Category: Basketball

With another NBA season set to tip off, we asked our experts at USA TODAY Sports and For The Win to rank the top 100 players who will take the court in 2026-27 – regardless of position, regardless of experience and regardless of usage.

While we can’t know yet how rookies will adapt to professional basketball, how veterans will integrate with new teammates and how coaches will choose to employ individual players for the betterment of their teams, we can judge talent and skill.

From superstars and former NBA champions like LeBron James and Steph Curry to current champs Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, from former No. 1 draft picks Anthony Edwardsand Victor Wembanyama to current No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, we considered them all. Seven NBA reporters submitted their individual rankings, and a points system was used to determine the final results.

Here, we present the players we ranked from No. 100 to No. 51 ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.

(Our ranking of the top 50 players will be released Tuesday, Oct. 13, so check back here for a link or go to usatoday.com/nba).

No. 100 Myles Turner

• Team: Milwaukee Bucks
• Position: Center
• Age: 30
• 2025-26 stats: 11.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg

The Bucks are likely going to have a rotten season without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster. But that means that some of the players remaining will step up, and Turner, who helped the Pacers make a run to the NBA Finals in 2025, is absolutely one of those guys. He is a rare archetype of floor-spacing rim protectors and one of just two players in league history to ever record 1,500 blocks and 900 field goals on 3-pointers during his NBA career, per Stathead.

No. 99 Jalen Green

• Team: Phoenix Suns
• Position: Guard
• Age: 24
• 2025-26 stats: 17.8 ppg, 42.2% FG, 1.1 spg

Green is looking to find a home in Phoenix playing alongside Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks. Green adds another volume scorer to the Suns depth. He’s an exciting player who can score in bunches and also put defenders on the highlight reel with high-flying dunks. Can he be a guy that Phoenix looks to for points? He surely has the potential to be a No. 2-option next to Booker.

No. 98 Darryn Peterson

• Team: Utah Jazz
• Position: Guard
• Age: 19
• 2025-26 stats: Rookie

While it’s tricky putting any rookie on a list like this, Peterson’s talent is undeniable, and his skill set should make him a problem in the pros from Day One. Peterson, who averaged 20.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 1.6 apg in his lone season at Kansas, can create offense, handle the ball, finish at the rim and hit his jumpers. If not for AJ Dybantsa, the former Jayhawk probably goes No. 1 to the Wizards. This was a deep draft class. Peterson has a legitimate claim to eventually be the best player of the lot.

No. 97 Donovan Clingan

• Team:Portland Trail Blazers
• Position: Center
• Age: 22
• 2025-26 stats: 12.1 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 2.1 apg

Clingan had a reassuring 2025-26 season, averaging a double-double while leading the league in both total and offensive rebounds and playing in 77 games. The 7-foot-2 center also averaged 1.7 blocks and showed encouraging progress as a 3-point shooter. If he can expand his offensive repertoire in the paint and develop chemistry with new teammate Ja Morant in the pick-and-roll, Clingan could climb these rankings in a hurry.

No. 96 Peyton Watson

• Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
• Position: Guard
• Age: 24
• 2025-26 stats: 14.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.1 apg

There was a stretch where Watson looked like an absolute two-way stud for the Denver Nuggets last season, and while it eventually led to a sign-and-trade to the Cavaliers during his restricted free agency, new scenery and a change of pace could reignite some of the flashes we have already seen from the wing who only recently just turned 24 years old. Watson is a sincere breakout candidate to far exceed where he ranks on this list.

No. 95 Coby White

• Team: Charlotte Hornets
• Position: Guard
• Age: 26
• 2025-26 stats: 17.4 ppg, 4.0 apg, 36.2% 3PT

White has developed into a solid NBA player, and now he has a chance to take the next step in Charlotte. The Hornets bid farewell to franchise player LaMelo Ball, so now White will likely be the starting point guard, next to Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Naz Reid. A quick, savvy guard, White can penetrate and get to his spot or get hot from deep.

No. 94 Devin Vassell

• Team: San Antonio Spurs
• Position: Guard 
• Age: 26
• 2025-26 stats: 13.9 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.5 apg

At his best, Vassell is an almost ruthless 3-point shooter who plays perfectly off all the drives to the paint the Spurs make as a function of their offense. He’s a defender who sticks into the back pocket of a ball-handler and refuses to leave. He was one of the Spurs’ brightest spots during their 2026 NBA Finals run. If he can keep that momentum going, he’ll earn an ironclad reputation as one of the league’s most dependable impact players for the foreseeable future. 

No. 93 CJ McCollum

• Team: Atlanta Hawks
• Position: Guard
• Age: 35
• 2025-26 stats: 18.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.9 apg

Initially an afterthought in the trade that sent him to Atlanta (and Trae Young to the Washington Wizards), McCollum was the best closer on the Hawks late in the season. He single-handedly became a villain at Madison Square Garden for his fourth quarter shooting and proved he still has plenty of veteran leadership and scoring left in his game.

No. 92 Shaedon Sharpe

• Team: Portland Trail Blazers
• Position: Guard
• Age: 23
• 2025-26 stats: 20.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.6 apg

Sharpe will start the season on the injured list after tearing his right meniscus in an offseason workout, a major blow to an up-and-coming Portland team that added Ja Morant. Once healthy, expect Sharpe to continue posterizing defenders and to increase his usage rate as the Trail Blazers try to make a dent in the tough Western Conference.

No. 91 Ajay Mitchell

• Team:Oklahoma City Thunder
• Position: Guard
• Age: 24
• 2025-26 stats: 13.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.6 apg

Mitchell blossomed when thrust into a larger role after Jalen Williams' injury last season, and he's a strong candidate to become a full-time starter following Lu Dort's departure. The left-hander adds another layer of playmaking and shot creation to Oklahoma City's backcourt, helping ease some of the offensive burden on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With a bigger opportunity now available, Mitchell appears well positioned to take another step forward and post the best numbers of his young career.

No. 90 Ayo Dosunmu

• Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
• Position: Guard
• Age: 26
• 2025-26 stats: 14.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.6 apg

Dosunmu was an important pickup at the deadline for Minnesota after he was traded from the Chicago Bulls and an even bigger piece in the playoffs for the Timberwolves. Dosunmu averaged 15.6 points with 4.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 42.5 percent on his 3-pointers, stepping up as the team was hit with injuries. Those are genuinely impressive splits for someone who predominantly came off the bench, and now secured with a long-term deal to stay in Minnesota, fans can expect another solid campaign.

No. 89 Zach LaVine

• Team: Sacramento Kings
• Position: Guard
• Age: 31
• 2025-26 stats: 19.2 ppg, 47.9% FG, 39.0% 3PT

LaVine can still score with the best of them. He’s a walking bucket who can score 20 to 25 points in his sleep easily. In fact in his last 3ight seasons, LaVine has averaged at least 19 points per game. Now, in his second season with the Kings and 13th overall in the NBA, LaVine is expected to be someone who will continue to be an offensive threat and help Sacramento take the next step in a tough Western conference.

No. 88 Jrue Holiday

• Team: Portland Trail Blazers
• Position: Guard
• Age: 36
• 2025-26 stats: 16.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 6.1 apg

It’s somewhat unclear what exactly the Trail Blazers will expect of Holiday with both Damian Lillard and Ja Morant joining their backcourt this season. Whatever his responsibilities are, though, they’re likely to have a positive impact on winning as that is something that’s simply followed Holiday at every stop in his career. The two-time NBA All-Star is starting to get up there at 36 years old, but he’s still someone every team in the league could use.

No. 87 Cason Wallace

• Team: Oklahoma City Thunder  
• Position: Guard 
• Age: 22
• 2025-26 stats: 8.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.6 apg

As the departed Lu Dort wilted in last season’s Western Conference Finals, the upstart Wallace rose to the occasion. He irritated San Antonio’s top-notch guard trio like a pesky bee that just won’t quit buzzing around your ears and nailed big-time 3-point shots on the other end of the floor. Talk about rising to the occasion. The Thunder would be ecstatic if this is the sort of play they’ll get on a nightly basis as he moves into the starting lineup full time.

No. 86 Draymond Green

• Team: Golden State Warriors
• Position: Forward
• Age: 36
• 2025-26 stats: 8.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.5 apg

The brilliance of Green’s game will go unrecognized when he doesn’t have other great players around him, which was the case most of last year after Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler went down. When the team is healthy, however, Green is still the hub of Golden State’s offense and the anchor of its defense. If the Warriors exceed expectations, Green will play a big part in that.

No. 85 Isaiah Hartenstein

• Team: Oklahoma City Thunder  
• Position: Center
• Age: 28
• 2025-26 stats: 9.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.5 apg

Like many Thunder players, Hartenstein sacrifices eye-popping offensive numbers for the greater good of the team. He’s a smart, physical presence who anchors the Oklahoma City defense with savvy positional defense and rebounding. He’s the sort of big who can guard Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić. If it isn’t immediately clear, those are two extremely different and extremely challenging defensive assignments that he does well with. 

No. 84 Dyson Daniels

• Team: Atlanta Hawks 
• Position: Guard 
• Age: 23
• 2025-26 stats: 11.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 5.9 apg

Daniels’ defensive prowess, at this point, is undeniable. There’s a reason he’s been a member of an All-Defensive Team in each of the last two years. The problem for the young player is his alarming tendency to be an offensive zero, especially in a playoff setting. So far in his career, Daniels has been the kind of woeful 3-point shooter who opposing teams leave open to focus more on actual threats. If Daniels doesn’t fix this glaring flaw, his elite defense will continue being canceled out.

No. 83 Andrew Nembhard

• Team: Indiana Pacers 
• Position: Guard 
• Age: 26
• 2025-26 stats: 16.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 7.7 apg

Maybe everyone forgot about the Pacers while Tyrese Haliburton was recovering from his torn Achilles tendon. But averaging career-highs of 16.9 points and 7.7 assists per game last season while in the starting lineup, it was obvious that Nembhard is undoubtedly actually a very good player. He was also integral to their success during Indiana’s run to the NBA Finals in 2025.

No. 82 AJ Dybantsa

• Team: Washington Wizards
• Position: Forward
• Age: 19
• 2025-26 stats: Rookie

In his lone season at BYU, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points on 51 percent from the field, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Bottomline, he’s a dynamic young player. With Washington, the No. 1 overall pick also finds himself in one of the best situations a top rookie could hope for. The presence of all-stars Trae Young and Antony Davis should open the floor for Dybansta to get easy looks, operate in space and learn on the fly.

No. 81 Paul George

• Team: Boston Celtics
• Position: Forward
• Age: 36
• 2025-26 stats: 17.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.6 apg

Now in his 17th NBA season, George begins his tenure with the Celtics, his fifth team, after looking rejuvenated following his return from a suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy. He averaged more than 17 points per game while shooting nearly 49% from the field and 39% from 3-point range, then played a pivotal role in Philadelphia's playoff run, including a series victory over Boston. The biggest question remains his durability, as George has averaged fewer than 50 games per season over the past seven years.

No. 80 Naz Reid

• Team: Charlotte Hornets
• Position: Forward
• Age: 27
• 2025-26 stats: 13.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.2 apg

One of the NBA’s best long-range shooting big men, Reid is now on a team where that skill can really shine. The Hornets attempted the NBA’s second-most threes per game last season. He should also have a chance to expand his game in other areas in what’s expected to be his first season as a starter.

No. 79 VJ Edgecombe

• Team: Philadelphia 76ers
• Position: Guard
• Age: 30
• 2025-26 stats: 16.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg

Edgecombe made a strong first impression in Philadelphia, averaging more minutes per game than any rookie in the league last season. His role, however, could look much different after the arrivals of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. With opposing defenses focused on the Sixers' star-studded core, Edgecombe's development as a playmaker and spot-up shooter could unlock bigger lineups and help turn him into one of the league's most valuable X-factors.

No. 78 Dillon Brooks

• Team: Phoenix Suns
• Position: Guard
• Age: 30
• 2025-26 stats: 20.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg

He was known as a villain, but Brooks had a breakout offensive campaign last season, his first with the Suns. His career-high scoring average jumped 6.2 points per game over the previous season. He still is that pest that easily goads opponents into emotional mistakes – already Pistons forward John Collins grabbed Brooks by the throat just minutes into their preseason opener – but now there’s more offense behind that persona.

No. 77 Alex Caruso

• Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
• Position: Guard 
• Age: 32
• 2025-26 stats: 6.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg

Caruso’s impact and value cannot be measured by what he does in the regular season alone. He is the sort of defender who can single-handedly break an offense with his capacity for controlled chaos, and the sort of offensive player unafraid of taking the big shot at the most important time. He’s one of the NBA’s best lead-by-example guys and the definition of a 16-game player. 

No. 76 Walker Kessler

• Team: Los Angeles Lakers
• Position: Center
• Age: 25
• 2025-26 stats: 14.4 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.8 bpg

Walker Kessler could be ranked higher but after only appearing in five games last season with a torn labrum, we're being cautious here. Nevertheless, do not sleep on Kessler's talent. The 7-foot-2 now plays alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, which should open his game more. He’s the last line of defense that the Lakers will lean on as a career 2.4 blocks per game, type of guy.

No. 75 Ja Morant

• Team: Portland Trail Blazers
• Position: Guard
• Age: 27
• 2025-26 stats: 19.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 8.1 apg

Morant is getting a fresh start in Portland after emerging as one of the NBA's most electrifying young stars in Memphis, and his playmaking should add a new dimension to the Trail Blazers' crunch-time lineups late in games. But he's also joining a crowded backcourt and must prove he can stay healthy and available. Morant has played just 79 of a possible 246 regular-season games over the past three years. If he can stay on the court, Morant still has the talent to be an offensive force in the league.

No. 74 Josh Hart

• Team: New York Knicks
• Position: Guard
• Age: 31
• 2025-26 stats: 12.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 4.8 apg

In order to secure an NBA championship, a team needs a versatile player who is able to contribute to winning in a variety of ways. That’s exactly what Josh Hart is on the court, helping with utility like a Swiss Army Knife. His game isn’t the flashiest and won’t show up in as many of the highlight reels, but simply put, New York wouldn’t have a banner or rings without Hart. A big concern for Hart is his injured right finger and lack of contract extension with the Knicks, but the 31-year-old should still make his impact known next season.

No. 73 Brandon Ingram

• Team:Los Angeles Clippers
• Position: Forward
• Age: 29
• 2025-26 stats: 21.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.7 apg

Ingram is back in Los Angeles, this time playing for the other LA team. Ingram has a certain smoothness to his game. He controls the ball at his own pace and plays to his own tempo as he gets to his go-to spots on the floor. However, the Clippers will be without him to start the season as he recovers from right foot surgery.

No. 72 Norman Powell

• Team: Chicago Bulls
• Position: Guard
• Age: 33
• 2025-26 stats: 21.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg

Both with the Los Angeles Clippers and then Miami Heat, veteran shooter Norman Powell averaged at least 21.0 points per game. Now with the Chicago Bulls, this ranking is actually surprisingly low for someone who was named a 2026 NBA All-Star. Powell has shot just a notch below 40.0 percent during his 11-year career in the pros, and he should provide some firepower as an elite offensive player to a roster that needs it desperately.

No. 71 Ivica Zubac

• Team: Indiana Pacers
• Position: Center
• Age: 29
• 2025-26 stats: 14.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg

Zubac was a defensive stalwart, earning a spot on the Second-team All-Defense largely for his work with the Clippers before a midseason trade. He will be a big help to a Pacers team that gave up 120 points per game, allowed nearly 49% shooting, and ranked near the bottom of the league in rebounding.

No. 70 Tyler Herro

• Team: Milwaukee Bucks
• Position: Guard
• Age: 26
• 2025-26 stats: 20.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.1 apg

Herro is playing for his hometown team after being dealt from Miami to Milwaukee as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo mega trade. Now, he gets to be the man, the No. 1 option on a team built around him. It’s scary hours. Herro only appeared in 33 games last season, so expect him to be energized and ready to prove himself after the breakup with the Heat.

No. 69 Damian Lillard

• Team: Portland Trail Blazers
• Position: Guard
• Age: 36
• 2025-26 stats: Did not play

At his best, Lillard is a sharpshooter whose long-range ability forces defenses up, opening the lane for him to also get tough buckets at the rim. That’s why I feel good about his ability to bounce back from Achilles surgery. Less dependent on youthful athleticism as some of the other guards of his era, Lillard’s gifted shooting is still there, as he’s displayed all offseason.

No. 68 Jimmy Butler

• Team: Golden State Warriors
• Position: Forward
• Age: 37
• 2025-26 stats: 20.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.9 apg

When Butler is right, he’s a top-25 player in the NBA and the sidekick Golden State desperately needs for Steph Curry. Through 38 games last season, he averaged those 20 points on 52/37/86 splits and also gave them 1.4 steals per game. The only question is when he’ll return and how much he’ll have left coming off an ACL injury at his age.

No. 67 Keyonte George

• Team: Utah Jazz
• Position: Guard
• Age: 22
• 2025-26 stats: 23.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.1 apg

George broke out in a big way last season, setting career highs in nearly every major offensive category despite another difficult year for the Jazz. Utah is banking on him to be a foundational piece as the franchise looks to emerge from its rebuild and contend in the Western Conference for the first time in five years. It rewarded George with a new five-year, $157.5 million contract this offseason, and his blend of shot-making, playmaking and swagger has him positioned to become the face of the Jazz's resurgence.

No. 66 Josh Giddey

• Team: Chicago Bulls
• Position: Guard
• Age: 23
• 2025-26 stats: 17.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 9.1 apg

For some reason, perhaps because the Bulls have struggled to contend, Giddey doesn’t get the publicity he deserves. He’s an offensive engine who is comfortable orchestrating offense for his teammates, made evident by his career-high assist average. His 13 triple-doubles last season were tied with Hawks forward Jalen Johnson for second best in the NBA. Giddey, though, played just 54 games last season.

No. 65 Nickeil Alexander-Walker

• Team: Atlanta Hawks 
• Position: Guard 
• Age: 28
• 2025-26 stats: 20.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.7 apg

Alexander-Walker was something of a revelation in his first season in Atlanta. On a Hawks team still figuring out its identity, Alexander-Walker garnered a well-earned Most Improved Player Award as the rare, somewhat older player to do so. As it stands, he’s a dynamite 3-and-D, high-IQ player who is indispensable to the winning formula for any serious team. 

No. 64 Ausar Thompson

• Team: Detroit Pistons 
• Position: Forward 
• Age: 23
• 2025-26 stats: 9.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.1 apg

After helping lead the Pistons to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, Thompson finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The advanced analytics loved his impact, too. Thompson ranked behind only Victor Wembanyama in the all-in-one metric defensive estimated plus-minus, per dunksandthrees.com. He fell this far in the rankings because his offensive game is not there yet, though at just 23 years, there is plenty of time for that development.

No. 63 Payton Pritchard

• Team: Boston Celtics
• Position: Guard
• Age: 28
• 2025-26 stats: 17.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.2 apg

Pritchard was allowed to spread his wings in his first season as a starter last year, and results for the 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year were better than anyone could have expected. If everything the analytics people say about Jaylen Brown not maximizing his teammates is true, Pritchard should be even better with Brown out and Jayson Tatum stepping in as the lead man.

No. 62 Jarrett Allen

• Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
• Position: Center
• Age: 28
• 2025-26 stats: 15.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.8 apg

Allen continued to be a key piece of Cleveland's success last season, thriving alongside James Harden after the Cavaliers acquired the former MVP. Allen averaged 18.5 points and 9.6 rebounds after the trade deadline and delivered several big performances during Cleveland's run to the Eastern Conference finals. His contributions often fly under the radar, but the Cavaliers have consistently been at their best with the veteran center anchoring the paint.

No. 61 Aaron Gordon

• Team: Denver Nuggets
• Position: Forward
• Age: 31
• 2025-26 stats: 16.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.7 apg

When he’s healthy, the do-it-all Gordon remains the skeleton key who unlocks the Nuggets as a bona fide championship contender. That’s the issue. Soft-tissue injuries have limited Gordon to just 75 total regular-season games over the last two years and have ended his postseasons, too. If the Nuggets can better manage Gordon’s workload moving forward, they’ll finally have one of the league’s premier role players available more often to set their table.

No. 60 Michael Porter Jr.

• Team: Brooklyn Nets
• Position: Forward
• Age: 28
• 2025-26 stats: 24.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.4 3PM

Michael Porter Jr. is a stat sheet stuffer and one of the best pure scorers in the league. His offensive talent overwhelmingly makes up for defensive deficiencies. He plays with confidence that can’t be taught. He stands at 6-foot-10, has a high vertical on his jump shot and releases at a high arc, making it almost impossible to defend his shot.

No. 59 Domantas Sabonis

• Team: Sacramento Kings
• Position: Forward
• Age: 30
• 2025-26 stats: 15.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 4.1 apg

Sabonis only played in 19 games last season. But when he played 70 games in 2024, he was the same triple-double threat you remember, and he shot the three at a career-high 41.7 percent. With better health, there’s no reason to believe he can’t still be that same player.

No. 58 Mikal Bridges

• Team: New York Knicks
• Position: Forward
• Age: 30
• 2025-26 stats: 14.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.7 apg

Though he did go through a slump late in the season, Bridges absolutely erupted for the Knicks in the playoffs and, at one point, seemingly could not miss. His offensive game is measured, and he plays a secondary role there, but he’s a force on defense, particularly in high-leverage situations, when his length can be a big problem. The other thing about Bridges: he’s always on the floor. Bridges has never missed a game in his pro career, playing in 638 consecutive contests, which is eighth-most all-time.

No. 57 Brandon Miller

• Team: Charlotte Hornets
• Position: Forward
• Age: 23
• 2025-26 stats: 20.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.3 apg

Now that LaMelo Ball is gone, Miller figures to have a far bigger workload coming up this season. The one thing preventing him from really ascending up this list is inconsistency and spurts of inefficient shooting; across his 65 games last season, five of those saw him score 7 points or fewer. Yet, in a four-game stretch to close out January, he averaged 26.3 points per game.

No. 56 Jaden McDaniels

• Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
• Position: Forward
• Age: 26
• 2025-26 stats: 14.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.7 apg

He averaged career-highs in points and assists, but it wasn’t until the playoffs, when Minnesota had to face stretches without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, that McDaniels showed out. He averaged 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in the postseason and blossomed into a more consistent offensive threat. As always, his defense has been stellar, but it was his jump in efficiency from 3-point range – from 33% in 2025-26 to a career-high 41.2% last season – that has him on the verge of cracking the Top 50.

No. 55 Julius Randle 

• Team: Brooklyn Nets
• Position: Forward
• Age: 31
• 2025-26 stats: 21.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 5.0 apg

Randle has been underappreciated at every stop of his career, so far. The Lakers never let him spread his wings. The Pelicans gave up on him after a single season. The Knicks thought he was a ball-stopping black hole. The Timberwolves thought trading him was a necessary evil to level up. Let’s make this clear. Randle has been one of the NBA’s best true bully-ball power forwards for a long time, and that won’t change in Brooklyn.

No. 54 Desmond Bane

• Team: Orlando Magic
• Position: Guard
• Age: 28
• 2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.1 apg

Bane was one of only two players on this Top 100 list to play in all 82 games last season. After a slow start following the trade from Memphis, Bane settled into his usual form, averaging more than 20 points per game while shooting better than 39% from 3-point range. He’s one of the league’s most reliable high-volume perimeter shooters at this point and should be more effective as he enters his second season alongside the Magic's core.

No. 53 Darius Garland

• Team: Los Angeles Clippers
• Position: Guard
• Age: 26
• 2025-26 stats: 18.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 6.7 apg

The Clippers don’t have nearly as much talent on their roster this year compared to what they had last season. But they also don’t have an incentive to tank with their pick already owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder. So with every incentive to win, expect them to play through their most experienced and talented player on the roster: Darius Garland. Maybe he isn’t going to play the most meaningful minutes of his career for a contender like he did with the Cavaliers, but with his responsibilities and offensive load on the Clippers, he’ll make the most of it.

No. 52 Trey Murphy III

• Team: New Orleans Pelicans
• Position: Forward
• Age: 26
• 2025-26 stats: 21.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.2 3PM

Murphy has quietly emerged as one of the go-to options for the Pelicans. He’s proved to be a player who can shoot the 3-ball with consistency. His wingspan, length and use of hands give him an advantage defensively as he averaged 1.5 steals per game last season.

No. 51 Kon Knueppel

• Team: Charlotte Hornets
• Position: Forward
• Age: 21
• 2025-26 stats: 18.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.4 apg

After finishing second in the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year voting behind his collegiate teammate Cooper Flagg, it became increasingly obvious that Knueppel has a long professional career in front of him. Last season, he set the NBA record for the most 3-pointers made for a first-year player. He also led the league in 3-pointers. This season, Knueppel could step into an even bigger role in Charlotte with LaMelo Ball now on the Timberwolves. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA top 100 players for 2026-27 season: Our rankings from 100 to 51

The Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets took their Texas rivalry on the road to Asia for some preseason games, and one of the highlights was the return of Kyrie Irving.

Irving missed 586 days after blowing out the ACL in his left knee, and he’s now 34, which means that his playing days are mostly behind him.

He’s got a fair amount left in the tank, though, and watching Irving and Flagg team up with Dereck Lively, as soon as he’s good to go, will be a lot of fun.

In Irving’s return Sunday, the former Duke star scored 17 points, grabbed 2 rebounds and shelled out 3 assists. For his part, Flagg finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists.

To borrow from Casablanca, this could be the beginning of a beautiful partnership.

• Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving Speaks After Preseason Return From Injury
• Kyrie Irving on why major injuries no longer end careers: “They’re not seen the same anymore”
• Kyrie Irving Reveals Bigger Purpose Behind His Mavericks Return
• “Kyrie Irving Is Back. Spread the Word”: Fans Elated as Mavs Superstar Lights Up China In First Game Back From ACL Injury
• Kyrie Irving Refuses to Compare Cooper Flagg to Kevin Durant and LeBron James but Highlights One Key Similarity
• Kyrie Irving Opens Up About Pressure Facing Cooper Flagg
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• Irving Compares Rookie Flagg to LeBron James
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Being a coach means understanding how to get the most out of your players. For Kenny Atkinson and the Cleveland Cavaliers, no player’s development has been more important than Evan Mobley’s.

Drafted in 2021, Mobley was a lottery ticket for the future. Five seasons later, his development has largely come secondary to prioritizing Donovan Mitchell’s prime. The Cavs have tried to blend both timelines, bringing Mobley along while staying all-in on Mitchell’s timeline.

This has further complicated an already challenging question: How do you get the most out of a player?

What’s the balance between pushing someone outside of their comfort zone without losing the big picture of who they are at their core? And how does that fit into the broader team system?

Cleveland has been trying to figure that out for years — and Atkinson thinks he might have solved it.

“Threading the needle,” Kenny Atkinson said. “We’ve been on different planes of that scale with Mobley, you know, we’ve pushed it, we’ve pulled it back… I feel like he’s in a good place now; I have a much better grip on how he can be successful on both ends of the floor for us.”

Most players in Mobley’s position spend the first few years of their career racking up usage on uncompetitive teams. You can learn a lot by throwing someone into the fire. But Mobley and his coaching staff haven’t had that opportunity while trying to compete in the playoffs.

Everyone is learning on the fly.

Sometimes Mobley is bringing the ball up the floor and running inverted pick-and-rolls. Other times, he’s isolated in the corner as a proto-floor spacer. In his most refined role, he sits in the dunker spot and waits for someone to throw him a lob.

Mobley has tried on all of these hats to varying success. He’s a great play-finisher, but a sketchy three-point shooter. He can create advantages when using screens, but Mobley isn’t a skilled one-on-one creator. All of this has been slowly uncovered by Atkinson’s experiments.

“We’ve dialed back to [Mobley] getting it in the flow [of the offense],” said Atkinson. “Lean into the creativity a little bit more, especially the inverted pick-and-rolls; he’s going to get iso moments… but that’s not the main menu right now.

A bit of usage here. An adjustment there. Atkinson feels he has the temperature just right entering the season, with a vision for how Mobley can continue to develop.

“One of our assistants talked about how Kevin Garnett got his offense,” said Atkinson. “He could get to a spot and just run, raise up and shoot over guys. I like that prototype…, but as I said, [Mobley’s] 24 years old, I’m continuing to find a full package.”

In his day, Pete Maravich was called a hot dog and a show-off, because no one in his era did the sorts of things that he could do. He had total control of the ball, and was essentially unstoppable, and people in his era didn’t know how to take him.

At LSU, he averaged 44.2 ppg, and that was without the three-point shot. Some estimate that if he had played with the three in college, Maravich might have averaged 57 points per game.

It’s freakish territory. You can understand a Wilt Chamberlain doing that, but Maravich? A spindly, 6-5 white guard?

Incredible.

He was misunderstood in the pros too, but he certainly had his moments, and one of his greatest games came at the expense of the visiting New York Knicks, whom he lit up for an astonishing 68 points on February 25, 1977.

And keep in mind, again, that he did this before the NBA adopted the three-point shot.

One wonders what he could have done in today’s game.

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Greetings, internet users. Welcome to The Scratching Post, your home for open conversation with your fellow Carolina Panthers fans.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

This is now an open thread

First, let’s quiet the injury talk. No doubt precautions will be taken with Jayson Tatum (28), Paul George (36), and Mitchell Robinson (28). Derrick White (32) might even take a few more days off after playing 73+ games over each of the last three seasons. Their age and usage are all legitimate concerns, but this team is deep. Really deep. Leave the handwringing over PG’s max contract and load management for sports talk radio and the clicks. Instead, appreciate what Brad Stevens and the front office has built despite dodging the second apron in two consecutive years.

Consider that on a night when Boston put up a preseason-record 144 points, six of the eleven rotation players scored in double figures and Mike Conley Jr. and Ron Harper Jr. didn’t play. The Celtics are going to play fast. Really fast. Their active defense had 16 steals and generated 22 turnovers to the tune of a 96.5 defensive rating. To run the gauntlet of the 82-game regular season, they’ll need bodies. If any of the marquee players need to take the night off or even some extended time to nurse a nagging injury (knock on wood), every position doesn’t just have a backup, but a backup to the backup with rookies and two-way studs in the wings (pun intended).

Oh, and about these antiquated ideas of fit and role, throw those out the window, too. CelticsBlog’s Nate Moskowitz once remarked that Joe Mazzulla was building an army of Derrick Whites. On a night-to-night, matchup-to-matchup basis, there are going to be times when someone might make a little more sense. On Saturday night against the Sixers, Jordan Walsh got the nod to join the starters, presumably to pester the backcourt of VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey. But in the long run, don’t be surprised if those fourth or fifth starters are literally anybody off that deep bench. The Celtics depth is only matched by the well-roundedness of everybody that’s in it.

One more thing: as much as The Globe’s Gary Washburn is fond of mentioning the three-point shooting in a loss, let’s bury any criticism of Boston’s shot selection. Over the past three seasons, the Celtics have submitted three of the six most efficient offenses in league history. Maybe it’s fair to argue their reliability in the playoffs — even though that top-rated offense hung Banner 18 in the rafters.

However, what’s not up for debate is Mazzulla’s mindset to maximize possessions at not just the micro level of getting the best shot, but also in the macro of generating more shots. Against Cleveland on Thursday, the Celtics took nine more shots and won the free throw battle 35 to 16. Philly had thirteen fewer field goal attempts in a 38-point rout. What’s scary is that they’ve carried over their focus on offensive rebounding and supersized the margin by adding Robinson and made deflections and steals another point of emphasis on defense.

Washburn will be the first hand up in the postgame presser when the Celtics make just 7-of-37 from behind the arc and lose to visiting Kings. But Gary, my man, this is a process-oriented team and the process is working.

Maybe I’m drunk on preseason vibes. That’s totally possible. CelticsBlog’s Sam LaFrance makes a mean margarita and I’m on a two-game binger.

The Houston Rockets had a tale of two games in China. After looking good in game 1, the Rockets sat Kevin Durant, Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun in game 2, losing a ton of firepower, while the Dallas Mavericks were boosted by the return of Kyrie Irving and downed the Rockets 132-115.

The Rockets started Marcus Smart and Clint Capela, and Smart actually looked pretty good, going for 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, while shooting 4-for-9 from deep. But Capela only had 5 points and 9 boards in 24 minutes of action.

The Rockets were mostly battling from behind in this one, but Jabari Smith Jr. continued to look sharp and more aggressive, going for 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Reed Sheppard had 17 points on 4-for-10 from deep, but he also had 5 turnovers, while Amen Thompson had 14 points, 7 boards, and 6 assists.

Even youngsters Oscar Tshiebwe and Bruce Thornton got some time, with Big Oscar going for 12 points and 4 boards, with Thornton adding 9 in 18 minutes.

The Mavs were led by Irving’s 17 points, and he carved up the Rockets in 22 minutes of action, much to Ime Udoka’s dismay. They also got 16 from Zaccharie Risacher and 14 from Cooper Flagg to round out their scoring leaders.

The Rockets will now return from China, and as one of the NBA’s preseason international teams, will only have three preseason games to play. They’ll be back in action on Thursday night at home versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s a 730 start time, with the game airing on NBA TV.

The Raptors have been stuck in purgatory since Kawhi Leonard left in 2019. They have been okay at times but bad for the majority, and have not made it out of the first round in the last six seasons. Something needed to change, which obviously meant bringing back Kawhi Leonard. Leonard’s age-35 season will be north of the border once again, but with a younger group than his first go-around. 

Toronto clearly believes that Leonard’s career-high 27.9 points in 65 games last year is going to be the norm going forward rather than the outlier. They not only traded first-round picks for him, but extended him for almost $60 million a year. There has been a trend of older guys maintaining a higher level of play recently, so maybe there is some magic left in the tank. But it is a huge risk, and one that could easily backfire if Leonard’s injury history catches up to him again.

Toronto Raptors: Over/Under 46.5 wins (-115/-110)

To win the NBA Finals: +2200

Last Season: 46-36, lost E. Conference first round

Key Additions: Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Anderson

Key Losses: Brandon Ingram

The Raptors, if nothing else, will be fascinating to watch. They have 12 players between six-foot-six and seven feet tall, including four of the five projected starters. They’re big, they like to defend, and they will create matchup problems all over the board. The Mavericks got a first-hand look at this last season when Toronto came out and blitzed the Mavericks almost a year ago. Now insert Kawhi Leonard into an already inspiring young group, and it is easy to see why this team could cause problems in the East.

The biggest question mark with respect to their win total resides in how many games Leonard will play. The Clippers got 65 from him last season, but he hasn’t played 60 games in back-to-back years since 2017. Even without him, the team can hold their own. Collin Murray-Boyles will build on an impressive rookie year, RJ Barrett can score in bunches, and Scottie Barnes will continue to be someone teams hate dealing with. But Kawhi Leonard makes this team go, and betting on him to stay healthy at age 35 is foolish. With the tides rising in the Eastern Conference, it will be hard for the Raptors to eclipse last year’s mark.

Prediction: Under 46.5 wins (-110)

It’s been proven time and time again that Detroit knows how to turn an opening day into an unofficial holiday. This article can be considered my unofficial campaign to give the Detroit Pistons the same treatment. 

Pistons fans (and NBA league office), walk with me for a minute.

In case you haven’t heard, it’ll be a matinee start on Oct. 20 for the Pistons, with Detroit and the Boston Celtics officially tipping off the NBA season at 3 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock. So check your schedules, because the Pistons and Celtics will likely have settled things by the time most of the workforce starts their evening commute. 

I, for one, am completely here for this new format for a number of reasons. Being the first game of the year during an isolated time slot gives the Pistons a chance to highlight their young and ascending roster. It also gives the city of Detroit a chance to showcase itself on a national stage as the only game taking place in the afternoon. 

A weekday afternoon tipoff could be a tough ask for some working fans. But I also see an opportunity for a revitalized fanbase to build something worth planning around. Let’s also remember it is not uncommon for other sports to have a daytime game during their opening week. Professional baseball and college basketball have successfully used the daytime opening-day format for many years, so this is not entirely uncharted territory.

Though it likely won’t draw the crowds and hooplah of their baseball opening day counterparts, here is hoping (or maybe wishful thinking) that Detroit fans will come out in earnest, and that the Pistons and the NBA can partner together and embark on a new, longstanding tradition for opening day. Let’s make the afternoon opening game an annual tradition for the league and make Detroit its permanent home. Who says no?

Imagine Detroiters playing hookie for a half day, and local gathering spots such as Campus Martius, Tin Roof, or Harry’s packed with fans, with the party spilling out all over Woodward and beyond. It’d be an atmosphere all the same as Tigers opening day, but with a better bet for good weather. And if you’re a Detroit sports fan, what’s not to like? Fans would get to essentially start and end the summer with an electric opening day for two of your four professional sports teams, not to mention a built-in half-day off of work. 

Anyways, enough of me dreaming. 

The city has a chance to replicate some of the magic that the Tigers’ opening day has supplied over the years, a pseudo-holiday in these parts.

Leave the primetime games for the New Yorks and the Golden States of the world. We’re good over here. 

Adam Silver, if you’re reading this, please make this a yearly reservation. 

Pistons fans, let’s show up and make this new opening day the start of something special. 

The World Champion New York Knicks have lost their first two preseason games and we are resoundingly unconcerned. Winning all the marbles has quite a calming effect on the nervous system.

Tonight, they host the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1) at Madison Square Garden. The furry bunch has shed Julius Randle and Naz Reid, but added LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga. If nothing else, it’s a team to watch for curiosity’s sake. In this tilt, the Knicks will be challenged to play at a faster pace, with Ball and Anthony Edwards playing full-tilt and Kuminga adding vertical spacing. Then again, all of Minny’s starters are listed as day-to-day for rest, so this could look more like a scrimmage with a G League squad.

They last met December 23, 2025, when the Timberwolves won 115-104 in Minneapolis. Edwards scored 38 and Randle added 25; Karl-Anthony Towns poured in 40 for the Knicks with Jalen Brunson sidelined with an ankle issue.

Minnesota finished last season with a 116.8 offensive rating (12th) and 113.5 defensive rating (8th), scoring 118 points per game. Edwards remains the engine, scoring 28-plus points a night; Rudy Gobert still anchors the paint and owns the glass; and Jaden McDaniels supplies wing defense and secondary scoring.

New York is still searching for continuity after two losses. The starters have played limited minutes while they ramp up to full-game shape following their summer of love. Meanwhile, coach Mike Brown’s been mixing and matching the supporting cast as he seeks to lock down his roster. On the injury report, McCullar Jr., Agbaji, Eubanks and Bradley are listed as coach’s decisions, so James Wiseman and Bruce Brown should see more gametime off the bench.

Prediction

The Knicks should win if they control the glass, limit Minnesota’s transition, and get make their shots. If coach Chris Finch rests everybody, the Knicks should have an even easier time securing their first dub of the preseason. Knicks by nine.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (0-2) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1)
Date: Monday, October 12, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

During Saturday’s preseason game between the Celtics and the 76ers, NBA stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown completely ignored each other throughout warmups, making it pretty clear they’re still at odds.

The Jays warm up on opposite sides of the court for the first time pic.twitter.com/0PO8MMNDF8

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 10, 2026

In their first meeting since the offseason blockbuster trade, the two former top Celtics picks pretended that the other didn’t exist, despite being in mere steps away from one another.

Jaylen Brown was pivotal for the Celtics last season, as his 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game kept Boston at the top of the Eastern Conference while Tatum was recovering from an Achilles injury. 

Boston faced low expectations at the start of last season due to the departures of Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis, as well as Tatum’s injury. Brown’s contributions ensured the Celtics remained a top-two seed in the East, but their season ultimately ended with a collapse to Philadelphia after a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.

The relationship between the Celtics and Brown grew sour during the season, and in his unofficial return, the five-time All-Star didn’t even sit courtside. According to NBC Sports Boston sideline reporter Abby Chin, Brown spent most of the 144-106 76ers loss in the locker room.

“Jaylen Brown, a former Celtic, is in the building,” Chin reported in the second quarter. “He’s not on the bench. So, we believe he’s back in the locker room here in Boston for the first time since he was traded away this summer.”

Tatum posted 23 points, five rebounds and four assists against the shorthanded 76ers, as Philadelphia also rested Joel Embiid and LeBron James.

Brown doesn’t make his official return to the TD Garden until Jan. 21. Boston will begin the first of four meetings between the two teams on November 10th in Philadelphia.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in their second preseason game as they dispatched the Orlando Magic 119-105 in what was overall a much cleaner performance than their first outing on Thursday.

Mario Hezonja needed a game like this.

His debut on Thursday was rough. He looked out of place and a step or two slow against a versatile, athletic Boston Celtics team. That wasn’t the case on Sunday, as he poured in 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Maybe Hezonja just needed to get his feet under him. Maybe it was playing against a much bigger and more physical team. Either way, this was a much better outing for Hezonja.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson called Hezonja a “diesel train” pregame, saying that he wants to see him get downhill in transition and attack the offensive boards. We saw him do both as he scored a few baskets in transition and had a nice and-one after grabbing an offensive rebound in the first quarter.

Hezonja has the skills to be an offensive connector, functional dribbler, floor spacer, and impactful rebounder. Every team would like to have a backup four that could provide all of those things. Hezonja was that player this game.

The NBA game is much different than what Hezonja was used to in Europe. Atkinson said that he’s tried to incorporate things from the international game into what the Cavs do. Hezonja laughed it off when he asked if there were similarities between Cleveland’s offense and what he thrived on over in Europe.

“I wish in Europe that we play like this,” Hezonja said. “I wish. I wish, because this is smart. This is what it is. But also you don’t have this type of personnel in Europe. … The entire (NBA) game is based on reads nowadays.”

This isn’t the only adjustment Hezonja is making. He’s also getting used to fitting into a different role than what he’s been used to over the past six years with entirely new teammates.

“So you’re just adjusting to the system, coming off the bench, trying to see who are my teammates on the court, what they need, what type of game is it until I get in there,” Hezonja said. “So, just reading over there, it gets a little bit maybe for a couple seconds [it’s weird], but then the experience kicks in.”

Getting used to the Cavs won’t happen overnight. But based on the skills that he showed on Sunday, being patient for him to get up to speed seems like it’ll be worth it.

“It’s an adjustment,” Atkinson said. “We’ve got to have empathy for that. It’s not going to happen overnight.”

James Harden looks ready for the regular season after his preseason opener on Sunday. Harden was able to get wherever he wanted on the court, scored with ease, and created contact to generate free-throw attempts. This resulted in 24 points on 7-for-10 shooting with two assists in 26 minutes.

Atkinson wants to see how Evan Mobley fits alongside Harden. The Cavs have experimented with different lineup combinations throughout these two exhibition games. One that may stick is the Harden and Mobley grouping.

“James’s ball handling can help Evan, especially in the pocket,” Atkinson said. “Can we see that more? We’ll see if we can stick with it, but so far I’ve liked it.”

Overall, Atkinson said that we shouldn’t look too deeply into the rotation, especially in terms of the backup point guards. That said, it’s worth pointing out that Tyrese Proctor hasn’t gotten much of a chance to prove anything in the preseason.

Meleek Thomas is more of an unknown commodity. Getting him as much run as possible with rotation players in a setting like this is important and worthwhile. However, those minutes have come completely at the expense of Proctor, which isn’t a good sign for him.

We’ll see if this changes for the final tune-up game on Tuesday, where Atkinson expects the starters to play more than they did here. As of now, it’s difficult to envision Proctor getting rotation minutes at the start of the season.

Cleveland did a much better job rebounding after a poor showing against Boston. The Celtics gathered 46.9% of their missed shots (100th percentile for an offense). On Sunday, the Magic only retrieved 28.6% of their offensive misses (38th percentile for an offense).

The Magic aren’t as good of an offensive rebounding team as the Celtics. That’s worth pointing out. Yet, it is encouraging that the Cavs were able to do a much better job in this area.

Rebounding is one of the points Atkinson has continually pointed out as wanting to improve this year. This performance was a step in the right direction.

Peyton Watson struggled to establish an offensive rhythm. He aired a three and overall just didn’t seem as comfortable offensively here as he did against Boston, as he went 3-for-10 from the floor for just six points.

“He got a little clunky there offensively, just him not knowing our principles and how we play,” Atkinson said. “We’ll clean that up. I’m not worried about that.”

Like Hezonja, this is an adjustment period for Watson as well.

“Just a little bit more unpredictability,” Watson said when asked what the difference was between this offense and the ones he was a part of with the Denver Nuggets.

The Cavs are giving Watson more responsibilities. They’re allowing him to create with the ball and entrusting him to be more than just a floor spacer or cutter. This added freedom should allow him to grow into a better all-around player. But there could be bumps along the way. This is in addition to figuring out what lineups he fits with best.

“It’s all about instincts and knowing how to play the game around two elite offensive players, just knowing where to be. Whereas with Joker (Nikola Jokic), I kind of knew every time down he was going to have the ball on the floor, on this spot or this spot, and the play or the cut was going to be for me to do this or do that.

“Here, there’s a lot more possibilities of things that I can do/bring to the table. I think that it’s an adjustment. I’m still getting acclimated, but I couldn’t be happier to be in this situation. I think it’ll really benefit my game, and I think it’ll benefit the team as well.”

This was a day for “mindfulness.” 

A day that Knicks coach Mike Brown used to remind his players that others can be going through their own personal issues they might not be aware of. 

Prior to practice Sunday, rather than watching film, Brown chose to discuss something beyond basketball.

One example he used was the contract issues multiple players are dealing with.

He also brought up the loss of his ex-wife in 2025 and the impact it had on his sons and him. 

“As a coach, it’s not all about X’s and O’s every single day. Any time you can try to enlighten guys in different areas of life, not just about the basketball court, you try to do that,” he said. “This is something I thought about doing because I discussed it with a few of my coaches maybe a week and a half, two weeks ago. It was just speaking on being mindful or having mindfulness when it comes to your teammates.” 

Karl-Anthony Towns appreciated it. He is one of three Knicks who are extension-eligible. Towns has been vocal about his disappointment that a new deal hasn’t gotten done, and Friday the Knicks released a statement that they were cutting off talks until later in the year. 

“It was really cool to have Coach talk to us about being human, about the struggles in life,” Towns said. “Us being together and us understanding where everyone is in life and the situations they deal with will allow us to be even more connected and allow us to be an even better team. 

“I want to make sure I say that. I have to give flowers to Mike. That was an amazing job by him as our leader to approach the elephant in the room and to allow us, the players and the coaches, the ones who were on that court in Game 4, Game 5, who really found a way to get this title back to New York, to be human. I think that’s an amazing thing.” 

Brown made it clear this wasn’t just about the contractual issues. It was about the Knicks growing closer as a family and being there for one another. 

“We have to hold each other accountable, but we also have to be mindful that you may have some s–t going on in your life that may not be good,” he said. “So we can’t keep trying to beat you up to be better at your job. Sometimes, it’s trying to figure out how to do that while uplifting you because I don’t know what you’re going through at home in your private life.”