NBA basketball is approaching closer than it might seem. As the final holdouts from free agency have agreed to deals, we’re only about a month out from Media Day and the start of training camp. With the full 82-game schedule plus NBA Cup groupings having been released, now’s a good a time as any to break it down into segments and evaluate each part of the Sixers’ upcoming journey.

These segments have been broken down into approximately 20 games to look at the season quarter-by-quarter. It’s important to remember that 82 games is a slog, with stretches of it that are more often defined by how the team itself is doing rather than their opponents — especially one with as many new moving parts as this Sixers roster.

Still, it’s time to go through section by section of the Sixers season and see what they’re up against. The first portion will be broken down to the first 21 games of the season, taking us right up to Thanksgiving, mainly because games 20 and 21 are a back-to-back.

The Sixers will play the minimum 14 back-to-backs this season and will have four of them in this first quarter of the season. The other thing that jumps out about the first quarter of the season is how Eastern Conference-heavy it is. Only two of the Sixers’ first 21 opponents play in the West: the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers.

The schedule will probably always lean that heavy with NBA Cup group games taking place in this part of the season. The Sixers will kick off group play this year on Oct. 30 at home against the New York Knicks, their second game against the reigning champions in the first 10 days of the season.

They’ll obviously start the season taking on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden before hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers for the home opener. Their first weekend of the season brings their first back-to-back, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks then the Detroit Pistons. Assuming health, it will be interesting to see how the Sixers attack back-to-backs with their older stars. One would imagine Joel Embiid and LeBron James won’t be playing both legs of them, and the Bucks-Pistons combo will be a first look at if the Sixers stagger guys between nights, or just go for it all on one night.

That back-to-back is conveniently two home games, but the other three in this early part of the schedule will require travel. After the Sixers host the Knicks they’ll shoot down to Charlotte to take on the Hornets. After the Indiana Pacers come to town on Nov. 15 the Sixers will take a train or bus up to Brooklyn to take on the Nets on the 16th. After their final game of Cup group play on Nov. 27, the Sixers will head to Houston for the 28th as they’ll finally start to face some Western Conference opponents.

A theme you might have noticed is that the Sixers won’t just be playing a lot of Eastern Conference teams early, but they’ll be seeing some of them multiple times early in the season. This was the case last year as well as they played the Celtics three times within the first month of the season. This year, they’ll see the Pacers three times before the month of December, while having played the Knicks, Cavs, Pistons and Bulls twice.

Three of those teams — the Cavs, Knicks and Pacers — are in the Sixers Cup group as well as the Miami Heat. That’s a strong group that doesn’t present any obvious weak link. It’s very possible that a team that just added Giannis Antetokounmpo or won the East 14 months ago is the worst team in this group. The Sixers haven’t had any NBA Cup success in its short history and this will be a tough year for their new-look group to break that trend.

Two more games to keep an eye on this early in the year will be Nov, 10 and 12 against the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors. While it’s a home game, this will be Jaylen Brown’s first game against his old team and, unsurprisingly, will be nationally televised. The interest in that second game is still pending a league investigation, but the Raptors could be an interestingly scary team.

This first stretch of the season will be a good litmus test for how much better and deeper this Eastern Conference is. Only six of their opponents in this stretch didn’t make the playoffs last year, and at least two of them in the Heat and Pacers will be trying to change that this season.

It’s one of the Sixers’ lightest stretches of the season in terms of travel with Houston and Chicago as the two furthest opponents, but the four back-to-backs are the tied for the most in any quarter segment of the season. To start the season the Sixers will find out just how good their conference is.

10/20: @Knicks
10/22: vs. Cavs
10/24: vs. Bucks
10/25: vs. Pistons (B2B)
10/28: @Pacers
10/30: vs. Knicks (Cup) 
10/31: @Hornets (B2B) 
11/2: vs. Bulls 
11/4: @Pistons
11/6: @Cavs (Cup)
11/8: @Bulls
11/10: vs. Celtics 
11/12: vs. Raptors 
11/15: vs. Pacers 
11/16: @Nets (B2B) 
11/18: @Magic 
11/21: vs. Bucks
11/23: vs. Trail Blazers 
11/25: vs. Heat (Cup)
11/27: @Pacers (Cup) 
11/28: @Rockets (B2B)

Welcome to Volume V of our “Choose Your Own Adventure” starter series, where we explore the Milwaukee Bucks’ options at each position. Read along, make your choice, and share your pick in the comments—if you dare!

---

The centre rotation is nowhere near as jammed up as the guard rotation with three viable options at the five: Myles Turner, Kel’el Ware, and Jericho Sims. With Giannis gone, suddenly each of these players—less so for Sims—will have a license to explore the studio space just that little bit more. The “shooting bigs” will also have the chance to roll, while Sims will have more opportunities in general because he no longer has to be separated from a non-shooting power forward in GA.

---

Go on to OPTION 1.

1. The turn-around trade bait: Myles Turner

As the “elder statesman” of the team, Turner is an obvious choice to start—and majority of fans agree—if only to revive his trade value. I feel like last year’s fit with Turner and Giannis was good in theory, but it did lead to Turner standing stationary on the three-point line a lot of the time as Giannis bulldozed, when he has way more to offer than that. Like, Doc really wasn’t creative at all with how he utilised Turner, and now that Giannis is gone, he will surely be more involved. Get him screening more, rolling, popping, setting flare screens—all the stuff that made him so valuable with the Pacers. I don’t know about you guys, but I think MT is in for a big season (for however much of it that he’s wearing a Bucks uniform).

---

If you’re willing to give second chances, choose Turner. If not, turn to OPTION 2.

2. The Kryptonian: Kel’el Ware

By starting Ware at centre—and thus probably moving Turner to the bench—you are making the decision to go all-in on the future. Feed Ware all the reps that he didn’t get in Miami, and see what you’ve got: give him more back-to-the-basket opportunities and try to expand his game at the rim. After all, if there was one player the Bucks got back in the Miami trade—excluding Nate Ament—who you could say has a chance to be that “blue chip prospect” that everyone said the Bucks didn’t get, it would be Ware. Frankly, he’s one of the more unique players I’ve seen. At 7’0”, he’s explosive at the rim, has real touch in the paint, can block shots, and make threes at a 40% clip. There just aren’t many players who can do all of those things. As I’ll deep dive in an upcoming article, there have been major questions about Ware’s motor, but if he can sort that out—and it’s a huge if—he could be special. Look, I don’t hate the idea of starting Ware at centre from the jump, but I do get nervous about him being the full-time defensive anchor at this stage. Maybe those concerns are misguided, though—let me know in the comments.

---

If you’re ready for a new flame, choose Ware. If not, turn to OPTION 3.

3. The fleet-footed finisher: Jericho Sims

I feel like Sims is somewhat polarising, but my dirty little secret is that (whispers)… I thought he was straight-up better than Myles Turner for a good portion of last season. Yes, you aren’t getting much offensive versatility with Sims, but his ability to switch on defence is mind-boggling. Like, the number of times a guard would “try him” last season, only to back away and make the next pass because they simply couldn’t shake him was amazing. I truly believe the league missed by not offering him more than the minimum; his defensive ability is special. As long as there’s shooting at the other four spots, I think Sims could do a great job in a starting role. Now do I think that’s actually going to happen? No way. For various reasons, Turner and Ware need to play a lot, but I truly believe the Bucks must keep investing in Sims long term. His foot speed on defence is an outlier skill at the centre spot, and it’s only a matter of time until the league figures that out.

---

QUICK! Make a decision, you’re near the end. Choose Sims if you like your centre to rebound, set screens, and throw it down hard. Otherwise, pull a rabbit out of your hat and tell us who it is in the comments.

THE END

---

Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question in the comments section here or on Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @RobbieBettelon. If you’re on BlueSky, you can also send to @RobbieBettelon.bksy.social.

Join us live on Thursday night as Wes and Robbie discuss Pistons news late into August. What questions would you like to add to the show?

Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

When: Thursday, August 27th at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

How to submit questions:

• Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
• Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
• Twitter: @detroitbadboys, @RobbieBettelon, or @therealwesd3
• YouTube: Chat section of The Pindown live recording — Subscribe here

As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.

Go Stones.

We’re roughly a month away from training camp starting around the NBA, as teams will be getting back into the flow of things as they begin a new journey this season. For now, fans are still trying to enjoy what’s left of the offseason, and the schedule release a few weeks ago gave them some excitement.

The Atlanta Hawks have some interesting matchups that fans should look out for this season, and here are a few that could be enticing to mark on the calendar.

Oct. 21 vs. Orlando Magic

Not only is this the season opener, but this is against a team that has basically rivaled the Hawks over the past two seasons. It all started two years ago when the Magic injured Vit Krejci and Larry Nance Jr. in the same game, and from there, the mayhem began. The Magic defeated the Hawks in the play-in tournament that year, but last season, they got their revenge.

The Hawks swept the Magic last season, but they also injured another key player on the team, Jock Landale, who ultimately missed the remainder of the season and the playoffs because of it. There’s no doubt there’s still some hate brewing between these two teams.

Nov. 6 vs. Washington Wizards

The Hawks would have played the Wizards a few days before this, but this one holds more weight. First, it’s the start of the NBA Cup games, which means these matchups mean a little more. Second, this will be the official return of Trae Young playing against his former team. Young already received his video tribute last season after he was traded, but he wasn’t playing due to injury.

The Wizards should be coming into this season fully healthy, and Young is going to want to put on a show against the team that drafted him in 2018.

Nov. 18 @ Oklahoma City Thunder

This will be a return for Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins after they were traded from the Thunder this offseason. They helped the Thunder win their championship two seasons ago and there’s a good chance they’ll be getting their video tributes in this game.

This is also a game where the Hawks match up against one of the better teams in the Western Conference. They’ve played them close on the road for two straight seasons but haven’t been able to get the win in the end, and it would be big if they could walk out with a victory this time.

Nov. 29 @ New York Knicks

The first time the Hawks see the Knicks since the first round of the playoffs should be special, and it comes two days after Thanksgiving. The Knicks didn’t make many changes to their roster over the offseason, so the Hawks should know this team pretty well after seeing them several times the past season.

Dec. 27 @ San Antonio Spurs

This is also another game where the Hawks have come close on the road the past two seasons but haven’t been able to walk out with the win. The Spurs should once again be a top team in the Western Conference this season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were better this year.

This game comes at the end of the calendar year, and it would be big for the Hawks to close out 2026 strong against a really good team.

Jan. 4 vs. Philadelphia 76ers

This will be the second time in the season when the Hawks will face the 76ers, and the one and only time at home. It’ll be interesting to see how the 76ers look by this point, but it will also be interesting to see how the Hawks have fared throughout the first few months of the season.

This game will be the second to start the year 2027, and just like the Hawks should want to end 2026 strong against the Spurs, they should want to do the same against the 76ers when the calendar flips.

Feb. 8 vs. Miami Heat

This game comes days before the trade deadline, and there’s no telling what has already happened by this time. Depending on where the Hawks stand, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see if they had made a move or two to improve the team. At the same time, there is a chance they wait until the actual deadline day to make a deal, and a win or loss around this moment could change a lot.

Feb. 26 @ Toronto Raptors

This could be a random game near the end of February, but it could also mean a lot to the Hawks. It was no secret that they struggled against the Raptors last season, and it could be big if they could turn that tide this season.

Mar. 29 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

This game could absolutely have no importance for the Hawks internally, but fans are always excited when the Timberwolves come into town, and it’s because of Anthony Edwards. The hometown player will be coming toward the end of the season, and it’ll be interesting to see how they’ve done over the course of the season after the moves they made this offseason.

As for some Hawks fans, they’re still holding out hope that Edwards finds his way on the Hawks soon.

Apr. 11 @ Cleveland Cavaliers

The last game of the season always comes with some sort of playoff implications, and with how deep the Eastern Conference is supposed to be this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise that a lot of things were determined on this day. To make things even better, the Hawks will playing a team that is supposed to be in the Eastern Conference gauntlet, and this game could mean a lot too them as well.

Either these two teams are fighting for positioning by this time, or they’re resting their starters.

In a special episode of Boardroom Talks, Durant sat down with Speedy Morman for one of the most candid conversations of his career.

Kevin Durant has been one of the most scrutinized, analyzed, and debated athletes of his generation. So when Speedy Morman sat down with the 38-year-old future Hall of Famer at KD's home for the latest episode of Boardroom Talks, the conversation that unfolded wasn't the one you might expect. It was looser, funnier, and more revealing than any press conference or postgame media scrum has ever managed to produce.

It started, as so many KD conversations do these days, with something that went viral for the wrong reasons. The Nobu bush photo -- Durant's beanie barely visible over a hedgerow, an image the internet immediately ran with as proof that the greatest scorer alive was hiding from paparazzi -- got addressed quickly and dispatched just as fast. He wasn't hiding: "Why would I hide behind the bush? Why do I need to hide? I wouldn't have went to Nobu then because Nobu is the paparazzi capital." He admitted the photo was funny and then they moved on. Which is exactly what KD did with the whole thing once the AI video of him jumping over the bush started circulating; some jokes you just have to let run their course.

From there, the conversation moved through KD's childhood in the DMV, the 2007 NBA Draft, NIL, the New York Knicks' championship run, Russell Westbrook's retirement, and LeBron James heading to Philadelphia. Durant's verdict on the Sixers was unambiguous. "That's going to be a juggernaut," he said, pointing to the championship-caliber front office and coaching staff around James, Embiid, Brown, and Maxey. "I think it's not no ifs, ands, or buts about it."

When Morman brought up Jalen Brunson's famous decision to leave $113 million on the table, Durant didn't pretend he would've done the same. "I don't think I would be advised to do that," he said. "I probably would've been like, 'All right, I'm cool with it.' And then I'd have sat down and talked to all my people — Rich, all my friends — and been like, 'What? You serious? Why do you need to take that risk when this dude's a billionaire?'" He paused. "But for him to make that decision and it come out the way it did, kudos to him."

Some of the most illuminating moments came when Durant talked about the parts of his life that rarely make headlines. His best teammates, for instance, aren't the names you'd expect — alongside James Harden and Nick Collison, he listed Nasi Muhammad and Daniel Marshall, guys whose families he knows, players he's stayed close with long after the locker room days ended. And then there are the friends he made playing video games, people he's now known for almost a decade, invited to his home, trusted completely. "I can call right now," he said of one of them. "He going to pick the phone."

Want More from Boardroom? Join our Members Club!

Join the insiders shaping what’s next in sports, media & business. Tap into a community where your network becomes your launchpad.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Email *Learn More

The CeraVe deal came up, the one that turned his legendarily ashy legs into one of the most memorable brand campaigns in recent memory. Durant's explanation for why he refuses to lotion before games was delivered with complete seriousness: The ball gets slippery, the sweat mixes with the lotion, and suddenly you're fumbling passes at the worst moments. The ashiness was simply an occupational hazard. "He knew what he was doing," Durant said of the original photo that launched the whole thing, then laughed.

Near the end, Morman asked KD what comes next. The answer was characteristically direct and unexpectedly revealing: He wants to keep making content, build relationships, and see what falls from them. But one goal stood above the rest. "One of my main goals is to be the GM of the Team USA," he said. "One of these Olympics, one of these years. I want to do that job one time."

He's got time. He's still, by his own account, got buckets left in him.

Read More:

SneakersAugust 24, 2026

Inside Christian McCaffrey’s Year-Long Obsession Building the Perfect Signature Shoe

MusicAugust 21, 2026

Skilla Baby Finally Made an Album He’s Completely Satisfied With

SportsAugust 19, 2026

Nneka Ogwumike Is Retiring From the WNBA On Her Own Terms

SportsAugust 17, 2026

Jaylen Brown Opens Up on How NBA Wealth Changed His Life & Relationships

MusicAugust 14, 2026

‘Prolific’ Track by Track: Bino Rideaux on the Last Album He Made with Nipsey Hussle

Deals & InvestmentsAugust 13, 2026

How Egypt Dean Turned Childhood Royalties into a Seven-Figure Sports Drink Investment

Over the past 80 years, the NBA had evolved. From the addition of a three-point line to the 14-second clock resetting with an offensive rebound, the league implements rules to make the game more challenging, fair, and interesting.

The post below listed a few of the changes that were specific to players. Even early on, the league has adapted everything from the design of the court to the durability of the rim to the way fouls are called. Check out how these players changed the game.

View this post on Instagram

The first two mentioned involved enlarging the lane. The first time was a response to George Mikan, the second was due to Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Three of the biggest names from those early years. No wonder their talent shaped the game.

Dunkers have influenced the rim as durability has been tested time and again. Darryl Dawkins found that if he pulled down hard enough when dunking, the backboard shattered. Shaq called Dawkins “the father of power dunking” and referred to himself as “his best son.” He wasn’t wrong, as the league later reinforced basket supports to handle his powerful slams as well.

How about timing, you ask? Well the five second rule was designed because Charles Barkley and Mark Jackson dominated shot clocks backing guys into the paint. And the 0.3 second rule on getting a shot off is attributed to Trent Tucker.

And then there are the custom alterations to fouls. Kevin Durant’s rip through, Reggie Miller’s leg kick out, and James Harden swing through have all been changed to honor integrity of the game, not the foul-baiting aspect that many players utilize. The rip through is no longer a shooting foul, a crazy leg kick out may result in an offensive foul, and Harden’s methodology is now checked. Most of what he does counts as common fouls and no longer instigates free throws.

Shaq makes another appearance in the namesake rule that is probably the best known on the list. The Hack-A-Shaq is an away-from-the-play foul meant to send a not-so-great shooter to the free throw line, ultimately stealing an offensive opportunity away from their opponent. While the practice still exists, it garners a free throw and possession in the last two minutes, allowing dominant big men with limited free throw range to stay on the court when the game is at its apex.

Of course, the most famous Hack-A-Shaq in Spurs history:

And of course every Spurs fan has knowledge of “The Zaza Rule.” On May 14, 2017, during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Golden State Warriors big man Zaza Pachulia slid his foot into the landing spot of Kawhi Leonard, reaggravating an injury. The Spurs commanding lead withered without Leonard and the Warriors stole the game. Leonard was out for the remainder of the series and the Spurs were swept by the Warriors. Now, the exact tactics used by Pachulia to not allow a safe landing are reviewed by officials and can be upgraded to flagrant fouls.

---

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, do not troll and watch the language.

NBA history spans 80 seasons, and as CelticsBlog readers well know, the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 18 championships. This month, we are recapping each of those title years.

The 2023-24 Boston Celtics and the quest for Banner 18 could be best exemplified by Thomas Wayne’s famous quote from the criminally underrated — if only due to the astronomical success of its sequel — Batman Begins: “Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.”

Heading into the 2023 offseason, it seemed like the Celtics were destined to fall flat on their faces every year, only picking themselves up enough between each tumble to ensure the next collapse would hurt more than the last.

Every high point since the Big 3 won in 2008 had been marred by disappointment — a feeling Celtics fans would come to know well over the next 16 years.

The Big 3 only got back to the Finals once more, in 2010, and lost Games 6 and 7 in devastating fashion after taking a 3-2 lead against Kobe’s Lakers, allowing LA to win their second championship in a row and their 16th overall (if you count the Minneapolis titles).

The next year, LeBron joined the Miami Heat and formed a newer, younger Big 3 that immediately stole the spotlight and cruised past Boston 4-1 on their way to the Finals. When the Celtics met the Heat again in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, they lost the first two games before roaring back with three consecutive wins to take a 3-2 series lead heading back to Boston. Everything was perfectly teed up for the aging C’s to make one last triumphant run to the Finals before Rajon Rondo could lead the team into a new era. Unfortunately, LeBron put up one of his greatest performances ever in Game 6 and sealed the deal in Game 7 while on his way to winning his first ring. And just like that, the balloon popped and the dream of a happy ending for Boston’s Big 3 was over.

Danny Ainge blew up the team after a 4-2 series loss to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2013 playoffs and traded fan favorites Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets. While we know better now, many NBA fans at the time thought Boston had been fleeced. They traded two Celtics greats for a hodgepodge of players — at least one of which who didn’t even want to play in Boston — and a handful of draft picks that few thought would become valuable since the Nets had a 29-year-old Deron Williams and 25-year-old Brook Lopez to steer them into the future.

That rumored Celtics-Nets trade is so bad for Boston that Doc Rivers just quit on the Celtics again.

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) June 27, 2013

Nevertheless, the picks turned out to be valuable and the Celtics only struggled for a few years before topping the East once again in 2016-17 under new head coach Brad Stevens. Isaiah Thomas led a valiant charge through the first two rounds, highlighted by a memorable a 53-point explosion in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Washington Wizards the day after the death of his sister. However, Thomas’ hip gave out two games into the ECF, and Boston’s season once again came to an end at the hands of Lebron.

That summer, Ainge traded Thomas for Kyrie Irving, signed Gordon Hayward in free agency, and drafted Jayson Tatum with one of the picks conveyed in the Pierce/KG deal with Brooklyn. Despite the discomfort of parting with Thomas, the Celtics were now equipped with a pair of proven stars in Irving and Hayward, a star role player in Al Horford, impressive depth in Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier, and an exciting young core of Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Going into the season, they had the third-best odds to win it all, only behind the Golden State Warriors — who now had Kevin Durant — and LeBron’s Cavaliers. Those odds came crashing down only 5 minutes into the regular season, when Hayward broke his ankle coming down from an alley-oop attempt.

However, the team still finished with 55 wins, good enough for second place in the East, and made it to the 2018 ECF without Kyrie, who missed the playoffs due to season-ending surgery. The youngsters even led the team to a 3-2 lead over the Cavs, sparking fanciful hopes that a rookie JT and sophomore JB could topple LeBron’s longstanding reign and bring about a new era in the East. Nope. LeBron put up a monstrous 46-point performance in Game 6 to tie the series, then brought Cleveland back from a halftime deficit in Game 7 to win the series.

After the Kyrie era ended with a beyond-disappointing 1-4 series loss at the hands of Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019, the Celtics retooled by getting Kemba Walker via sign-and-trade with the Charlotte Hornets. Boston wasn’t a title favorite heading into the 2019-20 season, but the team — now firmly led by the Jays, who had both blossomed into 20+ points per game scorers — finished third in the Eastern Conference and entered the 2020 Bubble with hopes of contention. After embarrassing the Sixers with a first-round sweep, then topping the Toronto Raptors in a grueling 7-game series, they were once again back in the ECF. While the young Jays put up a good fight, they ended up losing the series 2-4 to Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.

The Celtics struggled their way to a 36-36 record during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, in which the team battled with injuries and Kemba’s deteriorating play before losing Brown to an injury ahead of the 2021 playoffs. Tatum exploded for 50 points to almost singlehandedly won Game 3 in the first round against the Nets, who now had Kyrie, Durant and James Harden, but that was Boston’s only win of the postseason.

Following the C’s first-round exit, Danny Ainge stepped down as the team’s President of Basketball Operations after 18 years at the helm, Stevens was promoted to take his place, and Ime Udoka was named Boston’s new head coach. Expectations were once again low for the squad heading into the 2021-22 season and, at first, they appeared to be accurate. The Celtics got off to a less-than-stellar start that resulted in a 18-21 record in early January and looked clunky under Udoka’s new leadership. However, Boston righted the ship and went 33-10 over the rest of the season thanks to a suffocating defense quarterbacked by Smart — who won DPOY for his efforts — on the perimeter and anchored by a double-big lineup of Robert Williams III and Al Horford in the paint.

The Celtics entered the 2022 playoffs as one of the hottest, if not the hottest, teams in the league, and immediately swept the Kyrie-Durant Nets in the first round. They then beat the Bucks in a 7-game series thanks to Tatum’s 46-point performance in Game 6 and a Grant Williams game for the ages in Game 7. Boston found itself in its second ECF against the Miami Heat in three years and, this time, they battled their way to a 4-3 series victory to secure their first Finals berth in 12 years. The run was magical, with the team seemingly conquering all of its demons in its battle through the East, and that magic carried into the Finals, as the Celtics won two of its first three games against Golden State. Curry ultimately ended that magic by manhandling Boston with 43 points in a devastating Game 4 that swung the momentum of the series. The veteran Warriors then won the next two games to wrap up the series in six.

Despite the Finals loss and the Udoka scandal in the offseason, which resulted in Stevens naming Joe Mazzulla as interim head coach less than a month before the 2022-23 season began, the Celtics started the campaign with the best title odds in the league (+500). They certainly looked the part throughout the regular season, too. The C’s finished with a 57-25 record, good for second-best in the whole league and six wins better than the year before. Both Jays put up their best seasons yet, as Tatum posted 30.1 points per game and finished fourth in MVP voting while Brown averaged 26.6 points per game and was voted onto the All-NBA Second Team. At the same time, Derrick White’s defensive chops had earned him a place on the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team, and offseason addition Malcolm Brogdon won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Even the defense remained top-3 in the league without big minutes from Williams, who struggled with injuries and only played 35 games that season.

However, the Celtics didn’t look as impressive during the playoffs. The team lost two games to the seventh-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round and had a hard time guarding Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. In the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston lost Game 1 even though Joel Embiid did not play and allowed Philly to take a 3-2 series lead before they came back to win the series in seven games. The slippage was concerning, but it became embarrassing in the ECF against Miami, when the Heat took a dominant 3-0 series lead. JB couldn’t shoot, Williams couldn’t stay on the floor, and Brogdon was all but useless after sustaining an injury to his shooting arm in Game 1.

Nevertheless, Boston rattled off three straight wins, highlighted by a Derrick White buzzer beater in Game 6, to bring the series to a Game 7. The run sparked memories of the Red Sox’s historic 0-3 comeback against the Yankees on their way to a World Series win in 2004 and led fans to believe that maybe, just maybe, the Celtics could complete the first 0-3 comeback in NBA history. Those hopes were dashed in the opening possession of Game 7, when Tatum sprained his left ankle. Brown tried to lead the offense in his stead, but finished with 8 turnovers and dreadful shooting splits (34.8% from the field and 11.1% from three-point range) as the Celtics got blown out, 103-84.

Assembling the 2023-24 Team

After years of deep playoff runs ending in disappointment, Stevens decided to shake things up with a couple big moves in the 2023 offseason.

The first move was to trade Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis and a pair of first-round draft picks in a deal with the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. Smart was the longest-tenured member of the Celtics at the time of the trade and considered by many to be the heart of the team, but his offensive contributions were inconsistent and his defense was beginning to regress. On the other hand, Porzingis had always struggled to stay healthy, but he had just put up his best season yet over 65 games — tied for the second-most games he’d ever played in a single campaign — for the Wizards the year before. The 7’2” Latvian offered the unicorn combo of rim protection and outside shooting, but also something Boston had lacked in the Jays era: a potent inside scoring threat. Porzingis averaged 23.2 points per game in 2022-23 and had become elite at capitalizing on mismatches. If the defense messed up by switching an undersized player onto Porzingis, he could drag them into the post, get the ball and put up an almost unstoppable face-up jumper or turnaround over the shorter defender.

The next move was to trade Williams, Brogdon, and two first-round picks to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jrue Holiday, whom they had just acquired in the Damian Lillard trade. Jrue provided a lot of what Smart previously did for the Celtics — elite switchable defense, solid ballhandling and playmaking — but without some of the negatives that made Smart expendable. He could shoot at a solid clip, didn’t turn the ball over as much, didn’t require a large role to produce, and provided an unshakeable, calming presence that could only come from a championship-winning vet. And even though it looked like Boston gave up a lot of value for him, Williams’ injury problems were only getting worse (he played in only 26 games over the next two seasons) and Brogdon would also struggle to stay on the court following his injury against the Heat. He played only 63 games over the next two seasons, then retired early following the 2024-25 season at the age of 32.

Porzingis and Holiday would immediately slot into the starting lineup alongside White, Brown, and Tatum. If Porzingis wasn’t available, the ever-reliable Horford could start in his place with little drop off. While he didn’t provide the same level of offensive versatility as Porzingis, he remained switchable at the ripe age of 37 and helped maintain the team’s defensive pressure in lieu of the Latvian, all while hitting open shots with elite efficiency (he shot 44.6% from three-point range the season before). With everyone available, the top-6 had it all: every position had the ability to shoot, create scoring opportunities for themselves or others, and defend at a high level.

The starters also had elite depth to back them, with Payton Pritchard, a microwave scorer and deep shot master, Sam Hauser, a three-point shooting machine, and Luke Kornet, who provided solid fundamentals whenever Porzingis or Horford needed a rest. Even before the team played a single game, fans knew this squad was going to be impressive.

Regular Season

It didn’t take long for the Celtics to prove the fans right.

The team started the season off with a bang in an intense 108-104 battle against the New York Knicks, in which Boston got to show off one of its shiny new toys. While Tatum put up an impressive 34 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 stocks, it was Porzingis who stole the show against his former team. Porzingis scored 30 points on 53.3% shooting from the field, 55.6% from three-point range and 90% from the free throw line, and racked up 8 rebounds and 4 blocks, all while sporting a big, goofy smile. The performance immediately showed what Stevens saw in him, and how he could elevate the team to another level.

Only three games later, the Celtics rocked the Indiana Pacers to the tune of 155-104, a tremendous 51-point winning margin. Tatum once again led the way with 30 points, but the team was already firing on all cylinders: nobody in the starting five scored less than 13 points or played for more than 27 minutes. Three bench players finished with double-digit points — the same number of double-digit scorers the Pacers ended the game with.

The Knicks game was one of only a small handful of close contests throughout the season, as the Celtics blew most opponents out of the water and won by an average margin of 11.3 points per game. Using Mazzulla’s “Killer Whale Offense,” Boston would manipulate the opponents’ defense to get a weak or mismatched defender in a vulnerable position, then strike that weak point in isolation. If any off-ball defenders left their assignments to help, they would be leaving strong shooters open to bomb away. With five legitimate offensive weapons on the court at any time, there was no easy way to guard this loaded Celtics squad. You could try to pick your poison, but it was still a poison, nonetheless.

Steve Kerr and the Warriors discovered that while getting blown out during the teams’ second matchup of the season. Golden State went into the game with a strategy: let Boston’s weakest perimeter shooter, Jaylen Brown, take shots in an effort to minimize the number of shots available for the Celtics’ stronger shooters. They did this by playing off of Brown and allowing him to take open shots, almost at will. Brown capitalized on the lax defense and scored 19 points in just the first quarter, beginning a 58-13 run that secured a 35-point Boston lead by the half. Boston ended up winning the game 140-88, which was the Celtics’ third-largest winning margin ever and the Warriors’ fourth-worst loss in franchise history. And that was all without Porzingis, who missed the game with a quad injury.

While the team did have some slipups — worst of all was a 135-102 drubbing at the hands of Giannis and the Bucks in January — it always rebounded strong on the back of the league’s top-rated offense and third-best defense. For instance, the Celtics followed up that embarrassing loss to the Bucks with a 145-113 blowout of the Houston Rockets, in which the Jays combined for 59 points and Pritchard scored 19 points off the bench.

Boston finished the season with a 64-18 record, the historic franchise’s fourth-best regular season record of all time, and the best record in the Eastern Conference by a whopping 14 games. Even the best Western Conference teams ended up seven games back. There was no doubt about it: the Celtics were the best team in the league, and it wasn’t particularly close. The team racked up a +11.6 net rating, which tied the superteam 2016-17 Warriors for the third-best net rating in NBA history, only behind the Bulls’ 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons with the GOAT at the helm. While the team did not have a traditional superteam led by a Big 3 of superstars, each of its parts worked so harmoniously together that it produced like one.

Eastern Playoffs

The Celtics’ regular season domination continued into the playoffs, as it lost only two games on its way to the Finals.

In the first round, Boston faced a familiar foe: the Miami Heat. But this time, there was no Lebron James or Jimmy Butler to play spoiler. The Celtics won the first game by 20 points, with every starter but Holiday scoring at least 17 points. Surprisingly, Boston let Game 2 slip and lost by 10 points thanks to the Heat’s 23 three-point makes, a playoff franchise record, on 53.5% shooting from deep. The loss sparked painful memories for C’s fans who still harbored fears that the team lacked the mettle to go all the way. Nevertheless, Boston quelled those fears by winning the next three games by a combined margin of 68 points.

Unfortunately, one of the Celtics’ main storylines of the 2024 playoffs was the health of Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian sustained a calf injury in Game 4 of the Heat series and was ruled out for Game 5. His uncertain status moving forward led people to question whether or not Boston could win without its new interior weapon, and left an otherwise dominant team with one 7’2” question mark.

Well, in the second round against the Cavaliers, that didn’t matter. The script from the first round almost repeated itself, even in lieu of Porzingis. The Celtics dominated game 1, winning by a 25-point margin, thanks to a combined 57 points between Brown and White. Boston let another Game 2 slip and lost by 24 points, as it struggled to contain the combination of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. They rebounded with a 13-point win in Game 3, as Tatum and Brown combined for 61 points and Mitchell left the game with a strained left calf near the end of the game. Mitchell missed the next two games of the series due to the injury, and the Celtics capitalized by winning both and ending the series in five games.

Interestingly enough, the tightest series on Boston’s run to the Finals was its only sweep of the postseason. Still without Porzingis, three of the Celtics’ four ECF wins against the Pacers came down to the wire and were decided by 5 points or less. Games 1 and 3, especially, were nail-biters. Game 4 was close, too, but by then the Celtics had a 3-0 series lead and the pressure on Boston was all but gone.

Despite Jrue Holiday’s season-best 28-point, 7-rebound, 8-assist and 3-steal performance in Game 1, the Pacers had a three-point lead over the C’s in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter. It looked like Indiana might steal a big one against the mighty Celtics, but Brown hit a game-tying three-pointer over Pascal Siakam with 5.7 seconds remaining. His heroic shot earned one of Mike Breen’s rare double bang calls and sent the game to overtime, where Tatum sealed the deal with 10 points, bringing his total to 36.

Game 2 wasn’t so stressful, as the Celtics won by 16 points, but Game 3 was another matter entirely. The Pacers were without Tyrese Haliburton, who strained a hamstring in Game 2, but the rest of the team stepped up without him. Andrew Nembhard had a career 32-point and 9-assist game, while Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell all put up at least 22 points. They scored 69 points in the first half and, halfway through the third quarter, the Pacers had amassed a commanding 18-point lead. The Jays put up 15 combined points in the third to whittle Indiana’s lead down to 9 by the start of the fourth, but the Pacers maintained an 8-point advantage over Boston with only three minutes to go. But it wasn’t over yet. After Jayson Tatum made a ridiculous behind-the-back pass to Al Horford for an open corner 3, which brought the game to 109-111, it became the Jrue Holiday show. Holiday, fresh of Game 2 showcase, completed a three-point play by driving hard into Siakam for a layup. After hitting the foul shot to take a one-point lead with 38.9 seconds to go, Holiday finished the comeback by stealing the ball from a red-hot Nembhard with 4 seconds to go and knocking down a pair of free throws to put the Celtics up 114-111 with 1.7 second left. The Pacers missed their final three-point attempt, and Boston had secured an improbable win to take a 3-0 series lead.

Despite 29 points from Brown and a 26-point, 13-rebound and 8-assist performance from Tatum, Game 4 also came down to the wire. Thanks to another explosive performance from Nembhard, the Pacers held a four-point lead (102-98) over the Celtics with about three-and-a-half minutes remaining, but Boston tightened the screws and shut down Indiana’s offense over the final stretch. The Jays made a couple buckets to tie the game with less than three minutes to go, and White hit a three-pointer from the corner with 43.9 seconds left to secure the lead and Boston’s ticket to the NBA Finals.

Brown, who averaged 29.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.8 stocks per game and had a number of heroic moments over the course of the series, was named ECF MVP. Nevertheless, there was a debate over who should win the award, as the C’s had two other legitimate contenders. Holiday averaged 18.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 stocks per game and served as an instrumental piece for Boston, especially in clutch time. Meanwhile, Tatum had the best statistical output of all three, racking up 30.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.8 stocks per game.

Finals

Heading into the Finals, the Celtics were the betting favorites to win, but the Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks had garnered some intense hype on their run through the Western Conference. Some called the combination of Doncic and former Celtic Kyrie Irving the best offensive backcourt in the history of the league, and thought they could win it all. Heck, 9 out of 17 ESPN panelists picked the Mavs to beat the C’s, including Tim Legler.

While Boston had sometimes struggled in years past with execution in the biggest moments, Doncic had made a name for himself in the clutch — including his famous step-back three-pointer over Rudy Gobert to beat the Timberwolves in the WCF — and was putting up ungodly averages of 28.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. Meanwhile, Mavs GM Nico Harrison had built a seemingly ideal surrounding cast for the young superstar. Kyrie Irving served as the perfect second-fiddle and secondary offensive creator behind Luka; the combination of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II covered for his lacking defense by swallowing up shots in the paint and served as strong lob threats on offense; P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. both provided athletic defense on the perimeter while knocking down spot-up three-pointers, especially from the corners, at an efficient clip over the course of the playoffs. They had won 21 of their last 30 games, a run that eerily mirrored the Celtics’ magical 2021-22 run. There was a reason for the hype.

Game 1

However, the tune quickly changed after Game 1 of the Finals, otherwise known as the Porzingis Game.

Porzingis returned from the injury he sustained against Miami with a gusto, and came off the bench to torch his former team to the tune of 11 points on 4/5 shooting from the field and 1/2 shooting from three-point range, as well as 3 rebounds and 2 blocks, in just the first quarter. He immediately stole the show upon entering the game and looked unstoppable, demonstrating that the Celtics — who were 12-2 at that point in the playoffs — had another level they could reach. After carving up Dallas for 7 more points in the second quarter, on 3/4 shooting, he led both teams in scoring and had helped Boston take a 63-42 lead by the half.

When Dallas cut the lead to 8 points in the third quarter, Boston silenced their momentum with a 14-0 run of their own and finished the game with a 107-89 win. The Celtics had an answer to just about everything the Mavs liked to do. Boston deflated Dallas’ lob-happy offense by neutralizing the benefits of the Mavs’ 1-5 pick and rolls by having Tatum guard Gafford or Lively and switch on screens. The C’s could switch every screen without exposing a singularly weak defender for Doncic to chew up. They sacrificed coverage on above-the-break threes to ensure the corners, where the Mavs’ role players shot best, were shut down. On offense, Boston targeted Doncic, both exploiting his weakness as a defender and wearing him down by forcing him to play active defense. Mazzulla had crafted an impressive strategy, and the Celtics were playing it to a tee.

Jaylen Brown had also carried over his momentum from his ECF MVP performance, and looked hungry for the championship. Despite Porzingis’ first-half explosion, Brown led the team in scoring with 22 points on 7/12 shooting. But that wasn’t his most valuable contribution. He also took on the role of guarding Doncic from the jump and did an impressive job forcing the offensive maestro to scrape and claw for every bit of leeway, even picking him up full court to further make his life hell. Brown was taking Luka’s cookies less than 4 minutes into the first quarter, for crying out loud! He finished the game with 3 steals and 3 blocks.

Game 2

Sadly, the Porzingis hype train died down in Game 2. He sustained a rare leg injury in the fourth quarter that would require surgery to repair, and he was noticeably hobbled before leaving the game with 12 points, 4 rebounds, an assist and 2 blocks. The Celtics’ not-so-secret weapon was gone, and it wasn’t clear when, or if, he’d be coming back.

Regardless, the rest of the team looked determined to grind out a series win. Jrue Holiday led the way with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 stocks. The Jays both struggled with their shots, but contributed in other ways. Tatum racked up 9 rebounds and 12 assists. Brown finished with 7 assists and 3 steals as he kept up his defensive pressure on Doncic.

The Celtics two play of the game contenders came from none of them.

Payton Pritchard, who saw limited play in the Finals, stepped in to do what he does best near the end of the third quarter. Pritchard got the ball for a final possession of the period, dribbled it about six feet past the halfcourt line, then buried a buzzer-beating three-pointer to put the Celtics up 83-74.

The other play of the game contender was made by Derrick White, who ran the full length of the court for a chase-down block on a streaking P.J. Washington dunk attempt to maintain the Celtics’ five-point lead, 103-98, with less than a minute to go in the fourth.

The Mavs — other than Kyrie, who stunk early in the series — looked a little better in game 2, as Doncic finished with an efficient 32-point triple double and every started finished with double-digit points. Regardless, they shot a putrid 23.1% from three-point range and failed to answer Boston’s gameplan. The Celtics win Game 2, 105-98.

Game 3

While Kyrie finally woke up against the Celtics in Game 3, it still wasn’t enough to secure a win — although it was a close call.

Kyrie and Luka both started hot, combining to score 22 points over the first quarter as Boston continued to guard both 1-on-1 in an attempt to limit Dallas’ role players from getting open shots. That scoring earned them an early 13-point lead in the opening period. Unfortunately for them, Tatum also shook off his shooting struggles from the first two games and scored 13 points on 4/7 shooting. By the end of the first, the Mavs’ lead had been whittled down to 1 point.

Dallas maintained that lead heading into the half, but the Celtics took over in the third quarter. Brown exploded for 15 points in the period, while Tatum, White, and Holiday each chipped in at least 5 points. Even Xavier Tillman Sr. contributed off the bench by knocking down a corner 3. They rode that wave into the early fourth quarter and took a 91-70 lead as a result of a 20-5 run.

That’s when things got sketchy. Dallas went on a 22-2 run of their own and brought the deficit down to 3 points before Doncic fouled out. Kyrie hit a jumper to narrow the lead to 1 point, but that was the closest it got. Without Doncic, the Mavericks’ offense sputtered and only scored 6 points over the last 2:32. Over that stretch, Brown, Tatum, and White combined to score the Celtics’ last 13 points of the game.

While Dallas’ duo of Kyrie and Luka finished the game with a combined 62 points, the Jays combined for 61 points of their own, and the Celtics’ surrounding cast — highlighted by White’s 16 points — outscored the Mavs’, 45-37.

Boston wins 106-99 and secures an untouchable 3-0 series lead on their way to their first title in 16 years.

Game 4

We’re not going to talk much about Game 4.

With a 3-0 series lead, the Celtics clearly took their foot off the gas and got their asses kicked from the jump. Maybe they wanted to return to Boston to finish the series, maybe they just sucked, but it wasn’t pretty.

What it looked like was that Dallas had finally figured out the Celtics. The Mavs got their lob game going again, stifled Boston’s offense, and broke out for the most lopsided win of the series, 122-84. Even if it was only one game, it was such a spanking that the talking heads started talking about Dallas’ chances of completing a potential 3-0 series comeback.

Game 5

On the Celtics’ side of things, the players remained cool, calm and collected in the face of media, but news that the still-injured Porzingis would return to play in Game 5 may have hinted at some level of scrambling in Boston.

However, no desperation was detected after the game had actually started. Boston’s starting five — with Horford in for Porzingis — scored 24 points on a balanced attack in the opening quarter, while Dallas’ could only muster 7. By the end of the first, the Celtics had taken a 10-point lead, 28-18.

With the Mavericks on the ropes, Boston pushed even harder in the second quarter. The Jays scored a combined 21 points in the period, but every Celtic who participated in the quarter scored at least once. By the time Pritchard made the play of the game — a buzzer-beating halfcourt shot to put the C’s up 67-46 at the half — the competition was all but over.

Despite 29 combined second-half points from Kyrie and Luka, the Celtics cruised to an easy 106-88 win with the help of 15 second-half points from Tatum, who finished with 31.

They had done it. After spending so long trying and failing, only to try harder and fail harder, the Celtics had finally secured Banner 18. They had done it without breaking up the Jays, who talking heads argued could never win together, or getting rid of Mazzulla, who people called for Stevens to fire following the 2023 ECF. Al Horford, a stalwart professional who had helped the Celtics make it so far so many times, had finally won his first ring in his 17th season in the NBA. Brown won Finals MVP for his two-way efforts, only a year after his left hand had been meme’d to death. After 16 years of struggle and disappointment, the Celtics had finally reached the summit of NBA basketball once more.

Ranking Warriors' most beneficial moves of Joe Lacob-Peter Guber era: Part II originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors went through summer without adding a star-level veteran. LeBron James was the latest miss, joining the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Lauri Markkanen et al. The front office took waves of heat, some of it deserved.

While much of the discontent in the streets of Dub Nation stems from knowing Stephen Curry’s NBA future is short, most of it is cumulative, a result of seeing so many failed pursuits over the years.

Golden State’s shot-callers like the roster they’ve assembled for the 2026-27 NBA season – even if few outsiders share their optimism. It’s an implicit appeal for trust.

Have they earned the right to be trusted? There have been enough errors to invite skepticism. In the 16 years since Joe Lacob and Peter Guber led a new ownership group, there also has been enough prosperity to warrant patience.

We compiled a list of what I believe qualify as the 10 shrewdest transactions since they took ownership of the franchise in July 2010. We counted down from No. 10 to No. 6 in Part I on Wednesday, and here is the top five in Part II:

5) Hiring Steve Kerr (May 2014)

After taking notable strides under coach Mark Jackson, with the franchise making consecutive NBA playoff appearances for the first time in 21 years, the front office sensed the team was on the doorstep of elite status.

Jackson was out, despite a bit of a fuss from some parts of the roster, and Kerr was in.

The first-time coach tweaked an offense that needed it by making Curry, coming off his first appearance in an NBA All-Star Game, the centerpiece. General manager Bob Myers used his payroll wiggle room to add a couple productive free agents.

The first training camp under Kerr was met with some early grumbling, but it didn’t take long for players to embrace the changes.  The Warriors opened with five straight wins, four by double digits, and rolled into December with the best record (18-2) in the league.

They stayed on top, winning the franchise’s first title in 40 years. A dynasty was born.

4) Drafting Draymond Green (June 2012)

Most scouts considered Green a small power forward with offensive limitations and modest athleticism, so little was expected when Golden State chose him with the 35th overall pick.

The hope was that Green’s college success might translate to the NBA. He could be a rotation piece, which he was in his first two seasons. His defense would offset the offense of starter David Lee. 

Kerr and his staff quickly realized that Green’s skills were conducive to winning. For the Warriors to contend, he needed to start alongside center Andrew Bogut. Decision made.

The Warriors’ 100.4 defensive rating in 2014-15 led the league. Their 67-15 record earned the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs. Behind the high-profile shooting pyrotechnics of Klay Thompson and Curry was a 98.8 postseason defensive rating that led to a championship.

Green has hurt the Warriors plenty, but he was essential to their dynastic run.

3) Drafting Klay Thompson (June 2011)

The Warriors were warming to the prospect of Curry becoming a star, but were concerned about his durability. They also knew they’d like to pair him with a prototype big guard who could space the floor.

When Thompson was on the board as the Warriors were on the clock with the 11th overall pick – Jimmer Fredette went No. 10 – the energy in the draft room was close to delirium. Jerry West, the legendary Hall of Famer serving as an adviser, barely could contain himself.

Thompson was a part-time starter as a rookie, became a full-time starter in his second season and his fourth the made the first of five consecutive All-Star appearances.

Thompson joined Curry, and they formed the best backcourt in NBA history. They complemented each other perfectly because Klay’s two-way ability – a fantastic catch-and-shoot artist who became superb defender – allowed Steph to shine at the point.

2) Signing free agent Kevin Durant (July 2016)

Despite the attractions offered in Golden State, big-name free agents routinely shunned the place. The previous ownership, led by Chris Cohan, was so maladroit that players around the league considered the franchise a wasteland.

That started to change under the Lacob-Guber regime. By the time Durant hit the market in 2016, the Warriors had gone to back-to-back NBA Finals and Curry was a two-time MVP. They had enough status to get the ear of a superstar.

After meeting with six teams, including the incumbent Thunder, Durant chose the Warriors.

It was a groundbreaking day for the franchise. In less than five years, the Warriors had evolved from practically nondescript to champions and envy of the NBA – if not American sports.

What followed were three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, with two ending in victory parades. Durant was a two-time Finals MVP. The 2016-17 Warriors rank among the best teams in league history.

1) Signing Curry to a 4/$44 million extension (June 2012)

Why was Steph so “cheap?” Concerns about his durability. He missed 40 games in his third season and had undergone multiple ankle surgeries.

But it was Curry’s contract that created a path for the front office to fly to the top of the NBA. There were smart decisions, with West providing guidance.

While Curry was averaging $11 million per season, the Warriors were able to bring in Andre Iguodala, upgrade the contracts of Thompson and Green in 2015 and sign Durant in 2016. 

When the Warriors upset Denver in the first round of the 2013 playoffs, Curry was the eighth highest-paid player on the roster. When they won the NBA Finals in 2015, he was behind Lee, Bogut and Iguodala. When they won 73 games in 2015-16, Curry was fifth in pay.

There never would have been a Golden State dynasty if the front office did not use its leverage to sign Curry to conceivably the team-friendliest contract in sports history.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

How can VJ Edgecombe improve next to Jaylen Brown and LeBron James? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The arrival of VJ Edgecombe in his rookie season put the Sixers on an interesting new path.

His 34 point, seven rebound, three assist game in his league debut set the stage for his All-Rookie season in which he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. 

It also set the stage for the Sixers to continue on the Joel Embiid timeline. 

Injury storylines will most likely loom over Embiid for the rest of his career, and while his knees aren’t an issue at this point in time, he certainly isn’t done adding to his injury catalog.

For this reason, the call to blow up the core of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey was growing. It was certainly in the cards for the Sixers to attempt to get what they could for an aging Embiid and his massive contract and build around Maxey, while seeing what they have in a rookie Edgecombe and second-year Jared McCain.

In large part to Edgecombe, the Sixers went 4-1 in October 2025. Edgecombe averaged 21 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists on .494/.438/.800 shooting splits in his first four games and the Sixers were showing major signs of a cohesive team still capable of winning in the Eastern Conference.

The season had its ups and downs but through it all, Edgecombe proved his progress as an NBA player was way ahead of schedule.

Coming out of Baylor after one season, Edgecombe was heralded as a prospect for his nuclear athleticism and defensive profile, with room to grow with his shot, handle and playmaking. 

It was apparent that scouts had missed something, or that Edgecombe used his transitional summer to work on practically all his noted flaws.

Not perfect, but his on-ball scoring, his functional handle and ability to read a defense and find open teammates was a huge lift for a Sixers team searching for an inkling into which timeline they should trust.

Now, nearly a year removed from Edgecombe’s 34-point outburst, the timeline is clear. Win now.

Edgecombe will be the fifth starter flanking Jaylen Brown, Embiid, LeBron James and Maxey.

A spoil of riches ironically raises an issue: Who gets the ball?

The hierarchy of shots and ball possession will shake out as the season goes, but no matter the shake, it seems like Edgecombe will be at the bottom of the pecking order in that starting five.

There’s two sides to this coin.

(On both sides, Edgecombe will be the fifth option.)

The pessimistic side is that Edgecombe’s growth will be stunted as he will get fewer on ball reps and less room for error as he’ll become a play finisher, spoiling the monumental progress he made in his rookie year.

The optimistic view is that with less responsibility, he will have more freedom to grow in other aspects of the game that become invaluable to him as his career progresses.

But there’s far more to each side, so we can dive in and hash it out.

There’s an argument that this could “stunt” his growth as a player, but there’s far better options and ways to approach this. As seen from Edgecombe’s rapid development, he has a knack for absorbing information and implementing it quickly into real-life reps.

He went from people questioning if he could ever create shots on his own, to mimicking and surpassing Paul George as a self-creation hub by the end of the season.

Edgecombe and George’s relationship was noted by many. Edgecombe was a sponge around George and absorbed information at a uniquely high level for a rookie.

Now, Edgecombe not only gets practice reps and personal notes from Brown and James, he also gets more high leverage playing time alongside two players who combine to excel at just about every skill imaginable in the game.

If Edgecombe was a sponge around an aging George, there’s good reason to believe that he will be a top student around Brown and James.

With these lessons comes moments to actualize them in games. 

So with the guidance of Brown and James, Maxey and Embiid, Edgecombe, will also by default draw the opponents weakest defender in almost every starting lineup matchup.

He gets a training ground in games to attack a weaker defender, presumably with good spacing around him while the higher level defenders are glued to the four other outlets on his team.

In this scenario, you put some trust in Edgecombe to capitalize on his chances attacking closeouts and attacking in isolation. 

This will also help him put more pressure on the rim and improve his free throw rate.

Last year Edgecombe was the king of “almost” posters. His footwork on his takeoff just may have been one step awry and his finishing skills just a tad bit unpolished.

Per Cleaning the Glass, Edgecombe drew fouls on 7.5% of his shot attempts, ranking in the 40th percentile for guards in the league. He was seventh amongst rookies in free throws per game at a mere 2.4 (Cooper Flagg led rookies with just under five per game).

Other slashing guards such as Stephon Castle (20.4% Shots Fouled %), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (17.8 SFLD%), Austin Reaves (15.9% SFLD%) and Anthony Edwards (13.9 SFLD%) are the blueprint for how Edgecombe can use his positional size and strength to attack the rim and keep the scoreboard moving with the clock stopped.

And there is historical context to back up this improvement. In 2023-24, Keyonte George averaged 3.0 FTA, his third season wrapped up at 7.0 FTA and ranked in the 97th percentile among guards in SFLD%, getting fouled on 16.8% of his shot attempts.

And more notably, foul magnet Shai Gilgeous Alexander managed just 2.4 FTA his rookie season. He has obviously skyrocketed that total, averaging 10.9, 8.7, 8.8 and 9,0 FTA in his last four All-Star seasons (while leading the league in free throws made in his last three).

In no way does Edgecombe have to become a Gilgeous-Alexander foul drawer in order to succeed — just that the track for improvement has been done before.

He can do this with the weakest defender on him. Edgecombe can try to bully his way by and get to the rim to hopefully convert some poster dunks, or draw a foul against a collapsing defense.

He proved in his rookie season he’s capable of getting to his spots in the midrange and knocking down what could be his signature shot, the tough fadeaway that’s nearly impossible for defenders to reach with their contest.

George, his mentor in shotmaking, is now suiting up for Boston. Luckily for Edgecombe, he now gets to watch and learn from Brown, one of the toughest shot makers in the game today.

The pessimistic side of Edgcombe being the fifth option hinges on Edgecombe’s refusal to listen, learn and take what is in front of him. If we go by the sample size of Edgecombe’s rookie year, the idea that he won’t take every opportunity to learn and enact those lessons seems ludicrous.

There’s also an alley for Edgecombe to hone in on microskills that make good players great and help make great teams champions.

Edgecombe draws the Jrue Holiday comparison in terms of build, skill set and roll on an NBA court. Players with the build and style of Holiday, Derrick White, Josh Hart and others have a similarity. 

They are obsessed with the fine details on the court that equate to winning games.

They also are never the team’s primary option to score, they are incredible at small things that make huge differences. 

All smart defenders know who they’re guarding and how to stalwart them in different ways. All players who understand how to map the court on both ends of the floor. Ones who make hustle plays that break teams back — that hit shots the team needs them to in crunch time.

So, while Edgecombe may not have the ball, he is still on the court and capable of making plays similar to those mentioned.

He likely will take on tougher defensive assignments so that Brown and Maxey can roam and save energy on that end.

Focusing just on Holiday’s defensive attributes, there is a plethora of defensive tape that showcases Holiday’s exceptional understanding on who and how he is guarding someone.

The main technique Holiday implements is using his chest to impede dribble drives. Using his strength and quickness (both attributes that Edgecombe has), Holiday is able to cut off drives and push offensive players in directions that he wants them to.

Studying Holiday defensive tape should be at the forefront for Edgecombe, who has already shown some creative defensive playmaking.

He will have opportunities to get in position to rebound to secure or revive possessions.

Think about how many times Josh Hart had a heartbreaking offensive rebound:

If Edgecombe goes stretches without touching the ball due to the magnificence of his teammates, he should be able to showcase his nuclear athleticism and strength to barge in for contested rebounds that get the Sixers a fresh 14 second shot clock, or wrap up a defensive possession to head the other way.

He’ll be able to become hyperfocused on tendencies of other teams to blow up plays on defense, and where he can make an impact on offense without having to touch the ball.

Edgecombe just turned 21 years old in July, he still has the mileage on his legs to play heavy minutes and do these things well enough that it will be a struggle for Nurse to take him off the court.

Of course, it will benefit him if he can continue to improve his shooting and knock down the shots that come to him, but even during his rookie year, he rarely shied away from shooting the three even if they were not falling. 

For a second-year player who looks like he’ll have a long NBA career, these developmental years do not have to be linear in terms of scoring and offensive output. 

The idea that Edgecombe will come away from this upcoming season a worse player than before is asinine if he continues to be a sponge to those around him.

There’s no real bench mark numbers for Edgecombe to hit this season. If the Sixers are winning, he is happy. If the Sixers are winning, he’s likely learning. And if he’s learning, then the development will come and by year four, five, or six, he will be poised to become a complete monster in the NBA for the rest of his career. 

If I had a nickel for every time Jeanie Buss took her family to court, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s odd that it’s happened twice.

Jeanie has officially filed a petition to block the family’s sale of the Lakers, a move that became public on Tuesday. It’s the second time Jeanie has taken her siblings to court over matters relating to the Lakers.

The 97-page(!!) petition includes a whole host of things including Jeanie calling the actions of her siblings “devious behavior” and stating that she “never agreed to any sale, was never consulted and was never even informed,” all reported by Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the LA Times.

“Jeanie thought she had put all of her siblings’ scheming and manipulations behind her in 2017,” the petition reads. “Sadly, that was not the case — and Jeanie must respectfully request relief from this Court a second time.”

Among five points on the petition, Jeanie hopes to declare her siblings’ votes to sell the team void, remove Janie and Joey as co-trustees for “breach of fiduciary duty” and hold both in contempt of court and hold Jim, Johnny and Jesse in contempt and liable for “aiding and abetting.”

Jeanie’s stance is based on that 2017 ruling, which backed her as the family attempted what was effectively a coup to get her out as owner after she fired Jim Buss from the front office.

Two other parts of Jeanie’s petition are that she believes the franchise is being undervalued with the sale and that the price will only continue to go up. On top of that, she also has the backing of the two other minority owners, Patrick Soon-Shiong and Ed Roski.

The petition adds that Lakers minority owners Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the L.A. Times and said he plans to hold onto his 4% stake in the Lakers, and Ed Roski Jr. believe Jeanie is “the right person to continue as controlling owner and NBA governor of the Lakers to help preserve and continue to grow the value of the Lakers stock investments.”

Perhaps the worst news is that the court date is slated for Nov. 5, which means we’re still far from a resolution, barring an unlikely out-of-court settlement.

So, buckle up, folks. We’re gonna be here a while.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Jeanie Buss, controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, has filed a petition with the Los Angeles County Superior Court to block her five siblings from selling the family’s share of the team.

The potential sale would end Buss’ ability to run the franchise as she has since her father died in 2013.

The petition is composed not strictly by legal arguments to block her five siblings’ vote to sell the family’s 17.8% stake in the team. It’s also an attack on their efforts to do so.

She accuses them of “devious behavior’’ and for trying to carry out a “scheme” to circumvent her and violate the family trust.

Jeanie Buss also says three of her siblings – Jim, Johnny and Jesse – should be held in contempt of court and that her two other siblings, Joey and Janie, should show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court.

A longtime family feud resurfaced Aug. 12 after Mark Walter, controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreed to sell the Lakers to venture capitalist Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger at a $12.5 billion valuation, the most ever paid for a U.S. professional sports franchise.

Attorney Adam Streisand, who represents Jeanie Buss, said in a declaration filed with the court that on Aug. 17 ESPN reported all six Buss siblings had voted to sell the team and Jeanie Buss was “out’’ as controlling owner. The report was considered part of the "scheme,'' according to the petition.

On Aug. 18, ESPN published a story reporting five of the siblings, with the exception of Jeanie, were united in their decision to sell the team. That would have a direct impact on her role with the Lakers.

The family must own at least 15% of the team for Jeanie Buss to remain controlling owner.

Tale of finances

The matter dates back to 1979, when Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers for $67.5 million and turned the team into one of the most storied franchises in sports. Upon his death in 2013, all six of his children were given equal shares of his stake in the team and Jeanie was named his successor.

In 2017, Jeanie Buss filed a lawsuit accusing two of her brothers, Jim and Johnny, of trying to oust her as controlling owner. A court order affirmed she was the controlling owner and directed the family co-trustee to take “all actions reasonably available’’ to ensure that continued. That year, Jeanie fired Jim Buss as the team's head of basketball operations

In June 2025, the Buss family agreed to sell the majority of the Lakers to Walter on a valuation of $10 billion, and the sale took into account Jeanie Buss' position with the team.

According to Jeanie Buss’ petition, “Specifically, the co-trustees enabled each beneficiary to receive substantial wealth while preserving the Buss family’s ownership interest in the Lakers above the 15% threshold required for Jeanie to remain Controlling Owner, and while securing a contractual commitment from the new owner to maintain Jeanie as Controlling Owner for at least five years, through October 30, 2030.’’

Jeanie Buss' track record

The Lakers have won 17 NBA championships, more than any team but the Boston Celtics, who have won 18.

But since Jerry Buss died in 2013, the Lakers have won just one championship. And after his death, the Lakers failed to make the playoffs for six consecutive seasons.

There is no mention of the team’s struggles in a section of the petition outlining Jeanie Buss’ successes as controlling owner.

The petition states, “During her tenure, among other of her extraordinary achievements, she overhauled the front office, signed LeBron James, traded for Anthony Davis, and delivered the 2020 Championship, becoming the first female Controlling Owner to win an NBA title, before obtaining Luka Dončić and while growing the Lakers to a record valuation for an NBA franchise.’’

The $12.5 billion Kushner and Iger have agreed to pay for the team reflects the massive growth of the team’s value – from their father’s purchase of $67.5 million, not to mention a growth of 25% in about a year.

According to the petition, two of the Lakers' minority owners, Patrick Soon-Shiong and Ed Roski Jr., “have made the determination, as has Jeanie, that the value of Lakers stock will continue to increase over the value of the stock in the current proposed offer…and, for that reason, they have no intent to sell their Lakers stock at this time.’’

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers legal saga continues: Jeanie Buss accuses siblings of 'devious behavior' in petition

Draymond Green wasn’t shy about revealing his true feelings about the NBA salary cap.

During his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” he spoke about the Denver Nuggets’ decision to trade Peyton Watson due to salary restrictions and told basketball fans that if they didn’t like it, to “Shut the hell up.”

“I saw a lot of people saying, ‘Aww man, it’s unfair that they drafted Peyton Watson, they built him up, they helped him grow, and now they have to trade him away because of the salary cap,” Green said.

A week ago, Watson was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, in part of a four-team trade that resulted in him receiving a four-year, $88 million contract extension.

The decision to move Watson came with the Nuggets being $1.3 million over the second apron of the NBA luxury tax threshold, with two open roster spots.

With Denver having to make a tough decision, Green said that he’s seen the Warriors make their share of tough moves in order to keep him playing alongside Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson.

“Decisions had to be made with our roster, due to the Golden State Warriors drafting those teams,” Green said. “There are no breaks for drafting a guy and improving from within. You don’t pick up tax breaks and different things. You hit that tax, you’re gonna get taxed.”

Despite the Warriors having to make harsh decisions like moving on from young players like Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney, Golden State has managed to find ways to sign big fish during free agency.

Less than a month after they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors paired their beloved trio with Kevin Durant.

The four of them went on to win two NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018, where Durant was crowned the Finals MVP in both of them.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

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

The Golden State Warriors went a few months without making any roster moves other than re-signing their own players. Finally, earlier this week, the Dubs ended that drought in a flurry, as they filled out their roster by signing high-scoring guard Brandon Williams and veteran forward Georges Niang.

There’s a lot to like about each move. Williams gives the Dubs some much-needed scoring, especially while Jimmy Butler III is out, while Niang is a trusty veteran presence who is well-rounded and fits the system.

There’s also a bit to criticize, less with the individual players and more with the fact that Golden State perhaps hasn’t really moved the needle this summer.

So, Dub Nation — how do you feel about these signings?

Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys:

Former Florida guard Xaivian Lee is officially headed back to college basketball. After going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft and spending the summer with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lee has committed to Gonzaga, according to On3’s Joe Tipton, giving Mark Few another experienced playmaker for the upcoming season. 

The veteran guard participated in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas but will instead return to the college ranks after entering the transfer portal. His decision gives Gonzaga one of the most accomplished guards available, while providing Lee another opportunity to boost his NBA stock.

$19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage

Earlier this summer, Lee signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Cleveland shortly after going undrafted in June, earning an opportunity to compete during Summer League. Across five appearances with the Cavaliers, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 16 minutes per game while shooting 40% from the field.

However, his outside shooting never quite found a rhythm. Lee connected on just 21.4% of his 3-point attempts during Summer League while posting a minus-1 plus-minus across his five contests. Although he showed flashes as a facilitator and playmaker, the performance ultimately wasn’t enough to keep him on the NBA track for now.

Instead, Lee will return to the college game after one season at Florida. He transferred to Gainesville last offseason following three standout years at Princeton, where he established himself as one of the Ivy League’s premier players. 

Lee earned back-to-back First Team All-Ivy League honors and became the first player in Princeton history to record a triple-double before making the jump to the defending national champions. That’s what Gonzaga will be expecting with his addition. 

While sharing the ball with a veteran Florida roster, Lee averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. His 147 assists led the Gators, while his 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked among the SEC’s best as Florida captured the SEC regular-season championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to arriving at Florida, Lee showcased his ability as a primary offensive option at Princeton. During his junior season with the Tigers, he averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists while emerging as one of the nation’s most versatile guards.

NBA evaluators have praised Lee’s offensive creativity, court vision and ability to create shots off the dribble. However, questions surrounding his size, defensive consistency and outside shooting contributed to him going undrafted this summer. Now, Lee will look to answer those questions at Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs have developed a reputation for preparing experienced guards for the professional ranks. With this decision, Lee will have another opportunity to showcase his offensive skill set in one of college basketball’s premier programs. 

After taking his shot at the NBA, he’ll return to Spokane with hopes of leading Gonzaga on another deep postseason run while improving his draft stock for 2027. Time will tell if he’s successful in his quest. 

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and X (formerly Twitter) account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

The Golden State Warriors won't leave any shadow of a doubt that they want their franchise leader Stephen Curry to finish his career in the Bay Area.

Curry officially becomes extension-eligible on Saturday, Aug. 29 and sign a deal that takes him into the twilight of his career. That's been the dialogue.

General manager Mike Dunleavy publicly expressed that Curry playing with the Warriors until he hangs up the jersey has always been the message in their conversations.

"That's always been sort of what we discussed, and I think that's you know tracking quite well," Dunleavy told reporters earlier this month. "Obviously, he's eligible for an extension coming up at the end of this month, and you know we'll talk through all that stuff and can't speak on it much right now."

Both sides are expected to "engage with a mutual desire to keep Curry with the Warriors for the entirety of his career," according to ESPN's Anthony Slater.

Curry, 38, is on a one-year veteran extension contract that he signed last August that pays him $62.5 million in the 2026-27 season, according to Spotrac.

The Warriors have rounded out their roster with their two remaining spots after signing veteran forward Georges Niang and fifth-year backup guard Brandon Williams to a Golden State nucleus that returned many of its players from the previous season.

With five weeks to go until training camp and a roster now completely filled, the next thing is securing Curry's legacy remains with the Warriors. A task, which has been reassured by the team, will indeed happen.

"I'm pretty confident Steph will finish his career here," Dunleavy said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors to discuss contract extension with Steph Curry this weekend