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For years, NBA pundits and fans have responded to the league’s three-point revolution by saying “midrange is dead” or “midrange is a lost art.” It’s not necessarily reflective of reality — plenty of teams and players still occupy the midrange, just less so than before because they understand it’s a region that is best considered a comfortable secondary option.

There are outliers, of course, such as Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, and Chris Paul. For many stars, though, it remains a vital counter to diversify one’s approach — usually a mandate for postseason success — and thrive where the defense is typically willing to concede space.

Months removed from a surprise Eastern Conference Finals appearance, Trae Young is diversifying his approach to thrive in the spaces the defense concedes and aiming to establish last season’s run as a yearly routine rather than any sort of outlier. He’s playing the best basketball of his career and issuing a legitimate case to be considered among the league’s best players.

Young’s pick-and-rolls with Clint Capela are one of the most effective actions in the game. Increasingly, opponents are sitting on Capela’s dives to the rim or switching screens altogether and preventing Young from effortlessly floating a lob to the big man. Just as he did last year, he’ll still parlay that real estate into open floaters. But driving so deep into the paint offers defenses a chance to acutely play the one-on-two and fluster Young as both a scorer and facilitator, a feat the Philadelphia 76ers accomplished for stretches during last spring’s playoff series.

So, instead of wiggling his way into precarious situations as often, Young is embracing more jumpers off the bounce inside the arc. According to Synergy, his floater frequency has dropped from 35.7 percent last season to 27.2 percent this season. Meanwhile, per Cleaning The Glass, his frequency of shots between 14 feet and the three-point arc, classified as “long midrange,” has ballooned to a career-high 18 percent. His previous career-high, set last year, was 13 percent.

When the opposition parks in Capela’s orbit on the roll and abandons Young, he’s seamlessly firing and cashing open pull-ups. He’s shooting 52 percent on long midrange attempts, which ranks in the 85th percentile. Few players can sustain that level of efficiency, but the quality of looks he’s generating from those spots is quite encouraging.

His yo-yo handle and jitterbug shiftiness also enable him to create space when the opportunities aren’t quite as simple, and he holsters a nasty shot fake to send defenders flying past him.

Last season, Young was a leading practitioner of the “short-stop” foul-drawing gambit, one the NBA has looked to legislate out as it grants defenses more freedom with physicality and aims to avoid rewarding scorers for hunting contact. Those general rules have contributed to Young’s free-throw rate declining from .468 over the past two years to a career-low .298 this year.

Rather than seeking those short-stop fouls as regularly, Young is snaking around high screens and effectively doubling the utility of the picks to manufacture separation and bury cozy pull-ups. By adapting his game, he’s avoided any precipitous drop in scoring efficiency. His 58.1 percent true shooting is 2.8 points higher than league average, better than last season’s mark of plus-1.7 and just behind his career-best of plus-3.0 set in 2019-20.

While other perimeter-oriented foul merchants like Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander haven’t yet tailored their shot-making to mitigate diminished free-throw rates, Young has recognized the merits of vacant hardwood and the dangers of a small guard venturing into the paint these days. Whereas defensive physicality could previously be consistently leveraged into free throws, the NBA’s amended officiating has reduced those opportunities. Young, unlike some contemporaries, is simply migrating away from all that reliance on trickery and toward the space available, resulting in easygoing shots.

In addition to a holistic leap from midrange, he’s also canning triples at a career-high rate of 39.2 percent after shooting 34.3 percent his initial three years. He’s long showcased feathery, elite touch inside the arc on floaters and free throws. Now, he’s marrying two-point excellence with long-range results.

Specifically, Young has been a deadeye on pull-up threes, draining 39.3 percent of them, well above his 33.5 percent clip the prior two seasons. Among 62 players hoisting at least two off-the-bounce threes per game, Young’s 39.3 percent number ranks fifth. Once a marksman whose volume and gumption exceeded true production, he’s achieving all three and it’s helping fuel a standout campaign.

Do not let the Atlanta Hawks’ middling 13-12 record confuse you. Young is at the apex of his game this season. He’s an All-NBA guard. Few ball-handlers have outshined him. His passing wizardry persists and seems a little more precise than before. His scoring has been fine-tuned to account for rule changes and the long ball is peaking to unmatched heights. Even if the three-point shooting mildly falls off, he’s produced a .357 free-throw rate the last 10 games, a notable uptick from .261 in the first 15 games. That could offset some shooting regression as he rediscovers his gaudy free-throw rate.

This is Trae Young, a steadfast playmaking savant whose scoring is catching up to punctuate his status as an offensive virtuoso and budding top-10 superstar.

These past two years have been hard for everyone. Even celebrities, while extremely privileged, have struggled to balance work and life while turning out constant content in quarantine (celebrities — they’re just like us!). Saweetie knows this all too well. The rapper has been hustling hard this past year between firing off hit singles and making TV appearances. Because she’s constantly on the clock, Saweetie has been feeling burnt out. That’s why she hopes to one day build a wellness resort geared towards celebrities to focus on their mental health.

Saweetie recently sat down with People to talk about how her overloaded schedule is affecting her mental health:

“I try to take things day to day. Sometimes I can’t look at my calendar on my weekly schedule because it’ll give me anxiety,” she said. “I feel like what I’m working for is starting to pay off, so I’m just really grateful to be acknowledged. […] It’s like I live, sleep, eat and breathe music and business. My team is really small, so I have to take on responsibilities that eventually somebody else will, but because my team is small, I have to help them out. It’s just trying to find balance right now. I have no balance. Everything is just work, work, work and I don’t have an outlet. I don’t have a therapist. I don’t hang out with any of my friends because I work so much, so it’s just trying to thug it out into until the New Year. I feel like I’m being run down to the ground right now and my body doesn’t feel good. I’ve had mental breakdowns and it’s just really stressful, but it’s nice to be acknowledged because it lets me know that my hard work isn’t going unnoticed.

After seeing other musicians — like Doja Cat, for example — talk about the difficulties of constantly working, Saweetie says she hopes to one day “create a resort for celebrities and their mental health.” “You see artists, especially women artists, venting online and it really makes my soul sad that no one is protecting our mental health,” she told People. “We’re working so much and mental health is important because if we’re not healthy, then we can’t work and if we can’t work, there’s no music.”

She also hopes to build schools and “help out people in communities that look like me.” But along with hoping she takes after Gwyneth Paltrow’s massive wellness empire or leans into philanthropy, Saweetie also has the goal of one day becoming a billionaire. “If I can get some investors before I become a billionaire, creating a wellness resort for celebrities and public figures, athletes, entertainers is like one of my primary goals,” she said.

Read Saweetie’s full interview with People here.

Saweetie is a Warner Music Artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The holiday season is a great time to spread kindness to loved ones and strangers alike. That’s not just common sense, it’s science. Research suggests that people are happier when they can see their generosity making a positive impact on someone else. You don’t need to give a huge amount, either: even donating a few dollars produces a “warm glow” for the giver and helps out a person in need.

When it comes to mobilizing communities to spread kindness to one another, T-Mobile doesn’t just talk about making the world a more joyous, equitable place—they deliver when it matters most.

“We don’t wait for change, we make it,” said Brigitta Witt, T-Mobile’s vice president of social impact and sustainability. “T-Mobile makes that change by focusing our efforts on three key areas. We strive to close the digital divide; promote diversity, equity, and inclusion inside and outside our walls; and build a more sustainable future.”

As we look ahead to 2022 and beyond, Witt noted that the challenges facing people and the planet cannot be solved by one company, sector, or country. But acknowledging this interconnectedness doesn’t preclude the company from giving big and taking bold steps to create a connected world where everyone can thrive.

T-Mobile’s inaugural 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report details their full scope of ESG initiatives, from post-disaster aid in Puerto Rico to climate risk mitigation to programs that invest in youth entrepreneurship like the Changemaker Challenge. Here are some of the highlights that set them apart:

Bridging the Digital Divide

To ensure everyone can participate in our increasingly digital world and the 5G economy, T-Mobile launched Project 10Million, a $10.7 billion campaign to give fast, reliable internet to 10 million student households in underserved communities.

Via T-Mobile

Through this initiative, T-Mobile partners with districts like California’s 35,000-student Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to ensure students have equitable access to the tools they need to excel in school. As one of the most diverse in the country, one-third of OUSD’s students are learning English for the first time, and almost 9 out of 10 low-income students in its K–12 schools lack home internet connections.

“This left a huge disparity between those prepared with the tools for meaningful remote learning and those without,” Witt explained.

T-Mobile and #OaklandUndivided worked together with OUSD to give hotspots and wireless devices to students. With the help of Project 10Million, Witt said OUSD improved its student connectivity rate from 12% to 98%.

OUSD is just one of the thousands of school districts T-Mobile hopes Project 10Million will reach with free or highly subsidized data plans to Bridge the Digital Divide. As of September 2021, they have connected more than 3 million K–12 students across the country.

Equity In Action

The widespread outrage surrounding the murders of unarmed Black people and subsequent protests for racial and economic justice compelled T-Mobile to use its platform and voice to drive action and expand its existing diversity and inclusion commitments. This meant rethinking Equity In Action across its entire business.

Witt noted that in response to the murder of George Floyd last year, both T-Mobile and their employees (through a matching program), donated to the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund for a total of $550,000. Additionally, as part of a $25 million commitment that had previously been made to drive their broad diversity and inclusion work, they immediately donated to five organizations: NUL, NAN, NAACP, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and NCBCP for a total of $1.25 million.

The donations to nationally-known organizations are just one prong of T-Mobile’s Equity In Action commitments.

Via T-Mobile

In addition to the investments they’ve already made, the company has also established new programs for their employees, customers, and communities. Their NextTech Diversity Program provides career training and placement for thousands of underrepresented candidates to take on roles as 5G network technicians, while their Lead Magenta Next program creates more opportunities for previously untapped talent and strengthens their recruiting pipeline. Witt added they also recently launched a company-wide training called One Team, Together Learning Journey, which will take all employees through an expansive multi-year experience to help them form more inclusive habits in the workplace.

Mobilize for a Thriving Planet

Witt noted that meeting these social responsibility goals isn’t possible if we don’t have a healthy, thriving planet that’s resilient in the face of a changing climate. The company is on track to meet their goal of sourcing 100% renewable energy for their total electricity usage by the end of 2021. That goal, set back in 2018 with the RE100 pledge, was an industry first.

Via T-Mobile

“We take responsibility for our environmental footprint by putting a stake in the ground to go green to preserve our planet for future generations, while also setting an example that others can follow to do the same,” Witt said.

As part of its effort to Mobilize for a Thriving Planet, T-Mobile is also keen on reducing atmospheric carbon. They set two carbon reduction targets grounded in the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), and they’re “future-proofing” network infrastructure against the effects of climate change.

How you can help

T-Mobile is making thoughtful, meaningful investments towards its social responsibility goals, but they know engaging their communities is the best way to reach those in need.

Due to the pandemic, many are unable to afford holiday gifts for their families this year. You may be one of those people, or you may know someone who is struggling.

That’s why this December the company is partnering with Pay Away the LayAway, “an amazing organization working to make a difference for families in need by paying off their layaway balances that include gifts for their children, such as games, toys, books, backpacks, clothes, and coats,” Witt explained. “We understand how much of a financial strain the pandemic has put on families.”

T-Mobile is rallying employees and the general public to raise up to $1 million for this cause, and there’s still time to get in on the action. From now through December 14, everyone can join in donating to Pay Away the LayAway. T-Mobile is asking people to retweet the #TMobileGivesBack post to trigger a $5 donation to Pay Away the LayAway.

Fa la la la la layayaways with @PayAwayLayaway nn#TMobileGivesBack with your help (unless you’re an angry elf). For every retweet through 12/14, weu2019ll donate $5 to pay off layaways for families, up to $200k.pic.twitter.com/C8RgDbRcpt

— T-Mobile (@T-Mobile)
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“Because of the way we’ve set up this campaign, one-click or tweet will help make the difference for a family this holiday season. It’s so easy! And when we all work together, we can make a bigger impact,” Witt said.

At the end of 2019, The xx suggested that they were readying to release new music in 2020 with a teasing Instagram post, writing, “We’ve all been working on new music, can’t wait to share it with you.” However, the band didn’t drop any new songs in 2020 and they have also yet to in 2021. In fact, there’s been no new music since the band’s latest album, 2017’s I See You. Now, though, it appears at the very least that the gears may be turning on new The xx music.

Today, the trio shared a nine-second video of themselves, a sped-up clip that shows the band performing something, although the audio has been muted. The band didn’t caption the post, but the comments are full of users speculating about and hoping for new music.

It’s also possible the band is working on something else not directly related to the band, as they’ve been known to appear on each other’s solo material. In August 2020, for example, Young Turks managing director Matthew Thornhill noted, “At the moment, all of The xx are working on solo projects. Young Turks artists always collaborate together and The xx are no different. [Romy Madley Croft] and [Oliver Sim] both sung on [Jamie xx’s] record, Jamie is producing tracks, along with other people, for Romy and Oliver, so there’s a lot of collaboration between the band. They’re all working independently and hopefully some of that will see the light of day this year from all of them.”

Speaking of solo albums, Croft started teasing one in early 2020 and shared a new single, “Lifetime,” that September. In a The Guardian profile from November 2020, Romy’s upcoming solo album was described, “The album currently consists of 17 new songs, floating around in various stages of production, and heading towards a 2021 release.” Earlier this month, Romy teamed up with Th3 Emma for “Hot Summer Ice Cream,” her first new song since “Lifetime.”

Despite being the fictional homeland of Ebenezer Scrooge, Christmas is actually quite a big deal in the UK. “Every year, my wife and I throw a big party at our house that involves group singing — a mix of traditional carols and cheesy festive pop songs,” Alt-J vocalist Joe Newman explains via email. But where many people are excited about giving or receiving gifts during the holiday season, Newman is actually more interested in the food and drink element of the holiday. “We generally try to cook something different every year — in 2021 it’s going to be a three bird roast comprising a pheasant inside a capon inside a goose. What more do you need?”

To celebrate the forthcoming release of Alt-J’s fourth studio album The Dream on February 11, Newman selected some of his favorite holiday music for the latest Uproxx Holiday Playlist to help ring in the time of the year and build upon the religious aspect of the season: “We will probably go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. We tend to go to the pub beforehand and roll in just as the first carol starts. I can’t wait.”

Check out the full playlist, along with Newman’s explanations for his picks, down below.

The Waitresses – “Christmas Wrapping”

I suppose this is the ultimate hipster Christmas song, but I love it all the same. Even stripped of its festive content it’s a great tune.

The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)

A big, ballsy Yuletide rock song in the tradition of Slade et al. I think this is the first, last, and only great Christmas pop song of the 21st century (so far…).

Bo Selecta – “Proper Crimbo”

l like to put this song on at Christmas parties to annoy people — and amuse myself. It was only funny for about 5 minutes when it came out in 2003, which makes it all the more amusing now.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono – “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”

This is always one of the loudest songs at our annual Christmas party — my friend Alec in particular really belts it out. You can split the room between people singing the two parts at the same time — it’s very advanced.

Mike Oldfield – “In Dulci Jubilo”

My wife introduced me to this song. It’s a wonderful combination of the sublime and the ridiculous – rather like Christmas itself. We like to put this one while we decorate the tree and dance around in a very silly manner.

Nat King Cole – “The Happiest Christmas Tree”

Utterly silly and adorable. Another one my wife got me into — I’d never heard this till I was in my mid 20s. Where had it been all my life? I sing it all year round now to make up for lost time.

The Sixteen – “Jesus Christ The Apple Tree (Elizabeth Poston)”

I learned to sing this when I was a chorister aged about 10. I’m not sure words can adequately describe its beauty. Light some candles and have a Christmas cry!

The Pogues – A Fairytale Of New York”

No Christmas is complete without this song. Just like most people’s Christmases it contains love, rage, music, excessive drinking, and, ultimately, reconciliation. I never get bored of it.

The Dream is out February 11 on Canvasback. Pre-order/pre-save here.

Alt-J is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Michael B. Jordan stopped by The View on Thursday morning to promote his new movie, A Journal for Jordan, but what he mostly promoted was all kinds of thirst the second he stepped out on stage. As Whoopi Goldberg introduced the actor, a cameraman swooped into get the intro shot, but things noticeably went awry as he almost falls in front of Jordan who reacts as quickly as he can to help the crew member.

While the cameraman managed to avoid wiping out in front of the Black Panther actor, Jordan had another mess waiting for him when he made his way to the panel. Just as Whoopi managed to quiet down the audience, which was definitely feeling Jordan’s presence, Joy Behar lost control completely as she complimented the actor on his looks and made a crack about how she’s already “six months pregnant” just from looking at him.

“You know you’re not just a gorgeous guy,” Behar said with absolutely zero restraint. “You know, like they say, he’s fiiiiine!”

Things quieted down as the conversation finally shifted to A Journal for Jordan, but it didn’t take long for Behar to start asking how he got into such a romantic mood for the film and basically wanted to know if Jordan has a girlfriend. Joy was not playing around today.

The View fans watching at home not only loved Behar’s unbridled lust, but they were absolutely here for Jordan stopping by the daytime talk show. Like Behar, the reactions on social media were not shy.

(Via The View on Twitter)

The New Orleans Pelicans will be without a member of their young core for an indefinite period of time, with one report indicating that we won’t see him again this season. The team announced that second-year guard Kira Lewis Jr. suffered a torn ACL and a Grad 2 MCL sprain in his right knee, which will require surgery sometime in the future.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the injury will lead to Lewis missing the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

Lewis suffered the injury on Wednesday evening during the second quarter of the Pelicans’ 120-114 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. At the time, the team announced that their 20-year-old guard suffered a knee sprain.

The No. 13 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of the University of Alabama, Lewis carved out a role as a bench contributor on this Pelicans squad. Lewis averaged 5.9 points, two assists, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.5 steals in 14.2 minutes per game, all of which came off the bench.

The Pelicans possess the worst record in the Western Conference, as the team sits 7-20 on the year and finds itself five games back of the Sacramento Kings for the 10-seed and the final spot in the conference’s play-in tournament. All of this has happened without the services of Zion Williamson, who is working his way back from offseason foot surgery.

Avatar came out in 2009, the year after Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By the time Avatar 2 finally — hopefully — comes out next December, there will have been 28 Marvel movies (it’s an apt comparison considering Disney owns both Captain America and the Na’vi). Why such a lengthy delay?

“The scripts are the blueprint from which we work,” producer told Jon Landau told Total Film magazine. “So a large portion of our time was writing… with the challenge that each of those four scripts had to individually resolve itself in a story that concludes with a big emotional resolution – but when you look at them as a whole, the connected story arc of all four movies creates an even larger epic saga.” In other words, the decade-long wait between Avatar and Avatar 2 is because James Cameron & Co. weren’t working on one film at a time — they were working on four sequels at once. If anyone can pull this off, it’s the guy who’s made two of the three highest-grossing movies of all-time.

Landau also teased some plot details about Avatar 2.

The Sullys’ idyllic life is disrupted when the RDA mining operation returns to Pandora, forcing Jake to take the family to “what is perceived as a safe harbor” at the reef. “And when you get to the reef, there’s a clan we call the Metkayina,” continues Landau. “The Sullys are no longer in the environment that they know, the rainforest. They become the fish out of water. They become the fish out of water both culturally and just environmentally.”

[extremely Milhouse voice] When are they going to get to the seed bearing?!?

Avatar 2 is scheduled to come out on December 16, 2022.

(Via Total Film)

When Khalid announced his new project Scenic Drive, and distinctly noted that it was a “tape” he was excited to deliver to fans, one thing came to mind. A little over three months ago, the Texas native offloaded a series of tweets that amounted to an honest admission of writer’s block and struggles with the “overwhelming” balance to meet expectations, remain authentic, and grow into something new and different as an artist. It’s truthfully something most, if not all artists, are forced to grapple with around their second and third albums. Sophomore slumps are already pressure-inducing enough, but even when they’re overcome, the pressure to do it a third time is just as high, if not even higher.

Khalid is a star in his own right. Both of his albums, 2017’s American Teen and 2019’s Free Spirit, are multi-platinum bodies of work with the latter serving as his first No. 1 album. Plenty of awards feature Khalid’s name and his work, and it all contributes to the pressures he feels going into his third album, which he already revealed is titled Everything Is Changing. As a musician, there are practically three options when a mental roadblock is hit while crafting art: trudge through it, wait for it to go away, or divert onto a new and hopefully uninterrupted path. Khalid’s Scenic Drive is the result of his decision to do the last option.

On Scenic Drive, Khalid seeks to overcome his self-doubts by just letting things be. The intention behind this project is to seemingly just do it, to just release music, get back into the swing of things, and even self-supply a boost in confidence. The music on Scenic Drive is simple and appetizing at most as Khalid plays things safely while remaining in a comfortable pocket. It’s the kind of easygoing bass-heavy R&B music that’s romantic, lovelorn, and everything in the middle. It falls on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from what he said Everything Is Changing will present. He previously noted that the songs on the album center “around trying to find a purpose and a sense of self in a world where everything is digitally connected but emotionally disconnected.” All in all, a sharp contrast from what we hear on Scenic Drive.

For what it’s worth, Khalid’s latest project is simply an observant journey through one’s love life, whether it be his own or someone else. It touches on all areas, including the shy moments in the early stages where the respective parties are scared to admit their feelings as “Brand New” and “Open” detail. On the flip side, Khalid keeps things honest and straight to the point about a woman who fails to hold her end of the bargain in a relationship on “Retrograde” and “All Is Bad.” There’s also the hesitance to acknowledge that love is fading away on “Voicemail.” However, if there are tracks that are no doubt made from Khalid’s first-person point of view, it’s “Backseat” and “Scenic Drive.” These see the singer relishing in the natural beauty and existence of what surrounds him while appreciating the fact that he’s able to enjoy it all together.

Scenic Drive unwinds a tense mind through effortless music. It’s something that’s apparent from the moment that Alicia Keys’ free-floating harmonies fall from our speakers. Only Khalid himself knows what he sought through creating this project. Maybe it’s a creative dump in the name of clarity or a moment to refine his skills and return to form. Whatever it is, a sigh of relief as Scenic Drive concludes can be felt as Khalid lets go and allows things to be in their most natural sense. Aligning himself with talented artists like Lucky Daye, 6lack, Kiana Lede, JID, Majid Jordan, and more only add to the appeal of the whole project which is filled with good and enjoyable music. Hopefully, this makes things easier and less weighted for Khalid as he returns to working on Everything Is Changing.

Scenic Drive is out now via Right Hand Music/RCA. Get it here.

Majid Jordan is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Few teams in NBA history have captivated basketball fans quite as much as the Showtime Lakers. The nickname bestowed on the Los Angeles Lakers teams from 1979-91 under the direction of owner Jerry Buss, the teams were famous for winning a whole bunch of games, playing a high-flying brand of ball, and possessing gobs of star power, from head coach Pat Riley to players like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

That era of Lakers basketball will be the focus of Adam McKay’s new HBO Max series, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which is set to come to the streaming service in March of 2022. On Thursday, HBO dropped its first trailer for the series, which features John C. Reilly as Buss, Dr. Solomon Hughes as Abdul-Jabbar, Adrien Brody as Riley, Quincy Isaiah as Johnson, and more.

The series was originally titled Showtime, based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, but recently had its name changed due to the fact that Showtime is a direct competitor to HBO. It has also made headlines in recent days over its role in McKay’s friendship ending with Will Ferrell, as the latter — a well-documented Lakers fan — was originally cast to play Buss before McKay opted to give the role to Reilly.