Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The Milwaukee Bucks are back home tonight to play the Chicago Bulls in game four of the preseason. The Bucks fell to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday in an all-around clunker. Almost as soon as Milwaukee’s starters began to sub out, it looked like the offense was playing in mud, highlighted by a stellar 0/8 performance by the man the Bucks are currently being investigated over: Gary Trent Jr. Milwaukee also lost the offensive rebound battle for the first time this preseason—an area they will need to emphasize if they hope to stay in games this year. The Bucks can chalk that up to growing pains and put it in the rearview mirror as they take on a Bulls team featuring this year’s fourth overall pick, Caleb Wilson.

The Task Ahead

The Chicago Bulls are entering this year with low expectations; many preseason predictions list them alongside the Bucks as a lock for a bottom-five finish. Much like the Bucks, the Bulls found themselves firmly in the bottom 5-10 of just about every team metric last season, and despite hovering around .500 until the All-Star Break, the Bulls saw their record bottom out in March as they ended the year with a 31-51 record, good for 12th in the East. Chicago had luck on their side, however, as the lottery balls bounced them to the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, where they selected Caleb Wilson (who comes into the year with loads of hype). Wilson made waves immediately, with reports that he was taking between 2,000 and 2,500 shots a day during Summer League.

Long story short, Caleb Wilson represents a bright future for a fanbase that has endured mediocrity for too long. The Bulls have been searching for their next star since Derrick Rose was severely injured in Game 1 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Playoffs, and in Wilson, they might have found it. The Bulls also signed veterans Norman Powell and Nic Claxton to bring experience to what has suddenly become a very young group. To top it off, Chicago welcomed Tiago Splitter as their new head coach, replacing Billy Donovan. All in all, a very productive few months in the Windy City.

Injury Report

The Bulls held Zach Collins, Tobe Awaka, and Isaac Okoro out of practice yesterday, and none are expected to play against Milwaukee. They join Jaylin Sellers, who did not play Sunday against the Nuggets, and Nic Claxton, who sustained a hamstring injury and will be re-evaluated next week before the regular season tip-off.

The Bucks, meanwhile, announced that they would re-evaluate Nate Ament just before the season opener against Washington. There have been no other updates on anyone else.

Player to Watch

On Saturday, Milwaukee announced that Brayden Burries would not play against the Hornets; Taylor Jenkins told the media that the team was still trying different rotations and lineups. After watching Gary Trent Jr., Caris LeVert, and Kevin Porter Jr. build the Bucks a home—brick by brick—now is as good a time as any to let Burries feature more heavily off the bench. The 21-year-old uses his size to get downhill, and he’s shown he is not afraid to draw contact—exactly the brand of basketball many fans want to see. Against the Thunder, Burries led a late-game charge to secure the win, scoring 16 points and grabbing five rebounds and two steals. Expect Burries to impose his will against the Bulls.

Projected Starters

Game Details

Who: Milwaukee Bucks (1-2) vs. Chicago Bulls (1-2)

When: 7:00 p.m. CDT

Where: Fiserv Forum—Milwaukee, WI

Watch: MY24

Listen: Check local listings

Prescient Prediction

Kasparas Jakucionis looked impressive against Oklahoma City, and I expect he’ll get even more run in against the Bulls—lock him in for seven+ assists.

Seeing Kawhi Leonard in a Raptors jersey again is naturally going to bring back memories of 2019. That season, there was no question who Toronto’s best player was. When a possession broke down or a playoff game tightened up, the answer was usually simple: get Kawhi the ball and let him figure it out.

Seven years later, Leonard is back, but Toronto shouldn’t be asking him to recreate 2019 every night. He’s 35 years old and coming off a career-high 27.9 points per game, so the ability to take over clearly hasn’t disappeared. The difference is that these Raptors already have players who need the opportunity to carry them through the regular season. If this reunion is going to work, Leonard doesn’t need to be Toronto’s best player in October, January or March. He needs to be that player when Toronto has nowhere else to turn.

Scottie still needs to be “the guy”

This has become Scottie Barnes’ team, and adding Leonard shouldn’t change that. Barnes averaged 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists last season while Toronto won 46 games and pushed Cleveland to seven games in the first round. More importantly, he has spent the last few seasons growing into the responsibility that comes with being a franchise player. Taking that responsibility away now would make little sense.

Leonard actually gives Toronto a chance to keep pushing Barnes in the other direction. There will be nights Kawhi rests, nights when he doesn’t have it offensively and nights when Barnes simply has the better matchup. Toronto should want Scottie attacking those moments instead of immediately looking toward Leonard.

“I can play off anybody. I can catch and shoot. I’ve played with limited shots before,” Leonard said at Media Day when discussing playing alongside Barnes.

That might be one of the most important things Kawhi said all day. Barnes doesn’t have to step aside because Kawhi Leonard walked through the door. He gets to play alongside him, learn from him and continue figuring out how to be the guy Toronto leans on.

Kawhi makes everyone’s job easier

There is also a difference between being the best player every night and being the player every opponent is worried about most. Leonard doesn’t have to score 30 points to change how a defence approaches Toronto. His presence alone should create opportunities for Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

That is what makes this version of the Raptors interesting. Toronto isn’t dropping Leonard onto a team with nothing around him. The Raptors won 46 games last season, defended at a high level and found ways to survive a playoff series long enough to force a Game 7. Now they’re adding a player who averaged 27.9 points while earning All-NBA Second Team honours last season.

Some nights Kawhi might lead the team in scoring. Other nights it could be Barnes, Barrett or Quickley. That shouldn’t be viewed as Kawhi doing less. It should be viewed as Toronto having the luxury of not asking a 35-year-old superstar to solve every problem.

Let Barnes grow. Let Quickley shoot. Let Barrett attack. Let the young guys carry some weight.

Be the best player when it matters

Of course, there is a reason Toronto brought Leonard back. Regular-season balance sounds great until a playoff defence takes away your first option, the game slows down and there are eight seconds left on the shot clock. That’s where Leonard changes the ceiling of this team.

Toronto already learned this lesson once. During the 2018-19 championship season, Leonard played 60 regular-season games and the Raptors still finished 58-24. They didn’t need the best version of him every night because the goal was having that version available in May and June.

The circumstances are different now, but the idea shouldn’t be.

Let the Raptors around Kawhi carry their share of the load throughout the season. Let Barnes continue becoming the face of the franchise. And when a playoff game gets ugly, the offense stalls and Toronto desperately needs one basket?

That’s when you ask Kawhi Leonard to be the best player on the floor.

Who: Phoenix Suns (1-2) @ San Antonio Spurs (0-3)

When: 5:00pm Arizona Time

Where: Frost Bank Center — San Antonio, Texas

Watch: Suns+, KTVK, KPHE, AZFS App

Listen: ESPN Phoenix 620 AM, SiriusXM

We’re hitting the homestretch of the preseason, with the regular season set to tip off in one week. Their opponent on Wednesday night, the San Antonio Spurs, opens its season next Tuesday, October 20, against the Oklahoma City Thunder. So you have to wonder how much we’re actually going to see from San Antonio in this final stretch of preseason basketball. The Spurs last played on Monday, resting all of their starters while their young, exciting core took the floor and earned a 119–109 victory over the Utah Jazz.

From a Phoenix perspective, knowing their season tips off in Portland on October 21, you have to wonder how much we’re going to see from them as well. Miles Bridges tweaked his ankle in the second preseason game, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he receives some additional rest, along with several other players on the roster. So while I’ve included projected starting lineups below, understand that the likelihood of those projections being accurate is probably pretty low. Such is life in the preseason.

With an 82-game schedule ahead, one that is both arduous and physically demanding, teams aren’t particularly interested in wasting bullets during games that ultimately don’t count. And for a Suns team that possesses a fair amount of continuity, there’s already an understanding of who they are and how they want to play.

Of course, integrating Miles Bridges remains an integral part of the team’s success this upcoming season, as does the development of Jalen Green’s responsibilities as a facilitator and distributor. But the reality is that much of that chemistry and understanding will likely continue developing throughout the regular season rather than being completely ironed out during the preseason.

Tale of the Tape

All of the statistics listed below are from last season.

Probable Starters

You never know it in the preseason. So I’ll go with some guys who could start, but not likely.

Injury Report

Suns

• Miles Bridges — Game Time Decision (Ankle)
• Mark Williams — OUT (Torn Left Labrum)

Spurs

• None

What to Watch For

If this is a situation where we see very little playing time from the starters and the majority of the game is handled by the depth pieces, it actually becomes a pretty exciting opportunity for Suns fans. Of course, you’d like to see the starters continue building chemistry and developing an understanding of the geometry of how each other operate on the floor. But for a team that possesses plenty of youth and players still developing, rather than a roster filled with veterans trying to prove their worth in the NBA, these opportunities become increasingly interesting.

Players like Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat are where my eyes will gravitate tonight. I’m interested in seeing how they look on the court, how they’re moving, and how they respond to additional responsibilities that might not necessarily be part of their roles once the regular season begins. And that’s an important distinction to make when evaluating performances in games like this. Players are often asked to operate in roles they likely won’t occupy when the games begin to count. Peat probably won’t be part of the regular rotation to begin the season, and when he does receive opportunities, he’ll likely be playing off the ball, attacking the glass, and finding ways to contribute without having the offense run through him. That’s a different responsibility than being asked to handle the basketball and initiate offense during a preseason game.

The same applies to Fleming, whose eventual role will likely center around becoming an effective three-and-D player. When he’s part of the rotation, the expectation will be that he provides perimeter defense and knocks down open shots, rather than being somebody the Suns rely upon to generate offense.

So you have to evaluate these performances through that lens, understanding that the responsibilities we’re seeing tonight might not reflect what these players will ultimately be asked to do during the regular season. But that doesn’t make the opportunity any less valuable. It’s another chance to showcase their development, gain meaningful experience, and put together real minutes against a San Antonio organization that’s going to make them earn everything they get.

Key to a Suns Win

I was talking to one of my good buddies the other day, who happens to be a Spurs fan. Yes, I know. Nobody’s perfect. One of his observations from Phoenix’s win over San Antonio last Friday was that he actually had to turn the game off. Why? Because the Suns were playing with so much effort, and the Spurs simply weren’t matching it. And although it was only preseason basketball, that frustrated him as a fan. You always want to see your team competing, bringing energy, and putting forth the effort rather than simply going through the motions.

He also mentioned that one of his concerns heading into this season is that San Antonio’s success last year might have led the players to believe everything the talking heads are saying about them. That they’re going to win the Western Conference, or at least be right there competing for it. And when expectations begin to surround a team, there’s always the concern that players might start believing they’ve accomplished something before the work has actually been done.

But that effort my buddy was talking about? That’s how the Suns win tonight. That’s how the Suns are going to have to win every night. With effort, tenacity, and a willingness to make life miserable for whoever lines up across from them. That’s Phoenix Suns basketball, right? Be relentless. Be annoying. Be disruptive.

Prediction

Again, the final score doesn’t matter in this one. I actually think we’re going to see plenty of opportunities for the younger players, and that could translate into some sloppy basketball and poor shooting. How much weight you put into those performances is ultimately up to you, and if those struggles become a consistent theme, there’s certainly some reason for concern.

But I’m far more interested in the energy with which they play, the pressure they put on the opposition, and how they perform on the glass. Because for players like Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat, those are the areas where they’re ultimately going to make their impact when their numbers are called during the regular season.

Suns 104, Spurs 101

I am truly excited to see you here.

If you clicked on this (on purpose or by accident), then you are officially a Wolves sicko (lupo-phile?), a basketball sicko, or at the very least: my tribe of people.

I scoff when I hear Timberwolves fans declare they are “diehard Wolves fans” and try to prove their ball knowledge by naming off players like Oleksiy Pecherov, Jeff Adrien, or Gundars Vētra. Please. If you’re really from the most engrossed ilk of Wolves fans, then you’d pull some names from their development team. Their summer league teams. Training camp rosters. Names that maybe never even donned a Wolves jersey, but they sure as hell tried.

Let’s begin by learning the Iowa Wolves history.

Well, you actually can’t know the Iowa Wolves history without first knowing the Iowa Energy history. The Energy were the affiliate for several other NBA teams during their inception, beginning with the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. It wasn’t until the midway through the ‘16-‘17 season where the Timberwolves purchased the exclusive rights to the Energy and rebranded them as the Iowa Wolves.

Ipso facto, the Timberwolves technically own the history of the Energy, even if they weren’t always associated with Minnesota. Consider it the same as Los Angeles stealing five championships from Minneapolis. If they can enshrine George Mikan in bronze, then Iowa should be able to do the same for Curtis Stinson.

Speaking of legends, that brings us to why we’re here. I can understand why reading a 3,000+ word wall of text detailing the history of the Iowa Energy/Wolves may not be so palatable. So instead, I’ll throw readers a bone and instead give you an old school Bleacher Report style:

Top 5 Iowa Wolves Players: You won’t believe who’s number one!! 👀😱

There might be certain players you expect to see high on this list like Luka Garza, Nate Knight, or Craig Randall II (real ones know), but alas their stints with Iowa were but just a small handful of games, or less than two seasons. In the long Iowa Wolves history, they are but just brief sparkles in the franchise’s existence.

Let’s begin with the names!

Honorable Mentions

Michael Haynes | Stefhon Hannah | Shy Ely

_{*2011 G League finals stats}

This trio, plus a player we’ll name later, formed the main supporting cast around league MVP Curtis Stinson during Iowa’s 2011 championship run. You would imagine he was flanked by former D-League MVPs in Othyus Jeffers and Courtney Sims, but both were not with the team during their magical postseason run.

Iowa has only ever achieved one G League title in their 19 season history. They did so in dramatic fashion, defeating the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets affiliate) by a final series score of 2-1. The Energy, led by future NBA Coach of the Year Nick Nurse, were down nine points near the end of the third quarter in game three, but they used a huge 21-5 run early in the fourth to claim control of the game. They did so even without their captain and best player, Stinson, who suffered an injury in the first half.

That’s three MVPs they were missing while being down heading into the fourth quarter.

Starting point guard Stefhon Hannah and backup guard Shy Ely, both who made the team via open tryouts, combined for 48 points to help Iowa close out the series. Starting power forward, Michael Haynes, was also a consistent force on both ends of the court, notching 21 points and five stocks in the final game as well.

Without this trinity of fine gentlemen, it’s likely Iowa never hoists the championship trophy.

Damien Wilkins | Luka Garza | Leonard Miller

_{*Iowa G League stats}

These are three guys who all dominated in their short stints with Iowa, earning All-Star honors or recognitions as Player of the Month/Week along the way. They were so good that they all had opportunities with the Timberwolves main squad.

Damien Wilkins, the nephew of Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, was actually the uncommon player who actually spent nine years playing on various NBA teams before eventually finding himself in the G League at age 34. He joined Iowa for just one season in ‘14-‘15, earning All-Star and All-League 3rd Team honors in the process. However, he’ll be most known for his game-winner in game one of the ‘09-‘10 season for the Wolves. Minnesota was on track for 82-0 thanks to Wilkins, who played 80 games for Minnesota, even starting in 31 of them!

Man, what a bad team that was.

We all remember Luka Garza fondly. Garza-illa dominated the G League like he did in garbage time throughout his career. His 31.7 point per game career average with Iowa is the highest in franchise history of any player that participated in at least 10 games. The current Boston Celtic has had to grind his way to an opportunity with the big clubs, but boy did he earn it. He mostly got mop up duty during his 97-game career with the Timberwolves, but he still had a few bright spots in real games as well. Garza having been a local Iowa hero also helped bring crowds to their games.

Meanwhile, our prodigal son Leonard Miller will hopefully have a more consistent opportunity with the Chicago Bulls this upcoming season. He was fairly dominant in his time with Iowa across two seasons, earning a Player of the Month and two Performer of the Week honors. Lenny averaged nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds during his two seasons at Casey’s Center, quickly becoming fan favorite.

5. Cartier Martin

Seasons: 5
Games Played: 90
Iowa Statistics: 31.1 MIN | 16.5 PTS | 4.8 REB | 1.5 AST | 0.9 STL | 0.4 BLK | 44.8 FG% | 40.7 3P% | 79.6 FT%
Individual Accolades: 1x All-League 1st Team (2010), 1x All-League 3rd Team (2009), 2x All-Star (2009, 2010)

Cartier Martin kicks off our official list. The 6’7” forward spent four collegiate seasons at Kansas State, winning Big 12 Sixth Many of the Year, before declaring for the 2007 NBA draft (the Corey Brewer draft).

After all 30 teams passed on him, Martin went undrafted.

The Houston native found an opportunity overseas, like many undrafted players do. He spent his first professional season in the Turkish league, but quickly came back stateside. In the 2008 NBA D-League draft, the Iowa Energy picked him 15th overall, beginning his five season stint with the franchise. Martin was excellent right from the jump, averaging over 20 points per game for the Energy in his first season. He was named an All-Star and made the All-League 3rd team.

It’s likely that Cartier would’ve been higher on this list had he not gotten so many call-ups to NBA teams. Seven different teams signed him to 10-day contracts or better, limiting his ability to play full seasons in the G. In fact, he missed out on contributing to the aforementioned 2011 title run because he appeared in 52 games with the Washington Wizards. In total, he appeared in 240 NBA games compared to just 96 G League games.

Martin was almost an Iowa lifer though, had it not been for his brief six game stint with the Windy City Bulls to wrap up his time in the NBA/G League. Martin finished his career fourth all-time in both total points scored and free throws made, and third in three-pointers made in Iowa Wolves franchise history.

4. Moses Ehambe

Seasons: 3
Games Played: 105
Iowa Statistics: 27.2 MIN | 13.9 PTS | 3.2 REB | 0.9 AST | 2.0 STL | 0.2 BLK | 44.3 FG% | 42.9 3P% | 83.7 FT%
Individual Accolades: 1x champion (2011), 1x All-Star (2012), 1x Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award (2012)

The player that I teased earlier when discussing the core of the 2011 Iowa Energy championship roster was none other than Moses Ehambe. Moses was the starting small forward for Iowa who averaged 14.8 points in the regular season that year, but bumped that up to an astounding 24.7 points (8.6 3PA) on .500/.500/.929 splits in the three-game finals series.

Why might Ehambe’s mug or name look familiar to you?

Moses spent three years with the Timberwolves in various roles from 2023-2025. He was an assistant coach focusing on player development. He always brought his positive attitude and laughter to those around him, so it’s no surprise he won the G League Sportsmanship Award in 2012.

Ehambe ranks number one in total three-pointers made in Iowa franchise history (293) and with the way the league functions now, it’s unlikely anyone will ever touch that record. He is integral to telling the organization’s history and is an awesome story about winning both on and off the court. Moses is third all-time in games played for the Energy.

Now enjoy this very 2014 coded video by the Iowa Energy, commemorating when Ehambe (once) became the league’s top three-point shooter!

3. Courtney Sims

Seasons: 4
Games Played: 104
Iowa Statistics: 30.9 MIN | 17.8 PTS | 9.1 REB | 1.1 AST | 0.4 STL | 1.4 BLK | 58.3 FG% | 28.6 3P% | 74.1 FT%
Individual Accolades: 1x MVP (2009), 1x All-League 1st Team (2009), 2x All-Star (2009, 2011), 1x ASG MVP, 2x Player of the Month, 2x Performer of the Week

We’ve now arrived at the big three.

Checking in at number three on this list is Courtney Sims. The 6’11” undrafted center spent four years at University of Michigan, earning ‘03-‘04 Big Ten All-Freshman honors. Like Wilkins, Sims actually appeared in a real NBA game before ever joining the D-League. He played just a few garbage time games for the Indiana Pacers before ultimately landing with Iowa in their inaugural ‘07-‘08 roster.

Courtney was awesome right from the jump.

He averaged over 15 points in his rookie season, but really exploded in his sophomore year. Sims dominated the paint, beginning his next season with a 22/17/11 (blocks) triple-double. He had some cups of tea with the Suns and Knicks on 10-day contracts, but largely remained with Iowa where he played 32 games, averaging career-highs of 22.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. He was named an All-Star, MVP of the All-Star Game, All-League 1st Team, and league MVP.

Unfortunately for Iowa, Sims played so well that New York called him up to wrap up the NBA season. Without their MVP and their defensive anchor, Iowa fell in the first round of the playoffs Dakota Wizards (now Santa Cruz Warriors). Speaking of guys, Dakota was led by classic Wolves summer league guy, Blake Ahearn.

Sims didn’t return back to Iowa until late January the following season, playing just a forgettable month before ending a short 14-game season with the Wolves. He bounced back in strong fashion during the ‘10-‘11 season for Iowa. Just like he did two seasons ago, he was terrific in the post, averaging 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game on his way to another All-Star (and ASG MVP) year.

2011 was the season that Iowa won the D-League championship, but also similar to 2009, Sims was once again absent. This time, he terminated his contract early for an opportunity to play in the Chinese Basketball Association with the Dongguan Leopards. Maybe he has some restaurant recommendations he can share with D’Angelo Russell.

And that’s how it all ended for the big man in Iowa.

Courtney Sims finished four seasons with the Energy with the following ranks in franchise history:

• 4th games played
• 3rd total minutes
• 3rd total wins
• 3rd total points
• 3rd total rebounds
• 1st total blocks
• 2nd offensive win shares
• 3rd defensive win shares

2. Othyus Jeffers

Seasons: 5
Games Played: 184
Iowa Statistics: 35.9 MIN | 19.1 PTS | 8.3 REB | 3.1 AST | 2.0 STL | 0.2 BLK | 50.2 FG% | 30.3 3P% | 72.8 FT%
Individual Accolades: 1x MVP (2014), 1x All-League 1st Team (2014), 1x All-League 2nd Team (2011), 2x All-Defensive 1st Team (2011, 2014), 1x All-Defensive 3rd Team (2013), 3x All-Star (2009, 2011, 2014), Rookie of the Year (2009), 1x Player of the Month, 3x Performer of the Week

Othyus Jeffers is on my list of all-time player names. The stalky wing plays like one of those nightmare local YMCA matchups that you’ve likely come across. Built like a football player and plays with the aggressiveness of a football player. He will not let you have fun.

Jeffers is another classic case of an unheralded college player who started in community college and eventually made his way into the NCAA and NAIA. He had an extremely tough childhood growing up, losing multiple family members due to gun violence in his hometown of Chicago. But Jeffers always kept his focus on his hoops. In his final season with Robert Morris University, he was named NAIA Player of the Year.

You may recognize Othyus’ name not just for its uniqueness, but because he played constantly vacillated between the G League and the NBA. As an undrafted player 2008, he signed multiple summer league, training camp, 10-day, and even multiple-year offers from teams like the Jazz, Spurs, Wizards, and the Wolves, totaling 37 games in the league.

But Iowa was always his basketball home.

He was drafted by the Energy in the third round of the 2008 D-League draft after his collegiate career, immediately producing 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. Jeffers cruised to winning the D-League Rookie of the Year award. He was part of that division-leading ‘08-‘09 Iowa team, who lost Sims prior to the playoffs. Despite the single-game elimination loss, he still posted a wild stat line of 31 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two blocks on 72.2% shooting from the floor for Iowa. Weirdly enough, this was Jeffers’ only playoff appearance for Iowa due to future call-ups to the NBA.

Othyus spent some time playing overseas in Italy the following year before once again rejoining Iowa later in the season. As mentioned earlier, he wasn’t able to join his fellow Energy teammates in the postseason due to an opportunity with the Jazz in March that lasted all the way through the following preseason. He ultimately missed their final ‘10-‘11 season roster cut.

Here’s a clip of him dunking of Wolves legend, Lou Amundson.

Despite the tough cut, Iowa was happy to welcome back Othyus with open arms.

“Wolverine,” as his teammates had called him growing up due to his ability to quickly bounce back from injuries, was on track for another stellar season in the D-League. He helped lead the Energy to the number one division seed for the third straight year. Once again, he received another call up just before the D-League playoffs, this time with the Wizards. As such, Jeffers missed out on Iowa’s 2011 title run, but looked to have a promising opportunity with Washington at seemingly the peak of his powers. He was on track to receive a regular season contract after playing well for the Wizards, but heartbreakingly torn his ACL over the summer during a workout.

Jeffers spent a year rehabbing before joining — you guessed it — the Iowa Energy.

Wolverine certainly lost a step after a major injury like that, but he was still potent enough to make the All-Defensive Third Team. In summer of 2013, the Timberwolves and Othyus finally crossed paths as he joined their Las Vegas Summer League team. Unfortunately, just like three years ago, he narrowly lost out the battle for the final roster spot to Robbie Hummel.

Unphased by the cut, Jeffers was a man on a mission. He posted incredible season averages of 20.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.2 steals. Before he was named one of the co-MVPs of the ‘13-’14 D-League season, the Timberwolves called up Othyus for the remainder of the NBA season. This would be Othyus’ final run in the NBA and the G League, as he ultimately found his way to the Philippine Basketball Association, finishing his pro career abroad.

Jeffers’ name will always be synonymous with the Energy. He’s a tale of grit, dedication, and an unwavering belief in himself. Here are Wolverine’s impressive final franchise marks:

• 2nd games played
• 2nd total minutes
• 2nd total wins
• 1st total points
• 1st total rebounds
• 2nd total assists
• 2nd total steals
• 1st total free throws made
• 1st offensive win shares
• 2nd defensive win shares

1. Curtis Stinson

Seasons: 6
Games Played: 212
Iowa Statistics: 39.5 MIN | 15.1 PTS | 5.6 REB | 8.6 AST | 1.7 STL | 0.3 BLK | 46.2 FG% | 21.6 3P% | 76.9 FT%
Individual Accolades: 1x champion (2011), 1x MVP (2011), 2x All-League 1st Team (2010, 2011), 2x All-Star (2010, 2011), 2x Player of the Month, 4x Performer of the Week

Where do we begin with the man that has a name I’ve seen pop up as an auto-generated NBA2K NPC?

Curtis Stinson, a native of the Bronx, was a late bloomer to the game. He grew up in a time where his high school competition was future Wolves legend, Sebastian Telfair. While Telfair jumped straight to the league, Stinson instead found his opportunity playing for Iowa State University (I wonder if he was at that preseason game last week, booing Braden Smith?). A state that didn’t have any pro hoops there yet.

He was a standout right from the get-go.

Curtis was named Big 12 Rookie of the Year in 2004 and then enjoyed two more productive years with his best friend, Will Blalock. Both Stinson and Blalock led the Cyclones to the second round of the NCAA tournament, but bumped into the eventual champion North Carolina Tarheels in 2005. A year later, they both declared for the 2006 NBA draft.

Blalock was selected 60th overall by the Detroit Pistons.

Stinson went undrafted.

Just like the other names on this list, he spent his early pro years abroad. A quick walk in the park in Croatia. Then in Greece. His NBA career, despite having his D-League rights traded around before he even appeared in a single game, didn’t start until February 2008 with the Utah Flash (now Delaware Blue Coats). He spent just a month with Utah before getting cut, then signing for a month with the Austin Toros (now Austin Spurs), ultimately getting traded to the Iowa Energy by the end of the season.

Casey’s Center, the home of the Iowa Energy, was just 30 minutes away from where Curtis got an opportunity to play college ball.

Beginning in the ‘08-‘09 season, Stinson hit the gas. He appeared in all 50 games for the Energy before losing in the first round in the aforementioned Dakota Wizards game, without then MVP teammate Courtney Sims.

Stinson really turned on the afterburners in the ensuing season, averaging a 15.2 point, 10.9 assist double-double throughout an All-Star and All-League 1st Team campaign. He nearly averaged a triple-double in Iowa’s postseason run, pushing Iowa to the second round without future MVP Othyus Jeffers.

The stars finally aligned in the ‘10-‘11 season where he had a career year. Curtis boasted averages of 18.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 9.6 assists en route to winning league MVP. As spoiled above, Stinson was outrageous in the playoffs for Iowa. He was scoring 24.4 points per game on over 50% shooting without Sims nor Jeffers at his side.

Perhaps his candle burned too bright though.

Sadly, in the first half of the deciding game three finals against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the 27-year-old MVP went down with a hip injury at the start of the second quarter. He had just posted two straight triple-doubles in games one and two, but could hardly see the court in the ultimate game. He tried to power through the injury, managing 10 sporadic minutes the rest of the game, but couldn’t survive the final quarter as the game hung in the balance. His sacrifice was worthy, as he was still able celebrate the 2011 title thanks to his less-heralded teammates.

Till this day, that 2011 Iowa Energy title is the only championship that is associated with the Timberwolves organization, including summer league, In-Season Tournament, or NBA Finals.

As is commonplace in the G League, the Iowa team looked significantly different the next season. His recent play had earned him various opportunities around the world, but he also picked up a few injuries along the way. It wasn’t until January 2012 when he returned to Iowa. Without his star backcourt running mate Jeffers (injury) nor his head coach Nick Nurse, Stinson couldn’t hoist the Energy past the Los Angeles D-Fenders (now Coachella Valley Lakers) in the first round the the playoffs.

With 30 years of age on the horizon, Curtis would need to consider his shelf life in professional sports. He spent the ‘12-‘13 season away from Iowa, opting to go abroad for various leagues, but once again, all roads led back to Iowa for his final season in the NBA. He was longer in the tooth at this point, but still averaged 10.4 points and 7.1 assists for the Energy. They fell short in the postseason again, but Stinson once again showed up big to the tune of 23.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8.0 assists averages. They poetically lost to the Vipers, headed by his former coach Nick Nurse, in the series 1-2.

Curtis never appeared in an official NBA regular season game despite appearing on six different summer league teams and three different G League teams. However, you can say his impact was far bigger than just trying to collect some garbage time in the NBA.

He is Mr. Iowa Energy.

“It is truly an honor to have my jersey retired by the Iowa Energy organization… I will never forget the amazing games, our great fans and of course the championship we brought to Des Moines in 2011.”

-Curtis Stinson

• 1st games played
• 1st total minutes
• 1st total wins
• 2nd total points
• 2nd total rebounds
• 1st total assists
• 1st total steals
• 1st total field goals made
• 2nd total free throws made
• 1st total triple-doubles
• 1st total double-doubles
• 3rd offensive win shares
• 1st defensive win shares

There are a few other names I could shoutout, but we’ve exceeded 4,000 words here.

Marcus “Gorgeous” Georges-Hunt has the highest points per game average (34.0) despite appearing in just one game in 2018. Amile Jefferson was the first player in the “Iowa Wolves era” to win an end-of-the-season award that same year (All-League 2nd Team, All-Defensive 1st Team). Naz Reid is arguably the best player to have ever suited up for for Iowa in 2020. Current Iowa Wolf, Martez Brown, who was an open tryout player, has a chance to become the longest tenured “Iowa Wolves Era” player if he’s active for another full season.

Are there any names missing from this list?

I still have a few up my sleeve, but I’m curious to see if any of you true, nasty, sickos can guess who they are. Now go impress your significant others, friends, coworkers, random person at a sports bar with this new bag of knowledge.

Kon Knueppel, as most of our readers probably know, comes from a serious basketball family. His mother and father played in college where both were their school’s all-time leading scorers, one uncle played briefly in the NBA, two uncles coach in college, all four brothers are promising prospects, and one cousin now plays for Illinois.

Early on, though, somewhat to the surprise of his family, the former Duke star, and current Charlotte Hornet, wasn’t all that interested in basketball. What changed his mind?

Getting a Wii.

Knueppel got obsessed with NBA 2K and NBA Jam, and from there, his love of the game turned into a passion.

It’s too bad the Wii was discontinued 13 years ago, because Nintendo could have run a heck of a campaign with Knueppel.

• Hornets’ Kon Knueppel Ranked 43rd-Best Player in NBA Entering Year 2
• Hornets Coach Gives Positive Update on Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams
• Charlotte Hornets star Kon Knueppel has established this goal regarding his injury
• Dell Curry praises Kon Knueppel for his maturity ahead of sophomore season

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Editor’s note: this is the first piece from new staff writer Joey Walraven. He’ll be contributing to our site’s coverage. Please give him a warm welcome as we’re excited for him to join our team at Peachtree Hoops.

Jalen Johnson was having his best year of his young career in 2024-25 before a torn labrum sidelined him remainder of the season. Many analysts viewed his absence as one of the most consequential in the entire league. Despite only playing 36 games and starting in all of them, Johnson was enjoying career highs in points, rebounds, and assists.

With the increase in both responsibility and production, the former first-round pick was slated for a big 2025-2026 campaign. In the midst of the Trae Young fiasco, which included unfortunate injuries and palpable tension between the Hawks and their star guard, Johnson became the focal point of the offense and saw himself molded into the best player on the Hawks’ roster.

Only missing ten games, averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, which were all career highs. Johnson also increased his three-point percentage, which increased the floor spacing for the Hawks and made them a more dynamic offense. With Young’s absence, who served as the team’s facilitator, Johnson molded himself into a true point forward, which led him to being tied for the second most triple-doubles in the league.

Johnson’s quantum leap was accompanied by a litany of accolades, which included being voted to both the All-Star team and Third Team All-NBA. Both honors were also career firsts.

Despite the improvement, the postseason was not quite as kind to Johnson. In the lone series against the eventual NBA Champion New York Knicks, the first time all-star struggled to establish the same dominance, as all the numbers he set career highs in took a substantial drop, especially his three-point efficiency, as he shot 29% for the series.

Johnson acknowledged his trouble during the team’s media day and vowed to improve his performance, stating, “the first month and a half, two months after the season, [all I watched] was film from that Knicks series. Just [seeing] how I can learn and grow from that. Because at the end of the day, I want to win championships.”

Part of Johnson’s playoff struggles derived from what seemed to be a form of a basketball identity crisis. Though he was the team’s best player and leading scorer, it seemed his deference to his teammates, namely CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, ultimately interfered with his ability to find his rhythm in the game and execute the same effectiveness he did throughout the entire season.

There were several points late in the season where the Hawks were forced to depend on McCollum and ‘NAW’ and were unable to get production from their lone All-Star. Johnson’s peak as a scorer will come when he is depended less upon as a facilitator and is able to focus the bulk of his energy on putting the ball through the net.

Former Houston Cougar Kingston Flemings with the eighth pick in this year’s draft will be an ideal candidate to lower some of the ball handling and facilitating responsibilities from Johnson. The transition to being a scoring dominant weapon will continue to improve the Hawks’ offensive versatility, and ultimately being a more dynamic unit once the playoffs arrive.

While Johnson is certainly a more than capable defender, it’s certainly an area where he can have some improvement. The addition of Luguentz Dort to the Hawks certainly removes the burden from Johnson to be a defensive staple, especially when pairing with defensive stalwarts Dyson Daniels and Alexander-Walker. Johnson admitted the three will be a problem for the league, stating the league could “pick their poison” for which member of their three-headed monster will cause nightmares for opposing teams.

Ultimately, for Jalen Johnson to maximize his potential, he has to play like he knows he is the team’s number one option. While scoring support from his teammates is obviously a requirement, he has to be the guy the Hawks funneling their winning plays through.

With the additions of support in terms of playmaking, perimeter play, and defense, the Hawks have the ingredients to unleash a deadly recipe on the NBA as Johnson continues to mold himself into one of the league’s best young stars. With his proven ability to improve in each year, if Johnson accepts the challenge to being his team’s undisputed alpha dog, not only will the Hawks make noise in the playoffs, but Jalen Johnson will find himself in the midst of MVP talks.

This came across on Instagram.

A cool collection of photos and stats surrounding Keldon Johnson, the 2026 NBA Sixth Man of the Year. The photos, most from his ranch, were the subject of many articles written after KJ invited some members of the media out to his ranch for an afternoon.

“Keldon Johnson, at home.

Keldon Johnson has been the Spurs’ unofficial DJ since his rookie season, when Patty Mills handed him the aux and told him to play Mariah Carey. He still runs the music before games off a giant speaker with a worn-out Spurs logo, and the playlist makes room for “Party in the U.S.A.” and “A Thousand Miles.”

In 2025–26, he broke Manu Ginóbili’s franchise record for points off the bench. The two are also the only Spurs to win Sixth Man of the Year.

The boots came with the land. “Ever since I got a ranch, it’s the everyday attire,” he told NBC. The pond on the property was recently expanded to fit a small boat and stocked with koi, bass, crappie and catfish.

Photography: @joshhuskin / L’Équipe; @jaredweissnba / The Athletic.
NBA photography: @imago.images”

Originally, I thought it was a magazine layout and when I looked up “Hoopsciety” I found their YouTube channel which featured this video on Gregg Popovich and Victor Wembanyama:

It is incredible to relive Wemby’s timeline in San Antonio since draft night. His time with Pop. His first two season ending with injury. His defensive stats. And then the exposiveness of his third season. The dominance and maturity leading to his unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, Western Conference Finals MVP, and his first Finals appearance.

The Spurs have such high expectations for themselves this season, it will most surely be a year to follow the Silve & Black.

Tewo more preseason games and less than a week until the season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Go Spurs Go!

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Jett Howard probably wasn’t a name you had penciled in as a Maverick before the offseason began, but here we are. The Mavericks signed the former 11th overall pick in the 2023 draft to a two-way contract this summer after three seasons in Orlando. The 6-foot-8 wing never quite found his footing with the Magic, but his role grew last season, when he averaged a career-high 5.5 points in 12.6 minutes per game while shooting 37.2% from three and 94.9% from the free-throw line. Those aren’t numbers that pop off the page, especially for a lottery pick. But Orlando drafted him 11th for a reason, and Dallas brought him in for a pretty obvious one: The guy can shoot. On a Mavericks roster that needs players who can space the floor around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, that skill alone gives Howard a path to minutes. The question is whether he can do other things well enough to stay on the floor.

Big question

Can Jett Howard become more than a shooter? It’s that simple. The Mavericks don’t need him to come in and average 15 points a night. Dallas has plenty of players who will have the ball more than him. What they need is someone who can punish defenses when they decide to load up on Flagg, Irving, or another primary creator. Howard shot 37.2% from three last season on 2.6 attempts per game. Those numbers aren’t spectacular, but they’re respectable enough to force defenses to think about him.

Dallas doesn’t need him to be a star, but be a guy Dusty May can rely on to get a bucket when you need one. It also wouldn’t hurt to do other little things. Run around screens. Make the extra pass. Attack a hard closeout. Move without the ball. Compete defensively. If Howard can do those things consistently, a two-way contract will start looking like a pretty useful piece. If he can’t, he won’t log many minutes.

Best case scenario

Howard shoots the lights out and makes his way into the rotation. The Mavericks have several young, athletic players, but they also desperately need shooting. Dallas’ 2026-27 roster is packed with players 25 or younger, and Howard fits the team’s broader youth movement almost perfectly.

The best version of Howard isn’t a high-volume scorer. It’s a 6-foot-8 wing who can come into a game, immediately provide spacing, and knock down three or four shots without needing the offense designed around him. And there is something intriguing about putting a player like that next to Cooper Flagg. If Flagg develops into the offensive engine Dallas expects, defenses will collapse on him on plenty of possessions.

Howard’s job would be simple: find an open spot and make them pay. If he can also become a competent defender, things get really interesting. That’s the path to Howard playing 10 to 15 minutes a night instead of spending most of the season in the G-League. And considering he was the 11th pick just three years ago, I’m not ready to completely give up on the idea that there’s more here than what Orlando showed.

Worst case scenario

Howard becomes a shooting specialist who doesn’t shoot enough. A 37.2% three-point shooter sounds good until you remember that Howard only attempted 2.6 threes per game last season. His career three-point percentage is just 32.6%, so it’s fair to wonder whether last year’s improvement was a real step forward or simply a small sample.

And if the shot isn’t falling, what else is he giving you? He’s not a creator. He’s also not going to overwhelm opponents physically, even for his size. That leaves very little margin for error. The Mavericks already have plenty of players fighting for wing minutes. Max Christie, Zaccharie Risacher, Naji Marshall, Santi Aldama, Morez Johnson Jr., and others are ahead of Howard on the depth chart in some capacity. If Howard wants real minutes, he’ll have to separate himself from the rest of the pack with his shooting stroke. If he doesn’t, onto the G League he goes.

Season goal

Become too good for the two-way contract. Be the shooter you were last season, but with more volume when you’re in. I don’t expect him to become a regular part of the rotation immediately. But 10-15 games where Howard consistently looks like a rotation NBA player could make him a useful weapon. A simple stretch where he’s knocking down open threes, making smart cuts, and holding his own defensively should keep him on the floor. If he can do that, the Mavericks will have to figure out a way to keep him around. And honestly, that’s a pretty good season for a 23-year-old who is trying to revive his NBA career.

Overall

I like this gamble. Howard is exactly the type of player Dallas should be taking a chance on right now. He was once a lottery pick; he’s still only 23, and he has one skill that will always have value in the NBA: shooting. The Mavericks officially signed him to a two-way contract in July after his best statistical season in Orlando. Now he gets a fresh start. A little new scenery can go a long way.

He appeared in 133 games over three seasons, but only averaged 11 minutes per game for his career and never started a game. Dallas probably won’t hand him a ton of minutes either. But the opportunity is different. The Mavericks are trying to build around Cooper Flagg, and that means finding players who complement him.

Shooting matters. Size matters. And if Howard can put those things together, there’s a role for him. No one expects Howard to suddenly become the second coming of Klay Thompson, but there’s a reasonable chance Dallas gets more out of him than Orlando did. And if he can turn 37% three-point shooting into something closer to 40% while becoming a reliable team defender, the Mavericks may have found a very useful rotation piece hiding on a two-way contract. That’s worth taking a swing on.

The Boston Celtics dominated the Philadelphia 76ers in their first of two preseason matchups, a 38-point rout. This was our first look at most of the Celtics’ top players, with Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Mitchell Robinson, Neemias Queta, and Sam Hauser all making their pre-season debuts and what a debut it was.

Joe Mazzulla isn’t one to tip his hand, but it’s no secret that gaining extra possessions is a core tenant in his basketball philosophy. That’s going to come through two main sources: crashing the offensive glass and an active defense. The extra possessions were found in abundance during Saturday’s victory.

Paul George was responsible for a good chunk of them, a promising display of what he can bring to this new iteration of the Celtics. He came away with a team-high five steals, tied with Baylor Scheierman. From the jump, it was easy to see how locked in PG was defensively, especially for a preseason game.

George’s defense looked completely effortless. He wasn’t flying up and down the court or hounding defenders all 94 feet. He kept things nice and simple, relying on good positioning, and years of experience as one of the league’s premier defenders.

Three of PG’s steals came from reading the passing lanes with active hands. He led the team with six deflections, and the ones which resulted in Boston gaining possession all sparked fastbreaks, two of which the Celtics were able to convert to easy buckets.

An underrated aspect of Paul’s defense is, ironically enough, his offense. Being able to convert defensive stops into transition buckets by reading the floor and pushing the ball up the court will be an invaluable addition to a team that ranked dead-last in both fastbreak points and pace last season. Boston was also towards the bottom of the league (26^th) in turnovers forced per game at just 12.9, something they’ll be looking to remedy this year.

George wasn’t solely an off-ball specialist in Saturday’s game. He also had a Jrue Holiday-esque strip which led to a dunk of his own.

Even when he wasn’t the one to come away with a steal, he heavily influenced the Celtics’ defensive possessions to wreak havoc. He was extremely connected with his teammates, and incredibly active as well. Whether a play results in a stop or not, his defensive tenacity will wear down opposing players, especially with his versatility, being able to shut down stars and role-players alike. Tatum went as far as to call George Boston’s “defensive playmaker” alongside Scheierman.

Keep in mind, we’re still just talking about a preseason game. I wouldn’t expect Paul to average 5 steals a night over the course of the year, but if he maintains this level of activity, Boston’s defense will be hard to beat.

That night, Mazzulla said George takes things to another level defensively. “Great instincts. Great technique. Great positioning. It’s something he takes pride in and I think is very contagious,” he added.

And before Tuesday’s practice, Joe gave some encouraging words about Paul’s health. “He’s had a tremendous training camp from a physical standpoint… He’s in great shape. He feels great from that standpoint.”

PG certainly showed us that he’s moving well and ready to work. Now, we’re just under a week away from Boston’s regular season opener. It won’t be long until we can stop dreaming about what this team can accomplish and start seeing the results speak for themselves.

Dave Bing is sort of a basketball version of Forrest Gump, only smarter.

A native of Washington, D.C., Bing met Marvin Gaye playing basketball. Unable to keep up, Gaye sang on the sidelines. They remained friends for years.

At Syracuse for a time, he roomed with Jim Boeheim and got to know law student Joe Biden.

After his playing career, he founded the NBA Retired Players Association. He started Bing Steel in 1980; in 1984, Ronald Reagan awarded him the National Minority Small Business Person of the Year. 

In 2008, he ran for mayor of Detroit and won. Later, he worked on the 2009 bailout of the auto industry with – surprise – President Biden.

In short, the man has a very long list of accomplishments.

But in his day, he was a formidable basketball player, as you’ll see in this video from the 1976 All-Star game.

He was 32 here, and the Detroit Pistons had traded him away, thinking that he was a bit long in the tooth.

He wasn’t done – Bing played until 1978. The great thing about him?

The second chapter was just as exciting as the first.

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Where were you when the Houston Rockets drafted Yao Ming?

It’s a vivid memory for me as a Houston Rockets fan. I distinctly remember a fan in a street interview declaring that Ming would be the “best center ever!” I can’t find easy confirmation of this memory online, but it’s burned into my mind.

If you missed it: Ming is not the best center ever. Depending on whether you value longevity or peak, he’s on the fringes of the top 20. Can you really put Ming ahead of Dikembe Mutombo? Bob Lanier?

Longevity. What a thoroughly dirty word in relation to Ming’s career. The basketball gods were rough with the gentle giant:

What if they’d afforded him more grace?

Ming’s career should have gone differently

The man was 7’6″, 310 pounds, and – this is important – actually good at basketball.

He’s four years older than LeBron James if you needed your heart broken into a million pieces and scattered into the wind like the ashes of your childhood dreams. Ming should have been the Rockets’ Nene of the James Harden era. He should barely be a decade into his retirement. He should have retired when TikTok came out, and instead, he retired when “Tik Tok” by Kesha came out.

Look at his beastly 2006-07 stats. Ming averaged 25.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game with a 60.1 True Shooting % (TS%) and 5.0 Box Plus/Minus (BPM). He made the All-NBA Second Team. Ming was a certified franchise player.

Sure, he only played in 48 games, and sure, players this size have dealt with injury problems almost without fail, but none of that mattered because Ming was going to be the best center ever, and wrestling is real.

The decline didn’t even start there. Ming had a comparable 2007-08. The Rockets decreased his minutes through 2008-09, but on a per-minute basis, his production was comparable.

And then, just like that, it was effectively over. Which gets us back to the central question: What if it hadn’t been?

Let’s be honest. We all know the Houston Rockets win the 2007-08 championship if Ming and Tracy McGrady stay healthy. This group is a testament to roster construction.

Ming, the interior scoring hub, and McGrady, the prolific shot creator, flanked by a who’s-who of mid-00s role players. Shane Battier, perhaps the most archetypal three-and-D in NBA history. Louis Scola, a perfect third option for an era when the midrange counted towards floor spacing. Bobby Jackson, the quintessential sparkplug, and Dikembe Mutombo, the best backup big in the NBA backing up the best big man in the NBA –

Fine, besides Dwight Howard.

Although Ming was certainly more offensively gifted than Howard. For that brief, bright, beautiful moment, you could make the case that Ming was the best center in the NBA. Jokes aside, the Boston Celtics were the most super-y super team since the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers. They may have stifled even this fantasy Rockets championship run, but the NBA Finals’ Western Conference spot was the Rockets’ to lose.

And, through no fault of their own, they would lose it.

Yao Ming’s Rockets career was cut short

What’s the point of this article?

I almost regret writing it. The Rockets kick off the 2026-27 regular season one week from this moment. Why are we chasing the ghost of Yao Ming’s career?

Short answer? A photo of Ming alongside Alperen Sengun made the rounds and made me sad. Long answer?

Let’s see what we can cobble together.

It is worth remembering that so much of what we consider success in the NBA comes down to luck. Luck is everything. Ming was lucky enough to be born 7’6″, and he was unlucky enough to be born 7’6″. With his mass, that’s a time-tested formula for having a short-but-successful NBA career.

Luck could be on the Rockets’ side in 2026-27, or it could oppose them once again. Maybe the journey matters more than the destination. Ming’s body wouldn’t allow him to make good on his potential:

But I still remember how hopeful I felt before that happened.

Ben Simmons sheds light on why he signed with Kings, what he can bring to team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Ben Simmons had a simple theory about where he would end up this offseason. Whichever team actually showed up to see him in person, rather than just offering a camp invite, would be the one that signed him for real.

That is exactly how his story with the Kings played out.

Speaking at Media Day with NBC Sports California’s Deuce Mason and Morgan Ragan, Simmons explained his thinking when asked why Sacramento made sense as his landing spot.

“It’s not in the cocky way or anything, but for me, I knew the first team that came to see me, to see where I was at physically and on the court, they were going to sign me,” Simmons said. “That’s how I felt from the moment [general manager] Scott [Perry] came down and saw me.”

Perry traveled to Florida in late August specifically to watch Simmons work out, which was followed by an hour-long meeting between the two. Simmons later visited Sacramento for in-depth medical exams, an on-court workout and meetings with coach Doug Christie and other staffers before signing a one-year, $3.5 million contract.

Several other teams expressed interest, but mostly in the form of training camp invitations rather than a guaranteed roster spot.

“I had a bunch of teams that wanted me to come to camps and play for a spot and things like that, which is fine,” Simmons said. “I think they would have had different decisions if they had seen me. But I think I’m right where I need to be at the right time.”

That confidence comes after Simmons sat out the entire 2025-26 NBA season without appearing in a single game, following years of recurring injury issues dating back to his time in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Asked about his emotional state heading into training camp, Simmons pointed directly to his health.

“I’m just excited to get going and be able to do it healthy — with nothing in the back of my mind where I can be hesitant with certain things,” Simmons said. “I’m taking a few hits already in practice and it felt great. I’m ready to go.”

For a Kings team that signed Simmons specifically to add size, playmaking and defensive versatility behind rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., a healthy, confident version of Simmons — even in a reduced offensive role — represents exactly the value they bet on when Perry made that trip to Florida.

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Warriors coach Steve Kerr answers five questions on NBA's current, future state originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The last five decades of basketball have included Steve Kerr as a central figure in a variety of ways. Let’s count a few. 

By the mid-80s, Kerr had become a known name at the University of Arizona. Kerr twice was an All-Pac-12 First Team selection, tore his ACL playing for Team USA following his breakout junior year, and came back to help lead the Wildcats to the Final Four. He then was the very last pick of the second round in the 1988 NBA Draft, No. 50 overall. 

It took until Kerr’s fourth team, the Chicago Bulls, for him to find his home in the NBA. Kerr played for three teams in his first five years in the NBA and averaged 5.0 points and 15.5 minutes per game. In his first season with the Chicago Bulls, Kerr scored 8.6 points per game and averaged 24.8 minutes. That was his first of three straight championships in Chicago from 1996 through 98. 

When the Bulls dispersed, Kerr went to San Antonio and won his fourth straight title to close out the 90s and won his fifth in his final season as a player with the 2002-03 Spurs. He began broadcasting alongside Marv Albert in 2003 and left in 2007 to become the general manager of the Phoenix Suns, where in three seasons they had a win percentage of 63.0 (155-91). 

Kerr took his first crack at coaching going into the 2014-15 season and has been the Warriors’ head coach ever since. The Warriors won their first championship in 40 years in Kerr’s first season, which started a run of five straight trips to the NBA Finals and three more rings for his fingers. 

He has one finger free after the Warriors’ championship in 2022, making Kerr a nine-time champion – five as a player and four as a coach. He also thought his days coaching the Warriors might have reached the end of the road at the end of last season. Kerr is back, signing up for his 13th and 14th seasons coaching the Warriors, and with his return, we have five questions for him on the current and future state of the NBA.

All questions were part of an exclusive interview with myself, Kerr and Bonta Hill in Hawaii during Warriors training camp, except for the third, which was a question of mine at a recent practice.

Where do you see this league in five years when it comes to offensive principles? 

“I mean, it’s always hard to predict those things, but the trends of pace and space continue to evolve. It’s not necessarily like analytically you’re tracking speed and pace. It’s more what are teams running to kind of emphasize those concepts, and what I’m seeing is fewer play calls and more flow basketball, more concepts just being executed. 

“And the faster the game, the more difficult it is to get organized. So you have to figure that out without slowing down a called play, and that’s a lot of what we’re working on right now.”

Are you seeing a little bit, though, of a big man revolution at the same time, where a lot of teams are going two-big at times, but there’s still the pace and space too? What’s the balance there right now in the NBA?

“I think for a while everybody thought going small was the best way to go. Now teams are playing the same style, but with bigger players. So ideally, if you can play with pace and space with four guys who are seven feet tall, hell yeah, let’s do that. 

“But I think what’s happening is the younger players who are big with size, guys like Karl Anthony Towns or Victor Wembanyama, they’re growing up shooting threes and handling the ball and making plays. So you’re seeing a whole generation of young players come up with a different skill level than when my generation was coming up, where it was more specialized, you know, specific to certain positions. 

“It’s positionless basketball. But man, these guys are more skilled than ever, and such big size. It’s really impressive.”

You talk a lot about how skilled today’s players are. What is the one skill most required to have success in today’s NBA? 

“I don’t know if there’s one, but I think compared to the old days, it’s hard to be a specialist anymore. In the old days, like everyone had three seven-foot guys who they knew their job was to guard Patrick Ewing, or Shaq, or Hakeem [Olajuwon], and that was why they were on the team. Today, that specialization doesn’t really exist nearly as much. 

“No matter what position you play, you need to be able to process and understand the game better. It’s faster. Decision making happens quicker. … I said this to you guys the other day: My checklist is dribble, pass, shoot, and process. Today’s players need to do all four of those things pretty well, and if not well, then they have to do them serviceably to be able to survive.”

Are we moving closer to covering the game the right way in terms of the media base? Because it feels like the playoffs were a lot of fun to watch. People focused on San Antonio and the Knicks and the way they played, and OKC or whatnot. What do you think of all that?

“I honestly think that we are, all of us in the NBA, we’re all part of a soap opera. Like, we are. It’s not just a sport. You look at the way fashion is now covered in the NBA. That’s impacted what guys are wearing to the game. That’s brought in a lot of other fans who maybe otherwise wouldn’t have been interested. The day-to-day soap opera of conflict and style and everything in between, it’s actually good for the league. 

“It draws a lot of attention. It draws a lot of ratings. The flip side is for the players and the coaches, you got to have thick skin, and ignorance is bliss. I don’t look at any of that stuff on social media, so that part’s good. But it’s never been more difficult to be an athlete in today’s age because of the vitriol, the anger they get, and so we try to help our guys understand that this is part of the machine. 

“This is part of the soap opera. You have to embrace it, but don’t take it very seriously. The only people that matter are at your home and in the gym.”

Between the Bulls, the Spurs, and the Warriors, you’ve been with all these dynasties. The way the league is now, though, is the parity good? Is it good for the league, and will we ever see another dynasty the way the league is now?

“It’s a good question. I think you have to get into the CBA dynamics. I don’t like the fact that once you build a good team, you have to start getting rid of players. I would like to see teams able to hang on to their players, like what we’ve done. I mean, it’s so special for our fans to have watched Steph [Curry] and Draymond [Green] together for 15 years now, and for a long time, Andre [Iguodala] and Klay [Thompson] and the whole group. Seems like that may be more difficult than ever to accomplish. 

“I like parity, but I’d like to see teams be able to stick together too.”

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On a night dominated by the apparent status of Kristaps Porzingis, the absence of the Latvian big was felt at times during the Golden State Warriors’ 101-89 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Steve Kerr’s intention to spread the floor in a so-called ‘5-out’ alignment banked on players who are able to space to floor — including their center. Porzingis happens to fit that profile, while also being 7-foot-3-inches. Without Porzingis — and also not having Al Horford available tonight — the Warriors were not only small, they were bereft of shooting and spacing personnel.

That was apparent at times during this game, where the Warriors were able to rally back from a significant deficit, albeit during a time when both teams’ main characters’ nights were finished (one of them, Luka Doncic, did not suit up for the Lakers).

Once again, it was rookie Yaxel Lendeborg who stood out. He finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in just under 24 minutes of time on the floor. He once again flashed familiarity and comfort as an offensive player within Steve Kerr’s often-intricate scheme while displaying motor and hustle that gave the Warriors a couple of second-chance points.

Yaxel goodness: 1. Makes the skip to the corner upon seeing the double 2. Hustles to get the ball back, leads to a Podz 3 https://t.co/ReLSLq4pZE

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) October 14, 2026

Lendeborg’s touted versatility as an offensive operator was apparent tonight. As an off-ball spacer, he has been showing promise, especially off of Steph Curry’s on-ball adventures through the pick-and-roll. Lendeborg can be a corner spacer taking advantage of ‘tag’ situations, as he does below:

Steph high PnR on the SLOB, Yaxel on the weak side corner. His man tags, pass to Yaxel in the corner and drills the three. Spacing option. https://t.co/wTE2YtWddN

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) October 14, 2026

Interestingly, Lendeborg can also be the main character in a spread pick-and-roll configuration, with Curry playing the role of mostly standstill spacer. Lendeborg has on-ball juice and the handle to be able to keep such possessions stable, while also making use of change-of-pace craft in order to create a window for him to score up close:

Kerr yells "Thumb up Charles" for a spread angle PnR with Bassey as the screener for Yaxel. Again, the trust in Yaxel in PnR reps has been intriguing, with Steph as a standstill floor spacer. Yaxel comes off the screen, gets in the paint, sees Kessler meeting him to contest but Yaxel uses the Pinoy step to bump Kessler and get him up in the air to create the window.

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) October 14, 2026

There is plenty of evidence with regard to Lendeborg’s role versatility on offense. Perhaps his most important role in a Curry offense is as a screener, either on or off the ball. Off the ball screening provides Lendeborg ample opportunity to take advantage of Curry’s gravity through slipped screens and subsequent cuts toward the rim:

Dubs go to their "2" action with Gui playing the Draymond role as the elbow hub. Yaxel slips inside, catches the pass and finishes against contact. https://t.co/29fNMayCmV

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) October 14, 2026

There are, however, points of improvement for the young rookie. Lendeborg has work to do on the other end of the floor. He has the length and athleticism to make eye-popping defensive plays, but occasionally the little details escape him.

He has a knack for being out of position when defending the ball. He has a habit of standing straight up in lieu of being in a proper defensive stance. He can be caught with one foot leading out, enabling ball handlers to blow past him and taking advantage of his slow hip swivel.

Yaxel point of improvement: defends the PnR, gets switched onto Reaves, front foot leading out, gets blown by. Hip slow to open up. Positionally needs to be better. https://t.co/FaM6yjHCzy

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) October 14, 2026

Overall, Lendeborg has shown much more good than either bad or mediocre, which is a promising indicator of his ability to contribute right away — important, given the dearth of top-flight personnel surrounding Curry. However, Kerr made it a point that the team is far from where they want to be, although stating that they were ‘working on the right things.’

Steve Kerr a week prior to the opener: “We’re not anywhere close to where we want to be, but we’re working on the right things.” https://t.co/6ux63RSDqL

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 14, 2026

The Warriors will have their preseason finale on Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center.