Category: NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing their third game of the season against the Charlotte Hornets. They are 1-1 in their season series so far. Let’s take a look at what we should keep our eyes on tonight.

3PT Shooting

Last season, the Cavs were one of the top three-point shooting teams in the NBA. I’d argue that high-volume shooting and crisp ball movement were their identity. Now? Not so much.

Cleveland has gradually gone away from the three-point line after leading the league in attempts by a wide margin to start the season. The Cavs are now third in three-point attempts per game this season and have fallen to 13th over their last 15 games.

This is largely because the team has lost much of its three-point talent. Darius Garland, Sam Merrill and Max Strus haven’t been available. Ty Jerome, Caris LeVert, and Georges Niang are no longer on the roster. It’s hard to replicate last season when it simply isn’t the same roster.

That said, I’d like to see the Cavs re-establish themselves as a three-point shooting team. You don’t abandon the identity that made you a 64-win team last season just because the roster has changed. You stick to a process and figure out how to make it work.

Energy and Effort

I wish this weren’t such a theme this season, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. We might know the outcome of this game in the opening minutes.

Does it look like the Cavs are playing focused, high-effort basketball? Then they’ll win this game easily. But if we get to the second quarter and the team is disorganized, then get ready for a long night.

To their credit, Cleveland has been much more locked in than before. They’ve begun to turn their season around recently, even if a 32-point loss to the Thunder might make you feel otherwise. I have a reasonable amount of faith that the Cavs will approach this game with the appropriate energy.

Evan Mobley’s Usage

I’m going to make this last one simple. Evan Mobley, we need you to score 20+ points tonight. Or at least try to.

The Cavs have lacked offensive firepower this season. And, without Garland again in this matchup, they don’t have many options to turn to. There’s no reason why Mobley shouldn’t be thrust back into the spotlight and expected to carry them with his scoring.

Evan Mobley's FGAs have steadily dropped each month this season

OCT: 14.8 FGAs per game
NOV: 13.5 FGAs per game
DEC: 12.8 FGAs per game
JAN: 12.0 FGAs per game

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) January 20, 2026

Cleveland experimented with Mobley’s usage earlier in the season but quickly pulled the plug. That’s not good enough. This team doesn’t reach its ceiling if they don’t push Mobley out of his comfort zone. It’s a two-way street, of course. But an aggressive scoring game from Mobley is long overdue at this point.

The Dallas Mavericks’ rookie star and number one overall pick Cooper Flagg just played the 41^st game of his young career on Monday against the New York Knicks. His inaugural season has been a little interesting. Head coach Jason Kidd experimented with Flagg at point guard to open the season, a tough situation for any young player. The Mavericks’ odd lineups made it even tougher for the first year forward.

Kidd eventually pivoted away from that experiment and put Flagg at the forward spot, and things improved drastically. Flagg won Western Conference rookie of the month in both November and December, and looks to be in a tight race with Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year.

With half of his first season in the books, I wanted to look back at the last ten years of number one overall picks and see how Flagg compares. I compiled each number one pick’s basic counting stats—field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and 3-pointers made. Slash stats are points/rebounds/assists per game. All stats are through a player’s first 41 games of their career, regardless of whether those first 41 games came in their rookie year or in later seasons.

2025: Cooper Flagg

48% FG, 29% 3P, 18.8/6.3/4.1, 1.3 steals, .8 blocks

Totals: 770 points, 257 rebounds, 170 assists, 52 steals, 32 blocks, 4o 3PM

Flagg didn’t land into the perfect situation. The Mavericks are still reeling from the Luka Doncic trade, left in an odd purgatory. The roster is built poorly, expensive, yet far from being a contender for much of anything besides the play-in tournament. Worse still, the best player on that awkwardly fit roster, Anthony Davis, is consistently injured. Yet the Mavericks haven’t made any moves toward rebuilding the team around Flagg.

Head coach Jason Kidd went full mad scientist and experimented with Flagg at point guard early in the season. With Davis in and out of the lineup, there’s been no consistent rotation. Trade rumors and the detritus from the Doncic trade still linger over the franchise.

Flagg’s first 41 games in the NBA haven’t been ideal. But he’s put up numbers just as good or better than several of the number one overall picks listed below.

2015: Karl-Anthony Towns

52% FG, 33% 3P, 15.6/9.5/1.2, .6 steals, 1.7 blocks

Totals: 638 points, 391 rebounds, 50 assists, 26 steals, 69 blocks, 11 3PM

Towns was a good scorer the first half of his rookie season, but really stood out on defense. He’s one of the better rebounders on this list, and is second only to Victor Wembanyama in blocks.

Flagg edges Towns in scoring and is a better playmaker early on, and has better on ball defense. He’s also a much better shooter (40 3pm through 41 games compared to Towns’ 11) than the self-proclaimed “best shooting big man in NBA history.”

2016: Ben Simmons

51% FG, 0% 3P, 16.6/8/7.2, 1.9 steals, .9 blocks

Totals: 679 points, 328 rebounds, 296 assists, 77 steals, 38 blocks, 0 3PM

Simmons’ career has derailed to a point where he is now a professional competitive fisherman (no really, he is), so it’s easy to forget what a stat-stuffing phenom he was early on. Simmons did a little of everything on the basketball court, except shoot 3’s.

The Sixers had a more coherent vision for their team when Simmons was drafted than the Mavericks currently do with Flagg on board. Simmons also missed his first season in the league, giving him a full calendar year of development that Flagg hasn’t had.

2017: Markelle Fultz

43% FG, 23% 3P, 8.2/3.1/3.4, 1 steal, .2 blocks

Totals: 337 points, 129 rebounds, 138 assists, 39 steals, 9 blocks, 8 3PM

Fultz didn’t get to his 41st career game until his third season in the league. Even with the extra time in the NBA to develop, his stats are unremarkable. Due to all his injuries and issues with his jump shot, it’s impressive that Fultz has been able to carve out a career that’s going on eight years in the league. It speaks to his mental toughness, despite whatever went wrong early on his career.

Needless to say, Flagg definitively had a better first half-year than Fultz.

2018: DeAndre Ayton

60% FG, 0% 3P, 16.7/6.8/2.2, .8 steals, .9 blocks

Totals: 686 points, 439 rebounds, 90 assists, 31 steals, 37 blocks, 0 3PM

Ayton was a good scorer the first half of his rookie season, but didn’t do much else. For a big man, his rebounding and block numbers are low. On the other hand, 2.2 assists per game is pretty good for a rookie center. Ayton’s stats through 41 games as a rookie are decent, but considering who was drafted after him (remember Luka Doncic?), you’d probably want more out of your number one pick.

Flagg has been asked to do more than Ayton was in his rookie year, and the play on the court, as well as the stats, shows it.

2019: Zion Williamson

59% FG, 36% 3P, 23.1/6.8/2.2, .8 steals, .4 blocks

Totals: 946 points, 278 rebounds, 89 assists, 33 steals, 18 blocks, 8 3PM

Williamson didn’t get to his 41st game until his second season, but unlike Fultz, he took advantage of that extra development time. He’s the highest scorer on this list, and looked unstoppable with the ball in his hands those first few years. When he was healthy, of course. Williamson didn’t do a lot, else, however, with low numbers in every other category.

It’s a question that can spark some debate—would you rather have an electric scorer like Williamson, or a better all-around player like Flagg?

2020: Anthony Edwards

39% FG, 32% 3P, 16.8/4.2/2.5, 1 steal, .4 blocks

Totals: 689 points, 171 rebounds, 101 assists, 39 steals, 15 blocks, 86 3PM

Flagg has similar numbers to Edwards, which should be encouraging to Mavericks fans. Obviously they have different games, but a half-season of numbers similar to a multi-time all-star and All-NBA player is what you like to see.

2021: Cade Cunningham

40% FG, 33% 3P, 10.4/5.5/5.2, 1.3 steals, .7 blocks

Totals: 648 points, 224 rebounds, 215 assists, 54 steals, 28 blocks, 84 3PM

Cunningham grinded out a messy situation as a rookie and put up some solid stats. His assist numbers are low for a point guard, but remember, the Detroit Pistons had absolutely no one to hit shots at that point. He’s second only to Simmons in steals on this list.

There’s some comparison here to Flagg’s rookie year. The Piston’s poorly built roster and a front office in flux sounds familiar to Mavericks fans. Hopefully things turn around for Dallas and Flagg like they did for Detroit and Cunningham.

2022: Paolo Banchero

44% FG, 32% 3P, 20.8/6.4/3.8 1 steal, .5 blocks

Totals: 852 points, 261 rebounds, 154 assists, 42 steals, 20 blocks, 56 3PM

Banchero showed flashes of greatness early, and as is tradition in Orlando, without any shooting to space the floor for him. That’s tough for a rookie. Banchero took a leap in his sophomore year, making his first all-star game. He’s failed to build on that second-year bump, however, and hasn’t upped his game since.

Banchero’s first 41 games are a pretty good comp for Flagg. Hopefully the Mavericks rookie can level up the same way Banchero did next year.

2023: Victor Wembanyama

47% FG, 30% 3P, 20.6/10.1/3.1 1.1 steals, 3.1 blocks

Totals: 843 points, 415 rebounds, 126 assists, 45 steals, 128 blocks, 61 3PM

Wembanyama is the third leading scorer on this list. When you add in the tremendous amount of rebounds and blocks, along with the surprising number of assists, it’s easy to see why the Spurs’ phenom is considered an alien. If Wembanyama can stay healthy, he’ll be a force in the West for years.

Flagg beats out Wembanyama in assists and 3-pointers, but I give Wemby the edge here. He’s just too dynamic on both sides of the ball in those first 41 games.

2024: Zaccharie Risacher

 41% FG, 30% 3P, 11/3.5/1.2, .8 steals, .5 blocks

Totals: 451 points, 143 rebounds, 49 assists, 34 steals, 21 blocks, 52 3PM

Risacher’s first season was not what you want to see out of a number one overall pick. Only Fultz had worse counting stats, and as mentioned above, Fultz’s first few seasons were a disaster. But Fultz has overcome all his early issues and carved out a decent career in the NBA. Maybe Risacher can do the same.

Flagg easily surpassed Risacher’s production, but as we’ve seen above, every rookie’s situation needs to be taken into context. Risacher can still turn into a good rotation player.

The NBA is officially at the midway point in the season with every team playing at least 41 games so far during the 2025-26 campaign. At this point, we have a pretty good feel for the season while acknowledging the many surprises that can still be in store.

Yes, the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs are legitimate championship contenders who are way ahead of schedule from how they were seen coming into the season. The Eastern Conference remains wide open, and now the Boston Celtics feel like a legitimate contender for an NBA Finals spot if Jayson Tatum can return from his torn Achilles. The West is still led by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they don’t feel quite as overpowering now as they did during the first 25 games of the season.

With the Feb. 5 trade deadline and the 2026 NBA All-Star Game both approaching, here’s an updated ranking of every team in the league by their championship chances right now.

The Tankers

30. New Orleans Pelicans

29. Indiana Pacers

28. Brooklyn Nets

27. Washington Wizards

26. Sacramento Kings

25. Utah Jazz

24. Dallas Mavericks

23. Charlotte Hornets

The top of the 2026 NBA Draft is absolutely loaded, with Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and A.J. Dybantsa representing one of the strongest top-3s in recent memory. It was always inevitable that a trio this talented would cause mass tanking psychosis eventually this season, and that appears to be happening already. Some caveats do apply: the Pelicans aren’t tanking for anything after trading their unprotected 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta for Derik Queen — they’re just really bad. The Mavericks are still hovering around play-in range, but Anthony Davis’ hand injury means they’re probably better off tanking ASAP to maximize the chances of the only first-round pick they control until 2031. The Washington Wizards signaled they’re ready to stop tanking with their trade for Trae Young … after this season at least, as he’s still recovering from various lower body injuries. The Pacers are set up to execute the perfect gap year as Tyrese Haliburton recovers from a torn Achilles.

With the exception of the Kings who need a full teardown and have to deal with a loaded Western Conference, the rest of the teams in this tier feel like they could be in the playoff mix next season with some lottery luck. Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson are franchise cornerstone level prospects to me, and while I have been consistent in ranking Dybantsa third, he could also quickly emerge as an All-Star in the right environment. The winners of this draft lottery will suddenly be gifted a way out of jail. The future of the league will change based on how the ping pong balls bounce, and all of the teams in this tier have at least given themselves a chance to luck into a young star.

Fighting for the play-in tournament

22 Atlanta Hawks

21. Milwaukee Bucks

20. Chicago Bulls

19. Memphis Grizzlies

18. Golden State Warriors

17. Los Angeles Clippers

16. Portland Trail Blazers

15. Miami Heat

This is the worst tier to be in: no shot at doing anything of substance in the playoffs while also having very low odds to cash in lottery luck … aside from the Hawks, who own the Pelicans’ draft pick this year. It feels like almost all of these teams are dealing with some sort of crisis: the Bucks are hopelessly trying to build a contender around Giannis without any assets, the Warriors now have no hope to go on a run after Jimmy Butler’s torn ACL, the Grizzlies are stuck in Ja Morant trade rumor limbo, and the Bulls are in the exact same position every year with no real hope of ever getting better.

The Clippers are surging over the last month, and feel like the one team in this tier could maybe win a playoff series this year. The Blazers also have some good vibes this year with Deni Avdija’s breakout and a solid young core around him led by second-year big man Donovan Clingan. Miami just feels like it’s always waiting to pounce on the next available superstar, but there have been some wasted seasons along the way while they wait. I’ll give credit to the teams in this tier for not wanting to lose on purpose, but at a certain point, the NBA is all about superstars, and if you don’t have one, you might as well try to maximize your chances at landing a future one in the draft.

Solid playoff teams without real title equity

14. Philadelphia 76ers

13. Cleveland Cavaliers

12. Toronto Raptors

11. Orlando Magic

10. Phoenix Suns

9. Los Angeles Lakers

These teams could give their fans a thrill or two in the playoffs, but it’s hard to see them winning four straight series to claim the championship. It’s a tier with an equal mix of surprises and disappointments: the Cavs were supposed to be a legit title contender but haven’t looked the part all year, the Suns were supposed to be at the bottom of the West before morphing into the season’s most pleasant surprise, the Sixers’ youth movement has carried the team as Joel Embiid and Paul George have battled injuries, and the Lakers are just plain confusing with an encouraging record but a negative point-differential. I find Orlando — my preseason Eastern Conference champion pick! — to be the most frustrating team on this list. Paolo Banchero has been up-and-down and the team is once again better with him off the floor. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs should be ascendent two-way players but injuries keep slowing their momentum. Anthony Black is having a legit breakout year and gave us maybe the season’s best dunk, but the Magic are ultimately still a middling East playoff team rather than a real contender.

I still like the Lakers to have the most long-term hope out of this group, strictly because they have the best player in Luka Doncic. It just feels like there’s so much more work that needs to be done to fully optimize the roster for Luka’s talents (and deficiencies) that they’re a year away, at least. I also want to shout-out Raptors rookie Collin Murray-Boyles in this section, who has looked outstanding lately as a small ball five. Read my big pre-draft feature on Murray-Boyles here.

Puncher’s chance at the championship

8. Boston Celtics

7. Houston Rockets

6. New York Knicks

5. Detroit Pistons

Someone has to win the East, and the conference’s three best teams find themselves in the second tier of the league title race. The Knicks looked like the obvious favorite to reach the NBA Finals after their NBA Cup win, but they’ve folded like a chair ever since they disrespected the Cup by refusing to hang a banner. New York’s two best players are still horrible defensively and that complicates any run through the bracket. The Pistons have been an amazing story and should be built to last as an East contender, but it feels like they’re one move away from a Finals run even in a weak conference. Detroit’s defense is fantastic, but their offense is still outside of the top-10 and could face a whole new set of problems in the playoffs. I think the Pistons need another ball handler and a front court shooter before they’re Finals-bound, but it would be hard to blame them for slow-rolling it with such a young team in a wide open conference. I’m suddenly fascinated by the Celtics’ Finals chances with Jayson Tatum potentially returning. I’ve thought a Tatum return was a terrible idea all season, but at this point it’s clear he’s determined to come back, and the Celtics are way ahead of where they should have been entering this season. If Tatum somehow hits the ground running, Boston probably has the most balance of any East contender.

I would be very tempted to pick the Celtics in a playoff series over both the Pistons and Knicks at this point, but that’s mostly pending how Tatum looks if and when he returns. I had Boston at No. 16 in my preseason rankings, and really thought they would be in the lottery mix in a great draft. There’s no need to tank when you already have a wagon, and the Celtics really might be there. For now, I’ll give the Pistons the slight edge in the East because I trust their offense slightly more than I trust the Knicks’ defense.

True championship contenders

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

3. San Antonio Spurs

2. Denver Nuggets

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

I framed this season as “the Thunder vs. the field” in my initial season power rankings and it still feels that way … only now the field might have the upper hand. OKC started 24-1, but they’ve shown some signs of vulnerability since then, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being unable to keep up his sky-high free throw rate, Jalen Williams’ scoring efficiency plummeting after his wrist injury, and the team-wide three-point shooting dropping off significantly. The Thunder’s biggest challenger has felt like the Nuggets since the summer, and I’m still sticking with it. Nikola Jokic’s injury killed his chances at a fourth MVP, but it did allow the Nuggets to let Jamal Murray show what he can do with more creation reps, and give a bigger role to suddenly surging young wing Peyton Watson. A Thunder-Nuggets playoff rematch would be absolute cinema, but don’t discount San Antonio and Minnesota, either.

The Spurs have beaten OKC three times this season. Victor Wembanyama is a problem without a solution, and not even a top-3 center like Chet Holmgren can slow him down. I’m not sure the Spurs’ young guards are really ready for prime-time yet, and rookie No. 2 pick Dylan Harper has been struggling in particular over the last month. The Timberwolves might feel like a surprising pick for No. 4, but ultimately I feel like they’re a more complete team than the Knicks, Pistons, and Rockets with a better lead superstar. Anthony Edwards keeps taking his game to new levels, and right now it feels like he can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league. The Wolves have been to the conference finals the last two years, and if they can add one more piece at the deadline, this team can go even further. For now, the championship still goes through OKC with Jokic looming as their biggest challenger.

During halftime of Monday night’s Spurs game, Harrison Barnes made a surprise donation to the San Antonio MLK Commission.

His $50,000 contribution was the largest in the fund’s history.

@hbarnes

At halftime on Monday at the MLK Day game, Harrison Barnes surprised the San Antonio MLK Commission with a $50,000 donation to their Scholarship Program – the single largest gift in the fund’s history. @spurs@FrostBankCenterpic.twitter.com/gUsN6Ei2dG

— Jeph Duarte (@JephDuarte) January 20, 2026

Established in 1986, the Commission is a volunteer organization that helps assemble the annual MLK March. They host a variety of community events and programs encouraging awareness, acceptance, and appreciation of the teachings and philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement.

Barnes spoke briefly about the donation in his postgame presser.

Since joining the San Antonio Spurs, Harrison and Brittany Barnes have made multiple charitable donations. Early in 2025, they donated $250,000 to AlamoPROMISE.

During the holiday season, Barnes went into multiple H-E-B stores and paid patrons grocery bills for some while distributing gift cards to others.

Up I-35 in Austin, Barnes has supported the Play ATX initiative refurbishing basketball courts at community centers.

Barnes was brought into the Spurs offering a veteran and champion presence in the locker room. He continues to make an impact on the floor. What he and his family have done off the court makes a difference in the lives of many in the local community.

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DETROIT — Jaylen Brown was asleep when the news first broke out: for the first time in his 10-year NBA career, he was selected as an All-Star starter.

Monday’s primetime game between the Celtics and the Pistons was hours away, and Brown was taking his usual midday nap. By the time he awoke, his phone was filled with congratulatory texts from family and friends.

“I think that’s who it matters most for — my support group,” Brown said. “I think it means a lot to them to see me celebrated in that light now.”

Asked Jaylen Brown about being named All-Star starter today:

“I woke up from a nap, and then I had some text messages from loved ones and family, but I think that's what it matters most for, like my support group. I think it means a lot to them to see me celebrated in that… pic.twitter.com/VbAihfC5MF

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) January 20, 2026

Among Eastern Conference players, Brown received the most votes from media members, the 3rd-most from NBA players, and the 5th-most from fans. That gave Brown the fifth-most votes among East players, edging out Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell for the final starter spot.

Next month in Los Angeles, he’ll represent the conference alongside Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham.

But Brown played down the personal significance of the accolade, noting he’s always felt he’s been this type of player.

“ I’ve always felt like, regardless of what people may think or whatever, that I’ve been one of the better players in this game,” he said. “Just now, I’ve got an opportunity to show it a little more.”

Jaylen Brown was ranked 1st among media, 3rd among players, and 5th among fans. pic.twitter.com/PHa5pyXcVA

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) January 19, 2026

Brown did not feel like being named an All-Star starter was validating.

“I’m a very confident guy,” Brown said. “I don’t allow other people to tell me what my validation is. I always felt like I was better than a lot of these guys.”

Jaylen Brown has benefited from a much greener light this season

This season, Brown has averaged 29.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists — while shooting 48.7% from the field, 36.3% from three, and 79.1% from the line.

He attributes some of his offensive improvements to having a much greener light than previous seasons of his career — particularly in the midrange, where Brown has been among the NBA’s most effective players.

“I was discouraged from taking midrange shots at different points in my career,” he said last week. “I’ve been literally told not to. Now it’s like ‘Jaylen, you can take whatever shot you want.’ I’m like, ‘sure.’ I’ve been shooting as many mid-ranges as I can get up. At different points in my career, that hasn’t been the case.”

Joe Mazzulla praised Brown for his leadership and improved ability to make reads this season.

“Really happy for him — it started in the offseason, just the way he approached it, the professionalism, the work ethic, the commitment to 1) getting healthy, to 2) coming in and setting the tone for the building and working with each guy separately,” Mazzulla said on Monday.

The Celtics are 26-16, good for the East’s second-best record. They also have the third-best net rating in the NBA.

And, Brown feels like they’re just getting started.

“I’ve enjoyed being with this group, I’ve enjoyed playing with the young guys, helping with their learning curve,” Brown said. “It’s been a joy. I’m looking forward to the next part of the season. We still have some work to do.”

A season for the Hawks that started with so much promise has quickly turned into a nightmare. I wrote last month that the season was close to being flushed down the drain for good if they didn’t improve on three key areas.

They didn’t improve on any of those three key areas.

Let’s list off all of the things that have gone horribly wrong this year:

• Trae Youngentered the season without a contract extension he desired. Then he missed a month and a half of action with a knee injury suffered in the fifth game. And finally, the organization (with help from Young’s agency) decided the time was right to move on.

Regardless of how you felt about Young, it was always going to be an extremely difficult pivot midseason when so many resources over so many years had gone into building around him.

One extra note: the centerpiece of the Young trade to Washington is now public enemy number one to the fanbase after his last second gaff and general ball dominance. So, even the pivot has been fruitless.

• Kristaps Porzingis was confident preseason that his bout with post-viral syndrome/postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) was in the rearview mirror. It was not. Most recently, he’s been out nursing an injury to his Achilles. To date, Porzingis has only played 413 total minutes and 17 games out of a possible 45. The all-in gamble on his health came up bust.

• Jalen Johnson’s growing list of deficiencies on defense have been magnified with the absence of Porzingis. Has the tradeoff between his offensive growth for defensive regression been worth it? That’s at least a valid question to ask for what this team needs.

• As an undersized 5, Onyeka Okongwu had begun to play the 4 part of the time — especially when sharing the floor with Porzingis. The plan was to make him a flexible third big man, splitting his time between both frontcourt positions while coming off the bench to limit his minutes.

Instead, he’s estimated to have played 95% of his minutes at center (per basketball-reference), is posting by far a career-low offensive rebound rate, and has been subject to an atrocious -12 on-off +/- per 100 possessions.

The lineups he’s been tasked to anchor defensively haven’t help and neither has playing the 24th most minutes in the league this year, somehow just fourth (!) on the team. The plus-minus metric to date is a statistical anomaly given his track record in previous seasons, but clearly his level of play has dropped.

• He’s a genuinely impactful defender now, but Zaccharie Risacher didn’t take the step forward offensively all of us had hoped. Not even close, in fact.

• Dyson Daniels, now the team’s starting point guard who has admittedly come on offensively, hasn’t made a three since December 14.

With the exception of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, you can point to every one of the Hawks’ top eight or nine players and argue that their impact has been levels below what was expected of them.

The Hawks get out-physicaled (I don’t care that it’s not a word) on a nightly basis. They can’t rebound. They can’t even defend in transition despite being a shockingly bad offensive rebounding team*.

*Sidenote: often teams prioritize one of those areas over the other, but you really shouldn’t be bad at both. Either send bodies to the glass or get back on defense. The Hawks, worryingly, do neither.

The heavy minutes load on Johnson, Daniels, Okongwu, and Alexander-Walker is clearly showing a major toll. They’ve been blown out at home more times than I can count, including a calamitous 43-point deficit at one point in a 26-point beatdown at the hands of the Boston Celtics last week.

Even the close games aren’t going their way. The team has been dreadful in clutch situations since the start of December.

The Hawks started the season 8-4 in clutch games (any game within 5 points with <5 mins remaining).

They've gone 1-8 since. They're the only team in the NBA with one (or fewer) clutch win since the start of December.

— Wes (@bloghawk) January 20, 2026

Finally, as of Tuesday afternoon, the team is just barely clinging onto 10th in the standings, with the 11th and 12th place Bucks and Hornets respectively vying for that final Play-In Tournament.

From visions of a top-four conference finish to out of the postseason entirely would be a humiliating end to a season of collapses.

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The team is a mess, and any hopes of being the next Indiana Pacers are over.

The team was projected to win 46.5 games (per basketball-reference), and they’re on pace to win a full 10 games fewer than that (roughly 36.5). Yes, the Hawks still have 37 games remaining, the Eastern Conference isn’t exactly a juggernaut, and the schedule gets easier after the All-Star break, but it will be way too little too late.

I do think they’ll make the Play-In Tournament at least and have a puncher’s chance at entering the playoff bracket.

But for what? A sweep at the hands of the Detroit Pistons? Yawn.

So now where do they go? For me, here are the biggest areas to monitor going forward:

Finding a franchise center

The trade deadline is on the near horizon. I have to imagine the decision makers have been working the phones heavy in wake of the wildly disappointing performance of the team.

We’ve heard the Hawks linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo (who is now reportedly off the market), Anthony Davis (likely not happening with him nursing yet another injury), and other bigs who can fill in the huge physicality and rebounding gaps in the team.

This is almost certainly the end of the road for the persistently unavailable free-agent-to-be Kristaps Porzingis. I don’t foresee any team offering him a multi-year contract given his injury and illness recurrences — especially not the Hawks.

And Okongwu’s overburdening was discussed above — I still see him as a quality backup big on a friendly contract but nothing more.

Atlanta needs to find a dependable center who can anchor the defense, clear out space for rebounds, and provide a level a physicality the team needs (let’s just move past the fact that Atlanta had a real opportunity to do so two drafts ago).

Could they use their projected cap space this summer to sign Isaiah Hartenstein, likely the best center in the upcoming free agent market? That’s one thought. Or they could target someone else by trade.

But this, to me, is the most pressing issue given that the Hawks are headed for a ninth straight bottom half of the league finish in defensive rating.

Draft acquisitions

The one thing that has gone right has been the equally ugly collapse of the Milwaukee Bucks in addition to the (somewhat predictable) dreadful performance of the New Orleans Pelicans. More than halfway through the season, the best of both superpick acquired at the draft last year looks even better now than then.

It’s unlikely the Pelicans will finish with the worst record in the NBA given the many tanking teams just ahead of them and their own lack of incentive to tank. But all it takes is a few lucky ping pong bounces to possibly transform this franchise with a premium talent.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers also underperforming relative to preseason expectations, the pick swap they picked up through the De’Andre Hunter trade could land them a first-round pick in the teens.

It’s debatable that the Hawks focused a bit too much on youth over experience this past offseason, but with these two picks in a strong draft, it’s still a very viable avenue to add cheap — and possibly high-end — talent.

Assess whether Snyder is the right person for the job

Here is the elephant in the room.

Let me start by saying coaching in the NBA is an incredibly difficult job, and that so much of the position happens behind closed doors. You need to manage rich and famous NBA player egos, and navigate the politics of communicating with the media, one’s front office, and one’s ownership group.

Also, of course, comes the Xs and Os portion of the job. Implementing your system of basketball tactics and strategies — all that good stuff.

Putting a good product on the floor is clearly the most visible part of it all. And I’m not here to judge head coach Quin Snyder on anything but what the eyes can see.

One can argue this season’s roster isn’t fit to succeed (although bettors and oddsmakers certainly thought so preseason). One can are argue injuries have derailed the initial plan (although that hasn’t stopped the Celtics, Nuggets, and others from overcoming major injuries).

One can no longer argue that Snyder has elevated the individual play of players — as detailed above — or the team writ large.

Wins and losses are inarguable, and when a team’s record underwhelms relative to expectations, the coach tends to get the hook. This is just a universal truth throughout the history of the NBA.

Lloyd Pierce fell fate to that very scenario. Once the goalposts moved from player development to contention, his 14-20 record halfway through the 2020-21 season sealed his fate. Snyder’s 20-25 record to date looks eerily similar to Pierce’s record then and Nate McMillan’s 29-30 record in 2022-23 (although both previous coaches had some level of fallout in the locker room).

Maybe it’s best to wait until the end of the season for the higher ups to assess this situation. And if a different direction is desired, there will likely be a great availability of candidates to replace him in the offseason.

But a real, honest assessment needs to be made before tipping off next season lest we end up in the same place this time next year.

The 2025-26 NBA rookie class is absolutely packed with characters certain to draw intrigue from all corners of the basketball map. Of course, you have your Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe, and Kon Knueppel upper-echelon of players who seem poised to one day control the ground they walk upon, but it isn’t challenging or interesting to talk about how excellent Dylan Harper is as a downhill attacker, or how seamless a fit Derik Queen has proved to be in a professional environment. I could harp on about the unexpected 3-point renaissance ushered by Brooklyn’s Egor Demin. I could rave about Cedric Coward and his miraculous journey from basketball limbo to becoming one of the most promising young players in his class.

Those topics have been discussed to death and will continue to be the headlines of their respective memoirs, biopics, documentaries, etc. More studious individuals than I have the patience to dive play-by-play into each of these players’ bodies of work to this point in the year. I’ll leave the in-depth, broad-stroked analysis to those characters.

Here’s what captures my attention: a player whose arrival was preceded by the promise of salvation to an organization in desperate need of a hero. The prize of a team that had gutted itself, tearing its foundation to meager scraps, all in the hopes of acquiring an all-world talent. An individual who carries a tremendous burden of expectation — an expectation both to elevate the ceiling of his team and to ascend to stardom.

The Utah Jazz tanked in 2025. They tanked hard. And after successfully finishing with the fewest wins in the entire association, their great reward arrived via a reverse-order, lottery-finalized draft. That reward was Airious “Ace” Bailey.

Ace has not been the most impressive rookie in his class. He won’t get many votes for Rookie of the Year. He may not even be the go-to guy when Utah is finally prepared to compete for more than just a spot in the playoffs. Ace Bailey is a mystery; one with tremendous promise, but a mystery nonetheless. So, what does Utah have in its bright-eyed rookie forward? Where does he stand among his fellow rookie classmates, and where does his roadmap lead to?

Welcome to the rookie ladder: just as they arrived, each of these newbies has a spot on the totem pole. That order has changed since draft night, and understanding the “why” and the “how” will be critical in projecting future development in the NBA. Keep in mind, of course, this is the rookie landscape through my eyes, meaning it is far from inarguable. I am aware of this fact.

NBA Rookie Ladder, January 2026:

Name, Draft Position, Season Stats:

1. Cooper Flagg (1) – 18.8 pts, 6.3 reb, 4.1 ast
2. Kon Knueppel (4) – 19.0 pts, 3.5 ast, 43.5% 3pt
3. VJ Edgecombe (3) – 15.6 pts, 4.3 ast, 1.5 stl
4. Dylan Harper (2) – 10.6 pts, 3.5 ast, 3.2 reb
5. Derik Queen (12) – 12.6 pts, 7.5 reb, 4.3 ast
6. Egor Demin (8) – 10.4 pts, 3.4 ast, 39.8% 3pt
7. Cedric Coward (11) – 14.0 pts, 6.5 reb, 2.9 ast
8. Ace Bailey (5) – 10.2 pts, 3.4 reb, 0.5 blk
9. Jeremiah Fears (7) – 13.9 pts, 3.7 reb, 3.2 ast
10. Maxime Reynaud (42) – 10.1 pts, 6.5 reb, 1.2 ast

In the short term, the Ace Bailey experience has been more akin to a teppanyaki-style pyrotechnics display than an all-you-can-eat buffet. There will be pyrotechnics — fire shooting from his fingertips, jaw-dropping displays of skill, the works — but if it’s a sustainable, reliable, and consistent eating experience you’re after, you’d better push your money into the Flagg, Knueppel, Harper eatery.

Me? I love the idea of a Japanese steakhouse, where the meal’s preparation is on full display for all participants, and watching every step, every flash of spectacle (of which there are many, in Ace’s case), and the evolution of what promises to be an incredible result. Ace Bailey is a work in progress; there were many reasons why he slid in the draft from 2nd to 5th. Likewise, there are many reasons to believe that his final product will be well worth the wait.

With respect to Cody Williams, a player who is finally striding in the right direction after a harrowing rookie campaign, Ace Bailey is a far more complete prospect than the Jazz’s highest selection from the season prior. Much more than just a lengthy frame with athletic tendencies, Bailey entered the NBA with elite athleticism and a pro-level diet of shot selection.

He’s already thrown down more than a few dunks this season, with a degree of difficulty and defiance of the laws of physics that make me question his humanity. Just take a look at this flat-footed yam that turned a pivot point into a launch pad.

This Ace Bailey slam is crazy. The combination of size and athleticism needed to pull this off. pic.twitter.com/YaQZk6SKQA

— NASH (@UtahNash) January 17, 2026

I mean, what on Earth was that?

Earlier in the year, a late-game situation was approached with a nothing-to-lose up-and-under reverse two-handed slam that has me exhausted simply trying to describe it. He is aerobatic, he is graceful.

Ace Bailey are you serious with this dunk??????? pic.twitter.com/OCe6uqNdHn

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) November 11, 2025

His defensive upside projects incredibly favorable as well, with footspeed to match some of the league’s shiftiest ball-handlers, and the length to erase any perceived offensive advantage in a heartbeat.

you come at the rook, you best not miss 😤 pic.twitter.com/C2I6Ee4h4N

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 13, 2026

In the midst of a league-wide return of the mid-range shot, Ace Bailey feasts on a supply of turnarounds, fallaways, and pull-ups. Eyes wide, grin flashing, Ace proudly declared that “[If] nobody wants to take [a mid-range], I’ll take it. I love it!” in an interview with Kevin O’Connor (am I allowed to reference O’Connor on a Utah Jazz platform anymore?).

And with a surprising amount of patience and maturity for a player with a one as the first digit of his age, Ace is deliberate, smooth, and skilled at getting his high-release jumper off with minimal interference.

some sweet, saturday 𝓈𝓂𝑜𝑜𝓉𝒽 𝒿𝒶𝓏𝓏 🎷 pic.twitter.com/1uE6yzgyS2

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 17, 2026

Don’t be alarmed to see Ace falling below his draft order on the rookie ladder; everything is still moving according to plan. If you feel antsy while awaiting his development, exercise a bit of patience. If the early positives are any indicator, Bailey projects to be a highly dangerous weapon in Will Hardy’s arsenal.

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Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.

Vibes. They are impossible to quantify, impossible to pin down, but you feel their absence immediately. You feel their presence even faster. Tuesday night had them. The Phoenix Suns, rolling into the City of Brotherly Love for the second game of a back-to-back, walked onto the floor with a pulse. A hum. Something alive.

Why were the vibes humming? Health. Actual, real, honest to basketball health. For the first time all season, everyone was available. No asterisks. No caveats. The full roster. Including Jalen Green, the centerpiece of the Kevin Durant trade, finally upright and ready to roll.

VIBES FROM BOOK & JALEN 😁 pic.twitter.com/zSMnof5DPx

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 21, 2026

It did not start pretty. The Suns opened the night 0-of-9 from the field, cold, clunky, searching for rhythm. Philadelphia tried to punch, tried to manufacture runs, tried to tilt the floor. Phoenix bent. Phoenix answered. Every surge met with a response. Every wobble met with composure.

The numbers tell part of the story. 16-of-39 from deep, a clean 41%. 20-of-20 at the line. Then there was the bench. 58-28 in favor of Phoenix. Wave after wave. Energy that did not fade. Meanwhile, the 76ers were grinding through their own second night of a back-to-back, short-handed without Joel Embiid or Paul George, asking too much of too few.

This one mattered. Not for style points. For tone. For trajectory. For vibes. The win locks in a road trip where the floor is now .500, sitting at 3-2 with one left to play. The math works. The vibes agree. Sometimes basketball is less about schemes and more about momentum, belief, and bodies being available at the same time.

On this night, the Suns had all three.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

Collin is now up to 8 Bright Side Baller’s on the year after a hyper-efficient 22-point performance against the Nets. Who woulda thunk it?

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 44 against the 76ers. Here are your nominees:

Devin Booker
27 points (9-of-23, 2-of-5 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 6 turnovers, -10 +/-

Grayson Allen
16 points (5-of-11, 4-of-9 3PT), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, +11 +/-

Jordan Goodwin
16 points (6-of-9, 2-of-4 3PT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 0 turnovers, +9 +/-

Collin Gillespie
12 points (3-of-6, 3-of-6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 steals, 2 turnovers, +7 +/-

Oso Ighodaro
12 points (5-of-7), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers, +10 +/-

Jalen Green
12 points (4-of-11, 2-of-4 3PT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 2 turnovers, +10 +/-

---

…and the winner is?

For the Denver Broncos, irrepressible optimism was replaced by exorbitant doubt in a matter of moments.

The Broncos will have to continue their journey through the AFC Championship Game, and potentially beyond, without starting quarterback Bo Nix. It was announced shortly after Denver’s 33-30 AFC divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills that Nix had broken his ankle on one of the game’s final plays.

The injury means backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will be asked to start at home against the New England Patriots with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Denver entered the postseason as the AFC’s No. 1 seed and owns an 8-1 home record this season. But the sudden change at quarterback has made the Patriots 5.5-point favorites and dramatically shifted the outlook of the Broncos’ season.

It is not the first time across sports that a late-season injury to a key player has significantly altered championship hopes. In some cases, backups stepped in and saved the day.

In Week 14 of the 2017 NFL season, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles came in for injured MVP candidate Carson Wentz and finished the journey through a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots.

In 1990, Jeff Hostetler took over for New York Giants starting quarterback Phil Simms, who broke his foot in Week 15. Five wins and one precariously wide-right kick from Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood later, Hostetler and the Giants were Super Bowl champions.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out. Here are 10 examples across sports in which a major injury changed a team’s fortune. Let us know in the comments which ones we missed.

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, 2019 Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors suffered a double whammy in the 2019 NBA Finals. With the Warriors trailing the series 3-1 entering Game 5, Durant tore his Achilles after just 12 minutes of court time. Golden State managed to win the game to stay alive, but then Klay Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6. Without the team’s second- and third-leading scorers that season, the Warriors lost the finals 4-2 to the Toronto Raptors.

By the start of the next season, Durant was with the Brooklyn Nets. Thompson would miss the entire season, and Stephen Curry played only five games after breaking his left hand.

Kenyon Martin, 1999-2000 Cincinnati Bearcats

The Bearcats were 28-2, ranked No. 1, and in Martin had the national player of the year and eventual No. 1 NBA Draft pick by the New Jersey Nets. But the big man broke his fibula in the Conference USA Tournament. UC was dropped to a No. 2 seed, then lost in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament, 69-61, to Tulsa.

Martin had led the conference in scoring (18.9 points per game) and blocks (3.5), while adding 9.7 rebounds. Without Martin, the Bearcats were outrebounded 39-34 in their tournament loss to the Golden Hurricane.

Kyrie Irving, 2015 Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs’ All-Star point guard fractured his kneecap in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals, the first of four straight finals matchups between the Cavaliers and Warriors.

In the prior series, Kevin Love suffered a severe left shoulder injury against the Boston Celtics that knocked him out of the finals as well. Though LeBron James tried to carry the load alone, the absence of the team’s second- and third-leading scorers and leading rebounder was too much even for James to overcome.

The Warriors went on to win the series in six games, their first of four titles in the Steph Curry-Steve Kerr era.

Tyrese Haliburton, 2025 Indiana Pacers

Haliburton was the Pacers’ best player in the 2025 playoffs, taking Indiana to Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the favored Oklahoma City Thunder.

But he was playing with a strained right calf that he suffered in Game 5, and it proved to be a ticking time bomb. After catching fire and hitting three triples in the first seven minutes of Game 7, his calf gave out on a drive, and he tore his Achilles.

As Haliburton left the court in tears, the Pacers were trailing only 18-16. Oklahoma City went on to win 103-91 to take the series.

Colt McCoy, 2009-10 Texas Longhorns

Texas’ starting quarterback, a first-team All-American, suffered a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder in the first quarter of the 2010 national championship game against Alabama.

McCoy had finished third in Heisman voting that season, but freshman Garrett Gilbert had to replace him, and Texas lost 37-21 to a Crimson Tide squad led by Heisman winner Mark Ingram.

Juju Watkins, 2025 USC Trojans

USC was a No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament when Watkins tore her ACL against Mississippi State in the second round. Watkins was fourth in the nation in scoring that season, averaging 23.9 points per game. She won AP player of the year and was named a first-team AP All-American after leading USC to a Big Ten title.

Without her, the Trojans managed to dispatch the Bulldogs 96-59 and advanced to the Elite Eight, where they lost to eventual champion UConn, 78-64.

Jim Rice, 1975 Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox had two leading contenders for AL Rookie of the Year in 1975, future Hall of Famer Jim Rice and outfielder Fred Lynn. Lynn took home rookie of the year and AL MVP, the first to win both in the same year, but Rice was stellar that season as well. He hit 22 home runs with a .309 batting average, .350 on-base and .491 slugging percentage.

In late September, Rice broke his hand after being hit by a pitch against the Detroit Tigers. He missed the rest of the season, including the entire postseason. In his absence, the Red Sox made the Fall Classic, but lost to the Cincinnati Reds in an exhilarating seven-game series coined “the series that saved baseball.”

The defeat also furthered the “Curse of the Bambino,” as Boston had remained without a championship since selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees following the 1919 season. The World Series could not break the curse until 2004.

Brock Purdy, 2022-23 San Francisco 49ers

Purdy’s improbable rookie season ended at the worst time, with a UCL injury in the first quarter of the 2023 NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, which the 49ers lost 31-7. The Mr. Irrelevant pick, taken last in the 2022 NFL Draft, had fought his way up from the practice squad to take over starting duties that season in Week 13 after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo suffered major injuries.

Purdy had won seven consecutive games, including the first two rounds of the playoffs, before being forced to exit the NFC Championship Game. Josh Johnson was tabbed to finish the game but suffered a concussion in the third quarter, which, for a brief moment, had running back Christian McCaffrey readying a helmet with a radio before Purdy returned. Purdy was unable to throw, however, and simply had to hand the ball off for the remainder of the game.

Carey Price, 2013-14 Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens goaltender suffered a knee injury when New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider crashed into him in Game 1 of the 2014 Eastern Conference final. Price was out for the rest of the series, and the Canadiens lost the series 4-2.

Price had career bests in games played (59), wins (34), goals-against average (2.32) and save percentage (.927) that season. Without him for much of the series, the Rangers peppered the Montreal net for 23 goals over six games, an average of 3.83 per contest.

Derrick Rose, 2011-12 Chicago Bulls

Chicago’s point guard was on top of the basketball world entering the 2012 NBA playoffs. Chicago was the No. 1 seed, and Rose was one year removed from being the youngest MVP in NBA history.

But he tore his ACL in Game 1 of the first-round series against the eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. Without its MVP, Chicago lost the series 4-2, and Rose’s career never fully recovered. Since then, the Bulls have only been to the playoffs five times and have only won two playoff series.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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The next several weeks will be busy for the NBA calendar.

First, the trading deadline is a little more than two weeks away, and any blockbuster deals could alter the balance of power within the league. Then, All-Star Game weekend is set for Feb. 15, and starters were already announced.

Yet, as several teams that started the season hot have cooled somewhat, the action on the court has continued. The most obvious example of that is the New York Knicks, who have lost nine of their last 11 games.

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings after Week 12 of the 2025-26 regular season:

USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings

Note: Records and stats through Jan. 20. Parentheses show movement from last week’s rankings.

NBA Week 13 power rankings: Top 10

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 36-8 (—)

2. Detroit Pistons, 31-10 (—)

3. San Antonio Spurs, 30-14 (—)

4. Denver Nuggets, 29-15 (—)

5. Boston Celtics, 26-16 (—)

6. Phoenix Suns, 27-17 (+2)

7. Toronto Raptors, 26-19 (+2)

8. Houston Rockets, 26-15 (+7)

9. Minnesota Timberwolves, 27-17 (-2)

10. Los Angeles Lakers, 26-16

While the Thunder won’t challenge for the best record in NBA history, and while they may drop the occasional game, it’s clear they remain a threat to repeat. Their defense is elite and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be marching toward his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award. Speaking of MVP candidates, the Nuggets have remained competitive in the absence of Nikola Jokić, and still boast the league’s top offensive rating (122.9). With the slide the Knicks have taken, Boston is now in the No. 2 seed in the East, and there may need to be a serious conversation about what to do if and when Jayson Tatum is cleared to return from his torn Achilles.

NBA Week 13 power rankings: Nos. 11-20

11. New York Knicks, 25-18 (-5)

12. Philadelphia 76ers, 23-19 (-1)

13. Cleveland Cavaliers, 24-20 (—)

14. Golden State Warriors, 25-20 (+2)

15. Orlando Magic, 23-19 (-3)

16. Miami Heat, 23-21 (+1)

17. Portland Trail Blazers, 22-22 (+1)

18. Chicago Bulls, 21-22 (+2)

19. Los Angeles Clippers, 19-24 (+2)

20. Atlanta Hawks, 20-25 (-6)

The Knicks held a players-only meeting amid a four-game losing streak. Their offense has stagnated as the actions rely on Jalen Brunson far too much. The Warriors had been playing better recently, but don’t be surprised if they tumble down this list soon; with Jimmy Butler (torn anterior cruciate ligament) out for the season, their offense should struggle significantly. And the Trail Blazers and Clippers are a pair of teams out west who have found their rhythm.

NBA Week 13 power rankings: Nos. 21-30

21. Memphis Grizzlies, 18-23 (+1)

22. Milwaukee Bucks, 18-24 (-3)

23. Dallas Mavericks, 18-26 (+2)

24. Charlotte Hornets, 16-27 (-1)

25. Utah Jazz, 15-29 (-1)

26. Brooklyn Nets, 12-29 (+1)

27. Sacramento Kings, 12-32 (+2)

28. Indiana Pacers, 10-34 (—)

29. Washington Wizards, 10-32 (-3)

30. New Orleans Pelicans, 10-35 (—)

The Grizzlies got Ja Morant (right calf contusion) back, and he delivered, dropping 24-13-5 in a win over the Magic. Memphis, though, will need to determine if his fit on the roster is sustainable, or if it can flip him for any assets in a trade. Dallas has been something of a surprise recently, winning three consecutive, including a 17-point blowout against the Knicks. Even without Anthony Davis, No. 1 rookie Cooper Flagg continues to improve with each passing week. And the Wizards showed some promise in late December, but have since lost seven consecutive games, and are tied with the Hawks for the worst offensive rating (107.6) in January.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA power rankings: New York Knicks falling, Houston Rockets rising

Another season, another name, another kid from Dallas. At street level, the city appears to be like any other – yet it continues to produce league-shaping NBA players. The main highway through Dallas cleaves down the middle of Texas. Taking it south brings you closer to the center of the state’s basketball talent pool. The road slopes downward as the city’s cosmopolitan polish thins out, neighborhoods split cleanly from downtown by sun-baked concrete and beige. Pink, green, and blue houses sit behind chain link fences, where yards are scoured down to dirt. Auto mechanic shops line the frontage roads with open bays and hand-painted signs peeling in the sun. Farther south, the road dips again, and space opens up to the heart of the story.

Welcome to Duncanville.

By then, you’re already deep inside a suburb that’s transformed its high school system into an NBA pipeline. Duncanville isn’t an outlier. It’s the clearest expression of how serious North Texas has become about harvesting basketball lightning. Dallas is the incubator. Duncanville is the headquarters.

Two of the nation’s most important high school basketball buildings sit here. First, Duncanville High School holds more basketball memory than some professional arenas. State titles in 2019, 2021, and 2025, led by NBA rising stars Anthony Black and Ron Holland II, hang as proof. Few public high school programs in the country have consistently produced more NBA players than Duncanville, which has provided the league with six pros in the last five years.

But not all hoops history is clean. The University Interscholastic League (UIL), Texas’s governing body for public-school athletics, stripped Duncanville’s 2022 Class 6A championship after eligibility violations tied to improper enrollment and academic ineligibility, including issues related to Black’s grades. Had that title remained, Duncanville would have been credited with three consecutive state championships (2019, 2021, and 2022); the 2020 season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Such a distinction, unmatched by any other Texas Class 6A boys’ program in the modern era, would have formally inscribed the school as a rare three-peat champion in UIL records.

That season, Duncanville became the first Texas school to be crowned MaxPreps National Champion since 2010. During the early 2020s, Duncanville and nearby Richardson High School were not only the two highest-ranked schools in Texas but also, at one point, ranked first and second in the entire nation. Those two teams featured three future NBA lottery picks and produced five NBA players between them.

Since 2020, Dallas-Fort Worth has produced multiple NBA lottery picks: Black (sixth overall in 2023); Cason Wallace (10th overall in 2023); Holland (fifth overall in 2024); and Tre Johnson (sixth overall in 2025).

Related: Life after LeBron James: who will inherit the NBA’s future?

North Texas has also cultivated rising stars drafted outside the 14 lottery spots, including Liam McNeeley, Keyonte George, Ja’Kobe Walter and Marcus Sasser. Then there are the two superstars: the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, who starred at South Garland High School, and 2021 No 1 pick Cade Cunningham – both All-Star starters this year. Born and raised in nearby Arlington, Cunningham played his first two years of high school ball at Bowie High School before transferring and eventually being drafted first overall by the Detroit Pistons. He was the first No 1 overall pick from the Dallas-Fort Worth area in more than 20 years, since Kenyon Martin in 2000.

Digging further past the high school,the highway delivers you to the second basketball mecca: Duncanville Fieldhouse. For decades the building, a state-of-the-art sports facility and events venue with six full-sized hardwood basketball courts, has functioned as both proving ground and sanctuary – a cathedral of sweat. College coaches, NBA scouts and generations of future pros have cycled through its courts, long before anyone knew their names – Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, Desmond Bane – stacking eras atop one another in a living archive of Dallas basketball.

Come back next weekend, and you could be watching a future NBA All-Star in the making.

These tournaments turn Duncanville Fieldhouse into a reunion. Former teammates spot each other across courts, dap up and argue about who cooked whom a decade ago, adding another stratum to the region’s mythology, sons repping the same jerseys their fathers and grandfathers once did. Dallas basketball history unfurls in real time as the smack-talk swells. The lineage doesn’t stop at one gym.

Less than 15 minutes from Duncanville sits Faith Family Academy, wedged between South Dallas’ Laurel Land Cemetery and the ghetto-fabulous mall, Big T Bazaar. Faith Family is caught between death and hustle, daring kids to dream bigger. In Dallas basketball, a few miles is no distance at all – just another exit, another set of jerseys, the same stakes.

Like Duncanville, Faith Family has long been among the country’s most accomplished and relentlessly dominant boys’ basketball programs. A distinction that tends to sound hyperbolic until one begins listing years. Between 2019 and 2024, the school assembled four UIL state championships – an ascent that spanned classifications as Faith Family moved upward, defying the gravity of Texas high school sports. That run was echoed and then surpassed by another three-peat in Class 4A from 2022 through 2024, placing the program among the select handful of Texas schools to have won three straight state titles.

Last season, its first beyond the confines of the UIL, Faith Family, an Oak Cliff–based charter school, entered the Elite Interscholastic Basketball Conference – among the nation’s most unforgiving prep leagues – and promptly claimed the league championship. In the 2026 state rankings, Faith Family alone places two players inside the Texas top seven: twins Gavin and Gallagher Placide, an interior pairing signed to play together at Wake Forest. Nor are they an anomaly. Across the Trinity River, Dynamic Prep accounts for three top-12 Texans; farther north, Frisco Heritage adds two top-nine prospects, including the son of former NBA All-Star Josh Howard – evidence that the gravitational center of Texas, and the nation, basketball has shifted decisively toward Dallas.

Both Duncanville and Faith Family are projected to yield picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Faith Family alumnus JT Toppin, who carried Texas Tech to the Elite Eight last season, is now a sophomore and appears pro-bound. Duncanville’s KJ Lewis, a former teammate of Black and Holland, now plays at Georgetown. Toppin follows a path already worn by rising Boston Celtics forward Jordan Walsh, another Faith Family alumnus.

What Dallas has consistently molded is modern NBA wings: long, pliable athletes who blur positional lines. These 6ft 6in to 6ft 9in initiators defend multiple positions, handle the ball, create off the dribble, and orchestrate offense in real-time. Players like Cunningham and Black are the architects of the new game, excelling as two-way threats in a league that prizes size and versatility above all else.

This season, the Dallas pipeline has reached the league’s highest tier. Cunningham and Maxey sit among the NBA’s MVP candidates, while George continues to ascend into a star role. Dallas is shaping the league’s center of gravity. Even last season’s NBA Finals featured two area players facing off: Wallace for Oklahoma City and Myles Turner for Indiana.

Why Dallas? The city is different because its basketball ecosystem is unusually integrated, not fragmented.In most major cities, elite talent splinters between private schools, sneaker circuits and suburban flight, while public schools are drained of continuity. North Texas does the opposite. Public schools like Duncanville, charters like Faith Family, AAU programs and prep powerhouses all orbit the same geography, often the same neighborhoods, feeding one another instead of competing. Talent stays local longer, playing against peers of equal caliber night after night. It’s created rich density. For thousands of kids here, basketball is one of the few systems that still rewards imagination with something resembling upward mobility, proving American alchemy still has the ability to turn a leather ball into a key.

Former players have come to Dallas to invest in its basketball future, most notably Jermaine O’Neal, who founded Dynamic Prep. The program has started this season strong, earning the No 1 spot in the SC Next Top 25 team rankings as of early December. Dynamic Prep is led by the top-ranked national prospect in the 2027 class: Marcus Spears Jr, son of the Dallas Cowboys legend. Two of the school’s former stars, including O’Neal’s son, are now freshmen at Southern Methodist University. Another notable area connection is Dawson Battie, the nephew of NBA legend Tony Battie, who plays for Dallas’ St Mark’s and is ranked as the 11th-bestplayer in the 2027 class.

Perhaps most integral is the deep-rooted AAU culture in South Dallas. At its center is Urban DFW Elite, led by Jade Colbert, the first and only Black woman to serve as an AAU CEO in the country. Urban DFW Elite has become its own pipeline, producing NBA talent including Marcus Sasser, Darrell Arthur and Dink Pate.

This season, 19 of the league’s 30 teams roster at least one North Texas player, from MVP candidates in Cunningham and Maxey to rising stars like Black and George. While those numbers may not seem remarkable for a large metropolitan area, Dallas has often been ignored as a basketball city when compared with places such as Atlanta, New York and Atlanta. Dallas players extend across the league like highways, connecting the NBA back to the heat of a North Texas summer.

Those roads all trace back to the same kind of Dallas neighborhood: unremarkable stretches of urban sprawl where some of the most consequential basketball institutions in Texas – and arguably the country – call home. No coastline, just churches and cemeteries. And hallowed basketball gyms, where one generation after another learns the work. In all that ordinariness, the extraordinary emerged. Of all the different roads that lead to the NBA, Dallas has become the most heavily traveled highway in the state.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy believes the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have grown “too far apart” to form an alliance and bring a splintered sport back together.

“I just don’t see a world where it can happen at this point,” McIlroy said Wednesday at the Dubai Desert Classic on the European tour.

Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour from LIV has brought into sharper focus the fading hopes of any form of deal being struck by top officials on the two circuits.

Even U.S. President Donald Trump has gotten involved in negotiations at one point, but there’s no sign of a commercial partnership that was first mooted in 2023 when the tours announced a framework agreement.

To McIlroy, who was once one of the most outspoken critics of LIV before distancing himself from talks, it looks as far away as ever.

“Just I don’t see a world where the two or three sides or whoever it is will give up enough,” he said, in a reference to the involvement of the European tour in talks. “Like for reunification to happen, every side is going to feel like they will have lost, where you really want every side to feel like they have won.

“I think they are just too far apart for that to happen.”

Message to Rahm, Hatton

Among the top players still with LIV are Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who were McIlroy's teammates in Europe's Ryder Cup win at Bethpage Black last year.

Rahm and Hatton are currently going through an appeal process after being sanctioned with fines by the European tour for playing the LIV Golf circuit. They are still allowed into European tour events while the process plays out.

McIlroy said paying the fines would be a sign of their commitment to the Europe's Ryder Cup team ahead of the 2027 matches in Ireland.

“We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups,” McIlroy said. “There’s two guys that can prove it.”

McIlroy's goals

McIlroy will be playing on the European tour for a second straight week, having finished tied for third at the Dubai Invitational on Sunday. He shared the lead at one stage in the final round but wound up two strokes back from winner Nacho Elvira.

The No. 2-ranked McIlroy said he is constantly shifting his expectations and goals after completing the career Grand Slam last year.

For the Northern Irishman, it’s mostly about “finding joy in the process.”

“I think I need to show up at tournaments with enthusiasm every single time,” he said. “So playing in the places that I want to play, playing the tournaments I want to play. Not feeling like I’m at a tournament because I’m obligated or have to be there but because I want to be there.”

Asked what he still wanted to achieve in golf, McIlroy said: “Olympic medal. (British) Open at St. Andrews. Yeah, maybe like a U.S. Open at one of those like old, traditional golf courses — whether it’s Shinnecock this year or Winged Foot or Pebble Beach, (or) Merion.

“I would have told you two years ago,” he added, “if I won the Masters, it would have been great and I could have retired or whatever. But when you keep doing things, the goal posts keep moving, and you just keep finding new things that you want to do.”

___

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

A college football national champion has been crowned, which means it’s time to turn the spotlight on college basketball.

The men’s season is in full swing as conference play is underway, and there has been plenty to discuss — from sensational freshmen, national title favorites and disappointments. The season is more than halfway done, and Selection Sunday is just 54 days away before one of the most exciting months in sports tips off.

So what’s happened in the first two months, and what should be paid attention to as we approach the NCAA tournament? Here are the top storylines in college hoops:

Who is the best college basketball team so far?

Arizona sits atop the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll with a perfect 18-0 start.

The Wildcats have running through every opponents ever since the season opening win over defending champion Florida, with a blend of young (Koa Peat and Brayden Burries) and experience (Jaden Bradley and Motiejus Krivas) paving the way. They average 90 points a game, win by an average margin of 21 points and have done it against talented teams with a 7-0 Quad 1 record.

Arizona has been a regular-season power under Tommy Lloyd, but he may finally have the right recipe to break the long Final Four drought in Tucson.

Plenty of national championship contenders exist

While Arizona is at the top, other teams lurking in the water. It sounds odd, but there's parity — it's just at the top level, as you can easily make the case for several teams to win it all.

Michigan, Connecticut, Purdue, Duke have proven to be formidable teams that are on a straight path to March. You also can't forget Houston, Gonzaga, Iowa State and Nebraska (more on the Cornhuskers soon). It's making for a very compelling race for the top seeds in the bracket.

Last season was the second time and first since 2008 with all four No. 1 seeds making the Final Four. There's a solid chance that could happen again in 2006.

Can Florida repeat?

What's harder than winning a national championship? Doing it again, and Florida is learning how challenging it is to repeat.

The Gators lost so much from last season's title team, but Todd Golden restocked it to give optimism they could contend. It was a rough beginning with a season opening loss to Arizona and a 5-4 start, falling to marquee opponents in close contests. However, Florida has found a rhythm since then, winning eight of its past nine with some notable ranked wins during the stretch. While it has five losses, they've all been by at least six points.

It feels like Florida has mostly been written off from defending its crown, but don't count out the Gators just yet. They have found an identity and can be a top-four seed in a bracket.

Historic runs for Nebraska, BYU

Two programs are chasing unprecedented highs, one expected and one out of nowhere.

Let's start with Brigham Young, which brought in talented freshman AJ Dybantsa to take the Cougars to the next level after reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. BYU is on track, eyeing those signature wins that will solidify what could lead to their first Final Four in program history.

In Lincoln, it's a dream. Nebraska remains undefeated, rallying the campus around a sport that hasn't had much significance. The Cornhuskers have proven they aren't a fluke and not only are in position to finally get their first NCAA tournament win, but there could be much more in store.

Fantastic freshmen

This may be the best freshmen class in some time, with the new kids on the block taking over and having NBA teams drooling of them turning pro.

Dybantsa has not disappointed from BYU, showcasing No. 1 pick potential with 22.5 points per game. Duke's Cameron Boozer is a certified bucket-getter for the Blue Devils, and Kansas' Darryn Peterson has commanded the floor, even though injuries have limited him. An emerging star has been North Carolina big man Caleb Wilson.

You also can't forget Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Houston guard Kingston Fleming, Peat and Burries at Arizona, as well as several other talented freshmen. They'll all be fun to watch in the tournament and could make up most of the lottery picks in the 2026 NBA draft.

Braden Smith chases assist record

Preseason national player of the year favorite Braden Smith is still in great position to win the award, with the Purdue guard closing in on the all-time assists record while leading a Boilermakers team still chasing that first national title.

Smith leads the country with 9.4 assists per game, and with 927 career dimes, is 149 more away from Bobby Hurley's record of 1,076. With that average, Smith can break the 36-year-old record by the time the NCAA tournament begins, cementing himself among the best point guards to play the game. The Boilermakers are hoping there are more opportunities for him to go up the leaderboard deep in March.

Big 12, Big Ten powers

The toughest conference is really a tie between the Big 12 and Big Ten, making it a gauntlet for any team to survive. Combined the conferences make up 10 of the top 13 spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, with five each.

Both leagues dominated the nonconference schedules, winning more than 80% of such contests and the only two to have a winning percentage over 50% against other Power conference teams. It's going to be entertaining to watch these conference races and who ends up at the top, and there's a great chance the national champion emerges from the Big 12 or Big Ten.

ACC is back

After sending just four teams to the NCAA tournament last season, the ACC has responded emphatically and looks like it can prove its worth against other Power conferences.

It's no surprise Duke, North Carolina and Louisville have done well, but there's been some surprises like Virginia, surging under Ryan Odom, and Clemson not skipping a beat. There's also been NCAA tournament-worthy starts from Miami, NC State and SMU, with squads like Virginia Tech, Stanford and California lurking. It's been a fun league to watch again. There's a good chance the ACC can double its amount of bids in March, and not just have Duke be the only one advancing.

Who steps up in SEC?

The SEC was the class of college basketball last season with a record 14 teams in March Madness, two of whom made the Final Four. The conference isn't as strong as it was, but it remains as open of a race to who can emerge.

There's no real power team, with Vanderbilt leaking after its 16-0 start. Florida has been mentioned, and other squads in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas A&M have shown potential but aren't just complete. Kentucky and Tennessee have mostly disappointed and are hard to trust. The SEC will likely send at least eight teams, but you can't confidently say who those eight will be and if they will be able to replicate any success.

Transfer portal frustration

A major talking point has been the new players coming to college basketball, and whether they should be allowed to play. There's been some controversy about allowing former professional basketball players to play college basketball, whether they were in the G League or actual NBA draft picks.

They've been ruled eligible to play, drawing the ire of the most prominent coaches in the country from Tom Izzo to John Calipari as the NCAA watches. Will the trend continue, or will there be changes made after so much disapproval?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball top storylines to watch with college football over

Following another playoff-like matchup against the Eastern Conference–leading Detroit Pistons, head coach Joe Mazzulla praised the defensive strides second-year wing Baylor Scheierman has made, even in defeat. 

When asked about Scheierman’s growth as a decision-maker on both ends of the floor, Mazzulla pointed to a different area of development. “To me, his growth is more about his defensive versatility,” he said. 

That versatility has not gone unnoticed by those who regularly watch the Celtics. Scheierman exceeded expectations defensively as a rookie, particularly as a playmaker on that end, but seeing him take on such varied assignments — “sometimes he’ll guard the best player, sometimes he’ll guard the big,” as Mazzulla noted — stood out enough to warrant a deeper look into his defensive impact. 

Last year, albeit in low minutes, we didn’t see much of Scheierman guarding many different positions or quite frankly, the ability to, and the numbers show it per Bball Index. 

A portion of this is definitely attributed to the fact that more of his playing time last season came in garbage minutes, but even as he began to crack the rotation toward the end of the year, he was typically matched up against low-usage players on opposing teams.  

This year, things look much different.  

Scheierman has dramatically flipped several metrics that have proven important to the Celtics this season, including matchup difficulty, defensive positional versatility, and the percentage of time spent guarding stars and starters. Among those, the spike in matchup difficulty stands out most.  

His defensive impact is impressive on its own, but it becomes even more striking when considering that he’s gone from guarding the least threatening players to consistently taking on the league’s top scorers.  

Last season, he ranked at the very bottom of the league, just the 3rd percentile, in matchup difficulty. This year, he has catapulted to the 70th percentile, a shift that has been a major factor in boosting his overall defensive positional versatility grade from the 58th percentile to an elite 98th percentile, placing him among the league’s best. 

Mazzulla highlighted Scheierman’s versatility in Monday’s game, saying, “There’s a couple possessions where he’s on [Isaiah] Stewart, a couple possessions where he’s on [Cade] Cunningham.” The Stewart matchup, in particular, may have flown under the radar.  

The Celtics’ bigs ran into serious foul trouble in the first half. Neemias Queta picked up two fouls, while Luka Garza accumulated four in just three minutes and 15 seconds of play. Xavier Tillman saw some time, but for the final three minutes of the second quarter, Scheierman, who hadn’t played in the opening frame, was tasked with playing center on defense.  

Here, he hits an important three stopping a Pistons run then goes down and matches up with Stewart. As Cade drives, he’s right there to stop the drive forcing a shot over the top which allows Derrick White to swat it.  

In the third quarter, Sam Hauser picked up his fourth foul just three minutes in, which led to Scheierman logging the remaining nine minutes of the period. During that stretch, he matched up with Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, and Tobias Harris on multiple possessions.  

He also shined in the team’s only win over the Pistons this season, logging a season-high 30 minutes, scoring 13 points, and delivering strong defensive play.  

But when we talk about versatility, there’s one clip that sums it all up.  

Mazzulla closed his remarks on Scheierman by saying, “I think just his continued growth in defensive physicality and understanding of the system is kind of where he’s made the most growth to where you build a level of trust.”  

When your coach is willing to ask you to guard superstars as different as Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama, it’s safe to say that trust has been earned. 

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, January 21st. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 24-20 and play the Charlotte Hornets tonight on the road.

Cleveland is 1-1 against the Hornets this season. They dropped their first meeting in a disappointing overtime loss, then bounced back a week later to beat the Hornets 139-132 in Rocket Arena. The Cavs were 4-0 against the Hornets last season.

Today’s Game of the Day

• Oklahoma City Thunder at Milwaukee Bucks – 9:30 PM, ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network

Even if these two teams aren’t in the same stratosphere, I can’t pass up a chance to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo try to work his way around this elite Thunder defense. It’s like watching an immovable object take on an unstoppable force. Few teams in the league can give Giannis a greater challenge than the Thunder.

OKC has won three of its last four matchups with the Bucks. Their last loss was in the 2024 NBA Cup Final, when Milwaukee took home the trophy. I’m not sure if anyone remembers that, so I figured I’d remind you, just in case.

The Rest of the NBA Slate

• Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics – 7:30 PM
• Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM
• Detroit Pistons at New Orleans Pelicans – 8 PM
• Atlanta Hawks at Memphis Grizzlies – 8 PM
• Toronto Raptors at Sacramento Kings – 10 PM

Cavs links of the day

• How Chet Holmgren exposed the Evan Mobley problem in Cleveland – Cleveland.com
• Cavs outclassed by OKC – Cleveland 19 News
• Winners and Losers: Donovan Mitchell runs into his kryptonite – Fear the Sword
• Donovan Mitchell deserved to be an All-Star starter – Fear the Sword

NBA links

• NBA midseason trends: Four storylines to watch amid playoff race – ESPN
• Reports: Warriors’ Jimmy Butler out for season with right knee injury – NBA.com
• Lakers’ LeBron James not voted NBA All-Star Starter – ESPN