LUANDA, ANGOLA - SEPTEMBER 13: Lebron James, Owner of Team AlUla looks on during the E1 Series Luanda GP on September 13, 2026 in Luanda, Angola. (Photo by Malcolm Griffiths/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While the message of President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick’s press conference on Thursday was one of excitement for the future, it started out with a brief acknowledgment of the past.
LeBron James’ departure this offseason ended his eight-year tenure with the Lakers, the longest single stretch with any franchise in his career. As much as both sides may have been ready to move on, they still accomplished a lot during their time together in Los Angeles.
“I thought it would be appropriate, just at the front, to express gratitude for the LeBron era here,” Pelinka said on Thursday. “Clearly new team, new players, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today, but we, just as an organization, are still grateful for the run that we had with him here. The Lakers have become, as they should, a perennial playoff team, won a championship, went to the Western Conference Finals, and it was a great era and we’re grateful for it.”
After a regular season which started rocky with LeBron on the sideline before he needed time to slot in as a third fiddle behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, the dynamic seemed to change a bit in the playoffs when LeBron showed his value once again.
There were also questions about who actually decided to end the partnership. When asked about that at his presser, Pelinka dodged the question while still praising LeBron.
“Again, we’re grateful for the LeBron era and I think the communications with him this offseason were held diplomatically and professionally and honestly,” Pelinka said. “I’m just so thankful for the partnership we had that continued up until this summer when a decision was made for him to play for another team. It was done amicably, professionally, gracefully.
And again, we looked at the whole thing with gratitude because it’s been an incredible era for us here.”
As for LeBron’s take, he spoke about his time with the Lakers on the latest episode of his Mind the Game podcast.
“A lot of people said when I came to the Lakers, like I was just coming to be in Hollywood and be in movies and shit like that. But I’ve always loved a huge challenge and to come to a historical franchise that has some of the greatest basketball players that we’ve ever seen in the history of sports, to be a part of that, one, was a super duper big thing…The expectations around here in Los Angeles when it comes to the Lakers is like, ‘Let’s win championships.‘ And I heard that and I understood that. For us to be able to win one, that was something that I’ll never forget. With that group, with that team, for this city.”
It’s not common for things to end amicably when LeBron leaves a franchise. All things considered, this is about as good as things could have gone.
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 26: Dereck Lively II #2 of the Dallas Mavericks is defended by Jakob Poeltl #19 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half at American Airlines Center on October 26, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dereck Lively II is tired of all the internet chatter surrounding the level of progress — or lack thereof — in his recovery from the foot injury he suffered just seven games into last season.
All you meanies on the internet. All you do is speculate and exaggerate and take things out of context and blow things out of proportion. How dare you, honestly. The nerve. The nerve and the gall.
Lively had season-ending surgery on Dec. 21, as you may remember.
Since then, there was a second procedure, then a startlingly long period of silence about the big man’s recovery, followed by some reports of slower-than-normal progress as the 2026-27 offseason ramped up. In June, the news of note was that, at that point, a full seven months removed from surgery, he hadn’t progressed to running in his rehab. Earlier this week, now more than nine months removed from surgery, it was an ESPN report that Lively had yet to be cleared for training camp, which started Saturday, raising fans’ antennae.
“I’m sick of seeing things on the internet thinking, like, I can’t run, I can’t jump, which I can,” Lively said on the Locked on Mavs podcast on Friday after the team held its media day. “I’m thankful for the Mavs just letting me take my time.”
Oh, you’re tired of it? Two suggestions for the basketball-man-slash-content creator.
Log off, sir. Being terminally online is not a requirement for a career in the game of basketball. Tim MacMahon reported that ESPN bit. Christian Clark reported the June bit. Those are not internet rumors that sprung up out of nowhere. Those are reports from dudes with sources whose job it is to write down what they learn. If they were wrong on a consistent basis they’d be let go. What they’ve reported has been backed up by the lack of progression you’ve showed in your recovery. If the news or the chatter surrounding the news hurts your feelings, you have the option to get rid of X, The Everything App. But that’s not an option for today’s NBA athlete, much less one who was welcomed to life as “a YouTuber now, just like us,” by Locked On host Nick Angstadt at the beginning of the interview.
Don’t protest so much (thou doth), especially when you are not playing basketball 10 months after surgery for an injury that was initially disclosed as “soreness.” And especially, especially when those protests will be betrayed by a clip from practice the very next day. Nabbed by the very same outlet you just used to push your narrative that everything’s fine in your recovery and people should just mind their business.
The Locked On guys charitably used the words “light jogging” to describe the broken-down hobble they recorded from the opposite sideline of the practice court. He runs in that clip with the unmistakable gait of the fat kid on your kid’s tee-ball team.
Lively does not appear ready for anything remotely close to basketball activity at this point. And, to be fair, he hasn’t used the word “close” to describe where he’s at. But get a load of that continued quote.
“I’m thankful for the Mavs, that just let me take my time and be slow. Making sure that I’m doing everything I need to do to make sure my body will never have to worry about anything ever again,” Lively said.
That came out of the mouth of a man who played seven games in the third year of his NBA career. That came out of the mouth of a man whose highest games-played total came in his rookie season (55) and has fallen sharply in each of his three years in a Mavericks uniform. Never have to worry about anything ever again? Buddy, when you are done rehabbing this foot, you will immediately be enveloped by team trainers in rolls upon rolls of heavy-duty bubble wrap.
There is no “never worry about anything” with players like Lively.
He’s an amazing athlete. He had a ton of potential coming into the NBA, and we’ll see how much of that he’s retained at some point in the very open-ended future. But he’s also gaslighting you.
Lively can’t run, and you’re in the wrong for noticing.
That’s not to imply he has been sitting around doing nothing through his first two seasons with the Nets. But with them overtly tanking, it’s been far more teaching than coaching. That should change, starting with this training camp.
Make no mistake, the Nets are still a young, rebuilding team that’s going to be closer to the cellar than a championship, tabbed to be the third-worst in the league by oddsmakers.
But even if they aren’t likely to be a winning team, at least they’re going to try to be one. That should bring a different feeling into the preseason, and ultimately the regular season.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez speaks with the media during post season interviews at HSS Training Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Monday, April 13, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Michael Porter Jr. has proclaimed they can win 50 games, and newcomer Julius Randle vowed that they would “shock the world. … Whatever your expectations are, whatever expectations are put upon us, we’re going to exceed them.”
Fernández has told Randle — and presumably his team — as much.
“Just talking to [Fernández and GM Sean Marks], they’re really excited to have me here,” Randle said over the summer. “Jordi is really excited. He feels like we’ve got a chance to win every single game.”
Just ingraining that as an expectation will be one of the key tasks this training camp and preseason. There is a fine line between playing hard — which the Nets largely did last season — and expecting to win.
In essence, mentally putting the tank behind them.
Michael Porter Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets looks on against the Miami Heat during the first quarter of a game at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on March 3, 2026. Getty Images
Of course, winning in the short term is going to have to be driven by Porter and Randle. Coming off a 20-62 campaign, they’re projected to win just 19.5 to 24.5 this season, even challenging for the Play-In is unlikely. If either Porter or Randle get dealt, unlikely becomes all but impossible.
But that’s a tomorrow problem, not a today one.
And a worry for Marks, not Fernández. His concern is coaching the players he has, for as long as he has them.
That means using training camp and the preseason to craft a competent offense, because Brooklyn didn’t have one last season. They were dead last in the league in offensive rating, effective field goal percentage, true shooting and 3-point percentage.
Julius Randle meets with the media after visiting The Brooklyn Basketball Training Center for their Back to School Clinic on Saturday, September 12, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY. J.C. Rice for NY Post
But Fernández has proven adept at wringing career years out of Cam Johnson two years ago and Porter last season. Now having Randle to pair with Porter should help the Nets, giving them an on-ball scorer and floor raiser they’ve desperately needed.
Though Randle tends to pound the ball — his 4.02 seconds per touch last season would’ve trailed only point guards Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf — his game can accentuate Porter’s. The latter was miscast as an on-ball threat, and is best suited cutting and shooting off the catch. That’s why the pairing should work.
Just 9 percent of Porter’s 3-point attempts were wide open according to the league website, the lowest among 307 players who took at least 100 attempts. But Randle was fourth — behind only Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic — in assists on 3-pointers over the past seven seasons.
Randle has proven in the past he can be a bridge player — one to help a team transition from cellar dweller to competent — and a floor raiser.
Now as the Nets come into training camp, it will be up to Fernández to find ways to make Randle just that, to maximize his two proven talents.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: The sneakers worn by Oumar Ballo #85 of the Miami Heat during the game against the Detroit Pistons during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 17, 2025 at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka speaks to the media during a press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center in Los Angeles, Sept. 24, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I think Luka has been amazing. I said today, I feel like we’re co-creators with him. That’s kind of because he’s a very creative basketball mind. Ultimately, I have the final responsibility to make calls on the roster. And Luka is very clear, like, ‘I want you to do your job. I don’t want to be the GM. I don’t want to be the head coach. JJ [Redick], you’re the coach. Rob, you’re the GM and president. Do your jobs,'” Pelinka said, quoting Dončić.
“‘But we can co-create. Let’s share ideas. Let’s break down pros and cons and look at all aspects of a potential decision point before we make it,'” Pelinka continued, quoting what Dončić told him.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic reacts on the court during the second quarter of a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Much of the basketball community has criticized that the Lakers haven’t done enough to improve their roster this offseason.
Los Angeles will prove whether that’s true once the season begins on Oct. 21.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers drives down court as Ziaire Williams of the Brooklyn Nets gives chase during the second half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 01: General view of the Barclay Center during the Miami Heat vs Brooklyn Nets game at Barclays Center on November 1, 2013 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another summer has come and gone with another Nets season about to begin under the harvest moon. Media Day is on Monday and Training Camp begins on Tuesday. The Nets ought to hope the seeds planted in the dark over this long rebuild are finally ready to bear fruit in the light.
We’re calling it a new era in Nets basketball after an offseason filled with noise — both good and bad. We’ve said that plenty of times before, but this one is different and here’s why…
The Knicks won the NBA Finals and in less than a month will raise a banner or two (they won the Emirates Cup as well.). It broke a cycle for Nets fans that might’ve been necessary in order for the organization to move on. Maybe not. I’ll get to that shortly.
Brooklyn’s offseason began inauspiously with the NBA lottery. You may not want to remember it, but afterwards, Joe Tsai’s son was seen hugging his dad, consoling him. But then they used the sixth pick to take Mikel Brown Jr. already a fan favorite after the Summer League. Days earlier, they traded Nicolas Claxton and the No. 33 pick for three-time All-Star Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick which became Joshua Jefferson.
Brooklyn added other system fits with marginal moves by signing Moritz Wagner and Keon Ellis, choosing a trio of young players, including the No. 43 pick, Tyler Bilodeau, for two-way slots. They enter training camp in a (so-far) peaceful stalemate with Michael Porter Jr. Then again, Egor Demin looked great at Summer League adding both muscle and confidence.
Off the court, the team is embracing its history more than ever. In 2020, we asked for these things and they’re doing them and more. We still don’t know what the next iteration of the Brooklyn Brigade will look like, however.
So where do we stand less than a month before Opening Night at Barclays Center and two days before Media Day? I’ve been getting questions regarding how I feel about the Knicks winning a Championship, among other things. It isn’t an easy question to answer because the timing was tinged by the personal as well as feelings far beyond the baselines.
My first Nets game was when I was five. My father bought season tickets in 2001 when Jason Kidd was traded to the team from the Suns. I watched the team my entire life, and the good people with the Nets gave me a credential to cover the team after one season with NetsDaily — I was 18. (We’ve had three younger fans cover the team since.)
I’m no seer, but I see the way the community talks to one another and engages and can get a sense of things. Experience does that to you. Some fans are more vocal than others, more opinionated, and sometimes more nasty. There’s purity taken out of being a Nets fan when you’re being told how you should be a fan, especially when it encourages losing. It’s annoying.
Then, it always feels like there’s a disconnect, an up-and-down wave moving fans from highs to lows, more shock than awe. The Nets ended the 2018-19 season as a surprise sixth seed, which led to the Clean Sweep, then the so-called Big 3 and then … oh never mind. We’re still dealing with that pain.
Now, after the tank, it’s a new era, but uncertain nonetheless. You have to hope this next chapter leaves Nets fans more optimistic and encouraging when there’s discourse. Still…
Rock Bottom, Real Life, and Reevaluating the Rivalry
There’s a reason I say this. For those of you who have followed me, agreed, disagreed, liked or disliked — I am opening up about this past year as a basketball fan rooted in fandom from New Jersey. But firstly I’m opening up as a human being here for the same reason as the rest of you all.
Personally, this past season was tough. I was working at a major social media company and NetsDaily when I started feeling pain that was debilitating and worse: it went undiagnosed for 3+ months. On January 9, 2026, I ended up in the hospital for four days with a projected three-month recovery period. When I returned, the job had disappeared. I watched the Nets, but they were well out of it at that point, so there was no relief there. They weren’t fun to watch and they weren’t good. And neither was I.
Truthfully, after the Winter Olympics wrapped up and my recovery dragged on, I just wanted to watch something good on TV.
The Nets weren’t that. The Flatbush 5 didn’t look great outside Egor Demin, and Michael Porter Jr. wasn’t much of a sell either. There was the issue of his baggage, which I felt compelled to write about. Of course, I watched! Just like 12-70 and every other Nets season. But this past year was just so blah. There was little about the present, all about the future. Again, toxic fan discourse mixed with losing and slow rebuilding just felt so unbecoming.
So did a Knicks playoffs run… at first.
I watched the Knicks prance through the playoffs, and at first it felt like salt in the wound! But no, it was not just salty. That’s a different feeling. It was downright grueling. I wasn’t alive for the ABA days, so there wasn’t much of a reference point but my pride as a Nets fan with all that up-and-down emotion was assaulted by what was happening at MSG.
The Nets and its fans have gotten totally hosed by the Knicks since the beginning. The reason the Nets lost Dr. J was because the Knicks gave them an expensive ultimatum once the NBA-ABA merger took place. Pay the Knicks a fee beyond what the other ABA teams had to pay or no NBA Since that very day, the teams have been competing for a championship even if the rivalry was absolutely dead in the water for decades! The Knicks won it because they built it the right way. No need to be jealous, just envious.
They did it the exact way the Nets would love to do it.
Something happened around playoff time. I was in a bar in North Carolina when I realized that nobody else in the bar was rooting for the Knicks. Mostly the opposite. So, for that night, I was a proud New York fan. I stopped allowing the division of the Nets-Knicks, Giants-Jets, Rangers-Islanders, and Mets-Yankees geographic rivalries. I dropped the nickname and colors of the teams. I just wanted New York sports fans to feel good about something.
When they won and I saw the video below, I knew the city I grew up in had finally gotten the trophy it deserved. I wouldn’t — couldn’t — claim it as my own. In fact, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see it — but I’m a proud New Yorker who grew up there playing ball in those streets, worked my first job there, etc. I’ve seen so many people online debate “What makes a New Yorker a New Yorker?” The answer is someone who doesn’t need to f—ing tell you they’re from New York. It’s obvious!
Even with that being said, it wasn’t about the city or state pride. I was just happy that humanity had something positive that we were all focusing on. A rare flash of collective monoculture we’d seemingly lost sight of in recent years.
Private Equity, Surveillance, and the Cost of Modern Fandom
There was a harsh reality in America that I couldn’t ignore either watching the Knicks parade and later this offseason. Like so many others, I was fighting for health insurance particularly after the Big Beautiful Bill kicked in. I was fighting unemployment and paying hospital bills. Basketball rivalries became quite secondary.
While I watched the Knicks win the championship, I couldn’t stop thinking about how hard it had become to afford basic necessities. My personal issues seemed in sync with those of New York Knick fans! I couldn’t believe diehard Knicks fans couldn’t afford playoff tickets — not just “low income” folks, but those middle-class diehards who have carried that franchise through FIVE inglorious decades of losing.
The media focused on Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Swift in the celebrity row seats, but those star-studded courtsides weren’t the cause of the price hikes, they were the billboard for MSG’s executive strategy. Dynamic pricing models, corporate seating allocations, and secondary broker markups transformed iconic arenas into luxury networking lounges, pricing out the very working-class culture that gave New York basketball its soul and its history. My father got a ticket for both Game 6 of the 1986 Mets World Series and Game 7 of the 1994 Rangers by chance. Back then, you could do that. These days, you’d get jumped for a free ticket.
Maybe those stories made me cynical. Times are different. Apples and oranges, you could argue, but it’s still insulting and it should be!
Seeing viral clips of celebrity fans like Chalamet lightheartedly joking that Nets fans belong on a “government watch list“ just highlighted how surreal and alienating the discourse had become. If the Knicks are so superior, why stoop so low to say such a thing? Chalamet of course wasn’t alone. And while he might have engaged in good-natured ribbing, there was a lot of others who were just plain mean.
Meanwhile, reports surfaced showing MSG using facial recognition surveillance to target and turn away attorneys for those in litigation with Dolan, critics, and unwanted spectators. This summer, more telling news of the franchise’s arrogance: the Knicks initially planned to charge $2,000 for the worst seats in the house on the night the team will finally raise its long-sought banner. Later they claimed it was a glitch. No one believed that.
And in the afterglow of Jalen Brunson and O.G. Anunoby’s great games, there was Dolan on TV saying he would not go over the second apron, not pay the money needed to key players while MSG Sports revenue jumped 37% and Dolan announced plans to spin off the Knicks and in all likelihood sell a big piece based on a valuation of a little less than $12 billion.
There are certain types of people who are hurting the game right now — and it’s happening across the entire league.
Look at Los Angeles. Mark Walter bought controlling interest in the Lakers at a $10 billion valuation, stripped away sentimentality, let LeBron walk, and then, under criminal investigation for fraud, flipped the franchise to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner for $12.5 billion. The Buss family is in court, fighting over who gets what for their remaining stake.
Down the road, Steve Ballmer’s Clippers got hit with a $30 million fine, lost five first-round picks, and Ballmer was suspended for a year over an off-the-books salary cap circumvention scandal with Kawhi Leonard (who because of a strong union and star power escaped virtually unscathed and wound up with a two-year, $115 million contract in Toronto.)
It’s hardly about basketball or civic pride anymore. It’s private equity, flip-and-profit portfolio management, and billionaires treating league rules like optional suggestions while everyday fans pay the bill financially and maybe more importantly, psychically.
Sure there have been controversies about Tsai, but as one insider said, they’re boring compared to what’s happening elsewhere, particularly in L.A. And you won’t find facial recognition equipment at Barclays Center.
Embracing Brooklyn’s Blank Slate
As noted, on a personal level, this macro shift hits against the backdrop of a brutal, humbling year. After facing sudden health scares, hospitalizations, and job loss while battling the harsh realities of the “system” , the escape of basketball took on a different meaning. While Nets fans have endured a long, cynical and cyclical rebuild — complete with toxic online discourse — watching the Knicks win a championship and see two million New Yorkers flood the streets triggered a moment of clarity.
Even as corporate interests, surveillance, and record-high ticket prices squeeze the working-class fan out of the arena, the core reason people love basketball remains human, and rooted in local pride.
That brings me back to the Nets. The Big 3 is over, the race to a championship and fighting with Knicks fans over it — it’s all done. Over. Finished. There is no race, nor does it seem there ever was one.
The Knicks winning the championship didn’t make Nets fans more bitter. It just made the rivalry feel less important.
But maybe the hostility amongst Nets fans can finally end. Maybe fans can come into Barclays Center, the new “ecosystem” for the Nets and Liberty, as basketball fans with an open mind. When the Nets are good and/or have a star who has a base, you can guarantee they’ll be back and they’ll be loud. For now, new fans and young fans are the target of the marketing guys.
It’s no diss to the Knicks or by any means, expensive tickets aren’t just inevitable, they’re permanent. Live events are luxury events. Jokes from TV commentators, social media, WFAN radio — wherever — can call them irrelevant and they are absolutely correct, at the moment. But there’s an uncomfortable fact for all of them: The Nets don’t really care. Sure, Joe Tsai famously and frankly said the Knicks win was “embarrassing” but in the same conversation with NetsDaily, he also said this:
“It doesn’t make us feel very good. It irritates our fan base and it is embarrassing but in business or in competition, in sports, or in anything, you shouldn’t let the embarrassment factor affect how you perform…[We] had a plan and we’re rebuilding and I think right now we are on a positive trajectory. So it doesn’t change my thinking at all.”
Those people who say the Nets should relocate — “go back to Jersey” — are also undermining the value of their own market, the New York market. Yes, even when their team is oversaturating the media ahead of ring night and 34 national television games — that’s exactly when a team like the Nets will sell. They are no longer running from it, they are embracing it. Whenever the Nets get there, it’ll be special. And hopefully it won’t be hijacked by billionaires or politicians.
The Knicks run gave me an appreciation for what matters most about the game — not the cap, corporate posturing, or arguing online over what constitutes a “real” fan, but the pure, simple ability to watch a young team grow from scratch. The past doesn’t matter because rock bottom already happened back in 2022 and 2023. They did that and they deserved their W. Maybe Brooklyn is next in a day that’s not so far away.
Nothing to Lose: Looking Ahead to the Games
This hasn’t been a perfect offseason. How could it be after the team next door just won the ultimate prize? The reality is harsh and the Nets are projected to win 24.5 games by the books in Las Vegas and 18 by ESPN. Rebuilding is never easy nor is it guaranteed to work.
At this point, it’s nice to see the Nets doing the things that matter to fans. They’re dedicating six nights to history, including a Swamp Dragons Night. I went to a Liberty game this summer (my first!) and I noticed the banners are almost all red, white, blue. The organization is embracing the ABA days with an alternative logo and a night dedicated to it. They’re also reportedly bringing back a fan-favorite: the coogi-trim uniforms.
There is some humility in the summer and in the offseason. There were lessons learned as a Nets fan, whether you cared about the Knicks winning or not. Whether you were pro-tank or anti-tank. We all want to feel that joy. As New Yorkers, as basketball fans, and more specifically fans within the Nets community. It won’t be an easy season but a positive perspective can change so much.
If they can build something fun this year behind a group of young players, specifically Brown Jr. and Demin, then fans will feel good again. The line, “Been down so long, it looks up to me” is literally the Nets fan getting up and watching the team this year.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Dillon Brooks attends Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every day, we’ll take a closer look at another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns, examining what they bring to the roster and what their role could mean for the season ahead as we count down to training camp and the preseason.
Dillon Brooks
Guard-Forward, 6’7”, 225lb, 30 years old, 9-year veteran
The Phoenix Suns struck gold last season when they acquired Dillon Brooks in the Kevin Durant trade. He was and still is the tone setter and culture driver for the entire organization. Not only was he the culture driver, but he was unquestionably the Suns’ second-best player and had a career year.
Brooks earned a contract extension this offseason because of his value on and off the floor, and many people took notice of what he did last year. He was recognized as the 76th best player in the NBA according to ESPN’s Top 100 Player Rankings ahead of this upcoming season.
But that was last season, and while Brooks played his best basketball then, his game still has flaws. He is a shoot-first, shoot-second, and probably shoot-third player, with a very low assist rate. With the addition of Miles Bridges this offseason, and Jalen Green’s strong scoring finish last season, the roles behind Devin Booker are up for grabs. How well will Brooks mesh with the other starters, and can he keep pace with the close-to-All-Star version of himself he was last season?
Last Season
GP
MIN
PPG
RPG
APG
STL
FG%
3PT%
FT%
OFFRTG
DEFRTG
+/- (TOTAL)
56
30.4
20.2
3.6
1.8
1.0
43.5%
34.4%
84.2%
113.7
114.8
-49
In the 2025-26 season, Brooks took a major step forward in production and usage from his time in Houston. His 20.2 points on 17.1 field goal attempts per game were both career highs. His best season before was in the 2021-22 season with the Memphis Grizzlies when he averaged 18.4 points on 16.4 field goal attempts, but that was in just 32 games played. Last season, Brooks shot 34.4% from three but a career-high 49.2% from inside the arc.
While Brooks was not the most efficient scorer last season, part of it was that he was asked to do more than ever before in his career. He was relied on to be an isolation scorer and was often the one taking the desperation shots at the end of the shot clock. One area the Suns used Brooks was posting up; according to NBA tracking data, Brooks shot 53.2% in post-up situations. Despite his high-usage season, Brooks averaged only 1.8 assists, and his tunnel vision contributed to the Suns’ second-half drop-off at the end of the regular season.
The other reason for the Suns’ struggles in the second half of the season was simply the absence of Brooks from the lineup. He missed 26 games last season, with the majority of those games missed coming after the All-Star break with a broken hand. It was his first time playing below 70 games since his 2021-22 campaign with the Grizzlies.
As valuable as Brooks scoring contributions were to the Suns last season, his most important contribution to the team was changing the culture. Jordan Ott, Jordan Goodwin, Devin Booker, and others deserve credit for that as well, but it was Brooks’ competitive fire and unabashed confidence that caused his teammates and Suns fans to quickly fall in love with him.
The ‘Villain” certainly left his mark in just one season with the Suns so far. His beefs with LeBron James and other star players create an extra layer of intrigue for many matchups. And while we might want to see Brooks avoid getting suspended this year for getting too many technical fouls, it is a trade-off worth making to get all the positive intangibles Brooks provides to the locker room and the organization.
Contract and Roster Context
Over the offseason, Brooks signed a three-year extension worth $73 million, a little over $24 million a year annually. He will be a Phoenix Sun until the summer of 2030 unless something goes horribly wrong, or the Suns go big game hunting. The good news for Phoenix is that they got Brooks, who is still in his prime at a bargain for someone who averaged 20.2 points on a team that made the playoffs. Even in the final years of his contract, he should still be a valuable player on a team-friendly contract.
Even though Brooks is on the wrong side of 30, his game should age gracefully because he is not reliant on his speed and quickness, and more on his strength and power.
What He Brings
Dillon Brooks brings a lot to the table, but what makes him special is his physicality. His scoring, defense, and leadership are all positive attributes; it is his physicality that makes him a high-level player. Brooks is a savvy veteran who can play physical defense on other teams’ best players without getting into foul trouble consistently. Offensively, he is a bulldozer, and when he gets his shoulders into an opposing player, he can create separation for his jump shot, draw fouls, or get to the rim.
His toughness and grit defensively led the Suns to being one of the top defenses in the league last year after it was one of the worst the previous season. It is no coincidence that Brooks has been a part of top-10 defenses no matter where he’s played: Memphis, Houston, and Phoenix have had top-10 defenses in the NBA, with Brooks being a main reason why. One of the main concerns coming into this season is that the Suns lost two of their most prolific shooters in Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, but the defense should be even better, and Brooks will still be the head of the snake for an even better defense this season.
Offensively, Brooks provides a scoring punch, especially in isolation. Brooks carried the Suns offensively last season when they needed him, especially in games where Devin Booker did not play. He is not a consistent enough scorer to be on the very best players in the NBA, but as we saw last season, there are some nights that Brooks has an unbelievable heater and cannot miss no matter how insane a heat check he takes. As mentioned above, his efficiency in post-ups was where Brooks can excel and should be featured as a scorer, especially when Booker is off the floor.
What Needs to Improve
I could make an argument here that Brooks needs to do less complaining to the officials, but I believe it is his edge that makes him and this Suns team good. So if that means he flirts with suspensions for technical fouls this year, it is just part of the experience worth the benefits of all the other things his edge provides.
What Brooks has to get better at this season is being deferential. Is Brooks going to go out and average 4-to-5 assists this season? Definitely not. But Brooks can dial back the aggressiveness on offense to help the flow by getting off the ball more and making extra passes on offense. He has proven he is capable of that during his other NBA stops, and he will be asked to do that again this season. Dialing back that aggressiveness will also help with his shot selection as well. Brooks shot over 36% on catch-and-shoot threes last season, and the season prior he shot over 39% from three for the Houston Rockets.
If Brooks takes better shots, he is going to have an efficient season and will make the offense more functional than it looks on paper going into this season.
Prediction
My prediction for the Villain this year is that he continues to be an annoying pest to opposing teams and makes the Suns a competitive team every night. As for his role on the team, I think he will take a step back as the Suns’ second-leading scorer and drop below Jalen Green and/or Miles Bridges. However, his value will remain the same because of all his winning intangibles. He will have a more efficient season than last year and be the veteran leader this team needs, especially in nurturing the Suns’ young and talented wings.
It is going to take some time for the starting lineup to gel together, if it ever happens at all. Brooks is going to have to sacrifice more this year than anyone on the team not named Collin Gillespie. I believe Brooks is smart enough to understand his place on the roster, especially now that he signed a long-term extension with the Suns. He will do whatever it takes to win, even if that means his stats take a hit.
For Brooks to have a successful season, it will be how he fits next to Jalen Green and Miles Bridges more than anything else. If those three players can figure out how to be a functional offensive group around Devin Booker, it raises the low ceiling that this team has. If Brooks hits the same numbers as he had last season, it might not be as impactful because it likely means Green or Bridges are not impacting games at a high level. If his counting stats decline but he is taking better shots and moving the ball quicker, it could be the best season of his career.
If Brooks can acclimate to this new group and help this Suns team get to the next level and win a playoff series or two, then he will be on the trajectory to be an All-time fan favorite in Phoenix because of his antics and bringing a winning culture back to a team that lacked it before he became a Valley native.
The Knicks spent a summer soaking in the adulation, appearing at more events and national TV shows than any team in NBA history. At least that’s the way it felt the past three months. They don’t have a Basketball Reference page to track these things.
Josh Hart and Jose Alvarado attend the 2026 US Open Tennis Championships in New York, Sunday, September 13, 2026. ZUMAPRESS.com
Back to basketball.
“Is it cliché if I say it’s 0-0 again?” Towns said. “That’s kind of the same thing we said every playoff game, and when we won and kept winning it was great. But this season is about us going out there and starting again at 0-0. Bringing that same hungry team, that team that’s hungry to prove everyone wrong. The underdogs.”
Towns was speaking Thursday on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” perhaps his last national TV appearance before training camp starts this week. Perhaps not? Brunson also had “Saturday Night Live” to host ahead of Monday’s Media Day at the training facility.
None of these appearances are detrimental to basketball. It’s better than partying and drinking for a summer. This collection of Knicks players, as multiple people around the organization have explained, are more mature and responsible than any previous roster incarnation. There was one shaky incident involving Clarkson in July, when he was escorted out of a club by police, and that was it.
New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson greets fans during the Roommates Show Block Party live podcast at Randalls Island in New York, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
But the amount of widespread attention and adulation does beg some questions: Can the Knicks avoid complacency? Can they maintain the edge that pushed them through a historic playoff run?
Brunson, whose profile is higher than any current New York athlete, understands the assignment.
“We’ve done something that everyone has wanted us to do for 53 years now. And now people are going around saying, You guys are the champs, you guys are the best thing ever. It’s been said to us all summer. God knows how long it’s going to continue,” the point guard told The Post last month. “When people say that, can we let that go through one ear and out the other? Can we just focus on what we can do this year? Because last year was last year.
Karl-Anthony Towns talked about life as an NBA champion with NBC late night host Seth Meyers in June. Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Image
“It’s OK for people to talk to us about it, and say, ‘Oh that was great.’ But we’re moving on. So it cannot be in our mindset. It cannot be our focal point if we want to get better. So I think that’s the question we need to ask. And if we can do that, we’re going to be in good shape to be able to be in a better mindset. If not, then we’re going to be behind the eight ball.”
It’s an overarching theme in training camp, when the progress is supposed to start but it’s hard to find motivation — especially for accomplished vets — because real games are still weeks away.
One of the self-motivating tactics clearly being implemented by the Knicks is focusing on the doubters. For instance, they are not the betting favorites to win the title (they are tied for third and below the Thunder and Spurs, according to FanDuel). They have zero players in ESPN’s recently released top-five ranking (Brunson is sixth). They are hearing a lot about the new threats of Philadelphia, Miami, Toronto.
There’s more to prove, in other words.
“I don’t think we have a big target because I don’t think anyone is picking us to win again,” Hart said on ESPN’s U.S. Open broadcast. “We’re using it as fuel, we’re still the hunters, we’re not satisfied with one.
There is common ground in the ongoing contract extension talks: Karl-Anthony Towns wants to stay in New York and even retire someday as a Knick; New York wants to keep the center who was a key part of its championship core.
"I want to talk about the overall value of the contract, because Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible to sign a four-year, $276 million extension. That's his max that he's eligible to get... He and his side have a position on what he wants to sign for. The Knicks have a position on what they have offered. So those are the parameters. From what I understand, they are tens of millions apart. They're not close."
Then ESPN's Tim MacMahon chimed in:
"I believe that they could be eight figures apart on an annual basis."
Towns is under contract this season for $57 million. The extension talks start with 2027-28, when Towns has a $61 million player option. New York wants Towns to opt out of that big number and take less per year in exchange for more guaranteed money across multiple years, but the question is: how much less per year? A contract that starts at $45 million a season? $55 million? Whatever that starting number is impacts the overall number of that contract.
Towns is just the first contract the Knicks are dealing with, a wave of extensions is about to roll in over this team — and owner James Dolan has repeatedly said it would be "suicidal" to be over the second apron. In 2028-29 (two seasons out), a Jalen Brunson extension would kick in (don't expect a massive discount this time around), a Josh Hart extension also would begin, and an OG Anunoby extension likely would start that season as well. With all of that, keeping this championship core together gets incredibly difficult. The Ringer's Zach Lowe said on a recent podcast he projects the Knicks at the luxury tax with just nine players on the roster in two years.
That said, the Knicks want to keep Towns, an All-Star and All-NBA center, an anchor of a championship team, a fan favorite and now a New York legend. And Towns wants to say.
But money issues have broken up plenty of relationships.
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 5: Jalen Johnson #1, Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7, and Corey Kispert #24 of the Atlanta Hawks celebrates during the game against the Utah Jazz on February 5, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Hawks will host their annual preseason media day on Monday, signifying the unofficial end of the offseason and the unofficial start of the 2026-27 season.
Atlanta is looking to lean into their development program that has produced the last two Most Improved Player award winners — a feat that no other franchise has ever accomplished.
As such, many eyes will be on the progress of the 21 or so players in camp leading into their first preseason game on Monday, October 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Yesterday, the Hawks announced their training camp roster, something that is always subject to change based on waivers and other processes. The camp itself will be held out of the state entirely — instead based on Vanderbilt University’s campus in Nashville, Tennessee.
So without further ado, here are the players currently signed up for preseason basketball action:
The biggest among them: the four-time league MVP’s voice. And his leadership after achieving virtually every accolade in the NBA.
James’ guidance, and his two-decades-plus of playing experience in the NBA, can’t be replicated.
The Lakers have a leadership hole to fill after LeBron James’ departure. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
But the Lakers are ready for their current stars to step up as leaders in light of James’ departure.
And Luka Doncic is ready to take that mantle as the Lakers fully entrench themselves in their next era.
If that wasn’t already clear, Doncic made it evident during the Lakers’ minicamp in his home country of Slovenia last month.
“Probably the leadership role,” Doncic responded when asked what matters to him more now compared to five years ago toward the end of a 24-minute video posted on his YouTube page Friday about the camp in Slovenia.
Doncic added: “Trying to be a leader. Five years ago, I was [three years in] the league. I wasn’t the leader I was supposed to [be]. So, leadership is an important part in my case now.”
Luka Doncic is ready to take on a bigger leadership role. Andrej Tarfila/Shutterstock
The Lakers already had an idea of what Doncic brought to the table in this regard since being traded to the franchise in February 2025.
But the Lakers got a closer look at what the team’s leadership could look like moving forward with Doncic as the face of the franchise.
The Slovenian superstar organized a five-day trip for his teammates, which included a chartered flight, multiple dining experiences at Doncic’s favorite restaurants, tours of the sights in Ljubljana (river cruise and Ljubljana Castle among them), golfing, rowing at Lake Bled and basketball activities.
His teammates raved about the experience.
Collin Sexton (left) was among the Lakers players who spoke highly about the team’s trip to Slovenia. REUTERS
“I’m definitely coming back,” Collin Sexton said. “We had an amazing time. Great experience. Nothing but good vibes, nothing but love. Luka, man, appreciate you for bringing us out to your country and taking us back where it all started.”
Leadership will be paramount for the Lakers moving forward.
James was among nine Lakers from the 2025-26 team who didn’t return for this upcoming season.
Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard were among the other departures.
Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia are the only four players from last season’s team who played at least 600 regular-season minutes that are returning for 2026-27.
Coach JJ Redick stressed the importance of connectedness during Thursday’s joint availability with president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka.
Lakers coach JJ Redick stressed the importance of his team being connected. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In his eyes, the NBA’s best teams over the last six to seven years have also been the most connected teams.
And because that isn’t a coincidence, that’ll be part of his messaging to the team throughout 2026-27 as Redick enters his third year as Lakers coach.
“There were times last year, there were times my first year where the team was connected,” Redick said. “I really believe this group is gonna be connected from Day 1. And they already are.”
And they are, in part, because of Doncic stepping up as a leader.
“There’s a lot of new guys on the team,” Doncic said. “Building chemistry is very important. That was the first thought, just to get the guys together. That’s why I wanted to do it.”
Kon Knueppel will miss all of training camp and, very likely, the start of the season after injuring his left hamstring, the Charlotte Hornets announced. He will be reevaluated the first week of the season (the week of Oct. 19).
OFFICIAL: Kon Knueppel suffered a left hamstring injury and Grant Williams suffered a right hamstring injury during offseason on-court activity. Both players will miss our preseason games and be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season.
Knueppel's teammate Grant Williams suffered a right hamstring injury and also will be out for the entire preseason, to be reevaluated the first week of the season.
Knueppel finished a close second in Rookie of the Year voting last season to his former college teammate Cooper Flagg. Knueppel, 21, averaged 18.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, shooting 42.5% from 3-point range, and was the first rookie in league history to lead the NBA in total 3-pointers made (273, an average of 3.4 per game). Knueppel showed last season he was more than just a shooter, he'll have more responsibilities in the Hornets' offense, but he won't get as many easy-look 3-pointers as he did last season without Ball's passing.
Williams didn't start playing last season until January as he recovered from a torn ACL, but during the Hornets' strong close to the season he was a regular part of the rotation. Williams averaged 7 points per game and shot 38.8% from 3-point range, which mattered because 73% of his shot attempts came from beyond the arc.
Los Angeles Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter is seen during an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Tanter passed away at the age of 76. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Tanter was a huge part of the in-game experience.
His smooth, silky baritone voice echoed throughout the arena for 43 years before he suffered a stroke in March and moved into an advisory role in June.
The way he said each player’s name. The way he said Lakers girls. The way his voice became part of the tapestry of Los Angeles.
Tanter was behind the scenes but front and center. He was 6-foot-7 but in the shadows. He had been part of the Lakers’ organization since 1982 but was unrecognizable to most.
But his impact was deeply felt.
Tanter was a part of 10 Lakers championships. He made calls for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Johnson called him “the sound of the Lakers franchise,” adding that he was “an integral part of many Laker championships, right alongside us players.”
James added that he “made home games SPECIAL.”
Former Laker and current radio analyst Mychal Thompson said, “Maybe God’ll use LT’s voice to announce new arrivals to heaven.”
Announcer Lawrence Tanter poses for a photo prior to a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets at STAPLES Center on Nov. 3, 2015, in Los Angeles. NBAE via Getty Images
Behind the scenes in the media room at Crypto.com Arena, he was a friendly face with a warm smile. He greeted reporters, including once telling this writer that he liked the way she carried herself. It meant a lot to her.
Flea, the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and a Lakers super fan, wrote on X that Tanter always talked to him about jazz at games. Flea added that he’s “a great vibe dude” as well as “the best announcer in the NBA.”
He was kind. He cared deeply about his work. And he had the respect of everyone in the arena.
James, who’s arguably the greatest player of all time, would salute him before every home game because he believed Tanter deserved his flowers.
One of Tanter’s most memorable moments came after Los Angeles was heartbroken following the death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
When the Lakers played their first game following that tragedy, Tanter paid homage to the five-time champion who spent his entire 20-season career with the Purple-and-Gold.
He introduced all five starters using the same line.
“Number 24, 6-6, 20th year out of Lower Merion High School, Kobeeee Bryant.”
It was powerful. It was memorable. It was moving.
Tanter seamlessly knew when to stand out and when to blend in. Some other public address announcers around the league are bombastic. Tanter was melodic and understated.
As the Lakers enter their 80th season and try to win their first championship since 2020 behind superstar Doncic, one thing will be sorely missing at home games.
UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1900: Zoology - Reptiles - Thorny devil or lizard (Moloch horridus). (Photo By DEA / C. DANI I. JESKE/De Agostini via Getty Images) | De Agostini via Getty Images
Back-to-back daily Notes posts are all you need to know to start believing the season is right around the corner, starting with Monday’s media day. Can’t wait!
Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract situation remains the biggest storyline entering Knicks training camp. SNY’s Ian Begley reported the Knicks and Towns have remained in regular contact throughout the offseason, with discussions described as positive and the organization making clear it wants Towns in New York long term. However, no agreement is imminent.
Salary-cap expert Yossi Gozlan told Begley that extending Towns, Hart and McBride while also planning for future Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby extensions will require difficult financial decisions unless the salary cap rises faster than projected or James Dolan changes his stance on going over the second apron.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon believe the two sides remain far apart financially, with the former saying there’s “tens of millions” separating them and MacMahon suggesting the gap could even be eight figures annually.
The Knicks’ final roster spot remains one of training camp’s biggest competitions, with Begley expecting veterans Bruce Brown, John Konchar and Ochai Agbaji to battle for a wing spot while Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman compete for the reserve center role. Unless New York sheds salary in a trade (looking at you, Paco), only one of those five veterans is likely to make the standard roster.
Keeping it Begley, the pundit also expects rookie Tyler Nickel to receive one of the remaining camp spots and believes Kevin McCullar will eventually earn a place on the roster as well.
Jalen Brunson shared the defining moment that shaped his basketball career during an appearance on the “Things No One Tells You” podcast. His parents told him he could only choose two of three priorities: school, basketball, or a social life. You know what happened next.
Jalen Brunson says his parents made him choose between basketball and a social life
“My parents told me when I was in high school that I have three things to choose from. I have school, I have basketball, I have my social life to choose from. And I can only pick two of the… pic.twitter.com/uCf30XV3Ec
Salty ESPN “analytics pioneer” Dean Oliver isn’t buying the consensus on Brunson’s standing among the league’s elite. While ESPN’s Top 100 panel ranked Brunson No. 6 overall, Oliver said his statistical models place the Finals MVP “around the No. 25 range” and argued New York media attention inflates public perception.
“I love Brunson’s game, but his lofty ranking benefitted not only from recent bias but also from the New York media bias. (That bias might also help you forget that Brunson missed the shot in the most iconic image from the Finals, when OG Anunoby swooped in for the putback game-winner to clinch Game 4.)
“The metrics place Brunson around the No. 25 range heading into the season. That’s not a huge gap. He’s elite, just not No. 6 — at least not during the regular season.”
Stephen Curry has agreed to a two-year, $116 million extension with the Warriors that includes a player option for the 2028-29 season. Curry, set to turn 39 midseason, still had one year left in his deal, meaning he could get to complete a nicely rounded 20-season career in The Bay if he retires at the end of his next pact.
Greg Oden admitted he never expected to be selected ahead of Kevin Durant in the 2007 NBA Draft and actually wanted to return to Ohio State.
North Macedonia great Pero Antić can only joke about making the Rising Stars Challenge at age 31. “I was already a falling star. Everyone was laughing, including my mom and dad.”
Reed Sheppard is fully embracing the Nacho Libre comparisons after his media day photos went viral 😂📸 pic.twitter.com/Crs5BTUjmZ
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 27: Grayson Allen #8 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket against Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz during overtime of their game at the Delta Center on October 27, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick spoke at length on several topics at Thursday’s season-opening presser. A central theme was personnel. They wanted to recruit players whose profiles match Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves at their primes.
Acquiring a new big-man anchor and younger athletes this offseason will help implement a more aggressive defensive identity than last year.
Despite winning 53 games, the Lakers finished with the tenth-worst defense. Every other 50-win team finished at least in the top seven, except the Nuggets (21st) and the Cavs (15th).
An identity shift will begin this season at the center position with Walker Kessler.
“I think Walker’s a perfect fit for Luka and [Reaves],” Redick said. “Just in terms of his rim protection and really being an anchor for our defense. It’s an area we’ve struggled with.”
Struggled is an understatement. The Lakers ranked second-to-last in opponents’ shooting percentage at the rim last season, giving up 72% in the restricted area. Not unrelated, the team traded away starting center Deandre Ayton and backup big man Jaxson Hayes was not re-signed.
While the Lakers offense has clear direction with Luka and Austin leading the charge, the defense now does too. Players will all be funneled toward Kessler at the rim.
The gap in rim protection is canyon-sized. LA got 1.8 blocks per game total out of their main centers last season, while Kessler averaged 2.4 himself in his last healthy campaign. He pairs elite timing with a quick jump and a 9’5” standing reach to erase attempts like the one shown below.
His addition alone instantly turns the Lakers from a poor rim-protection team into an elite one. This is predicated, of course, on whether they can keep the big man near the basket.
“I know we have switched a lot one through five the last two years,” Redick said. “That has been by necessity.”
The hopeful advantage of one-through-five switching is to negate any screen action. It can help slower foot players, since chasing over and around screens takes a lot of effort, and switching conserves energy.
Good offenses took advantage by controlling the terms of engagement. They consistently got the matchup they wanted with little to no resistance and forced LA’s big man out of the paint.
Watch below as the switching scheme the Lakers go to on Christmas Day lets Kevin Durant find Ayton with ease. He backs up helplessly, giving Durant the space to knock down his patented jump shot.
Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard were all in the top eight of minutes last year and now are on different franchises. Smart was the only one with a defensive reputation, but he turned 32 with a ton of playoff miles and needed to be load-managed.
Superstar LeBron James, who turns 42 in December, also walked in free agency, bringing a brand new perimeter and forward rotation.
“We have the guys who can pick up full court, guard, and be disruptive,” Redick said. He specifically named Ziaire Williams,Matisse Thybulle, Adou Thiero and Quentin Grimes as main contributors in this area.
They all bring different styles and skill sets, with Thybulle having the highest pedigree as an NBA All-Defensive member for two seasons. Together, they form a rotation of defensive playmakers and attackers.
Williams and Thybulle led their respective teams in deflections a year ago and having an elite center behind them gives them the freedom to play more aggressively, knowing protection is there.
The Lakers will hope screen navigation is a strength this year, with players fighting over and bothering the league’s top playmakers. They have the personnel to get deflections and force turnovers as shown below, a place they were middle of the pack last season.
Ball pressure and great rim protection are synergistic on the defensive end and accentuate each other.
The starting backcourt won’t be asked to do that, given the offensive burden on their shoulders. Even so, they need more consistent effort and attention to detail on that end. There’s no world where the Lakers have a good defense without Luka and Reaves contributing.
Reaves has shown to be a strong “chaser,” navigating off-ball screens effectively and staying attached to his man in different actions. Depending on who the fifth starter is, he likely will be the one the Lakers put on speedy guards.
Luka’s effort has increased and is better than his reputation suggests as he led the Lakers in deflections last season, but he still has major room for improvement. With a slimmer frame, there’s optimism for more consistent investment.
With LeBron out the door, they are the two leaders, and setting the tone begins with them.
Pelinka stressed that he built this roster through the prism of what Luka needs and Redick’s basketball philosophies. Adding Kessler and moving toward a younger, more athletic roster should shift the defense from passive to more active.
“With this group, probably the first time in my three years here that I feel like the pieces actually fit together,” Redick said.
