Category: NBA

The Phoenix Suns were completely screwed. The franchise’s all-in moves for Kevin Durant at the 2023 trade deadline and Bradley Beal to begin the 2024 offseason had backfired in epic fashion, resulting in just one playoff series win (with Durant only) before a first-round sweep and lottery appearance forced a hard pivot. The Suns had no choice but to trade Durant last summer coming off a 36-win season, and they followed it by waiving-and-stretching Beal, which put $19.4 million of dead money on their books for the next five years. In addition to putting themselves in a cap crunch, the Suns also didn’t have any draft ammunition without control of their first-round pick until 2032.

When I ranked the league’s worst long-term outlooks coming into the season, I put Phoenix at No. 2 and openly wondered why they weren’t interesting in trading Devin Booker.

The Suns could have had a life vest for their future this summer, but they were too delusional to take it. Phoenix’s most prudent move would have been trading Devin Booker, and trying to recoup some of their own first-round picks that they’ve traded away. Instead, Booker signed an extension that will pay him $75 million once it kicks in for the 2028-29 season. It just feels very unlikely they can build a good team around him in the West while not owning any of their first-round picks.

Vegas didn’t believe in the retooled Suns either, putting their over/under at 30.5 wins entering the season.

Fast forward through the first half of the first year without Durant and Beal, and Phoenix has made me and their other skeptics look very stupid. The Suns are 27-17 and would make the playoffs in the West without needing to go through the play-in if the season ended today. After starting the year at No. 25 in my initial power rankings, Phoenix now cracks the top-10. The Suns are the most pleasant surprise in the league, and they’ve given their fans something to cheer for when everyone else wrote off their next half-decade.

How has Phoenix pulled off the best turnaround of the season? Let’s count the ways.

The Suns nailed their Kevin Durant trade

It felt like the Suns didn’t have any leverage when they went to trade Durant over the summer, because a) the whole league knew he was on the block, b) he was about to turn 37 years old, and c) he was on an expiring contract. Without a bidding war, the Rockets were able to land KD without giving back anyone of note from their young core or either of the future first-round picks they possessed from Phoenix. How could the Suns do that deal without at least landing Reed Sheppard? That was one of my complaints in giving Phoenix a D grade for the trade.

Whoops. It’s clear now that the Suns did very well in the Durant trade, and it’s part of what set them up for success this year and possibly beyond. The Suns checked every box in the trade:

1. They got a win-now veteran starter in Dillon Brooks, who gave them both the volume three-point shooting and competitive edge defensively that they needed
2. They got a young player with upside in Jalen Green, who could benefit from a change of scenery and wasn’t on the books that long even if it felt like he was a little overpaid
3. They got a long-term upside play with the No. 10 overall pick, which they used to swing on Duke center Khaman Maluach, who I had ranked No. 3 overall in the class

Three assets, one that could help immediately, one that aided their short-term future, and one that aided their long term future. Green has barely even played this year as he’s dealt with a lingering hamstring strain, and Maluach is essentially getting a redshirt year in the G League. Despite two of the three players contributing nothing so far, it was still a great for Phoenix that has a chance to pay off even bigger in the future.

The Suns nailed their coaching hire

Mat Ishbia demanded a head coach with championship experience from the moment he took over the Suns. After needing to fire Monty Williams, Frank Vogel, and Mike Budenholzer in the three years to begin his tenure, Ishbia allowed in his front office to go the other way with the hiring on Jordan Ott.

Ott had no previous head coaching experience and had never been a player. At 40 years old, he was most recently on staff the Cleveland Cavaliers under Kenny Atkinson, but his main qualification for the Suns seemed to be that he went to Michigan State.

Ott has obviously been outstanding through the first half of this season, and should be the runaway favorite for NBA Coach of the Year. Ott’s schematic brilliance has been on display in raising the Phoenix defense from No. 28 to No. 4 in just one year, but he’s also done a great job getting everyone to buy into their role to create an egoless team of role players around Booker.

The Suns nailed their fringe roster moves

Collin Gillespie was a two-time Big East Player of the Year and All-American at Villanova who went undrafted because he didn’t have the size, athleticism, or rim scoring teams look for in a point guard. The Suns originally signed him to a two-way deal in the summer of 2024, and he looked good enough in 33 games last year that Phoenix decided to give him a guaranteed one-year minimum deal for this season.

Gillespie has rewarded their faith by turning into one of the league’s best development stories this year with a +2.9 EPM grades out in the 92nd percentile of all players. Gillespie still doesn’t finish at the rim, but he’s become a 42 percent three-point shooter, a solid passer, and a menace defensively who ranks No. 16 in the league in steal percentage. Before the season, everyone wondered how Phoenix would find a point guard next to Booker, and Gillespie has given them everything they needed.

Jordan Goodwin has been another awesome find. The Suns claimed him after he was waived by the Lakers, and he’s emerged as one of the league’s best defensive pests this season. Goodwin is No. 4 in the league in steal percentage and No. 6 in steals per 100 possessions right now. Ott has also empowered him to jack threes at every opportunity, going from 6.2 to 9.7 three-point attempts per 100 possessions over the last year. Goodwin is knocking them down at a 35 percent clip so far, which is great for him.

Add in solid contributions from 2024 second-round pick Oso Ighodaro and current two-way guard Jamaree Bouyea, and the Suns changed their entire outlook this season by most the making of every fringe roster signing.

The Suns crush the offensive glass while still getting back in transition

The conventional wisdom that said crashing the offensive glass came at the cost of getting back in transition defensively is dead, and the Suns are the best proof. Phoenix ranks No. 6 in the league in offensive rebound rate and No. 5 in points allowed in transition per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass.

The Suns have not adopted the double big mentality of many teams, choosing to play with 6’6 Royce O’Neale and 6’7 Dillon Brooks next to center Mark Williams. Phoenix has been able to chase the long rebounds that come from their missed threes with a smaller lineup, and they can get back quicker defensively.

Phoenix was terrible in both areas last year, finishing No. 23 in offensive rebound rate and No. 27 in transition defense. This more than anything is the best example of Ott’s genius at work.

The Suns have maximized every ounce of defensive potential

Durant felt like the Suns’ best defender last year. That’s a huge problem. By trading him, the Suns put a bunch of defensive-minded players around Devin Booker who could do the dirty work and help win the possession battle.

Last year’s Suns were No. 28 in defensive rating under Budenholzer. This year’s Suns are No. 4 in defensive rating under Ott. Aside from fixing the transition defense, the biggest adjustment has been empowering his team to hunt for more steals even if it means getting called for fouls. The Suns have gone from No. 28 to No. 3 in defensive turnover percentage, with both Goodwin and Gillespie turning into steals monsters. All the steals have helped the transition frequency significantly increase as well, and transition scoring is always more efficient than halfcourt scoring.

Opponents are only shooting 34.6 percent from three against Phoenix this year, so maybe they have some shooting luck on their side. Still, it has to be exhausting to play against a team that plays so physically defensively and always hunts the ball. I don’t think it’s all shooting luck.

The Suns are no joke

Building around Booker without cap space or future draft capital seemed like an impossible task for the Suns. Instead, they’ve pulled it off by targeting role players who could go all-out defensively and try to get extra possessions on the offensive glass. Booker has been a solid contributor to a great defense, and offensively he’s done well to get more easy baskets at the foul line even during a year when he’s not shooting the ball well from deep.

Just about every move the Suns made worked out. Trading two late first-round picks for Mark Williams was a fantastic move to add rim protection and rebounding, though he’ll need to be resigned in restricted free agency. Keeping Grayson Allen and O’Neale instead of trading them for Jonathan Kuminga (which the Warriors reportedly turned down) was hugely beneficial. Ryan Dunn and Ighodaro are late round draft hits who don’t need the ball to impact winning. Everything revolves around Booker, and he’s making a big impact (89th percentile EPM) despite a brutal 49.7 percent effective field goal percentage. Just imagine how this looks when Booker’s shots start falling, and Jalen Green’s microwave scoring becomes a full-time part of the lineup.

The next step will be harder to take for the Suns with their draft and cap sheet limitations. The easiest path to leveling up is unleashing Maluach. I still see a super long interior scorer and paint protector who will be able to eventually hit shots from the three-point line. Resigning Gillespie is also a must, and integrating Green without sacrificing too much of the defense will be a tough needle to thread as well.

I was so, so wrong about the Suns. There’s nothing wrong with being a plucky mid-table playoff team, and Phoenix has already achieved that. After successfully pulling off a retooling with very little flexibility, it would be foolish to think another step is impossible. The Suns had to get everything right to avoid a doomed future, and they actually did it.

Under the Hood – it’s time to see what’s really going on inside this Pistons team.

Firing on All Cylinders

All five starters finished in double-digits in last night’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Daniss Jenkins – 17 PTS and 4 AST

Duncan Robinson – 15 PTS, 4 REB, AND 3 AST

Ausar Thompson – 12 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, AND 3 STL

Tobias Harris – 10 PTS, 6 REB, AND 3 AST

Jalen Duren – 20 PTS, 15 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, AND 2 BLK

Transmission Trouble

In a game that didn’t feature Cade Cunningham and Caris LeVert, this felt like an opportunity for Jaden Ivey to get some increased playing time, but that didn’t happen.

JB Bickerstaff played 10 players last night and Ivey ranked 9th in minutes – only Javonte Green played less than him.

Ron Holland, Marcus Sasser, and Daniss Jenkins all played more minutes than Ivey.

It does feel like Ivey’s shot creation in the midrange has improved and his three-point stroke looks good, but his burst and explosiveness that made him such an intriguing prospect coming out of Purdue isn’t there anymore. Perhaps with more time it’ll slowly come back, but right now, he doesn’t have it.

As I watched last night’s game, it made me wonder: at this point, what does Ivey do that Sasser can’t?

There are more similarities to their game now than pre-Ivey-leg-break. Based on the depth at the guard position for Detroit, I think this is what makes Ivey expendable. Jenkins is more of a point guard, Sasser brings more offensive juice at a lower cost, and Green brings a 3-and-D look that no other guard on the roster can.

I think the writing is on the wall when it comes to Jaden Ivey’s future in Detroit.

Mechanic’s Note

This possession got me hype last night:

I’ve been a consistent criticizer of the spacing on this team, usually due to the lack of shooting from Ausar and Duren, but the blueprint is there for these two co-existing.

Ausar’s inability to shoot isn’t an issue if he’s the on-ball initiator on offense, especially when he’s going downhill. I’m confident in his passing ability to find JD for a lob or make the right read to an open shooter at the three-point line.

If you pause the video right before Ausar throws the oop, you’ll see Duncan and Ivey in the corners with Tobias on the wing, and they’re all ready to shoot while spacing the floor. This is a great possession that minimizes the weaknesses of Ausar and Duren while also giving them ample room to operate inside.

Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week the Fantable – a round table of Bright Siders – give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.

Fantable Questions of the Week

Q1: What is your opinion of Jordan Goodwin and his impact on the court this season?

Ashton: What a stud player.

This will bleed into Q2 (not quarterly, you corporate nerds), but I specifically waited until the conclusion of the Suns and 76’ers to try to answer this.

The deal is you can’t cut Goodie’s minutes. He played 20 minutes on Tuesday, the same as Green. Unless there is some fantastic trade at the table. I also agree that Goodwin is off the table.

Do I put him in the untouchable realm? Of course not, but his player value is skyrocketing.

OldAz: What strikes me with Jordan Goodwin is how different he seems in this stint with the Suns compared to his previous. The JG we see now is tenacious, ball hocking on defense, and embodies this team’s personality of effort and energy every minute he’s on the court. He has certainly improved his three-point shot, and his uncanny knack for collecting rebounds is awesome.

What I can’t figure out is if he was like this in his first stint and it just didn’t fit as well, or if this is all about his growth over the last few years. It is striking because what he is doing embodies the culture of this team so perfectly and makes me wonder if the reason it didn’t work before is that one person on the floor hustling with four guys standing around just doesn’t look nearly as impressive.

Kudos to Bryan Gregory for snatching him up when he became available and to Jordan Ott for making sure JG gets the minutes he deserves by hustling and doing everything on the floor this team needs.

Rod: It’s rather amazing to think that, at this time last year, Goodwin wasn’t actually on an NBA squad. He was playing for the South Bay Lakers in the G League…and that was on a standard G League contract, not even a two-way. The Lakers didn’t sign him to a two-way until the trade deadline and then converted his two-way to a standard NBA deal near the end of the 2024/25 season. Thankfully, the Lakers decided to waive him last July because they had the opportunity to sign Marcus Smart and needed the roster spot to do so, which gave the Suns the opportunity to claim him.

I wasn’t very impressed by his addition at first because he really didn’t impress me much in his first time with Phoenix (which was only half a season before he was part of the trade with Brooklyn that brought Royce O’Neale to the Suns), but he has most definitely impressed me this time around! He’s a tenacious defender and rebounder who plays bigger than his actual size, plus he’s developed a solid three-point shot, which all makes him a perfect fit for this team.

Q2: There is some belief among fans that Jalen Green’s return will hurt the Suns’ defense. What’s your opinion on this?

Ashton: Again, I waited until the conclusion of the 76’ers game to try and answer this question. These are my takeaways from a firm and solid NBA basketball perspective.

I have no takeaways.

The reality is that the sample size is just too small to make a definitive judgment on Green’s defense. He was not the “pigeon,” and I thought he held up well in the game, especially when the Suns needed to protect the lead in the fourth quarter. I was basically begging and pleading with the game chat to answer this question. But I would say the fanbase trusts his defense. I will mention that Goodwin had two steals while Green had none. I am not saying this is the end-all-be-all for defensive metrics, but it is worth noting.

Now, if this were a question about Green’s offensive potential? The dude should star in the next “Fast and the Furious” series, where he drives a Ferrari to Mars. Wow, that man could move fast, and it should translate to hustling back on D, and while some of the commentators may highlight Book and Green, I was actually most entertained with Green and Goodie. What a duo, and there are actually 3 “Gs” to sub with (Grayson, Gillespie, Goodwin).

Whoever plays the best defense will most likely get the most minutes.

OldAz: I think this is overblown. A lot of these fears are about reputation, and when you step back and think about it, the same can be said for almost all of the Suns’ current roster. Booker has constantly been fighting a reputation as a poor defender, yet we have all seen Booker play good defense when he is engaged and part of a team’s defensive concept. Mark Williams has been banned as a poor individual defender, yet he anchors a very effective Suns defensive team.

A lot of the players are undersized and simply make up for it with energy and effort, and kind of like I referenced in question one, defense looks a whole lot better when five guys are on the same page putting forth the same energy and effort. There’s no reason to believe that Jalen Green will not fall right in line with these team concepts and apply his great athleticism on both ends of the court.

Rod: After watching him in the Philadelphia game, I can’t really agree with this. He may not be a great defender, but I saw nothing to indicate that he was a poor one either. The effort I saw him give on the defensive end was great, and that alone means a great deal. One play that quickly comes to mind is when, in the 4th quarter, he was guarding Tyrese Maxey and used his speed and quickness to keep him away from the basket and ultimately force him into taking a contested shot (which he missed). I think he’s going to fit in just fine with this group and be a net positive on the court.

Q3: If Nick Richards is traded before the deadline, this would probably move rookie Khaman Maluach up to his spot on the Suns’ center depth chart. Some fans have voiced the opinion that this would be unwise, considering Mark Williams’ injury history. What’s your opinion?

Ashton: This is a very nuanced question. Nick Richards is traded for whom? And does that person take the open roster spot? Is it for another big man?

Personally, I would just like to trade Richards for any type of salary flexibility and maybe a second-round pick. Richards should be begging to get out of town. Minutes are going to be hard to come by with this talented bench line-up, and if he can see more playing time elsewhere, he should be traded.

Mark Williams has been a warrior for the Suns, and the change of scenery has done him well in the Valley. So, what injury history? Turn the page and let the man play. Oso can still man the C position.

Khaman Maluach is a bit of an enigma. I would absolutely love for him to join the bench-mob revolution that the Suns are currently experiencing. But again, where do the minutes come from? If you look at KM’s stats from the G League, they are really quite good. He excels at the FT line and in rebounding. But his NBA stats suck due to a lack of playing time.

This is a chicken-and-egg question. But it ultimately comes down to how many minutes the Suns can afford to give Man Man? The answer is not many unless (holds breath) an injury occurs in the frontcourt. Keep KM in the development league.

OldAz: There is a reason Oso has passed Richards on the depth chart, and that Richards gets almost as many minutes over the last month as Maluach. The injury concern is understandable, and if Williams or even Oso gets injured, there is going to be a significant step down for the team. The real question is how big the gap is between a veteran like Richards, who really lacks athleticism and anything he really does special on the floor, and the inexperience but high upside of KM.

In my opinion, worrying about the third-string center is a good problem to have, and if they find the right deal to get under the salary threshold or to bring back a solid player, they simply need to pull the trigger and let the chips fall where they may when it comes to injuries.

Rod: I understand that concern, but I don’t think it should be the deciding factor as to whether to trade Richards or not. Following the trade deadline, the Suns will have 31 games left, and if Williams stays healthy until then, I see no reason to play things overly cautious. Sure, there would be some risk in moving Richards then, but I think that risk may not be as high as others. And while Maluach may not seem ready for meaningful minutes yet, we won’t know that for certain until he’s actually given meaningful minutes to play. If the return for Nick outweighs the risk, make the move.

As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!

Quotes of the Week

“We’re going to stick to it. No one in the Suns uniform or on the staff like how we started that third quarter, but the starters then figured it out and they did it collectively.” – Jordan Ott on the Philadelphia game

“I just think we just continue to get better. Even when it doesn’t feel great, we find ways to win.” – Jordan Ott

“I’m just trying to be a star in my role.” – Jordan Goodwin

“I think we’re taking a lot of pride in being that bench unit, playing together, playing fast. Sharing the basketball. Flying around on defense. Just having that identity going in there and changing the speed of the game has been really good.” – Oso Ighodaro

“We never put an expectation on anything. We just want to come out here and play the right way and that’s what we’ve been doing this year.” – Devin Booker

Suns Trivia/History

On January 23, 2016, Tyson Chandler tied Paul Silas’ franchise record of 27 rebounds in a 98-95 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

On January 28, 2014, the Suns signed Leandro Barbosa to a contract for the rest of the season. It was Barbosa’s 2nd stint with the Suns after playing his first 7 years in the league in Phoenix. Barbosa had begun the 2013-14 season playing in his home country of Brazil for Esporte Clube Pinheiros after tearing the ACL in his left knee while playing for the Celtics in 2012-13. The “Brazilian Blur” had been signed by the Suns to back-to-back 10-day contracts before getting the rest of the season contract offer from them.

On January 29, 1984, the NBA’s first All-Star Saturday took place in Denver at McNichols Arena. The first Nestle Crunch Slam-Dunk winner was Phoenix’s Larry Nance, who used a two-ball windmill dunk to beat favorites Julius Erving and Dominique Wilkins.

On January 29, 2007, the Suns’ previous longest win streak of 17 games came to an end in Minnesota 121-112 on the final game of a 5-game road trip. The Suns entered the fourth quarter up 95-94 but went ice cold from the field, making only 29.4% of their shots (5 of 17) in the quarter and were outscored 27-17 while the Timberwolves hit 60.0% of their FG attempts (12 of 20).

This Week’s Game Schedule

Friday, Jan 23 – Suns @ Atlanta Hawks (5:30 pm)
Sunday, Jan 25 – Suns vs Miami Heat (6:00 pm)
Tuesday, Jan 27 – Suns vs Brooklyn Nets (7:00 pm)

This Week’s Valley Suns Game Schedule

Friday, Jan 23 – Valley Suns @ Texas Legends (7:30 pm)
Sunday, Jan 25 – Valley Suns vs Austin Spurs (3:00 pm) NBA TV
Tuesday, Jan 27 – Valley Suns vs Austin Spurs (8:00 pm) ESPN+

Important Future Dates

Feb. 5 – Trade deadline (3:00 pm ET)
Feb. 13-15 – 2026 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, CA
March 1 – Playoff eligibility waiver deadline
March 28 – NBA G League Regular Season ends
March 31 – 2026 NBA G League Playoffs begin
April 12 – Regular season ends (All 30 teams play)
April 13 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3 p.m. ET)
April 14-17 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
April 18 – NBA Playoffs begin

When Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis were traded for each other in the most shocking and controversial deal in NBA history, there was (understandably) little focus on the others included in the six-player, three-team deal. Sure, fan favorite Maxi Kleber and salary filler Markieff Morris were headed to Los Angeles, but Mavericks fans had other things on their mind. Along with the oft-injured and past-his-prime Davis, Dallas netted just one first-round pick for Doncic’s services. Apart from that, the only other asset Dallas received for the most talented player in franchise history was a young flyer, a throw-in guard named Max Christie. Many in Dallas couldn’t have picked him out of a lineup.

Since that fateful night almost a year ago, Christie has done everything in his power to endear himself to the beleaguered Maverick faithful. Unlike Davis, he’s played in nearly every game for Dallas. Christie got to work right away after arriving, scoring 15 points or more in each of his first six games post-trade. Though he cooled down to end the season, there were plenty of flashes to indicate that he could be an intriguing piece for the future.

This season, Max Christie is in the midst of a meaningful leap. On a Mavericks team woefully devoid of 3-point shooting, he’s been a godsend. Christie is shooting 45.9% from deep on 5.5 attempts per game. That percentage is sixth in the NBA and first among players with at least 200 3-point attempts. He’s been a spot-up marksman, shooting 47.7% on 172 total attempts (per Synergy Sports). And Christie has even mixed in 47 pull-up threes, hitting a perfectly respectable 38.3% on those. Coach Jason Kidd praised Christie’s growth while encouraging him to shoot even more, a great vote of confidence for a player who’s become essential to the Mavericks’ success. Christie has established himself as one of the premier shooters in the league, and that alone, coupled with his 22-year-old youth, would make him a player worth hanging onto.

But Christie has taken big steps in other areas of his game, too. When you shoot the ball like Christie has this season, you become a fixture on opposing teams’ scouting reports. Defenses see Christie’s three-point percentage and want to run him off the line and force him to put the ball on the floor. And to his credit, Christie has responded well to this.

Attacking closeouts is an essential counter for great shooters, and Christie looks comfortable doing so. The pull-up middy has been a weapon for him in these situations, as Christie is shooting a sparkling 52% on pull-up two-pointers this year. When he’s not finding the midrange, he’s attacking the basket and putting more pressure on the defense.

And, most importantly, there have been signs that indicate growth for Christie beyond great shooting. Among all NBA players with at least 50 possessions as a pick-and-roll ball handler, Christie ranks first in both points per possession (1.23, per NBA.com) and effective field goal percentage (65.1%). Though Christie barely meets this arbitrary threshold with 53 possessions, and it’s an admittedly small sample size (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league with 354 such possessions), it’s still impressive. Since December 1st, Christie has taken the pick-and-roll creation to a new level, averaging 1.50 PPP on 18-28 shooting from the field (75% eFG, per Synergy). For a guy who doesn’t have the ball in his hands a lot, he’s made the most of his opportunities in creating for himself.

Where Christie really thrives is in transition. Among all players with at least 80 transition possessions, Christie ranks first in PPP (1.52, per NBA.com) and second in eFG% (78.5%). Christie sprints down the floor off misses, turnovers, and even makes, constantly looking for the ball and making good decisions when he gets it. He leverages his above-average athleticism to beat defenders down the court and finish at the rim. Watching Christie and Flagg run the break together has been a joy, and their transition dominance is a big reason why the Mavericks are second in the NBA in fastbreak points per game.

Despite all these improvements on offense, there’s still meat on the bone with Christie’s game, especially in the halfcourt. Christie is 10-of-13 from the floor off cuts (per Synergy), so Kidd would be very wise to draw things up to get Christie moving around off-ball and wreaking havoc more often. Christie also needs more pick-and-roll reps, both as a ball handler and screener; he’s posting a sparkling 1.39 PPP as a screener in just 18 total possessions (per NBA.com). And though Christie is great in the restricted area (68% FG), he’s been poor in the paint outside the restricted area (36.7% FG). He desperately needs to add a consistent floater and tack on some strength to fight through contact. Christie’s playmaking also leaves a bit to be desired, but that’s okay for an off-guard who shoots it like he does.

Defensively, Christie is a bit tougher to evaluate. He has very good size and athleticism for a guard, and generally does a good job with screen navigation. His motor on the defensive end is strong, and his plus wingspan allows him to generate some deflections and wall off drives. The Mavericks have been marginally better defensively with Christie off the floor, but given the injuries and roster context of this season, that can mostly be taken with a grain of salt. While I don’t believe Christie will ever be a defensive stalwart or generate crazy steal and block numbers, he’s got the physical tools, motor, and basketball IQ to perform solidly on that end.

As the Mavericks look to build their team of the future around Cooper Flagg, it’s important to roster young, cost-controlled players on a similar timeline as their 19-year-old phenom. At age 22, Christie is showing the kind of improvement and impact that demands prioritization. A 6’5” guard with legitimate 3-point shooting, plus athleticism, defensive potential, and pick-and-roll creation chops is the perfect kind of player to deploy next to Flagg. Max Christie might not ever sniff an All-Star team or win any awards, but if he continues on his current trajectory, he’ll be a positive starter in this league for a long time. The Mavericks need as many of those guys as they can get.

As longtime readers know, in addition to being a die hard Spurs fan, I am the proud father of a die hard Spurs fan. My twelve-year-old daughter Elizabeth and I most commonly spend our father-daughter dates at the Frost Bank Center. Some memorable outings were Dirk Nowitzki’s farewell game, the 2023 NBA Draft, and the Silver & Black Scrimmage.

But no night beats last Monday against the Utah Jazz.

For MLK Day, we made our way down to the Frost Bank Center for the mid-afternoon game. This time we had to arrive even earlier as Elizabeth had been chosen to be the Spurs Ball Kid for the game. We signed in with game-ops and then Tre, a wonderful member of the Spurs Hype Squad, escorted us down to the court.

Walking the hardwood alone was a treat. I caught a smile across her face and some pep in step as we made our way to the Spurs basket.

For those who haven’t been to a live game, when the Spurs come out for the pregame shoot around, there is an equipment crew. During this time, they are grabbing loose balls and tossing fresh ones out to the players. The Spurs Ball Kid is a role they’ve had as far back as I can remember. A child gets to help the crew distribute balls to the players as they warm up.

On Monday Elizabeth joined them.

She was tossing basketballs to corner shooters, one of them being three-point specialist Julian Champagnie, who Elizabeth listed as her favorite player.

While the in-arena announcement was introducing her, Julian heard his name called as her favorite and his ears perked up.

She finished the shoot around and then was invited to line up with the players to high five the Spurs starters, amost incredible experience.

After all that excitement, there was still a game to watch. At the end of the first half, she once again distributed basketballs to the players during their shoot around before the second half commenced.

The Spurs had a great night. Champagnie scored 13 points hitting 3 threes and grabbing 4 rebounds, both categories of which he is gaining recognition.

After the game, he invited Elizabeth down to receive his game-worn jersey, which he’d signed. Due to timing — the Spurs were heading out immediately after to make the trip to Houston for the second night of a back-to-back — he wasn’t able to deliver it personally, but we got to thank the crew who she’d been with for both shoot around distributions.

She played it cool when she saw the jersey, but as we exited the Frost Bank Center she was skipping to the car, the most excited I’d seen her in a long time. Although she was ahead of me, I am pretty sure I heard her singing his name as she danced on in the moonlight.

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When the USC men's basketball team ran back into the locker room after pregame warmups, Alijah Arenas lingered on the court for a few more seconds to get some extra shots up before running back into the tunnel, smile on his face, to join his teammates.

The team came back out a few minutes later, and Arenas dapped up as many people sitting courtside at Galen Center as he could. "TV off" by Kendrick Lamar blared over the speakers as Arenas' name was announced over the PA.

The crowd roared and gave the freshman a long standing ovation moments before he made his collegiate debut for the Trojans, starting in a 74-68 loss to Northwestern on Wednesday, Jan. 21. And while he had his struggles, most of it was to be expected.

"When you do this long enough and you inject a super talented player, the results are not so shocking to me," head coach Eric Musselman said postgame. "When you put someone in and he goes three-for-15 from the field, that's a lot of shots in his minutes, but he can create his own shot. And you know, he should be a high school senior who reclassified, missed an entire summer, and then you're throwing him in the middle of Big Ten play so he doesn't have non-conference play and all that stuff, just based on injury.

"It's a difficult thing for any super talented player to go through."

The Cleveland Cavaliers held the Charlotte Hornets to 87 points in their win on Wednesday. Whether that’s the result of good defense or poor outside shooting from Charlotte is for you to decide.

The stats in the table below are from Cleaning the Glass.

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• The Hornets shot 17% from three (1st percentile). Three-point defense can be difficult to diagnose on first watch. Well-defended shots can result in makes, and giving up uncontested threes can result in misses. There’s just a lot of variance there. The best defense is often done by limiting outside shots from the opponent’s best three-point shooters. The Cavs didn’t do that as Kon Knueppel (2-10 from three), Brandon Miller (3-11), and LaMelo Ball (0-10) all attempted more threes than their season-long averages. Based on that, this might have been a case of Cleveland benefiting from a horrendous shooting night from Charlotte.
• Charlotte’s eight three-point makes were their fewest on the season. It was also their worst percentage as they went 8-47 (17%) from distance. Their lowest mark in a game up until this point was 25%. This was an uncharacteristically bad shooting night for a top-ten three-point shooting team.
• The Cavs didn’t shoot much better as they went 8-40 (20%) from three (2nd percentile). This was also Cleveland’s worst shooting night of the season, and the second game in a row they only hit eight outside shots. This was the fifth time this season they’ve shot 25% or worse from three, and the first time they’ve won such a game.
• This was the second game in a row the Cavs had just 34 field-goal makes. That ties their lowest total of field goals in a game.
• Cleveland outscored Charlotte 25-17 on second-chance points. Both teams struggled to end defensive possessions with rebounds, but the Cavs did a better job of capitalizing on their second-chance opportunities. This was ultimately the difference in a game where both teams struggled offensively.
• Nae’Qwan Tomlin provided a career-high seven offensive rebounds. His ability to create additional scoring opportunities for the Cavs has been incredibly helpful this season. Tomlin came into this game in the 95th percentile for offensive rebounding percentage. As a result, the Cavs as a team have grabbed 3.8% more of their missed shots from the field when Tomlin is on the court (86th percentile). This was the fourth time he’s had four or more offensive rebounds in a game.
• Evan Mobley tied a season-high with 14 rebounds. This was the third time he’s reached that mark.
• The Cavs had three players with multiple blocks: Mobley (3), Jarrett Allen (2), and Craig Porter Jr. (2).
• This was the seventh time this season Porter has recorded two or more blocks in a game. Both rejections were on Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is exactly a foot taller than Porter.
• Cleveland’s 18 fourth-quarter points were the first time they’ve been held under 20 points in the final frame. It’s also the fewest points they’ve had in any quarter in a win this season.
• The Cavs tied a season-high with 21 turnovers. It was the second-straight game they committed 21 turnovers, and the fourth game in a row they had 16 or more.
• Donovan Mitchell is responsible for a season-high eight of those turnovers.
• Despite having eight more turnovers than Charlotte, the Cavs only lost the points off turnover battle by one point. The Cavs’ ability to create offense off the Hornets’ 12 giveaways went a long way in making sure they won this game.
• This was the first time the Cavs have won this season when they’ve scored 105 points or less. Cleveland is now 1-7 in such games. This was the third time they’ve failed to reach the 100-point mark.
• The Hornets were held to just 12 points in the second quarter. That ties the fewest points they’ve scored in a quarter all season.
• Cleveland’s 89.6 defensive rating was their second-best of the season. The only time the Cavs topped that was in their October win over the Detroit Pistons, where they registered an 84.6 defensive rating.
• Charlotte scored 26 fast-break points. They were in the 94th percentile for points scored in transition. Some of that is due to being able to run off of steals, but they also did a good job of getting into the open floor off defensive rebounds. This is an area the Cavs could’ve done a better job in defensively.
• The Cavs’ half-court defensive rating of 59 is their best this season by a wide margin. Their previous best for a single game coming into this was 84.6.

The NBA trade deadline is exactly two weeks away, so it’s time to take stock of the rumors that are out there.

It’s important to note that not everything that’s leaked this time of the year can be believed, at least not without appropriate skepticism. Whenever a report bubbles up that cites anonymous sources, it bears asking why one party — from the player side or from the team — would want that information to go public. Put another way: this is the time of year when posturing and negotiation can happen through the press.

Still, there has only been one trade executed thus far, when the Atlanta Hawks moved Trae Young to the Washington Wizards Jan. 7 for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

Here’s everything you need to know about the latest NBA trade rumors and what they mean ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline:

Missing a couple games due to injury could be the difference between winning and losing the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2026.

That's how close the race between former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel remains as the league approaches next month's trade deadline. Since USA TODAY Sports last published its NBA rookie rankings two weeks ago, Flagg missed two games due to an ankle injury and that was enough to push Knueppel back to the top of the heap with the 2025-26 season halfway done.

The rest of the top five stays the same, but there's more movement in the back half of the rankings this week as another top-15 pick from the 2025 NBA Draft and an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract emerged.

Here's a breakdown of how all the rookies stack up for the entire 2025-26 season:

1. Ran the Pacers out of the Gym

After a close loss against the Detroit Pistons, Boston came back home to play their final matchup of the season against the Indiana Pacers where they proceeded to run them out of the gym, winning by a final score of 119-104. Boston did a great job when it came to defending the Pacers tonight, holding them to 37-94 (39%) shooting. The Celtics offense also showed up big time, opening up a 23-point lead in a great bounce back win back in front of the home crowd.

2. Sam Hauser is back

I think it is safe to say that Sam Hauser is officially back. Hauser pushed his three-point percentage back up over 40% on the season in his third great performance in a row, finishing with 17 points, 6 rebounds on 6-8 shooting from the field and 5-7 from three. I really think Hauser has started to develop into the second-best offensive player on the Celtics right now over his most recent hot stretch. At a time where the Celtics needed a second scoring option, Hauser has really turned up his game and has been on fire from three.

Hauser hit the first two threes that he attempted in the first quarter in quick succession. The first one came on the first shot of the game for the Celtics. Some nice ball movement from Derrick White set up Hauser for a wide-open corner three. The second came in a similar fashion, but this time Payton Pritchard drove to the free throw line and found Hauser on the opposite corner.

Hauser would hit 3 more wide open threes in similar fashion but his best play of the night came on his two-point attempt at the 7:05 mark of the fourth quarter. Hauser received the ball on the far corner and Pascal Siakam went to contest his shot. Instead, Hauser made a spin move out of the corner and hit a midrange jumper over Siakam instead. Just incredible bag work that you don’t see out of Hauser that often.

3. Jaylen Brown Efficient Game

This was one of the best all-around games we have seen from Jaylen Brown this season, finishing with 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals on 11-22 shooting. Brown was incredibly efficient tonight, taking over the game when it came to straight drives to the paint. Brown opened up his scoring night with a driving finger roll over Johnny Furphy and then made a great play where he attacked Jay Huff at the rim and finished over him for an And-1.

Brown continued to be aggressive in the second quarter where he scored 10 of his 30 points. He hit a nice fadeaway jumper over Quenton Jackson, drove aggressively at Aaron Nesmith to finish a layup, and finally, after getting blocked by Micah Potter, he was able to grab his own rebound and finish with a layup.

Brown had a fine third quarter but the fourth quarter is where he really put the game away for good. This was highlighted by a steal on an errant pass by Aaron Nesmith where he took it all the way back for a driving layup that should have been an And-1.

4. Neemias Queta’s Defense

After a rough showing against the Pistons, Neemias Queta bounced back with a big performance, finishing with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Queta’s first block came when Andrew Nembhard was going up for a layup in the first quarter that he swatted away. The second block came when Jackson left a dump off pass for Tony Brady who attempted to put up a shot, but Queta stuffed it before he even had the chance. The third came when Johnny Furphy got the ball in the corner and decided he wanted to drive to the basket where Pritchard was standing underneath. Before he made contact with Pritchard, Queta came flying out of nowhere to send Furphy’s attempt out of bounds. The fourth came when Pascal Siakam went driving to the basket, but Queta played some great help defense and was able to spike the shot off of the back board. Finally, the last block came when Ben Sheppard was trying to heave up a three as the shot clock expired, but Queta was right there on the contest to force the 24 second violation.

5. Jordan Walsh Hustle Plays

Jordan Walsh finished the game with 3 points and 5 rebounds but it felt like he was everywhere tonight on defense. Walsh had a great run in the second quarter that started with some great defense on Siakam. Siakam had Walsh on the block and went to work on him like he normally loved to do. Walsh wasn’t going to make it on him however as he stood his ground and forced Siakam to put up a wild shot that looked like it got tipped.

This was followed up by a great block by Neemias Queta that put the Celtics on the fast-break where some nice ball movement occurred. Simons passed it to Queta up top who sent it to Hauser who drew two defenders and found Walsh for a wide open three that he was able to knock down, forcing a Pacers timeout.

Walsh’s best play of the night came on the block he was credited for in the third quarter. Jarace Walker pump faked to get Jordan Walsh in the air. Instead of taking the shot, he decided to pass it to Ben Sheppard in the corner where he attempted a three. However, Walsh was able to recover well on the initial pump fake and sent Sheppard’s shot into the third row.

6. Luka Garza Bounce Back

Much like Queta, Luka Garza had a rough game in Detroit when it came to being matched up with their bigs. In this game however, he was able to bounce back and make a ton of winning plays, finishing with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Garza is a master when it comes to grabbing offensive rebounds and this play is a good microcosm of his performance on the glass. After Scheierman missed a layup, Garza was able hit the ball up to himself, grab another rebound, and got fouled by Isaiah Jackson on his third attempt to get free throws.

Garza showed off his masterful finishing skills at the basket tonight at the 4:54 mark of the first quarter. After setting a great screen on Andrew Nembhard for Pritchard, Payton pump faked a three and found Garza rolling to the basket on a bounce pass. Garza then used a beautiful deceleration step to let let Walker fly by him and finish the layup.

7. Hugo Gonzalez Offensive Flashes

Any time we get to see Hugo Gonzalez come in to the game, it is always going to be a fun time and tonight he made some great plays despite finishing with only 5 points and 2 rebounds. His best play of the night came after Anfernee Simons missed a midrange jumper in the second quarter. Hugo battled on the offensive glass over a crowd of Pacers players, came up with the ball, bobbled it, then got control to pass it to Jaylen Brown. Brown then found Gonzalez who relocated back to the corner for a wide open three that went down and got the TD Garden on its feet.

His other great play came off of an inbounds pass. White was passing it in and Gonzalez made a great cut to the basket off of a nice back screen by Queta to finish a wide open layup.

8. Free Throws

NBCSports Boston showed an interesting graphic during their broadcast tonight where it showed the Celtics rank dead last in free throw differential at home at -6.3 and 21st on the road at -1.4. In this game however, Boston was able to buck the trend as they shot 25 free throws on the night compared to Indiana’s 23. The Celtics did a much better job of hitting their free throws in this game as well, finishing the night 23-25 (92%). Joe Mazzulla said in his post game press conference that they need to find ways to win even when they aren’t shooting well and getting to the free throw line is a great start.

9. Dominating the Paint

The Celtics did a great job when it came to protecting the pain in this matchup against the Pacers. Thanks to the help of Neemias Queta, Boston finished the night with 6 blocks and only allowed Indiana to score 40 points in the paint. On the flip side, the Celtics finished with 48 points in the paint and shot 24-42 (57%) in that area. Boston was also dominant on the glass in this game, out-rebounding Indiana 54-42. This is a great bounce back from their loss to the Pistons and it was helped by the Pacers not having a legitimate big man.

10. Three Point Differential

In the three prior matchups with the Pacers this season, the three point shot has been the great equalizer. In the first matchup, the Pacers shot 60% from three in the first half and 5% from three in the second half leading to a 103-95 Celtics win. In the second matchup, Boston shot 51% from three and blew out Indiana 140-122. In the third matchup, Boston shot 26% from three as a team while Indiana 43% of theirs to beat the Celtics 98-96. In this matchup, the three pointer was not the biggest equalizer with both teams hitting 12 threes on the night but Boston was able to hit them at a more efficient clip, shooting 12-31 (39%) over Indiana’s 12-45 (27%).

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy took a double-bogey seven in a 1-over opening round of 73 to start the Dubai Desert Classic trailing eight shots behind clubhouse leader Francesco Molinari on Thursday.

Playing the 18th hole as the ninth of his round, McIlroy’s chip approach for his third shot pitched in front of the green and rolled back into the water. After taking a penalty, his next approach left McIlroy six feet from the pin needing two putts.

McIlroy’s playing partner, Tommy Fleetwood, also dropped a shot on the 18th after making bogey also at the 14th and 16th. The world Nos. 2 and 3 both carded 73.

The third member of the stellar group of Ryder Cup winners, Tyrrell Hatton, shot a 2-under 70 to begin the defense of his Dubai title at Emirates Golf Club. Another Ryder Cup teammate, Shane Lowry, also was on 2 under.

Molinari hit eight birdies in a 7-under 65, including four in his first five holes starting at the 10th. He later had three straight birdies through the ninth to finish his round.

Mikael Lindberg was two shots back in second place with a 5-under 67, and Joel Girrbach was alone in third place in the clubhouse on 4 under.

A group of players on 3 under included Wenyi Ding, the 21-year-old former Arizona State University student from China.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

ISTANBUL (AP) — The Europa League returns after a break with a leading trio of Aston Villa, Lyon and Midtjylland seeking away wins to close on automatic qualification to the round of 16 on Thursday.

The three are tied on points from five wins and a loss with two games to go in the league phase. Like in the Champions League, the top eight finishers advance automatically after eight rounds.

Villa may have the toughest encounter by traveling to Istanbul to meet Fenerbahce that is near to the top eight spots in 12th. The unlikely title challenger in the Premier League will miss injured captain John McGinn as it hopes to recover from a surprise 1-0 defeat to Everton at Villa Park on Sunday, a first home loss since Aug. 31.

Lyon plays Young Boys in Bern while Midtjylland is at Norwegian side Brann in Bergen. The hosts are 21st and 22nd in the table, respectively.

The teams placed from nine to 24 enter a two-leg playoff to progress.

Among other matches, Nottingham Forest at 11th is away at seventh-placed Braga while Roma (10th) and Stuttgart (ninth) who are tied on points meet at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat in the first one-day international of the three-match series against England on Thursday.

England had to make a last-minute change as Will Jacks was ruled out due to illness and legpinner Rehan Ahmed replaced him in the playing XI. Ahmed will team up with another legspinner Adil Rashid with Jacob Bethell and Joe Root the other spin options for England.

England skipper Harry Brook said he would have liked to bat first, “but it is what it is." Brook believed Sri Lanka is a strong side in its own conditions and he was looking forward to the challenge.

Sri Lanka test captain Dhananjaya de Silva returns to ODIs since last playing the 50-over format in November 2023 while Wanindu Hasaranga misses out to focus on next month’s T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

“Looks a good pitch, want a good score on the board," Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said at the toss while confirming that Hasaranga was rested for the World Cup.

Sri Lanka also went in with two specialist spinners Dunith Wellalage and Jeffery Vandersay in a hope the wicket will suit the slow bowlers. De Silva and Asalanka are the two off-spinners in hosts’ starting lineup.

It is the first international series for England since it lost the Ashes earlier this month in Australia.

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Lineups:

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka (captain), Janith Liyanage, Pavan Ratnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

If there’s one thing that’s sure to help a team coming off a loss (and in the midst of dealing with an overly condensed schedule), it’s a double helping of patsy, sandwiched around the week’s biggest challenge.

The Spurs more or less thrashed the Jazz just before going the distance with the Rockets, and now they have the still-banged-up Utah team in their crosshairs after a quiet but public challenge to their mental and physical toughness from their coach, Mitch Johnson.

How a team responds to that kind of critique is always worth watching, but you have to feel a little bit bad for the Jazz if the Spurs come out with a chip on their shoulders.

The Spurs were lights out against the Jazz on Monday, shooting just shy of 56% from the field and 42% from three, in a game where the final score fell short of expressing how over-matched the Jazz were.

The Jazz will still be without their leading scorer in Markkanen, and their best post defender in Walker Kessler, so San Antonio should be able to more or less arrange a layup line in this contest, even if their streaky outside shooting fails them.

The Spurs have been on a relative heater, though, ranking 7th in Effective Field Goal Percentage, 9th in True Shooting Percentage, 10th in Field Goal Percentage, 12th in Three-Point Percentage, and 7th in Offensive Rating, all of which are improvements over their extended post-Christmas slump.

They’ve also avoided giving the ball away, ranking 8th in limiting turnovers and 6th in assist-to-turnover ratio, offering no help to a Jazz defense that’s been one place shy of dead last (29th in defensive rating) during that same stretch.

The only area in which the Jazz have outperformed the Spurs is in 2nd chance scoring, something the Spurs have struggled with both producing and preventing for most of the season.

So, if the Spurs go cold again, the Jazz are likely to be able to prevent them from taking another shot and to corral their own misses, which feels like their most realistic chance at victory.

If, however, the Spurs take Mitch Johnson’s post-game comments to heart, I wish the Jazz the best of luck because I would personally not want to be on the other side of an angry Spurs team that ranks in (or near) the top 10 in most offensive categories this season.

San Antonio Spurs(30-14) vs Utah Jazz (15-29)

January 22nd, 2026 | 8:00 PM CT

Watch: FanDuel Southwest| Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Devin Vassell – Out (Groin), Luke Kornet – Questionable (Groin), Jeremy Sochan – Day-to-Day (Illness)

Jazz Injuries: Walker Kessler – Out (Shoulder), Georges Niang – Out (Foot), Keyonte George – Questionable (Forearm), Lauri Markkanen – Out (Conditioning), Brice Sensabaugh – Questionable (Illness)

The New York Knicks ended their four-game losing streak in emphatic fashion with a record-breaking 120-66 win over local rivals the Brooklyn Nets.

The 54-point margin of victory is the biggest since the Knicks were founded in 1946 and eclipses 48-point winning margins achieved in 1968, 1972 and 1994.

"Seeing us play the way we're capable of playing, to put it together for 48 minutes was a lot of fun," said Knicks coach Mike Brown.

The victory at Madison Square Garden followed a poor run that culminated in a 114-97 defeat by Dallas on Monday.

But the Knicks snapped out of that form against the Nets, roaring into a 38-20 lead in the first quarter and extending that to 59 points at one stage in the match.

Jalen Brunson, who scored 20 points, said the win was a huge boost as the Knicks approach the midpoint of the season in third place in the Eastern Conference, behind the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics.

"We just had to refocus and get back to who we are," Brunson said.

"This is a good step for us, but we've got to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day."