a minor silver lining amid a horrific Pelicans season, but at least it’s something.

Philadelphia 76ers – Remembering Some Guys

A nightmare Philadelphia season, stained by injuries to nearly all of its key players, has turned into a late season haven for basketball sickos. Remember Chuma Okeke? The once-promising forward prospect washed out with the Orlando Magic, but recently put up 14 points and 15 rebounds against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Okeke drilled four threes in that game, offering glimpses of the timeline where he worked out as a prospect.

Former Baylor star Jared Butler found a home on this roster of misfit toys after a career spoiled by heart complications. He’s one of the league’s most entertaining ball-handlers, capable of dizzying dribble moves and wicked live dribble passing. Rookie Justin Edwards, a former five-star recruit, has found a home as an emergency volume scorer.

Quentin Grimes is the strongest example of this, as another puzzling Nico Harrison trade let him act as a primary creator. If you don’t like Grimes dropping multiple 40-point games late in the season, you must hate NBA basketball. As dismayed as Sixers fans are at this year, they’re an excellent watch for basketball and prospect enjoyers looking for a blast from the past.

Brooklyn Nets – Jordi Fernandez Is Their Coach Of The Future

In our preseason preview for the Atlantic Division, I wrote about the importance of establishing a positive infrastructure in Brooklyn, regardless of its eventual record. The Nets have accomplished that goal, as first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez is developing an ecosystem which should foster growth and winning as the team nears closer to contention.

This recent quote from Noah Clowney sticks with me when thinking about Fernandez’s impact:

Noah Clowney on Jordi Fernández: pic.twitter.com/1Irem7indg

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 11, 2025

Despite their lack of talent, the Nets consistently play hard and connected. Fernandez has extracted positive play from a wide cast of bargain bin players. The likes of Tyrese Martin, Keon Johnson, Ziaire Williams, Trendon Watford and Tosan Evbuomwan all enjoying career seasons is no coincidence. 

He’s a clear schematic plus as well, prioritizing spacing, movement and 3-point shooting on offense. Brooklyn forces the fourth-highest turnover rate of any defense (14.9 percent), evidence of its engaged, cohesive unit, despite a severe lack of defensive talent (and Nicolas Claxton’s major slide).

Many of Brooklyn’s mercenary role players might not stick around long-term. That’s no issue, given the team’s treasure chest of draft picks and, even more importantly, the presence of a coach who lifts the players on his roster toward their ceiling. There’s a reason these late season Nets tend to play up to competition and remain relevant in games they shouldn’t.

Toronto Raptors – A Suffocating Defense

Since the beginning of March, the Raptors have the NBA’s seventh-best defense (112.1 defensive rating). That number might undersell their level of play, too. Toronto suffocates offenses in the half-court. Across that span, the Raptors own the second-best half-court defense in the NBA (91.9 points per 100 possessions).

The Raptors are 6-5 in March, despite ranking 27th offensively. Toronto employs rangy, aggressive defenders at every position, led by a defensive ace in Scottie Barnes. Despite a weaker offensive season, he’s still dominating defensively, posting a Defensive Estimates Plus-Minus (plus-1.9) in the 96th percentile.

Barnes has leveled up as a point-of-attack defender, much sounder than he once was. Increased patience and focus on the ball, coupled with his always phenomenal off-ball defense, have helped him be one of the league’s best defensive players this season.

Scottie Barnes has leveled up as a point of attack defender this year. He still has limitations, but his discipline, focus and reactivity are all much improved.

Scottie ranks 18th in Defensive EPM, he’s one of the NBA’s very best defenders pic.twitter.com/yuKHDpQlO0

— Sportscasting NBA (@SportcastingNBA) March 25, 2025

Beyond Barnes, Toronto’s complementary wing defenders — Ochai Agbaji, Chris Boucher, RJ Barrett — swarm and hound offensive players. Its trio of rookies, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo and Jamal Shead, all add their energy, movement and explosiveness on defense. Jakob Poeltl is solid as always defending the interior. 

The Raptors have plenty of room to grow offensively, but they’re building a strong defensive foundation. Inserting Brandon Ingram into lineups featuring tons of rangy, aggressive defenders could be a winning formula with a few more offensive additions.

All stats are accurate prior to games played on March 24.