Category: NBA

This week was a mixed bag for the Lakers.

On the plus side, they won a pair of games and got Austin Reaves back. On the negative side, they lost to the top two teams in the West, Luka Dončić got hurt and LeBron James said they weren’t a championship team.

Add it all up, and you get a 2-2 week and a team that needs some rest and time away from the game before the most important stretch of the season.

Luckily, the Lakers have the All-Star break coming up. Hopefully, they use it to reset and get healthy so they can finish the season strong.

5 things I liked and didn’t like

1. Failing the test

The Lakers competed hard against the Thunder, but still lost 119-110. It was a harsh reminder that even when they are playing hard, they don’t measure up to the cream of the crop in the NBA.As mentioned before, LeBron put it bluntly after the game, saying that OKC was a championship team and LA is not.

Lebron on the Thunder:

"You want me to compare us to them? That's a championship team right there we're not. We can't sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes and they can. That's why they won a championship" 👀 pic.twitter.com/j59NF4uAcS

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 10, 2026

With 53 games played, the Lakers are as good as their record states. At 32-21, the Lakers are not a great team and dreams of a championship this season are just that.

2. Luka’s injury

It may be up for debate how good the Lakers can be this season, but the one thing that’s clear is they need Luka healthy to maximize their chances of success.

Which is why Luka injuring his hamstring against the Sixers was such a bummer. He’s now missed four straight games, and it is very much up in the air whether he plays at the All-Star Game.

If he keeps missing games, it could also make him ineligible for All-NBA and other NBA awards. After being ruled out against the Mavs, Luka can only miss five more games the rest of this season.

It would be a shame if Luka loses his All-NBA spot due to a few injuries, but those are the rules, at least for now.

3. Luke Kennard is here

Despite what Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka tries to tell you, the Lakers weren’t aggressive during the trade deadline. However, they did get better.

LA traded for Luke Kennard, and he is exactly what the Lakers needed: a player who can consistently knock down shots from deep.

In his first shift in purple and gold, he wasted no time showing off his jumper.

First shot. First bucket.

Welcome to the Lakers, Luke Kennard! pic.twitter.com/R05QwqndKY

— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2026

Kennard ended the game with 10 points, going 4-7 from the field and knocking down a pair of threes. LA went on to beat Golden State and will continue to benefit from Kennard’s ability to make 49% of his 3-point attempts.

The trade to acquire Kennard may not rock the NBA world, but it was an improvement on the margins that in no way jeopardizes their future. So, while the move might be sexy, it sure was sensible and the Lakers are a better team for it.

4. Austin Reaves is back

Reaves missed 19 games due to a calf strain, but he returned this week, and boy was he missed. He’s been on a minutes restriction and has come off the bench, but was marvelous against the Sixers.

It was a vintage Reaves performance featuring jaw-dropping 3-pointers, incredible playmaking near the rim and some gaudy production mixed in with his unmistakable charm.

Reaves scored 35 points in the win and reminded everyone just how good he is.

5. Lakers still need a center

When the Lakers signed Deandre Ayton, the thought was that they got the center they needed, upgrading from Jaxson Hayes. Well, Ayton might be better, but he’s not good enough.

He is averaging 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists, which are all career lows. Recently, it’s become commonplace for him to sit out during the fourth quarter of games, and with injuries keeping him out of contests, it’s not looking like he is the long-term fix for the five spot in LA.

Ayton will have to do for now, but another change will be necessary in the summer.

Stat of the Week

This week’s stat is 30, the number of assists LeBron had across the Lakers’ three games this week.

As the season has progressed, LeBron has gotten better. An aspect of his game that’s been much sharper is his passing. This is also the first time LeBron has been LA’s assist leader for three consecutive games since early April of last year.

Luka, as the team’s primary ballhandler, will often be dominant in this category, but James still has the vision and basketball IQ to put his teammates in advantageous scenarios. And this week, no Lakers were moving the ball better.

Play of the Week

Not all threes are created equal. The one Reaves hit in the fourth against the Sixers was sensational.

The play started with LeBron driving to the paint. As James got near the rim, Joel Embiid helped, and Trendon Watford dropped down to cover Jarred Vanderbilt, freeing up Maxi Kleber.

LeBron saw this and kicked it to Maxi, but so did VJ Edgecombe as he rotated out to the wing, forcing a pass to Austin. The problem was that Reaves had just one second to get his shot off and was closer to the logo than the 3-point line.

Luckily, none of that made a difference, as he knocked down the deep three to give LA the lead.

The Sixers played solid defense, but Reaves was just too good for it to matter.

Player of the Week

Even coming off the bench, Reaves was the best player for LA. He averaged 22.3 points and shot 40% from three as he returned from injury.

His best game occurred against the Sixers where he scored 35 points in just 25 minutes.

After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick joked that he would keep Reaves’ playing time down if it meant he’d perform this well.

Once Reaves starts, the Lakers will be able to field the best lineup possible, and his career year can pick up where it left off in December when he was fully healthy.

Stories of the Week

“Inside the ugly split between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors” – ESPN

I prefer the basketball far more than the drama that comes with it, but even I must admit I can’t look away from something as spicy as the Jonathan Kuminga-Warriors saga. Was Kuminga good enough to warrant all this attention? No. But was it entertaining to hear just how bad the breakup in Golden State was? Absolutely.

He knew management wanted to ding him for missing a team-requested event and alert him that someone around him was taking too much food from the family room. The gripes between player and organization, as multiple sources said, had become “petty” in the fifth year of a relationship many believed should’ve ended years before.

Kerr never had much success reaching Kuminga on a deeper level, typically one of his coaching superpowers. He’d given him handwritten notes, sent long text messages, tried to connect. But Kuminga rarely reciprocated. Kuminga normally responded dispassionately and sporadically.

“NBA Hall of Famers. A Splash Father. Inside the single 3-pointer club” – The Athletic

Klay Thompson and Mychal Thompson are one of the great father-son NBA duos in NBA history. In this feature, we learn more about them and how a father who never shot threes raised one who is among the best to ever do it.

In a brief interview, Klay told The Athletic it was his dad who taught him how to shoot. Whether he was young and too small to shoot from over his head, or as he matured into a teenager and young adult, Klay was taught to start his workouts under the basket and gradually step back, keeping his elbows in with each shot.

Mychal, meanwhile, insists his son learned all on his own. Klay came to be such a great shooter, and he is unarguably in the rarest of company when it comes to knocking down 3s.

But Klay’s dad is also in exclusive company among NBA players.

Representing one of the greatest ironies in league history, Mychal Thompson, father of one of the greatest 3-point shooters ever, is one of a handful of players to have played at least one full NBA season and made only one 3 since the league instituted the 3-point line in October 1979.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

NEW YORK (AP) — Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game without pay by the NBA after receiving his 16th technical foul of the season in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

The league made the announcement on Thursday.

According to NBA rules, a player or coach is automatically suspended for one game after receiving their 16th technical foul. Brooks will miss another game for every two additional technicals he receives this season.

Brooks will miss the Suns' game against the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 19.

The 30-year-old Brooks is in the midst of a breakout year in his first season with the Suns. The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game and his brash personality has been a driving force for the team's surprising 32-23 record.

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

On Christmas Eve, Baylor sent shockwaves around NCAA by signing 7-foot center James Nnaji, the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft who never actually signed an NBA contract. His rights were originally owned by the Detroit Pistons before getting moved to Charlotte. But Nnaji spent time overseas in Spain and, most recently, played with Merkezefendi in Turkey.

However, that opened floodgates for an unprecedented situation: Players who have declared for the NBA Draft … returning back to play college basketball?! Charles Bediako, a 2023 undraftee, soon followed, joining Alabama.

This epidemic even bled into the Mountain West, with former UCLA guard Amari Bailey — who has played 10 NBA games with the Hornets after being a second-round pick in 2023 — scheduled his first recruiting visit to Grand Canyon, even though he will need to receive a waiver granted by the NCAA.

In Bediako’s case, a Tuscaloosa judge recently denied his eligibility. So the NCAA has some guard rails as to who it’s letting in, and evidently shoving out.

But it’s still a big problem, where players are still toeing the line and attempting to revive their careers in an NIL-centric entity.

There are simple solutions to this issue:

For one, the NCAA will have to collectively bargain this eligibility crisis — as well as employ and enforce a modicum of NIL guardrails. When there’s no structure, all direction is lost. And when all direction is lost, all bets are off.

Therein lies the problem: There’s zero leadership. NCAA president Charlie Baker’s just a figurehead. Until there’s real leadership, these problems will persist.

A few of the immediate solutions should be fairly straightforward:

• Don’t allow any player back in the NCAA if they declare for the NBA Draft past the college (if they’re in college) or the international deadline
  • Those dates are two separate dates; Last year’s, for example, the Early Entry deadline for collegiate athletes was May 28, while it was June 15 for international players.

That automatically makes players who were drafted (Nnaji), players who have signed NBA contracts and, thus, who have played NBA games automatically ineligible to return to the NCAA.

If players — like Bailey or Nnaji — are allowed to go through that process while still returning to the NCAA, those Early Entrant deadlines mean absolutely nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. And thus, an incredibly poor precedent is set.

Bailey should not be allowed to return to the NCAA; if you exhaust your eligibility in any way, you shouldn’t be given a second-chance just because your NBA career momentarily flamed out. The same applies to should Nnaji, who literally heard his name called on draft night before playing twice in Summer League.

The NCAA set up some guard rails regarding Bediako. But that’s not enough, and any gray area will likely have to be collectively bargained in the near future. At the end of the day, the NCAA can run, but it can’t hide.

The Jazz are giving NBA fans plenty of reason to tank — sorry, we meant think — that perhaps there are ulterior motives for why they shut down the superstar they just acquired.

Jaren Jackson Jr., who played 48 games with the Grizzlies before being traded to Utah earlier this month, has been shut down for the rest of the season due to upcoming surgery to remove a pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) growth in his left knee, the team announced Thursday.

He is expected to make a fully recovery and be cleared far in advance of training camp, per ESPN.

As you can imagine, this caused many folks to roll their eyes since the Jazz have little reason to be competitive for the remainder of the season.

They have a top-eight protected pick for what is considered a deep 2026 NBA Draft, and they own the sixth-worst record entering Thursday.

Utah has also raised eyebrows since it played Jackson and fellow star Lauri Markkanen in two recent games, but the two then did not play in the fourth quarters of either game.

The Jazz still split the two games, and coach Will Hardy said he had no plans to reinsert them.

Utah is not the only team to be tanking, with the Pacers, Wizards and Kings’ tactics causing some frustration, but Utah isn’t doing much to be beat the allegations.

Jackson played in three games with the team before being shut down, and the Jazz said they discovered the growth during a post-trade MRI exam.

PVNS is a “condition that causes the synovium — the thin layer of tissue that lines the joints and tendons—to thicken and overgrow,” according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and does usually require surgery.

He averaged 24.0 minutes — down from the 30.7 he averaged with the Grizzlies — along with 22.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while guiding the Jazz to a 2-1 record in his two appearances.

Jackson tallied 23 points in 22 minutes in Wednesday’s 121-93 win over the Kings.

“You just have to make an impact when you’re in the game,” Jackson said, according to ESPN. “That’s what you have to focus on. If you focus on when you’re not out there, you’re gonna struggle as a player.”

Earlier this week, ESPN released its post-trade-deadline updated power rankings. Houston came in at the number seven spot, slipping one spot from their previously held sixth spot. This puts Houston behind the Thunder, Spurs, and Nuggets in the Western Conference and behind the Pistons, Knicks, and Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

NBA.com cited Houston’s very close win versus the Pacers and two consecutive home losses (Feb 4 versus Boston and February 5 versus Charlotte) as a reason for the demotion in the rankings. Additonally, the inactivity at the trade deadline also played a part as fans and media alike were left confused. Despite this, head coach Ime Udoka and General Manager Rafael Stone still feel confident in this team despite the lack of a traditional starting point guard.

Houston likely would have been ranked lower if not for their win Saturday versus the OKC Thunder, a game where Alperen Sengun had his second tripple-double of the season, and Tari Eason had his best performance of the season, scoring 26 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.

Looking at the stats, the ranking does make sense. Houston ranks ninth in offensive rating at 117.1 and fourth in defense rating at 112.0, according to NBA.com. Houston also still ranks first in offensive rebound percentage, but that may change with the absence of center Steven Adams for the remainder of the season.

It is unclear what will happen after the All-Star Break, as Houston will hopefully get some much-deserved rest. If you want to catch your Houston Rockets during All-Star weekend, make sure to tune into Peacock for Friday’s events along with NBA League Pass, and NBC for Saturday and Sunday’s events. Reed Sheppard will be competing Friday in the Rising Stars game, and Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant will be competing Sunday in the All-Star game, with Sengun playing on Team World and Durant on Team USA

The Spurs’ reach at All-Star weekend keeps getting wider. With Giannis Antetokounmpo ruled out with a calf strain, Commissioner Adam Silver has selected Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox as his injury replacement. In one of the quirks from this USA vs. World format, Fox will replace Norman Powell on Team Stars, and Norman Powell will be moved to Team World to replace Giannis thanks to his Jamaican roots.

San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game (Sunday, 2/15, 5pm/et, NBC & Peacock). Fox will join USA Stripes, while Miami Heat guard Norman… pic.twitter.com/Pn98bB69p5

— NBA (@NBA) February 12, 2026

This will be Fox’s second All-Star appearance and first since 2022-23, when he made it as a Sacramento King. This season, he has averaged 19.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 45 games. After questions about his fit in the offseason, he has done a wonderful job of finding a balance between dominating and deferring, knowing when to feed the hot hand and when to take over himself, especially in the clutch.

Joining Fox in the All-Star game will be Victor Wembanyama as a starter for Team World and Mitch Johnson (who just yesterday spoke out about the Spurs only have one All-Star despite having the third best record in the league) as the coach of Team Stripes. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will be representing the Spurs in the Rising Stars Challenge, and Harper will join his father and brother — Ron Harper, Sr. and Jr., respectively — in the Shooting Stars Challenge. Finally, Carter Bryant will be in the Slam Dunk Contest. The only event the Spurs are not represented in is the Three-Point Contest.

All-Star weekend will take place this weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. You can check out the entire schedule here. Rising Stars will be on Friday, February 13 beginning at 8:00 PM CT on ESPN. Saturday will feature Shooting Stars starting at 4:00 PM CT, followed by the 3-point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest, and finally the All-Star Game on Sunday, beginning at 4:00 PM CT.

Congrats to Fox, and even though it’s as an injury replacement, it’s more than deserved!

The Knicks are completing their roster with an athletic prospect for frontcourt depth.

Jeremy Sochan, a 22-year-old forward, is signing with the team for the remainder of the season, league sources confirm, a move the team believes will provide athletic insurance for their push to the NBA Finals.

At 6-foot-8 and a former ninth-overall pick, Sochan was considered a top prospect while starting as a 2023 All-Rookie selection for the Spurs and carving out an important role during his first three NBA seasons. But Sochan fell out of favor with the team this season, at least partially because of the emergence of rookie forward Carter Bryant, and was waived Wednesday — opening the door for his Knicks arrival.

A league source said Sochan is expected to arrive in New York on Monday and will be available for the first game after the All-Star break, which is Thursday at home against the Pistons. The idea of playing for a contender with veteran leadership was an important factor toward choosing the Knicks, per a league source.

The hope is that he provides two-way depth on the wing and frontcourt.

However, there are questions of why it didn’t work in San Antonio. A league source familiar with the situation explained Sochan was neither good enough as a shooter or defender this season, and expressed skepticism the Baylor product would figure it out.

The Knicks certainly believe he will. They targeted Sochan before the trade deadline last week but couldn’t convince the Spurs to take Guerschon Yabusele in exchange.

And in the end, it worked for team president Leon Rose.

The Knicks essentially swapped out Yabusele for Jose Alvarado, largely because Yabusele surprisingly agreed to drop his $5.8 million player option for next season. There’s speculation that Yabusele, who is from France, has already secured a lucrative deal overseas, offsetting at least some of the money he gave up to facilitate a trade away from the Knicks.

Shedding Yabusele for Alvarado freed up enough cap space for the Knicks to immediately sign a free agent, which Thursday became Sochan on a minimum contract.

Born in Oklahoma to a Polish mother, Sochan became the youngest member of Poland’s national team during the 2022 EuroBasket qualifiers. He showed early promise with the Spurs — along with colorful hair dye choices — and averaged over 11 points in each of his first three seasons, starting in 149 of his first 184 appearances.

But there wasn’t much growth on his 3-point shot — he’s shooting just 25.7 percent from deep this season — and he reportedly desired an opportunity for more playing time.

When the Knicks are healthy, there aren’t many minutes available — at least not the 25-plus that Sochan averaged his first three seasons in San Antonio. New York has OG Anunoby and Josh Hart eating up the most among the forwards, with Mitchell Robinson and rookie Mo Diawara as the frontcourt backups.

But there is room for another big forward, especially when there are injuries involved. Anunoby, for instance, has missed four consecutive games with a toe injury, which pushed Diawara into a larger role while averaging 21.5 minutes during that stretch before the All-Star break.

Diawara has been tremendous in his 3-and-D role — better than most expected from a second-round rookie — but Sochan does carry more experience with greater ballhandling capabilities. He also further removes disappointing first-round pick Pacôme Dadiet from the possibility of playing.

With that said, it’s hard to imagine Diawara being supplanted in the rotation while he’s stacking up such positive performances. The Frenchman has nailed treys at a 41.3 percent clip this season.

“He’s young, he’s raw, he needs the experience. But he’s someone who’s good defensively. And he’s an even better shooter than I thought,” Hart said Wednesday about Diawara, who had just scored 14 points with five boards in a blowout win over the Sixers. “I always thought it looked good, but now it’s going in. Being able to get him in the pocket, he’s a good decision maker in the pocket, athletic, can finish at the rim, get guys involved. So I love where he’s at. He’s continuing to work. I think he can be really good.”

Sochan also has upside. He’s just two years older than Diawara with three more years of NBA experience. His addition gives the Knicks a full roster of 15 players with standard contracts and a new look in the frontcourt.

According to Shams Charania, Jeremy Sochan intends to sign with the Knicks, turning some pre-trade-deadline chatter into an actual addition for the team.

Free agent forward Jeremy Sochan plans to sign with the New York Knicks after he clears waivers, his agent Deirunas Visockas of Gersh Sports tells ESPN. Sochan had 10 interested suitors after being released from the Spurs on Wednesday and landed on the Knicks as his new team. pic.twitter.com/F2dVt3ivEx

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 12, 2026

Sochan, at least from a visual standpoint, pulls off the Dennis Rodman look to a T. The hair, the tattoos, even the now former No. 10 Spurs uniform all felt like a deliberate nod to the original chaos artist. On first glance, the resemblance was hard to ignore. But that is where the parallels with the seven time rebounding champion and Hall of Famer begin to fade.

Sochan is not inhaling rebounds at a historic rate or flirting with 20 point explosions on a random Tuesday. What he does bring is disruption with intent. He guards across positions, welcomes physical matchups, and takes on the assignments most players would rather sidestep. He will switch onto guards without panic, wrestle with bigger forwards without complaint, and live in the uncomfortable spaces of a possession. It is the kind of work that rarely trends but consistently earns equity inside a locker room.

As the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Sochan averaged roughly 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in about 26 minutes per game, carving out a consistent role right away. The following season, his responsibility expanded. He hovered around 11 to 12 points per night again, bumped his rebounding closer to the 6 per game range, and increased his assists to over 3 per contest while playing nearly 30 minutes a night. It was not star level production, but it was well rounded and indicative of a player being trusted with real usage.

By 2024 to 25, the numbers held in a similar band, around 11 points, 6 rebounds, and a couple of assists per game, though his minutes fluctuated as San Antonio reshaped its rotation. This season, before being waived, his role shrank dramatically. In just under 13 minutes per game across 28 appearances, his counting stats dipped accordingly. On a per minute basis, however, his profile has remained relatively consistent: moderate scoring, solid rebounding for a combo forward, and enough passing to keep the ball moving.

Over the span of his first four seasons in San Antonio, Sochan logged minutes at both forward spots, slid over to small ball center. At 6 foot 8 and 230 pounds, he even opened last season as the Spurs’ starting point guard. He was entrusted with initiating the offense, bringing the ball up against pressure, and organizing half court sets like a lead guard.

For a team like the Knicks, that elasticity carries weight. In an era where playoff series are chess matches and defensive switching is currency, a player who can guard multiple positions and slide across lineup constructions functions as insurance.

Would he walk in and flip a rotation on its head overnight? Unlikely. He is not that kind of acquisition. But for a team with championship aspirations and a recent history of injuries across the lineup, the value calculation shifts.

Adding a player who willingly takes on defensive assignments, rebounds his area, and gives a coaching staff the freedom to tinker with matchups has real utility over the grind of a season and into a playoff series. Depth is not just about bodies. It is about flexibility when things inevitably go sideways.

If all else fails, the Knicks could at least roll out a Jeremy Sochan wig giveaway night, adding a few bold new shades to the usual blue and orange in the stands.

The Knicks are adding some intriguing depth, with forward Jeremy Sochan planning to sign a contract for the remainder of the season once he clears waivers, his agent told Shams Charania of ESPN.

Sochan, 22, was recently waived by the Spurs after they failed to move him ahead of the trade deadline.

The Knicks and Spurs discussed a potential Sochan trade before the deadline but did not gain much traction, reports SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley. 

A former lottery pick, Sochan has averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists during his first three-plus NBA seasons.

He was a key contributor for San Antonio over his first three campaigns, but his playing time diminished this season.

Sochan averaged just 12.8 minutes per game this season for the Spurs after averaging 25.3 minutes per game during the 2024-25 campaign.

For the Knicks, Sochan will give head coach Mike Brown a rotation option with upside. 

New York has been undermanned recently, with OG Anunoby missing the last four games due to a toe injury and Deuce McBride potentially out until the playoffs due to a sports hernia.

The Knicks have also been without Mitchell Robinson from time to time because of workload management.  

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be playing in the All-Star Game as he recovers from a calf strain, but the two-time MVP will still be making the trip to California for this weekend’s festivities.

Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since injuring his right calf in a Jan. 23 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Bucks officially announced Thursday that Antetokounmpo won’t play in the All-Star Game on Sunday at Inglewood, California.

San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox was selected to the All-Star Game as an injury replacement for Antetokounmpo. Fox will play for the USA Stripes team. Miami's Norman Powell, who has ties to Jamaica, will move over from the USA Stripes team to fill Antetokounmpo's spot on the Team World roster.

Antetokounmpo will still go forward with his plans to help coach in the All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday. The Bucks also said he will cheer on his Team World teammates on Sunday.

Antetokounmpo is coaching one of the All-Star Celebrity Game teams along with his brothers Thanasis and Alex as well as Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts.

Antetokounmpo had been selected last month as an All-Star Game starter for the 10th consecutive season. The 31-year-old forward is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 30 games.

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

Nikola Vučević delivered his most complete performance as a Celtic against a familiar opponent—his former team. 

Heading into the All-Star break, Vuc ensured he left a lasting impression, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in a poised, controlled outing. It was a performance that reflected both rhythm and growing comfort within Boston’s system. 

Head coach Joe Mazzulla noted postgame that Vuc “looked much more comfortable tonight,” elaborating on the specific elements that stood out to him. 

Let’s break down those specifics from Mazzulla and the film that shows them.  

The first thing coach mentioned was Vuc’s “pick-and-roll positioning defensively.” According to Mazzulla, it “was good, really good.” In my preview of what Vuc could potentially bring to Beantown, I noted that he has obvious defensive shortcomings, but that I didn’t see a player incapable of moving his feet and at least being neutral on that end. Tonight, Vuc consistently placed himself in the right spots, maintaining proper depth in coverage, containing the ball handler, and recovering efficiently to his assignment. His discipline in those moments prevented driving lanes from opening and disrupted the timing of the Bulls offense.  

Here, he gets close to the level of the screen touching the screener for just a moment before sinking into drop coverage. While Payton Pritchard chases back into the play, Vuc positions himself perfectly in between the ball handler (Matas Buzelis) and the roller (Nick Richards) as Buzelis drives. Vuc stays patient and when Buzelis goes to the Pinoy step, he just puts his hands up and forces a miss.  

Next, Richards shows impressive quickness, getting out of the screen faster than Vuc expected. After that, Vuc displays his own foot speed, swiftly backpedaling into proper positioning. This allows him to meet Rob Dillingham at the rim, forcing a low pass that is ultimately bobbled. Vuc then plays solid post defense leading to a miss and a Mazzulla clap of approval.  

Vuc also did a nice job understanding what proper “pick-and-roll positioning defensively” meant for different players. Former Celtic Anfernee Simons is a much more dangerous three-point threat than his teammates, and the Celtics played him like it.  

The last two clips we saw him playing drop coverage, but you see the difference in aggression here when Simons is the handler. Vuc being up so high takes away the pullup three which forces a drive. Simons ends up having to pass and a good contest by Hugo ends the possession 

Vuc showing up near the arc again negates the threat of a pullup three and impedes Simon’s path. He then picks up his dribble and throws a turnover.  

Vuc had more solid defensive possessions than just a few in this game. 

Immediately after highlighting Vuc’s pick and roll defense, Mazzulla said, “Then offensively the reads were good,” and I totally agree. Since Vuc has been in green, his passing has really flashed. His ability to process the floor quickly, whether operating from the top of the key, short roll, or post, has added a connective element to the offense. His willingness to make the extra read has helped maintain rhythm within the half-court sets. 

In fact, third-year wing Jordan Walsh has already expressed how much he enjoys playing alongside Vuc, a testament to the big man’s feel and unselfish approach. 

“Like Vuc? I love playing with Vuc, it’s great. Every time he catches the ball I’m just cutting and he’s looking every time so it’s like great,” Walsh explained.  

It’s easy to see why Walsh thinks this way to say the least.  

Here Vuc’s unselfishness is rewarded. Derrick White rejects his screen forcing two on the ball starting perfect Mazzulla Ball. Walsh smartly cuts even before Vuc gets the ball to make the defender at the top of the key choose who to step to. Walsh doing that then creates another 2-on-1 with him and Jaylen Brown in the corner. Vuc hits Walsh on the cut and the ball just pops all the way back to the big man for the open three.  

After setting the screen, Vuc kicks it out to Walsh for an open look, though the shot doesn’t fall. The possession stays alive, and when the ball finds him again, he immediately threads another pass to Walsh, this time setting him up for an and-one finish. These two seem like they like each other.  

Next on the list is the “early offense reads,” Vuc seems to be understanding more, according to Mazzulla.  

I’ve covered at length the screening actions that have fueled Boston’s early offense success this season, most notably their “Veer,” “Flare,” and “Wide” screens. Those concepts have become foundational to how the Celtics generate advantages before the defense knows what hits them.  

Sam Hauser is scorching hot rn. Celtics have found a ton of success on these Veer Screens after defensive rebounds. Garza has been doing a great job sprinting into these and hitting hard. Hauser 7/7 from 3 pic.twitter.com/gZ4aFxGwYd

— NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) December 27, 2025

Wide action after a defensive rebound had been a staple for the Cs getting them early offense opportunities. This and Veer Screens pic.twitter.com/2n21D2tbOZ

— NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) January 2, 2026

Given the contrast in skillset and play style between Vuc and bigs like Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, I wondered if this aspect would take a hit when he joined.  

1 thing I believe will be an evident difference between Nik Vuc and our current bigs is movement speed after DRebs and in the half court

We see Queta and Garza flying up the court sprinting into screens and Vuc most times elects to trail (more thoughts in comments) pic.twitter.com/tf23PV05h7

— NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) February 4, 2026

Queta and Garza rank among the league’s most effective screeners, and unlike Vuc, their primary offensive responsibility is to generate advantages for others. Vuc has traditionally been a focal point scorer, so I was just curious of how he would blend his style with the style of our bigs. This game was the best I’ve seen that blend.  

Here he starts the Wide action setting that screen for Brown allowing him to stop and pop for the midrange.  

Then he sets the Veer for Brown, getting him a mismatch in the post and delivering it to him for a bucket. You can see the learning curve still being there as he was going to set the on-ball screen until White pointed him in the right direction.  

All of those elements came together on multiple possessions as Vuc has some really good sequences.  

Lastly, the spacing and scoring he provides really adds a new wrinkle to an already great offense. He shot 4/5 from three and drew four fouls due to switches.  

Nikola Vucevic’s performance against his former team was more than just stats; it was a showcase of how he is evolving within the Celtics’ system. From disciplined pick-and-roll defense to court vision that elevates his teammates, Vuc demonstrated a seamless balance between his natural scoring ability and the team-oriented style that Boston demands from its bigs. 

The chemistry he’s already building with teammates hints at the kind of impact he can have as Boston pushes forward after the All-Star break. 

The final game before the All-Star break goes tonight at Crypto.com Arena, where the Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Dallas Mavericks. 

Both teams enter this one shorthanded, but as my Mavericks vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks explain, the Lakers still have enough depth to pick up the win on Thursday, February 12. 

Mavericks vs Lakers prediction

Mavericks vs Lakers best bet: Lakers -7 (-110)

The Los Angeles Lakers have covered the spread in their last three games against the Dallas Mavericks. 

Continuing this will not tie to Luka Doncic, who is sidelined with a hamstring worry, but Cooper Flagg’s absence looms even larger, robbing Dallas of its best and sometimes only offensive option.

The Mavericks should be broadly doubted for the rest of the season. As well as Flagg has played this season, Dallas has little else it can rely on.

Mavericks vs Lakers same-game parlay

Dallas’s greatest weakness is its backcourt’s defense, something Austin Reaves should exploit so readily that the fourth quarter becomes a bit of a plod amid a blowout.

Mavericks vs Lakers SGP

• Lakers -7
• Austin Reaves Over 24.5 points
• Under 236.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Luka-less 

DeAndre Ayton needs Doncic throwing him lobs to excel, particularly against Dallas’s decent defensive frontline.

Mavericks vs Lakers SGP

• Lakers -7
• Austin Reaves Over 24.5 points
• DeAndre Ayton Under 12.5 points
• Under 236.5

Mavericks vs Lakers odds

• Spread: Mavericks +7 (-110) | Lakers -7 (-110)
• Moneyline: Mavericks +240 | Lakers -300
• Over/Under: Over 236.5 (-110) | Under 236.5 (-110)

Mavericks vs Lakers betting trend to know

Dallas is 0-4 against the spread in its last four games. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Lakers.

How to watch Mavericks vs Lakers

Mavericks vs Lakers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Top prospect Sebastian Walcott of the Texas Rangers is having elbow surgery, and the infielder is expected to miss most of the season.

Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said Thursday that Walcott has a UCL injury and was experiencing elbow discomfort. He could be back by the end of the season but it's too early to tell.

The 19-year-old Walcott is the No. 7 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He hit .255 with 13 home runs, 59 RBIs and 32 stolen bases at Double-A Frisco last year.

Walcott received a non-roster invite to spring training.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb