Harry Styles has taken over New York and Madison Square Garden: 30 sold-out dates for the superstar's residency.
But Styles still knows who the king of New York is and gave Jalen Brunson a shout-out during a show over the weekend.
“He’s just trying to have a quiet night out… not a chance.” Harry Styles salutes “King of New York” Jalen Brunson, MVP of 2026 NBA Champs, the New York Knicks pic.twitter.com/ffJ14Im0YC
Brunson is everywhere right now, he attended matches at the U.S. Open in Queens in the past week.
Brunson will host the season opener of Saturday Night Live on Sept. 26 with musical guest KATSEYE (broadcast on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT, plus "SNL" streams live on Peacock).
The Knicks open the season on NBC on Oct. 20, raising the team's first championship banner in Madison Square Garden in 53 years, plus getting their championship rings. Then they will begin their title defense, taking on Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and the revamped Philadelphia 76ers.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 28: The San Antonio Spurs look on during the game against the Houston Rockets on October 28, 2024 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photos by David DowNBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Last year I had the pleasure of attending the “Coach the Coaches Clinic” at the Frost Bank Center. It took place early in the day hours before the arena began filling seats for the annual Silver & Black Scrimmage. It was so successful that they have added the event to this year’s Silver& Black Scrimmage.
To be clear, the event does not feature Gregg Popovich. It is named in his honor for the expanse of knowledge he has shared with coaches over his decades. Whether on his staff or not, he served anyone who came to him for tutelage.
The invitees are basketball coaches representing all levels of players — collegiate, high school, middle school, recreational, community centers, AAU and club. The seminar was also open to officials, athletic directors, trainers, and aspiring coaches (that’s me).
Last year’s two-hour program featured a variety of skill demonstrations including defense, shooting, and player development. The event featured players from TMI Episcopal demonstrating with the coaches. At the time, their head coach was Monty Williams and the team included his sons as well as Tim Duncan’s son Draven.
This year has much of the same structure built in. Head coach Mitch Johnson will discuss leadership, team culture, and competitive preparation. Lead assistant coach Billy Donovan’s focus is on program building, player development, and winning culture. Assistant coach Mike Noyes will speak on teaching, coaching strategy, and purposeful practice design. And player development assistant coach Jimmy Baron will share on shooting and skill development for every level.
The event is free and includes a ticket to the Silver & Black Scrimmage taking place later in the afternoon.
“Seats are limited. Register by Friday, October 2, or before spots fill—whichever comes first.“
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Derrick White attempts a 3-pointer against the 76ers. | NBAE via Getty Images
September belongs to football. We all know that, and most of us are OK with it.
But some of us – even those who love football, too – are counting down the days to basketball season. It’s never too early to look ahead and predict how this Celtics season could unfold.
The goal here is to have a little fun and make some educated guesses that might be a bit outside the box or slightly unexpected. With that in mind, here is one statistical prediction for each player on the roster:
Jayson Tatum will have multiple regular-season triple-doubles.
It was the year of Jaylen Brown last year. Now, it’s the year of Jayson Tatum. He has five regular-season triple-doubles in his eight-plus-year career, but no regular season has featured more than one.
This year, he gets at least two (maybe even three or four). Tatum remains a criminally underrated rebounder and passer, and he’ll take those skills to another level this year with Brown gone.
A long-awaited moment from last season… the return of Jayson Tatum 🍀
298 days after tearing his Achilles, JT dropped a near triple-double in his season debut at home in March.
I know, I know. Don’t jinx it. I’m sorry in advance. Paul George has had one of the more bizarre careers of this generation. Somewhere along the way, a lot of people forgot just how good he is at basketball.
Is he the same George who tore it up in Indiana? Nope, but he’s still an excellent all-around player – as long as he’s on the floor. He’s only played 57-plus games once in the last seven seasons, but I’m going to predict that he does so this year. But no, you still shouldn’t draft him in your fantasy league.
Derrick White finishes with shooting splits of 43/38/86 or better.
Derrick White shot 46.1 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from 3-point range and 90.1 percent from the line in 2023-24. Obviously, that was a special team and he benefited from the talent around him, but I think last year was an outlier rather than a regression to the mean. He’s poised for a big bounce-back year as a shooter after seeing his percentages dip to 39.4 from the field and 32.7 percent from distance.
You just know he’s been in the lab a little extra this summer, and I’m confident it will pay off in a major way this season. He flirts with 45/40/90 and doesn’t quite get it, but it’s still a major step in the right direction that has a ripple effect throughout the roster. White is probably the biggest X-factor for this team, and seeing him hit his shots provides a jolt and helps others do the same.
Payton Pritchard averages career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game.
Payton Pritchard’s scoring, rebounding and assist numbers have all increased every year since 2022-23, and there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case this year. Last year, he ended up at 17 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds. I think 18.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds is a reasonable guess. Those aren’t quite all-star numbers, but they’re not far off.
Neemias Queta makes his first career 3-pointer.
Neemias Queta is a fun player, so this one could go in a lot of different directions, but I think he’s going to surprise people this year with his mid-range shooting. All I want from him is the wherewithal and confidence to be able to turn to the basket and hit a free-throw-line jumper when defenses dare him to do so in the pick and roll. That slight shift in mindset will briefly translate to one 3 (maybe even two or three) in a magical moment for the Celtics and their fans.
Neemias Queta with another monster game for Portugal 😈
Sam Hauser shoots between 35 and 45 percent from 3-point range every month.
Sam Hauser ended up having a decent shooting season last year (not great by his very high standards, but still solid), but it was a bit of a wild ride to get there. He hit just 27.5 percent of his attempts in November, reached 45.1 for January, dipped to 33 percent in March, then hit 52.6 in six April games. This year is less erratic and more consistent, with nothing quite as high or quite as low.
Mitchell Robinson shoots 50 percent or better from the free-throw line.
The Celtics are truly excellent when it comes to player development, and I believe they’ll find some slight tweak to Mitchell Robinson’s motion that allows him to improve on his 40.8-percent mark from last year. He won’t suddenly become Steph Curry, but he’ll get to a point where he’s not as much of a liability and teams won’t be able to hack him without hesitation.
Baylor Scheierman averages at least 2.5 assists per game.
Baylor Scheierman is starting to get comfortable as a shooter, defender and glue guy. The next step for him is to return to the playmaking style he displayed in college. Scheierman averaged 3.6 assists in college, and I say he gets to 2.5 this year (compared to 1.5 last year) – even with the ball in his hands a lot less than it was at South Dakota State and Creighton.
On a night he's honored for being the first man in NCAA history with 2000 points, 1000 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 three-pointers, Baylor Scheierman turns in Creighton's first points/rebounds/assist TRIPLE DOUBLE in program history. pic.twitter.com/5EnuFlXe4A
Hugo González averages at least 1.3 steals per game.
He averaged 0.6 last year in just 14.6 minutes. It’s fair to assume his minutes will increase this year and the steals will increase naturally as well. Last year, 1.3 would have put him in the top 60 in the NBA, and I say he gets there this year.
Jordan Walsh has a game with at least 3 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals.
I think Jordan Walsh is poised for a breakout season. He doesn’t get enough credit for his role last year, and I think he’ll start to get more this year as he continues to trend in the right direction. That will result in at least one game where he stuffs the stat sheet in every area. He came close to the feat last year, and this year he gets it done.
Ron Harper Jr. drops 30 at least once.
Ron Harper Jr. is capable of erupting on any given night. I think he’ll play regularly, but there will be a lopsided game this year where he goes nutty and hits 30. He came close with 27 in the regular-season finale last year, and this year I think he hits the mark.
Mike Conley Jr. shoots 40 percent or better from 3-point range.
This is an ideal setup for Mike Conley Jr., where he’ll get high-percentage looks as a result of the Celtics’ ball movement. All he has to do is knock them down, and I think he will at a very high clip with not much volume.
Luka Garza averages fewer than 2 fouls per game.
Luka Garza fared admirably whenever his number was called, but it’s also clear his defense needs to improve to remain in the rotation with Robinson in the picture. This year, he cuts down on the fouls and averages fewer per game than he did last year (2.3).
Amari Williams hits double digits multiple times.
He came close last year. This year, he finds a way to get 10-plus points – not just once, but two or three times. It will be tough for Williams to get regular playing time with Queta, Robinson and Garza all ahead of him, but he proves he belongs and carves out more of a role than last season.
Chris Cenac Jr. has a game with three-plus blocks.
Chris Cenac Jr. is better defensively than people think. He moves well for his size, has long arms and alters shots at the rim. I say he has a game this season where he swats a few shots and fires up the crowd.
Dillon Mitchell has at least three dunks that bring the house down.
Dillon Mitchell can really get up and is a candidate for the Slam Dunk Contest down the road. He displays that skill in stretches this year and leaves fans in awe on multiple occasions.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 14: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on July 14, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If you’re wondering why this season feels different, it’s because it is.
Jazz fans are entering territory they haven’t been in ever before. What territory am I talking about? I’m talking about the potential we have with Darryn Peterson. I’ve been spending the last few months since the draft and summer league trying to grasp what this season will look like. It’s been difficult because it’s got some incredible potential. The worst case for this team, outside of injury, is that they’re a play-in team. To me, that’s the floor for this team, and I don’t think that’s very debatable. The amount of talent alone on the Jazz is enough to compete night after night. If they’re well coached, which I think they will be, they should have a .500 record.
It’s the best-case scenario that’s hard for me to grasp. Darryn Peterson has a chance to take this team to incredible levels. Now, it’s important to remember that even the best rookies have an adjustment period and struggle in their rookie seasons. Even LeBron James had some struggles to start his career. Although James averaged 39 minutes per game in his rookie year, which is pretty wild considering how many minutes players play in today’s game.
But speaking of LeBron James, there was no question whether James should start in his debut with the Cavaliers. In his first regular-season game, he had a stat line of 25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. Oh, and that was in 42:50. That season, the Cavs went 33-46, but the Cavaliers knew they had a special player on their hands right away.
In Utah, it seems like there are fans who wonder whether Darryn Peterson should start. Maybe that’s because of the Jazz’s history of deciding that arbitrary, unspoken rules mattered more than building toward contention. Deron Williams, a player the Jazz traded up to #3 in the lottery for, was forced to come off the bench for Keith McLeod. No offense to Keith McLeod, but he averaged 5.5 points in his career while shooting 35.7% from the field. Starting McLeod over Deron Williams was a ridiculous decision and contributed to future divisiveness between Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan. What makes that even more idiotic was how good Deron Williams became, and that coming off the bench proved to only keep him from flourishing sooner.
I personally don’t think that will happen with the Jazz, at least I hope not. The reason? Utah’s new Darryn has the chance to be incredibly special. And even though the Jazz have a team filled with talent ready to go, some of them former all-stars, Peterson could already be the Jazz’s best player. Yes, he might be the best player right now. What’s crazy about Peterson is how complete a player he already is. You name it, he’s doing it, and doing it well. Shooting? He was the primary option on a Kansas team without a lot of shooting around him. His usage rate was high, and he managed to shoot 38% from three for the season, and that was while battling injuries, cramping, and a coach who let him take the blame for everything from the media. That shooting is even more impressive when you consider that it was the biggest question for him going into Kansas. In High School, he was a playmaking guard who electrified with his ability to literally do it all. And that’s the new question for Peterson. Even though he showed it in High School, the question has been why was his assists/turnover ratio in college not good? Well, he may have already answered that with a 12-assist game in summer league when he was on the floor with NBA-caliber talent in Ace Bailey and Cody Williams. What happens when he is surrounded by Ace Bailey AND Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, and Jaren Jackson Jr.? Something tells me that playmaking is going to look better. It’s also not just offense where Peterson shines, he’s also a plus defender who averaged 2 SPG at Kansas. The only weakness you can really point to is a lack of experience, which will be fixed as soon as he gets on the floor.
What I’m trying to say is that Peterson has a chance to take this team to new heights. It may not happen this year, although I won’t be surprised if it does, but this season will show us just how far this Jazz team can go. If Darryn Peterson reaches his apex potential, Utah may not just be in new territory with a top pick in the draft, but do something it hasn’t done before, win a title.
A league-backed investigation that spanned 11 months concluded the Clippers circumvented the salary cap with its alleged facilitation of "no-show" endorsement deals for Kawhi Leonard, their former star forward.
In his statement, Ballmer said the Clippers will not pursue any legal action against the league.
"This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets," Ballmer's statement read. "I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.
"We are committing to put this chapter behind us. We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward."
Following the conclusion of its investigation, the NBA announced that the Clippers would lose five future first-round draft picks and a $30 million fine. Ballmer, along with team executives, also received a suspension.
Ballmer and Lawrence Frank, the team's president of basketball operations, had continuously expressed their innocence publicly during this past season.
Leonard's status with the Clippers remains unclear for the upcoming season. He's expected to be traded by Los Angeles to the Toronto Raptors in a deal that was put on hold pending the results of the NBA investigation.
When Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA brought the hammer down on the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer, his first inclination was to fight. The Clippers quickly issued a defiant statement, then sent a two-page letter to the league saying they would look at their options for challenging the league's decision.
Upon reflection and looking at those options, Ballmer released a statement Sunday night saying he and the Clippers would comply with the NBA's punishments. He also apologized to Clippers' fans. Here is the statement in full:
"This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets. I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.
"We are committing to put this chapter behind us. We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward. While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract.
"The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve. We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of."
The punishments handed down by Silver and the league came following a year-long investigation that uncovered four instances of the Clippers using their leverage to get team sponsors or business partners to give "no-show" endorsement contracts to star Kawhi Leonard, circumventing the salary cap. Those punishments were the stiffest handed down in league history and include:
• The Clippers surrender five first-round draft picks (2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033). • The Clippers are fined $30 million (which Ballmer said he has now paid). • Ballmer is suspended from anything to do with the team or the league for one year. • Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker is suspended for one year, while President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank is suspended for six months. • Kawhi Leonard must pay a $700,000 fine. • Leonard's already-fired business manager, Dennis Robertson (better known as "Uncle Dennis"), is banned from conducting NBA business for five years.
This does not mean the drama is over for the Clippers. The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the Clippers' dealings in this case, and that investigation is just beginning (but it would have to show the Clippers broke an actual law, not just NBA bylaws). Also, the Securities and Exchange Commission has opened its own investigation into Daktronics, one of the companies that gave Leonard a questionable endorsement deal. Daktronics is a publicly traded company, and part of the SEC's mission is protecting shareholders.
Ballmer's announcement means the Clippers will soon appoint an interim governor and head of basketball operations. With that, the trade of Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, agreed to at the start of free agency (months before the punishments were handed down), should go through and become official soon.
It's also worth noting that the only other team that got five first-round draft picks taken away for circumventing the salary cap — the Timberwolves in the Joe Smith case 26 years ago — eventually got two picks back because they complied with the penalties. It was essentially time off for good behavior, and likely factors into Ballmer's thinking.
Ultimately, Ballmer didn't have a good avenue to challenge the league's decision, for a couple of reasons.
First, Leonard gets off with a slap on the wrist for his role in this, but that was the price of getting him and the players' union on board with the punishment. Through the union, Leonard could have forced this to arbitration, which would have opened the entire case to a neutral third party and given Ballmer and the Clippers someone to argue their case before. However, under the CBA, only the player and the union can take the case to arbitration. With them on board and agreeing, that avenue for the Clippers to fight was off the table.
That ties into the second reason: Ballmer's only other option was to file a lawsuit and take this to state or federal courts, but that was a massive uphill battle. As attorney, sports law professor and journalist Michael McCann put it on the Zach Lowe Show, when Ballmer bought the Clippers, he was essentially joining a country club. That club (the NBA) has the right to enforce whatever its internal rules are in its bylaws (as long as those don't violate actual law). The punishments to Ballmer and the Clippers are within that jurisdiction. Getting a court to come in over the top of the league and inject itself into this case would have been nearly impossible.
Ballmer ultimately played the hand he was dealt, as distasteful as this might be to him.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer apologized to fans and announced the team would accept NBA sanctions following an investigation into salary cap violations. (Richard Shotwell / Invision via Associated Press)
“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,” Ballmer said in the statement released 11 days after the NBA first sanctioned the owner and his team. “I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”
The investigation found Leonard received $66 million in cash and equity from four companies facilitated by Ballmer and Clippers executives at the behest of Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s uncle and then-agent. Ballmer invested $60 million in Aspiration Partners, while Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance received $22 million from the Clippers in consulting fees.
The Clippers initially protested and vowed to use all means available to contest sanctions that included banning Ballmer from all league activities for a year, fining the team $30 million and taking away five first-round draft picks in the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 drafts.
Leonard previously agreed to pay a $700,000 fine and did not contest the sanctions, removing the possibility of the case going to arbitration because the mechanism only exists for players and not teams.
“We are committing to put this chapter behind us,” Ballmer’s statement read. “We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine and are moving forward. While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract.”
Two of Ballmer’s top executives were also sanctioned, altering the way the team will have to operate moving forward.
Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended without pay for one year for “being primarily and directly culpable for the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for providing false and misleading statements to investigators.”
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended without pay for six months for “his involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Mr. Leonard and his family.”
Ballmer, however, has assembled a deep front office staff, giving the Clippers a number of options to offset the loss of those who are suspended.
“The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve,” Ballmer wrote. “We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of.”
The decision to comply with the sanctions rather than attempting to contest them in the court could help resolve one of the biggest outstanding offseason items the Clippers face.
Leonard’s trade to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for forward Brandon Ingram, shooting guard Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, a pick swap and two second-round picks was put on hold while both teams awaited investigation results.
With the NBA stripping the Clippers of five future first-round picks, the package they are expected to receive when the Leonard trade is completed would have a substantial impact on their future roster-building options.
“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets. I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”
The NBA’s independent investigation, which was conducted by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, found a “pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules,” per the league’s statement on Sept. 2
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard received different punishments for the Clippers’ circumventing the league’s salary cap. Getty Images
The league dropped staggering punishments on the Clippers, fining the franchise $30 million, suspending Ballmer for one year and stripping the franchise of five first-round draft picks.
It appeared the Clippers were not going down easy after the NBA dropped the hammer on them.
In the immediate aftermath, the franchise issued a statement saying it “vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence.”
But Ballmer was singing a different tune.
Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
“We are committing to put this chapter behind us,” Ballmer’s statement continued. “We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward. While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus.
“Team owners should support, not distract. The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve. We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of.”
Leonard was forced to pay the NBA $700,000 for restitution for improper benefits provided by the Clippers, while his uncle and former business manager, Dennis Robertson, has been banned by the NBA from all business dealings for five years.
In a statement he issued after the league’s punishments were announced, Leonard stated he accepted “full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family.”
His statement continued: “I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap.”
Leonard also alluded to returning to Toronto as part of the trade between the Clippers and Raptors that was agreed upon in late June but was halted in light of the investigation.
It wasn’t clear what possible crimes federal prosecutors are investigating, or which people are the target of the federal inquiry. It also wasn’t clear whether criminal charges would come from the investigation.
Spokespeople for the Clippers and the NBA didn’t respond to messages from The California Post on asking about the investigation.
The Department of Justice is the second government entity to investigate the Clippers-Leonard scandal.
Daktronics, along with Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless and Lockton Insurance, was one of the four companies with endorsement deals with Leonard that were at the center of the NBA’s investigation.
In an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Charles Barkley said the Lakers are “probably better” than the 2024 Dallas Mavericks, whom Luka Doncic carried to the NBA Finals.
Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic will be key to the Lakers’ success this year. Getty Images
On the other end of the spectrum lies Norman Powell, an 11-season NBA veteran who was named an All-Star for the first time in his career last February while playing for the Miami Heat. When Powell was asked who’s the most overrated team in the league during a conversation with streamer N3on, he named the Lakers.
That’s the fun of this. When it comes to the Lakers, no one knows what their ceiling will be.
LeBron James left in free agency after spending eight seasons with the team, including carrying them to their first championship in eight years in 2020. They revamped their roster, adding 10 new players. They went all in on Walker Kessler, hoping he’ll transform into a star.
So, who’s more right about the purple and gold: Barkley or Powell?
Walker Kessler signed with the Lakers this offseason. Getty Images
Sorry, Chuck, while it’s great that you’re a Laker fan now that LeBron has left, Powell is right here. The Lakers won’t be able to compete with the most elite teams in the West next season.
The West is just too deep.
Lakers Overrated
Even if the Lakers had no holes, they’d be fighting an uphill battle against the Thunder and Spurs, each of whom have a seemingly endless cadre of young legs and talent.
But as things stand, the Lakers are shaky in several key areas, most notably with their porous perimeter defense. They need time to build chemistry. It remains to be seen whether Kessler and Austin Reaves are going to live up to their lofty contracts.
The Lakers might be good. But it’s hard to imagine they’ll be great next season. They’re still a few tweaks away from that. They need reinforcements. They need time to jell.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick will attempt to bring all the pieces together for a successful season. AP
There’s no margin for error in the West.
We saw how the Lakers performed against the 2025 champion Thunder last season, you know, when they lost their four regular season games by an average of 29.3 points before getting swept by Oklahoma City in the second round of the playoffs. Then the Spurs beat the Thunder to reach the Finals. Those teams are good good.
Are the Lakers really that much better than they were last year? Are they better at all considering they lost James, who pretty much single-handedly led the Lakers past the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs?
Quite frankly, the answer is no.
Make no mistake about it: The Lakers are on the right track.
They got younger. They got faster. They added a skilled center. They’re on their way. But they haven’t arrived. Far from it.
The Lakers are having bobblehead giveaways of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves during the 2026-27 season. Getty Images
Sure, as long as Doncic is on the Lakers, they’ll be in the mix. He’s hellbent on winning his first championship after the Mavericks stunningly traded him to the Lakers in February 2025.
Last season, he led the league in scoring (33.5 points), was third in assists (8.3) and finished fourth in MVP voting. Before suffering a hamstring strain that sidelined him for the playoffs, he averaged 37.5 points, 8 rebounds and 7.4 assists in March, leading the Lakers to a 15-2 record over that stretch.
Expect him to be even better next season.
But he still doesn’t have enough around him to get past the Thunder or Spurs.
Reaves, whom the Lakers signed to a four-year, $180 million deal (the richest contract in NBA history for a player who went undrafted) is a borderline All-Star.
Kessler whom the Lakers mortgaged their future to acquire, giving up two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two first-round pick swaps (2028 and 2030), while signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal, is one of the top rebounders and rim patrollers in the league.
But the Lakers need to be virtually bulletproof to reach the championship round. And it’s obvious that at this point they’re not.
Could the Lakers finish top-four in the West? Sure.
Are they Finals bound? No.
Are they the most overrated team in the league? Arguably.
The Lakers are on their way to trying to compete for their first championship since 2020. But being on the freeway is a far cry from approaching the coveted two-car driveway of basketball nirvana.
And right now, it’s impossible to see the Lakers parked there come June.
Norman Powell signed with the Bulls in the offseason. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Powell was formerly a cross-town rival of the Lakers, having some of the best years of his career with the Clippers from 2021 through 2025.
Powell’s remarks come at an interesting time for the Lakers franchise. The offseason featured a slew of dramatic events including the departure of LeBron James and owner Mark Walter selling the team amid a federal investigation.
As for the Lakers’ roster, general manager Rob Pelinka orchestrated a massive overhaul headlined by center Walker Kessler’s four-year, $130 million deal. LA’s new trio features Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler.
Many experts are predicting the Lakers to finish the 2026-27 season as a fringe playoff team, rather than a legitimate contender. Thus, Powell’s comments seem unwarranted.
But the guard formerly played for the Clippers from 2022-25, so his remarks may be coming from the crosstown rivalry.
Doncic will have to show he can do just that this season.
The new look Lakers will be led by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. NBAE via Getty ImagesLuka Doncic faces immense pressure to play at a high level this season and lead the Lakers to a playoff push. Andrej Tarfila/SOPA Images
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 18: The sneakers worn by Nate Santos #56 of the Orlando Magic basket during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 18, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Duke basketball blessed Celtics fans with some electric offseason content. At this point of the offseason, any morsel of Celtics content can help satiate us for another moment as we inch closer to the start of the season. This time, it comes courtesy of a 59-second highlight video featuring plenty of Jayson Tatum in what appears to be a scrimmage between current Duke players and program alumni.
When Jayson Tatum returned from his Achilles injury last season, every time he suited up felt like we were being treated to something special. The novelty has not worn off. Seeing JT moving as explosively and fluidly, even in a highly curated social media clip, has me dreaming of big things for Jayson Tatum in this upcoming season.
In the 22 games across the regular season and playoffs, Tatum put up 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists on 56% true shooting. And when you zoom in on the last 10 games of his campaign, those numbers jump up to 23 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists on 60% true shooting. The star forward was dropped into the middle of a ramp up for the playoffs, coming off a catastrophic injury, and was able to regain a lot of his All-NBA superpowers relatively effortlessly. When you factor in how good Tatum was in the sample we already saw, and then give him a full offseason to get his legs under him, it’s easy to envision the Celtics star regaining his status as a perennial All-NBA 1st Team member.
This also gave us another opportunity to update our #CalfWatch files. The further Tatum gets from his achille injury, the more normal his calf appears. After asking the computer to enhance multiple times, we have some 4K quality comparisons of Tatum’s current left and right calf.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 24: Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 24, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If you’re a Suns fan who isn’t living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that newly re-signed center Mark Williams will be out until at least the All-Star Break with a torn labrum, if not longer. This leaves Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach as the only centers left on the team, and Ighodaro is more of a PF/C size-wise.
Williams had been the presumptive starter for the team, and Oso the back-up, with Maluach getting spot minutes here and there. This was despite Maluach’s dominant summer league performances where he resembled nothing so much as Will Ferrell in Elf. There was significant debate as to where Maluach would find playing time, but Williams’ injury just opened things up.
The presumptive starter on opening day is Ighodaro, but I believe that would be a mistake. Ighodaro has absolutely no shooting range, no three-point shot to speak of; he’s undersized and doesn’t rebound. His strengths are based around his mobility, high basketball IQ, and willingness to play the team game. The problem is that his weaknesses exacerbate the problems with the (presumptive) rest of the starting unit of Green, Booker, Brooks, and Bridges.
As many others have written about these four, they’re not great three-point shooters, undersized, not good rebounders, and lack the size to protect the rim. Ighodaro takes all of those issues and either makes them worse or does nothing to address them. Maluach, on the other hand, seems like a better fit.
First and foremost, he looked like a legitimate three-point threat in summer league (8 of 20 for 40%), and given his work ethic, age, and rapid development so far, I suspect that won’t be a mirage. Adding a legit 40%, three-point shooting center to the starting lineup will help create space for the supposed offensive goal of getting more penetration drives for shots at the rim. Playing Oso allows the opposing center to camp in the paint, mooting the entire point of trading for guys who are supposedly better at getting shots at the rim.
It’s hard to overstate the value of centers who provide space: back in the day when Steve Nash and Channing Frye were on the team, they were always neck-and-neck for who would lead the team in box plus/minus and net plus-minus per 48. Which is a fancy way of saying that statistically, Channing Frye was as important to the team’s winning as Nash was, and all he really brought to the table was being a switchable 4/5 that could hit threes and provide spacing.
Conversely, Oso seems like a better fit with the second unit of Gillespie, Goodwin, Kennard, and Fleming. All four of them are somewhere between good at three-point shooting (Fleming), to God-tier (Kennard, Gillespie). Fleming is long, tall, and heavy enough to play a little small-ball center, meaning that this unit doesn’t suffer some of the size issues as the starters. Oso’s lack of shooting range doesn’t matter nearly as much, but his ability to facilitate offensive flow will work well with a bunch of players who aren’t stars who can create their own shot but can absolutely hit open threes at a deadly rate.
Maluach doesn’t have to close out games either: he’s very young and still going to be pretty raw. That’s a problem for a competitive team going into crunch time in the fourth quarter. I suspect as the season wears on, and some of the issues with the Suns rotation become more apparent (I wrote about issues with how Green and Bridges fit here), we could see Gillespie, Kennard, Goodwin, and Fleming getting minutes late in the fourth quarter when the team needs stops on defense and spacing for Booker to operate on offense.
Oso makes more sense in these sorts of situations where they need a more polished, reliable, high basketball IQ player to close out games if there are better three-point shooters on the floor with him. It wouldn’t be the first time the Suns have started games with one center and finished with another: Jarron Collins and Robin Lopez usually got the starting nod over Channing Frye from 2009-2011, but it was almost always Frye on the court to finish the game.
Of course, the Suns are going to experiment with lineups a little in pre-season, and we will see how the dynamics of the starting unit will play out in the first month of the season. But if things aren’t gelling (and I’m skeptical that they will), Jordan Ott might be wise to shake things up and see if Maluach is indeed a better fit with the rest of the starting unit.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 29 : Fans outside Brooklyn Basketball Training Center during an introductory Press Conference for the 2026 Brooklyn Nets Draftees on June 29, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Albert Ghim writes for No Ceilings, one of the more sophisticated NBA sites, and last week, he got a rare chance to check up on veteran players working out on the West Coast, particularly those charges of personal trainer Zach Gonzalez. Among those who he’s been focusing on in Gonzalez workouts and the runs at the NBPL’s new training facility in Playa Vista, an L.A. suburb. has been Egor Demin. To say Ghim is enthusiastic about the Nets second year guard would be an understatement. He just raves about him!
Ghim described how the 20-year-old has been working out in L.A.
“He is absolutely locked in, laser-focused, a man on a mission,” Ghim began. “He is so hard and ferocious on himself. I asked him what is your day-to-day look like right now. He’s working out with Zach in the morning, he playing the pro-runs at the new NBPA facility, getting in a lift. He’s doing extra workouts at night when possible.
“He’s going so hard. He is truly a man on a mission. This is a guy who knows where he needs to grow, spending a ton of time on his ball-handling, a ton of time on physicality, his jumpers, different types of jumpers — jumpers off movement, jumpers off the dribble. jumpers from the mid-range, from the outside, playing through physicality, embracing physicality. Initiating physicality is a big one to watch as well.
Ghim also spoke about how Demin has bulked up.
“For Brooklyn Nets fans who are watching this right now, I want you to know that Yegor’s body is absolutely destroyed. It is beaten. He is so hard on himself. He does not care if he’s hurt or if he’s slightly hurt or not feeling well, he is looking himself in that gym and to watch him work.”
“He said, ‘look we get it. We’re not idiots. We hear what people are saying on TV, saying we don’t want to win, we don’t care. We care,” Ghim quoted Demin.
Ghim also relayed what may have been the most interesting point of his 12 and a half minute commentary, how veterans are respecting Demin in the pro runs.
“Initially, early on, some of the veterans didn’t want him to play. They were like ‘he’s too young. we want to keep the younger guys off, keep it to veterans.‘ Then, he got in and he absolutely started torching guys. Guys like Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving have had a lot of praise for Egor. And in one of the games, he was playing with Norman Powell and he went off for like 30 plus and they won. And as he walked off the floor and they were all saying, ‘this kid is going to be an absolute problem’ and they are very, very impressed with him…
“He looks like a guy who absolutely wants to turn the narrative of the Brooklyn Nets. He’s already spent time in Texas with Julius Randle, working out with him, building that rapport, that relationship and he is a man on a mission that wants to bring Brooklyn back to winning basketball.” Ghim added. “He wants to be a leader. He wants to be a leader by example.
Finally, Ghim offered a little intel on the relationship between Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. who’s only a month younger than Demin.
“He’s telling me about Mikel and he’s saying, ‘Mikel is a freak.’ And the stuff Mikel cares about — his intel, his knowledge, his IQ of the game is extremely, extremely high. He feels like the fit between him and Mikel is going to be like a glove.
“It’s going to be a perfect pairing between the two and he’s talking about how Mikel has so much ability, on and off ball, which makes their pairing so interesting as Egor continues to grow as a ball-handler, as a creator himself. If I was a Brooklyn Nets fan, I’d be absolutely through the moon with the young core they’re building over there … Egor looks like a man on a mission and he’s coming for blood.”
Ghim’s No Ceilings colleague, Corey Tulaba, added that there’s other aspects of what’s going on with Brooklyn that need to be understood like the addition of Julius Randle who, despite Michael Porter Jr.‘s jump last year, is something the Nets — and Demin — didn’t have last year: an established NBA star.
“This is an all-NBA player who can make an impact on winning and has done that at multiple stops,” Tulaba argued. “So now, you’ve got a chance to go other there not just with a bunch of guys who are maybe learning how to play together or guys who are playing for themselves. You’re going to play with veterans who know what to do. They’re really building something cool in Brooklyn and it feels organic.”
To that point, Ghim noted that Demin shouted out other members of the Flatbush5, specifically Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf moving forward.
The two writers agreed that there’s not much likelihood that things in Brooklyn will take a big leap this year but as Ghim concluded, continuity should be a big help as they move along their NBA careers.
“The team feels they are building out a team of guys that can do stuff,” he noted. “Bring different layers, different styles as a team and them being so young as they are and building together and them really believing in themselves and the group that they have, obviously it won’t be this year, but in the next couple of years this may be a real team to watch in the East.”
But, wait, there was more!!
David Thorpe of True Hoop this week did a list of Ten guys who might make a big difference and he raved about the possibility that the Nets eighth youngest player, barely 22-year-old Noah Clowney, could have a breakout season. (We’ve written about Clowney several times this summer, most recently in these pages just a week ago but Thorpe’s analysis is new.)
The take has one fun fact we were unaware of which we highlighted as well as a possibility we hadn’t thought much about. Thorpe starts off by noting that he thought Clowney may have made a mistake declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft where the Nets took him with the 21st pick, making him the fourth youngest player in the NBA. He was also their first return on the Kevin Durant trade with Phoenix. But as he also notes, that’s what over the dam:
I thought it odd that Clowney left a terrific program at Alabama, fresh off a Final Four appearance, after one season. He was probably too young to succeed in the NBA, and could have made a ton in NIL money!
So last season he entered this tier of players from whom I had no idea what to expect. And out of those players … he impressed me more than anyone when I got to see him play in games. Only three players 21 or younger averaged at least 12 points and took at least 3.4 or more free throws per game: Clowney, Cooper Flagg, and Stephon Castle And he did that in only 27 minutes per game.
He is not a good shooter. But at 33 percent from 3, where he’s been for his two seasons, he’s not bad and there’s every reason to think he is due for a big improvement. He has a lot of game cutting, driving, slashing, and drawing fouls off those attacks. If his shot improves, I doubt it’ll be too long before he gets a chance to start ahead of Julius Randle. His defense will have to keep improving, but to me Clowney has the look of a starting level power forward who might even play some small ball five.
For the record, Clowney averaged 12.3 points on 40/33/80 shooting to go along with 4.3 boards, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks. As every Nets fan knows, there have been games or series of games where he’s gotten us all excited, like the final week of the 2023-24 season when he had games of seven and four blocks and the 14 games last season where had four or more 3-pointers go in, including games of seven and six in a 10-day, five-game stretch.
He does that consistently and his restricted free agency will be interesting come July. The Nets can match any offer he might get (and there were rumblings last season that the San Antonio Spurs might have interest.) Still, it was good to see the Thorpe analysis. He did not include rookies or second year players, it should be noted.
That’s your weekly dose of optimism. Now you can read what Channing Frye has to say about the Nets being “straight garbage.” We won’t. We’ve been inundated with the negative. We trying for balance.
Hair style updates
Combing the Internet this week, we found video of both Mikel Brown Jr. and Grant Nelson in barber chairs. No, nothing escapes the ND Dragnet…
We found the first on HoopChina…
And the second onFargo, N.D. barber Landon Lopez’s Instagram account…
Grant Nelson returns home to North Dakota and his local barber asks where you been? https://t.co/6dX4zslWMu
You won’t see Pooch’s byline on ND for a while. He and his new wife, Gabrielle Galluzzi, are on a honeymoon in the Caribbean! Anthony and Gabrielle were married Saturday afternoon at St. Francis de Chantal R.C. Church in Wantagh, N.Y.
Steve Kerr hoped the Warriors could add some “younger legs” this offseason, but the Warriors coach knows addressing the need was easier said than done.
As Golden State approaches the 2026-27 NBA season with a roster closely resembling the aging group that competed last campaign, Kerr explained why on Friday’s episode of the “Tom Tolbert Show.”
“Having been a GM, I know how hard it is to just magically say, ‘All right, we’re going to get younger,’ ” Kerr told Tolbert. “We obviously tried to get younger, but stuff has to materialize. You have to have the assets or the cap room to be able to do certain things.
“The stuff that came our way, I mean, it’s [Mike Dunleavy’s] job and [Joe Lacob’s] job, but they obviously run everything by me. I mean, there was nothing that made sense to me to make this huge move. So, look, we did the best we could to put together the roster.”
In addition to bringing back veterans like Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and Kristaps Porziņģis, the Warriors added Georges Niang and Brandon Williams in free agency after drafting Yaxel Lendeborg No. 11 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
It’s Kerr’s hope that the current roster, anchored by Steph Curry and Draymond Green, has enough depth to overcome its age as the team waits for Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to return from their respective injuries.
“I think Yaxel’s going to help quite a bit,” Kerr continued. “He’s a really good player. He’s older, he’s mature. Watching him work out with our guys, he’s going to help us. Gui Santos, Brandon Podziemski, these guys are going to help us. George Niang, Brandon Williams, new signees. Nothing earth shattering, but really good players who can play a lot of minutes.
“And so I think our depth is the answer to the question you asked. We’re going to have to rely on our whole roster, including our two-way players at times. And fortunately, I do feel really good about the guys we have who have kind of filled out the back end of the roster. And I think they can help us hold down the fort until Jimmy [Butler] and Moses [Moody] get back the second half of the year.”
For the first time since the 2021-22 season, the Warriors are fielding a full 15-man roster to start the campaign in an attempt to make up for Moody and Butler’s absences.
Despite the odds — and Father Time — seemingly stacked against them, Kerr and the Warriors certainly hope they can recreate some of the magic from that championship year.
