Category: Basketball

With the 2025-26 season long since in the books, let’s take a few moments to look back at the performance of each member of YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles this year. While we’re at it, we’ll also take a look back at our player previews and see how our preseason prognostications stack up with how things actually played out. We’ll run through the roster in order of total minutes played going from lowest to highest, and today we talk about a freshman who we got to see more of than maybe we expected this season……

Adrien Stevens

Freshman — #10 — Guard — 6’4” — 210 lbs. — Potomac, Maryland

* — Notes a Top 500 national ranking per KenPom.com
** — Notes a Top 300 national ranking per KenPom.com

WHAT WE SAID:

Reasonable Expectations

I want to start this with what the BartTorvik.com projections say for Stevens, because we’re going to get out of pocket as to what his ceiling this season might be pretty quickly. Okay? So, listen. The Torvik algorithm says that, based on the other abilities and histories of the returning players and how the freshmen fit in around them when taking the average production of a player with the same recruiting rankings into account, that maybe we’ll see Adrien Stevens for seven minutes a game this year.

That’s rounding up on what 17% of 40 minutes is, and that’s what he’s projected to do. Seven minutes, 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, maybe an assist.

Think about it: He’s probably not going to be playing a lot of point guard in place of Sean Jones or Nigel James, right? So, that means he’s fighting for playing time at the 2, maybe the 3. Chase Ross is absolutely starting in one of those places, and then there’s Zaide Lowery and Damarius Owens to try to figure out the other spot. After that, there’s fellow freshmen Ian Miletic and Michael Phillips to compete with for minutes. You can see why the algorithm isn’t 100% fired up about Stevens as a major contributor here.

Now, there’s a certain amount of reason to believe that Stevens is going to play more than this season, and we’re going to talk about those reasons in the Get Excited section. I think those are valid reasons to at least believe that Stevens is going to play more than seven minutes a night. How much more? Well, we’ll have to wait and see, but…. okay, let’s just get into it, shall we?

Why You Should Get Excited

I’m going to wander back to Ben Steele’s report in the Journal Sentinel from Marquette’s open practice at the end of July.

[But the biggest freshman eye-opener was Stevens, the 6-foot-4 guard who was not afraid to mix it up defensively. He led the team in deflections over the summer, a sure way to get playing time for Smart, and also in total wins in all the drills that MU coaches track.]

Led the team. Not the freshmen, the team. Not just in deflections, but in wins in drills, however that’s counted from drill to drill.

Shaka Smart, talking to the media about what they saw from Stevens in the practice:

[“He’s got some real toughness and physicality and a great body for a freshman,” Smart said. “He can get his hands on the ball.

“He’s really done a good job, particularly in the second half of the summer, buying into the advantages for him that he can press on a daily basis. Heat on the ball. Physicality on the ball. Getting his hands on the basketball. And being someone that, even though he is a freshman, uses his body to his advantage.”]

Chase Ross, who knows a thing or two about making a steal here and there:

[“I hope Stevie don’t watch this, but I think (Stevens) can be (as good) if not better than Stevie,” Ross said. “And y’all seen what Stevie did last year.”]

Okay, so. Expecting First 30 Games Of College Basketball Adrien Stevens to instantly be better than Last 34 Games Of A 135 Game Career Stevie Mitchell is a bit much. I’m going to presume that Ross’ point was that Stevens’ ceiling is ultimately higher than Mitchell’s. Down the road. Eventually.

buuuuuuut also Stevie Mitchell had a steal rate of 3.6% as a freshman according to KenPom.com, and if he had the minutes to qualify, that would have been top 90 in the country. The way to get on the court for Shaka Smart is to play defense. It seems very clear that doing that is not going to be a problem for Adrien Stevens. The question is what his freshman year ceiling is on that end of the floor, and if he’s the guy leading the team in deflections over the summer AND Chase Ross thinks he has a brighter future than Stevie Mitchell on defense….. well. I’m very curious to see what we get from Stevens in 2025-26.

Potential Pitfalls

A whole summer’s worth of being the most pesky defender and biggest drill winner is indicative of Stevens’ abilities relative to his teammates. That’s probably a sign that things are going to work out for him. If he’s beating out the rest of the team, then that should push him towards minutes, right?

The flipside of that coin is that he’s putting up these deflection numbers and drill wins against his teammates. That’s not the competition that he has to be able to defend to actually get minutes, and the fact of the matter is that we’ve seen guys look interesting and possibly successful in the open practices/scrimmages before and then they don’t quite pan out to a notable role on the team, or even come close to what we thought was their best case scenario. Getting familiar with your teammates’ abilities and finding ways to beat them over and over again in summer practices isn’t a perfect indicator of success, and if Stevens can’t get it done against Indiana and Maryland in the third and fifth games of this coming season, it might be a minute before we see him again.

Part of the reason Shaka Smart said the things about Stevens that we listed up above is because that’s what he saw from him in his high school and club circuit games, not just what he did this summer. That should be encouraging, but until we see the rubber hit the road in November, we have to acknowledge the possibility that maybe this doesn’t quite work out this year.

As we sit here in May looking back at the 32 games of Adrien Stevens’ freshman year at Marquette, it’s easy to declare what we saw from him to be an unqualified success. That’s almost assuredly where we are going to end up when get to his season grade, but the fact of the matter is that up until the point where head coach Shaka Smart swapped Stevens into the starting lineup, he appeared to mostly just be “a freshman who was able to take on playing time right away.”

Through Marquette’s first nine games, Stevens played in all of them, landing mostly somewhere between 14 and 20 minutes with a surprise 30 minute outing in Game #9. He averaged 5.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, and he was shooting just 32.3% from behind the three-point line. That three-point shooting was cratering his overall shooting percentage because Stevens was finishing at the rim really well — 7-for-11 on twos through nine games — but he had taken nearly three times as many shots behind the arc than inside of it. That 64% on twos wasn’t enough to make his overall shooting look better than 41%.

This was fine. Tell me in the comments if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember anyone clamoring for a lot more Adrien Stevens than we were getting at that point. Perhaps immediately at that moment as Zaide Lowery managed to go 0-for-7 in 15 minutes against Valparaiso and after three missed layups in the first two minutes of the second half, Lowery didn’t play again in that game and was, in retrospect, officially on his way out of the program. I can see why right at that exact moment, there may have been a “well, it’s time to let Stevens have all of Lowery’s minutes” thought, but it wasn’t a prevailing and insistent idea. Again, tell me if I’m wrong, but there’s nothing about Stevens’ 5/2/1/1 and 32% three-point shooting that said “yes, please, much more.” To make matters worse? Marquette’s defense was actually better with Stevens on the bench. The net differential between offense and defense was about the same with or without him, but through the first nine games, ignoring garbage time, the defense was better with Stevens on the bench. That’s not really a knock on a freshman in his first nine games, just saying what the numbers say, and if his defense was his calling card coming out of the summer workouts, that’s a problem.

And so, as Zaide Lowery’s departure from the program began, it was Stevens that benefitted. This may be because Smart and his staff couldn’t bring themselves to trust Damarius Owens at that point of the campaign as we discussed in his review. Going into the year, I would have figured that Stevens would be fighting with Lowery and Owens for minutes, and as we hit the 10th game of the season, neither of the other two guys had the backing of the coaching staff. That meant it was time to see if Stevens could hack it…. and I think it worked out pretty well.

Once Adrien Stevens became a starter, it seems like the more regular playing time helped him settle into playing Division 1 basketball. Over the final 23 games of the season, Stevens averaged 9.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. His three-point shooting went through the roof, connecting on 39% of his nearly five attempts per game the rest of the year, and in 20 games of Big East competition, he hit on nearly 42% of his tries. That made him the fifth most accurate shooter in the entire conference based on KenPom.com’s qualifying math. Stevens was still taking more than twice as many three-pointers as two-pointers, but since he was taking more twos, his shooting percentage did come down…. to 56%, and that is absolutely better than fine when mixed with nearly 40% three-point shooting. Even his 54% in BE competition was okay because anything over 50% is super when you can hit 42% of your three-pointers.

The other part about all of it is that Stevens started becoming a big impact player on both ends of the floor. For the final 23 games of the season, Marquette was +13.6 points per 100 possessions with Stevens in the game according to Hoop Explorer….. and -2.0 with him on the bench. Stevens boosted Marquette by nearly seven points per 100 trips on offense and nearly nine points per 100 possessions on defense. I don’t know if we can quite click it over to calling the defense elite with Stevens on the court as they were averaging 100.4 per 100 possessions…. but HE says that was #37 in the country. Again, that’s probably not good enough to be elite, but you’re going to win a lot of ball games as a top 40 defense.

If we slice it down to just the final 13 games of the year, from the overtime win over Providence forward, the part of the year where we can say that Marquette looked like a competent Big East caliber team:

+20.8 per 100 possessions with Stevens playing
+6.4 without him

More importantly here though, Marquette was better on both ends with Stevens in the game. Good on offense — #59 in the country — but elite on defense. Just 98.4 points per 100 possessions, and that ranked #26 in the country in that stretch.

Stevens’ own stats in those games: 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.2 steals in 31.0 minutes per game. 37.7% three-point shooting, 55.6% two-point shooting.

For the final third of the season or so, Adrien Stevens had turned himself into a perfectly competent if not good Big East caliber starting guard. I don’t know if there was ever really a Light Goes On moment for him, just a “we’re going to keep trusting you to do stuff, and maybe here’s some more stuff” and he just kept on doing the stuff. You really can’t expect much more from a freshman.

BEST GAME

Adrien Stevens picked up his first KenPom.com game MVP award for Marquette’s 78-56 road win over Providence on March 4th, and it’s hard to argue with that as his best game. Season/career high 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting which including 5-for-8 from long range, four rebounds, an assist, and four steals. If you wanted to say the road win over Georgetown where he had 16 points as MU had to get through a 16 point victory over the Hoyas without Royce Parham, I’d listen to the argument. Same for his 6-for-9 three-point shooting game at home against Butler in MU’s 70-55 win that came with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals as well.

SEASON GRADE

For the first — and I presume not last! — time this season, we have to ask the question “How high is too high?”

We started out the year thinking “well, there’s obviously a way for him to earn playing time on this team, the question is how much can he actually get?” Situations that kind of had nothing really to do with Stevens popped the door open to lots of playing time even though he was already an obvious rotation guy from Day 1. Once that door popped open, Stevens went flying through it and established himself as a cornerstone of Marquette basketball for the rest of his tenure in Milwaukee. It’s possible that we’re actually underrating Stevens as a performer this season because Nigel James is over there on the other side of the room saying “hey, check this freshman year out!” and that’s not really Stevens’ fault!

I think that because Stevens landed on “obvious starter caliber guy” by the time the season ended but not any further than that, I have to pin his grade at a 9. He’s not a superstar caliber player, or at least didn’t jump off the TV screen as that this season relative to what we thought he could be this season. He definitely shot past a reasonable expectation for him in 2025-26, so I think a 9 is fair.

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With Game 1 of the Knicks-Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night, an Eastern Conference scout shares what to watch during the series:

HARDER FOR HARDEN?

The scout notes that the Cavs will play their 15th game in 32 days on Tuesday night. 

"And you play every other day in this series. Harden is in Year 17. You have to make him work." 

The scout suggests the Knicks should try picking Harden up full court with Miles McBride or Jose Alvarado. "Pressure him, don’t make it easy."

On the other side of the floor, the Knicks will certainly use screens in an effort to force Harden to defend Jalen Brunson and others.

"That one is obvious. But the Cavs should be ready for that," the scout says. "What about transition? Push the ball up the floor, make him run or beat him down the floor. He’ll get tired."

GO TO THE MAT TO STOP KAT

The scout credits Mike Brown and the Knicks for adjusting their offense to use Karl-Anthony Townsas more of a passing hub.

"Look at how Mike used Domantas Sabonis in Sacramento. He was in Golden State for Draymond Green." The scout says Towns' role in the new offense is not a facsimile of Sabonis or Green, but there are similarities. 

"He gave Karl the chance to be a passer and they’ve taken off," the scout says. He also credits Brown and the Knicks for using Brunson off-ball and as a screener in the new approach. "Take him off the ball like (Steve Kerr did) with Steph Curry," the scout said. This approach obviously worked well against Atlanta and Philadelphia. The Knicks are 7-0 since they made the change on offense. But the scout notes that the Cavs have different personnel and can challenge Towns in different ways.

"I just think they can pressure him with (Evan) Mobley. It won’t be as easy for him to find (open teammates). I’m not saying they should change anything. I just think the Cavs will make it tougher because they have seen it on tape and because Mobley is better than anyone they saw in the first two series."

PREDICTION

The scout thinks the Knicks should go to the double-big lineup featuring Towns and Mitchell Robinson often in Game 1 to test the Cavs. He points out that Cleveland is not a great rebounding team and the Knicks can exploit them on the offensive glass.

But on the other side of the floor, the scout says the Cavs will make life difficult for Brunson.

"The Knicks will switch some pick and roll, and Brunson will be left in a tough spot." The scout notes Sam Merrill or Max Strus should be able to get open looks via pick and roll action that involves Brunson.

"This is going to be tough for Jalen," he says. "I know the Knicks have been defending (well), but they haven’t seen an offense like this."

The scout thinks the Knicks should start with Mikal Bridges on Harden to disrupt Harden’s passing and start with Josh Hart defending Donovan Mitchell.

"You can put OG on (Jarrett Allen) and then you can switch pick-and-rolls," the scout says. "I just think (the Cavs) have so many more weapons than the Hawks or Sixers. This is going to be much tougher for (the Knicks’ defense)," the scout predicts.

"If you want me to make a pick I’ll take Knicks in seven. Tough series, but the Knicks should be able to get through. I have to think the Cavs will slow down; they’ve played a million games. So they will be a tough out, but I’m taking the Knicks."

Undoing the goodwill of a 3-1 series comeback to beat your biggest rival in a playoff series for the first time in nearly 45 years is hard to do, yet it feels like the Sixers did so in the span of a week.

Getting thoroughly trounced in the second round by the New York Knicks — setting a record for most 30+ point losses in a playoff run in the process — made the fanbase lose the “house money” mentality they were treating the postseason with during the Boston series.

The result of this season was just another in what’s become a long line of second-round exits, but the 2025-26 Sixers showed more fight, heart and camaraderie than any team of the Joel Embiid era. To some extent, their efforts should be celebrated.

With ownership feeling the need for a front office change after the season, it just shows how hard this group had to fight to accomplish what they did. They had to deal with Embiid again being available for less than half the games, a Paul George suspension just as they were gaining momentum, and a front office that not only ignored the team’s plea to improve at the trade deadline, but shipped off a popular young player in the locker room for no player in return.

Through it all, the Sixers were able to win 45 games, make the playoffs and beat a team that won over 50 games in a series for the first time in Embiid’s career.

Every step of the way, the players would cite the resiliency of the group — a cliche that gets thrown around a lot, but not a quality many Embiid-led Sixers teams have had after years of constant roster turnover. Ironically, it was during the disastrous 24-win season where it felt like that element was there for the Sixers. It just took an extra year and retaining 11 players from that team for it to translate to wins.

“You know what’s funny? Our chemistry off the court last year wasn’t bad, like we like each other,” Tyrese Maxey said after a win in January. “I think the biggest thing is we’re healthy. I think we got to the space where it doesn’t matter who’s on the court.”

That chemistry made a noticeable difference in what they were able to accomplish. They became the first group in franchise history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in a playoff series. While they were doing so, guys like Maxey made sure to shoutout the guys who weren’t getting playing time in that series, but were being a great support system on the bench.

When he went on the radio to discuss his report that Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse’s jobs may be in jeopardy, Tony Jones of the Athletic said, “… if you knew some of the stuff they went through internally, I honestly thought it was amazing they won 45 games. This wasn’t a smooth year, but I also think it definitely shows how much this group likes each other.”

The conclusive defeat to New York showed how far this current Sixers roster is from truly competing for a title. Now that the offseason is here, there’s plenty of time to debate the best way to try to get back to that, but it’s important to remember no one had expectations in that ballpark before the start of the season. No one, this blog included, knew what to make of their preseason over/under win total.

At the beginning of the year, any fan would have signed up for a season that both netted a record over .500 and Embiid feeling like he has his left knee situation figured out. They would have been over the moon at the prospect of a VJ Edgecombe rookie season so promising he started every game he appeared in and was a major contributor in wins — and one that culminated in a 23-point performance in Game 7 against the Celtics.

The existential threats of Embiid and George’s contracts make it harder to get excited about a Maxey-Edgecombe led future. The fact that those two guards aren’t exactly on the same timeline makes it tricky as well. The next president of basketball operations the team brings in will have their work cut out for them, but this year’s team showed how much easier it is to watch a team that both fights and cares.

He may not have won this season's NBA MVP award, but San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama was unquestionably the best player on the court in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

In a performances for the ages, Wembanyama delivered when it mattered most in the Spurs' 122-115 double-overtime victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He scored from every angle, was an unstoppable force on the boards and in the paint – and even buried a ridiculous game-tying 3-pointer from way beyond the arc in the waning seconds of the first extra period.

In the process, Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history (22 years, 134 days) to score at least 40 points and grab at least 20 rebounds in a playoff game.

Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.

Player Snapshot

• Position: SF/PF
• Age: 30
• 2026-27 Contract Status: $20.0 million
• SunsRank (Preseason): 3
• SunsRank (Postseason): 2

*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.

Season in One Sentence

Dillon Brooks provided the exact edge and high-intensity defensive resistance that Phoenix desperately needed, even if his occasional boundary-testing on offense left the coaching staff pulling their hair out.

By the Numbers

The Expectation

The ask was simple, at least on paper. Give Devin Booker a break from the toughest nightly assignments. Bring physicality to a wing rotation that had been getting pushed around for two years. Hit enough corner threes to stay on the floor in crunch time. Phoenix did not need Brooks to reinvent himself. They needed him to show up and be exactly who he already was.

We knew what came with all of that. The technicals. The mind games. The staredowns. The relentless trolling. Sometimes it could cost you points in critical moments, but you have to take the good with the bad when it comes to Dillon Brooks. You don’t get the Villain without it.

The Reality

Dillon Brooks had a breakout season for the Phoenix Suns. He averaged a career-high 20.2 points per game on 43.5% shooting from the floor. It wasn’t just his scoring that set the tone of the Suns; it was what he did on the other end of the court.

Brooks was the one guy on this roster who genuinely looked forward to guarding the other team’s best player. He did not rotate off, did not take plays off, and did not flinch when the assignment got ugly. He’d mix it up and get in the head of the opponent’s top option.

His catch-and-shoot numbers held at a respectable 36.8% from deep, which kept defenses from sagging off him entirely and gave the offense legitimate spacing to work with. He shot 34.4% from deep overall, and 49.2 on two-point field goals.

Here is where it gets complicated. Brooks has never been a guy who stays in his lane for 48 minutes, and this season was no different. There were several times he decided to create off the dribble, and possessions died. Ball movement stopped. Jordan Ott’s offensive structure evaporated. The team went from executing to watching one guy hunt a mid-range look with 14 seconds left on the shot clock. And look, some of those possessions were warranted or “heat checks” but we all know the harmful overdribbling Dillon Brooks experience was a thing last year.

What It Means

For two years, this franchise has talked about needing a tough, physical wing who takes pride in the dirty work. Brooks is that guy. He does not need to be reminded. He does not need to be motivated. He shows up ready to compete every single night, and that quality is genuinely rare in a league full of players who pick their spots.

There are plenty of Suns fans who would love to see an extension for Brooks this summer, but the math has to make sense. There are so many different priorities both short and long-term for this team to figure out. But make no mistake… Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin are the dogs that led this team’s culture change. All three need to be here for a while.

Defining Moment

It’s tough to pick any one defining moment from Brooks, as he was a constant meme generator and hit so many big shots over the course of the season.

The career-high 40-point outburst in a win vs. the Pistons in late January has to be my overall pick. He took over this game and carried the Suns to a win with Devin Booker sidelined. It was an efficient 40-piece on just 22 shot attempts. He mixed it up quite a bit with the Pistons throughout as he led the Suns to the convincing win against the number one seed in the East.

Grade: A-

Brooks did his job and then some. To me, he earns a very solid “A minus” because he is largely responsible for this season’s success and overacheiving.

He defended, he competed, and he gave this team an identity on the perimeter that it genuinely lacked before he arrived. The iso tendencies docked him a little bit, but agian, you take the good with the bad with Dillon Brooks. The talent and the toughness were never in question.

The bottom line is there are 29 other teams that would kill to have their own version of Dillon Brooks. He is a tough player to find, and the Suns should not take what he brings to the table for granted. Even if he gives Jordan Ott the ocassional anxiety attack.

It’s almost impossible to predict which players will one day turn into a possible NBA MVP. As the league takes steps to address its purported tanking crisis, the last No. 1 overall pick to win the MVP is still Derrick Rose, who taken in 2008. After Rose, you have to go back to LeBron James (2003) and Tim Duncan (1997) for the last No. 1 overall picks to win MVP. Victor Wembanyama will almost certainly break this drought in the next year or two, but the looming ascent of Wemby opens up another question: When is the next time an American-born player will win MVP?

The last American-born MVP was James Harden in 2018. Since then, Giannis Antetokounmpo won twice, Nikola Jokic won three times, Joel Embiid won once, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won twice. Embiid was the only one of those players who was drafted in the top-10. It feels like Wembanyama could win the next seven MVP awards even if it’s unlikely because of the 65-game rule of award eligibility. It could be a long, long time before the next American MVP.

When thinking about the next American MVP, a long-term horizon needs to be considered. Given the gap between SGA, Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, and everyone else, it’s totally possible that the next NBA MVP born in America isn’t even in the league yet. Let’s go through some options.

Missed their window already, and never really got close

Donovan Mitchell: Mitchell is in the discussion for the best American-born player in the NBA right now. He’s also never finished top-5 in MVP voting, and he turns 30 in September. It’s not happening.

Jalen Brunson: It’s more likely that Brunson wins NBA Finals MVP than NBA MVP, even if that’s also a long-shot. Brunson is obviously terrific as a scorer and shot-creator, but he only has one fifth-place MVP finish to his name, and he’s not getting any better on the brink of his 30th birthday.

Jaylen Brown: He deserves a mention after the year he just turned in, but he’s not even the best player on his own team, let alone the best in the league.

Young veterans with a chance

Anthony Edwards: Edwards is one of the front-runners for this honor. He’s already a top-10 player in the league at 24 years old, and he’s also likely going to have a big marketing push behind him as the face of American basketball if he can continue to ascend as a player. Is there a world where the Timberwolves trade Rudy Gobert, Edwards suddenly has more space to drive and create, and he takes a big leap? What if he eventually changes teams? The fact that Edwards has improved so much since being drafted as a hyper-athletic ball of clay — just look at his three-point shooting from college to now — gives him a real shot to keep getting better and eventually win an MVP one day.

Jayson Tatum: Tatum is 28 years old and already has two fourth place MVP finishes on his resume. He looked fantastic returning from a torn Achilles this season, so it’s totally possible he can regain his level of play prior to the injury. Tatum was probably a long-shot MVP candidate even before the injury, since younger players have already passed him. It will be even harder with a reconstructed Achilles. Given that the Celtics consistently churn out great teams and Tatum remains their franchise player, there’s still a chance it happens one day if the other contenders miss the games played cut-off.

Cade Cunningham: Cunningham led his team to 60 wins in his age-24 season to fulfill the promise he showed as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He’s already a borderline top-10 player, and there’s so much low-hanging fruit to clean up in his game. Cunningham can go up another level if he cuts down the turnovers and improves his scoring efficiency, and it’s possible that playing in better spacing one day will get him there. It feels like Detroit might be better served to put another ball handler next to Cade and let him work as more of a wing than a point guard, but who knows if they will actually go in that direction. He’s one of the top candidates on this list …. but he’s nowhere near Wemby, while being 2.5 years older.

Evan Mobley: I would have ranked Mobley higher on my list of the next American MVP candidates a couple years ago, but he really hasn’t gotten much better lately. Does he have another big leap in him? He’s obviously a special defensive player and a good offensive player, but he’s a world away from MVP level.

LaMelo Ball: My toxic trait is that I never stop believing in LaMelo Ball. I had Ball ranked No. 1 in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he finally put it all together this season to both have a big impact on winning and grade out as a top-20 player in some metrics. The Hornets had the best net-rating in the NBA after Jan. 1. If Charlotte keeps that up and finishes at the top of the East next year (a big if, I know), Ball could sneak into MVP conversations.

Chet Holmgren: Holmgren is the closest thing we have to an American Wemby. He already feels like a top-10 player in the world to me, and just celebrated his 24th birthday. I really do think Holmgren can get up another level offensively, but not that’s not the role he’s been asked to play yet on the Thunder, and it’s hard to see a scenario where he’s the best player on his own team if he stays in OKC.

Tyrese Haliburton: Haliburton looked like an MVP-caliber player last time we saw him healthy in the 2025 NBA Finals. Can he get back to that level after a torn Achilles? It will be difficult, but not impossible. The Pacers point guard could be a Steve Nash-like candidate where he gets most of the credit of his team’s success if Indiana emerges as a contender again next season.

The 2006-2007 Generation

Cooper Flagg: Flagg was the youngest player in the NBA as a rookie, and he put together a terrific season despite being asked to play de facto point guard for the first time in his life. If an NBA player’s prime is ages 24-28, Flagg won’t hit that rank until the 2030-31 season. There have been eight players in league history to win MVP before they turned 24, and Flagg will be on an all-time trajectory if he can do that. I would like to see the Mavs star get back to his roots and reassert himself as a dominant defensive player after being …. fine on that end of the floor as a rookie while shouldering a huge offensive creation burden. Flagg has the talent to win MVP. No one else born in this country has his defensive ceiling while also being carrying this big of a usage load. It just feels like it will be hard for the Mavs to build a good enough team around him in the West in the near future.

Cameron Boozer: Boozer is the best player in the 2026 NBA Draft for my money. I’ve been touting him a future NBA superstar since he was in high school, and all he did at Duke was win national player of the year with a near-unanimous vote despite being basically the youngest player in the country. Concerns about his athleticism are overblown, but to get to MVP level Boozer would probably have to turn into an excellent pull-up three-point shooter or flirt with averaging a triple-double.

Darryn Peterson: It was only 18 months ago when Peterson was dropping 58 points on A.J Dybantsa in a 40 minute high school game. He never looked healthy at Kansas, but still showed that he can be a deadly three-point shooter. If his bizarre injury issues are over now and he’s really this good of a shooter, there’s a pathway for DP to be one of the most complete scoring guard prospects to hit the draft in recent memory.

A.J. Dybantsa: Dybantsa is an extremely gifted shot-creator for such a gigantic wing. I don’t think he’s really a complete player, but put a team full of dirty work guys around him and it’s possible he could emerge as a superstar engine of an elite team. He would need to take a big leap as a three-point shooter, defender, or both to get to MVP level, but there’s a world where that could happen.

Tyran Stokes: Stokes is the front-runner to go No. 1 overall in the 2027 NBA Draft right now as a jumbo shot-creator who stockpiles steals and blocks. There are some questions around his mentality. I asked an NBA scout at the combine if they thought Stokes had enough going on upstairs to eventually be a great player, and they responded by saying he’s currently a one-floor apartment. It’s more likely that he never makes an All-Star team than wins MVP, but he’s still a super talented player with plenty of time to learn winning habits.

Let’s get crazy

Rhys Robinson: Robinson is a 16-year-old who won’t be eligible for the NBA Draft until 2029. He’s a tall, high-feel point guard who has played up three years in international competitions and still performed well. He’s in the international pipeline right now but was born in California. I can’t believe I’m putting someone born in 2010 on this list, but the specter of Wemby’s long run of dominance will do crazy things to a man.

Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje: Enrolling at Duke as a 17-year-old this year, JBB won’t be eligible for the draft until 2028. The Florida native is reportedly close to 7-feet tall with the skill to play on the perimeter. He’s more of a forward than a center, and can get hot as a three-point shooter. He could be really good 10 years from now in 2036, if the world still exists at that point.

Predicting the next American-born NBA MVP

Who will be the next American-born NBA MVP? Here’s how I’d rank the candidates.

7. Darryn Peterson

6. LaMelo Ball

5. Chet Holmgren

4. Anthony Edwards

3. Cade Cunningham

2. Cooper Flagg

1. Cameron Boozer

Let us know who you think will be the next American-born NBA MVP below in the comments.

It’s been a million years since the New York Knicks last graced a basketball court. But the playoffs haven’t stopped and our beloved Knickerbockers are back it, starting on Tuesday, and hooping in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year and row.

After beating a pesky Atlanta Hawks squad and vaporizing the Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks are facing a much tougher matchup on paper against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Can they keep it rolling? Can they extend their ongoing seven-game winning streak? Will the vibes stay the same as they’ve been for the past few weeks and into the depths of June!?

As usual, the Posting & Toasting crew has squeezed back around the round(ball) table to cut through the noise and tackle the juiciest questions surrounding New York’s EFC showdown with their Cleveland foes. Our panel of basketball geniuses tackled the following questions:

How many games will the Knicks-Cavaliers ECF last, and who makes the Finals?

Antonio: I failed miserably predicting Embiid/Maxey to have an unwinnable game each against the Knicks. I’ll put my reputation on the line once again cause I don’t think it’s that risky. I refuse to believe Donovan Mitchell won’t at least have one of those ridiculous 50-burger outings he puts together here and there, and the Cavs have a bunch of very solid starters, so as not to combine for another victory. Give me Knicks in six and I’d be pleased.

Miranda: Knicks in five. The Cavs won two Game 7s to get this far, and that has to mean something. But those wins were over two teams still learning to rub two sticks together on offense, so how much those Cavs wins matter is pro’ly more eye-of-the-beholder than usual.

Zeno: I gave the Sixers way too much credit last round, and that’s my bad, but I would truly be shocked if the Cavs looked as bad as they did, even with the grueling postseason they’ve endured so far. There are a lot of key matchups in this one, but I lean the Knicks to win a war of attrition and wear down a fatigued Cavs squad in six games to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.

Kento: The Cavaliers will be the best team the Knicks have played. They, even more so than the two previous teams the Knicks played, pose some unique challenges, but they aren’t hurt, and they aren’t inexperienced. The Cavaliers have a lot of talent, and are more versatile in the ways they can play than the Hawks, and 76ers too. I also think the Knicks’ offense, partly because of how the Cavaliers will defend them, will come back down to earth. But I still think they have the depth, talent, home-court advantage, and rest to take them over the top. Knicks in six.

Beyond Jalen Brunson, who is the most important Knick in the ECF?

Antonio: Everybody’s talking about OG—both health- and talent-wise—but I just can’t go with anyone else than Mitchell Robinson. Yes, bench guy. Yes, awful at the line. Yes, a limited-minutes, strategical advantange for the Cavs. But when Mitch is on, he’s a menace, and the Knicks will need all of it to deal with the Mobley-Allen pairing in the paint. Robinson already dominated Cleveland’s bigs in 2023. Let’s have a re-do.

Miranda: OG Anunoby. Specifically, his hamstring. Both these teams feature multiple quality big men. Both feature elite combo guards. Both are led by coaches whose CV would be gussied up quite a bit with the addition of an NBA title. And while I agree with Joe Vardon that Max Strus looks a little beefier than in the past, maybe the biggest difference between the teams is one has an 80-inch, 240 pound two-way monster who was the Eastern playoffs MVP before hurting his hamstring, and the other has Strus. If OG is anything close to what he was the first two rounds, Cleveland has no chance.

Zeno: The longest tenured Knick, Mitchell Robinson. In 2023, he and Isaiah Hartenstein brutalized Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to a pulp on the boards. iHart is gone, and Karl-Anthony Towns does more than enough on the boards to replace him, but I truly believe this series needs to have a gigantic performance from Big Mitch on the boards. In two games against Cleveland this year, he grabbed 29 rebounds (16 offensive) in 36 total minutes. More of that, please.

Kento: Josh Hart. The Cavaliers have the defensive personnel to guard Hart with a center-something that has long stifled the team’s offense. The Knicks have found some workarounds, but still lack a consistent enough counter to when opponents do that. If Hart is a willing, and effective enough shooter, it won’t matter. But if he becomes hesitant, or goes completely cold, this series could get uncomfortable. I also think his offensive rebounding, and defense on Harden and or Mitchell will be imperative to winning this series as well.

What must New York do to win this series and represent the East in the Finals?

Antonio: Drag the series into a seven-game affair so the Cavs wave the white flag. No, seriously, they simply have to do what they earned in the regular season and Cleveland helped them get for the third consecutive round: play to their home-court advantage, start the ECF going up 2-0, and go from there. There’s no way the Cavs pull off the miracle if they go two games behind to start the conference finals, coming off playing 14 games in a month, let alone with New York having nine days off. If we’re going Xs & Os, be mad quick and jump all possible passing lanes. Yes, you’ll get caught here and there, but the Cavs turn the ball over like madmen, so more often than not, those mistakes and an active D should do wonders for the Knicks.

Miranda: The Cavaliers barely beat a Raptors team with RJ Barrett as a leading scorer and a Pistons team whose best scorer after Cade Cunningham was Tobias Harris, who shot 39% in the series. So they’re obviously leveling up taking on the scoring Xanadu that is these Knicks. But the surest way for the Knicks to win the series is to pick their poison on defense and stick with it: either play Donovan Mitchell pretty straight-up and ensure none of his teammates get going, or refuse to let Mitchell beat them and leave it to the rest of the Cavs to make shots. The Cavs are by far the best scoring side the Knicks have seen this postseason, but I don’t think they have enough players capable of going off. After Mitchell, I don’t think they have any.

Zeno: Make Cleveland’s offense uncomfortable. They lead all the teams in turnovers and points allowed off turnovers as Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are trading bad performances. It’s hard to shut the water off on both of them, but even making one extremely frustrated can disrupt their offensive flow and allow you to score in transition.

Kento: Win the possession battle. Throughout the ups and downs, and the craziness of the Cavaliers’ postseason run, a few things remain a constant. They’ve actually been a good offensive rebounding team, but still struggle with keeping opponents off the offensive glass, and they have not only been turnover prone, but have been abysmal in transition defense. Thankfully, the Knicks have been great at rebounding the ball on both ends of the floor, and while they don’t force a ton of turnovers, they’ve been among the best in the league at converting their limited opportunities into points. If the Knicks can win the possession battle against an already fatigued team, it could be the ultimate difference-maker.

What concerns you most about the Knicks entering the ECF?

Antonio: Rust. If you frequent the comment section of P&T, you’ve read me mentioning it since the day the Knicks clinched their spot in the ECF, let alone each passing day the Cavs-Pistons series extended for yet another game. Having a few days off might help, but being out for damn nine days is unheard of, so we don’t even know how that might or might not work out in favor of or against New York. That said, once both teams settle into the series, and the longer they last, it’s fair to assume the Knicks should have a sizable fresh-legs advantage.

Miranda: Madison Square Garden is as big a homecourt advantage for a Game 7 as there is in the Association, but earlier in playoff series it can feel more the opposite. I think that’s more about how fandom has evolved over time than anything specific to MSG, but I suspect that as players have become more like comrades than enemies (which I don’t mind) and every team is now a billionaire vanity project, the little things that used to differentiate between the haves and have-nots don’t really apply anymore, including homecourt advantage.

When the Bad Boys won back-to-back titles in the late 1980s, owner Bill Davidson made them the first team to have their own private charter, Roundball One. If the Pistons were flying private during a playoff series and whoever they were beating up on was still flying commercial, that was a big advantage. A year ago Forbes estimated Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert’s “worth” as $22.5 billion. That’s par for the course nowadays. My biggest worry, at least earlier in the series, is whether playing at home with all the pressure to win that there is on this group, for the first time ever, could build to an uncomfortable point.

Zeno: The long time off might be an obvious answer, but I’ll go with Cleveland’s 3-point shooting. The biggest advantage you had in a potential series against Detroit was their lack of it, but the Knicks will have to not only guard Mitchell and Harden closely, but stay home on guys like Max Strus, Dean Wade, and Sam Merrill on the perimeter. This team is very capable of pouring it on offensively.

Kento: As mentioned above, the Cavaliers defense, and more specifically, how they defend Hart. Dean Wade has boasted great individual defensive numbers against Brunson this year, but seeing as he averaged damn near 30PPG against VJ Edgecombe, who had similar success, I’m not as worried there. But the Knicks’ worst offensive droughts often come when teams put their centers on Hart. When, not if, the Cavaliers deploy that strategy, how will Hart, the rest of the Knicks, and Brown respond? And just as importantly, if the offenses starts to struggle, can Brown pull the plug, and not only make the necessary adjustments, but do so quick enough to avoid becoming the next Thibodeau?

Heading into the ECF, what gives you the most confidence about New York amid its postseason run?

Antonio: It took them more than 90 games and a few locker room discussions amid the Hawks series, no less (welp) to get their excrement together, but the Knicks have finally blossomed into the uber-killing machine we envisioned in August and watched win the winter tourney. Seriously, there is just no realistic scenario in which the Cavs catch such a massive break as the Pacers did last year—injuries, bounces, whatnot—to kick the Knicks out of contention. I just refuse to believe it.

Miranda: They’ve never lost a playoff series against Cleveland. Plus, after their last four ECFs dating back to 1994 came against Indiana, the Knicks’ mirror nemesis, it will be refreshing not to face the dark chaos magic that is every f***ing Pacers team ever.

Zeno: Two things, actually. The rest advantage and the way they’ve been playing. The Cavs have played 14 games in 30 days leading into this series and could play as many as 21 in 44 days. In the regular season, players will load manage, and the games are less intense, but it’s a whole different beast in the playoffs. They were exhausted against the Pacers last year, and the Knicks can do the same thing to them. Secondly, we just watched the most dominant seven-game stretch in Knicks history. I’m not going to doubt them until I see them deviate from this winning formula on both ends of the floor.

Kento: I’ll cheat and go with two. One is Brunson. I tend to believe that in the postseason, when the talent level is close enough, the team with the best player usually wins. That should give the Knicks the advantage. But I’ll echo what everyone else is saying and also go with the trajectory of both teams. I get that every series is a new series but the Cavaliers have played four more games, needed seven games to beat a solid, but mediocre Raptors team, and a Pistons team who’s second best offensive player was…. Tobias Harris? Meanwhile, the Knicks are rested, are more prepared, and have been playing the best basketball of the season, and overall look as focused as they ever have.

When talking about the 2026 NBA draft, everyone knows about the top 4.

But there is a player who will almost certainly be available when the Mavericks pick at 9 who matches all of the top 4 statistically, so why isn’t he viewed with the likes of AJ Dybansta and Cam Boozer?

Well, he’ll be 24 when the season starts.

The basics

Yaxel Lendeborg was born Sep. 20 2002 in Puerto Rico, before moving to Ohio when he was 2 years old. He attended Pennsauken High School in New Jersey, but only played in 11 varsity games in his high school career.

This unusual circumstance was caused by his bad grades, which kept him from playing on the varsity squad. This began his roundabout basketball career, as Lendeborg would commit to Arizona Western, a junior college school, where he would play for 3 seasons.

He would be recognized as the NJCAA and ACCAC player of the year in his 3rd season, averaging 17.2 points and 13 rebounds per game. After this season he would transfer to the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

He would again dominate this level, where he would win back-to-back American Athletic Conference (AAC) defensive player of the years, where he averaged 17.7 points 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game in his final season.

Following this season Lendeborg would enter the transfer portal, while also attending the NBA draft combine. After the combine, Lendeborg would choose to return to school, where he would transfer to the Michigan Wolverines.

This decision proved to be the right one, as Lendeborg and the Wolverines would cap off a dominant season with a National Championship.

Lendeborg would have a tremendous season, being named the Big 10 National player of the year, as well as a consensus first team All-American.

Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 stocks per game.

The good

• Lendeborg’s biggest strength is his combination of size and athleticism. He measured in at 6’8.75 barefoot, and weighed in at 241 pounds, with a 7’3 wingspan. These measurables are absolutely outstanding, as Lendeborg should be able to play the 3-5, giving him supreme positional versatility. He also has a fluidity that is rare for his size. This shows itself both as a driver, and as a defender, as he’s able to guard both speedy wings, and powerful big-men. This frame is also NBA ready, as he should have the strength to battle with almost any player in the league.
• Lendeborg also possesses elite efficiency across almost all play-types. He shot 72% at the rim, and 37% from three, both being great numbers for his playstyle. He was also efficient in every context: attacking the rim, posting up smaller defenders, or popping off of a screen for a three. He’s able to effortlessly switch between off and on-ball play-types, capable of creating his own shot, or playing off of others. His shot diet is also nearly perfect, as almost all of his shots come at the rim or three point line. While he may not posses the self-creation ability of the truly elite prospects, his versatility allows him to be impactful whether he has the ball or not.

• Perhaps the most NBA ready part of Lendeborg’s skillset will be his defense, as he projects to become an elite backline menace. Lendeborg doesn’t necessarily have one skill that sets him apart defensively; rather, it is his ability to slot in wherever a team is lacking. He can perform as a great secondary rim-protector next to a center, a wing stopper, or even a small-ball five. His long arms and thick frame lead to a high number of steals and blocks. Lendeborg also could become a volume rebounder, as he has shown the ability to grab double digit boards during his college career. While those numbers dipped last season, it can be chalked up to playing alongside Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara. Overall, Lendeborg will immediately become one of the more versatile defenders in the NBA, and has the potential to truly wreck games.

• An underrated part of Lendeborg’s game is his playmaking, which could have the potential to be truly great. While his raw assist numbers may be lackluster, the advanced metrics paint a different story. Lendeborg posted an 18% AST%, 3.1 AST/TO, and 2.9 rim AST a game, all numbers in the 85th percentile or better. While these numbers could suggest hidden upside as an on-ball creator, he will more than likely be limited due to his scoring ability. At the very least, he should be an effective connective passer who always makes the right play.

• Finally, Lendeborg’s advanced impact metrics cannot be ignored, as he has some of the best in this class. Lendeborg posted the second best BPM in the class, only behind Cameron Boozer. This impact felt on both sides of the ball, as he was second best in both metrics. This level of impact usually translates to the NBA, even if it’s inflated due to his age.

The bad

• Simply put, Yaxel Lendeborg’s age is the only reason he isn’t discussed as a top 5 prospect in this class. Lendeborg will be 24 years old when the 2026-2027 NBA season begins, a truly outrageous age for a rookie. To put this in perspective, he is older than Paolo Banchero, who will be entering his 5th NBA season. His age is a nuanced topic, as many have claimed that the only reason he has the impact that he showcased in college was due to his age. While this is a bit extreme, the cause for concern is not fully without merit. While Lendeborg’s raw BPM was 15.1 (second best in the class), his BPM+ (which accounts for factors such as age) was only 5.1, which is 15th in the class. His age also means that his potential is capped at being a role player, as teams can expect very few physical changes for Lendeborg at this point in his career.

• When it comes to his game the biggest concern is the three-point shot. While Lendeborg shot 37% from three last season at Michigan, it was the first season in his long college career where the 3-ball was a legitimate weapon. His form is solid, but I do have concerns about whether he will have real three-point gravity at the next level.

Fit with the Mavericks

While many Mavericks fans would hate this draft selection, his fit would be incredibly seamless. Lendeborg could immediately start at the 4 next to Cooper Flagg, helping him on both sides of the ball.

The issue is that the Mavericks already have a player that is very similar to Lendeborg, while only being 3 years older.

That being P.J. Washington Jr.

The other problem is Flagg’s timeline. Lendeborg is ready to help a contending team win now, and while the Mavericks should be feisty next year, winning is not a priority. Furthermore, Lendeborg will be 30 years old before Flagg turns 25, and will be on the decline before Flagg hits his prime years.

Player comparison

The most obvious comp for Lendeborg is Aaron Gordon with slightly less athleticism. This comp is mainly rooted in their shared physical traits and defensive versatility. While Gordon is not a star, he routinely has been one of the most impactful players in the entire league, and is vital to the Nuggets system. Lendeborg’s low end comp is the aforementioned P.J. Washington Jr.

The Western Conference Finals started with a bang Monday night as the San Antonio Spurs took out the Oklahoma City Thunder, 122-115 in double overtime.

Mason Plumlee did not get off the bench again, but he’s 36 now and his role is limited: he’s a reliable big man for spot duty as needed. His career is winding down, but he’s not going to do stupid things if called upon.

As for Jared McCain, he got 18 minutes, scored 7 points, 3 rebounds, and an assist.

On Tuesday, Tyrese Proctor and the Cleveland Cavaliers open the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks.

• Jared McCain Could Prove To Be The Piece The Thunder Were Missing In The Regular Season
• 5 Sixers thoughts: Another candidate to replace Daryl Morey, Jared McCain keeps surging and more
• Why did the 76ers trade Jared McCain to the Thunder for so little?
• Jared McCain trade looks even more lopsided following latest 76ers bombshell
• Wemby Dominates for Spurs in 2OT Win vs. SGA, Thunder as Fans Hype WCF Game 1 Thriller
• Spurs-Thunder Game 1 delivers historic 2OT thriller unseen since 1976Thunder fans in absolute awe of Alex Caruso’s unconscious 1st half vs. Spurs

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

It didn’t take long for the Minnesota Timberwolves roster to change going into the offseason.

Wolves veteran guard Joe Ingles announced that he is signing with Melbourne United in the NBL, returning to his native Australia after a 12-year stint in the NBA with the Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic and the past two seasons in Minnesota.

“Coming home to Melbourne feels incredibly special,” Ingles said via ESPN.

“To return to where my professional career began almost 20 years ago is something I don’t take for granted.

“So much has happened since then, but Melbourne has always felt like home.

“We’re really excited to reconnect with the community here, and to be closer to family and friends again. After so many years overseas, that part means a lot to us.”

While Ingles did not play much for the Wolves during his tenure with the team, he was a valuable veteran for a group on the rise. During the season, Jaylen Clark spoke to Ingles’ importance of being one of the last players on the roster.

That speaks to why the Wolves brought Ingles back last summer despite hardly playing in his first season with the team.

With Ingles gone, it opens up a spot on the roster for a younger player, possibly Enrique Freeman or Rocco Zikarsky from the two-way slots, or the Wolves could bring in another veteran to occupy a veteran minimum deal.

Canis Hoopus community, what do you make of Ingles’ departure? Who should the Wolves bring on board in free agency to fill his spot? Chime off in the comments section below.

Just before the tip off of Game 1 Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City crowd was treated to their super star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receiving his MVP trophy. At the other end of the court, Victor Wembanyama was warming up. The question on the minds of many was exactly what Wemby’s response would be.

In a thrilling double-overtime Spurs victory, the question was answered. Wembanyama tallied a 41-point, 24 rebound game. Comparatively, SGA put up a 24-point game, starting slow with only four points in the first half.

This was the Thunder’s first loss of the postseason. Not something they are used to, but then this wasn’t their usual game.

In fact, if not for the hot shooting of Alex Caruso’s 31-point night, the Thunder spent the evening on the outside looking in. At the end of the third quarter, Caruso and Jalen Williams, in his first game since contracting a hamstring injury, owned nearly half of the Thunder’s scoring output.

The game took its toll as the five starters all tallied more than 40 minutes apiece. Vassell had 51 while Wemby and Castle each played 49.

The Spurs led most of the game, and though the Thunder looked out of sorts, they remained within striking distance throughout. Toward the end of regulation, the momentum shifted slightly giving the Thunder a brief lead.

If not for Wemby’s timely 3-point shot, there might not have a second overtime.

Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals takes place on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. Expect the Thunder to play with some desperation. Expect they will smooth the rough edges of their Game 1 performance.

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West Finals are a reminder of why Celtics must explore all paths this summer originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

When Victor Wembanyama pulled up from a step inside the logo Monday night, delivering a Steph Curry-esque 3-pointer in Oklahoma City that sent Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals to the first of two riveting overtimes, we did two things.

1) We let out an audible groan, resigned to the fact that this 7-foot-4 alien (and San Antonio’s young core) could dominate the league for the foreseeable future, with the championship-minted Thunder perhaps the only real obstacle in their path; and 2) We reached for our keyboard and started pecking out this story.

Because in that moment, what had already been painfully obvious throughout these playoffs crystalized a little bit more:

The Celtics have some real work to do.

The 2026 NBA playoffs have been filled with sobering reminders that the pathway back to true title contention is further than it might have seemed, especially during the tail end of Boston’s vibes-filled regular season.

As everyone takes inventory of the Celtics’ season and what pathway they choose to navigate next, we keep flashing back to Brad Stevens’ end-of-the-year press conference, when he noted the Celtics were 3-11 against what many would consider the five other top seeds between the conferences (Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Detroit, New York and Denver).

It would be very easy for the Celtics to convince themselves that minor tweaks — along with a healthier Jayson Tatum — might be enough to keep them among the East favorites next season. And that might be true. But then you watch Game 1 of the West Finals, and it simply feels like Oklahoma City and San Antonio are in a different stratosphere than the rest of the league at this moment.

And the sobering reality is that neither of those teams is likely coming back to Earth any time soon.

Wembanyama originates from another planet and seemingly has no intention of acclimating to this one. The Thunder have an absurd amount of picks that will allow them to either restock amid rising roster costs, or make the sort of big-swing move that can help them win an arms race with San Antonio.

The Celtics went 0-2 against the Spurs, although Jaylen Brown’s absurd ejection didn’t aid their cause in the second meeting. Boston’s win over the streaking Thunder in late March gave hope that a fully healthy Celtics team might fare better against elite competition in the playoffs. Alas, a 1-3 regular-season mark against New York suggested that Boston still had work to do to simply navigate Round 2. If they had gotten that far.

But they didn’t. They lost Game 7 on their home court for the second time in four seasons, this time in Round 1. And some of the optimism gathered over a tantalizingly fun and overachieving regular season was diminished.

We’ll temper all that by noting that any roster helmed by Tatum and Brown has a legitimate chance to get to the title stage. When surrounded by the right pieces, the Jays have delivered the Celtics to the championship round in two of the previous four seasons. There is no denying the success of that tandem.

But Stevens has routinely noted how the north star in Boston is always a championship banner. Just being good enough to get to the title stage isn’t enough.

So how do the Celtics get there? We’ll spend so much of the offseason pondering all the various paths. But for much of the regular season, it was fair to wonder if internal development combined with a healthier Tatum might be enough to boost Boston’s title potential.

Now? We’re not so sure. The Sixers series exposed a bit of Boston’s weaknesses in a way the regular season masked. Stevens and his front-office staff must at least examine bolder decisions this offseason. That’s why everyone from Brown to Derrick White to Sam Hauser will dance in trade rumors this summer.

The Celtics must consider all possibilities.

The last time Boston’s season ended in disappointment with a Game 7 loss at TD Garden, Stevens made the bold decisions to shake up the core, sending out both Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III but bringing back the key pieces of Boston’s 2024 title run in Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

This team doesn’t have quite as much freedom to spend like it did that year, but it might soon. One more year under the luxury tax could reset repeater penalties and allow Stevens to splurge big in the summer of 2027.

The question is whether anyone wants to wait that long.

Therein lies the challenge for Stevens. Watching Wembanyama put up 41 points and 24 rebounds is just another reminder of how the Celtics need to fortify their frontcourt. Watching the way the Thunder and Spurs relentless defend and contest shots is another reminder that Boston’s offense needs to be even more efficient despite all the regular-season success.

Stevens noted how the Celtics have to improve their margin for error. It was far too slim this year. A healthier Tatum will stretch it out a bit. But Monday’s West Finals was a harsh reminder that there’s still plenty of work to be done to stretch that margin to a place that teams like San Antonio and Oklahoma City reside.

Mark Pope lost a lot of goodwill with certain media members after closing up shop after a bad season.

I, for one, appreciated the approach from Pope. Mark Pope put his head down this offseason, opting to skip the press conferences in favor of securing pieces like Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins. But as the roster comes together, not everyone is sold on Kentucky’s new backcourt, just ask Fran Fraschilla.

I think it made no sense to go on KSR or pop up and have a press conference in the middle of recruiting. Put your head down and get to work. Kentucky is down an assistant as is. And they have 2 expiring next month, a 20-minute media session isn’t going to do much.

To his credit, Pope responded directly to fan questions on Twitter, and we gained some insight into his summer plans and how he feels others have used Kentucky in recruiting wars. But it was done only once the roster was mainly done, and while I believe there are issues (lack of perimeter shooting being chief among them), the roster is a solid, capable bunch of players who will need to come together quickly and make a team.

Last year’s team was unable to do that, partly because of injuries, and partly because the pieces just didn’t fit. Pope grabbed two point guards in Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins to avoid the same situation that happened the last two seasons. And they have remarkably similar games.

Both excel in driving, both turn it over a little too much, both are really consistent at finishing at the rim, neither really excels in setting up teammates, but both are solid in doing so. It turns out Fran Fraschilla is not a believer.

When discussing Washington star Hannes Steinbach’s NBA Draft spot, NBA analyst Nick Heintzman (and his 100ush followers) said, “Hannes Steinbach really helped himself at the combine. Established that he has enough size and athleticism to play the 4 or the 5. Has many avenues to succeed in the league. Was held back by awful Washington guards. I might have him T10.”

Ouch. Well, Fran Fraschilla jumped on that, saying it has to make Kentucky basketball fans “feel great.” But he wasn’t done yet.

Heintzman clarified his stance by saying, “Thanks, Fran. To be clear, my point was that Steinbach’s offensive environment/guard play at Washington didn’t do him many favors, particularly in terms of getting him the ball in advantageous situations. Steinbach was often left to create offense through the glass, hustle plays, and transition pushes off rebounds. Zoom’s assist rate was strong, and I haven’t formed a firm opinion yet on how he’ll fare in a different context at Kentucky.”

That’s fair; no one can predict exactly how each player is going to respond in a new environment. It’s an educated guess. Fraschilla, though, added:

But is there any truth to that? Let’s dive in.

Comparing Zoom Diallo to last year’s SEC guard crop

Zoom Diallo had a good jump from his freshman to sophomore year at Washington. He averaged:

-15 points (48 percent from the floor, 31 percent from 3)
-4 assists, 2 turnovers
-4 rebounds a night

Now let’s look at the SEC point guards of last year:

Darius Acuff, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Labaron Philon, and Tyler Tanner all scored and assisted more, so that puts 4 above him. But from there, it’s really pick your poison.

Meechie Johnson shot more and worse, Xaivian Lee shot worse and scored less while assisting nearly the same. So at worst, if he had the same season as last year, and everyone around him did as well, he probably sits no worse than 5th or 6th in the SEC.

I am a big believer in Zoom’s offensive game. He is built like a tank and can get to the free-throw line early and often. I do worry that his 3-point shot reverts to his freshman form (18 percent), and the turnovers scare me a bit. But if he can take a few steps forward in shooting and passing, he will be one of the best point guards in the SEC next year IMO.

He definitely isn’t middle of the pack unless he reverts big time. It’s just another example of hitting Mark Pope and Kentucky when they are down.

Will the Cats be able to respond on the court next season? Well, that’s the question. Looking at each position, I think Kentucky has more natural talent than it did last season. But there are question marks, as there will be with any team. It will definitely be a big help if Milan Momcilovic decides to become a Cat.

Let’s see how they look over the summer. But it doesn’t look like the media firestorm is slowing down anytime soon.

While Fran Fraschilla might see Diallo as “middle of the pack,” the stats suggest a player with a much higher ceiling, provided Pope can maximize his ability.

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