Film breakdown: How Jaylen Brown can become invaluable to Sixers offense originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Jaylen Brown is off to a hot start as a Sixer. 

He’s led the team in scoring in its first two preseason games, notching 40 points across his 41 minutes on the court. The former Celtic has shot 59.1 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and 83.3 percent at the foul line. 

Brown has showcased the value he could bring to the Sixers and to Tyrese Maxey in particular this season.

Like he was for the Celtics in 2025-26, Brown was the go-to guy in the preseason opener while Maxey, LeBron James and Joel Embiid were inactive. All of his 22 points came in the first half as he consistently initiated the offense, repeatedly attacking in isolation and off ball screens.

The second game was a slightly different story as all five of the team’s projected starters suited up for the first time. Brown capitalized on great ball movement by James and Embiid with a dunk early in the first quarter. But he only took one more shot in the first stanza and didn’t score again until the 3:54 mark in the second. 

Each of his remaining three baskets came with Maxey off the floor, perhaps giving Sixers fans a glimpse of what splitting the two scorers’ minutes could look like. 

Maxey was a workhorse for the Sixers last season. His 38 minutes per game led the league. With Embiid playing 38 regular season games and Paul George available for just 37, Nick Nurse relied heavily on Maxey to create offense. VJ Edgecombe pitched in here and there. But 2026-27 should be a different story. 

With the potential for Embiid (who hasn’t played 40 or more games in a regular season since 2022-23) and James (who will turn 42 years old in December) to miss time, Brown’s presence can provide some meaningful relief for Maxey, especially given how Nurse wants the offense to run.

Under Nurse, the Sixers have been matchup hunters, subscribers to the weakest link theory. They spammed isolation ball in 2025-26, taking the second-most shots per game on isolation possessions in the NBA (9.3). On that high volume, the team was middle of the pack in terms of efficiency, scoring 0.92 points per possession in isolation, good for 15th in the NBA. 

Maxey took more than double the shots off isolated looks than any other Sixer. While Embiid (1.01 PPP) and George (1.03) were both efficient on isolation possessions, their lack of availability often left Maxey alone searching for mismatches.

Barring an irregular decrease in availability, Brown should be the answer to playing Maxey less and allowing him to take possessions off.

As the guy on the Celtics offense last season, Brown scored the third most isolation points in the league. And it wasn’t just a matter of volume. He generated 1.01 points per isolation possession, good for the 77th percentile. 

That’s been on display in the preseason. Right out of the gate against the Knicks, he attacked OG Anunoby – a two-time All-Defensive Second Team selection – off the dribble and hit a tough fadeaway jumper on the baseline. 

Jaylen Brown scores tough jumper on iso vs. OG Anunoby. https://t.co/aFufwWqXPk

— Zach Carey Clips (@ZachCareyClips) October 9, 2026

Brown’s success scoring in the mid-range is part of what makes him a tough individual cover. Basketball’s reliance on the mid-range shot has dwindled over time. But Brown made a living there last season, shooting 45.9% on 6.4 shots per game between 10 and 19 feet.

Part of what makes Brown so good at creating positive matchups to attack in isolation is how effective he is using ball screens. That’s another element of Brown’s game that should contribute to taking some of the onus off Maxey as the Sixers’ primary perimeter scorer.

The Sixers were middle of the road in both how often they used ball screens (19th) and how effective they were in those scenarios (11th in efficiency). 

Of the team’s 16.1 possessions per game that used a ball screen, Maxey was the ball handler for 7.5 of them (46.7%). He generated 0.92 points per possession off a ball screen, which was in the 66th percentile in the NBA. But the Sixers did not have enough tenable options to pilot the offense off a ball screen. 

Brown, again, is a reliable solution to that problem. He produced a similar efficiency to Maxey – 0.93 points per possession, good for the 70th percentile – on 6.4 such looks per game in 2025-26. 

Against the Knicks in the first preseason game, he used an Ariel Hukporti screen and a slow dribble to get Anunoby on his back before exploiting Karl-Anthony Towns’ drop coverage and exploding through the open lane towards the basket. 

Jaylen Brown exploits Knicks’ drop coverage by driving and putting back his own miss. https://t.co/pxgI5AdmBs

— Zach Carey Clips (@ZachCareyClips) October 9, 2026

Brown’s effectiveness at coming off a ball screen, touching the paint and then making plays can contribute to opponents opting to switch ball screens. That’s how he becomes a nightmare for defenses to handle – and where he should thrive in Nurse’s offense. At 6-foot-6, 223 pounds, he can be a matchup problem for players both bigger and smaller than him. 

He already has been as a Sixer. An Edgecombe screen forced the Nets to switch the 6-foot-4, 175-pound Keon Ellis onto Brown. Even with a help defender collapsing on him, he got to the basket and scored through contact.

Jaylen Brown scores a driving floater after forcing a switch via a VJ Edgecombe screen. https://t.co/Y6serlx6Gc

— Zach Carey Clips (@ZachCareyClips) October 9, 2026

That’s how No. 7 tends to abuse switches onto guards: attacking the paint by dribbling into the post and overpowering them.

When he earns switches against bigs, he tends to rely on his twitchiness to get a jumper off, like he did on this fadeaway midrange look over Noah Clowney’s outstretched arm. 

Jaylen Brown hits fadeaway jumper after Nets switch matchup between Brown and VJ Edgecombe. https://t.co/tdo5G6D5nA

— Zach Carey Clips (@ZachCareyClips) October 9, 2026

Being the ball handler in a pick-and-roll isn’t the only way for Brown and the Sixers to create mismatches. He set a ball screen for Labaron Philon Jr. that Brooklyn switched between the 6-foot-8 Egor Demin and the 6-foot-8 Chaney Johnson. 

Denim, a big guard, tried to get into Brown’s grill to throw him off. But this is where the former Finals MVP’s handle came into play. He absorbed the contact from Denim, ripped the ball across his chest, took a dribble between his legs and another back to his left hand before using his gather step to create enough separation for a silky 11-foot floater.

Jaylen Brown hits floater after creating a switch as the screener. https://t.co/IhNBNzd2QY

— Zach Carey Clips (@ZachCareyClips) October 9, 2026

Brown’s unique combination of controlled strength and lithe explosiveness makes him the type of universal matchup beater that tends to thrive in a Nurse offense – and alleviate responsibility for the guys who’ve been burdened by it. He’s done just that through two games in a Sixers uniform.

Welcome to Inside the Suns, a deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team in which the Fantable – a roundtable of Bright Siders – give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.

Fantable Questions of the Week

Q1: What’s your overall opinion of the Suns after watching the team play in preseason?

zenzino: Between media day and the first two preseason games, there were some highs and some lows. I’m not reading anything into any of it.

I learned last season that expectation is the killer of joy. From some of the takes on the last game thread, this season has seemed to come with some significant expectations from either overall play or individual players. It’s going to be a very long season for some people.

After SL and media day hype, Maluach fans were clamoring to elevate him to the unquestioned starter. That’s not happening. 100% Oso will be the starting center opening night. That’s ok. Just to put Man Man in perspective, Koa Peat is one year younger, but Koa has played basketball 10 more years than Man Man. He is condensing a lot of experience into a relatively short time. He’ll get there. Patience.

We caught a whiff of what Miles Bridges can mean to this team in the first game, followed by the Suns’ ‘injury curse’ in the second. He said he’s fine, but it remains to be seen how much he plays the rest of preseason, and that’s a shame.

It’s now hard to believe that just one year ago Goodie was fighting for that last roster spot and there was some debate whether it should be him or Butler. Both games changed instantly when he entered. I definitely get a certain amount of pleasure knowing some Lakers fans are tearing out their hair knowing the Lakers waived Goodie to keep Brony.

Obviously, the team needs some free-throw practice. The second game was better but not good enough.

I’m not worried about any of the players or rotations at this point. We have no idea how much of this is just testing lineups and processes and how much is actually going to carry through to the regular season.

Ashton: This is on a two-game sample size as of this writing, but wow is it ugly. I would have preferred to get this question next week after the Suns play SA. ESPN is doubting our center position depth, and I thought Oso and KM did “Okay”. Enough to handle Wemby? Probably not.

Sorry, Suns fans, I wanted to write something positive up, but I somehow managed to “turnover” my sunny outlook with two preseason losses. Use the trope “well, it is just preseason” all you want, but I expected way better ball handling than the turnover fest that I have seen. And then there is the crappy three-point shooting where first-half leads magically disappear that seems all too familiar. This looks like a “Sunzy” team. Booker, were you so focused on endorsing Stanley Cups (not hockey) with your dogs that you forgot to shoot threes?

Eh, I am not shifting off my less than 40 wins this season. If that makes me a hater, then so be it. Besides, John Voita already covered the Good, Bad, and Ugly.

Overall, I just think this team is just too raw. The third unit did not help boost my expectations and they need more time in the oven.

OldAz: Number 1 is that the NBA really needs to push the season back and start between Thanksgiving and Christmas (when Football games start to become more scarce.  It’s just too early to remember Basketball is on, especially when it’s pre-season. Plus, it would extend the season more into the summer part of the sports calendar when it’s dead.

Number 2 is that my overall opinion will be grossly underinformed because I have only caught about 25% of each game, with heavy weighting to the 2nd halves when the starters were done.

Number 3 is that I think the team will be far more athletic and will be fun to watch. Not sure if that translates to more wins or not.

Rod: I hate to use the word “potential” but there it is. I see a lot of potential, both good and bad, in this team. If they can get the turnovers under control, I see the potential for this to be a 5th or 6th seed team in the West. If not (or they get even worse), there’s a possibility that they won’t even make it to the play-in stage…let along get past it. Can they get those TOs under control? That’s the biggest question for this team right now and unless that gets fixed, this season could turn out badly.

The one thing that is almost 100% unquestionable about this team is that the Suns’ 2nd unit is going to be one of the best (if not the best) in the NBA this season. Watching them play is an absolute joy and my favorite thing about this team at the moment.

Q2: What has surprised you about this team (so far)?

zenzino: Nothing from the players, really. I saw Brooks pass when he had an almost open shot. That was a pleasant surprise.

As far as the coaching side of the team, I am a little surprised that Ott said he’s going to keep the regular season rotation to “at most, a 10-man rotation”. That seems extraordinarily dumb. Why build depth if you’re not going to use it? It’s a long season. If you use your depth, it keeps everyone fresher at the end of the season, reduces chances for injury, and makes sure that if someone does go down, the next man up isn’t starting cold. I don’t understand it.

Ashton: There is usually someone that comes off the bench, and you go “That’s HIM!” Is that statement even a thing now?

I will give the surprise honor to Brooks for good shooting and all-around stats, winning the pillow fight with Benny the Bull, and somehow managing to do it all while under foul pressure. Also, who picks and wins a pillow fight with a bull?

Also, honorable mention shout-outs to Miles Bridges, who seemed to integrate seamlessly with the starting core before his ankle injury. And another surprise belongs to Luke Kennard, whom I expected to jack up perimeter shots but instead showed that he wanted to become an all-around NBA player with his assists. I expect good things from Kennard.

OldAz: That instead of a sophomore leap, KM and Fleming seem to have regressed some (at this point). I know it is early, but both have a great opportunity to step up and earn more minutes and a bigger role. So far, I’m surprised at how “bleh” they have looked, especially Fleming.

Rod: It has surprised me how many three-point shots the starters have been taking, especially since that’s not their strong suit. They’re tied for 12th most three-point attempts per game but 28th in three-point percentage?!? They average 16 3-pt attempts per game out of 34.5 FGAs per game, which works out to 46.7% of their FGAs being threes…not smart. And when you remove Oso’s 3.5 FGA average (obviously no 3-pt attempts by him), 51.6% of the other 4 starters’ FGAs come from beyond the three-point line.

Book especially needs to start doing what he does best, get back into his mid-range game, as 57.1% of his FGA have been from three…with only 8.3% of them falling. That’s NOT a typo: 8.3% from three. And Green needs to slow down on the long-range bombs too as 50% of his shot attempts have been threes, of which he’s hit only 25%. 56.2% of Brooks’ shots have also been from three BUT he has actually been hitting 55.6% of them! Fire away, Dillon! Bridges hasn’t been great from three (33.3%), but he also hasn’t quite gone three-point shot crazy, with only 33.3% of his attempts coming from downtown, so I’m good with his attempts number so far.

The starting unit was not built to play the 3-point game, and they need to get out of that mindset before the regular season begins.

Q3: Jordan Ott has said he’s going to play at most a 10-man rotation when the regular season starts.  Which players do you think will wind up OUT of that 10-man rotation?

zenzino: This one came with an instruction to be brief. I can’t help but take that personally. 😉

SMH. If this is the case, I can’t imagine that same 10-man rotation. The last 2 or 3 of the 10 would have to change based on situation/matchups.

Here goes (full contract players only):

Mark Williams: He’s obviously out, and they think he’ll come back in time to help, so he’s keeping his full roster spot.

Koa Peat: He’s a rookie. He’ll spend some time in the G League.

Jamaree Bouyea: With all the guards, he’s the odd man out. I will be shocked if he doesn’t get some minutes when they need a spark.

Haywood Highsmith: Seems like he’s mostly there for insurance. Again, I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get some minutes when they need to spread the floor and ramp up defense.

This leaves Rasheer Fleming and Ryan Dunn. I honestly don’t know. It seems like Sheer hasn’t made the jump in the off-season. My guess is that Dunn will get the minutes to start the season and maybe Sheer will work his way into more minutes.

Again, I find it hard to believe that these guys are going to ride the pine the whole season.

Was that brief?

Ashton: Coach Ott doesn’t have any choice but to play a 10-man rotation, and I expect a lot of that will be on the starting five. Book, welcome to more minutes.

I am not sure if I want to give into the why, but this seems set to me.

1. Starting 4: Booker, Green, Brooks, and Bridges. No explanation needed.
2. Center: Who the heck knows, but KM and Oso are kept, so that is six out of the ten. Let’s see how they defend Wemby for the Suns pecking order in the upcoming preseason games.
3. Last four (like the NCAA tournament, who is in and who is out): Goodie, Kennard, and CG. That is a lot of guards! But CG has to be the first off the bench. And as my colleague, zenzino, on the Fantable once explained many episodes ago, you do not platoon out a second unit at once. Sheer did not impress me against the Bulls, but no way can I say Koa Peat, as he is too raw. Sheer gets the last spot on a ten-man rotation.
4. Leaving the rest at the end of the bench, waived, cut, etc. But I was not going to sit here and answer this question line by line with a brief description of who is left out. Did I cheat? Yes.

OldAz: This is a layup. 9 of the ones in the rotation are obvious: Book, Green, Bridges, Brooks, Oso, Gillespie, Maluach, Goodwin, and Kennard.

Maluach is all about needing a 2nd center among the top 9. If Williams were healthy, I think he would be forced to earn his minutes more than he will with Williams on the shelf. Goodwin will be a part of the rotation because of Ott’s defensive focus. Kennard is there because he is a vet who knows how to fit in. This leaves Dunn and Fleming fighting for that 10th spot, and IMO the winner and playing time for that 10th person will entirely be determined by what they bring on the defensive side of the ball.

I answered this one backwards, because, as I said in #1, it’s so early in preseason that I would actually have to do some research to even know who the options are beyond these 11.  Highsmith? Duop? Bouyeah (more like Bou-“yuck” so far). I don’t see Koa or Chandler breaking into the rotation, even though I have liked what I have seen from each.

Rod: I can’t help but wonder if Ott’s 10-man rotation might not change from game to game. By that I mean, will it be the same 10 guys in the rotation for every game (health permitting)? Would his player rotation change in games against taller/longer teams vs games against smaller/speedier teams?

I think this team just has too much depth to keep the rotation down to 10 players, but this depth, in many cases, could allow Ott to sit/rest certain players with relatively minor injuries by using that depth to solidly fill the rotation vacated by said injured player. Like with Bridges’ “tweaked” ankle, Ott could just hold him out to be on the cautious side even if Bridges felt he could play and use the depth to compensate…while still only playing a 10-man rotation that night.

But that’s beside the point as far as this question is concerned.

In order to be brief, I’m just going to say I agree with what OldAz wrote about the Suns’ top 9 rotation players, and with his assessment that the 10th spot will come down to a choice between Dunn and Fleming. Pretty much no one else has much of a chance of making it into a 10-man rotation without an injury happening. But, as I said earlier, the Suns have such good depth that Ott could use that to give players with relatively minor injuries more time to heal up by using the ‘deep’ bench players in the rotation on certain nights.

As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!

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Quotes of the Week

“I think we know what it takes to win. We’ve seen it in spurts. It’s just a matter of playing together for a full 48 minutes, putting it all together and just getting more time getting the reps in. I like what we have. I like where we’re at.” – Collin Gillespie

“I feel comfortable bringing the ball up, getting guys in the sets. I’m very comfortable with having the ball in my hands in general. As far making the right read, that is where my head is at right now. Get into the paint, draw two, make the right read.” – Jalen Green

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Suns Trivia/History

On October 11, 2008, in a preseason match-up, Denver beat Phoenix 77-72 at the Indian Wells (California) Tennis Garden. The game is noteworthy because it was the first NBA game played outdoors in three decades.

On October 12, 1979, Don Buse made Suns history with Phoenix’s first-ever 3-pointer late in the first quarter of the 1979-80 season opener against Golden State. He made two in one minute, and Paul Westphal hit two in the 3rd quarter, each finishing 2-2 from three. Alvin Scott went 0-1, and Phoenix finished 4-5 on threes as the Suns beat Golden State 97-89 at home.

On October 16, 1969, 4-time All-Star Connie Hawkins made his NBA debut for the Phoenix Suns in a 116-114 win over the San Diego Rockets. The Hawk would lead a trio of 20+ ppg scorers for the Suns (Hawkins – 24.6, Dick Van Arsdale – 21.3 and Gail Goodrich – 20.0) to a 39-43 regular season record (23 wins better than their previous 16-66 record) and their first-ever trip to the NBA playoffs.

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Important Future Dates

Oct. 14 – Suns @ Spurs (preseason) 5:00 PM
Oct. 16 – Suns vs. Jazz (preseason) 7:00 PM
Oct. 19 – All rosters set for NBA Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
Oct. 20 – 2026-27 NBA Season Begins
Oct. 24 – NBA G League Draft
Oct. 26 – NBA G League Training Camps open
Oct. 30 – Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Group Play tips off
Nov. 6 – NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament begins
Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded
Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded
Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline
Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star 2027
March 1 – Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline
April 11 – 2026-27 Regular Season ends (All 30 teams play)
April 12 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2027 (3 p.m. ET)
April 13-16 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
April 17 – NBA Playoffs 2026 begin

First off, happy belated birthday to the Easy Money Sniper, who turned 38 on September 29th. That’s certainly a ripe old age in the NBA. Durant was drafted in the 2007 draft, which feels like a different world entirely. There are a couple other 2007 draftees around besides Durant still in the NBA: Mike Conley, Al Horford. Uncle Jeff Green currently is unsigned, and the 28th pick, Tiago Splitter, is an NBA head coach.

This will mark Durant’s 20th season in the NBA, but in some ways it’s hard to tell. Here’s a sample of five Durant seasons, (chosen by rolling a 20 sided die except for one).

PTS	TRB	AST	FG%	FG3%	eFG%	TS%	GP
28.0	8	3.5	.496	.387	.547	.610	66
27.1	6.6	5.0	.523	.413	.581	.626	75
28.2	8.2	5.0	.505	.387	.573	.634	72
25.3	6.5	2.8	.476	.422	.510	.577	74
26	5.5	4.8	.520	.413	.588	.641	78

These are, again, four seasons chosen at random from Durant’s career, and in the last row, last season.

Row one is 2011-2012 (5th Season, OKC, Age 23)

Row two is 2023-2024 (17th Season, PHX, Age 35)

Row three is 2015-2016 (9th Season, OKC (last season), Age 27)

Row four is 2008-2009 (2nd Season, OKC, Age 20)

Row five is 2025-2026 (19th Season, HOU, Age 37)

Over two decades it’s hard to imagine a more consistently excellent offensive player. Other than injury plagued seasons, pretty much every Durant season is within this range, with his MVP season of 2013-2014 in OKC being better still. The point here being, you can really take any season, from almost any point, of Kevin Durant’s entire career, at it will be in line with the five seasons above. He’s just that consistently superb. I might go so far as to say the most consistently good shooter in NBA history.

Why is that important? Well, until we see evidence of a decline, why worry? It’s very hard to see much of any sign of it comparing Kevin Durant’s first season with the Rockets to any other (chosen at random) in his career. Fortunately we got early 20s, mid 20s, 30s season in that sample, and they’re all just excellent KD seasons. Combing through other stats, it’s hard to see signs of decline. I suppose his free throw rate has declined from his absolute offensive peak in his mid 20s, but not that much. His rebounds dropped a bit. His percentages, though, held fast.

So what should we expect from Kevin Durant? Until proven otherwise, more of the same.

Durant also made a point at Rockets Media Day that he wouldn’t like to see his minutes reduced. At first I thought this was annoying. Of course he should see his minutes reduced, wear and tear, and so forth. He’s 38. Looking at his career, looking at last season, I’ve changed my mind. He probably should play his career average minutes per game – about 36. Last season was 36.4, his career average is 36.7. What you see in his career, overall, is that he goes down for fairly catastrophic, traumatic, or one off, injuries, and otherwise he plays about 75 games a season. Why tamper with it? The Rockets aren’t depending on five to eight more years of KD. He went out injured for the playoffs, but I’m far from sure that was some reflection of playing a lot of minutes in the regular season, because he usually does that, even when plays a lot of playoff minutes as well. He did fairly recently in Phoenix.

I think, also, that Durant, if he doesn’t get these minutes, will become more of an irritant for the team than merely the fallout from a possible burner social media account, slagging off teammates, and the way the Rockets play. I believe Kevin Durant wants to climb further up the ladder of all time scoring. He’s not going to get the counting stats he needs to do that without playing a lot of games, and playing a lot of minutes. So I think he will do both, if he is at all able to do so.

Watching Durant closely for a season though, made me reconsider one of the main media talking points regarding KD. Namely “Durant fits anywhere, in any system.” I don’t quite see it that way anymore. Instead of viewing KD as fluidly blending with his teammates, I see more of a player who is almost entirely self-contained. That doesn’t mean he won’t play with the team, but more that he doesn’t really need anything more from them than the ball. Actions would be nice, screens would help, timely passing is good. But does KD absolutely require it? Not at all.

I now see him more as the famous soloist who comes to play with a symphony or other ensemble. You’ve brought in the world renown violinist, and everyone wants to see the fireworks show. He’ll work with the orchestra, of course he will, but he’s the star for that program, not your resident first chair. Does he deliver? Yes, I think he does. Anywhere, and everywhere. It’s not exactly your hometown orchestra anymore, but it’s definitely impressive stuff.

Does he love what he does? Obviously so. The passion, dedication, talent and artistry are all clearly there, even now. Does he love playing for you, your town, though? Certainly. Inasmuch as he loves playing. But you are no more or less special than anyone else who can pay his wage, and let him practice his craft. He’s won all the awards, and prizes, now he just wants his output to be something maybe two or three players all time can match. To be an elite of the elite.

Like that famous soloist, though, he’s happy enough to pack up the fiddle and move on. And like that stereotypical virtuoso, he’s temperamental, egotistical, and not especially cognizant of lesser talents around him. There’s nothing quite like him, but strangely, there don’t seem to be many tears shed when he moves on to the next gig.

I think Kevin Durant will have another virtuoso Kevin Durant season, and will thankfully not attempt to initiate the offense. The fact that there isn’t much conducting going on with the offense matters not at all to KD. He doesn’t need it. He never has.

Putting Brandin Podziemski's Warriors contract extension into perspective originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With 11 days until the 2026-27 regular-season opener and nine until the NBA’s rookie contract extension deadline, Brandin Podziemski and the Warriors came to terms Saturday morning on a new deal that should make both sides happy.

Podziemski and the Warriors landed on a five-year, $110 million contract extension, Podziemski’s agent Bill Duffy told ESPN’s Shams Charania. The contract is fully guaranteed and has a mutual option in the final season and a trade kicker, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater. The mutual option allows both sides to opt in, not out, for the 2031-32 season.

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said at the end of last season and throughout the offseason that he wanted to reach an agreement and avoid restricted free agency. Podziemski was on the same page and has learned from experience seeing how two young Warriors went through much different routes. 

Moses Moody signed a three-year, $39 million extension right at his deadline two years ago. That same offseason, the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga couldn’t come to terms. The two sides then went through an ugly restricted free agency. Kuminga was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks at last season’s trade deadline and signed a two-year, $12.4 million contract to join the Minnesota Timberwolves in late August.

“I think both seeing him and Moses do two different things for me helped, just seeing the goods and bads to both sides,” Podziemski said in April. “I don’t think one is better than the other, but seeing that as a teammate and seeing how they handled both situations, I think is going to help me.”

The contract that Podziemski signed is far greater than any dollar amounts Kuminga and Moody have seen in their careers. Kuminga and Moody were taken in the lottery of the 2021 NBA draft when Bob Myers still was general manager and the Warriors were in a different position. Podziemski was taken with the No. 19 pick two years later in Dunleavy’s first draft as GM, and he has played well above his slot ever since.

Fans were going to be loud about Podziemski’s next contract no matter what the final numbers finished at. That’s their prerogative. Those also are feelings of opinions much more than facts.

While others like Brandon Miller continue to wait, several players from the 2023 draft class have signed extensions this offseason. Victor Wembanyama (five years, $255.2 million), Amen Thompson (five years, $208 million), Ausar Thompson (five years, $155 million) and Keyonte George (five years, $155 million) are all players picked ahead of Podziemski in the 2023 draft who have jumped into a pile of cash the last few months. Podziemski wasn’t going to reach those numbers, but nobody should be surprised that he was given nine figures. 

When assessing what Podziemski was going to sign for, there were two recent contracts to look at: Peyton Watson’s four-year, $88 million deal and Ayo Dosunmu’s five-year, $112 million contract. Podziemski’s average annual value of his contract evens out to the same $22 million as Watson’s and comes in just shy of Dosunmu’s total. 

The Timberwolves signed Dosunmu in July following his fifth year in which he averaged 14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game between them and the Chicago Bulls, shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 43.9 percent from three. Podziemski is entering his fourth year and in Year 3 averaged 13.8 points (a career high), 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three. 

But the Warriors saw Podziemski scale-up in the absences of Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler last season, and then performed admirably in the play-in tournament. Podziemski from the start of March to the end of the regular season regularly was often guarded by the opponent’s best defender and averaged 18.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three over a 22-game span. 

He scored 17 points and had seven rebounds in the Warriors’ play-in win against the LA Clippers, and then had a team high in points (23) and rebounds (10) two days later in Phoenix. 

Podziemski was one of 18 players in the NBA to play all 82 games last season. He has consistently been one of the best rebounding guards in the league since the start of his career and finishes in the top three of charges taken every year. Podziemski led the Warriors in plus/minus as a rookie, was third in his second season and seventh last year in the team’s injury-filled season. He has the second-highest total plus/minus on the Warriors over the last three seasons.

Among his draft class, Podziemski ranks fourth in total win shares (13.4) and fifth in VORP (3.4). 

Signing Podziemski now does continue to cut into the Warriors’ salary cap space next offseason after also signing Curry to an extension, but it’s far from detrimental. Podziemski’s extension only counts as roughly 11 percent of the projected year-to-year salary cap. From a value perspective, Podziemski continues to be a Warriors win.

The Warriors are betting on continued growth of someone who remains the youngest player on the 15-man roster going into his fourth season, and he has shown all the signs to earn their trust. It’s good business for the Warriors in keeping a good, impactful player, concurrently maintaining financial flexibility in the future.

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The Knicks are back to playing basketball and are less than two weeks away from opening night. They’ve started 0-2, which nobody really cares about, but we’ve also now seen enough minutes from the exhibition matches to get a glimpse of who the winners and losers have been in the early portion of the preseason.

Winner: Jalen Brunson and his wrist

Should anyone have really doubted or even been remotely worried about Brunson’s offseason wrist surgery? No, the captain has repeatedly been the definition of reliable. So it was ridiculous to ever think that Brunson wouldn’t be prepared or would look off coming off of his injury. But fans are unreasonable. And also, he is a 30 year-old who had an operation on his shooting hand.

Fortunately for Knicks fans, though, he’s looked as good as any other Knicks. His three-point shot was off against the Wizards as he went just 1-for-6. But Brunson looks like he’s in midseason form. He’s taking his usual shots, which include, but aren’t limited to, driving layups, floaters, mid-range fadeaways, and pull-up threes, and he’s looked comfortable and confident in doing so. Defensively, he’s started the preseason giving good effort, and he’s already drawn multiple charges as well. Brunson and his wrist seem to be doing just fine.

Loser: Pacome Dadiet and his trade value

Coming into training camp and preseason, there couldn’t have been many expectations for Dadiet. He’s now had two full seasons of pretty much being non-existent. His Summer League left a lot to be desired. And he played worse than most fans could’ve imagined during the World Cup qualifiers for the Ivory Coast team. Yet even after all that, he’s found a way to disappoint so far in preseason. In the preseason opener, the team was clearly trying to give him an opportunity to either increase his trade value or at least win some spot minutes, and he failed to do that. And he wasn’t much better in game two against the Wizards.

It’s only been two games, but they’ve both been a failure for Dadiet. He’s scored just nine total points in 30 minutes of play and is shooting just 28.6% from the field without standing out as a playmaker, rebounder, or defender. Dadiet’s path to being a rotation player in New York was pretty thin to begin with. But whatever opportunity he had to at least help the team out by increasing his trade value may be slipping away now too.

Winner: Landry Shamet

Shamet is coming off of two straight training camps where his job wasn’t even guaranteed. He’s battled back from injuries and has consistently displayed a perfect balance of selflessness and staying ready. That led to him becoming an integral part of the Knicks’ rotation last year. And he was rewarded with a very nice four-year, $24 million contract. Shamet rewarded the Knicks and their loyalty by reportedly turning down offers from other contenders.

Now back with the same team for the third straight year-something he’s never done before in his career-the journeyman looks comfortable and confident. He looks poised to not just continue what he’s done but build upon it and has gotten off to an extremely hot start in preseason. He’s averaging 11.5PPG in just 13.5MPG and is shooting an extremely hot 53.3% from the field and 50% from three.

Loser: Miles McBride

The talk around McBride for much of the offseason has been about what the Knicks could get in a trade for him. And after the offensive struggles he went through in the Finals, there are some fans who may have forgotten just how good and valuable the reserve guard is. He’s still one of the best bench perimeter defenders in the league, and that, combined with his much improved three-point shooting, makes him so pivotal to what Mike Brown and the Knicks want to do. And nobody should be overly concerned about what he does or doesn’t do in the preseason.

That being said, he’s currently struggling mightily offensively. McBride has so far averaged just 3PPG on 18.2% shooting from the field and 11.1% shooting from three. There were some expectations that he’d showcase a little more after a full offseason to work on some of his weaknesses that got exposed against the Spurs. And fans were excited to see him fully healthy after he revealed that he was still hurt throughout the postseason run. He should be fine eventually, but it’s been a rough go for McBride so far.

Winner: Andre Drummond

Many fans had different reactions when Drummond signed with the Knicks this past summer. Some were excited, some were indifferent, and some were disappointed. New York still has a very long season ahead of them, and that should come with opportunities to upgrade at this position one way or another. And during said long season, Drummond will inevitably go through ups and downs. But so far, the veteran center has looked solid.

His pick-and-roll defense, something many were concerned about, has actually looked good. He’s been very active with his hands, and his defense there, especially when paired up with the also active Jose Alvarado, could be a fun tandem. Drummond’s finishing ability is concerning due to his lack of explosiveness. But his surprisingly solid defense, along with his elite-as-advertised rebounding, has been fun to watch.

Losers: Drew Eubanks, Ochai Agbaji, and Tony Bradley

Bruce Brown Jr. was looked at as one of the favorites to win the Knicks’ last roster spot given the team’s previous interest in him. Other than that, there really wasn’t a consensus. Some wanted James Wiseman for his potential. Others wanted Eubanks for his defense, passing, and experience. Others wanted Agbaji for… not really sure why.

Two games into preseason, it looks clear who Brown and the Knicks have the most interest in. Brown, Wiseman, and Jaden Akins are the only three of the training camp invitees to play in both games. On Thursday night against the Wizards, Eubanks, Agbaji, and Bradley were DNPs. Now, this may just be the way they are splitting up the minutes, and maybe those guys see minutes over Brown and Wiseman when they play the Timberwolves on Monday. Brown, although not overly impressive, has looked solid. And Wiseman, especially against the 76ers, looked good. Neither is locked in to make the roster just yet. But it seems like they are a head above Eubanks, Agbaji, and Bradley.

This article is for those of you who hesitate to mess with technological changes in their life. And I mean the “I still have CDs and won’t download music apps” people. The “I have and iPhone 8 that is so old it has to live on a charger and it refuses to updates” types, this is for you. I’m talking to the “I maxed out my cloud but rather spend hours deleting my old photos and videos than pay $7” version of an adult. I will die on my mountain of technology that became outdated but I simply could not let it go and it piled up….literally.

For you I say — DAZN was not as harsh a transition as I made it out to be in my head. You’d have thought I was buying a car for how long I spent attempting to research. In the end it was simple. I downloaded an app, chose Spurs, signed up a free week-long trial (I think I literally said “that’s where they get you” and realized (a) I really am becoming the best/worst old man version of myself, and (b) I was talking out loud to no one), and then chose a plan. Immediately I had access to some Spurs content that had been uploaded — mostly the 50th anniversary “Ring of the Rowel” series and Summer League highlights.

I watched Thursday night’s preseason game on the app. Again, it was easy to navigate. Due to some family plans, I didn’t start the game after it after aired. Jacob Tobey and Sean Elliott were the hosts, so not too much changed. There was no pregame or postgame and I am curious if this is just during preseason or if those will eventually be added to the DAZN content.

One criticism. When I went to watch the game, the screen that takes you to the game reveals the score. Personally, I prefer not to know the outcome before I watch.

There is a cost, which for me is always a hesitation. But honestly, it gave me some time to reevaluate and cancel some other subscriptions. Which of course distracted from my time deleting old photos and videos to free up room in the cloud.

Speaking of, I better get back to work.

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Thursday’s preseason opener was the Celtics sicko equivalent of a gambling addict having gone six months without betting, and then hitting a six-leg parlay that they bet $0.50 on.

Low stakes. Unbelievably high dopamine levels.

After spending the longest offseason in 10 years sitting around and talking ourselves into this refreshed roster, we’re all the way back in and drinking the green Kool-Aid.

Not only did the Celtics beat the “Cavs” (the first team ever that I completely despise for reasons unrelated to their uniforms — those guys were a bunch of losers in the Eastern Conference Finals) but they beat them while sitting eight rotation players. Cleveland, by the way, played everyone but James Harden.

Even by the time the Cavaliers pulled their starters in the second half, the Celtics had outscored them by nine and it didn’t feel flukey. The story wasn’t red hot shooting from the Cs or the opposite from the Cavaliers. In fact, Boston made just 41.4% of their attempts from the field, while Cleveland sank 47.8%.

So, how did the Celtics win a game where they shot relatively inefficiently without key personel?

It was work.

Boston just did what they do. They controlled the possession battle, dominated the glass, and outshot the Cavs 99-92 by the end of the night. That number doesn’t even tell the entire story because Cleveland shot just 16 free throws to Boston’s 35.

Possession maxing is real and it’s spectacular.

The beautiful thing about it is that that aspect of the game will always be in the Celtics’ control. No matter who’s out there or how well they’re shooting, they can always be careful with the basketball and fight for extra possessions on the boards.

Their 56-39 rebounding advantage came without any of Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta, and Mitchell Robinson even dressing. It’s pretty insane when you think about it, especially against a frontline of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

When the full roster is available, or at least some of the big dogs, we could all be in for a supercharged version of the preseason opener. The Celtics have figured out their identity, and they still have another 11 days before they open the season.

Oh, and all of the wings that everyone’s been talking about battling for bench minutes all looked pretty solid. Baylor Scheierman was the best of the bunch. He took on a facilitating role against Cleveland’s regulars and did it comfortably. Scheierman put the ball on the floor, navigated the defense, and made shots off the dribble — a skill that could be key in the next step of his development.

He finished the night with 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while knocking down four threes.

dear Joe Mazzulla: let Baylor Scheierman rock out. 16 points, 4/7 3FG, 3 assists. pic.twitter.com/gryg7bs5vd

— Celtics Performances (@BestOfCeltics0) October 9, 2026

Both Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh had their moments, too.

It’s beginning to feel like Boston’s bench platoon is going to handle business in stride this season, regardless of which member’s number is called.

The depth is as real as the possession maxing, and just as spectacular.

Speaking of, Devin Carter completely stole the show off the bench, and he’s not even on the team! The former Providence Friar shattered whatever expectations the fanbase had for him and showcased his ability to get the rim, annoy opposing ballhandlers, and provide a spark.

His first action was a coast-to-coast push in transition, which he capped off with a loud dunk with Peyton Watson trailing closely in pursuit.

It literally got a loud “OH” out of me from my couch.

Celtics Devin Carter 17 PTS (5-9 FG, 1-3 3P), 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, +22 vs. Cavs

Kings salary dumped him for nothing. pic.twitter.com/BS3qsKfeKk

— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) October 9, 2026

After having spent months without Celtics basketball it’s impossible not to overreact here. But it doesn’t feel like an overreaction.

The takeaways are still real. Boston’s system clearly works. They clearly have the personel to afford resting stars here and there. Brad Stevens might’ve sniped another demon from the Sacramento Kings scrap heap.

It’s almost too bad that there’s not more time between games to ride the high.

Brandin Podziemski, Warriors reportedly agree to five-year, $110M contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski got the contract he was seeking.

Podziemski and the Warriors have agreed to a five-year, $110 million rookie-scale contract extension, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Saturday, citing WME agent Bill Duffy.

Just in: Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski has agreed to a five-year, $110 million fully guaranteed rookie-scale contract extension, agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball tells ESPN. The deal includes a mutual option in the fifth year (2031-32) and a trade kicker. pic.twitter.com/yLwSmS1M2z

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 10, 2026

The final year of the contract — the 2031-32 NBA season — is a mutual option, and the deal includes a trade kicker, per Charania.

Podziemski reportedly sought between $20 million and $24 million per season, and when the deal was finalized, he and the Warriors settled on $22 million annually.

The No. 19 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Podziemski enters his fourth professional season with a legitimate chance to start alongside Steph Curry in the Warriors’ backcourt.

The 23-year-old steadily has improved in his first three NBA seasons, averaging 9.2 points per game as a rookie and 13.8 points in 82 games last season.

The Warriors are expecting big things from Podziemski this season, and he had a strong training camp in Hawaii earlier this month.

During one scrimmage in Hawaii, Podziemski drew a foul on backup center Charles Bassey and then blew past guard Dalen Terry for a layup, garnering praise from coach Steve Kerr.

“That’s what we like about Brandin: His ability to see the game, attack angles and he understands the officiating,” Kerr told reporters. “He can dribble, pass, shoot. You can put him at any spot out of a timeout. Really versatile and obviously crucial to make the whole thing go.”

Now, as the Warriors try to maximize Curry’s final years while also planning for what’s next, Podziemski and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg are set as foundational pieces.

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The San Antonio Spurs showed why they are considered NBA Finals favorites in their first preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. Despite dropping the game 123-116, San Antonio’s starters shined in a first-half run filled with explosive offense.

Now the Spurs will head to Phoenix for a matchup with the scrappy Suns, who are looking for their first preseason win. It may be the first time we see San Antonio’s full starting lineup featuring De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper all playing alongside each other. Mitch Johnson announced that those three guards, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama, would start the first preseason game, before Fox was ruled out in a late-game scratch.

Whether the full starters play or not, game two of the preseason will give the Spurs another opportunity to experiment with lineups and see how this group gels.

San Antonio Spurs (0-1) vs. Phoenix Suns (0-2)

October 10th, 2026 | 9 PM CT

Watch: DAZN/ESPN2 | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Jayden Quaintance – Out (knee), Tobias Harris – Out (calf), Maliq Brown – Questionable (back), De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (soreness), Malik Williams – Questionable (undisclosed)

Suns Injuries: Mark Williams – Out (shoulder), Miles Bridges – Questionable (ankle)

What to watch for:

Small-ball starting five

The Spurs are allegedly starting a smaller group, with Vassell effectively playing the four. That becomes a lot easier when you have a 7-foot-5 center in the middle of the floor. San Antonio did a pretty good job of gang rebounding around Wembanyama in the first preseason game. Saturday’s contest will pose an even bigger challenge, as they will be a smaller lineup, and the Suns are a more physical team.

Backup guards

David Jones-Garcia and Ja’Kobi Gillespie had impressive games in their first preseason contest, scoring 14 and 8 points apiece off the bench. San Antonio is going to need depth at guard if they are starting three of them and planning to stagger their minutes. Jones-Garcia and Gillespie will have a legitimate chance to earn minutes during the dog days of the regular season. More solid play in the preseason could earn them a larger role when the time comes.

Carter Bryant

The Spurs sophomore wing looked more confident in the first preseason game. He had 11 points on 3-for-8 shooting with 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. He still needs to be a bit more patient, but his aggressiveness is a welcome sign after some of his timid play last year. If Bryant makes a big leap in year two, the Spurs could have another versatile three-and-D player they can plug in alongside their three guards and Wembanyama. Watch to see if he can continue improving in the second game of the preseason.

While the Knicks and their fans have spent much of the summer celebrating their first championship in 53 years, the upcoming contract situations of a few players have loomed over their heads. And if said players wanted to secure their futures before the start of the season, they were in for a good dose of bad news on Friday.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, and Tyler Kolek all are extension eligible. Hart was asked about his future at the start of training camp and left the door open to anything. Towns and his on going negotiation’s progress, or lack there of, have taken over the news lately. And for good reason.

Many still believe that the two sides will eventually come together for a deal. But the fact that they are reportedly not even close is a bit concerning. Towns, as was on full display during the team’s championship run, is an incredibly pivotal part of the Knicks’ success. Losing him would be devastating as his shooting gravity and playmaking would be extremely difficult to replace. As if not being able to extend Town wasn’t bad enough though, the Knicks don’t seem close at all to really extending any of the other players as well either. And according to the Knicks themselves, it will remain that way for the foreseeable future.

We’ve all seen players make statements about how they want to hold off contract talks when the season begins because they want to focus solely on the upcoming season. But in a rare move, the Knicks were the ones to get ahead of the news and release an official statement.

“As an organization, our entire focus is on preparing for the upcoming season and delivering another year for our fans to be proud of,” a spokesperson from the Knicks said. “As a result, we will not be negotiating contract extensions until later in the season and will remain solely focused on preparing for the start of the season.”

Again, it’s rare for a team to be the one to make this statement. And it’s a bit frightening for fans knowing that such important pieces of the core’s future remains largely unknown. One would like to believe that between Towns’, Hart’s, and McBride’s significance to the club and their desire to stay a Knick we’d have some clearer answers by now.

The second apron continues to loom large so it’s understandable, realistic, and arguably smarter to not extend all three. McBride, unfortunately, was likely playing his last season here regardless of how these extensions went. But to potentially have a future where all, or at least more than one of them, aren’t Knicks would quickly lower the ceiling of this team. The Knicks still would have a core of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby, along with Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, and Mohamed Diawara. But the Knicks are a significantly worse team without Towns and to a lesser degree, without Hart and McBride.

It’s not time for full on panic. Things like this have happened in the past with other negotiations, with everything eventually working out. It could also just be a leverage move. And the most important part is, all parties involved want to extend the marriage.

All that being said, it is hard to deny just how ominous of a start this is for a franchise coming off it’s highest of highs and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back championships for the first time in 53 years.

The preseason continues on Sunday in full swing with a preview of the regular season opener. The Timberwolves will look to continue their good vibes from training camp and gain the meaningless “upper hand” against the Miami Heat before the rematch kicks off the 2026-27 regular season.

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Game Info

• Who:Minnesota Timberwolves (1-1) at Miami Heat (2-0)
• When: Saturday, October 10 at 7:00 PM CT
• Where: Kaseya Center – Miami, Florida
• TV: DAZN-MIN
• Radio: 830 WCCO

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Precursor to game #1

It seems interesting to schedule a preseason game against two teams that will begin their respective seasons against one another, but it will be something to watch for in this one. While the regular starters and rotation players will most likely only play the first half, if at all, tracking if either team tips their hand will be something to monitor.

Because of the offseason movement for both teams, with the Heat adding Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Timberwolves subtracting Julius Randle and Naz Reid from the mix, this is the exact type of team that Minnesota could struggle with in their attempt to reconfigure their roster to a smaller, more athletic team. The Heat boast possibly the best frontcourt in the NBA and how the Wolves choose to guard Miami from the jump will be something to follow in this matchup.

"I'm excited to put on that jersey." 🔥

Giannis will make his Heat debut vs. the Timberwolves on Wednesday, Oct. 21 on ESPN!

(via: @MiamiHEAT) https://t.co/uR0ZSKNKWhpic.twitter.com/WgKmw2TR4F

— NBA (@NBA) August 11, 2026

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Joan Beringer Thrown into the Fire

Joan Beringer has a large role carved out for him this season. That combined with his youth and minimal playing time last season has coalesced to be a huge talking point leading up to this season. Beringer has done exactly what you’d expect from him in the first couple of preseason games: showed flashes of huge potential while combining that with very bad stretches that come with the growing pains of acclimating to the NBA.

This goes hand in hand with Miami’s reworked strength in the frontcourt. The 19 year old will be relied upon to matchup in the first half with both of these dominant bigs. How he fares in this one will be a big part of the lead-in to game number one when it counts. Always take preseason outcomes with a massive grain of salt, but tracking Beringer against Giannis and Bam before the season opener is something to be on the lookout for.

Anthony Edwards on Joan Beringer in camp

“Everybody knows his intensity is just like no other. His attention to detail has gotten a lot better, he’s super young, super athletic. We’re trying to keep him from falling on the ground so much because he goes after every shot. Get his… pic.twitter.com/x7vwcpSwp9

— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) October 4, 2026

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Ant and LaMelo Hype Train

These first two preseason games have been a treat for Timberwolves fans who were hoping for a reworked offense with this new look roster. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball have done their best to continue that hype train heading straight up.

On Wednesday against the Pacers, Ant scored 19 points with four triples while LaMelo scored 14 points and added seven assists to his stat line. Though Ball did have five turnovers, it was still an extremely fun time to watch the two of them play off one another and launch treys from downtown. This was the exciting theoretical fit between them, and watching Ball operate from the top of the floor and setup the rest of his teammates is night and day compared to what Minnesota looked like for the past two seasons.

This will hopefully continue to be a big part of their identity moving forward. With the rim protection that the Miami frontcourt can provide, the Wolves’ outside shooting will be necessary to create good offense for the Timberwolves.

LaMelo Ball & Anthony Edwards together is going to be so scary 😯 pic.twitter.com/3hGnmBRiSC

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 7, 2026

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Prediction

It will be a clash of styles, but with the looming early season regular season matchup, both teams will do their best to not show their hands. Minnesota’s outside shooting should cause Miami problems, and due to them losing a lot of their depth in the Giannis trade, the Wolves end of bench should get the better of Miami in the second half.

Wolves 121, Heat 111

It’s no secret there is disappointment surrounding the Warriors ahead of the upcoming season.

While Golden State retained Steph Curry for another two years on a $116 million contract extension, questions surround the rest of the roster. Curry will once again carry the offensive load as Jimmy Butler recovers from a torn ACL to start the season.

For the second year in a row, it was a quiet offseason for the Warriors’ front office. Curry addressed the criticism and whether the front office has built a competitive team around him.

“I mean, I’m not an idiot. I know what it means in the sense of that window we had where coming off of ‘22, there were opportunities to get better, add new talent, and some worked out, some didn’t. And the jury is still out on how we end this entire journey with a competitive mindset,” Curry said to NBC Sports Bay Area.

“We knew there’s never really going to be a scenario where you’re going to be in the favorites conversation from a championship-contending perspective. There’s so many great teams out there. But for us to go through a year like we did last year where we had, and the year before in the playoffs, I get hurt, we take an early exit in [the] second round.

“Last year, I missed 40-whatever games. Availability was the biggest theme, and we’re still one game away from getting to a playoff run and who knows what happens. So, all that to say, I’ve had a really amazing career and journey. I want to win. All the other chatter doesn’t necessarily matter to me in terms of how I grade our seasons.”

The Washington Wizards play the Detroit Pistons tomorrow night. Let’s preview.

Game Info

When: Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Capital One Arena

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network

Injury Report

Wizards: Jamir Watkins and Tristan Vukcevic are out. Khris Middleton and Alex Sarr are day-to-day but according to … Greg Finberg of Bullets Forever (just had to be a little snarky here … WE LOVE YOU GREG!), Sarr is trending toward returning.

What to watch for

The Wizards are 1-0 in the preseason after beating the New York Knicks yesterday. However, it’s time for Washington to show what they can do at home. The Wizards will host the Pistons, a young team that was rebuilding not long ago but is now among the Eastern Conference’s best. Tomorrow night will be an opportunity for the Wizards to repeat what happened yesterday with the Dybantsa-Trae Young-Anthony Davis trio and show what’s in store this fall and winter.

We’re getting closer and closer to basketball, ladies and gentlemen. Can you smell it?

Preseason kicked off in South Philly on Monday, and the Knicks played a basketball game in the World’s Most Famous Arena for the first time since OG Anunoby’s Game 4 heroics last night. Before you know it, in 11 days time, a banner will be raised that carries the weight of 53 years of dread.

Speaking of those 53 years, it’s time to talk about the darkest days of that drought. The Patrick Ewing era ended with his bittersweet trade to the Seattle SuperSonics. The core that got you within an inch of glory in 1994 was gone, and the core that got to the 1999 NBA Finals wasn’t good enough to keep it going.

Before long, the team would be in the hands of an idiocracy that threatened to tank the franchise for good. By the time he was gone, the drought was over 30 years long and days like June 13, 2026, seemed more distant than ever.

Jeff Van Gundy Resigns (2001)

The post-Ewing era began in October 2000 and resulted in a 48-win team that fizzled out in the first round. That year’s deadline, the Knicks traded 2001 and 2002 first-round picks in separate deals for a solid young big in Othella Harrington and 35-year-old Mark Jackson in a reunion bid. Those picks became Jamaal Tinsley and Kareem Rush, which wasn’t much, but it’s the principle of trading the future for a fleeting present.

Going into 2001-02, the team continued to change. They bought out Larry Johnson just before the season after he agreed to retire due to his chronic back issues. The season started wobbly, but after a 5-8 start, the Knicks had rallied to win five of six after a double-digit victory in Milwaukee on December 4 and were heading home to play Indiana.

Three days after beating Milwaukee, head coach Jeff Van Gundy resigned. He had strongly considered stepping away in the offseason, but tried to grit things out in 2001-02. Just 19 games in, and after a heated practice where he felt his players weren’t playing with intensity, he quit. While the decision was made over the course of a few days, it hit the team and the public like a truck.

For those keeping track at home, here are the fates of the last four Knicks’ head coaches through 2001:

Rick Pitino (1987-89): resigned to go coach at Kentucky due to a dispute with the front office
Stu Jackson (1989-91): fired midway through 1990-91
Pat Riley (1991-95): resigned to effectively become the franchise down in Miami
Jeff Van Gundy (1995-01): resigned feeling burnt out.

How did the Knicks develop the LolKnicks label? Maybe this was the precursor.

Assistant coach Don Chaney, who had prior head coaching experience with the Clippers, Rockets, and Pistons, took over as the interim, but the bad vibes the team got from their coach resigning never went away, as the Knicks finished the year 20-43 and ended their 15-year playoff streak. Despite this, Chaney was retained for 2002-03.

Trading A Lottery Pick For Antonio McDyess (2002)

The Knicks weren’t ready to give up on the core of Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston, so they did what bad franchises do: they traded a lottery pick for a middling veteran.

At No. 7, the Knicks were making their highest selection since 1986. It was an opportunity to select someone who could be part of the franchise’s future. You can’t throw away these opportunities.

They selected Nenê, a star Brazilian prospect who’d grow into an uber-reliable veteran forward for the next 17 years. He never played a game for the Knicks and was soon traded with Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson, for Antonio McDyess, a 28-year-old All-NBA and Olympic gold medalist forward on the Nuggets. In a vacuum, it made a ton of sense to trade for a 20-10 forward to pair with two on-ball scorers in Sprewell and Houston.

There was just one issue. He wasn’t healthy.

McDyess missed 72 games in 2001-02 due to a partial tear in his patellar tendon and a moderate MCL sprain. He returned in March and looked terrible, but the Knicks deemed his medicals good enough to trade their first lottery pick in 16 years for him.

Then, during a preseason game in October 2002, McDyess broke his patella bone on a putback dunk. He would undergo another surgery and miss the entire season.

In April 2003, a re-imaging showed it wasn’t healing properly, and he required bone-grafting surgery, which added more time to the recovery. Doctors looking back believed he had an undiscovered stress fracture in the patellar bone that shattered during the preseason, which sounds like a major oversight by the medical team.

He finally made his Knicks debut on December 1, 2003, but only played a total of 18 games before being included in yet another disastrous trade for the team that was made by…

The Hiring of Isiah Thomas (2003)

*sigh*

On December 22, 2003, James Dolan fired Scott Layden and replaced him with his good ol’ buddy Isiah Thomas, a former playoff foe with the Detroit Pistons, as President of Basketball Operations.

Thomas was coming off a middling head coaching tenure in Indiana from 2001-03. His only front office experience was four years as part owner and executive vice president of the expansion Toronto Raptors from 1994-98. Former players in executive roles don’t usually go well, but at least for now, what’s the worst that can happen?

What do you mean it didn’t even take two weeks for him to mess something up?

The Stephon Marbury Trade (2004)

We’re an interesting fanbase. There are guys who were great here who are on our shit list forever. There are guys who were bad here that are welcomed back with open arms.

There are even guys who had bad tenures, caused a ton of drama in the orange and blue, and went out on bad terms, yet we love them. I guess that’s what happens when you made your own brand and were born and raised in Brooklyn like Starbury was.

On January 5, 2004, the Knicks cut bait on McDyess and traded him with Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Milos Vujanic, two first-round picks, and the team’s longest-tenured player, Charlie Ward, to the Phoenix Suns for Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway, and Cezary Trybanksi.

While there was intrigue in the former Magic superstar, Hardaway was 32 and was a shell of himself. The real prize was the New York native Marbury, a 26-year-old offensive dynamo who had made two All-Star and All-NBA teams in the last four seasons. It seemed like a match made in heaven.

Unfortunately, as we’ll get into later, drama followed Marbury everywhere in his homecoming and it soon affected his on-court play. The Knicks became a circus in the mid-2000s and he was right in the middle of it.

They wouldn’t be bitten by any of the players they traded away, but maybe they could’ve used the picks. The 2004 first landed at No. 16, and while Kirk Snyder was nothing crazy, both Josh and J.R. Smith were on the board. Trading the 2010 pick was even more asinine, and predictably, it landed in the lottery at No. 9 and became Gordon Hayward. Not your cup of tea? Paul George went 10th.

Isiah Thomas had a bad habit of trading future for present and having it blow up in his face every time.

Coaching Turmoil (2004-08)

In an eight-season span, the Knicks had seven head coaches. They had five in a four-season span from 2004-08.

There were a lot of reasons the 2000s Knicks were a comedy, but this was one of the main plot lines.

We begin with the holdover, Don Chaney. After a vote of confidence for 2002-03, the McDyess injury just unraveled the season from the start, and they went 37-45. The following year, they stumbled out to a 7-16 start and never recovered.

On January 12, 2004, despite rallying from a 15-point deficit to force OT, the Knicks dropped to 15-24 in a loss to Dallas. The crowd was chanting “Fire Chaney” at the Garden. They got their wish, just two hours before the next game began on the 14th. With such quick timing, Herb Williams became the temporary interim coach before giving way to Hall of Fame player and 1979 NBA champion coach Lenny Wilkens the following day.

The mess of how Chaney was fired is a whole different story. Wilkens stabilized the Knicks and got them to 39-43 and a playoff spot, but they were swept with swiftness by the New Jersey Nets. A new season with a fresh face in Jamal Crawford brought about expectations, but a disastrous 1-9 stretch in January prompted yet another Knicks coach to resign exactly one year and one week after taking the job on January 22, 2005. Another coach burnt out, huh.

Herb Williams was tasked with being a real interim coach this time, but could do little as a flawed roster sank to 33-49. That offseason, Dolan and Isiah went big fish hunting.

The top candidate was nine-time champion coach and former Knick Phil Jackson, who was ready to get back into coaching after taking 2004-05 off from the Lakers. The pursuit got serious, with face-to-face meetings even occurring between Isaiah and Phil. But as we’ll soon learn, incompetence isn’t attractive to smart people. Jackson went back to Kobe and won two more titles, but he’ll be back in New York soon enough.

Their second prize wasn’t so bad, though. Just over a year after he won a title with the Pistons in 2004, Larry Brown was let loose after Detroit grew tired of his flirtations elsewhere. The Knicks pounced, hiring him to the richest contract in NBA coaching history at five years and $50 million. 10 years after being spurned by Pat Riley for half as much, the Knicks made their move.

He was fired one year later. We’ll get to it in a bit, but the Knicks were historically awful in 2005-06 and it cost Brown his job, despite having $40 million left on his contract. Dolan would only have to pay $18.5 million of it, but it’s still a disaster.

Outraged with how things were going, Dolan hired Isiah Thomas himself to be the head coach in 2006-07 as a last stand. It’s certainly a bold move to give the executive destroying your franchise a promotion to also serving as head coach, but there’s a reason nobody likes this guy.

Progress was technically made when the Knicks started 29-34 in 2006-07, prompting the ever-wise Dolan to extend Thomas. Of course, the Knicks finished 4-15, but they had already made their bed. A disastrous 23-win year the following year finally saw Thomas fired from both roles, as Donnie Walsh took over the front office and Mike D’Antoni was hired as head coach.

Signing Jerome James (2005)

On August 2, 2005, Isiah signed Jerome James, the starting center from the SuperSonics, to a five-year, $30 million contract after his outstanding 2005 playoff run, where he averaged 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds across 11 games. Despite not being much of a scorer, his breakout motivated the Knicks to give him a deal that, in modern-day terms, is like giving a player five years and $100 million.

It was quite a leap of faith. In his last season in Seattle, he averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds. His per-36 fouls per game were literally 7.6. Outside of 11 playoff games, he was not a starting-caliber player, let alone worth the salary. Expectations were high, hence the commercial above.

As a Knick, James played a total of 90 games across five seasons. All but four of them came in the first two.

He was out of shape for his first training camp. His work ethic was abysmal, and Larry Brown frequently punished him for it. In 2007-08, he was limited to just two games due to foot surgery and a severe knee issue that was described as his body rejecting the screws in his knee from an ACL surgery in 1999. That’s totally normal.

He finally got back to being able to play in December 2008, but he was just very out of shape. His body was a complete mess. After playing six minutes on December 19, his career was over. He ruptured his Achilles in practice a month later, was traded to Chicago a month after that, and never played in the NBA again.

It’s a historically awful contract, one that no Knicks fan has evaded hearing about, no matter the age.

The Eddy Curry Trade (2005)

Two months after getting James, Isiah doubled down on big men and got a disgruntled Eddy Curry from the Bulls in exchange for Jermaine Jackson, Mike Sweetney, Tim Thomas, a 2006 1st, a 2007 pick swap, and second-round picks in 2007 and 2009.

He was a fine player in Chicago, one who was worth a decent salary and averaged 16 points and five rebounds at the end of his rookie contract. Putting aside the fact that he was seven feet tall and grabbed way fewer rebounds than an average center, it’s a fine guy to trade for.

But that much? In a sign-and-trade? And you give him $60 million over six years to make the 23-year-old the sixth-highest-paid center in basketball? After seeing the Bulls drag their feet on an extension because of an irregular heartbeat? Seriously?

The players they gave up weren’t a big deal. Jermaine Jackson never played for the Bulls. Mike Sweetney replaced Curry as the starting center and was much worse before being out of the league by 2008. Tim Thomas played just three games as a Bull before being cut.

It’s the picks. It’s always the damn picks with Isiah.

The Knicks won just 33 games the year before. They added Curry, Jerome James, Nate Robinson, and rookies Channing Frye and David Lee, and hired the man who won a title with a Pistons team that was better than the sum of its parts two years prior. They made a gamble that it would all work.

It didn’t. At all. They won just 23 games. They had the second-worst record in basketball, and they’d get nothing for it. The Bulls got the No. 2 pick in the draft and had future All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge fall into their lap. Now, they messed that up by sending him to Portland for Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa, but the point remains.

The following year, the Knicks won just 33 games. The Bulls won a bunch more, exercising the swap and taking the No. 9 pick, which became future Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah.

The two top picks traded for Curry became two of the best big men of their generation. The second picks didn’t result in much, but the Bulls traded the 2007 2nd for Thabo Sefolosha and the 2009 2nd in a weird future swap with Portland, but the damage remains.

As for Curry on the Knicks, he had a great 2006-07, averaging 19.5 points and seven rebounds. After that, with four years left on his contract, he played a total of 69 more games as a Knick as he battled injuries, his weight, and a bad work ethic. Complete, franchise-altering disaster.

Literally Everything About The 2005-06 Season

The disastrous acquisitions of Jerome James and Eddy Curry shot the Knicks’ payroll to a league-high $124 million for 2005-06. Dolan was deep in the luxury tax for a team he expected to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. A Hall of Fame coach with this much talent around him can’t fail.

It did. The Knicks lost a franchise-record 59 games. They were over $62 million into the luxury tax and were one of the worst teams in basketball. Channing Frye, a rookie on that team, openly called it the most dysfunctional team he had ever been a part of.

A large part of that was Coach Brown himself. The team had 40 different starting lineups, and Frye said they “didn’t even know who was starting with 30 minutes left on the clock”. He tried to undercut Isiah’s role in the front office. He tried to mold players into his rigid way, even though the roster was completely antithetical to it.

The hiring of Brown was bizarre in and of itself. He had clashed with Marbury, the team’s clear star, during the disastrous 2004 Summer Olympics. He’s a defensive coach on a team with a dozen bad defenders. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. His quotes in the media, while honest, were easy soundbites that ate him and the team alive.

The season was lost by the trade deadline, so the Knicks thankfully didn’t try any all-in moves. You still got some bizarre ones, like trading for 33-year-old Jalen Rose and trading disgruntled second-year player Trevor Ariza and Penny (who had played 41 total games in the last two seasons) for Steve Francis, a rapidly regressing former superstar with a bloated contract. It’s truly incredible how they keep doing this to themselves.

By the end of the year, there were six different five-game losing streaks, a 10-game losing streak, and a nine-game losing streak. They decided to pull the plug on Brown before the season ended, yet didn’t fire him immediately. They kept him in charge for two months, made him go through pre-draft interviews and workouts, and then fired him days before the 2006 NBA Draft. All the while Dolan and Isiah ignored his requests for a meeting, presumably about his status.

Speaking of Isiah, he was sued in January 2006 by Anucha Browne Sanders, the team’s former senior vice president of marketing and business operations, for being fired after reporting sexual harassment by the team president. In the midst of this, somehow, through player testimony, we learned that Starbury had sex with an intern who worked for Sanders in 2005 after a group outing at a strip club.

In October 2007, the court ordered MSG to pay Sanders damages of $11.5 million.

What a disaster. And they didn’t even have their pick because of Eddy f’ing Curry.

Knicks-Nuggets Brawl (2006)

Isiah became head coach that October. Just two months later, the Knicks welcomed Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets to Madison Square Garden on December 16. In the final two minutes of what would become a blowout loss that dropped them to 9-17, Melo was still in the game for Denver.

Isiah told him from the sideline that he shouldn’t be in the game anymore and not to go near the basket. Many believe what happened next was ordered by Isiah himself, even if the ensuing brawl wasn’t the intended consequence.

Mardy Collins fouled J.R. Smith hard on a fast break, prompting a scuffle that got much of the two teams involved. Melo came in and put his hands on Jared Jeffries, but things didn’t truly get out of hand until Nate Robinson swung at J.R., prompting the future Sixth Man of the Year to charge and tackle the three-time Dunk Contest winner.

An utter melee ensued, one in which Melo tossed Channing Frye to the ground as people tried to break up J.R. and Robinson. Just as things seemed to be calming down, Melo then snuck Collins with a right hook and backed away as Jeffries looked like Isaiah Stewart trying to get his lick back.

All 10 players on the court were ejected, and punishments would soon come. Melo would be suspended for 15 games; J.R. and Robinson would both be suspended for 10, and smaller suspensions would come for Collins (6), Jeffries (4), and even a one-game suspension each for Nenê and Jerome James, who both left the bench.

This happening just two years after the Malice in the Palace was a disaster for David Stern and the NBA, which was trying to clean up the league’s act. A big press storm followed the brawl, one that clouded over the team in the coming weeks. As if they couldn’t get worse PR in the national media, Francis used the race card in response to the media coverage. All in a day’s work for this clown show of an organization.

Stephon Marbury Stokes The Final Flames of Drama (2009)

Isiah’s reign of terror mercifully ended in April 2008, but the mess he gave to Donnie Walsh was so deeply entrenched that it was going to take a while to dig out of it. The ultimate goal? Cleaning the cap sheet for the stacked 2010 free agency class.

While on a road trip just 12 games into the 2008-09 season, Walsh shipped out Mardy Collins, Zach Randolph, and Jamal Crawford in a pair of trades just before a game against the Bucks in Milwaukee, which prompted the team to have an extremely short bench that night.

By the trade deadline, Walsh somehow got Chicago to take Jerome James (along with Tim Thomas and Anthony Roberson) for Larry Hughes, while also swapping out Malik Rose for Chris Wilcox. All of these moves helped clean a rough cap sheet, and he did it without trading future assets.

While this was the overarching storyline of a rebuilding year, the drama continued with the end of Starbury in New York.

He was playing out the final year of a four-year, $73 million extension and, while not being a total hindrance due to its expiring nature, his drama was hurting a team that was trying to turn the page from his disastrous era as the team’s face.

He came to blows with Isiah early in their final season together in 2007-08, but a new era quieted rumors of the two sides splitting early. Yet, the signing of Chris Duhon clearly showed D’Antoni had other plans at the lead guard spot. When the new kid on the block won the starting job, Marbury, who had played just 24 games the year prior, refused to play.

The first 10 games of the year, he didn’t dress despite being fully healthy. After a wash of trades, he legally had to dress that night in Milwaukee, but D’Antoni was open to more than just him being a body on the bench. With J Crossover gone, D’Antoni offered real playing time for Marbury, over 30 minutes a night. At this point, with the city having turned against their once-hometown hero, Marbury refused and was later suspended after dogging D’Antoni in the media. He’d never play another game as a Knick.

The second-highest-paid player in basketball was banned from practices and from sitting with the team on the bench by early December. He’d spend the next three months in exile from a team that was trying to see what it had in a young core of Wilson Chandler, David Lee, and Duhon.

The buyout finally came on February 24, allowing Marbury to sign and play down the stretch for the Celtics. Somehow, someway, he’s a beloved face on Alumni Row 17 years later as a proud Knick after how awful his tenure was.

One Pick Away From Steph (2009)

Heading into the 2009 NBA Draft, the Knicks had a clear target with the No. 8 pick.

D’Antoni, the architect of the Seven Seconds or Less offense in Phoenix, wanted the skinny point guard from Davidson, Wardell Stephen Curry.

His family, most importantly his father Dell, wanted him to be a Knick.

As he’d later recount on a podcast with his son, Dell flat-out told Don Nelson that he didn’t want Steph to be taken No. 7 by the Warriors. Dell wanted his son to play in the Mecca. Unfortunately for him and the Knicks, there was no real leverage the Curry’s had, prompting the Warriors to just pick him anyway.

The Knicks were left to go with their backup option, Arizona forward Jordan Hill. They could’ve selected USC guard DeMar DeRozan or any number of guys who’d go on to be in the league for the next decade, but they picked Hill.

Despite selecting him No. 8 overall, he played just 24 games as a little-used bench player before being sent in a salary dump at the 2010 trade deadline.

The Tracy McGrady Trade (2010)

Jordan Hill wasn’t good, but they picked him between Steph Curry and DeMar DeRozan in June 2009. It’s ridiculous to give up on this guy that quickly, and it says a lot about the front office’s drafting ability and thought process. Jeffries and Hughes were okay role players. None of these guys would come back to bite you.

The Knicks were so desperate to offload salary that they shipped their 2009 lottery pick, a 2012 first, and a 2011 pick swap that would not convey just to get rid of both Hughes and Jeffries’ salary figures for the following season. In the modern day, getting a 31-year-old who spent his 20s as one of the league’s most dynamic scorers would be a jackpot, but T-Mac didn’t have nearly as much longevity as some of the stars do now.

Neither McGrady nor Sergio Rodriguez played for the Knicks past April 2010. McGrady, particularly, played abysmally in 24 starts down the stretch and had to settle for a veteran minimum with the Pistons that summer.

It was the final step to unlocking over $32 million in cap space, more than enough to get one of the major prizes in free agency. If they were shrewd enough, they could even get two!

Some of the names available? Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson, the list went on and on.

But there was one real prize.

The Disastrous Pitch To LeBron (2010)

In another life, the 2010-11 Knicks have Steph Curry and LeBron James. Think about that for just a quick second.

We conclude Part III of our story by recounting the failed pursuit of a 25-year-old LeBron James, the consensus best player in basketball who was seriously considering leaving his hometown of Cleveland for greener pastures as an international superstar.

That stardom, naturally, prompted him to take a meeting with the Knicks on July 1, 2010. Now, he also took meetings with teams like the Bulls, Nets, Clippers, Cavs, and the Miami Heat, but they got him in the building, and that’s what mattered.

Bill Simmons (whose credibility isn’t a slam dunk) said in 2020 that, going into free agency, New York was his first choice. Despite everything we just talked about in the previous decade, the generation-defining superstar was ready to turn this organization around if the meeting went well.

By all accounts, it was a disaster. “Dolan was Dolan,” Simmons said on his podcast, and the entire pitch was based on LeBron using the city to upgrade his stardom. There was no concrete structure for winning, just marketing.

The centerpiece of the meeting, which was so bad that the Knicks weren’t granted a second one, was the following video that was lost media for over a decade until residential deep diver Pablo Torre found it in 2024:

Outside of the opening skit of a “deleted scene” in The Sopranos (which was shot multiple times for Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to be shown in their meetings!!!!), it is completely impersonal. It’s just a bunch of names, some more problematic than others, pitching New York to… somebody.

On July 8, LeBron signed with Miami after a pitch from old friend Pat Riley that was, you know, about winning. Almost like that’s why he’d leave Cleveland in the first place.

The Knicks settled for Amare, a great signing that looked awesome after his first season and initial pairing with Carmelo Anthony via trade, but later turned into another mess of a deal as he dealt with injuries.

The LeBron pursuit encompasses the rot that the organization had. Isiah was gone; they found stability in the coaching staff, but there was still James Dolan in the middle of it. As long as he had his fingerprints on the operations, the 37-year drought was going to continue.