Category: NBA

After the 2024 Paris Olympics concluded, I wrote a piece entitled “Age does not defeat joy, even in sports“.  I talked about how some of the “senior members” of the USA Olympic basketball teams, and in particular, Steph Curry and LeBron James, had conquered the world joyfully.

For me, that same word “joy” describes the 2025-26 regular season for the Spurs.  Regardless of how the playoffs end, Spurs fans should remember the joy we all experienced watching our team this season, game after game after joyful game.  

At the start of the season, we dreamed of the Spurs getting back into the playoff hunt, if everything went well. We hoped to be one of “those teams” — the lower seeded team that no one wants to play.  Indeed, last September, a Pounding the Rock writer wrote this:

“While the 2025-26 Spurs cannot realistically expect to challenge the top five from last year, they can set their sights on the next three, along with Play-In losers Mavs and Kings.

“Let’s aim for that 6-spot. And maybe face the Clippers in Round One. Does that sound about right?”

That guy’s hopeful outlook seems ridiculous now. The Spurs both challenged and exceeded the top five from last year, even going 4-1 against the mighty Thunder. 62 wins!!  I am sure glad I was not the guy who wrote that the Spurs would be happy with a sixth place finish and a first-round match-up with the third place Clippers.  

Oh, wait.  That guy was me. I have only one excuse.  The article was entitled: “The Spurs got better this summer, but so did most of the Western Conference. Wait, did all the good Western Conference teams get better?”

I must have decided my conclusion should match the title. 

However, I did much better on another preseason prediction.  I wrote:

“The basketball universe unanimously approved the Spurs’ selection on Dylan Harper as the clear second best player in the 2025 NBA draft. The only concern I have heard is that Harper’s skills overlap with those of the anticipated starting backcourt of De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.

“Having coached a bit, I know that having three good guards for the two backcourt spots is a good thing, not a bad one. The reason is simple: players don’t play all 48 minutes. Indeed, the Spurs’ best player last year (you know his name) averaged just 33 minutes per game. In 17 games with the Spurs, Fox averaged 34 minutes while Castle averaged 27. If Fox and Castle play the same amount this season, they will play a total of 61 minutes out of the 96 minutes available. That leaves 35 minutes for Harper or others — for instance if Devin Vassell splits his time between the 2 and the 3. Harper will be not be 20 years old until March 2026 — and 20 is probably about the right number of minutes for such a young player in his rookie season.  There probably won’t be enough playing time for Harper to win the Spurs’ third consecutive Rookie of the Year award, but with that other rookie in Dallas starting for the Mavs, Harper probably won’t win the award anyway.”

I absolutely nailed that one. The Spurs’ three top guards were great, and sharing those 96 minutes was not an issue at all.  Fox and Castle combined to average 61 minutes per game, exactly the number I predicted, while young Harper averaged 22 minutes – and those 22 minutes were fabulous.  While I correctly stated that he would not win Rookie of the Year, Harper will almost certainly be on the First Team All-Rookie Team. And he brought Spurs fans much joy throughout the season.  

As did Castle and Fox, Keldon Johnson, who thrived as Sixth Man (of the Year?), our shooting wings (Devin Vassell and undrafted and therefore very Spursian Julian Champagnie), the back-up center (and sometimes starter) Luke Kornet (also undrafted), unheralded rookie Carter Bryant (who plays with a joyful abandon, enthusiasm and skill), Harrison Barnes (who adjusted well to coming off the bench for the first time ever), and the coaching staff — also essentially rookies. 

After a Spurs win in Miami, one of the more joyous recent games to watch, our Frenchman said this, which we could all see as we watched the team compete:

“It’s unselfishness,” said Wemby postgame. “We get along super well on and off the court, and we see the results.”

KJ, who recently had a group of reporters visit his ranch, just had a piece published in The Player’s Tribune about his time with the Spurs and how much of a home San Antonio has become, had this to say:

The best way I can describe our group is like a rodeo. Everybody on the team has their own unique vibe and personality, and when it all comes together it’s just wild. And we thrive off that. We thrive off that chaotic energy of yelling and screaming, and laughing and joking 24/7. And on the floor, that turns into something special. 

They say it is the journey, not the destination.  For this regular season, I can’t imagine a more joyful journey, without even knowing the ultimate destination.  Perhaps I should I have entitled this piece “Youth and inexperience do not defeat joy, they enhance it.”

Speaking of journeys and destinations, I intended this post to be a look back at my preseason over/under predictions for the Western Conference. Unlike prior seasons, I am very joyous about how my preseason predictions this time.  Most importantly, I got the Spurs right.  My preseason prediction for the Spurs:  

 “Vegas has projected the Spurs to improve more in 2025-26 than every other team except one . . . Who am I to disagree? I am also contractually obligated to say OVER, and I know better than to breach my contract before ‘the powers that be’ decide on my Christmas bonus. OVER, OVER, OVER”

Of course, even though Vegas projected the Spurs to increase from 34 wins to 43.5, Vegas was wildly pessimistic.  My “OVER, OVER, OVER” did so much better than Vegas.

I also went “UNDER, UNDER, UNDER” on the Clippers, who Vegas pegged for 48.5 wins.  Wrong!  Clips won only 42 games, so I beat Vegas again.

The Spurs’ loss to the Nuggets Sunday put Denver’s win total at 54, just over the 53.5 Vegas prediction — and I had the Nuggets as an Over.  That brought my overall record this season to a remarkable 11-4. I would much rather the Spurs won, which would have put me at 10-5, but I would accept that in a heartbeat rather than having to beat both Denver and OKC to get to the NBA Finals.

Unfortunately, losing that last game means that the Spurs will likely need to go through both Denver and OKC to get to the NBA Finals.  But let’s not focus on that right now.  If I would have predicted before the season that as of the start of the Play-In Round,  the Spurs would have finished 62-20 (62 wins!!), second place in the tough Western Conference, with home court for the first two rounds of the playoffs (and the NBA Finals if they get there), and dominate the defending champs in their regular season match-ups, everyone would have understandably called me crazy. 

But now?  Call me joyous.

If you go looking through the Knicks’ biggest playoff rivals, the Hawks aren’t the first matchup that comes to mind. They’re not Miami, they’re not Indiana, and they haven’t been a consistent playoff opponent at all. In fact, it’s a pretty rare matchup. But when these two teams do meet in the postseason, it usually ends up reflecting exactly where the Knicks are as a franchise in that moment. There have only been three playoff matchups between the Knicks and the Hawks, and each one sits in a completely different era, with a completely different identity behind it.

The first matchup between the two teams came in 1971, when the Knicks were at the height of their powers. This was a championship-caliber team, built on structure, depth, and discipline, and they approached the series against Atlanta the way great teams typically do when facing an opponent they are simply better than. The Knicks won the series 4-1 to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. This was a team loaded with five players whose jerseys now hang in the Garden rafters, led by Walt Frazier and Dick Barnett, and they controlled the series from start to finish. Even when games got competitive, it never really felt like the outcome was in doubt. New York controlled pace, executed consistently, and imposed its style over the course of the series.

The numbers tell part of it, but the feel of that series says even more. The Knicks averaged 110 points per game, with Walt Frazier leading the way at 25.6 a night while doing a little bit of everything. Dick Barnett gave them another 22 per game. Inside, Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere controlled the paint, combining for over 30 rebounds per game and setting the physical tone that Atlanta couldn’t match. It was not about individual brilliance as much as it was about collective reliability. That Knicks team knew exactly who it was, and Atlanta did not have the personnel or cohesion to disrupt that.

Nearly three decades later, the two teams met again in 1999, and this series carries far more weight when viewed in context. The Knicks entered that postseason as an 8 seed in a lockout-shortened season, having gone just 27-23 in the regular season. Expectations were minimal, and their first-round matchup against the top-seeded Miami Heat was widely viewed as a formality. Instead, the Knicks pulled off one of the most memorable upsets in franchise history, winning that series in five games and completely shifting the trajectory of their season. Waiting for them in the second round was Atlanta, a team that had finished 31-19 and was considered far more stable and complete at that point in time.

The Knicks had already adjusted to life without Patrick Ewing before the playoffs. This wasn’t a team scrambling to replace him, it was a team that had already evolved. Marcus Camby brought a completely different dynamic with his length, mobility, and defensive activity, anchoring a more aggressive and disruptive approach. He didn’t just fill a role, he changed the energy. His weakside shot blocking, quick rotations, and ability to cover ground gave the Knicks a defensive presence that felt everywhere at once, and when he got going, the Garden felt it. The rejections at the rim, the putback slams, the transition finishes, it all brought a level of electricity that fed into the team’s identity. On both ends, Camby made the game feel faster, more chaotic, and more alive, and Atlanta never adjusted to it.

Offensively, the Knicks were led by Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell, with Sprewell averaging 22.5 points per game and Houston adding 18. The offense controlled the pace, but it was the defense that dictated the series, leading to a second-round sweep of the Hawks.

That sweep wasn’t just another series win, it was a continuation of one of the most improbable runs in franchise history. As an 8 seed, the Knicks weren’t supposed to be there, and they definitely weren’t supposed to dominate a higher-seeded Hawks team the way they did. Instead, they stayed in control, carried their momentum from Miami, and moved straight through to the Eastern Conference Finals. From there, the run kept building, all the way to the NBA Finals, marking the franchise’s first appearance on that stage since 1994.

After 1999, the matchup disappeared again for more than two decades, as the two franchises moved through different cycles without ever aligning in the postseason. It was not until 2021 that they met for the third time, and this series carried a very different kind of significance. The Knicks entered the playoffs as the 4 seed in the Eastern Conference after a 41-31 season, marking their first postseason appearance since 2013. More importantly, they entered with a renewed identity under Tom Thibodeau, built around defense, physicality, and the emergence of Julius Randle as an All-NBA level player. Madison Square Garden, limited in capacity but fully engaged, provided an atmosphere that felt like a reintroduction of playoff basketball to New York.

Game 1 immediately shifted the tone of the series and added Trae Young to the list of Garden villains. Tie game, under 10 seconds left, ball in his hands. He waves off the screen, drives straight down the middle, freezes the defense just enough, and floats it in with 0.9 seconds left. No panic, no rush, just complete control in the biggest moment of the night. Atlanta stole a 107-105 win, but it felt bigger than just one game. That moment set the tone for the entire series. It gave Atlanta confidence, put the Knicks on their heels, and from there, the series steadily tilted in Atlanta’s favor.

Julius Randle, who had been the focal point of the Knicks’ offense throughout the regular season, struggled to find efficiency against Atlanta’s defensive schemes. The Hawks consistently sent help, crowded his space, and forced him into difficult shot attempts, disrupting both his rhythm and the overall flow of the Knicks’ offense. As a result, New York found itself relying on contested looks and late-clock possessions, unable to generate consistent scoring opportunities. Atlanta, on the other hand, maintained balance and execution. They spaced the floor effectively, created quality looks through pick-and-roll action, and received timely contributions from multiple players. Each time the Knicks appeared close to building momentum, Atlanta responded quickly, preventing any sustained shift in control.

The series returned to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 with the Knicks facing elimination, and while the energy remained present, the outcome increasingly felt inevitable. Atlanta closed out the series with a 103-89 win, taking it 4-1 and ending what had been a promising season for New York. The loss was not just about the result, but about how it unfolded. It exposed limitations, highlighted the difficulty of adjusting within a series, and underscored how quickly a playoff matchup can turn once control is lost early.

Looking at the full history, the Knicks have won two of the three playoff series between the teams, taking the matchups in 1971 and 1999, while the Hawks claimed the most recent meeting in 2021. Each series reflects a different version of the Knicks. In 1971, they were a championship team executing at a high level. In 1999, they were a resilient, adaptive group that found a new identity under pressure and made an unexpected run to the Finals. In 2021, they were a team on the rise that encountered a moment it was not fully prepared to handle.

Now, with another opening round matchup set for this Saturday evening at the Garden for Game 1, the focus isn’t so much on the history between these two teams, but on what this round represents for the Knicks.

Over the past two seasons, they’ve taken clear steps forward, from a hard-fought second-round exit to last year’s Eastern Conference Finals appearance. With that kind of progression, expectations have shifted. This is no longer just about competing, it’s about breaking through.

That’s what makes this first round feel different. It’s the starting point of a run that needs to go further than it has the last two years. Knicks fans aren’t just hoping for another deep playoff push, they’re expecting one.

It was weird getting to zone out last night.

Over the years I’ve been pretty open about my tendency to do this when the game gets out of hand for the Spurs, but (for the most part) I just wasn’t able to disengage like that this season.

That is, I think, one of the biggest compliments that I can give this Spurs team, after years of spending 4^th quarters trying to brainstorm new ways to write about losses.

Sure, when I started writing for the site back in 2018, I would have to write about the occasional loss, but it almost felt like a novelty after so many years of watching the Spurs win so many games.

I had no way of knowing what I’d gotten myself into, even though my very first article ended up being about Kawhi’s exit.

The thing is, you can read about Icarus, and The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, and the sacking of Babylon, and still not really comprehend the free-fall until you’re in it. There’s something about the immediacy of human experience that insulates us from fully grasping how vulnerable we all are, especially at the highest of highs.

In 2018 the Spurs were just four years removed from the most astonishing title in franchise history. The seven years between titles had felt like an eternity.

Now, it’s hard to grasp that it’s been twelve years. I mean, the Spurs were one year shy of going seven years without seeing the postseason, much less a title.

Somehow, the prosperity of this year feels like it has compressed all of that time into something that feels infinitely more brief. It’s strange how a good thing can almost banish the visceral eternity of a more difficult time. Odd how it can effortlessly alter the atmosphere of memory.

It’s one of the most fascinating aspects of mortal recollection that we have this bizarre way of romanticizing the past in the glow of a better present. We talk about the good times in the context of the bad times.

[smiling] “Remember how bad that was?!”

[laughing] “Oh yeah, that was terrible!”

I suppose the contrast is a necessary part of appreciation. I certainly have appreciated this Spurs season more than a great many that were arguably just as prosperous.

I remember having the great privilege of seeing my daughter being born. It was a long, arduous labor to an extent that words can hardly do it justice, and then, suddenly, it was over.

It was almost frightening how quickly things moved once our child was out in the world. The span in which the child was handed to her mother, and then to me, felt like it moved in milliseconds, though I know it must have been much longer.

I can distinctly remember wondering if time itself had sped up as I severed the umbilical cord in what felt like mere moments after she’d been delivered. Nothing prepares you for the immediacy of the event. I’m not sure that anything ever could.

It’s not unlike the way this Spurs season feels like it has materialized. We’ve all been witness to the labor and the difficulty and even knowing what was on the other end of it, somehow it still feels like a surprise.

The Spurs won 62 games. I had them marked down for 50ish at the start of the season, and I was one of the more optimistic ones.

62 wins is tied for the 3^rd most wins in franchise history. The Spurs are the #2 seed in the West, and were clear of #3 by eight wins. They’re just the 3^rd team in NBA history to increase their win total by 40+ wins in a two-year span. They tied the franchise record for wins on the road with 30.

When did this all happen?! It feels like one-minute I was writing about 16 and 18 game losing streaks, and patience, and deep vein thrombosis, and then suddenly this monster of a team materialized, and I spent almost every game glued to my television set because it honestly felt like they could win any and all of them, no matter how far behind they were.

I get that I’ve been writing about them the whole time that changes have been occurring, but it’s kind of the like the gulf between knowing that your child is roughly the size of a watermelon during the final month of pregnancy and then seeing that kid pop right out in front of you.

Maybe it’s just one of the limits of our finite cognizance; that knowledge is both limited and expanded by the relative immediacy of presence. Not so much ‘out of sight out of mind’ as ‘a bird in hand’ is very viscerally a bird in your hand.

I think all the time about how humanity is so very awful at both existing in and fully appreciating the moment. The miracle of birth feels like one of the rare times that nothing else interferes, nothing else distracts, nothing else takes precedence.

It’s an intense event because of how present we are; something that the modern zeitgeist has proliferated into countless courses and methods in pursuit of it.

I’ve been thinking about this for almost two weeks now. I thought about it last night, as the final quarters of the Spurs’ final loss of regular season ticked away, and my twitter feed gradually turned to despair and anxiety.

I thought about it at Easter, as I watched my daughter and her cousins blithely frolic on the gargantuan playground that I’d helped my parents install in their backyard two winters ago.

It’s a brutal truth that we’re always loving things through delay.

Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, once broke down the present into three categories: Memory, the present of things past. Attention, the present of things present. And Expectation, the present of things future.

In that philosophical vision of reality, only one of the three consists of the actual, immediate present – we must otherwise define it by reference. And it seems fitting that one of the ways in which we experience the present is through the root of all heartache (expectation).

We will never be happier than we are now, until later. We will never be unhappier, until the moment that it passes. We hyperbolize and catastrophize, and ache in the delay.

I’m gazing off into the middle distance with my television muted and a music app playing loudly over the silence, as the Spurs go through the motions of the final moments of the final regular season game, in a display that serves as a commentary on the lack of precariousness that the season has provided, and suddenly a children’s song comes on, the algorithmic remainder of a time when car rides consisted of nursery rhymes and lullabies.

In an instant, my daughter materializes in front of me, tottering in a way that she’s well beyond now.

She’s not even two yet, bouncing at the knees in the way that toddlers mimic dance, singing her best version of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’, lisps and all. She wants my approval, the words that convey pride. She needs them in the way that she’ll never stop needing them from someone.

She’s smiling at me, and I hope it never ends. I know that it both will and never will. Everything ends and never ends and keeps on ending and not ending.

Memory is an eternity and an instant, and I want to remember every moment. I want to notice everything and carry it away. We all contain the multitudes of daughters dancing now and in memory.

The season was a miracle and a tragedy. A miracle in the way it unfolded. A tragedy in the way that I will never experience it anew. And it’s still not over.

Be present for it. Present for it all. And Go Spurs, Go!

Takeaways

• Carter Bryant may have gone 1-7 from three last night, but man are the flashes starting to come hard and fast with the minutes he’s getting. I don’t think it’s possible to bottle the feeling I had watching him dunk all over Nikola Jokic near the end of the 1st quarter, but I’d almost be willing to watch the entire loss all over again just to experience the shiver than went up my spine when he did it, or the hyper-athletic pair of blocks he had on Curtis Jones and David Roddy barely a minute later. There’s still some inconsistency from long-range, which is understandable, but much like Steph Castle and Dylan Harper, Bryant is actually shooting over 40% from three over the last ten games, so give shooting coach Jimmy Baron his flowers, because he’s done incredible work with multiple budding players on San Antonio’s roster this year.
• I have to admit, I didn’t love the Spurs playing Castle and Harper if MATFO’s intention was to mail this game in like Ted Kaczynski. Outside of Wemby, the thing that makes this team so lethal is the way it can mix and match guards in any scheme and phase of the game. At any given moment, the Spurs have multiple star-caliber guards sharing the back-court, harassing the opposition and darting down lanes like the Roadrunner bolts through canyons. Thankfully Harper only sustained a thumb injury to the point of being listed as ‘day-to-day’, but that could have been disastrous, as the bench in particular (as well as Keldon Johnson) just does not function at their absolute best without him. The Spurs are going to need to be able to lean into their depth as a postseason advantage, even without accruing further injuries, so that felt like a miss from the coaching staff. Still, I understand that you have to play somebody.
• I think this might really be it for Bismack Biyombo after this season. After looking pretty creaky last year, I assumed he’d pretty much reached his basement as a player, but he somehow looked even more immobile this season, to the point that I felt confused at to why he was even on the roster. I understand that there are players you keep around because they’re good for the team, but the Spurs absolutely have to upgrade at the 3rd big man spot this off-season. Whether in the draft or in free-agency, it should be a pretty low asset cost to exceed the degrading skill of Biyombo and Mason Plumlee, and with both Wemby and Kornet missing some games this season (separately and together), it’s a point of clear need.
• I’m a big fan of De’Aaron Fox, and am usually in the habit of defending him against fans who hate on him because of his contract, but it has to be noted that he has been absolutely frigid from beyond the arc as of late. Not only is he shooting 25% from three over the last 10 games, but he hasn’t finished a month shooting better than 33% from three since January. Granted, he’s never been a sniper from downtown, but the Spurs will need him to be closer to 35% to maximize the tandem between him and Castle as teams look for ways to scheme against San Antonio’s start back-court. I’m really hoping he turns it around, asap.
• I just have to praise Stephon Castle one more time for his defense this season. Even playing at less than full-octane, he’s remains a black hole for whoever he’s matched up on. If you have twitter, you should take a look at some the charts on this tweet I’ve linked. He wreaked havoc on everyone from Luka Doncic, to Devin Booker, to SGA. There’s a reason I started calling it Castle’s Dungeon.
  
  

Critique his offense all you want, but here's what Castle did to Doncic, Booker, Maxey, Cade, Garland, DeRozan, and even your beloved SGA.

Amen's defense is really good.

Castle's is an absolute dungeon. https://t.co/hj4oKzHR3vpic.twitter.com/1LZxPq4AuF

— Devon Birdsong (@DevonBirdsong) April 13, 2026

Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Evening:

You and Me by Lifehouse

By the numbers, the Phoenix Suns were average this season, and that is perfectly okay. Right before the All-Star break in February, that would have sounded like a disappointment, but before the season it would have been a huge success.

This season was a rollercoaster ride, as most NBA seasons are. Some of the highlights included: Collin Gillespie’s game-winner against the Timberwolves, Devin Booker’s game-winner against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and blowing out the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. There were also some lows: getting blown out by the Thunder, Spurs, and Rockets, injuries, and a below-.500 stretch post-All-Star break.

There are a million different angles to dissect how this season went for the Suns, who stood out, injuries, who underperformed, where the Suns should go from here, whether the Suns were more real before the All-Star break or after, and many more angles. Which will all be dissected throughout the summer on our site and everywhere else you get your Suns fix.

The Suns finished the season 15th in net rating at +1.5; they ranked ninth in defense and 17th in offense. They finished seventh in the West, and tied for the 13th-best record in the league at 45-37 with the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Suns finished fifth in offensive rebound percentage, but 27th in defensive rebounding percentage. Phoenix finished fourth in steals per game, but finished 19th in turnover percentage. Outside of Devin Booker’s All-Star game appearance, there likely will not be any member of the organization who earns an end-of-season award or is named to a team All-NBA or All-Defensive team.

The Suns, by the numbers, were average. But what the numbers cannot tell you is that this team competed hard every night before the All-Star break, and most nights after the All-Star break. Many times, they were positionally challenged, having to play multiple shooting guard-sized players out of position, and still Jordan Ott and his staff put out the best lineups they could for success every night. Players like Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Oso Ighodaro, Grayson Allen, and Dillon Brooks exceeded all preseason expectations, while Jalen Green, Ryan Dunn, Mark Williams, Royce O’Neale, and the rookies were up and down.

The Suns did not get lucky with health this season either: Booker missed 18 games and had an average Booker season, Green missed 50 games, Brooks missed 26 games, and Allen missed 31 games. However, even with their four highest-paid players out of the lineup, the Suns still managed to find ways to win. With the way that the Suns finished the season (13-14 after the All-Star break), Ott is not a frontrunner to win Coach of the Year anymore, but his ability to have everyone on the roster buy into his philosophy and play hard for him cannot be taken for granted after what Suns fans have experienced the previous two seasons.

The Suns were average by the numbers, but they established an identity, a culture, and a style of play that will be successful in the years to come because they know what works and what does not in the NBA. Do the Suns have a lot of work to do to compete for championships again? Absolutely, and this offseason might be more difficult than last summer’s because of all the question marks on the roster.

The good news going forward is that the Suns have Devin Booker, Jordan Ott, Dillon Brooks, and a young, athletic core they can build around for the future and stay competitive right now. Hope is the most powerful drug in sports, and living without hope for your team is depressing, just ask Arizona Cardinals fans. The Phoenix Suns organization, from Mat Ishbia, Brian Gregory, Jordan Ott, and the rest of the organization have injected the fan base with hope again.

So, whether the Suns do not make the playoffs, get swept in the first round, or win the NBA Finals, this season was an overwhelming success, despite it being a perfectly average season.

North Carolina men's basketball and Michael Malone have lost a key part of their future building blocks in Chapel Hill.

According to multiple reports, Tar Heels recruit Dylan Mingo, the No. 2-ranked combo guard in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports' Composite rankings, has reopened his recruitment. The reports were then confirmed by Rodd Baxley of The Fayetteville Observer, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Mingo has yet to publicly announce his decision, but did reshare a post from Rivals' Joe Tipton on the report.

TRANSFER PORTAL RANKINGS: Top 20 players still uncommitted in men's basketball

The 6-foot-5 guard out of Long Island committed to North Carolina back in February when Hubert Davis was still the Tar Heels coach. North Carolina fired Davis on March 24 following another first weekend exit from the Men's NCAA Tournament.

The Tar Heels hired Malone, who has not coached at the college ranks before, on Monday, April 6 to be Davis' successor. The NCAA allows committed high school recruits to get out of their binding agreements with their future university

Mingo is ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 5 overall recruit in the 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports' Composite rankings system. He chose North Carolina over Baylor, Penn State and Washington. He was one of two 2026 recruits who committed to North Carolina under Davis, with the other being Maximo Adams, who has re-committed to Malone and the Tar Heels.

As noted by ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Mingo missed most of his high school season at Long Island Lutheran High School with an ankle injury and sat out last summer's Peach Jam, one of the top AAU tournaments on the Nike circuit, with an injury. 

Mingo is the brother of former Penn State guard Kayden Mingo, who is the No. 14-ranked player in USA TODAY Sports' most recent transfer portal rankings.

Dylan Mingo 247 rankings

• Stars: Five
• National ranking: No. 5
• Positional ranking: No. 2
• State ranking: No. 1

Dylan Mingo was listed as a five-star recruit and the fifth-best recruit in the 2026 recruiting class per 247Sports' Composite rankings. He was also listed as the No. 2 combo guard and the No. 1 player in the state of New York in his class.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dylan Mingo reopens UNC basketball recruitment, 247 rankings

The Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up to host the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs on Saturday, April 18. The Lakers managed to snag the No. 4 seed in the West to clinch home court advantage in the opening series, but they'll likely have to take on Houston without two of their biggest contributors.

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have each been out since the Lakers' 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, but there are new updates on the L.A. stars.

News emerged, during a segment on ESPN's NBA Today Monday, April 13, that Dončić is reportedly traveling back to the United States after undergoing "multiple" injections on his left hamstring over the last week in Spain to promote healing from his grade 2 strain and potentially expedite his return to the floor.

On Lakers star Luka Doncic’s impending return to the U.S. after treatments in Spain for NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/ZWWSelaZ5L

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 13, 2026

He is expected to rejoin the Lakers by Friday, April 17, though it remains unclear whether or not the treatment has sped up his recovery timeline from the standard 4-6 weeks.

Reaves, meanwhile, has been rehabbing his grade 2 left oblique muscle strain in Los Angeles and was also originally given a return window of 4-6 weeks.

"Both of these guys going into the playoffs, there is an expectation that they will be sidelined an indefinite period of time, just how soon (remains to be seen)," ESPN's Shams Charania said on-air. "They're both trying to get back ASAP."

If both original timelines hold up, Dončić and Reaves would be out through at least the first week of May. But while the Lakers aren't expecting Reaves back against Houston, Dončić will reportedly be re-evaluated once he rejoins the team for a possible return in the first round.

What is a Grade 2 hamstring strain?

A Grade 2 hamstring strain is a “moderate injury that is typically a partial tear in the muscle; patients are likely to limp when walking and will have occasional twinges of pain during activity,” according to Mercy Health.

The injury could take close to a month to heal, but “returning to sports before the injury is fully healed can cause more severe injuries.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic injury update: Will Lakers star be back for NBA playoffs?

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina freshman Caleb Wilson is headed to the NBA draft after what he called “the most fun year of my life” playing for the Tar Heels.

The program released a video statement Monday from the 6-foot-10 forward regarded as a top prospect in the June draft. That made Wilson's one-and-done route official, coming after he had posted an “#8out” message on social media late last month indicating he was headed in that anticipated direction.

“I am grateful for the opportunity I had to represent North Carolina,” Wilson said. “Wearing No. 8, running out of that historic tunnel every day for practice and games, and i’m happy to say every day I gave it my all.”

Wilson averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds in a dynamic season was cut short by injury, first a broken bone in his left hand days after a thrilling win against rival Duke. Then, when he was on the verge of returning, he broke his right thumb in a non-contact drill to end his season on the eve of Round 2 with the Blue Devils.

Still, Wilson was named a second-team Associated Press All-American, a distinction that will ensure that he will be included among the honored jerseys in the Smith Center rafters.

___

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

The Detroit Pistons know that they will host Game 1 of the NBA playoffs on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET. What they do not know is who their opponent will be. That gives Pistons fans an added incentive to pay close attention to the play-in games, with seeds 7-10 vying for the final two playoff spots in each conference. In the East, the Miami Heat (10th seed) will visit the Charlotte Hornets (9) on Tuesday night with the loser being eliminated from the playoffs. Then, on Wednesday, the Orlando Magic (8) visit the Philadelphia 76ers. The loser earns the seventh seed and the right to play the Boston Celtics in the first round. Finally, on Friday, the winner of the Heat-Hornets game will play the loser of the Magic-Sixers game for the eighth seed and a visit to Detroit.

In the Western Conference, the matchups will be Portland Trail Blazers (8) vs. the Phoenix Suns (7) on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET, and the Golden State Warriors (10) vs. the Los Angeles Clippers (9) on Wednesday. On Friday, the winners of Blazers-Suns will play the winner of the Warriors-Clippers.

Who are you rooting for to earn that eighth seed in the Eastern Conference? The misbegotten Magic, who are suddenly healthy but no less confusing and disappointing? The upstart Charlotte Hornets, who feel dangerous everywhere, but are just as inexperienced? The Miami Heat, who have struggled plenty this season, but always seem to give the Pistons fits? Or the sadly injured but still talented Sixers?

Does it even matter?

Anything you’re rooting for or paying particular attention to out West?

For six weeks, Lakers coach JJ Redick emphasized that the focus was on his team, not their variety of opponents, as they looked to build the right mentality for the playoffs.

That stopped being the case as soon as the final buzzer of the regular season went off after the Lakers beat the Jazz on Sunday night.

The Lakers (53-29) have fully turned their attention and focus to the Rockets (52-30), whom they’ll match up against in the first round of the playoffs after finishing fourth and fifth in the Western Conference standings, respectively.

Game 1 is on Saturday (5:30 p.m.) at Crypto.com Arena. 

The Rockets finished the regular season sixth in net rating (plus-5.4), while the Lakers finished 14th (plus-1.5). 

They’re one of six teams that finished the regular season top-10 in both offensive rating (eighth) and defensive rating (sixth), which is typically a good marker for whether a team is a contender.

“Houston’s obviously a really, really good basketball team,” Redick said. “We’re going to prepare, and we’re going to fight and we’re going to go try to win a series.”

Redick added: “We’re going to do everything we can to get our guys in a great frame of mind and great physical shape over the next four or five days and be ready to play.”

An obvious storyline going into the playoff series will be LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant — a matchup between two of the greatest players of their generation.

It’ll mark the fourth time the legendary players meet up in the playoffs, and the first time in a non-NBA Finals series, after James’ Heat beat Durant’s Thunder in the 2012 Finals before Durant’s Warriors beat James’ Cavaliers in the ‘17 and ‘18 Finals. 

For the Lakers, the top-of-the-line strategies for their series against the Rockets start with Durant, who’s in line to make his 12th All-NBA team, and Alperen Sengun, who averaged 20.4 points and 6.2 assists in his second All-Star season. 

“Those are the two heads of the snake,” Marcus Smart said. “Making sure we keep those guys under control. Can’t let those other players get off as well. But the focus is those two guys and just going out there and making it as tough as possible for them.”

The Rockets’ physicality will also be a focus after they led the league in offensive rebounding percentage.

“For me, we know it and these guys know my motto: ‘The toughest team sets the rule’,” Smart said. “And the playoffs are a little bit different. Things are a lot tougher. They let you play a lot more and I think that works to my advantage and our advantage.”

In the backdrop of the playoff series will be the Lakers being without star guards Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain) to start the first round – and probably longer. 

Not only will they be without two of their best players and ball handlers, but the spirit of their team took a hit when both suffered their regular season-ending injuries during the April 2 road loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

The Lakers went 3-2 in the five games they closed out the season without their star duo in what was both a mental and emotional test.

“This team needs great spirit and we need our remaining guys to be healthy,” Redick said. “That was our focus last week. It’s gonna be our focus this week: Building our capacity physically, making sure we don’t do too much, making sure we don’t do too little, making sure we get through the week healthy. And then the spirit, again, creating that belief. We’ve done that with this group over these last few games and we’ve gotta continue that going into Game 1.”

Resiliency has been a common theme for the Lakers in 2025-26. 

They hope that remains the case. 

“You’re playing one opponent in the playoffs and there’s a bunch of things that are gonna happen,” Redick said. “Some good, some bad. You may get down in a series. You may get down in the game, you may get down in the game on the road. And just you have to play with resiliency.”

The San Antonio Spurs had the opportunity to control the playoff bracket. If they defeated the Denver Nuggets, who sat the bulk of their starters and only played Nikola Jokic 18 minutes, they’d bump them down to the fourth-seed, and wouldn’t need to face them until the Western Conference Finals. Instead, the Spurs, without Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, came out flat in a 128-118 loss to the shorthanded Nuggets.

Now, San Antonio will need to go through potentially Denver and the Oklahoma City Thunder on their journey to the NBA Finals. We’ll find out in a few weeks if this game comes back to haunt them. San Antonio has the second-best NBA title odds on FanDuel at +550.

The player grades here will be much lower than they have been for past games to account for the missed opportunity. As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.

De’Aaron Fox

33 minutes, 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 2 fouls, 7-for-21 shooting, 4-for-14 threes, +2

24 points is a nice, shiny statistic, but when you score that many on 33% shooting from the field, you realize that it’s inflated. The Spurs needed someone to pull them out of the mud and get their offense going. Fox was unable to do that on Sunday. The national media narrative about the Spurs’ playoff chances always comes down to a lack of experience. Fox is one of the exceptions, having played in one playoff series. These are the type of games where you’d like to see him break out and lead the team to victory.

Grade: B-

Stephon Castle

29 minutes, 10 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 3-for-10 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, –11

Is Castle the first guy to almost get a triple-double and play badly? He was 1 assist shy of a triple-double despite having a rusty first game back from a knee injury. His finishing was off, he got out of position defensively, and he didn’t seem to have the same level of aggression as usual. He did hit two catch-and-shoot threes as the Spurs attempted a comeback and grabbed some big offensive boards. He just couldn’t put together the type of impactful performance the team needed from him on Sunday.

Grade: C

Dylan Harper

18 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 4-for-9 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, -14

It was a tough game for Harper. After the game, it was reported that he had a jammed thumb, which could explain why he looked so different out there. All of the aggression we usually see from Harper was gone, causing Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson to get after him on the sideline visibly. Defensively, he was a non-factor for most of the game. When he started to ramp up the pressure and use his physicality and footwork to get to the rim, it was already too late.

Grade: C–

Julian Champagnie

25 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 3-for-7 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, -17

Champagnie has been struggling to shoot the ball recently. That could be alarming heading into the most important stretch of the year. However, we’ve seen Champagnie get hot in a hurry, so there is hope for the playoffs.

He was flat against Denver. There weren’t a lot of opportunities for him to attack a closeout, and he didn’t make enough of an impact defensively to keep the Nuggets’ aggressive ball-handlers out of the paint.

Grade: C-

Mason Plumlee

16 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 foul, 1-for-1 shooting, -6

Plumlee just doesn’t have enough left in the tank. He got dominated by Jonas Valanciunas and let the Nuggets get whatever they wanted inside. Denver outscored the Spurs 62-54 in the paint.

Grade: D

Devin Vassell

33 minutes, 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 7-for-13 shooting, 3-for-8 threes, -2

Vassell turned it on far too late. When he started pressuring the Nuggets defensively, the Spurs got a few turnovers that made it look like they might get back in the game. There just wasn’t enough time for them to come all the way back. He made some mind-boggling turnovers, like dropping a ball out of bounds and passing out of a shot to no one. You have to give him credit for trying to get them back in the game in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to make up for his early-game mistakes.

Grade: B-

Harrison Barnes

25 minutes, 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5-for-11 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, -5

Barnes needed 17 points for the Spurs to set the record for the most players on the roster to average double-digit points. You could tell that Barnes knew this, too. He took some truly bizarre shots that can only be explained by trying to reach that record. To make matters worse, he didn’t even get to 17, so it was all for nothing!

Grade: C-

Keldon Johnson

22 minutes, 18 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 6-for-12 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, +10

Johnson really tried to get physical and will the Spurs back into the game. He attacked Denver inside over and over again for a nice 18-point outing. He was put in a tough spot defensively, often guarding bigger players inside. He, along with the rest of the team, made some errors on the glass, not boxing out a few times and allowing offensive put-backs. The Spurs were outrebounded in this one, 58-45.

Grade: B+

Carter Bryant

30 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 6-for-13 shooting, 1-for-7 threes, +2

Bryant has earned a playoff rotation spot. He has played his best basketball down the stretch, pairing confidence with his next-level motor. He was one of the few Spurs who played with a sense of urgency against Denver. Bryant was the team’s best option at center despite being just 6-foot-7. He soared for three blocks and had an incredible alley-oop slam in the second half.

Grade: B+

Jordan McLaughlin

2 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 1-for-1 shooting, +5

JMac showed a lot of heart, grabbing an offensive putback as the smallest guy on the court. He probably deserved more minutes against Denver.

Grade: Incomplete

Bismack Biyombo

6 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 1-for-1 shooting, -14

Going -14 in 6 minutes has to be some sort of record. Biyombo is a great vet to have around for the locker room and the community in San Antonio, but his impact on the game has diminished greatly.

Grade: D

Inactives: Victor Wembanyama, Luke Kornet, Harrison Ingram, David Jones-Garcia, Emanuel Miller

The college basketball transfer portal is starting to heat up after officially opening just over a week ago.

When midnight struck moments after Michigan's 69-63 win over UConn in the national championship game on April 7, the rush for teams to add the top available talent was on. A few top players have already signed with their new schools in the seven days since.

Louisville is an early winner of the transfer portal, having added former Kansas center Flory Bidunga and former Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad as a package duo, as the pair of veterans announced the move simultaneously on April 12. Bidunga was USA TODAY's No. 2-ranked player available before committing, only behind Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic.

There are still plenty of talented high-major players available, though. Over 1,900 players have entered the transfer portal so far, after all.

Here's a look at our top players still available in the 2026 college basketball transfer portal:

NBA MOCK DRAFT: First-round projections before 2026 playoffs begin

Transfer portal rankings: Top uncommitted players in college basketball

Rankings based on players available as of 5:24 p.m. ET on Monday, April 13.

1. Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State

Iowa State forward Milan Momicilovic entered the transfer portal on April 12, and instantly became the top player available thanks to his length and 3-point shooting ability. The 6-foot-8 junior averaged 16.9 points per game last season while shooting an NCAA-leading 48.7% from distance, which was 1.6% better than Liberty's Brett Decker Jr., who had the second-best mark.

Momcilovic has 101 starts in 102 career games for the Cyclones, and led the No. 2-seeded team in scoring this season. He's also entering his name in the 2026 NBA Draft while in the portal.

2. Juke Harris, Wake Forest

Sophomore guard Juke Harris took a massive leap in 2025-26, going from 6.1 points per game off the bench as a true freshman to one of the ACC's top scorers at 21.4 points per game as a sophomore. The 6-foot-7 guard also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, and shot 33.2% from 3-point range on 7.5 attempts per game.

Harris offers elite length at guard and also top-tier scoring ability, making him one of the top available players.

3. Allen Graves, Santa Clara

Santa Clara forward Allen Graves previously declared for the NBA draft before later entering the transfer portal April 10.

The 6-foot-9 true freshman averaged 11.8 points with 6.5 rebounds per game this season off the bench, but he established himself as one of the best mid-major players late in the year. He scored 17 points with seven rebounds and a block in Santa Clara's NCAA Tournament loss to Kentucky, even making a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds before Kentucky's Otega Oweh forced overtime.

Graves has three seasons of eligibility left and is already on the NBA draft radar, making him an enticing prospect.

4. Massamba Diop, Arizona State

Arizona State center Massamba Diop emerged as one of the top rim-protecting big men in the Big 12 this season despite being a true freshman, averaging 2.1 blocks per game. The 7-foot-1 former 3-star prospect from Senegal also averaged 13.6 points with 5.8 rebounds per game.

The market for top-tier big men is expensive, and Diop will be near the top.

5. Rob Wright, BYU

A former five-star recruit, Rob Wright had a solid true freshman year at Baylor, averaging 11.5 points with 4.2 assists per game. He transferred in conference to BYU for the 2025-26 season and turned in one of the best campaigns in the conference.

Wright upped his scoring average to 18.1 points per game last season, along with 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists as projected No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa's running mate. Perhaps he wants to show he can be a No. 1 option at a new school as a transfer.

Other top uncommitted players

Here's a look at the rest of USA TODAY's top-20 ranked uncommitted players:

• 6. Paulius Murauskas, F, Saint Mary’s
• 7. John Blackwell, G, Wisconsin
• 8. Aiden Sherrell, C, Alabama
• 9. Moustapha Thiam, C, Cincinnati
• 10. Terrence Hill Jr., G, VCU
• 11. Jake Hall, G, New Mexico
• 12. Najai Hines, C, Seton Hall
• 13. Donnie Freeman, F, Syracuse
• 14. Kayden Mingo, G, Penn State
• 15. Alex Wilkins, G, Furman
• 16. Paul McNeil, G, NC State
• 17. Nikolas Khamenia, G, Duke
• 18. Jalen Haralson, F, Notre Dame
• 19. Mouhamed Sylla, C, Georgia Tech
• 20. C Samet Yigitoglu, SMU

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Transfer portal rankings: Men's college basketball players available

INGLEWOOD — The Warriors will go from playing a meaningless game to one for all the marbles against the same opponent, in the same venue, only three days apart.

They have 72 hours to lock in from practice to play-in mode before a win-or-go-home rematch against the Clippers inside the Intuit Dome at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

“Super easy,” Steph Curry said after Sunday’s 115-110 loss to the Clippers in a regular season finale that only served as a preview of the 9-10 play-in matchup insofar as the teams’ uniform colors.

Curry doesn’t need any extra motivation to get amped up for the Warriors’ fourth appearance in the play-in tournament. What was once a dreaded destination now serves as a glimmer of hope — the entire reason Curry clawed to come back from a persistent knee issue.

The experience helps.

“We’ve been there before,” Curry continued. “Whether it’s a Game 7 or the many play-in games that we’ve been (sarcastically) fortunate enough to play in. … I guess you’re grateful for it now just because … this is such a unique year. It’s not like we’ve underperformed. We’ve just been hit with so many injuries that your expectations had to shift.”

Injuries have introduced an interesting dichotomy: The Western Conference rivals are intimately familiar with each other, but neither has seen the versions that will be on the court with their seasons on the line.

Their first two meetings took place before Jimmy Butler tore his ACL, their third occurred during Curry’s 27-game absence, and neither Draymond Green nor Kawhi Leonard dressed on Sunday. Not that either coach was keen to show his cards, anyway.

“We know who they are,” Curry said.

Steve Kerr said there was “not a whole lot to take” from Sunday’s game, though Brandin Podziemski noted that Darius Garland looked more comfortable since the teams last played in the Clippers’ first game since acquiring Garland for James Harden at the trade deadline.

“I think each team knows the other pretty well, just from playing against them a lot over the years,” Kerr said. “They’re a little different with Garland rather than Harden, but they know us well, we know them well.”

Curry said he “felt great” after taking on his largest workload since returning from the injury with 29 minutes that produced 24 points. Kerr checked in with him during the game and got the same feedback. “He said he felt really good, so that was a good step for him.”

Kerr got his second game to experiment with Curry alongside Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, and he started all three together with Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton. He called that the “best thing” to come out of Sunday’s loss.

“And no injuries,” he added. “So we should be ready to go on Wednesday night.”

Still, the veteran trio won’t play without restrictions in the do-or-die game.

“I’m not sure exactly what the number will be,” Kerr said. “Those guys, they’re not gonna play 40 minutes. I can tell you that.”

This will be the Warriors’ fourth experience in the play-in in its seven years in existence. Curry let out a high-pitched laugh when he was informed it was their second time as a No. 10 seed. They were in the same position in 2024 and ended up being eliminated by the No. 9 Kings.

Golden State lost both games as the No. 8 seed in 2021. But its last time in the play-in was friendlier, advancing as the No. 7 seed to upset the Rockets in the first round last year.

Last week, Green said, bluntly, that it was “not exciting” to be back in the play-in, but at the same time, he added, “as a competitor, you’re gonna rise to the challenge.”

The trio of Curry and Green have faced elimination 13 times since Kerr became their head coach in 2014. Golden State has a 9-4 record in those games. And the banners to prove many more wins along the way in postseason games with less on the line.

“We’ve got guys that have been there,” Podziemski said. “Guys that have won. Guys that have played meaningful basketball in recent years. It always helps when you’ve got Steph. So I think that’s to our advantage. Yeah, I think I like us better than anybody in a one-game situation.”