Category: NBA

Peyton Watson isn’t the first player that the Cleveland Cavaliers have tried to use to fill this gap.

A long list of names, from Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro — to Dean Wade and De’Andre Hunter. This team has searched for a starting-caliber wing throughout the decade. And while Max Strus fit the build better than anyone, he was perpetually playing out of position on a team that needed size and athleticism in his place.

This is what made Watson the ideal trade target.

Trading Strus wasn’t easy. He was far and away Cleveland’s best option at small forward during this era. But Watson offers a younger, bigger, and more exciting prospect to ring the bell once and for all. If all goes to plan. Cleveland won’t have to search for another wing for a long time.

Let’s get into why that’s the case.

The Glue

The Cavs’ starting lineup features a dynamic that has led to much success.

The backcourt duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell makes for one of the best shot-creating backcourts in basketball. Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley form an elite defensive frontcourt.

Connecting those two duos with the perfect small forward has been the issue.

Allow me to oversimplify things:

Dean Wade was a versatile defender. His skills on that end made him a fantastic fit in the starting lineup. But Wade’s lack of offense ultimately made him a liability once the playoffs began. The bridge between the backcourt and frontcourt was flawed.

Max Strus, on the other hand, brought all of the offensive skills you’d want from the fifth starter. He just wasn’t tall or athletic enough to defend opposing wings.

Cleveland needed someone who could combine the skills of Wade and Strus. Someone who was better on offense than Wade, and more equipped to defend wings than Strus.

This is where Watson has a chance to succeed.

Watson has a 6’8” frame and 7’1” wingspan. He packages that length with elite mobility, placing him in the 97th percentile as a perimeter isolation defender last season — and in the 86th percentile as a screen navigator (according to BBall Index).

On paper, Watson has all of the tools needed to replicate Wade’s success in the starting lineup.

Dawg look at Peyton Watson speed and his quick playmaking decision holy shit pic.twitter.com/tpmyHMzfX0

— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) October 4, 2026

As for replacing Strus, this will be more difficult.

Watson doesn’t attempt three-pointers at nearly the same rate — but he did shoot more efficiently than Strus last season. He was automatic from the corners and should provide a valuable kick-out option to either of Cleveland’s guards.

There’s also potential for Watson to build off a career-best season shooting the ball. He could become a more dynamic perimeter threat, and has flashed some on-ball creation and three-level scoring. This makes Watson a fun player to bet on at 24 years old.

Finally, Watson is a vertical athlete who is more of a threat to get downhill and attack in transition. He can finish above the rim and has a wider catch radius for his teammates to find him on cuts. Overall, this should add a new layer to Cleveland’s offense, as they haven’t had anyone who can be shot out of a cannon like this at small forward

Things to Prove

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson insists that the starting lineup is not solidified. Watson isn’t walking into this without earning it.

What would that take?

Watson is facing pressure to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke. His 41% three-point shooting is an outlier despite consistent growth throughout his career. He needs to sustain that leap, while also showing he can improve on it even further.

The Cavs would also like to see Watson polish the rest of his game. He has raw potential on defense, some of which came to light last season. But it still wasn’t perfect. His overall game needs some fine-tuning. It’s one thing to feel optimistic; it’s another to have blind faith. Watson needs to show that Cleveland was correct in betting on his development.

Other areas that need buffing include his playmaking and finishing. Watson has consistently ranked high in rim frequency but has never finished above the 50th percentile in accuracy. That’s a lot of looks at the basket that aren’t being converted.

(Note: Watson shot 65% at the rim last season, placing him in the 49th percentile. For comparison, Max Strus shot 59%.)

It feels like Watson is at the tip of the iceberg in terms of his potential. Realizing that is the next step, or Cavs fans could be left feeling like they were promised more than they got.

Conclusion

Barring a disastrous performance, Watson will be the fifth starter. Atkinson would have to be a mad genius to believe otherwise.

From there, this will be Watson’s job to lose. His athletic profile makes him a no-brainer to solve Cleveland’s needs. He provides the blend of offense and defense they’ve been searching for.

Watson’s ripe potential makes him someone the Cavs could rely on long-term, possibly even into a second rebuilding era after Mitchell and Harden are gone. It’s hard to look that far ahead, but it’s something to consider. This was part of the calculation in trading for him.

In the meantime, Watson has the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him. He’s joining a team that has been begging for a player like him to arrive. The only thing left is to save the day and become the hero.

We missed this on Tuesday, but Cameron Boozer had a successful debut in NBA pre-season play, helping the Memphis Grizzlies to defeat the Atlanta Hawks, 132-123.

Boozer scored 11 points, pulled down five rebounds and passed out four assists in 18 minutes. He also shot 5-9, though he missed his three three-point attempts.

Take the threes out though, and Boozer hit 5-6 from the floor, which is impressive for a rookie in his first game. It’s not that hitting threes is easy, but scoring inside against NBA veterans is no day at the beach either.

Memphis plays Orlando Wednesday night, which could be interesting. Aside from Wendell Carter and Paolo Banchero, the Magic features Franz Wagner and some other bigs who will probably give Boozer a bigger challenge than the Hawks did.

• Breaking Down Cam Boozer’s NBA Preseason Debut
• Duke’s Cameron Boozer stuffs stat sheet during NBA preseason debut
• Boozer shows ‘poise,’ Grizzlies impress in preseason opener at Atlanta
• Cameron Boozer Grizzlies Debut: No. 3 Pick Flashes All-Around Game
• Cameron Boozer throws down the big one-hand jam
• 3 Takeaways From Grizzlies’ Preseason Win Over Hawks

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In the Rockets player stock market, there’s a lot of buzz around AMEN, and REED shares, and controversy around SGUN, but the hidden gem in that selection of Rockets growth stocks might turn out to be JABS. (Full disclosure, I own a great number of entirely fictional REED shares.)

Quick, who is older, Jabari Smith or Amen Thompson? Yep, it’s Amen, by a little. If we can believe Amen will continue to improve, we can believe it of Jabari Smith Jr., too, I think. Now, whose upside do I think is greater? Well, that’s obviously Amen With A Jump Shot, but that’s not to damn Jabari with faint praise. Amen With A Jump Shot is likely First Team All NBA and possibly an MVP candidate.

Jabari already has a jumpshot, and it’s getting better. It might get better still now that the Rockets have hired the consensus best shooting coach in the NBA.

Let’s do a player comparison, so you can see where Jabari might really be in terms of another player we think about maybe a lot more than we should around here.

	PTS	RBS	AST	TOV	BLK	STL	FGA	EFG%	3PTA	3PT%	Career 3pt%
Player A	18	9	3.6	2	1.7	.7	13	.582	3.2	.30	.309
Player B	16	7	1.9	1.4	.9	.7	12.6	.542	6.3	.36	.347

I didn’t include it, for space reasons, but each shoots about 3FT a game. Player B shoots FTs at 80% and Player A at 67%. True shooting for A is .596 and True Shooting for B is .570.

I think we’d say player A is better than player B, but how much better? Not a lot in my opinion of traditional box score stats, and maybe not any, depending on what you’re looking for the player to do. The compared seasons are the 5th for Player A, and the 4th for Player B.

But what about defense? Well, let’s go one metric. Player A had 2.9 defensive win shares last season, Player B had 3.3. VORP sees A at 2.3 and B at .9.

Now let’s talk salary. Player A will get paid $50 million this season. Player B will get paid $23 million.

Have you guess who we’re comparing. Well, obviously Jabari Smith is one player, he’s Player B. Player A is…Rocket bete noir, Even Mobley. Mobley plays some center, but he’s still a power forward, just like Jabari.

I won’t argue that Mobley isn’t a better defender than Jabari, he is. Is he $27 million better? I don’t think he is. Remember, that salary will also likely go to fewer games for Mobley. Jabari played in 77 games last season, Mobley 65, and those look like the career trends so far.

Jabari is also a better shooter from three, for last season, and for his career, on higher volume. Despite Mobley playing inside more, he draws about the same number of FTs as Jabari, and has a close TS%.

A lot of people, angry about the Jalen Green draft pick, think of Evan Mobley as a superstar. If he’s a superstar, so is Jabari Smith Jr. I don’t think either one is, but whatever they are, they’re very close in performance as I see it. One is getting paid like a superstar, and isn’t one, and one is getting paid like a good starter, and is.

I think there’s reason to continue seeing the steady improvement we’ve seen thus far with Jabari Smith Jr. I don’t think he’s every going to be your lead scorer, or the #1 player on a contender, but he’s certainly a good player, with a chance to be better still.

I think it’s time to stop thinking of Jabari as some sort of disappointment. He’s very good, he’s arguably better or, more strongly arguable as about as good as Evan Mobley at less than half the price. That enables the Rockets overall to be better, as well. I also think it’s time to just let Evan Mobley go. I am relieved we’re not paying the guy $50 million for the next four years (topping at $60 million in 2029 – JABS is $27 in 2031). This is also a place to give Rafael Stone some flowers, with an apology, but also a request to quit making excuses about things he controls. Kind of a passive-aggressive apology, I guess.

Jabari is, still, somehow, about 23 1/2 years old at the time of this writing. He came into the NBA very young. He has, in fact, grown as a player, and I think should be counted as a development success story, if maybe not the one everyone wanted. There’s a chance he ends up shooting about 40% from three on 7-8 shots a game as soon as this season. His usage is low on the Rockets, at 18%. He probably should get more usage, based on the stats here. Some of it could come from Sengun, or Amen, honestly, and it would do the Rockets more good on the scoreboard. Perhaps FVV can make that happen a bit better than, say, Kevin Durant.

I feel as though Jabari is the Forgotten Man when we talk about the young Rockets, but he’s the one who is pretty clearly a very good NBA small forward, right now, with room to grow.

I believe JABS shares remain undervalued, with significant upside, and the recommendation is BUY.

PS – A note on Chip Engelland. I think I’ve got the way to describe Chip Engelland. He’s like a specialist physician. A shot doctor. Most people, with most illnesses, can be treated successfully by an internist, or GP. Occasionally there are tougher cases, ones that regular internists can’t treat. For those you need the specialist, the narrower focus, and advanced knowledge. That’s what Engelland is with shooting. So imagine Amen Thompson more as a case where the conventional methods of treatment haven’t worked, and it’s time to call in the specialist.

There is no question the Heat are better than they were last season.

They added Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That alone raises their ceiling.

The harder question is whether it raises their regular-season floor enough to comfortably clear 44.5 wins.

I am not sure it does.

Miami Heat: Over/Under 44.5 wins

Over: -105
Under: -120
To win NBA Championship: +4000
To win Eastern Conference: +1500
To win Southeast Division: +195

Last season: 43-39, 10th in the East, lost in the Play-In Tournament

Key additions: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Nick Richards, Ryan Conwell
Key losses: Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakučionis, Norman Powell, Nate Ament

The case for the under

This Heat team reminds me a little bit of what Dallas tried to do with Anthony Davis and a bunch of bigger wings.

The defense makes sense immediately.

The offense does not.

Miami could absolutely be one of those teams that holds opponents around 100 points, forces miserable half-court possessions and still somehow finds itself in a tie game with four minutes left because it cannot consistently create clean offense.

Giannis is obviously a massive upgrade, but the spacing around him is questionable.

Bam is not a high-volume shooter. Wiggins has always been streaky. Mitchell does not command respect behind the line. Klay and Hardaway Jr. were clearly brought in to address that issue, but both are older and neither should be carrying a major offensive burden at this point in their careers. Miami also lost a lot of actual shot creation in Herro and Norman Powell.

That matters over 82 games. The Heat may be built better for a seven-game series than they are for consistently beating mediocre teams in January.

There is also the age factor. Giannis is 31. Bam is 29. Wiggins is 31. Portis is 31. Klay is 36. Hardaway is 34. This isn’t a young roster you expect to sprint through the regular season. There will probably be maintenance nights, random injuries, and stretches where Spoelstra cares much more about getting everyone right for April than chasing a top seed.

And the East is crowded. Philadelphia loaded up. New York is defending a championship. Atlanta got deeper. Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, Boston and Toronto all expect to be competitive. Even the Southeast Division itself is not a walkover with Atlanta and Orlando sitting there.

Miami can absolutely be dangerous in the postseason and still finish with 42 or 43 wins.

I actually think that is a very realistic outcome.

They are going to defend. They are going to make teams miserable. They are going to have nights where Giannis simply overwhelms people.

But I also think there will be a lot of ugly 104-100 games where Miami’s lack of shooting and clean half-court creation becomes obvious.

That sounds a lot more like a play-in-range regular-season team than a 50-win one.

Prediction: Under 44.5 wins (-120)

Steph Curry may have reminded us on Sunday that preseason results don’t matter, but there’s still an expectation to handle business. And for the Golden State Warriors, that meant there was an expectation that they would easily beat a Los Angeles Lakers squad that was playing without their three core, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler.

And handle business they did. It was Nellie Night at the Chase Center on Tuesday night, and the Dubs paid a perfect homage to the late, great coach, but getting out and running, and scoring, scoring, and scoring some more.

Golden State’s starting five of Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, and Draymond Green put on an absolute show on offense. They jumped out to an 11-2 lead within the first two minutes, and at the 6:55 mark Curry made his first of two four-point plays to give the Dubs a 27-13 advantage.

27 points in just over five minutes? Yep, Nellie surely would have been proud of that performance.

In all, the Warriors poured in 45 first-quarter points against a helpless Los Angeles squad, and then added 36 more in the second quarter, and hit the halftime lockers with an 81-53 advantage. It was a score reminiscent of the Run TMC Warriors or the We Believe squad. A fitting tribute.

Not surprisingly, given that it was just the second preseason game of the year, the Warriors pulled Curry and Green at the half, but those two had only needed a partial game to impress. Curry had more points (16) than minutes played (14), while shooting 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-6 from deep, dishing out five assists with no turnovers, and finishing with a game-high +26. As for Green, he only took one shot (a three, which he made), but played spirited defense, whipped eight assists, and was +25 in just 15 minutes.

Steve Kerr also called it a night at halftime for Podziemski, who continues to be one of the stars of camp. The lefty shot 7-for-11 from the field en route to 16 points in just 19 minutes.

The bench never risked giving up the lead in the second half, but certainly didn’t pick up where the starters left off. After 81 first-half points, the second unit only had 15 points in the third quarter. But thanks to a strong defensive performance, they never let the Lakers, who only had 22 in the quarter, get close.

Lendeborg was the star outside the Curry/Green/Podz trio, as the rookie continues to impress. Like Podziemski, Lendeborg shot 7-for-11 from the field, and finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. He certainly looks very likely to earn a starting spot come opening night in two weeks.

While the second half wasn’t the high-flying offensive display that the first was, the Warriors still managed to separate themselves from the Lakers, thanks to a late 22-4 run. And with that, the buzzer rang on a festive night with the Dubs winning 124-98, moving their preseason record to 1-1.

Golden State has a rare preseason back-to-back, as they travel up to Oregon to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. PT. You can expect Curry and Green to rest rather than play on consecutive days.

The first, inevitable dent to the good vibes has occurred – the Jazz lose a frustrating, hard-to-watch game to the Nuggets in their home opener, 106-117. We all knew that this was not the perfect team, but still… it’s never fun to be reminded like this.

The first quarter was more in-line with the strong quality of play we saw from the preseason opener in Boulder, Colorado; the shots were falling, the players were vibing, and the defense seemed even a bit improved. After this strong start, however, the game was exhaustingly ugly until the bitter end. Part of this was the fault of the Jazz and their sloppy play, but the 64 combined fouls from both teams led to a stilted gameplay experience – if I hadn’t signed on to write the recap, there’s no chance I would’ve dedicated nearly 2 hours and 45 minutes to a meaningless preseason game. To be sure, most of these were valid calls; it appears to me that the coaching staff have been preaching defensive intensity to a group of players inexperienced with that aspect of the game. They’re trying, but often by putting their arms all over their assignment (the zone defense which often put a guard against Jokic in the post didn’t help) instead of mastering defensive fundamentals.

What made this game more of a struggle to sit through was the lack of truly impressive performances from anyone on the Jazz roster. Darryn led the team in scoring, but I think he played far from a perfect game. I came away from this performance wowed by his talent in shot-making (and, less obviously, impressed by some neat passes), but slightly worried regarding how limited he looks as an athlete when matched up with NBA players. Some of this can be attributed to his handle, sure, but frequently he had to settle for very difficult shots because his preferred driving lane was stone-walled by one of the Nuggets wings. Without the burst to get by or the strength to muscle through, Darryn will be very reliant on screening actions and off-ball movement to begin his career… which is fine! Those are valuable skills for him to learn, and will provide the foundations of stardom if he truly is a Tier-1 difficult shot maker (a cool archetype, but one with very low margin for err0r). However, the way Peterson gets to his buckets is something that I will be monitoring as he continues to develop.

It was the bench unit that really sunk the Jazz in this one. Now, this really isn’t fair to them. 4 key rotation players were out with injury, which led to a few guys being really overtasked. Still, it was a bad look for the bench, because not only did they really struggle on both ends, but it felt like, in the middle of the third quarter, that the frustration overtook them and they gave up. Now, it’s better to give up in the preseason than the regular season, and I’m sure the effort level would’ve been higher if they began falling behind in the middle of December instead of the beginning of October. Nevertheless, when things started to go wrong, the team started to fray at the seams, and that deserves mention regardless of the time of year. I found the main culprit to Isaiah Collier. He began to really force things offensively and take plays off defensively. I’ve been a Collier advocate throughout the Summer, because his particular set of skills is really unique in the greater context of the Jazz roster, but when there are injuries, there may be too much of a creation burden placed on him when he’s playing with bench units.

Ace Bailey was once again impressive to me. The efficiency wasn’t great, but he found ways to provide value even on possessions when the shot wasn’t falling. Defensively, Ace seems to have realized that he is enormous and freakishly athletic. He was flying around the court, grabbing rebounds and generally mucking things up. There was one possession in particular where he was switched onto Jamal Murray and moved his feet like an All-Defense type of player. It would’ve been nice for the shots to drop, but Project MPJ+Defense is still going according to plan.

Among the deep bench players, Harrison Ingram was a breath of fresh air. He brought a burst of energy immediately when he stepped on the court, and demonstrated all of the skills that have the potential of earning him minutes as the year progresses. His rebounding was the loudest positive that he brought to the team – 3 offensive rebounds in 8 minutes is nothing to scoff at, especially from the 3rd largest player in the lineup. His passing was crisp, his hustle was evident, his feet were zooming; this is the skill-based forward archetype that, in theory, the Jazz could really use. No player has ever won regular season playing time off of 8 minutes of preseason garbage time, but it certainly isn’t a bad thing that Harrison Ingram appeared to be the best player on the court for those 8 minutes. His performance in the G-League is something that I’ll monitor closely this year.

Poor defense and stunted offense made this a tough watch, but the young guys showed flashes, which is one of the more valuable data points that we can take from the preseason. What stood out to you after this one? Comment below!

Down seven rotation players, the Lakers did their best impression of the Kings as they were blown out by the Warriors on Tuesday, 124-98.

Along with the same four players who missed Monday’s game, LA also sat Luka Dončić, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle. The result was a pretty barebones roster, by preseason standards, that was immediately overwhelmed by a Golden State side playing its starters.

The game began with Brandin Podziemski getting fouled from behind the arc for a four-point play. It led to coach JJ Redick calling a timeout less than a minute into the game.

LA fell behind by nine as they struggled to find offense.

Bronny James got Los Angeles on the board with a jump shot. Sando rectified his earlier missed shot by scoring seven points. Golden State’s rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was cooking with five points. 

As expected, the Lakers continued to struggle. They did get some decent bench production from Jaden Hardy Cameron Carr with six and five points, respectively. 

Still, LA was down by 14 at the end of the first.

Mamu with the clean fade 😮‍💨 #Lakerspic.twitter.com/h8YgT7Z2Rv

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 7, 2026

Podz opened the second period with an easy layup. Quentin Grimes helped jump start the offense by scoring five points, giving him eight in total. After a triple from Mamu, the Warriors called a timeout as their lead shrank to 14. 

Out of the break, Podz scored on another easy layup. He continued to cook for Golden State, adding another four points.

It was Lendeborg, though, who was leading Golden State with 15 points. Adou Thiero was fouled during a massive highlight play, dunking the ball with authority before completing the 3-point play. 

ADOU, THAT WAS FEROCIOUS! 😤 #Lakerspic.twitter.com/wm2ufXhhVt

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 7, 2026

Golden State was still up big with five minutes left in the half.

After a triple, Grimes now had 11 points. He was one of only two players for Los Angeles, Mamu the other, in double figures.

Steph Curry completed his second four-point play. He ended the half with 16 points, going 3-6 from behind the arc. At halftime, the purple and gold were down by 28. 

Mamu picked up his first assist of the night, passing to Thiero for a dunk to open the third period. He scored two more soon after, bringing his total to seven before knocking down his third triple.

Both teams played chaotic, sloppy basketball as the benches got most of the playing time. Hardy did get into double figures with 10 points, a nice spark off the bench despite the rough score. 

At the end of the third, the Lakers were down by 21. 

The final frame was mostly cardio. We did get some Cole Swider minutes, as he made three of his four attempts from behind the arc, finishing with nine points. Chris Mañon scored four points and Dalton Knecht had extended minutes to end the night with seven points.

Key Player Stats

Mamu finished with 15 points, two rebounds and two assists. Grimes ended with 12 points and three assists. Hardy had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench. 

Carr pitched in five points and two steals. Thiero tallied seven points with four rebounds. Bronny scored four points with five assists. Jake LaRavia had nine points with three rebounds and three steals. 

The Lakers’ next preseason matchup will be against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday at 7:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

This was never going to be a game for the Lakers to remember. But with nearly half of the roster sidelined because of injuries or resting, Adou Thiero at least tried to inject some life into a sleepy preseason back-to-back.

Thiero’s towering one-handed dunk over two Golden State defenders provided a highlight in the Lakers’ otherwise forgettable 124-98 preseason loss to the Warriors at Chase Center on Tuesday. The Lakers leaned on their depth to get through their second short-handed preseason game in as many nights.

Guard Quentin Grimes, the only player starting a second consecutive game for the Lakers, had 12 points and three assists. Forward Sandro Mamukelashvili started at center and had 15 points and a trio of three-pointers. Thiero, getting a rare starting moment, scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds while Bronny James had four points and five assists in a starting role.

Read more:Luka Doncic scores 21 as Lakers unveil new defense in preseason win over Kings

Star guard Luka Doncic sat out after scoring 21 points in one half Monday against the Sacramento Kings. After setting the tone defensively against the Kings, forwards Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle watched from the sideline Tuesday. The Lakers were also without center Walker Kessler (finger), guards Austin Reaves (ankle) and Collin Sexton (lower body) and two-way forward Arthur Kaluma (lower body), who all missed their second consecutive preseason game.

Thiero has been prepared for this type of opportunity. The second-year forward is trying to take advantage of his first true NBA preseason after knee injuries marred his rookie season. He played in his first summer league games, showing incremental progress during games in San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Thiero started the summer moving too quickly through games, crashing into the lane and flying recklessly toward the rim. He even missed time from a minor wrist injury suffered during a fall. But as the summer progressed, he settled into the pace of the game. During a Las Vegas Summer League game, Thiero flashed his potential with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks with zero turnovers in 30 minutes.

Read more:Lakers newsletter: Intriguing preseason battles will help shape team

“I feel like that just came with playing more, and just understanding what I was supposed to do, understanding my role,” Thiero said this week of his progress during the summer. “I feel like my role during summer league is very different compared to my role during the season. I was on-ball more. Even creating the offense in summer league. And I didn’t have much experience with that at the time, but as summer league kept going on, I got more comfortable with it and realizing when to speed up and everything.”

Thiero is fighting for minutes in a deep wing group led by Williams and Thybulle. The Lakers have stocked their team with versatile perimeter defenders to help complement their offensive-minded backcourt of Doncic and Reaves. Thiero, whom Reaves described as “a freak-of-nature” athlete, could add a unique quality to the rotation.

“Our ceiling rises if he’s able to [contribute defensively] and be an impactful offensive player with crashing, with cutting, with touching the paint, playing off two feet,” coach JJ Redick said before Monday’s preseason game. “I’ve seen a lot of growth there from him over the last six, seven weeks. That’s exciting.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Nets opened their preseason by cycling through every healthy player in a resounding 124-90 rout at Charlotte.

Veteran forwards Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle leading the way wasn’t a surprise. The white-hot shooting was.

The Nets, who were dead last in the league in offensive rating and 3-point percentage last season, shot 55.0 percent overall and 20-for-37 from deep Tuesday.

They carved up short-handed Charlotte up with 31 assists and forced 25 turnovers to pile up a 25-6 edge in fast-break points.

“Yeah, it was a good feeling obviously,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “First game preseason we accomplished playing pretty much everybody that was available. Everybody won their minutes. That’s important — to play hard for 48 minutes.

“We struggled with turnovers in the first half. [We] ended up with three — I don’t count the last one for holding it — three turnovers in the second. So that’s pretty good, 31 assists on 44 made field goals, that’s great. Defensively, the ball pressure turned them over 25 times for 31 points. The only thing we struggled with was the 3-point line. We have to be better at getting out there and finding shooters.”

Porter had a team-high 16 points on 4-for-6 shooting from deep, while Randle added 13 points and three assists.

Porter and Randle largely played on different teams early in camp, so they’re still getting on the same page.

“Yeah, just getting a feel for each other,” Fernández said. “It’s important that they understand, Mike, they have to find him at the 3-point line. Julius, he can score in different ways, get into the paint and then kick it out. And it was cool, because I think Julius found Mike once, but then Mike found Julius once for a 3. So it’s good.

“They’re trying to get those actions together. And it’s been a good first step. We want to keep working on ramping those minutes up and have better feel with the different groups that we’ll have out there. But those two did an amazing job.”

Day’Ron Sharpe added eight points and seven boards. But for a team starved for rim protection, his two blocks and plus-19 in 17:56 were auspicious signs.

Drake Powell, who struggled at summer league, had nine points on 4-for-6 shooting, finished a game-high plus-20 and hit his only 3.

The Nets played everybody other than injured first-round picks Mikel Brown Jr. (ankle) and Joshua Jefferson (lower back), but Charlotte didn’t have that option. They were without Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Coby White, but still hit 16-for-36 from deep.

“When you win every quarter, it’s a good sign. We had different groups out there and they did whatever it took to get wins every quarter. That mindset is important,” Fernández said. “It was a closer first half, but very happy with the intentions, very happy with the effort and the good things you see quarter by quarter.”

When the Nets tipped off their preseason Tuesday night in Charlotte, a strong offseason by Egor Dëmin had buoyed hopes of a potential sophomore leap.

Brooklyn’s young guard said he’s not the player he was in summer league.

He’s better.

“Yeah, my goal is to translate not just a part of what I did in summer league, but even more, right?” said Dëmin, who has worked to improve his driving and shore up his Achilles’ heel. “Obviously I had some more time after summer league, and I kept working on that stuff. And I think I’m even better right now than I was in summer league.”

The Nets can only hope so. That would give them a leg up in their rebuild.

Dëmin starting the Nets’ 124-90 preseason-opening win over the Hornets was hardly a surprise, but his getting the nod at point guard was noteworthy. And encouraging.

Dëmin’s playing time was limited, though his 18:26 led all the starters.

He hit 2-of-3 from 3-point range (six points), but his repeated paint touches unlocked his passing. He handed out a game high-tying five assists, including a second-quarter drive down the lane and behind-the-back pass to Day’Ron Sharpe for a dunk.

“Yeah, you see him with five assists in the first group; so he leads that group in assists, which is great,” said Jordi Fernández. “Egor was good. I want him aggressive to shoot or to touch the paint, and he’s done it the whole summer. He’s worked at it, he’s stronger, and now he’s very comfortable getting there. So, it’s great. He’s got to keep doing it, got to keep finding his teammates or getting good shots.”

It showed not only the Nets’ faith that he was more capable of handling on-ball duties, but that they were less intent on force-feeding minutes to their sophomore point guards — regardless of struggles — and more intent on playing the best available, and winning.

After two years of tanking, it will be a welcome sight for fans.

Brooklyn tanked through two arduous seasons to get consecutive lottery picks that became first Dëmin and then Mikel Brown Jr.

Dëmin taking a quantum leap would let the Nets advance their rebuild and exceed expectations.

“To win as many games as possible,” Dëmin said. “Our process is oriented now on getting there each day, at least a little bit, but getting there, no matter whether it’s a game day, practice day, or an update.”

Dëmin would have to be a big part of that.

He wasn’t merely an ineffective driver but an unwilling one. Billed as a point guard, he was turned too often at the point of attack and kept out of the paint.

But his progress this summer was encouraging.

Work with head strength and conditioning coach Alvin Dike has let Dëmin get bigger and stronger, and his downhill game benefited. After having gone just 1-for-4 inside the arc during his rookie summer league, this time Dëmin showed far more downhill juice in going 22-for-29.

“I’m excited to play with Egor,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “He’s a phenomenal shooter and scorer, but also a great passer. So he can do a lot of things on the court, rebound, push the break, shoot the ball. And now that he’s getting in the paint and finishing around the rim, he’ll make a humongous jump.”

The preseason opener was his first chance to show it against NBA competition.

With Brown still working his way back from a rolled ankle, the Nets needed a lead guard.

Coach Jordi Fernández went with veteran Keon Ellis at off guard and put Dëmin on the ball rather than Nolan Traore or Ben Saraf.

It was an acknowledgment of how much Brooklyn needs Ellis’ point-of-attack defense, but also a show of faith in how real they believe Dëmin’s improved driving is. It would let the Nets stagger him and Brown going forward, and in turn leverage the defense of Ellis and/or Terance Mann.

“Yeah, I can’t rave on Egor enough in terms of the work he’s put in, the difference that I’m seeing with him playing,” Porter said. “And Egor was a dude who already last year had such big flashes. He showed a lot of clutch performances. He showed his fearlessness, his shooting ability. And working with [Dike] in the weight room, [he looks] better and different.

“Egor is a lot more comfortable with the ball in his hands as a point guard. Guys aren’t able to crowd him and be physical around him. He’s very comfortable with the ball in his hands. He’s also, as a scorer, touching the paint more, getting downhill more, looks very comfortable finishing around the rim. So Egor is very comfortable playing the point guard position or the shooting guard position. He definitely has physically matured enough to play the point guard if that’s needed, because guys aren’t bothering him when he’s pressured.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Superstar Luka Doncic was among the Lakers players who weren’t available for Tuesday’s preseason game against the Warriors at Chase Center.

Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Collin Sexton and two-way forward Arthur Kaluma also sat out against the Warriors, which was the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers.

Reaves, Kessler, Sexton and Kaluma also weren’t available for Monday’s preseason-opening win over the Kings in Sacramento. 

Doncic led the Lakers with 21 points against the Kings in his first game in over six months. 

With a significant chunk of their lineup sidelined, the Lakers started Bronny James, Quentin Grimes, Adou Thiero, Jake LaRavia and Sandro Mamukelashvili against the Warriors. 

The Warriors started Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Draymond Green.

The Lakers will play the Kings again when they host their division rival at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. 

The Warriors were on the first night of a back-to-back, with a matchup against the Trail Blazers scheduled for Wednesday night in Portland. 

Like the Lakers, the Warriors were also in the midst of three games in four days after playing the Clippers in Hawaii on Sunday in their first preseason game. 

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors were celebrating Don Nelson with “Nellie Night” when they hosted the Lakers on Tuesday at Chase Center. 

And Warriors coach Steve Kerr had the perfect way to honor the late Hall of Fame coach.

Kerr cracked open a can of Bud Light and took a sip of the beer before answering questions from reporters during his pregame media availability – a nod to Nelson bringing a can of Bud Light to his postgame media availability during the Warriors’ 2007 playoff run more than once. 

Nelson’s postgame beer in the interview room didn’t last long after the eighth-seeded Warriors, who adopted the “We Believe” moniker, upset the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. 

The NBA stepped in and told the Warriors that Nelson couldn’t bring beer in the postgame interview room. 

The league doesn’t have to worry about Kerr making it a habit.

“Definitley not,” the Warriors coach responded when asked whether he was going to fish the beer. “I got a game to coach.”

Former Warriors players, including Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes and Chris Mullin, and members of Nelson’s family were in attendance for Tuesday’s game. 

Fans received a commemorative “Nellie” pin upon entry, in addition to souvenir “Nellie Night” beer koozies being sold.

The Warriors are wearing a “Nellie” band on the team’s uniforms throughout the 2026-27 season. 

Nelson, who was the Warriors head coach for 11 seasons across two stints (1988-95 and 2006-10), died on Aug. 9 at the age of 86.

The Brooklyn Nets visited the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night to open preseason play. Mikel Brown Jr. did not play, still rehabbing his ankle injury, nor did Joshua Jefferson and his stiff lower back. All other regulars did, though, with Egor Dëmin, Keon Ellis, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, and Day’Ron Sharpe the starting lineup. The Charlotte Hornets were without many of their projected regulars, including but not limited to Kon Knueppel, Coby White, and Brandon Miller.

Brooklyn won the ballgame convincingly, final score 124-90, not that we should read too much into that. Day’Ron Sharpe was the only Nets starter who played in the second half. Still, the boys in black-and-white looked good, which, for a team that’s won 46 games over Jordi Fernández’s first two seasons, is always nice to see. They shot 55% from three through three quarters, blowing it open by the fourth quarter. That was a pleasant change-of-pace too, hopefully a harbinger of what’s to come this season.

Here are my takeaways from Tuesday night’s reintroduction to Brooklyn Nets basketball, which I jotted down in chronological order, skewing more heavily toward the starters’ minutes, naturally.

6:22, 1Q — Brooklyn Nets 20, Charlotte Hornets 12

• Not surprised that Keon Ellis got the start. Michael Porter Jr. singled out Ellis as playing well in camp, plus there’s the pre-existing trust with Jordi Fernández. But starting Ellis, who doesn’t offer much advantage creation as a ball-handler, does indicate increased confidence in the playmakers around him, specifically Dëmin’s (potential) growth and the arrival of Julius Randle.
• They’ve switched nearly every ball-screen so far. There’s been a trap or two. Charlotte has already made them pay with a couple offensive rebounds; still, switching would seem to be a natural tactic for Brooklyn, boasting length across positions, though without great rim protection or point-of-attack defense.
• Day’Ron will be shooting threes this season. Fernández (who called a clear-out post-up for Randle on the first possession of the game) has to let Randle operate in the middle of the floor, at least a little. Sharpe set a screen, didn’t get it on the roll, then spaced out to the corner and cashed a three. Good sign.

3:34, 1Q — Brooklyn Nets 25, Charlotte Hornets 25

• Moe Wagner just got dusted by Sion James on a drive, though playing drop coverage. He switched on a couple possessions, played a little drop. Largely the same offensive positioning as Day’Ron Sharpe. We’ll see how good he is, but a stylistic facsimile for Sharpe.
• Chaney Johnson sixth man minutes? Somebody must be having a strong camp. (Not as a center, worth noting.)

12:00, 2Q — Brooklyn Nets 33, Charlotte Hornets 31

• Ben Saraf — ahead of Nolan Traore in the rotation tonight — just stepped behind a ball-screen (after his defender went under) and hit a 3-pointer. Pleasant sight.
• They’ve having some trouble defending guard-to-guard actions. Ghost screens, slips, etc.

7:59, 2Q — Brooklyn Nets 40, Charlotte Hornets 36

• Nets are gonna play faster this season, that much is clear. Julius Randle is empowered to grab the ball and go, Day’Ron has set some early ball-screens for him in semi-transition. I imagine most teams just switch that sorta thing. But there will be plenty of two-man actions with Brooklyn’s lead ball-handler and starting center, like every other team in the league. Can Randle create advantages for others out of it? Big storyline for their offense, I’d imagine.
• Randle defending Naz Reid with an oomph greater than average 13-year-veteran-playing-preseason intensity. Hmm.

4:44, 2Q —Brooklyn Nets 51, Charlotte Hornets 44

• Julius Randle is a more trustworthy transition ball-handler than the Nets have had in some time. This reflects poorly on the last couple years of Nets basketball, though again, Randle’s reputation around the league is a bit harsher than it probably should be.
• MPJ can still shoot, no worries there.
• Funny that Egor Dëmin has passed up a couple take catch-and-shoot threes, preferring to drive the lane with his newfound muscle and confidence. Almost dunked on Ryan Kalkbrenner, then a highlight assist. Worth noting that Day’Ron Sharpe cuts into the dunker spot on this second play, rather than remaining in the corner…

The showtime Nets? pic.twitter.com/uGjJrbaOG1

— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) October 6, 2026

HALFTIME — Brooklyn Nets 56, Charlotte Hornets 52

• Julius Randle is playing Julius Randle basketball, that’s for sure. Some early PnR as mentioned, willingness to fire catch-and-shoot threes, but he’s posting up mismatches and working on the empty side of the floor as he pleases.
• Starters seemingly done for the second half, though not Day’Ron Sharpe. Something, nothing? Probably nothing.
• Michael Porter Jr. dove on the floor near the end of the first half, but more importantly, he helped Brooklyn secure some big-time defensive rebounds by boxing out a Charlotte big. I trust MPJ-Randle-Sharpe to be a strong rebounding front court, even if they’re playing aggressive coverages. Porter Jr. did his part tonight, even in a meaningless game.

6:58, 3Q — Brooklyn Nets 67, Charlotte Hornets 57

• Saraf’s driving style and Day’Ron Sharpe’s ability to Gortat screen are a natural pairing. They’ve had a couple nice two-man actions to start this third quarter, though Saraf has also mixed in some rough moments.
• This lineup (Mann/Saraf/Clowney/Johnson/Sharpe) doesn’t have a single average 3-point shooter, but it’s the sort of athletic, potentially tough lineup that the Nets might occasionally deploy this season, particularly with a couple injuries.
• Chaney Johnson, three dunks before the first timeout this quarter. An offensive rebound, a cut, a transition opportunity. Maybe it’s just what he does, though the preseason a mere half-step down from tanking spring basketball.
• Unimpressed by these Noah Clowney minutes. Not that this is a particularly meaningful sample.

12:00, 4Q — Brooklyn Nets 92, Charlotte Hornets 73

• Drake Powell, Danny Wolf, and Josh Minott each checked in during the third quarter and hit his first 3-point attempt. The Nets enter the fourth 16-of-29 from deep, a hair better than what they’re shooting inside the arc. But hey, Charlotte is 15-of-31 from deep, so this 19-point lead isn’t all shooting luck.

END OF GAME

• Drake Powell has gotten to two feet and tired to explode through a Charlotte rim protector twice, after hitting the aforementioned 3-pointer. He got swallowed up and missed a feeble attempt on the first drive, but finished a smooth lefty finger roll the second time.
• Let’s draw rash conclusions — I don’t think Powell will be in the rotation to star the season. Same for Josh Minott, and potentially Danny Wolf. Still time for things to change, though.
• Nolan Traore looks bigger, but no slower. He’s zapped to the rim a few times in this fourth quarter, albeit against a bleak Charlotte lineup.
• Jordi Fernández will be thrilled by Brooklyn’s 12 steals (and how about those 25 transition points), less so by their five offensive rebounds. But the Nets will be launching, running, and rebounding this season. At least, that’s the plan, and it was clear to see even on day one.
• Shoutout Eric Collins: “I have never seen Danny Wolf and [ex-Hornet] Jeremy Lamb in the same room together, thankfully. Scary situation for Jeremy Lamb.”

Michael Porter Jr. scored 16 points, Randle added 13, while Traore had ten off the bench. Those were the only double-digit scorers for Brooklyn, who saw every player hit a shot, outside of Dain Danja and Ben Humrichous, who only played the last couple minutes. Liam McNeely scored 14 points — all in the third — to lead Charlotte, while trade acquisition Naz Reid scored 13.

Next Up

LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid sat out the Philadelphia 76ers’ first preseason game on Monday night. But their next one is in Brooklyn. The Nets’ first home preseason game is against the new-look Philadelphia 76ers, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday evening.

Head coach JJ Redick wasn’t in love with the idea of a preseason back-to-back, so it’s probably not a surprise that very few regular players are going to suit up for the contest.

After routing the Kings on Monday, the Lakers play the Warriors on Tuesday, but will rest a whole host of players. On top of being without the same quartet that sat out against Sacramento — Austin Reaves, Collin Sexton, Walker Kessler and Arthur Kaluma — the purple and gold will also be without Luka Dončić, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle.

JJ Redick says Luka, Thybulle, Ziaire, Reaves, Sexton, Kessler and Kaluma are all out tonight

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) October 7, 2026

For those keeping track at home, that leaves not many players available who will open the season in the rotation. Quentin Grimes, Kevon Looney, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jake LaRavia and Bronny James might very well be the starting lineup with Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr the two intriguing pieces off the bench.

Expect more minutes from Jarred Vanderbilt, too, who only got in during the fourth quarter of Monday’s game. Chris Mañon and Jaden Hardy will also have their chance to build off strong showings against the Kings, while Dalton Knecht will try to make one last case to stay on the roster.

After that, it’s some combination of AK Okereke, the remaining two-way player, and training camp invites like William Kyle and Cole Swider.

Hopefully, all these players who are resting/injured for this contest will be cleared to go on Thursday, giving us a better sense of what the team and rotation will look like.

And for the benefit of everyone involved, get rid of preseason back-to-backs.

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

SACRAMENTO — Cameron Carr displayed his scoring ability throughout July with the Lakers’ summer league team. 

And he picked up right where he left off in his preseason debut, showing his offensive skill set translates on the court against genuine NBA talents. 

The Lakers rookie looked sharp during LA’s 127-103 win over the Kings on Monday at Golden 1 Center, scoring 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting (3 of 7 on 3-pointers) in 23 minutes off the bench in the Lakers’ preseason opener. 

“Every chance I get to step on the court,” Carr said, “just growing in areas and just getting more comfortable with just playing in the offense and being efficient.”

Carr said he was nervous ahead of his first exhibition. 

But it didn’t show — outside of bobbling the basketball ahead of a dunk in the open court in the second quarter.

He was the team’s leading scorer behind superstar guard Luka Doncic (21 points), who played in his first game in over six months.

“I was definitely nervous, but I mean, it’s basketball,” Carr said. “I go out there and another opportunity to play basketball and now at the highest level. So it’s fun. Get to compete with my guys.”

But just like during the summer, Carr didn’t focus too much of his attention on what he did offensively. 

He continued to discuss what he needs to do defensively to earn a consistent spot in the rotation.

And Carr got a firsthand look at what coach JJ Redick expects from the wings defensively, with Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Quentin Grimes and Adou Thiero each taking turns picking up full court and hounding the Kings’ ball handlers. 

“Just staying on top of my cues,” Carr said. “Don’t be late and don’t give lapses up. I mean, these dudes guard, they’re in the right spot, so just be in the right spot for them.”

Carr continues to make a strong case for himself to get meaningful playing time once the Lakers’ regular season starts with their Opening Night matchup against the Warriors on Oct. 21. 

Whether he earns that spot will depend less on what he offers offensively and more about if he can keep up on the defensive end of the floor. 

“A great example — just watching and learning,” Carr said. “Pick up whatever I can from them and just try to implement it and do it … myself.”