Stephen Curry could miss closer to a month with an oblique abdominal tear, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on NBA Today, even though the Warriors announced he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Curry left Wednesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets midway through the first quarter and underwent an MRI after the game.

He had reached for his right side after drilling a 3-pointer, then walked to the locker room during a time-out. The Warriors ruled him out with right abdominal soreness to start the second quarter.

Shams reported that Golden State is preparing for Curry to be sidelined for at least two to four weeks. The team expects to get a clearer sense of his recovery and rehabilitation after evaluating him again in about 14 days; his absence could stretch to three or four weeks or longer.

Curry finished Wednesday’s game with three points and a turnover in six minutes. Coach Steve Kerr said Curry told him he had tweaked something in his abdominal area that he had “never done” before. Curry spoke to his teammates at halftime before leaving the arena.

The injury interrupts a scorching stretch: Curry scored 34, 29, 41 and 25 points in his four previous games. He has started all 10 games this season, averaging 27.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds.

Curry’s absence would further test a team already dealing with injuries to Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody, as well as Kristaps Porzingis’ absence. Golden State went 13-26 in the 39 games Curry missed last season.

The Warriors also lost an eight-game winning streak in Houston and now sit at 8-4. Yaxel Lendeborg led Golden State with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Brandin Podziemski added 19.

Observations after Sixers shake off slow start, Embiid injury scare to win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers brushed off their blowout loss to the Celtics and got back in the win column Thursday night. 

They overcame a first-quarter deficit as high as 17 points and earned a 123-112 home win over the Raptors. The Sixers moved to 10-3 and Toronto fell to 5-7. 

Tyrese Maxey had 27 points and eight assists. Joel Embiid added 20 points.

Jaylen Brown tallied 18 points and six rebounds. VJ Edgecombe posted 15 points, eight rebounds and a season-high eight assists. Anfernee Simons scored 17 points and shot 5 for 6 from three-point range.

RJ Barrett recorded 31 points and 14 rebounds. Immanuel Quickley had 26 points and six assists.

The Sixers were without LeBron James (low back/sciatica management), Adem Bona (cervical spine sprain), Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction) and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear).

The team told reporters Thursday morning that Bona will be re-evaluated in approximately one week and that Barlow participated in shootaround. The 23-year-old forward also went through a pregame workout on the Xfinity Mobile Arena floor. There’s no formal timetable for his return. 

Toronto’s sidelined players included Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes. 

The Sixers will face the Pacers on Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia. Here are observations on their victory over the Raptors: 

Embiid exits early but returns to action   

Dean Wade began the game in James’ normal spot. The Sixers started slowly, missing their first foul field goals and opening 1 for 8 from three-point range. 

Embiid had an early injury scare.

He stayed down after setting a ball screen and having an apparent knee-to-knee collision with Ja’Kobe Walter. The Sixers called timeout with 8:30 left in the first quarter and Embiid grabbed at his right knee. He eventually rose with assistance from teammates and Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson, then limped back to the locker room. Jabari Walker entered.

At the 5:26 mark of the first quarter, Embiid checked back in to cheers from the home fans. 

“I knew that he didn’t twist it or anything,” Maxey said. “I knew it was a knee-to-knee, so I wasn’t too worried. He kept saying, ‘I just got kneed.’ That still hurts, though.”

Embiid ended up logging 28 minutes, though he certainly wanted to play more.

“He was very, very motivated to play,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “It was hard to get him out for his scheduled rests tonight, which is a good problem sometimes.”

While Embiid’s return was a major positive development, the Sixers fell further behind. The Raptors’ lead swelled to 32-16 with a Jamison Battle three-pointer and Nurse burned a timeout. 

Brown-Edgecombe pair strong in 2nd quarter 

Simons sunk a buzzer-beating three to conclude the first quarter, cutting the Sixers’ deficit to nine points. 

“Those are big momentum plays that usually have some weight to them and carry you into the next moment,” Nurse said.

The Sixers kept rolling against a shorthanded Toronto team playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Simons nailed a triple to kick off the scoring in the second quarter. Brown buried a mid-range jumper and Edgecombe jammed in a crowd-pleasing dunk to give the Sixers a 35-34 edge. 

Brown and Edgecombe shined in the second quarter both as individuals and as a duo. The Sixers need Edgecombe to attack a bit more offensively when he shares the floor with Brown and bench players. It doesn’t hurt for the second-year guard to have that clarity about his role in those units. 

“He’s one of our better playmakers,” Maxey said of Edgecombe. “He’s really good at getting downhill and creating for himself and others.”

The Sixers’ only three bench rotation players were Walker, Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (11 points, five assists). In addition to Walker, Wade got center minutes behind Embiid. 

Maxey, Sixers pull away

Embiid picked up his third foul with 2:23 left in the second quarter and had to take a seat. The teams were tied at 60 apiece through two periods. 

The game remained even for much of the third, but Maxey fueled an 11-0 Sixers run late in the quarter.

His speed and the Sixers’ collective focus on pushing the pace whenever possible allowed the team to get regular points before Toronto could set its defense. Maxey zoomed in for a layup, then tossed the ball ahead to Brown for an easy bucket. Brown assisted a Simons three. Walker converted a fast-break lay-in and canned a three on the first possession of the fourth quarter. All of a sudden, the Sixers held a 101-87 lead.

Brown, Edgecombe and the bench gave the Sixers more good minutes early in the fourth quarter. They sealed the deal without any late drama. And the fans chanting for a Tacko Fall appearance got their wish with a final-minute entrance by the 7-foot-6 center.

No matter what their strength of schedule might suggest, the Sixers have started the season with a fairly brutal slate of games. They’ve already had two games each against the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons, along with one game against the Boston Celtics and one against the injury-ravaged Indiana Pacers, who were without both Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac at the time. Sure, they’ve had the occasional Milwaukee Bucks or Chicago Bulls sprinkled in there, but most of their opponents have been fellow title hopefuls.

Fresh off a demoralizing loss to their longtime rival Boston Celtics on Tuesday, the Sixers have a chance to get right back off the mat and dust themselves off. They’re heading into their easiest stretch of the season yet, which should give them an opportunity to stack wins while continuing to experiment with different lineup combinations and tactical adjustments.

On Thursday, the Sixers are welcoming the depleted Toronto Raptors into town. The Raptors, who blew a huge lead against the Celtics on Wednesday, are on a back-to-back and will be without at least Kawhi Leonard as he works his way back from left knee swelling. They have yet to release their injury report, but Scottie Barnes has missed the Raptors’ past three games with a left groin strain, while both Collin Murray-Boyles (illness) and Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) were originally deemed questionable for Wednesday’s game before eventually playing.

After Thursday’s game against the Raptors, the Sixers have two days off before welcoming the Pacers to town. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters Wednesday to “check back in 10 days” on Haliburton’s status, which suggests he’s going to miss Saturday’s game. (For those looking further ahead, the Sixers have another game against Indiana on Nov. 27.)  

After hosting the Pacers on Sunday, the Sixers will head to Brooklyn on Monday to take on the Nets in the second night of a back-to-back. They’ll presumably stagger LeBron James and Joel Embiid, much like they did in their first back-to-back of the season against Milwaukee and Detroit. Here’s guessing Embiid plays against the Pacers, which will give him two days off on either side of that game, and LeBron suits up against the Nets.

The Sixers’ brief road trip continues on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic, who could still be without both Paolo Banchero (ankle) and Jalen Suggs (knee). And they wrap up the bum-slaying portion of their calendar at home against the Bucks after two more days of rest. That will be the third game in four days for the currently 1-11 Bucks, who could be running on fumes by the end of the second half.

Embiid and LeBron are both questionable for Thursday’s game against the Raptors, while Dominick Barlow (back) and Adem Bona (cervical spine strain) are still out. There’s a chance that both teams are comically short-handed for that game. Ironically, that could give the Sixers a valuable learning opportunity.

After Tuesday’s loss to the Celtics, head coach Nick Nurse told reporters that the Sixers needed to “see if there isn’t something we can do different” when they deploy small-ball units with Jabari Walker or Dean Wade as the nominal center. “Maybe we can do a little more switching, maybe we can do a little more blitzing, things like that,” he added.

The Raptors have a 7-foot starting center in Jakob Poeltl, but aside from that, they largely skew on the smaller side as well. Thursday’s game could give Nurse and Co. a chance to deploy some tactical changes to their small-ball looks to see how they can better survive defensively despite their glaring lack of rim protection.

As long as the Sixers stay relatively healthy over this upcoming five-game stretch, this should be a golden opportunity for them to stack some early-season wins. Beating up on the dregs of the Eastern Conference won’t tell us anything about how they match up against other title contenders, but they can still derive value from these games.

“We can get better,” Embiid said after Tuesday’s loss to the Celtics. “I keep saying it, I keep repeating it, I don’t really look at the record. I just look at the process of how we’re getting better every day. We can always do a better job in all phases of the game.”

If the Sixers spend all season beating up on bad and/or injury-ravaged teams, they don’t need to sweep the other championship hopefuls as well. Even if they go roughly .500 against the latter, they should still be in solid position for a top-six seed and a guaranteed playoff spot. From there, they’ll just have to pray to the injury gods.

As Tyrese Maxey pointed out after Tuesday’s loss, every one of the Sixers’ starters is “playing a different role than they played last year, and some of them probably ever.” He added that he’s had to adjust like this before, which is easing his acclimation period, but it’s otherwise a work in progress that will take time to smooth out.

The Sixers are going to out-talent their next few opponents. They could rely on iso-ball and sheer force to stack some wins, but that won’t help them in the long run. They need to continue working on optimizing their offensive and defensive schemes, even if that leads to some closer-than-expected games. The more they work on throughout the 82-game regular season, the less they’ll have to figure out on the fly in the playoffs.

With that said, the Sixers would also benefit from a few “professional wins” where they take care of business early against an overmatched team and keep their starters’ minutes in check. The next few games could afford them a chance to do that.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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CJ McCollum hit the game-winning shot in the Atlanta Hawks' Game 3 victory over the New York Knicks in the first round of last year's playoffs.

Not only does he remember that shot, but he remembers enjoying being a guest on Prime Video's "NBA Nightcap" postgame show where he appeared in his pajamas and the hosts joked he put the Knicks "to sleep." They all laughed about his role of villain as his son popped in to say hello.

The party doesn't have to stop there as NBA on Prime announced on Thursday, Nov. 12 that the 14-year veteran guard will be a player commentator for several programs this season starting with "NBA Nightcap" on Friday, Nov. 13.

"The conversation and team analysis that night was really fun," he told USA TODAY Sports of the postgame memories, "and I thought the chemistry was there, and I felt like it made a lot of sense (for me to join the Prime team). And I have a great appreciation for what NBA on Prime is doing, what the crew is doing, and how they educate and share authentic analysis."

McCollum, 35, majored in journalism at Lehigh University and has experience hosting his own podcast with "The CJ McCollum Show" and "Pull Up with CJ McCollum."

Among Prime's All-Star team of talent that he is joining is a mix of longtime broadcasters, including Kevin Harlan, and basketball greats like Udonis Haslem, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Candace Parker. McCollum said the team is "a really cool atmosphere, really great environment of people that I respect and admire."

"They're very honest. They watch the game. They're students of the game. They’re people who appreciate the game and they do a great job of describing why certain things are happening," he continued. "... When you have that group of professionals who have played the game, have talked the game, have lived the game, have been around it and seen it for so long, you get various impactful moments where viewers are able to really get a glimpse of what's actually happening, why it's happening, in an insightful way that they can digest."

McCollum appreciates the craft of journalism and how showing the human element of any story brings people together. As journalism continues to face industry challenges, the 2016 Most Improved Player has hope.

"Storytelling is vital. I think it makes the world a better place," he said. "Being able to hear people's stories, being able to see people's journeys not just in the sports world but in life, I think is something that we all can appreciate.

"And journalism isn't dying. It's just evolving. But I think the people who move with integrity, who do things the right way and really appreciate the craft are continuing to thrive for sure."

McCollum shared with USA TODAY Sports some thoughts about various NBA topics as a sneak peek of what fans can expect from him as a guest commentator on Prime Video.

CJ McCollum on Hawks' season so far, scoring 17k points, Jalen Johnson's success

McCollum re-signed with the Hawks this summer after joining the team from the Washington Wizards last season in the Trae Young trade. He remains a veteran leader even as he is coming off the bench and reached the 17,000 points mark when he scored 21 in Atlanta's loss on Monday, Nov. 9 to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"It means a lot," he said of reaching the scoring mark. "It's a sign of longevity, being able to be around for a long time and play at a high level. It’s a sign of hard work and appreciation for the sport. But it’s also a sign of playing with good teammates, good coaching staff, people that have been able to help me get the best out of my talent and utilize a lot of the resources that we have around us and turn that into some success on the court."

Jalen Johnson is a rising star for Atlanta who helped the Hawks get to a four-game winning streak before the loss. On Saturday, Nov. 7, the 24-year-old scored 30 points in his return from an ankle injury to help with a comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets.

"Obviously, the scoring speaks for itself," McCollum said. "His vision, I think, could be one of his best traits. He's a great passer, leading transition, elite on the break, great paint finisher, and a guy who rebounds at a high level as well. And I think he's a guy that really appreciates the game, is a student of the game, studies it, lives it, and I think the sky is the limit for him."

Atlanta was on full display last month when the Atlanta Dream made it to the WNBA Finals. Angel Reese and company lost the championship to the Golden State Valkyries, but made headlines with performances from Quavo, Big Boi and a heartwarming national anthem from T.I.'s daughter, Heiress Harris.

McCollum pointed out that, at the time of the interview, the Usher and Chris Brown tour was in town and the Atlanta Falcons were in the middle of the NFL season as extra reason that the city was the place to be.

"The energy is always high in Atlanta," he said. "... Atlanta's in a really great place. It's obviously a place of its own, where you have food, you have culture, you have people from different walks of life."

CJ McCollum on Damian Lillard's comeback

Something this season that NBA fans were anticipating was the return of Damian Lillard. McCollum was teammates with the nine-time All-Star on the Portland Trail Blazers, where they both started their careers. McCollum was there for eight seasons before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans midway though the 2021-22 season.

Lillard tore his Achilles tendon in the 2025 playoffs with the Milwaukee Bucks and missed the entirety of last season after going back to Portland. In his comeback this fall, he's averaging 20 points per game, had two 25-point efforts and his jumpshot still looks like water.

McCollum was not surprised "at all."

"I think there was uncertainty from the outside. But for people that knew Dame, know his work ethic, his diligence, his approach to things, we knew he was going to have this type of comeback," he said. "He's worked extremely hard, and I'm thankful and happy to be his friend and have played with him for so long. And to see him be able to overcome something like this is not surprising at all.

"I've seen how he's worked. (We’ve) been in contact with each other consistently. That's my guy, spent some time together in Oregon when I was out there in the summer, and this is a guy who takes his craft very seriously. He’s a pro’s pro, takes care of his body, takes care of his mind, and he's in a great space being home again and being back in Oregon, where it all started, that I think is a match made in heaven for him, and I'm happy to see him thriving."

CJ McCollum on NBA apron conversation, Fred VanVleet as new NBPA president

Another hot topic of conversation in the NBA is the second apron, which was established in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement when McCollum was president of the NBPA. The rule creates what can be compared to a hard salary cap that has firm penalties if exceeded.

"The conception of this years ago was more about creating parity," McCollum said, "owners, teams, the union coming to an agreement that there needed to be some changes within the systems of how to strengthen some of the lower tier markets."

The second apron has been criticized for doing too much to squash superteams and breaking up championship rosters. Bruce Brown specifically said that he had trouble in free agency and teams were using the second apron as a reason not to sign him. Karl-Anthony Towns, who won the NBA Finals with the Knicks last season, also said he's had difficulties getting a contract he thinks he's worthy of.

McCollum said that only three years into the new CBA, it's too early to determine if a rule like the second apron is working.

"When you're creating something, you don't necessarily know how it's going to turn out, obviously," he continued. "And as you kind of go through something, you kind of figure out the amendments that need to take place, make sure that teams aren't being punished for drafting well.

"... We're only a few years into it. There's more things that need to be evaluated. It's hard to project what types of impacts something like an apron is going to have on the actual management and construction of a roster and how that affects contracts in the long run. But I think you need more data, more information to truly judge whether or not you're heading in the right direction."

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet became NBPA president in 2025 and McCollum applauded his successor's handling of the role.

"He's doing a phenomenal job," he said. "A guy who's very mature, has continued to figure out ways to help build the business of basketball, collaborating with the NBA from a partnership standpoint. I think he's doing an excellent job. I think his leadership, obviously, on the basketball court, but his leadership off the court is something that people respect, his peers respect, and excited to see what he continues to do for not only our players but also for the league."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CJ McCollum joins NBA on Prime crew, discusses role on Hawks, Damian Lillard's comeback

When the Phoenix Suns kicked off the season, the front court had already seen some setbacks. Last year’s starting center, Mark Williams, who earned a nice extension, was reportedly out with a torn labrum. This would force the Suns to sign Duop Reath to a two-way contract to ensure they had a third center on the roster for opening night. Not only that, but it raised an even bigger question: who would start on opening night? Would it be Oso Ighodaro, the veteran big man who took over as the starter late in the season, or Khaman Maluach, the lottery selection from the Suns in the 2025 draft, who is set to be the center of the future?

That question was answered when Khaman Maluach saw the floor with the starters as the Suns took on the Trail Blazers on opening night. Unfortunately for the Suns and Maluach, the lights were brighter than expected, and the team was run off the floor basically in the first quarter. The Suns bounced back in their next game against Golden State, but with Ighodaro injured in the opener, the center rotation was thin. With the Suns also facing the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, this didn’t help, as Maluach was forced to play against top-tier bigs and defensive teams, which disrupted his chance to build momentum.

When Ighodaro returned from injury, many fans expected him to get the starting job, but Maluach still started. This continued for a few more games until game seven, when the Suns faced the Orlando Magic. This was a must-win for the Suns, as they had just lost at home the night before to the Portland Trail Blazers in embarrassing fashion.

In this game, the Suns found their offensive groove and punished a team that couldn’t make a shot defensively, taking command and winning to show fans they are the team they have been preaching about. A big reason was plugging in Oso Ighodaro as the starting center; his screening allowed Devin Booker to hunt his shots early and score 23 first-half points. What was nice to see, though, was that Maluach looked more comfortable with the bench unit.

Against the Magic, he had eight points (4-for-6 FG), six rebounds, two assists, and two steals, and finished with a +13 in 22 minutes, which is solid for him as he settles into that new role. His active hands helped on defense, and even though he struggled against Wendell Carter Jr. to get all the boards, he put up some fight, which was nice to see. In his next opportunity against the Rockets, though, he showed that this potential can be great with this bench mob.

"Mindset doesn't change whether I'm starting or not starting."

Khaman Maluach after not starting in Suns win over Magic.

8 points, 6 rebs in 21 minutes.

"It's a process and I'm willing to take all the steps in the process. I'm going to embrace everything that comes with it… pic.twitter.com/EEsvHoIkDC

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 6, 2026

Versus the Rockets, he had eight points (3-for-4 FG), ten rebounds, one steal, two blocks, and finished with a +11 in 18 minutes. Once again, he seemed more comfortable with the bench unit and hungry to grab boards. Without Steven Adams and Clint Capela, the Suns still struggled against a tall Rockets team, but Malauch held his own and kept fighting for opportunities. He also did a solid job on the defensive end against Alperen Sengun, really limiting him until the final quarter. His active hands helped him get three stocks, and that trend will continue to help his stock rise in fans’ eyes.

Look at the multiple efforts in a full court variety, from Khaman Maluach.

Also, Dillon Brooks is in his bag lol. pic.twitter.com/qQDDndZR4D

— Stephen PridGeon-Garner 🏁 (@StephenPG3) November 8, 2026

After two solid games, the Suns took on last year’s Western Conference champion, the San Antonio Spurs, and it was a rough one for them ultimately. However, Maluach looked solid (as solid as a sophomore backup big can be) in minutes against Victor Wembanyama and gave Suns fans something to look forward to. Even if he only had five rebounds, he scored 11 points (4-for-6 FG) and showed his range by hitting his only three-point attempt.

Khaman Maluach is back to the bench, and his minutes are already looking better.

He needs the pressure off of him. This role allows him to develop, but not be depended on.

— Robbie (@SunsAreBetter) November 10, 2026

The game that really made this clear, though, was the latest one against the Los Angeles Clippers. Similar to the Blazers game they lost, the Suns needed to win the second half of the back-to-back in commanding fashion, just like they did against the Magic. Luckily, the Suns did, beating them 133-110, and once again Man Man showed his ability to be impactful. In just 22 minutes, he posted 11 points (4-5, 0-for-1 3FG) and went 100% from the FT line in back-to-back nights. Add seven boards and three assists to that night, and you see his nightly growth.

Quality rep from Khaman Maluach here.

Great screen angle gets Collin's guy to trail. Forces the late-switch. Khaman roll's the late-switch down to the post & puts his arm up Randy Moss style.

Salute Collin for waiting til Struss had to reset the 2.9, to throw the entry pass. pic.twitter.com/5fl2NSssqu

— Stephen PridGeon-Garner 🏁 (@StephenPG3) November 11, 2026

He has to show he can beat down these bad teams, and he went up against Isaiah Jackson for most of the night. In this recent game, he showed his knack for keeping the fight on the glass and the awareness to recognize when to make a smart pass. Not only that, but his two-person game with Collin Gillepsie has really grown, with CG finding easy passes for two points in the paint for Man Man. Truly, this switch has not only helped Maluach and his development to find himself and not be rushed to go against the Nikola Jokics of the world yet, but also aids the starters as well.

One of the most encouraging Suns numbers so far 10 games in is the 135.4 offensive rating when Gillespie is playing with Maluach (87 MIN). Still able to get the offense going without Ighodaro. Gillespie/Dunn with a 14.0 net rating in 129 minutes (122 ORtg). The bench is benching.

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) November 11, 2026

With Ighodaro now thrust into the starting lineup, the Suns have someone who isn’t going to play hero ball. They have someone who will do the dirty work and make the smart plays with them, which is what they need. Ighodaro’s screening has received high praise from Booker this season, and it gives him the freedom to get to his spots efficiently and wide open. His passing also helps, as he can set up valuable back-door cuts, find the right man, or make the extra pass. This allows the offense to move the ball more, stay more fluid as a unit, and generate looks for the open man.

Devin Booker on 30-point night (4-of-8 from 3) to go along with 8 assists in Suns win over Magic: "Shout out Oso (Ighodaro). Great screening angles. Forcing the team to go over. I think I got two early 3s to start. Then that just opens everything up the rest of the way. The… pic.twitter.com/eVIhxC9HJA

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 6, 2026

All in all, this move has been beneficial, as a healthy lineup of Gillespie, Goodwin, Kennard, Dunn, and Maluach can rival some of the league’s best benches. This will benefit Maluach as he learns to grow and become a starter in the future. Gillespie’s ability to set up Ighodaro and Williams in the past, when they were on the bench, makes me confident he can do the same with Maluach. You also add that this move makes the starters look a bit better, and it’s pure joy. For Man Man, I think this was the best move of his young career, and he’ll have fans buy into his potential as a true centerpiece of this team, and I cannot wait to see that unfold before our eyes.

One of the most encouraging Suns numbers so far 10 games in is the 135.4 offensive rating when Gillespie playing with Maluach (87 MIN). Still able to get the offensive going without Ighodaro. Dunn/Gillespie has a 14.0 net rating in 129 minutes (122 ORtg). The bench is benching.

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) November 11, 2026

The Pistons and Wizards play each other again, but it is after 3 days of rest for the Pistons and the day after a game for the Wizards because the NBA used Chat GPT to generate the schedule this year or something. This will only be the Pistons 3rd game in the last 8 days and their 2nd game against the Wizards.

The Pistons were able to control Monday’s game from start-to-finish, but the game was a little closer than it should have been because they had no answer for Anthony Davis. Davis finished the game with 44 points and only missed 5 shots total.

The Pistons will still be without Jalen Duren, so they once again may struggle to guard Anthony Davis. But, as Monday proved, even if they can’t stop Davis, they can still win if they stop the rest of the team.

Game Vitals

Where: Capital One Arena in Washington DC
When: Thursday, November 12 at 7 pm EST
Watch: Scripps Sports Network
Odds: Pistons (-10.5)

Analysis

There isn’t a ton more to say about this matchup that wasn’t very evident in Monday’s game. With Jalen Duren out, the Pistons have no solution to opposing big men with any kind of offensive skill that are over 6’10”. It seems hyperbolic, but it really has been the case. Paul Reed is undersized and John Collins is not a natural center. Tolu Smith has the size to possibly keep up, but he has proven to be out of his element pretty much any time he has gotten playing time so far.

The Pistons did opt to start John Collins at center against the Wizards on Monday and it did work out offensively, as he had a season-high 24 points. But, the aforementioned Anthony Davis was able to cruise to 44 points without much resistance. Anthony Davis always seems to have his best games against the Pistons and I wouldn’t expect him to hit a couple threes every single night, but a lot of the offense he was able to generate was off of offensive rebound putbacks or shots over the undersized players guarding him.

Surprisingly, the Pistons were only outrebounded 46-45, but they were outrebounded 14-11 on the offensive glass. If you watched the game, you could see the Pistons lack of size rear it’s head countless times. It is just the current state of things and something the Pistons will have to manage as best as they can for the next two weeks while Jalen Duren is still out with his hamstring injury.

The Pistons benefitted heavily from poor games out of Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George, which George in particular has been arguably the Wizards 2nd best player this season. Trae Young also had a poor night from beyond the arc where he shot 3-of-10. Some of that is because of how good the Pistons perimeter defense is and if the Pistons can replicate that tonight, it doesn’t really matter if they have nobody to slow down Anthony Davis.

AJ Dybantsa was able to get going a bit on Monday as he scored 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting. There were times where he looked overwhelmed, as he had 5 turnovers, but he showed why he was the number 1 pick and a building block for the Wizards. The Pistons have perimeter players to slow him down, but the refs were very whistle-happy on Monday which helped Dybantsa get momentum on his drives to the basket since the Pistons were not able to be as physical.

One small point of concern has been the play of Cade Cunningham over the last few games. He had arguably his best game of the season a little over a week ago against the Charlotte Hornets and since then has really struggled, especially from beyond the arc. He is 1 for his last 19 from beyond the arc after being close to 40% through the first seven games of the season.

He is playing more off-ball and getting clean looks, they just aren’t falling right now. Teams are obviously focusing their defense more on Cade, but a lot of the current issues are just due to not being able to hit his outside shots. Hopefully that changes tonight.

Luckily, Daniss Jenkins has been able to step up the last couple nights as he had a career-high, 31 points against the Lakers on Sunday and then 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists on Monday while starting. Given the success the Pistons had starting him along with John Collins at center, I would suspect that they roll out that starting lineup again.

There were some issues defensively, which I already touched on, but the offense was much better with Collins starting and more-importantly, it finally got John Collins going after his early-season struggles.

If the Pistons are able to replicate the game they played on Monday, they shouldn’t have a difficult time defeating the Wizards, but if they let one of the other players besides Anthony Davis get hot, the Wizards have a shot at the upset.

Lineups

Detroit Pistons (7-3): Cade Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins

Washington Wizards (4-8): Trae Young, Kyshawn George, AJ Dybantsa, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr

Question of the Day

Do you think there is a solution to the Pistons big-man struggles or do they just need to ride it out until Jalen Duren returns?

In last night’s loss to the Cavaliers, Mikal Bridges played 17 minutes, took three shots, and finished with two points, two rebounds, and an assist. This was another disappointing performance in a season when we expected the wing to make his first All-Star appearance.

At his presser after the game, coach Mike Brown said: “Mikal is a starter, and so it’s not a question of that. He’s like a lot of players. They’ve had their good moments and their not-so-good moments. And Mikal has a proven track record of playing at a pretty high level as a starter in this league. So, for me to make a quote-unquote panic decision and change it right now, we’re ten games in, or whatever we are, I’m not feeling it.”

And in the locker room, Jalen Brunson defended his teammate. “The people in this room have his back night in & night out. We see the work he puts into his game, […] Regardless of what the noise is on the outside, that’s our brother.”

Bridges is an iron man. Between college ball and the pros, he hasn’t missed a game. He’s also one of Jalen Brunson’s closest friends on the team, and as a Villanova teammates they won two national titles together. Kal’s mantle is full of pre-pro awards, and he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2022. Bridges is a world champion. With a lithe, long body, he’s a tremendous cutter, plays a terrific midrange game, and guards multiple positions well. He’s a career 48% / 37% / 84% shooter, averaging over 14 points and 1.2 steals per game. Maybe not Hall-of-Fame, but definitely Hall-of-Pretty-Good.

In 2024, Brooklyn traded him to New York for a boatload of picks. In just over two seasons at his current home, he’s averaged more than 15 points per game and has been a fixture of the starting lineup.

He’s also been consistently inconsistent. There were times last season when we thought it might be time to sacrifice the games-played streak for a little RnR. After the first five games of the playoffs, we were ready to leave him behind in Atlanta. Then he went on an incredible run, and aside from faltering somewhat against the Spurs, he was essential to New York bringing home a championship. As we know, winning heals a lot of wounds. Those same fans who complained about the overpay soon took up a delirious chant about defiling those picks.

You cannot deny the man’s achievements—nor that he’s stunk so far this season. After a summer of celebration, the 30-year-old has started the current campaign with some of the worst play of his career. Eleven games in, his stats are 5.9 PPG, 33% FG, and 27% 3PT. These Knicks are notoriously late starters, often not hitting their stride until late in the first or even second quarter. Or the fourth. Cap even joked about this in his SNL appearance. But this time, Mikal has no stride to hit. Lately, he has watched the fourth quarter action from the bench (very expensive seats, indeed).

Mike Brown is a supreme diplomat, saying all the right things at all times. Yet, Mikal is a starter because the coach chooses to start him. That’s the coach’s prerogative. The skipper could field someone else as the starting shooting guard—say Landry Shamet, who’s proven himself more than worthy. Why hasn’t he?

First, there’s a chemistry to the team that Mike Brown handles like plutonium. To disrupt the starting five by separating Kal from his ‘Nova brethren might yield positive results on the court, but could foment discord behind the scenes. A demotion could also further erode Bridges’ confidence, which would be bad for their long-term plans. Unless he’s shipped off before the midseason trade deadline (more musings on that below), the Knicks will need Bridges in shape physically and mentally for a deep postseason run.

Further, there’s the potential loss of reliable sparkplug off the bench. For a while now, Shamet’s been the most consistent in that role. McBride and Clarkson have certainly had their moments, too, but when Mike needs a sub AND a bucket AND defense, ShamWow has become his security blanket. When the score is close, Landry’s steady contribution makes it difficult to justify giving those two-guard minutes to Bridges in the final frame.

Here’s Brown again, from his postgame. “Yeah, part of it is we got two guys that are playing really well in Landry and Deuce, and so it’s hard. [… They] have been a big part of what we’ve done defensively. If they’re playing at a high level, I got to keep trying to find ways to get those guys on the floor.”

As Brown alluded, the Knicks have more guards than they need. Conversely, they remain light at the center position. They have Karl-Anthony Towns playing a career year, Andre Drummond backing him up with great rebounds and questionable shots, and . . . James Wiseman? Sometimes? Leon Rose & Co. are aware of this. They also know that in a trade for a big man of talent, they will need both a desirable player to offer and one whose salary helps to offset what’s incoming.

Obviously, Bridges is a nice guy. He’s not so diabolical as to throw his season to insulate himself from being traded. His sub-standard play does complicate trade opportunities, however. Another club that’s willing to part with a talented center will want to take on a positive, productive player, not a distressed asset with a lot of basketball miles on his wheels.

There’s also a not insignificant chance that the front office is totally cool with what they have and are unwilling to make a panic move either. After all, the team that won the Finals did so with Karl-Anthony Towns, occasional Mitchell Robinson, and a sprinkling of Ariel Hukporti. If Brown can coach Wiseman up to Huk-level participation, then what’s the difference, really?

When asked about his play earlier in this short season, Bridges said, “Obviously we should be better than we are, me personally,” he said. “But it takes time and just not skipping steps.”

He doesn’t sound panicked. Neither does Mike after 11 games. Nor Jalen, Leon, or the rest of the team. What about 15 games? 20? Can we run screaming down the street on December 1st? Ideally, Bridges gets right in Friday’s game against Indy, kills the conversation for the rest of the season, and we all look back and laugh. If this continues to be an issue, though, we’re very interested to see Mike’s next move.

Go Knicks.

Four things to watch as Sixers look to respond against Raptors originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers will not need to wait long for an opportunity to move past their most lopsided loss of the season.

Less than 48 hours after Boston’s 123-101 win exposed several of Philadelphia’s early weaknesses, the Sixers will host the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Raptors are coming off a difficult meeting with the Celtics, too. Toronto led Boston by 22 points Wednesday before being outscored 61-34 over the final 29:24 of a 98-93 loss.

Philadelphia enters at 9-3 following Tuesday’s defeat. Toronto is 5-6 and will complete a back-to-back and its third game in four nights.

LeBron James has been ruled out because of low-back and sciatica management. Joel Embiid is questionable with right plantar fascia injury management. Toronto will be without Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Nate Bittle.

Here are four areas to watch as the Sixers try to respond.

The possession battle

Few teams have forced opponents into mistakes as frequently as Toronto.

The Raptors have generated 18.9 turnovers per game, the highest mark in the NBA. They are also averaging 10.9 steals and nearly 15 offensive rebounds.

The Sixers have countered that type of pressure well. Their 13.0 turnovers per game are tied for one of the lowest marks in the league.

Something will have to give.

Toronto’s length remains disruptive even without Leonard and Barnes. The Raptors regularly crowd ball handlers, reach into passing lanes and send multiple players toward the offensive glass. Jakob Poeltl supplies size inside while RJ Barrett, Ja’Kobe Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles can create problems away from the ball.

The Raptors’ pressure can punish a careless pass twice. It takes away a Sixers possession and gives Toronto an opportunity to score before the defense gets organized.

Philadelphia has largely avoided those mistakes while adjusting to a new lineup and playing at a quicker pace. Maintaining that control without James, who has handled a significant share of the playmaking, will be one of Thursday’s clearest challenges.

Keeping Toronto out of the open floor

Toronto has not built its offense around half-court shooting.

The Raptors are averaging 49.6 paint points and 16.4 fast-break points. Even while shorthanded Wednesday, they scored 18 points in transition against Boston.

That presents a direct test for a Sixers defense allowing 16.5 fast-break points per game, the fourth-highest figure in the NBA. Philadelphia has also surrendered 49.5 paint points per contest.

The first concern will be slowing the ball.

Immanuel Quickley returned Wednesday after missing two games with right hamstring soreness. He gives Toronto another guard capable of attacking early in the shot clock, while Barrett has consistently looked to get downhill with Leonard and Barnes unavailable.

Poeltl can create scoring chances without having a play called for him. He runs the floor, screens for Toronto’s guards, rolls toward the rim and cleans up misses.

The Sixers have been effective in transition themselves, averaging 17.1 fast-break points. Maxey and VJ Edgecombe can change ends quickly after a stop, but Philadelphia must secure the ball first.

Thursday’s game could swing on which team gets to run and which one is forced to create against a set defense.

Another unpredictable night from three?

Toronto provided an extreme example Wednesday of how quickly the three-point line can alter a game.

The Raptors entered their matchup against Boston shooting 31.8 percent from beyond the arc. They proceeded to hit 10 of their 18 attempts in the first quarter, tying a franchise record for threes in a period.

They went 6 for 25 over the final three quarters.

After Wednesday, Toronto is shooting 32.4 percent from three this season. The Sixers should not treat the Raptors like an elite perimeter team. They also cannot allow them to find early confidence through uncovered catch-and-shoot attempts.

Walter made five threes Wednesday and scored a team-high 17 points. Rookie Allen Graves added 13 points, while Quickley, Barrett and Jamison Battle are all willing shooters when the ball reaches them in rhythm.

Philadelphia’s problems against Boston extended beyond the Celtics making difficult shots. The Sixers were late on several closeouts and occasionally allowed too much separation while navigating screens.

Toronto does not rely on the three as heavily as Boston. Wednesday showed it can still build a lead quickly when those shots start falling.

Using the schedule advantage

The Raptors expended significant energy Wednesday before traveling to Philadelphia.

They scored 38 first-quarter points, built a 22-point lead and then watched Boston erase the entire margin before the end of the third quarter. Quickley and Barrett each played more than 31 minutes. Poeltl and Walter both played at least 29.

The Sixers should have the fresher legs. Whether they take advantage could become apparent early.

Philadelphia has averaged 26.3 first-quarter points with a minus-2.2 scoring margin in opening periods. Slow starts have forced the Sixers to play from behind several times, including in their 29-point comeback against Cleveland.

An aggressive start would make Toronto respond quickly after a draining loss. Maxey and Edgecombe can apply pressure by pushing the ball after defensive rebounds instead of allowing the Raptors to set their pressure defense.

James’ absence will require an adjustment. Maxey, Brown and Anfernee Simons should handle more of the ball and more of the decisions that come with initiating the offense.

If Embiid plays, the Sixers can make Toronto work through Poeltl by establishing him inside. If Embiid sits, Philadelphia’s size concerns will become more pronounced with Adem Bona, Dominick Barlow and Ariel Hukporti also unavailable.

The Sixers have a rest advantage against a depleted opponent coming off an emotional loss. Their response should begin well before the fourth quarter.

Late in the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-112 win against the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night, Luka Dončić went to the locker room with an ankle injury after Kyle Kuzma ran him over on a pretty careless closeout.

Status alert: Luka Doncic (ankle) headed to locker room after checking out in garbage time Wednesday.

He landed on Kyle Kuzma's foot on a follow-through and was attended to on-court before shooting a free throw.pic.twitter.com/QhGz5UmI9V

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 12, 2026

Despite not returning once he took and hit his free throw, Dončić made clear there’s nothing to worry about moving forward.

“I’m good,” he told reporters postgame “Obviously, it’s painful a little bit, but I’ll be fine.”

Off to a roaring first three weeks, Dončić is powering the Lakers’ West-leading 11-2 start and current seven-game winning streak. With Dončić on the floor this season, Los Angeles has outscored its opponents by 165 points in 395 minutes. When he sits, it’s been outscored by 62 points in 229 minutes.

If you’d like the small-sample theatre for those numbers, that’s a plus-19.3 net rating with him and a minus-11.1 net rating without him. The Lakers are posting a ridiculous 131.0 offensive rating during his minutes. Yet they’ve also been much better defensively in that span, allowing 111.6 points per 100 possessions with him and 120.0 per 100 without him.

That’s largely the product of Dončić playing career-best defense as he’s drawing charges, inhaling rebounds and consistently occupying the passing lanes or rotating punctually off the ball to generate turnovers. Only Brandin Podziemski (five) has drawn more charges than Dončić (four) while his 2.4% steal rate and 1.1% block rate are career highs, per Cleaning the Glass.

Although the on-off numbers are staggering and the Lakers will certainly be glad Dončić has avoided injury, they have survived the two games he’s sat out thus far. Austin Reaves scored 43 points Sunday to lead them past a very good Detroit Pistons squad and they trounced the Los Angeles Clippers, 103-87, back on Oct. 28.

That’s not to downplay Dončić‘s importance but rather to highlight the Lakers’ depth and their adaptability. Dončić is a supernova but 11-2, including seven straight wins, doesn’t happen with a one-man show. Los Angeles is a well-rounded group and has received key contributions almost every night from its supporting cast. It’ll look to keep that going when its road trip comes to a close Sunday against the Phoenix Suns at 7 p.m.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

Earlier today, Kevin Broom wrote his “morning after” analysis of the Washington Wizards’ loss to the Indiana Pacers. And he’s sounding the alarm. Though Washington has played 12 games, there is already more than enough information to indicate that this season will be … tougher than anticipated.

In the case of the Wizards this season, they may not really be the quality of a team that wins just 14-15 games (which is what their adjusted scoring margin implies), but a) they could be, and b) it’s pretty unlikely they’re even the quality of a 35-win team. Best case at this point is probably mid-20s in wins — better than last season, though not the major step forward many hoped.

While it’s not as early as we think, it’s getting later fast. We already have half the information needed to draw a meaningful conclusion. By game 20, it’ll be about 70%. By game 30, it’s closing in on 80%.

So as Wizards fans, are you satisfied with a 25-28 win season with an AJ Dybantsa – Anthony Davis – Trae Young trio? But more urgently, are you satisfied with the Wizards being roughly 10-20 by the time the Christmas holiday comes around?

We are just two weeks away from Thanksgiving ladies and gentlemen. And I have a poll below from the feed. If the Wizards continue stagnating at a sub .500 win pace, do you think that this warrants changes like the coaching staff and/or midseason trades? Let us know below.

There’s this popular belief known as the Law of Averages. While it’s not a recognized theorem in the mathematical world, it’s a common saying that refers to the idea that if something happens more or less often than it should, logic says things will eventually balance back out and return to normal. It’s a fallacy in the gambling world; if you keep flipping a coin and it keeps landing on tails, that doesn’t mean the odds are better it will land on heads the next time because each individual flip is a separate event with no relationship to another. The same applies if you keep starting a card game over with a full or new deck — your odds of winning don’t improve just because it’s been a while since you last won, because this hand has no relationship to the last.

However, one place where averages and the “laws” that go with them do often apply is basketball. While still technically a mathematical fallacy, one thing about sports is more than anything, it comes down to talent, and across a large sample size, the numbers do in fact tell a story. Sure, each individual game is a separate event from each other, but it’s the same players with the same skillset going through the same motions, so there is in fact a relationship across the separate events, and more often than not, they will do close to what the numbers say they will.

Of course, there are always outliers and unexpected events — sports wouldn’t be any fun if everything always went as expected — and that’s exactly what happened last night in the first half between the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls. The Spurs were on a nine-game winning against what we can all probably admit is not the most difficult stretch of schedule ever, but they were walking into a potential trap game considering it was against a team on a seven-game losing streak, and the Law of Averages says one of those streaks is getting closer to ending, right? It was also the end of a four-game road trip, things have been too easy on said-trip, and they may have been looking ahead to Friday’s Cup match against the Warriors (which may have lost some luster if Steph Curry is out after appearing to injure his abdomen last night night against the Rockets).

Other than a flurry from three and a hot start from De’Aaron Fox briefly keeping them in it, the Spurs quickly found themselves falling behind while the Bulls were insanely hot through the first 18 minutes of the game. They shot 17-20 (or 85%) from the field in the first quarter and at one point were shooting 83% from both the field AND three in the second. While the Spurs’ effort wasn’t what you’d call admirable, I was never too worried during the first half because I knew the Law of Averages would eventually take over.

No team, not even the Warriors of a decade ago, can keep up those types of numbers for an entire game, let alone a team as bad as these Bulls. They got the lead as high as 22 in the first half, but the Spurs weathered the storm and waited for their numbers to start averaging back to the mean while knowing they had a another gear they could turn on. They used a run before halftime to cut the deficit to a very manageable 14 points while the Bulls’ numbers starting dropping (they were “only” shooting 67% by the midway mark), took their presumed licking from Mitch Johnson in the locker room, then came out firing in the second half.

As the Spurs returned to their normal selves, the Bulls were understandably overwhelmed, knowing they had already given their best shot and the Law of Averages had now taken its hold. Victor Wembanyama went back to demoralizing teams with an unstoppable presence at the rim, balanced out by taking (and making) timely jumpers within the flow of the offense. By the end of the game, everything was as it should be: the Spurs won while shooting 50% from the field (38% from three), and while the Bulls still ended with impressive final numbers (58% and 52%, respectively) thanks to their otherworldly first half, they made five fewer field goals thanks in part to coughing the ball up 19 times compared to the Spurs’ 6. The Law of Averages was alive and well for the Spurs 10th straight victory.

Or, you know, maybe that had nothing to do with it at all and there was just something off with the Bulls’ court. You could have watched that game and simply concluded that, based on the massive swings in shooting each team took from half-to-half, “Right rim good, left rim bad.”

Takeaways

• “Oh, Wemby had 32 points on 13-18 shooting, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks? Ho hum, just another day at the office.” Yes, we have reached that point with him. His numbers have been so outlandish and even historical lately that I hardly even noticed him last night. And while it’s fun to see opposing fans oohing and awing, we’re just like, “He dunked from the free throw line? Nothing new.”
• You know how else you know someone has arrived at greatness? When the haters start hating. “He’s 7’7”, he should have a post game to be great!” Wemby starts dominating in the paint: “So what? He’s just tall!” The funniest “rage” tweet I saw recently was one dude complaining that he can “only” handle 25 minutes per game, so he must not be in good shape. No bro, that’s just a result of all the blowouts and him not needing any more minutes. And if he was playing into extended garbage time, you’d just accuse him of stat padding. As the old saying goes, “Haters gonna hate, Spurs gonna win”.
• I think it’s officially time that we put Fox’s poor finals performance behind us. We all know he was playing on one leg, and while he had a couple of massive gaffes, he wasn’t the only one who messed up or cost them the series; it was a team effort. (I even pointed out in a comment on a Feed post yesterday that had the Finals gone any further, Wemby would have a Draymond Green mark on his legacy because he more than likely would have been suspended for Game 6 for flagrant accumulation — and that was after he was lucky to avoid it after Game 3. The league wasn’t going to bail him out twice.) But back to Fox, he has been a tremendous steadying present for this still-young squad, with Stephon Castle in a bit of a funk right now and Dylan Harper playing very well overall but still streaky from quarter to quarter. It’s time we get back to remembering and appreciating the good Fox brings, which far outweighs a couple of bad plays on a bum ankle.
• The strength of schedule of the Spurs’ start to the season may not be the strongest, but it has been exhausting, at least for me. Three back-to-backs in the first 10 games, 12 of the first 20 with tip-off times at 8:00 or later — it’s been brutal for my sleep schedule. That’s why last night’s 7:00 tip-off time was the most amazing feeling ever. I watched, it ended, then I went to bed at my normal time (or what now feels early), and I’m relatively fresh for a Thursday morning. The good news is after game 20 — 8:30 against the Lakers on Black Friday — the Spurs won’t have another game with a tip-off time later than 7 until #42 on January 20: their first game back from the Europe trip.

I distinctly remember the 2022-23 Utah Jazz, the first season for current Head Coach Will Hardy, starting out the season 10-3, with Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson leading the recently blown-up roster that, for the first time in half a decade, did not feature Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert. There were conversations in NBA media — on podcasts, in blogs, in my college dining hall (NBA media is everywhere) — about if the Jazz would be able to tank properly, as they clearly had planned to coming into the season. Maybe Hardy was just too good a coach; maybe this would be a mid-2010s Celtics situation with Brad Stevens and that weird Jeff Green and Avery Bradley team, when it became clear that they had to compete because tanking was just off the table. Danny Ainge ran that team, and Danny Ainge runs this team. It was all lining up.

Nope! They figured out how to tank just fine. Hardy got his ducks in a row, and successfully tanked not just for the rest of 2022-23, but for 2024, 2025 and 2026, making the Jazz, by my calculation, the only team other than The Process 76ers that has unapologetically tanked for four consecutive seasons. And they get one-fifth the hate they deserve for it.

But they might be getting all the karma. The 2026-27 Jazz have kicked off their first USDA-certified “not tanking” campaign by going 1-11 in their first 12 games. Their single win was a one-point home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, a disasterclass in their own right, and have since ripped off 10 straight losses despite finally putting out a roster that looks like it could do something other than intentionally lose. 

Maybe they’re just tanking again. Maybe Will Hardy, who coached zero winning seasons on his first contract but still signed a contract extension through 2031, will coach through all nine years of both contracts and maintain his illustrious .326 career winning percentage. Has all this tanking been for nothing? Has all this glorious “development” wrought by a half-decade so disgusting that the NBA had to change its lottery rules resulted in … this? Is the team really just injured? Are they actually tanking again? Or do they just suck?

Their main “hey we’re actually trying now” acquisition was Jaren Jackson Jr., who promptly tore his MCL and will be out 6-8 weeks from October 27, but the team isn’t bad enough on paper for that to fully explain what’s going on. Their roster has lots of premium talent … on paper, but that talent simply hasn’t translated to wins at any point in the last four years or in the first 10 games of this season. Their efficiency is horrendous, 28th in team shooting percentage, but look closer: they’re 29th in offensive rating, 29th in true shooting percentage and 29th in effective field goal percentage. Don’t know (or don’t care) what any of that means? Also fine! Their team point differential is currently -11.5, which is WORSE THAN LAST YEAR when it was -8.4. They were 22-60 last year.

Are any of these first-round picks actually going to pan out? Thus far, I have no clue if Keyonte George can put up numbers on any kind of good team, and top-10 picks Cody Williams and Taylor Hendricks never returned on their draft slots, the latter perhaps due to a horrific injury before his career ever got off the ground that wasn’t anybody’s fault. But you don’t get infinite shots at this, and Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson must be elite players if the Jazz want to be anything more than a mediocre home for 90-second, not-even-that-cool Lauri Markkanan/Keyonte George highlight videos.

Perhaps Utah is just the NBA example of my rookie quarterback theory in the NFL of “you either have it or you don’t,” in that I don’t really care if a guy sits behind some veteran starter for a year or if he starts immediately; those who advocate for QBs sitting a year are simply hiding behind an undefeatable Catch-22, in which (stay with me now) successful QBs that sit must have succeeded because they sat … and unsuccessful QBs who didn’t sit should have sat … while unsuccessful QBs who sat were just always going to be bad. I reject this notion, and declare that all good QBs were always going to be good and all bad QBs were always going to be bad. Maybe the four years of horrendous Utah Jazz basketball were just evidence that they were always going to be bad.

Because truly, we had no evidence in the last four seasons that a Lauri Markkanan-captained team was a winning basketball team. He’s a fine player, but he’s inefficient and a big man who doesn’t really rebound or protect the rim or rebound while his 3-point numbers have deteriorated the last two seasons. And none of the basketball he’s played in his entire career has mattered. Ever. You’ll struggle to find the “playoffs” tab on his basketball reference page, because it doesn’t exist. Not in Chicago, nor Cleveland nor Utah — Markkanan has never appeared in a playoff game.

Institutionalized losing does things to players. It torpedoed an entire generation of 76ers draft picks, teaching them that playing was optional and winning was not the goal. Building was the goal, like they were simulating through an NBA2K MyLeague and could just keep getting better forever until they win the NBA Finals because the game’s code says they should. That’s not how the real world works. I’m worried the Jazz have four popped tires, a busted-up engine and no tail lights; they don’t even realize it, and just merged onto the highway. 

I wanted this team to be good. I loved Peterson in the draft and would have taken him number one, but this team is awful. Legitimately awful, and somebody better yank the steering wheel and course-correct soon. Otherwise … uh, they’ll have officially tanked for longer than The Process 76ers. Not a record you want to have.

Welcome to the Fawning or Warning?, a fortnightly feature where I muse on all things Milwaukee Bucks, however explicitly or tangentially related, and determine if they’re worth fawning over or if they’re a warning sign of something going awry.

NBA Lowlights

Just a few weeks ago—and for as long as I can remember—NBA.com enabled fans to see specific clips of every game’s action via its play-by-play section. You could even download these clips—it’s how so many content creators did their thing. Heck, it’s how we’ve been able to add footage to complement our writing. In a press conference following the NBA Board of Governors meeting in 2025, Adam Silver seemed to embrace it too:

There’s a huge amount of our content that people can essentially consume for free. This is very much a highlights-based sport. So, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter — you name it — any service, the New York Times, for that matter, your content is not behind a paid firewall. There’s an enormous amount of content out there — YouTube — another example, that is advertising-based, that consumers can consume.

Now, it seems, things have changed. Play-by-plays are no longer hyperlinked and other avenues, including accessing players’ “Video and Shot Charts,” like this one of Tyler Herro’s against the Indiana Pacers, are now strictly shot charts (and other data). Why the NBA has chosen this route is unclear. If it’s simply a matter of copyright, that’s completely fair. But that doesn’t explain the sudden change. If it’s a technical issue—the league rebuilding how it stores clips (or something similar)—why do it now, at the start of the season?

Either way, it’s the fan who suffers. Once again.

Verdict: Warning.

Veteran Privilege and Big Problems

Through the season’s first few weeks, Taylor Jenkins has leaned on his veterans as starters. Before the Lakers game, and excluding absences due to injury or rest, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kyle Kuzma, and Myles Turner had started every game—the only players on the team to do so. They also occupy the top four spots in minutes per game, averaging four more per night than the next closest Buck (Ryan Rollins). On the one hand, this is understandable. As the team’s most tested players, they are positioned to fare better against other teams’ best players. Moreover, as the team’s elder statesmen, they are best equipped to demonstrate the on-court skill, intelligence, and habits you want the impressionable younger players to develop. That is, to lead.

At least, they should be.

So far, Herro and Jaquez get a pass. But Turner and Kuzma have been anything but consistently productive starters. Turner has regressed from last season’s lows, shooting just 32.9% from the field and 25.5% from three, and has been far more noticeable for what he’s not doing than what he is. To put it bluntly, he’s labouring out there—and not in the “hard work” kind of way. I won’t even get started on his rebounding. Kuzma has had his moments, including his recent 27-point explosion against the Boston Celtics, but even that was more fool’s gold than anything sustainable—and it didn’t take long before the quality shots that went in became heat checks that didn’t (and cost the team dearly on the other end). Against the New York Knicks, things only got worse; against the Lakers, he shot 2/8, had more turnovers than assists and rebounds combined, and “led” the team in plus/minus at -22.

Compounding the issue, it seems there are rules for some and not for others. Rollins was pulled after his poor play to start the year, moving to a bench role and seeing his court time drastically reduce: 26.0 MPG as a starter versus 18.8 MPG off the bench. Turner and Kuzma, however, have seen steady minutes regardless of how they’ve played. Regarding the latter, with Nate Ament impressing and Ousmane Dieng barely playing (just 75 total minutes in the first ten games)—and both of these guys inarguably a more significant part of Milwaukee’s long-term plans—you’ve got to ask, “Why?” Even with Jenkins’ changeup against the Lakers, it was the younger Jaquez who was shifted to the bench and not Kuzma.

In Turner’s case, the answer is a lot more complicated. His backup, Kel’el Ware, has been just as poor, posting similarly awful shooting splits (.392/.187/.800) and generally looking quite lost out there. Like Turner, who (mind the pun) turns it over 3.6 times per 100 possessions (fourth-worst on the team, per Basketball-Reference), Ware is also turning it over far too often—4.3 times per 100 possessions. Disaster meet disaster. Still, is this reason for Turner to have played 108 more minutes when both have been available?

Maybe the thinking is to showcase Turner for a trade? That’s certainly not working, and I’ve never bought that notion anyway—teams know who and what a 10-year veteran is. Maybe it’s a case of old dogs being unable to learn new tricks but young dogs having that ability (and therefore not getting rewarded until they’ve mastered it)? Certainly, that teaches a lesson. But is it the right one?

Verdict: Warning (alarms blaring).

The Little Things

Close your eyes and breathe—the full inhale/exhale cycle. Three times. Just to release the tension. Then go to your happy place. Is it the same as mine, watching Bucks’ rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament? Is Bango there too?

Amidst all the warnings, it’s imperative to find pleasure in the little things. Watching Burries sky for rebounds has been a joy, even if the juxtaposition between his and Turner’s effort on the glass is jarring. Seeing him find confidence in the mid-range against the Celtics was a thing of beauty too. But his positivity isn’t limited to on-court action. Watch closely and you’ll see Burries standing, waving the towel from the bench, celebrating others’ success—even when down 20. Culture building stuff.

Ament’s growth has also been a pleasure. Where he looked timid and uncertain to begin Summer League play, he now looks confident, nailing threes without hesitation—even in the Pat Connaughton variety! He’s also showing growth physically, attacking defenders—like he did against Jayson Tatum and Derrick White (even if the call was overturned)—and, more impressively, using his quicks and length to stay in front of and contest a whole range of offensive players. Like Burries, Ament has also shown signs of the good stuff. After nailing one of those Planet P threes in the second quarter against the Knicks, he pushed Kasparas Jakučionis to Miles McBride to ensure the matchups were right. I’d show you the clip, but…

Verdict: Fawning.

The Cavaliers did on Wednesday what they do best: win meaningless, regular-season games.

The Knicks, meanwhile, handed out a dub and ate a loss on purpose on their way to find their best-working lineups for when winning, you know, actually matters.

Here’s the latest from MSG on a rare off day.

Mike Brown was asked about starting Landry Shamet over Mikal Bridges

"Mikal has a proven track record of playing at a pretty high level as a starter in this league. For me to make a "panic decision" and change it right now, I'm not feeling it" pic.twitter.com/M128YSZKnk

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 12, 2026

Mike Brown

On Wednesday’s loss:

“We’ll learn from this game, and keep it moving.”

On why Bridges remains a starter despite his shooting slump:

“Mikal is a starter. And so it’s not a question of that. He’s like a lot of players: They’ve had their good moments and their not so good moments. And Mikal has a proven track record of playing at a pretty high level as a starter in this league.

“So, for me to make a quote-unquote ‘panic decision’ and change it right now — we’re 10 games in or whatever we are. I’m not feeling it. So I’m good.”

On the Knicks’ defensive physicality and ability to defend without fouling:

“Just our level of physicality. Our level of physicality without fouling. Because you can be over the top, grabbing and pushing and holding, but our guys, they’re doing their work early. They’re doing their work early and they’re being real physical about it without putting their hands on guys. When you do that and you do that for close to 48 minutes, you usually get good results. And our guys are doing it.”

On the defensive intensity of Landry Shamet and Miles McBride:

“I think our physicality on the defensive end of the floor is at a pretty high level. And they [are doing] it the right way. They’re doing it without fouling, which is a lot of fun to watch. The point of attack with Landry and Deuce, especially, on the ball, is unbelievable.”

On Josh Hart’s perimeter defense and the importance of his return:

“He’s tremendous on the ball. In pick-and-roll situations, we always want our point of confrontation, especially against guys that shoot the ball at the 3-point line, Josh is really good at that. He’s really good at leading with his chest. And he’s strong. He’s a strong guy that knows the league, he knows the players very well.

“His impact when it comes to guarding the ball, on the perimeter especially, is something that you always miss.”

On the Knicks’ defensive communication, rebounding and improved pick-and-roll coverage:

“Their level of communication is high. Their ability to box out is high. Their ability to get back in transition is high. We were hurting in the pick-and-roll game defensively, but we’ve done a better job because the point of attack has been good and our guy guarding the screener has been great, too.”

On Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart losing minutes to Shamet and McBride:

“It’s gonna be hard to find minutes at times for Mikal. And maybe even at times for Josh. Because those two guys [McBride and Shamet] are playing at a pretty high level.

“Part of it is we got two guys that are playing really well in Landry and Deuce. And so it’s hard. It’s going to be hard to find minutes at times for Mikal — and maybe even at times for Josh, because those two guys are playing at a pretty high level, and not just on the offense of the floor but defensively, too.”

On the Knicks’ defensive struggles against Cleveland and his decision to keep playing Shamet and McBride:

“I mean, this is one of our worst defensive games overall that we’ve had. In the past five or six games we’ve been playing really well at that end of the floor, but they got loose tonight.

“And Landry and Deuce have been a big part of what we’ve done defensively. So if they’re playing at a high level, I’ve? got to keep trying to find ways to get those guys on the floor.”

On taking responsibility for keeping the Knicks in their defensive blitz against Donovan Mitchell too long:

“We blitzed Donovan in the second half and that fourth quarter. Give Donovan credit, he did a nice job making the right play out of it. … I kept us in the blitz a little too long, and I should have taken us out of the blitz. That part is on me.

“I kept us in the blitz a little too long. I should have taken us out of the blitz. So that part is on me and I gotta be better helping our group in that area.”

On the Knicks’ curious lack of free-throw attempts:

“[Cleveland] had 14 more free-throw attempts than us, four more offensive rebounds than us and two less turnovers. When that happens versus a good team, it’s gonna be hard to win the game.

“At one time, the free-throw advantage was 18-3. That’s not why we lost the game, but you just hope to get a little bit better whistle when you’re playing a good team like that, because it’s already hard enough to go win a game.”

On Brunson receiving no free-throw attempts despite playing nearly 35 minutes:

“Jalen plays 34 minutes or almost 35 minutes and he has zero free-throw attempts. That’s pretty alarming. I’m not sure how or why it’s that way. I know at one time, the free throw advantage was 18-3. That’s not why we lost the game, but you just hope to get a little bit better whistle when you’re playing a good team like that, because it’s already hard enough to go win a game. That was part of the reason why we lost the possession game. … James Harden had a great game as well. James shot as many free throws as our whole team.”

On Andre Drummond helping replace Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding:

“Andre’s done a fantastic job in that area, as an individual. He’s not Mitch, nobody would compare him to Mitch, but he’s brought a dimension to the table that we really like. He’s always been a great offensive rebounder, and he’s showing it now as an individual.”

On the Knicks’ assistant coaches emphasizing offensive rebounding and transition defense:

“They’re handling the offensive duties and they’ve been emphasizing the crash areas. And they’ve done a great job — a fantastic job — of coaching our group, in that area. So our guys have a really good understanding of when to go and when not to go and how to go so we don’t get beat in transition.”

Jalen Brunson on Mikal Bridges' start to the season:

"No matter what's going on with what people are saying, the people in this room have his back night in and night out. We see the work he puts into his game. That's our brother, we're going to keep it that way" pic.twitter.com/H10qGtAnj0

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 12, 2026

Jalen Brunson

On the Knicks failing to execute in crucial moments against Cleveland:

“We were in it. But just timely stops and timely buckets were needed.”

On Cleveland’s defensive adjustments and his failure to respond quickly enough:

“You gotta give them a lot of credit. It’s something I’ll be a little more prepared for. I just didn’t adjust in-game as fast as I wanted to. I was still able to make plays, but not enough to win.”

On needing to be more aggressive even if it means making mistakes:

“From how we started the game to how we finished it, just from my end, I can’t be hesitant. I can’t be a little stagnant at times. It puts my team at a disadvantage, so I just have to be more aggressive in my mistakes, if I’m making any. I just need to have a little more aggression.”

On supporting Mikal Bridges despite his struggles and criticism from outside the team:

“No matter what’s going on, with what people are saying or anything, the people in this room have his back night in and night out. We see the work he puts into his game. We see the time that he puts in. When you’re doing the right things day in and day out, things will eventually fall in your favor. So just giving him support, giving him confidence every single day, regardless of what the noise is on the outside. That’s our brother, and we’re going to keep it that way.”

On controlling what he can after receiving no free-throw attempts against Cleveland:

“I just gotta control what I can control, and keep it at that.”

NBA champions Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson join @malika_andrews to discuss the Knicks team dynamic and the league 🏀 pic.twitter.com/L508aeFeIB

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 11, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns

On taking greater rebounding responsibility following Mitchell Robinson’s departure:

“When you lose a great offensive rebounder like Mitchell Robinson, you got to pick up the slack. Of course, we have one of the best rebounders of the generation in Andre Drummond. But I want to do my part, and one of the ways I can impact winning and help our team tremendously on a nightly basis is make sure they don’t get second-chance points and also we get second-chance points.”

WHAT A BLOCK!

Peyton Watson wins it with the DEFENSIVE EFFORT!

Watch the #NBA on ESPN on Disney+ pic.twitter.com/i4YMOvVblG

— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) November 12, 2026

Miles McBride

On the difficulty of defending James Harden after his 32-point performance:

“MVP, scoring champ. He’s a tough matchup for anybody in this league. You gotta tip your hat to him.”

On the uncalled goaltending on Peyton Watson’s block:

“I thought it was a goaltend. The guys behind the bench said that as well.”

Landry Shamet talks about his improved defense throughout his career

"Once you've had a number of reps, you have a feel for the rhythm and you can let your instincts go. It's definitely something that's grown because it was a weak point in my draft card coming out of college" pic.twitter.com/RIeN9L0dSa

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 12, 2026

Landry Shamet

On James Harden and Donovan Mitchell adjusting to the Knicks’ defensive blitz:

“James has been doing this a long time. Donovan’s been doing this a long time. They probably got a little comfortable. At the end of the day, it was a one-possession game, and we could have shored up a few things, probably, that would have helped us keep it a little tighter and given us a chance to win. But give them credit, because they knew what we were doing and took advantage of it.”

Jordan Clarkson

On his offensive rebounding prowess:

“I just got a knack for it.”

On the Knicks collectively replacing Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding contributions:

“I think a lot of that is effort. And just doing it. A lot of us are crashing. You see guys like Deuce going in for those plays. Everybody, honestly. Picking up where we left off last year. We had a guy (Robinson) who was able to grab a lot of offensive boards, get us extra possessions. So all of us had to kind of step up and do that. But Dre has been doing a great job of rebounding, getting us extra possessions. Kicking it out and finding his way.”

Shump really struck a nerve over the winner vs. loser label 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9ITP04RyeY

— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) November 11, 2026

Steph Curry injury forces Steve Kerr, Warriors' staff into nightmarish scramble originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The momentum the Warriors generated by an eight-game win streak, boosting hopes for a strong first half of the season, went into an immediate stall Wednesday night in Houston.

Stephen Curry, the primary source behind the team’s Golden surge, sustained an oblique abdominal tear in a 115-108 loss to the Rockets and will miss at least two weeks – likely more.

Houston center Alperen Sengun locked arms with Curry in the first quarter and disengaged with enough force to yank Curry’s right arm awkwardly enough that he immediately grabbed his right side. He left the game in obvious discomfort and did not return.

Steph had to head to the locker room pic.twitter.com/bh14teEBMh

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 12, 2026

The tear was diagnosed upon Curry undergoing an MRI examination after the game.

Curry’s absence for at least the next six games sends Warriors coach Steve Kerr and his staff into a nightmarish scramble, as it dramatically changes the offense.

Golden State does not have an ideal point guard behind Curry, so they’ll have to rely on a committee that includes Draymond Green, Yaxel Lendeborg, De’Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski. There is the likelihood that Brandon Williams, out with a mild hamstring strain, will recover before Curry.

For now, Melton likely moves into the starting lineup, joining Podziemski in the backcourt. They were a frequent pairing in the second half of last season when Curry missed 27 games with runner’s knee. The Warriors were 9-18 while Curry was sidelined.

Both Melton and Podziemski are playing at a higher level than they did last season, but Curry’s absence poses a different kind of challenge.

The biggest difference between this season and last is that Lendeborg is on the roster. The rookie already is tasked with orchestrating the offense when Curry is off the floor, and now those duties get considerably heavier.
Lendeborg provided a glimpse of what’s to come Wednesday night, raising his aggression on offense and finishing with a game-high 25 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.

But there is no “replacement” for what Curry brings. He’s having a marvelous start, particularly for a 38-year-old in his 18th season. He went into Houston averaging 30.6 points per game, shooting 50.3 percent from the field, including 45.7 percent from deep – and 98.7 percent from the line. His accuracy rivals that of the 2015-16 season when he was the only unanimous MVP in NBA history.

Buckle up, Dub Nation. Health is the No. 1 concern for these Warriors, and it’s already slowing their progress.

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