We’re one step closer to getting Kam Williams back on the court for Kentucky Basketball.

With the regular season only four days away, Mark Pope spoke with the media and provided an overall positive update on the junior wing. 

“For him, it’s day-to-day. We’re operating under such extreme caution that it’s going to be when he’s ready,” said Pope of Williams. “I don’t expect to see him touch the floor on Tuesday. That’s for sure. And then we’ll kind of go day by day.

“We’re in a little bit of terrain where anytime you have a Jones fracture, and you have a setback like you did, you just have to operate with extreme caution. That’s the space we’re operating in. So, we’re going to require every light to be green before we put him on the court for a game.”

Williams will bring an immediate impact once he hits the floor in the blue and white. Pope believes Williams will be a piece they can add to the team without adjustments and will bring a boost right away. “As this team grows, at some point Kam’s going to jump in and he’s going to give us another huge boost.”

We won’t see the 6-foot-7 forward in the season opener, but optimism continues to grow every day that we’ll get to see him pretty soon.

Following the Manhattan opener, Kentucky will host James Madison in Rupp Arena three days later; could that be Williams’ season debut? The game after that will be the following Tuesday, November 10, against the Kansas Jayhawks in Chicago, Illinois. That game under the bright lights would be quite the first game back, but it feels like one of those games may line up for Williams’ return to the hardwood. 

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On Friday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to right the ship. This is not a sentence I ever thought I’d be typing after such a promising 3-0 start to the 2026-27 season.

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Game Info

• Who: Minnesota Timberwolves (3-2) vs Los Angeles Clippers (1-3)
• Where: Target Center – Minneapolis, Minnesota
• When: Friday, October 30 at 7:30pm CT
• TV: DAZN-MIN | KARE 11
• Radio: 830 WCCO

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Now sitting at 3-2, the Wolves welcome the Los Angeles Clippers to the Target Center for Minnesota’s second consecutive home game and Western Conference matchup of the season. Wednesday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors did not go as planned, though there were some signs of life in the second half that will ideally give the team some hope in the early throes of Anthony Edwards’ absence.

This is, of course, not to say that there are not issues for the Wolves to clean up. The increasingly fraught temperament of the fanbase could use a decisive victory over a far-inferior team to boost morale after two consecutive close losses. The pressure of the much-esteemed NBA Cup aside, the Clippers could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Friday will be my first game in the Target Center this season. Here are a few things I’m going to be looking out for.

C’mon, Do Something (Rudy Gobert)

I can think of a few clips that summarize Rudy Gobert’s performance over the last few games, but none seem more apropos than Nathan Fielder’s line: “I hope you’re hungry…for nothing.”

While he’s not known for his offense, Gobert is routinely among the league’s leaders in field goal percentage. Just last season he led the league by shooting 68.2% from the floor. That makes his zero for 13 shooting over the last two games all the more appalling.

It’s not like Rudy has had close misses, either. He’s throwing up layups that don’t even hit the rim. He’s launching three-pointers like he’s Karl-Anthony Towns. I excused his game against the Cleveland Cavaliers because he contributed a whopping 20 rebounds, but on Wednesday against the Warriors, he was a complete nonfactor. It feels like Gobert is beginning to lose the plot, and he needs to turn it around quickly if the Timberwolves are going to have a chance to stay afloat.

The only proven rim protection that Los Angeles offers comes in the well-aged body of Brook Lopez. Gobert is no spring chicken himself, though if there were ever a game for him to assert himself offensively it would be this one. 

I’d mentioned in my last recap following the Cavaliers that backup center Joan Beringer was making a case for more minutes and that they would likely come at the expense of Trey Lyles as the season drags on. If Gobert does not contribute positively, expect the noise surrounding his playing time to grow.

LaMelo needs to Ball

I write a lighthearted headline for this section, but I maintain a serious point: LaMelo Ball needs to be better.

Ball, like Gobert, started this season hot but has cooled off over the last two games. The highlight plays are less enchanting when they do not contribute to winning. While Ball is racking up close to his usual assist numbers (6.6 per game), he’s currently averaging a career high in turnovers (3.8, also in the 2023-24 season) and a career low in points (13.4). 

I’ll stop short of saying the trade naysayers were right – there is a lot of season left. Ball was not brought to the Timberwolves to be the guy, but with the void of Edwards hovering over the roster like a Halloween spectre Ball has to be the guy. It’s not like Minnesota doesn’t have other guys that can put the ball in the hoop, but Ball is the orchestrator of this team. With Ant out, the team will go as he goes. This is his time to prove something.

If Ball wants to rewrite his career narrative of not being a winning player, he has the next two months to produce wins and helm a team culture that showcases itself as sustainable and positive. There can’t be more arguments with Gobert on the sideline. There cannot be more silly turnovers in clutch situations. Ball has to become a more efficient scorer and limit his turnovers; he has to play like the veteran he is.

Against the Clippers, former Wolves legend Kris Dunn is likely to give Ball fits. Dunn plays a physical and aggressive defensive game, and if Ball lets that pressure get to him he may be in for another poor performance. The onus will be on Ball to remain composure and take care of the basketball.

Freedom and flair are inherently woven into Ball’s playstyle. If he can find more of a balance between the qualities that make him great and ones that are more up-to-par with the professional game, he will lead the Wolves to success over the next two months.

Live Up to the Hype

Multiple things have been working against Minnesota over the last two games: Ball and Gobert have executed poorly, the free-throw shooting has been abysmal, and the team looks like it hasn’t been able to close out clutch games.

Perhaps lost in the discourse about the two game losing streak (Edwards injury news aside) is that the Timberwolves have already played a ton of games this year. After Wednesday night’s matchup against the Warriors concluded, the Wolves had played five games in just seven days. That’s a busy start to a fresh season that has seen plenty of injuries accrue league-wide. It is fair to speculate that fatigue may have been playing a role in the recent performances.

With still legitimate championship aspirations, Minnesota cannot afford to have sluggish and tired halves like the first half of the game against Golden State. Fatigue can be an explanation, though it cannot be an excuse. With as deep as the Wolves bench is supposed to be, Chris Finch needs to be more attentive to rotating guys through the lineup in order to keep players fresh. This two-game homestand will do wonders for the team’s rest, though the results need to be shown in the win column.

As previously mentioned, there were signs of life in the second half against the Warriors. Finch deployed Jaylen Clark to stop the nuclear performance of Stephen Curry to great success (+8 in just seven minutes of play). Beringer had another efficient game with seven points (three for three shooting) and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes of play. Bones Hyland had an efficient night scoring the basketball with 13 points (four for seven from the field, three for six 3P) in just 16 minutes of play. Hell, even Trey Lyles finished the game at a +7 across his 21 minutes. It’s not all doom and gloom.

For a Timberwolves team that is braggadocious about depth and roster flexibility, they have two months to prove that they can live up to this billing. They’ve gotten some tough losses out of the way.

As Calvin’s (from Calvin & Hobbes) dad would say, these losses build character. Now it’s time to put that character to work.

Help me, Obi “1” Kenobi. You’re my only hope.

There hasn’t been a lot for Jordan Ott and the Phoenix Suns to hang their hat on after stumbling out of the gate in the 2026-27 season, and the Rebellion’s greatest warrior has been on a milk carton since the Suns’ forgettable series against the Thunder.

A young leader desperate to find a counter to the overpowering weaponry of the Western Conference sends out a desperate plea for points, shots, and leadership, and a little bit of give of shit. But Obi “1” goes by Obi “15” now, and after his performance against the undermanned Thunder team, we can probably just call him Ben. A veteran who has come through many battles, from opening skirmishes of the bubble, to the Suns in 4 offensive, to the ill-conceived Bay of Bradley Beal that set back 19 million dollars through the 29 season. Our boy is tested, but possibly tiring. Luckily, the Suns have on their roster a new hope who, with the right tutor, time, and developmental plan, has the potential to wield a power even greater than Ben’s.

To be upfront, I haven’t exactly been pushing the pom-poms for Jalen Green since his arrival in the Valley as a player Houston was trying to discard after drafting him with the second overall pick. In the offseason, I wrote about five possible trades for Jalen Green, and if pressed, I could probably find another ten.

His contract size, youth, and potential make for a lot of exciting possibilities for mock trades. I, like almost every Phoenix Suns fan I’ve interacted with, was devastated when the Suns were forced to trade Kevin Durant and when that trade went through Brooks was the player the Suns wanted, and Jalen Green is the player the Rockets forced the Suns to take but since his explosive defensive effort in the play in win against Golden State to his early improvements in efficiency on offense my heart is beginning to thaw towards Jalen Green. Now, everyone wants him gone or thinks he should come off the bench. I don’t see that for Jalen Green, but if I don’t like what the Suns see for Jalen Green.

Jalen Green needs to make better decisions when he’s driving to the hoop. Jalen Green doesn’t need to be turned into a point guard or become a facilitator. One of these goals is asking Jalen Green to be a better Jalen Green. It improves Jalen’s efficiency, reduces turnovers, and makes the Suns harder to defend. The other goal is asking Jalen Green to be a different Jalen Green. It increases his cognitive load, puts him in spaces where he feels uncertain, and limits his impact as a scorer.

Jalen Green is an Uber-athlete. Regardless of the sport, when a team has an elite athlete, they can only fully utilize that athlete’s athleticism when they play instinctively. The more the Suns ask Jalen Green to process, the less they are going to get out of his explosiveness. The Sun’s have rostered themselves into a corner where they are going to need to ask players to sacrifice and to take on different roles than the roles they’ve previously played but they really need to reflect on who they are asking to sacrifice, and what they are potentially losing.

Ben can’t fight this war alone. Even in the ancient battles, Obi “1” had heroes standing next to him. Elite warriors. All-stars. All-time greats. Those Suns are gone, chased into retirement, or traded away to the dark side, but the question remains. How can the Suns put a second all-star around Devin Booker?

He almost had one last year, and the Book and Brooks tandem provided a stellar Cinderella season when hope was non-existent. The Villain’s star is dimming and was never quite bright enough to guide the Suns to the promised land of postseason success. The Villain is great, but Jalen Green’s light burns brighter. It’s not particularly close.

Skim the Suns’ roster and tell me who the second all-star could be? All fingers have to land on Jalen Green, who has the burst to collapse even the best defenses and could be one of the premier advantage creators in the NBA if he could figure out what to do when he gets in the lane. Jalen needs to improve his decision-making if he wants to take a step towards an all-star bid, but the good news is that Jalen wants to learn. Jalen wants to get better. Jalen wants to be legendary, and he does it with a smile while the Twitterati knife him in the back like it’s March in Ancient Rome.

What has Jalen Green done to deserve the outrage of a desperate fanbase? Nothing short of being a great teammate, accepting a clearly miscast role as the primary facilitator, and seeking out a Suns legend to help him try and get there.

And get there, he might. If the Suns let him be the player he’s supposed to be. Now, let me clear up some misconceptions about Jalen Green and his role on this Suns team.

Devin Booker is the point guard, and Jalen Green is the shooting guard when they share the floor together. Devin Booker could best serve this team by taking on the CP3 to Green’s Young Booker. Cp3 had the ball all game, but he knew when to pick his spots to score. Booker is having trouble with top defenses like the Thunder camping out on his midrange spots, ready to swipe the ball out of his hands. Let the young legs of Jalen Green drive into the gauntlet. Allow Booker to utilize his basketball IQ and gravity to get the Suns into the right positions. Focus your developmental efforts on teaching Green how to read the defense better on drives. Cut down the turnovers, pump up the open shots. Then, when the ball gets kicked out, it’s a pass away from getting it to Devin Booker to attack a defense in rotation, rather than finding Bridges, Brooks, or Green for a contested step-back. Allow Jalen Green to be the engine of the offense, and Devin Booker to be the steering wheel.

The Suns don’t have the money to sign a bona fide all-star or the trade capital to acquire one if they want to keep Book, so if they want to win a playoff series, they are going to need to create one. That player on the team with an all-star ceiling Jalen Green. If the Suns are serious about making this roster work, Jalen Green needs to be their new SG1. There’s no other path.

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Throughout Kevin Durant’s illustrious career, every team he’s been on has depended on him to win games. Durant is a former MVP, scoring champion, 18-time All-Star, and two-time NBA champion. With a resume like that, it is obvious he’s been, if not the best player on the team, then one of the top two wherever he’s played.

From entering the league with the Seattle Supersonics, who later moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder, to the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and now the Houston Rockets, Durant has carried the weight of the NBA on his shoulders. Even though it didn’t always end with a championship, Durant has been one of, if not the most consistent, players every season.

In fact, Durant has shot 50-40-80 every season since the 2011-12 season with the Thunder. That level of excellence comes with a lot of pressure. Over his 19 previous seasons, Durant has finished each season taking 17 shots or more a game except for one: his first year with the Warriors, who, of course, had players like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

What makes Durant special is that he never needed to take a lot of shots to impact a game. As mentioned earlier, when you are as efficient as Durant, you can have the same impact taking only 12 shots in a game as most players taking 20.

Of course, the more shots you take, the more energy you have to use to get open and get to your spot on the court. No matter how great a player you are, it takes a toll on you throughout a season, especially as you get closer to the end of your career.

When Durant first came to the Rockets as part of a blockbuster trade during the 2025 offseason, he expected he wouldn’t have to take on as much responsibility as he did with the Phoenix Suns. Those plans changed when the Rockets learned right before the season that their point guard, Fred VanVleet, had suffered a major injury before training camp.

That forced both Alperen Sengun and Durant to take on more playmaking responsibilities throughout the season. As the season went on, teams began to double, sometimes triple, Durant as soon as he crossed half-court and received the ball, which put a lot of pressure on him to create offense for the Rockets.

That also led to a stagnant offense at times, where defenses dared other players to beat them, and his teammates couldn’t take advantage of four-on-three situations after Durant gave up the ball. Since Durant had to be the main cog on the offensive end, he also played the second most minutes in the NBA last season, something Ime Udoka didn’t want to happen, but the lack of playmaking left him no choice. At times, Udoka could not hide his frustration.

“Take a 37 year old out the game for two minutes and you lose a 13 point lead an 11-0 run that’s what went wrong.” pic.twitter.com/qinjugXIDB

— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) January 10, 2026

This season, however, that has not been the case; even though it has only been Kevin Durant taking a career low in field goal attempts, and that is perfect for the Rockets, in five games, Durant has not had to be the Rocket initiating the offense every play or scoring 30-plus points for them to secure a victory.

Kevin Durant is taking a career low in field goal attempts, and that is perfect for the Rockets

The Rockets are off to their best start in over a decade, and a big part of that is the balance this year’s team has across the board. Sengun is off to the best start of his career, Jabari Smith has continued to improve in his fifth season, Amen Thompson is playing at an All-Star level, and, most importantly, Fred VanVleet is back at point guard, letting everyone slide back into their natural positions on the court.

So far through five games, Durant is taking only 12.6 shots a game, which is by far a career low, but the Rockets are still 5-0 because his teammates have stepped up from the above-mentioned starters to the role players like Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, and Bogdan Boganovich.

Peso from the corn3r 🎱 pic.twitter.com/zIKexTcHJA

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 29, 2026

That doesn’t even include Marcus Smart, the Rockets’ other offseason addition, who has played only one game so far this season and will provide another ball-handling guard who can initiate the offense. Fewer responsibilities affect several areas for Durant.

Durant is currently able to play fewer minutes; he is averaging 34.4 minutes, two fewer than last season. It also lets him focus more energy on the defensive end, where he has been the Rockets’ best shot blocker so far this season.

That’s not to say Durant won’t have games where he takes 25 shots or even over, but they don’t need that every night. Some may feel that Durant has to be the leading scorer or take the most shots because he is Kevin Durant, but Durant and the Rockets understand that if they want to bring the first NBA Championship back to Houston since 1995, they need everyone to raise their game so that Durant doesn’t always have to be “The Guy”.

It’s hard to get the internet sports community to agree on anything these days, but the Miami Heat’s statue of Dwyane Wade brought about a rare level of consensus opinion. The Heat unveiled their Wade statue about two years ago as they were beginning the 2024-25 season, and absolutely everyone agreed it was terrible. The statue was so bad that Wade himself struggled to defend it, saying the statue didn’t need to look like him to capture an artistic moment. That’s a nice spin from a company man, but it didn’t stop anyone from getting their jokes off.

The Heat heard the slander, and years later, and they’ve finally done something about it. Miami updated the Wade statue outside of the Kaseya Center to actually make it look like D-Wade. The face on the statue was redesigned over the offseason, and it’s a big upgrade. Here’s a before and after photo of the Wade statue, with the updated version on the left and the old version on the right.

DWYANE WADE GOT A UPDATE TO HIS STATUE 🚨 pic.twitter.com/0UWsgK1Bra

— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) October 30, 2026

Heat fans admitted they were unreasonably angry about the initial version of the statue, and it makes sense. Wade put the team on his back to lead them to the 2006 NBA championship early in his career, and then helped recruit LeBron James and Chris Bosh to South Beach, which brought the franchise two more titles. The Heat did him dirty on the initial statue, but at least they cared enough to fix it.

Here are some more looks at the updated statue:

The Dwyane Wade statue in front of the Kaseya Center has officially had a revamping with a new head and face. The original sculptors worked with Wade’s approval over the last few months to make it look more like him. pic.twitter.com/OnOn0i2O6C

— Will Manso (@WillManso) October 30, 2026

The Heat have had a rough start to the season, but it’s only been a few games. Miami finally got its first win of the Giannis Antetokounmpo era earlier this week, and fixing the statue feels like a good omen for the rest of the season. I wasn’t very high on the Heat coming into the season, but if they put the same care into their on-court product that they put into improving the Wade statue, they should be just fine.

Wade is the greatest player in Heat history, and I will accept no other argument. This man is the Miami Heat. He finally has a statue worthy of his ability as a player.

Cup Basketball is back, and with that…

…so are your reigning Champs.

Here’s a bunch of quotes before today’s affair.

2026 @emirates NBA Cup Group Play begins TONIGHT!

🏆 Brunson, NYK visit Maxey, PHI
🏆 #1 scorer Luka, LAL vs. #3 scorer Steph, GSW
🏆 HOU seeks 6-0 start, DAL seeks 3rd straight W
🏆 Joker coming off 200th triple-double
🏆 #1 pick Dybantsa coming off 19p debut pic.twitter.com/jg3jXM6pfx

— NBA (@NBA) October 30, 2026

Mike Brown

On Rick Brunson suggesting the Tyler Kolek-Jalen Brunson backcourt combination against Chicago:

“One of the things he suggested was throwing Kolek in the game with Jalen [Brunson].”

On Kolek’s performance in the Knicks’ comeback victory over the Bulls:

“Tyler had a big floor game for us.”

On Kolek’s role once Jose Alvarado return:

“Tyler is definitely going to keep playing while Jose is out. When he comes back, we’ll figure it out.”

Mariska Hargitay: "Detective Madison"

Jalen Brunson: "Hey captain"

Law & Order SVU promo pic.twitter.com/Ny1BftpwnR

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 30, 2026

Jalen Brunson

On the need for avoiding the opening-night mistakes that doomed the Knicks:

“We just need to obviously not do what we did [the last time we played them].”

Tyler Kolek to @patokeefe12 on

Playing with Brunson: "We played together last year stretches, great guy to play off…Obv 2 smaller guards so I have to compete on D but I'm willing to do anything"

Clutch: We're a veteran group…ECF, Finals…tight game, we're gonna get it done" pic.twitter.com/wBTDPKwbq2

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 29, 2026

Tyler Kolek

On avoiding turnovers and making smarter decisions as the Knicks’ backup point guard:

“Not trying to make the home run play. Just trying to get us in the offense, get the best shot for our team. It’s about being more mature in my game. Trying to take care of the ball, that’s what the team needs. When I go in there, I can’t be turning it over, I can’t be throwing it all over the floor. Got to get us in the offense, got to get us good shots.”

On playing alongside Jalen Brunson and benefiting from the defensive attention he attracts:

“We played together last season for stretches. He’s a great guy to play off. They’re going to double-team him, you get open shots.”

On the defensive challenges of playing in a two-point-guard lineup and staying ready for opportunities:

“Obviously it’s two smaller guards, so I have to compete harder on defense.

“You guys have seen [the double point guard]. It’s been successful in stretches, with Jose in the playoffs. With me a little bit in the NBA Cup. And then a couple games sprinkled in. But when coach is searching, trying to find something, everybody on the bench has to be ready for any situation.”

Shams Charania

On Karl-Anthony Towns’ willingness to accept a discount:

“He will sign for less than his max contract. He’ll take a sizable discount. $70 plus million less, that’s something that he is not willing to do right now.”

Knicks 2018 lottery pick Kevin Knox—who has played for 6 NBA and 3 G League teams—now heads overseas

Knox has signed with Unicaja Málaga in the Spanish league pic.twitter.com/Xw5iFizvro

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 29, 2026

There isn’t a whole lot you can complain about the Pistons start to the season. They sit at an East-best 4-1 and got through the brutal start to their schedule with a 3-1 record. This is all despite missing Jalen Duren for half of the games and key rotation players like Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Joe for a couple.

The Brooklyn Nets are 0-4, but they have been sneakily competitive this season with their only blowout loss being a 27-point loss to the Indiana Pacers. They are coming off a buzzer beating loss to the Boston Celtics in overtime on Tuesday.

It is tough to make definitive judgments on a team early in the season, but I feel like Brooklyn could be one of those teams that doesn’t win a lot of games, but makes it tough on you every time you face them.

The Pistons have a good shot at winning their group in the NBA Cup, but I definitely wouldn’t call this game an “easy” win.

Game Vitals

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
When: Friday, October 30 at 7:30 pm EST
Watch: TV20 Detroit or DAZN (streaming)
Odds: Pistons (-7.5)

Analysis

An underrated factor to this game is that the Brooklyn Nets were able to fly home from Boston after their overtime heartbreaker on Tuesday and have been home since then while the Pistons had to fly from New York, back to Detroit for a home game against Charlotte, and then back to New York for this game. They at least have a day of rest for this game, which should help, but having to travel that much in a 3-day span is not great.

This is very much could be a trap game given the travel-related factors and the fact that the Nets have been a pretty feisty team this season despite their 0-4 record. The Nets have a pretty good mix of developing young players and veterans that make things easier for them, so I feel like they will be a tough out every night, even if their record is one of the worst in the league.

The two veterans that are the big threats are Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. Both have kind of been sent to rot in Brooklyn by their former teams, but Porter put together an impressive season last year and continues to be one of the biggest off-ball shooting threats in the league. Randle’s game is what it is at this point, but he has the ability to take on a pretty heavy offensive burden and allow the younger guys to focus on taking the easy shots.

One of the young players we will miss out on seeing is last year’s highest of their many first round picks, Egor Demin, who suffered a leg injury in the overtime loss to the Celtics. The Nets still have other improving young players like 1st round pick Mikel Brown Jr. and Nolan Traore, who has shown some flashes in his 2nd season.

I have faith that the Pistons will be able to slow down the Brooklyn Nets on the defensive end, as they have only given up 98 points per game over the last three games. But, in those three games they have only averaged 100 points per game. Without their 2nd offensive threat in Jalen Duren as well as a drop off in shooting from Duncan Robinson and no Isaiah Joe, the free flowing offense that hit a lot of threes to start out the season is now temporarily missing in action (hopefully).

Luckily for the Pistons, there is a chance that Isaiah Joe returns tonight and their schedule over the next couple weeks while Jalen Duren is out is not as difficult as the gauntlet they started the season out with.

But, as long as the Pistons have Cade Cunningham, they have a chance in any game. Cade finally broke out of his quiet start to the season to the tune of 30 points against Charlotte on Wednesday. He hit multiple clutch shots along with Daniss Jenkins to seal the game. With how much the Pistons have struggled to create offense without Jalen Duren, I expect the Jenkins-Cade backcourt to get a few more looks since both players can handle the ball and create a bit for others.

That’s not to say that we haven’t gotten that look before, as JB Bickerstaff has employed it a few times this season, but Jenkins is a player that had his best moments last season when he got a lot of minutes, so it is worth riding the hot hand.

If there is one factor that is in Brooklyn’s favor in this game, it is their frontcourt size. Paul Reed has done a fantastic job filling in for Jalen Duren, but he is a bit undersized for a full-time starting center. Brooklyn has Day’Ron Sharpe, Julius Randle, and Michael Porter Jr. in their starting frontcourt and all three are 6’9” or above. The only one of those three that can be classified as a “good” defender is Sharpe, but all of them are good rebounders so I could see the Nets having an advantage on the glass.

At full health, it is difficult to see a world where the Pistons lose this game, but without Jalen Duren to provide a bit more offensive punch and possibly not having Isaiah Joe, this could end up being another ugly game for the Pistons that they have to win with their defense.

Lineups

Brooklyn Nets (0-4): Mikel Brown Jr, Nolan Traore, Michael Porter Jr, Julius Randle, Day’Ron Sharpe

Detroit Pistons (4-1): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren

Question of the Day

Do you think the Pistons continue to win ugly or do they finally break out of their offensive slump?

PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Brunson is even winning awards behind enemy lines. 

He was named the Professional Athlete of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. The announcement came just hours before Brunson and the Knicks were set to play the 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena Friday night, the second matchup between the two teams already this season after the Knicks dropped the season opener at Madison Square Garden. 

Brunson, a South Jersey native, played collegiately nearby at Villanova. He roots for Philly sports teams, especially the Eagles. 

But he is now the captain of one of Philly’s top rivals – a Knicks team that has tormented the 76ers in recent years, including a dominant sweep in the second round of the playoffs last year en route to a championship. It’s an honor that is sure to anger 76ers and Philly sports fans. 

“What Jalen Brunson accomplished this past year has been nothing short of remarkable,” PSWA president Mike Shute said in the announcement. “His skill, his leadership and his connection to the Philadelphia basketball community all make him a deserving recipient of this honor. 

“He plays his best basketball when the stakes are the highest and has led his teams to championships at every level.” 

There is no doubt Brunson is connected to the Philly basketball community. 

Currently, though, that connection comes at Philly’s expense. 

Someone really should approach Will Wade and LSU about starting a reality show. Look at what’s gone on there just this week:

First, the Reese Alston recruitment. Alston’s father, former NBA star Rafer, absolutely slammed Wade a few days ago for the recruitment of his son, saying this: “I’m disgusted by how this whole process has played out. Will Wade has operated in a disgusting manner. He is a sleazeball of an individual. I know there was a back alley deal involving PUMA, in which money was accepted without my authorization.”

Wade allegedly cut a deal with Reese’s mother, who presumably will be signing the grant-in-aid, given Rafer’s disgust with Wade.

Then there’s the RJ Luis situation, which, at this point, is pure comedy.

Wade, pushing the limits as always, recruited RJ Luis for a fifth season, despite Luis’s brief NBA dalliance, during which he signed more than one contract.

This was part of why the SEC got angry enough at LSU to threaten to kick them out of the conference.

Now, Luis’s attorney,  Tony Clayton Jr,. having won a temporary restraining order that will allow his client to play, and that also prevents the SEC from punishing LSU for now, are taking it a step further: if Wade doesn’t roster Luis and then play him, Clayton will take him to court and ask the judge to hold him in constructive contempt.

In Louisiana, the penalties for that are $1,000 dollars, which is trivial, and up to 6 months in jail, which is anything but.

Clayton said this about Wade: “I’m telling you we’re going to use the long arm of the law to force Will Wade to play him because I’m not going to allow these folks to play musical chairs. We would bring in Coach Wade and move to hold him in constructive contempt. I would not advise anyone to be in contempt of court. This judge is real.”

In case you missed it, Clayton is telling Wade he has to actually play Luis. So what happens if Wade puts him in for 30 seconds? Will that suffice? Or will Clayton demand a certain number of minutes? Is he now a functional member of the coaching staff?

Just as a side note, Clayton, who clearly has a bit of flair, compared SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey to North Korean strong man Kim Jong Un.

Wade is now having to balance the SEC’s very real threats vs. potential jail time.

Not surprisingly, Wade is not sticking his neck out in public, and refused to comment on Luis’s eligibility.

At the end of the day, we wonder about a couple of things: first, what exactly happened between Wade and Reese Alston’s mother. When the transfer portal and paying players came to pass, we said that we didn’t know how, but that members of the Situational Ethics Conference would find new ways to cheat. It won’t surprise us in the slightest if Wade leads the way on that.

And second, what must the braintrust at NC State be thinking? They were angry when Wade abandoned Raleigh to return to LSU. At this point, though, they must be breathing a sigh of relief that the Music Man, predictably, skipped town and took his chaotic show to Baton Rouge.

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NBA and Take-Two’s Rookie Dinner series dropped their latest which happens to feature the story of the moment: Yaxel Lendeborg. Oakland’s own Drew Gooden and San Jose’s Aaron Gordon break bread with the new sensation at Berkeley’s Everett and Jones.

Yaxel talks about his mom’s cancer being a motivator for his involvement in donating and raising the profile of cancer fundraisers and research.

Among the bits of wisdom Gooden and Gordon impart:

• Rookies aren’t hazed the way they used to be
• It’s hard to replicate the one for all, all for one, sacrifice your numbers to win nature of college in the pros
• The pro game is a lot more zero sum
• “Don’t get bip’d… and don’t bap.”
• “Just stay with it. There are some freaks in this league. Real monsters in this league. This sh*t will humble you.”
• “The more you give out, the more that comes back around.”
• “You don’t want to take work home with you.” — meditation, reading… maybe go down to Half Moon Bay.

Yaxel’s most notable reactions:

• Hearing about how rookies used to be hazed
• Hearing about AAU
• Learning the definitions of “bip’d” and “bap’d.”
• Aaron Gordon praising his game.

Then, Mistah F.A.B. drops by to join the chorus, confirming the bip-bap lesson but also dapping up the rookie. He, Gordon, and Gooden were all impressed by his real work experience, too, and think that’s what’ll make him a success in the league.

Mistah F.A.B. also advised him on how to help out with the community: “Just be authentic. Don’t even come in with the cameras.” This is great advice. Then he calls Too $hort for some more advice. So, if you’re a $hort completist, check out this video, because it’s canon. So, Mistah F.A.B., Too $hort, Drew Gooden, Aaron Gordon: this is a group of people who’ve forgotten more about the Bay than a lot of Northern Californians learn in a lifetime.

Yaxel then poses a question: “How did you deal with your success and your fame? Stay humble, stay who you are and, like, still be able to remain the same to your friends and those around you?” Some of the advice he gets back:

• It’s very materialistic in the NBA in those early days. Just take care of your family.

• “A pure heart is all that matters… when you come from certain humble beginnings, man, only time I’m going back there is if I’m coming to help.”

The biggest thing I learned is that he grew up a baseball guy, which just goes to show why I like him so much. He also communicated how much he did not want to follow in his mom’s footsteps doing manual labor. He feels as genuine and down to earth here as he has in other public appearances.

But beyond this video, the podcast and online chatter, I’ve also learned that his popularity is spreading quickly IRL. Two nights ago, I was seated for a screening for the limited release of a restoration of the 1971 Ken Russell film The Devils and in the theater — there were maybe 25-30 people in attendance — somebody came in wearing a Lendeborg Warriors jersey. 376 miles away from Chase Center and he’s making an impression beyond talking trash about Luka Dončić.

They’ll face off again later tonight.

Jalen Brunson, NBA champ and, officially, actor.

The Knicks guard plays a detective in a new “Law & Order SVU” trailer that released on Friday.

Brunson appears opposite the show’s megastar, Mariska Hargitay, who plays Captain Olivia Benson in the long-running NBC police drama.

The pair are close friends and the actress is a diehard Knicks fan, as well as a staple on Celebrity Row at Madison Square Garden.

“Detective Madison,” Benson says in the trailer.

“Hey captain,” Madison, portrayed by Brunson, wearing a detective badge around his neck responds with a smile.

Episode 5 of Season 28 centers around an assault of a wedding guest at the reception.

“Benson and the squad uncover a secret that changes the course of the investigation; [DA Sonny] Carisi’s pursuit of justice becomes increasingly complicated when key witnesses refuse to cooperate,” the episode description reads.

Both Brunson and Hargitay teased his cameo on multiple occasions after the Knicks beat the Spurs in the NBA Finals to secure their first championship in 53 years.

Margitay first revealed their plan to have Brunson on “Law & Order SVU” during an appearance on the “Today Show” in August.

The Emmy-winning actress was a guest star on the “Roommates Show” live show — the weekly podcast hosted by Brunson and Knicks teammate Josh Hart — when the Knicks stars took the show experience to Randall’s Island Park in New York in September.

Hargitay was also on the Knicks’ championship bus during their victory parade in New York on June 18.

The “Law & Order SVU” episode with Brunson, entitled “Forsaken,” with Brunson will air on Nov. 5 at 9 p.m. on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

Doug Christie reportedly not on hot seat despite Kings' 0-5 start to the season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings fell to 0-5 to start the 2026-27 NBA season after a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and have found themselves in a deep hole. Despite the rough start, though, it appears that coach Doug Christie’s job is safe.

The winless start created rumblings that Christie is on the hot seat, but according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the franchise has no plans to make any changes, at least in the immediate future.

“Even before Thursday night’s game in New Orleans, a 132-120 loss against the previously 0-4 Pelicans that dropped the Kings to 0-5, there was a growing sense around the league that Christie might already be on the hot seat,” Amick wrote. “Especially if the Kings didn’t find a way to win on this four-game road trip that still includes games against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday and Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Yet according to a team source with knowledge of the Kings’ plans, that’s not the case.

“Per the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because these matters aren’t typically discussed publicly, there is an internal belief that Christie deserves a fair chance to be evaluated with a team that is much healthier than this current Kings lot. From Ben Simmons (torn right Achilles tendon, out for the season) to Keegan Murray (left ankle), Maxime Raynaud (right knee) and Dylan Cardwell (left calf), the Kings have been without several players who were expected to play pivotal parts in Christie’s rotation.”

Christie is in his second full season as the Kings’ coach and was tasked with overseeing a rebuild. The Kings have one playoff appearance over the last 20 seasons and came into this season with a young roster. Headlined by rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., second-year big man Maxime Raynaud and veteran big man Domantas Sabonis, the team is still trying to establish a consistent core.

It doesn’t help that the team is dealing with several injuries, with Raynaud sidelined due to a knee injury he sustained in the preseason and guard Ben Simmons out for the season with a torn Achilles. Christie’s leadership has been vital for player development, and the expectation is that when the team gets some guys back, they will find their footing.

Acuff Jr. in particular has shown promise, averaging 24 points, 6.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds through five games. He is coming off his best game of the season to date, scoring 34 points and registering 14 assists in the 132-120 loss to the Pelicans.

The Kings are desperate for a win and hope that their first one comes in their next game against the 5-0 Memphis Grizzlies. Traveling to Memphis, tip-off is scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m.

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2026 has been the year of Jalen Brunson. Shooting Stars champions, Conference Finals MVP, championship, Finals MVP, multiple ESPYs, and numerous media appearances, including Saturday Night Live and an upcoming appearance on his favorite show, Law and Order. But he’s not done yet. On Friday morning, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that the point guard had been named the Professional Athlete of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. 

Jalen Brunson has been named athlete of the year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association pic.twitter.com/3ifUNTyFkH

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 30, 2026

The press release released by the association, which consists of 17 members, highlights his incredible performance, ability to deliver in the clutch, and his leadership. 

“His skill, his leadership, and his connection to the Philadelphia basketball community all make him a deserving recipient of this honor. He plays his best when the stakes are the highest and has led his teams to championships at every level.” Mike Shute, president of the PSWA, said. “We are pleased to present him with this honor, as he joins a list of past winners such as Carl Lewis, Muhammad Ali, Wilt Chamberlain and Mike Schmidt.”

Brunson, who famously played at Villanova, will be honored at the 122nd Annual PSWA Awards Banquet next year on January 11th at the University of Pennsylvania. Funnily enough, the announcement also comes just hours before the Knicks take on the 76ers to kick off the 2026 NBA Cup. 

After handily defeating a shorthanded Magic team, the Raptors are gearing up to square off for the second game of the season series, with more on the line than before.

After mutilating Orlando by 30 points, Toronto should feel confident with them as their first opponent of Group Play, which decides who’s able to enter the seeding of the tournament bracket. The Raptors made the Knockout Round last year, but were defeated in the quarter-finals by the eventual champions, the New York Knicks.

If the Raptors’ last game was any indication, getting back to the Knockout Round looks to be extremely likely this year, as their lineups of opponents will be the Orlando Magic, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons, and finally, the Brooklyn Nets.

The only team in the group that appears to be near the calibre of Toronto in this group is the Detroit Pistons, who have the potential to give the Raptors a lot of trouble with their centre play. Other than that, the Raptors should steamroll the other three matchiups, even without Kawhi Leonard.

Toronto has only two players missing tonight’s game, those being Leonard, and centre Nate Bittle. Bittle is a rookie who has not yet seen NBA playing time, and seeing how he’ll slot into the Raptors’ rotation will be interesting, as Rajaković has noted that “everything is on the table” for players at that position.

Orlando’s injury situation is quite another story. They’re without five players, a number of them starters, most notably Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs. Jonathan Isaac is also sidelined, as well as forwards Noah Penda and Izaiyah Nelson.

While victory is never guaranteed, the Raptors should take this game as an opportunity to bolster their new lineup with Ja’Kobe Walter starting, giving the players more reps with the shooter now that he’s playing an even larger role on the team. As well, this game will hopefully be the one in which Jakob Poeltl is able to demonstrate his capabilities.

His coach has done a lot to stand beside Poeltl throughout a very difficult start to the season for the big man, whose offensive production has plummeted, in large part as a result of his attempting less than two field goals per game this season. Evidently, the team is sticking by their guy, but this means that whatever the reason for Poeltl not taking more shots — coaching schemes, anxiety, or otherwise — needs to be overcome.

Outside of the horrific zero-point showing against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Scottie Barnes has looked like an All-Star this season, averaging more than 20 points and already having notched his first double-double of the season against the Washington Wizards.

SHOWTIME SCOTTIE BARNES 😱 pic.twitter.com/jjhdThzhar

— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2026

His massive 360 dunk last game has gone viral, with more than 300,000 views on the NBA’s Twitter page alone, and it’s brief moments like these that remind you that Barnes is 25, a two-time All-Star, and in year six of his NBA career. The Raptors have a *guy* that’s not named Kawhi Leonard, who is (excluding the Wolves game) putting together an impressive start to the season.

The Magic game tonight gives the Raptors the opportunity to tighten up their new lineup ahead of a three game road trip mostly in the Western Conference, where the Raps will get their first look at this year’s Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and LA Clippers. Canadian comedian Nathan Fielder made the show “The Rehearsal” before the film “You Can See Everything,” and much like him, the Toronto Raptors will have an opportunity to rehearse before they have to see everything California and Colorado has in store for them.