Category: Basketball

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a busy offseason. To simplify things, they exchanged Max Strus, Dean Wade, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis for Peyton Watson, Mario Hezonja, and Meleek Thomas.

Watson, Hezonja, and Thomas enter the year with very different expectations, and have each shown something different during these exhibition games.

Watson has the potential to be a breakout player. The 24-year-old, 6’8” wing has shown flashes of being a two-way impact player during the first four years of his career with the Denver Nuggets. The Cavs are giving him more opportunities to help him develop. And they gave him a four-year, $88 million deal, believing that he will be a consistent, high-level two-way player.

Hezonja isn’t joining the Cavs with those expectations. Cleveland is hoping that the once top-five pick can be a versatile, do-everything backup four that is on a veteran minimum deal. Not nearly as much is invested in this low-risk, high-reward gamble.

The Cavs are high on Thomas. The 20-year-old second-round pick has shown glimpses of being an efficient, score-first guard during Summer League and at times in the preseason. Thomas probably won’t be a high-impact player right away. It’s rare that a rookie taken in the second round makes a meaningful contribution on a contending team, but maybe Thomas can be the exception.

So, which one of these three players has impressed you the most in preseason based on your expectations coming into this preseason?

For the second straight year, Nolan Traore will be the youngest player on the youngest team in the NBA, a 20-year-old on a team whose average age is, again, a little more than 24. At 20 years and five months old, he is six weeks younger than Mikel Brown, the Nets No. 6 pick in the 2026 Draft. (Brown is also three weeks older than Ben Saraf.)

But in the NBA, youth only gets you so far and now in his second year, Traore is starting to show he belongs. It’s early and there’s only a small sample to work from, but as C.J. Holmes points out in the Daily News Tuesday, the 6’4” point guard with a shooter’s touch has growing confidence.

Traoré’s scoring has climbed with each appearance. He had 10 points against the Charlotte Hornets, 12 against Philadelphia 76ers and 17 Monday. Through three games, he’s averaging 13 points while shooting 65% overall and 57.1% from 3-point range. The percentages come from a small sample, but the confidence behind the attempts is clear.

A far cry from this time last year when there were doubts about about the No. 19 pick even inside the executive offices at 168 39th Street in Sunset Park. Like the top four picks in Nets historic draft, at least by numbers, he was considered somewhat of a reach. ESPN’s final mock draft had him going at No. 22. Never mind that he had once been seen as at top 5 prospect in the generational draft or the general assessment that he was the quickest guard in the Draft.

While fans wanted a finished product, others inside the front office understood that it was going to take time. He was new not just to the NBA, but the USA. He needed time to develop physically as well as mentally. And at the end of last season, after a 13-game stint with Long Island, he was putting up numbers, even if inconsistently. In the last six weeks in Brooklyn, he put up 13 points a game along with four assists and it seems he was more under control. But he had a lot to work on. As Brian Lewis reported, of every player who attempted at least 100 layups, his 44.4% was dead last. 

Then over the summer, after arthroscopic surgery on his knee, he grew, like physically grew. He picked up an inch in height and about 12 pounds of what sure looks like muscle. He spoke about his transformation at Media Day.

“Definitely the more I play, the more confident I’ve gotten,” Traore told The Post. “I get a little better every game. I just feel great, and I hope it’s going to keep going.”

“My knee is completely fine now, so there’s no concern,” Traore, 20, said. “For me, [the offseason] was more the physical aspect. Obviously the shooting, too. I worked a lot on it and I feel good now. Changed a few things, too.

“Offseason was a lot of [time in the] gym. That was the main thing. Focusing on just getting better as a player, watching clips from the playoffs or watching reads. Working on my shot, too.”

His teammates and his coach noticed.

“I like his aggressiveness shooting the 3, and his shot looks very confident. Credit to the work he’s put in the whole summer. And just want to challenge him to improve defensively. There’s just a couple of hiccups that he could’ve been better; but I know he is tough and he’s up for the challenge.” head coach Jordi Fernández said postgame.

Traore also said the Nets more open offense this year is a big help to his individual game.

“It’s helped me a lot,” Traore told Lewis. “I think I’m better when the defense is not set because I can take gaps quickly and make plays off of that. So the more we play fast, the better I’m going to be.”

And the better Traore is, the better off Brooklyn will be.

Things will change, of course, Thursday night in Miami, the team’s final preseason game. Mikel Brown Jr. will finally make his NBA debut and there will be more competition for minutes among him, Brown Jr., Demin and Keon Ellis who Fernandez has started, liking his point-of-attack defense and 3-point shooting. Traore knows he will have fight for minutes and a role.

As Holmes wrote.

The opening-night depth chart remains unsettled, and Brown’s return will make the competition more complicated. Traoré has made an encouraging start. His best argument is to keep producing whenever Fernández gives him the ball.

“It was more focused on just having the same form every time, basic stuff,” Traoré said.

• Nets’ Nolan Traoré is making himself difficult to overlook ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nolan Traore isn’t giving up his Nets minutes without a fight – Brian Lewis – New York Post

We’re almost there, y’all. A mere two preseason games stand between us and the start of the NBA regular season. There have been some great storylines thus far that have made all of these preseason games worth watching, and our Minnesota Timberwolves are getting their identities and rotations firmly established as the team looks to start the year strong.

On deck this Wednesday we have the Detroit Pistons, who are due to give their starting players some burn as the team has only played in two other preseason games so far. Regular Detroit starters Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren did not play in their last game against the Washington Wizards, so it would seem likely that the Pistons would like to get their usual starting five a bit of run before the regular season starts. 

Whether or not Wolves head coach Chris Finch will continue to trot his preferred starting lineups out there for extended stretches of time remains to be seen. Regardless, there are plenty of things to both build off of and tweak coming off of a fairly complete victory over the reigning champion New York Knicks.

Game Info:

• Who:Minnesota Timberwolves (3-1) vs. Detroit Pistons (1-1)
• When: Wednesday, October 14 at 7:00 PM CT
• Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• National TV: DAZN-MIN
• Radio: 830 WCCO

Keep Raining in the Threes

Lamelo Ball’s effect is real. The open looks just keep coming.

The Timberwolves were shooting lights-out from deep against the Knicks, amassing 18 made 3-point shots at a 53% clip. Jaden McDaniels was four for five, Anthony Edwards was five for eight, and Ayo Dosunmu shot three for four from long range. While it may be a bit unrealistic to expect the team to shoot over 50% from perimeter most nights, that volume will need to be maintained in order to beat top teams like the Pistons.

Despite their embarrassing early playoff exit a season ago, this Detroit team returns with high expectations and will again be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Their identity will be predicated on the infectious defensive presence of Ausar Thompson, highlighting capable 3-point specialists in Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, and new addition Isaiah Joe, while their talisman in Cade Cunningham contributes positively in every aspect of the game. Tough matchups are abound here, and continuing to make the deep shots at a high clip will be able to stretch the defensive congestion that the Pistons will feature.

Not only do the Timberwolves starters need to continue to excel in this area, but the bench players will also need to do their part in creating diverse offensive looks for Detroit to deal with. A return of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jonathan Kuminga could force the Pistons to defend the paint a bit more honestly than was the case against the Knicks on Monday night. This should create opportunities for reserves like Trey Lyles, Isaiah Evans, Jaylen Clark, Bones Hyland, and Cody Williams to let it fly from beyond the arc.

Mitigate Turnovers & Fouls

Despite playing limited minutes, the Timberwolves starters had a propensity for turning the ball over at a high rate and committing fouls against the Knicks. Joan Beringer’s three fouls in 14 minutes of play were not exactly encouraging, and Jaden McDaniels’ four fouls and four turnovers in 24 minutes would have been a bigger topic of conversation had he not scored 22 silky-smooth points. LaMelo Ball had seven assists, but that also came with five turnovers of his own.

These are areas that will need to get cleaned up against top-flight teams like Detroit. Without the aforementioned blistering three-point percentage keeping New York chasing the game, it would have turned into a dogfight. 

The Pistons are a pesky team. They will pressure, and they will get their steals. They have plenty of dudes that can draw pressure and fouls, especially with new frontcourt addition John Collins. Minnesota will have to play tough and intelligent basketball to win a matchup against this smartly retooled Detroit team.

Ball cannot afford to be lackadaisical with his handles. The silly fouls will need to stop to both keep players in the game and maintain possession of the ball. Failure to do so will allow the Pistons to go on runs and capture the momentum of the game.

All Eyes on Cody Williams

While his surprise inclusion in the starting lineup would never have happened if Kuminga or Shannon Jr. played against the Knicks, it spoke volumes of Finch’s confidence in Cody Williams that he got the nod for this game. 

It was a modest outing, but that is enough to consider what Williams’ role may be when the regular season gets in full swing. Williams only had six points, one rebound, and one block in 15 minutes of play, though he was two for two from deep (two for three overall) and finished the game at a +4 in box plus-minus. Not too shabby for a guy that few expect to earn any meaningful minutes this season.

His decision making and confidence seem to be improving in every matchup. Williams still has all the physical tools to be a plus defender, and he has been making strides in his limited minutes. It is becoming less outlandish to wonder whether or not there may be an end-of-bench role for him this season afterall, despite many projecting him to be a deep stash that will see spot minutes in the event of injury. 

While Williams’ Utah Jazz game film often leaves much to be desired, the opportunity to develop good habits in a positive winning environment could be what he needs to right the ship. I’ll stop short of calling him the next Nickeil Alexander-Walker, though there is a reason that Tim Connelly kept Williams over John Konchar in the salary-dump trade of Josh Green.

Expect his preseason minutes to grow in these last few games, and don’t be surprised if we see more of him in the regular season than initially anticipated.

Our blogging buddies are the Detroit Bad Boys. Play nice.

The Cleveland Cavaliers wrap up their exhibition slate with a rematch against the Orlando Magic. The Cavs won the first meeting on Thursday 119-105.

Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!

The 0-3 Knicks visit the 1-1 Toronto Raptors tonight at Scotiabank Arena for the fourth of five preseason contests. Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart are all supposed to sit for rest after playing in last night’s loss to the T’Wolves. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard is penciled in for his first preseason appearance with the Dinos since their 2019 title run.

Tip off is 7:00 p.m. EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is RaptorsHQ. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Extend kindness to your fellow humans. And go Knicks!

The Golden State Warriors will play their fifth game of the preseason with Tuesday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM PT in Las Vegas and can be watched on NBA TV.

Previously with the Warriors:

The Warriors improved to 2-2 this preseason with a 111-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night. Stephen Curry remained on a 14-minute restriction but made the most of his limited playing time, finishing with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field, including two three-pointers. The rest of Golden State’s starting lineup played more than 20 minutes, highlighted by another impressive performance from rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The 11th overall pick continued to show that his success at the collegiate level can translate to the NBA, stuffing the stat sheet with 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal. Lendeborg’s combination of size, activity, and versatility has been on full display throughout the preseason, particularly on the glass, where he once again led the Warriors in rebounding.

What to watch for tonight:

As the Warriors prepare for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Lakers, their starting lineup is beginning to take shape. After opening the preseason with a more traditional lineup featuring Al Horford at center, Golden State has since utilized a “small” unit featuring Draymond Green at the five, Lendeborg and Gui Santos in the frontcourt, and Curry and Brandin Podziemski in the backcourt.

In years past, moving Green to center typically meant sacrificing size in favor of additional shooting, playmaking and versatility. However, this latest iteration of the Warriors’ small-ball lineup offers a different dynamic. With Lendeborg and Santos alongside Green, Golden State can be aggressive on the glass without sacrificing the positional size and offensive versatility that have long defined its success around Curry. With the regular season approaching, Tuesday’s matchup should provide another opportunity for this group to build chemistry and establish itself as a potential starting unit.

Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!! 

Projected Starters

Warriors: Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, Draymond Green,

Lakers: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia, Walker Kessler

How to watch Preseason Game 5

Who: Golden State Warriors (2 – 2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (2 – 1)

When: Tuesday, October 13th, at 7:00 p.m. PT

Where: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas, Nevada

TV and Streaming: NBA TV

Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingismissed the start of training camp with an undisclosed health issue that has kept him away from the team, but now he's back.

Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Porzingis is expected to return to the Warriors' facilities Tuesday to meet with Rick Celebrini, their director of sports medicine and performance.

There's no indication of when exactly the 31-year-old will return.

"No update beyond that," Kerr said. "He'll be in the building ... meeting with Rick and the performance team."

A key piece of the revamped Boston Celtics secured his short-term future with the franchise.

Guard Payton Pritchard, the 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year, has agreed to a two-year, $44.2 million contract extension with the Celtics, with the 2029-30 season being a mutual option, according to ESPN.

Messages left for Pritchard’s representatives were not immediately returned, but Pritchard did share a message on Instagram on Tuesday, Oct. 13, following the report.

As star forward Jayson Tatum missed much of last season, Pritchard took on more responsibility, becoming one of Boston’s primary shot makers; Pritchard averaged career highs in scoring (17.0 points per game), rebounding (3.9) and assists (5.2).

View this post on Instagram

Tatum was one of the first to comment on Pritchard's Instagram post, writing simply: "Bag💰💰💰"

Pritchard started 50 of his 79 games last season, but appears likely to resume his role as Boston’s sixth man. In the team’s preseason game against the 76ers Saturday, Oct. 10, which was something of a dress rehearsal for the Celtics, Pritchard came off the bench, before eventually leading the team with 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

The Celtics are embarking on a new era after trading away former star Jaylen Brown to the 76ers. Boston will be incorporating Paul George, who scored 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting against his former team, into the lineup.

Either way, Pritchard figures to remain a central scorer and one who often closes games on the floor because of his shooting and scoring.

LAS VEGAS — The Lakers and Warriors are seeing a lot of each other throughout October. 

One week after playing a preseason exhibition in San Francisco, which the Warriors dominated as the Lakers sat most of their rotation players, the two are matching up again Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. 

It’s the second of four games between the Lakers and Warriors during the month.

They play their regular-season openers against each other on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles, and then open NBA Cup Group Play on Oct. 30 at Chase Center. 

What are the key storylines The California Post will be monitoring tonight?

Kessler’s debut

Walker Kessler has yet to make his preseason debut because of a left pinky finger injury. 

The Lakers marquee free agency acquisition’s status remains up in the air after both teams had their shootarounds Tuesday morning at T-Mobile Arena. 

Kessler returned to live drills in practice on Sunday, and has made it clear he wants to be on the floor.

Whether he will be remains to be seen. 

But what is clear is that the Lakers miss his presence inside of the paint as a rim protector, rebounder and roll man in the pick and rolls with star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Curry’s minutes

Warriors star guard Steph Curry will get extended playing time against the Lakers after being on the floor for 13-14 first-half minutes in the three previous exhibitions he played in.

Coach Steve Kerr said Curry will play in the second half against the Lakers, likely playing between 20-22 minutes. 

The team has been careful with Curry’s preseason workload after he missed 39 regular season games last season because of runner’s knee. 

How his body responds to the uptick in playing time will be important with a week left until the start of the regular season. 

Turnovers

The Lakers and Warriors have both struggled with taking care of the ball during the preseason, posting turnover percentages of at least 20% in their exhibitions entering Tuesday. 

And both are looking to clean up their offensive process before the games start to matter in the standings next week. 

Which team will make better progress in this area Tuesday night?

With Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely, Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed his potential starting lineup for opening night of the regular season.

Kerr said he’s “leaning toward” starting Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg and Gui Santos.  

Al Horford, who turned 40 in June, could be a potential starter, but Kerr said he’s leaning against that option. 

“Al could be in there, but just given where he is minutes-wise per game, if the guy is going to play 20 [minutes], which is probably the limit or where we’d like him to average, it’s just a lot easier to bring him off the bench,” Kerr told reporters Monday. 

“I also like the idea of having Draymond or Al on the court as often as possible to anchor our defense, so, yeah, I’m leaning that way.”

Porzingis has missed the Warriors’ entire preseason due to an undisclosed private health issue. Kerr said Porzingis will meet with Rick Celebrini, the Warriors’ director of sports medicine and performance, on Tuesday to figure out next steps.

It remains unclear when Porzingis will return.

“All of that will be determined once we get him back here and have discussions and figure out where he is and all that stuff,” Kerr said. 

Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are expected to remain sidelined with injuries for the first few months of the season.

So, when it comes to the Warriors’ starting lineup, Santos could get a big opportunity. The 24-year-old forward started in 30 games for the Warriors last season and averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocked shots per game.

Santos, whom Golden State selected with the 55th pick in the 2022 draft, has been a success story for the franchise. The Warriors signed him to a three-year, $15 million extension in February.

The Warriors open the regular season against the Lakers on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena.

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The Sixers will play their final preseason game this Friday against the Boston Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

After that, they count.

We’re exactly one week away from the season opener where LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the Sixers will be at Madison Square Garden for the ring ceremony and banner raising of the defending champion New York Knicks. Next will be the home opener a couple nights later against James Harden and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If Nick Nurse is true to his word, expect to see the Sixers’ full starting lineup again Friday in what will amount to a dress rehearsal. All of James, Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe should suit up and likely play into the second half. Nurse sounded hopeful Tuesday at practice that Anfernee Simons (hamstring) and Adem Bona (foot) could be available for a tune up on Friday. Both players are set to take on significant roles.

What’s on your mind a week from the real thing? Hit me up in the comments and I’ll do my best to respond to as many of you as possible.

During his Summer League debut in 2025, while playing for the Golden State Warriors, Chris Mañon recorded eight points, three rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist in 19 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers. Although Mañon spent the entirety of his 2025 Summer League stint with the Warriors, his play in that opening game caught the eye of the Lakers organization, which ultimately signed him to a two-way contract for 2025-26 and did so again this summer for 2026-27.

Mañon has appeared in all three of Los Angeles’ preseason games thus far, headlined by a 12-point, five-rebound, one-block, one-steal performance against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 5.

“I really like Chris. We had him in for a draft workout. I think we maybe had him in for two draft workouts,” Redick told reporters. “Then he was with Golden State during the California Classic and really popped against us. So we started working that pretty much immediately with his agent because he wasn’t on a two-way. So, we’re invested in him and we’re invested in his development, in his career. I thought he played really well against Sacramento. I don’t think any of our guards played well against Golden State.”

Mañon only played in nine games with the Lakers last season but logged 46 G League appearances for the South Bay Lakers, where he averaged 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals. His defensive playmaking, perhaps the standout trait of his game, has seemingly translated across every context. He posted a 5.6% steal rate in four years collegiately, posted a 3.8% steal rate in the G League last season, picked up five steals in 46 NBA minutes a year ago, and has four steals in 40 preseason minutes this season.

Redick has emphasized defensive disruption during training camp and preseason play, an area Mañon could clearly help boost with his knack for occupying the passing lanes. He’s also been a highly effective interior scorer, shooting 60.5% on 2-pointers for his collegiate career and 59.6% (155-of-260) in the G League. It’s doubtful the 24-year-old factors into Los Angeles’ rotation this year but he owns a collection of skills the Lakers are intrigued by, so his development will be worth monitoring wherever he receives the majority of his playing time in 2026-27.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

Preseason updates on Sixers' injuries and rotation plans  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers still have a few lingering injury questions as the days tick down toward their regular-season opener next Tuesday against the Knicks.

Adem Bona (left foot sprain) and Anfernee Simons (hamstring) were partial participants in practice for the second straight day, a team official said Tuesday. Dominick Barlow (back) did not practice. 

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Simons and Bona both “did a good majority of stuff in the half court.” Will they play Friday in the Sixers’ preseason finale vs. the Celtics? 

“I hope so,” Nurse said. “I don’t know where that hope line is, but there’s certainly some hope.” 

Barlow does not sound as if he’s on the verge of a return. 

“There is no timeline,” Nurse said. “He just has some soreness that he’s dealing with. Giving him some real decent time off to see if that will kind of progress it quickly. There’s no timeline. Just hoping it gets a little better, he feels a little better and he can get back out there fairly shortly.”

On top of Ariel Hukporti’s right Achilles tendon tear, Bona and Barlow’s absences have contributed to the Sixers’ shorthanded state at center. 

Whenever he gets the green light to play, Bona would be the logical next name in line after Joel Embiid. The Sixers used Jabari Walker and Dean Wade at the five Saturday in their blowout preseason loss to the Celtics. Walker has boosted his stock in the preseason, averaging 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game and shooting 5 for 13 from three-point range (38.5 percent). 

“They’ve both played pretty (well). I think Jabari’s played outstanding, actually,” Nurse said. “And Dean, we’ve seen that he’s a really good player, kind of a multi-faceted guy. … He can pop, he can guard multiple positions, he rebounds really well for his position. 

“So I think those guys have done a nice job and that’s where we’ll start if we have to, as far as backup five. But it looks like they both are capable. I guess we’ll see. It’ll matter with matchups, who we’re playing and all that kind of stuff, too. … I’m pretty happy with the jump Jabari has taken, just confidence-wise. And I’m really happy with the player that Dean is.”

Meanwhile, Simons has yet to make his Sixers preseason debut. 

For what it’s worth, Labaron Philon Jr. gave a rave review of the 27-year-old guard’s practice performance. 

“He looked great,” Philon said. “Coming off screens, shooting the ball, getting into the lane, pull-ups. He’s a very confident, high-level shotmaker. … Seeing a guy come back and be ready like that, it’s crazy. I would say he made a lot of threes today and he was coming off of real quick actions.” 

Philon had his most productive game of the preseason last time out, posting 14 points and seven assists.

The rookie has been learning the many new details of life in the NBA and feels “the game has really slowed down as I’ve gotten better and the preseason has gone on.” 

“There’s really more space on the court,” Philon said, “and you’ve got to be able to knock down shots. … Knowing where to be on the court, knowing how to space on offense, and knowing how to be at the right place at the right time on defense.”

Being around tons of talented players and stepping into a bench role hasn’t seemed to dent Philon’s self-belief.

“His confidence is through the roof,” VJ Edgecombe said. “Everybody knows he plays with such a swagger. We’ve seen it in college. I played against him in high school. He always had that swagger; he’s always been confident. I’m just happy to see him on the floor and he’s been playing really well.” 

Could Philon be part of the Sixers’ opening-night rotation? 

Nurse indicated that Simons’ health will be the largest factor in answering that particular question. 

“I think they’re different players,” Nurse said. “It’s not maybe direct competition, but I think the competition is, ‘Who’s the guard off the bench in the rotation?’ I’m going to probably lean more toward a nine-year veteran, as long as he’s healthy. And I think with the talent that he has … I envision those three — VJ, Tyrese (Maxey), Anfernee — sharing that spot as much as possible. 

“And then (Philon) gets a crack in probably pretty short stints at the start (of the season). That’s how I would see it. And if Anfenee’s out, then (Philon) is now in that rotation.”