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Johnny Furphy · Much has changed on basketball’s scene since October, but when leaguewide GMs were asked about the 2024 NBA Draft’s “biggest steal,” relative to selection spot, perhaps they were onto something in giving Johnny Furphy a first-place tie. The world may never know if 2024’s No. 35 pick had eyes on 2024-25’s annual survey, but during his first attempt at proving them correct, Furphy couldn’t have selected a more poetic approach. Active throughout his opening-quarter cameo against the Orlando Magic, Furphy, within a three-second span, finds time to both deter Moe Wagner’s drive, and pickpocket Jalen Suggs on a could-be drive. Instinctively turboing downfloor, Furphy — as if pondering whether to collect his first-ever NBA bucket, or deliver a dime to the Indiana Pacers’ celebrated aerial artist, heeds his veteran teammate’s direction, catapulting into a milestone two-handed flush. Prompting smiles from even the opposition’s bench, Furphy’s evening, even in Indiana’s defeat, was a jovial occasion, as he packed an efficient seven-point, two-rebound, one-steal contribution into nine minutes of action on November 13, 2024. · State of Mint