Category: NBA

Why Warriors' Yaxel Lendeborg is built to complement Steph Curry, Draymond Green originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – On the day Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was born, it’s entirely possible that 14-year-old Stephen Curry was in a gym honing his jump shot and 12-year-old Draymond Green’s was giving his mother fits of annoyance.

Yet Lendeborg, who turns 24 on Wednesday, is considered “old,” because he’s an NBA rookie. Green, Curry and the rest of the Warriors are welcoming the grizzled kid.

As they should, because they’re going to need the 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward from the University of Michigan.

Any chance for Golden State to have success early in the 2026-27 NBA season is largely dependent on Lendeborg making an impact alongside Curry and Green, two veterans with a combined eight championship rings and 16 All-Star Game appearance over 32 NBA seasons.

“He’s clearly going to play a ton,” coach Steve Kerr said of Lendeborg on Monday.

Curry, Green and Lendeborg will be the primary forces that determine Golden State’s fortunes as the calendar dives toward 2027. If they stay healthy and play well, the Warriors might be able to hang around the middle of the Western Conference. If not, the season will be endangered before Christmas – long before the anticipated returns of valuable reinforcements Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody.

“Needless to say, he’s going to be . . . we know what Steph does and myself,” Green said of Lendeborg. “But he’s going to be important.”

Being the third component of a determining trio is a lot to ask of a rookie, no matter his age, but Lendeborg’s history indicates he is built to produce. He played three levels of college basketball, adjusting to different roles, constantly improving and becoming the best player on his team.

With Jimmy Butler III rehabilitating from surgery to repair a torn right ACL, there is an opening for a fearless forward capable of scoring in multiple ways including drawing fouls and getting to the line – creating scoring opportunities for his teammates and grabbing rebounds in traffic. The Warriors hope Butler can return early in 2027, but his absence is Lendeborg’s opportunity.

“Whenever you bring in younger guys, they all just want to get busy and get to it right away, scoring and doing all of these things,” Butler said of Lendeborg. “And he can do that at a high level.”

Lendeborg averaged 11 rebounds per game as a bruising power forward in two seasons at the University of Alabama-Birmingham before transferring to Michigan, where he slid over to the wing and shot 37.2 percent from deep – and led the Wolverines to the national championship.

Kerr is not promising a starting role for the rookie, but no one else on the current roster is equipped with his array of tools. Gui Santos doesn’t have the size/strength combo, and neither Georges Niang nor Malevy Leons can match Lendeborg’s comprehensive skills. None of the three see the game as well.

“He gives us the size and the versatility that we need,” Kerr conceded. “He can guard bigs. He can guard wings. He’s a connector on offense, a really good passer and ball handler. I always try to check boxes with guys, evaluating them, dribble, pass, shoot, process. He checks all those boxes.”

Green on Monday recalled a sequence during a recent scrimmage in which he and Curry teamed with Lendeborg on an in-bounds play that led to a dunk for the rookie. Draymond is not easily impressed, but he was with how easily Lendeborg read the action.

“It looked like we had been playing together for a long time,” Green said. “An out-of-bounds play, somebody threw me the ball. Steph back-picked it. (Lendeborg) didn’t know he should go off. He went off. Boom. Dunk.

“Steph was like, ‘Yo, see that, because that’s going to happen a lot.’”

Lendeborg said he’d never come off a back screen and found so much space.

“They were both like, ‘That’s all year! All year!’ Super loud and aggressive,” he said of Curry and Green. “I was like, ‘Oh, wow, OK.’ If it’s going to be like that, then it’s going to be a lot of fun. So hopefully it is like that.”

Every good starting lineup has at least three reliable scoring/playmaking options. Curry is a given. Green will be asked to do more scoring from deep, and he is capable, as is De’Anthony Melton. Primary centers Kristaps Porziņģis – who is expected back after training camp – and Al Horford can space the floor.

But Golden State’s early fate practically begs for significant contributions from Lendeborg. If he delivers, they could surprise. And he might achieve a particular goal.

“I feel like I could win Rookie of the Year,” Lendeborg said. “But that’s not my main focus.”

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“There’s a blueprint in the NBA right now where some of the best teams — guys really really enjoy spending time with each other.”

I enjoyed this quote from Danny Wolf on Brooklyn Nets Media Day (which Collin Helwig admirably covered here, particularly all news items), because you typically hear “blueprint” regarding roster construction and team-wide traits like positional size and ball-handling, but I enjoy the idea of like, Sean Marks consulting his Friendship Coordinator to track what free agents share the most common interests with Egor Dëmin. Not that Wolf is wrong. He is one of many Gen Z basketball fans inundated with stories of true killers like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant verbally abusing their teammates, only to see Oklahoma City Thunder’s youngsters and the “Power of Friendship” ‘Nova Knicks win the past two titles.

Rest assured, the Brooklyn Nets aren’t chasing friendship. Not exactly. But Danny Wolf was one of the last players to speak at Media Day, and his comments on locker-room chemistry were right in line with the day’s theme, and only a little bit because every player is smiley and eager to buy into his role on day one. Incoming veterans brought the energy, though. Mikel Brown Jr. again called himself a savant while Dëmin joked about his golf game, but if there was anything to learn about the 2026-27 Nets at Media Day, it was from Julius Randle, Keon Ellis, and Moe Wagner.

These are not late-stage-Garrett-Temple veterans, pseudo-coaches that just practice hard. They will play heavy minutes in direct competition with recent draft picks while fostering a fun, competitive environment at the same time. That’s the hope, anyway.

“They’ve been outstanding,” said Head Coach Jordi Fernández. “And the reason why is they’re not trying to do too much. What they’re trying to do is show how they’re pros, and you start leading by example. And then when you start earning that trust, because you work every day and you’ve done it for so many years and so forth, then you can keep taking steps.”

The Brooklyn Nets will not put 22 different players on the court this season in an overt race to the bottom of the league. There are expectations — maybe not of 50 wins, but that Malachi Smith, Tre Scott, and Tyson Etienne won’t lead the team in April minutes. Randle, Ellis, and Wagner personify those expectations, and though you can quibble with each player’s productivity, their presence was felt on Media Day.

Wagner had no shortage of feel-good quotes: “I don’t have to prove anything. Like, I feel very secure with who I am. I don’t want to steal anyone’s spots, I don’t want to compete with anyone on the team about minutes or anything, I want to win long term … I think the chemistry here in this building is amazing.”

The big German offered to take Day’Ron Sharpe, with whom he was sharing the podium, on the subway for the first time (it’s only Day’Ron’s sixth year in Brooklyn). Wagner complimented Day’Ron’s game extensively, congratulated him on marriage, and the two laughed about smack-talk and referee-baiting. Then Day’Ron, suddenly in his sixth year in the NBA, opened up about being a leader: “I just try to be there when [young players] need me … I try to just give them the words of advice, words of encouragement. I was 19, 20, you know, I wasn’t the best. I made some wrong decisions, I wasn’t the best professional. So I just try to lead by example, and you know, that’s all I can do.”

Sharpe is no Julius Randle, though. Entering his 13th NBA season, Randle discussed his evolution as a 3-point shooter, telling stories about being Kobe Bryant’s teammate, and even whatever the heck happened on his golf trip with Brown Jr. and Dëmin:

Randle already has love for his two baby-faced guards, and he echoed the classic line about leadership. It’s, spoiler alert, mostly done by example. But he at least explained why: “They’re obviously really, really talented, extremely talented. But they have a competitive nature, being around them early, just a hunger to get better. So when you have that, all you really just need is guidance and example.”

Fans of Julius Randle’s previous teams will tell you that he is incredibly moody. That his bad moods can swing a game, a season, a locker room. The Minnesota Timberwolves did not seem to miss him at their Media Day.

Brooklyn is a far cry from his previous situations, though. Julius Randle is now the stabilizing force for an up-and-coming team that probably won’t even be good, just hopefully competitive. Little stands in the way of his touches and minutes, while the 31-year-old father is also excited to live in New York City once more.

Randle gushed about the transition for his eldest son, who is back at his old school with his old friends, adding, “When things are easier off the court, when they’re great at home and they’re happy and all of those things, it makes the basketball part, the work part, that much easier. I don’t even consider it work, but it makes the basketball part that much easier. So I feel really balanced, really happy, at peace here.”

I believe that it will last. Am I also delusionally optimistic? Keon Ellis is a bit younger, 26 years old but still well into veteran-status on this neophytic team. Especially after his Media Day presser, where he gave textbook answers in a booming, made-for-broadcasting voice. For example, is he worried about minutes? No: “It’s the same problem that every team is gonna have. Everyone’s fighting for minutes, and I mean, it’s just the nature of the game too. So I think everyone, you know, trying to fight for spots, minutes, whatever, it just makes you know your teammate better. For whoever is going to play.”

Wagner, Randle, and Ellis are unlike the new faces we’ve seen at recent Brooklyn Nets Media Days. They are established veterans in both character and talent; Sean Marks wanted leaders, sure, but these guys want an opportunity to play for a winning club. Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson, and Ziaire Williams for example, were all veterans to some degree, but those guys just really needed to play. Even (or especially) for a crappy team.

Even when answering a question about Michael Porter Jr., Sean Marks went right to the leadership well: “We’re expecting big things from not only himself, but Mo and Keon and Julius, the guys we brought in who have seen other environments, and we’re asking them to lead and to lead by example, both on and off the court.”

Once again, that C-word. Culture. Character too, for that matter. Sean Marks and the Nets are all about it, and on Monday morning, it was evident. Will the rookies and sophomores benefit? This team has taken a minor step toward relevancy, but are these the right veterans to usher in the major step, the blockbuster trade(s) Nets fans are impatiently longing for? We’ll find out quite soon.

The Brooklyn Nets open preseason play with a road game against the Charlotte Hornets on October 6. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Say cheese, LeBron James is a Sixer: Best of Sixers Media Day originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

On July 6th, the Sixers added a piece in a monster trade with the Celtics. That piece is a five-time NBA All-Star and Finals MVP.

On July 24th? Well … We all know what happened that day.

Many said it didn’t feel real. That it wouldn’t set in until LeBron James was in a Sixers uniform. Well that time has come, and seeing it in person was something else.

The day started early. No phones or cameras were allowed until morning practice concluded at 10 a.m.

There was a big huddle as the players wrapped up practice. Then Maxey and James started shooting at the basket next to our setup, and a couple of rebounds came our way.

Carts loaded with lighting, backdrops and camera equipment flooded in. Sets quickly lined the perimeter of two basketball courts. Then things got hectic.

Justin Edwards, Jabari Walker and Adem Bona made their way onto the courts. Then Edgecombe and Maxey. But no one could miss LeBron.

NBC Sports Philadelphia’s own Amy Fadool sat down with James for an exclusive one-on-one interview. It was surreal to be just feet away as he began his stint in Philadelphia.

NBC Sports Philadelphia wasn’t just filming with the players on the court. We were also streaming the podium press conferences and taping promos for Sixers Pregame and Postgame Live.

I snuck away to get some action of Tyrese Maxey as he read scripts for hype videos and promos.

It was chaotic and fast-paced, but somehow calming at the same time. We got to see the Sixers up close and personal, but the best part was everything happening in between.

Players messing around. Playing rock-paper-scissors. Taking turns at the basket.

It was a small glimpse of just how excited everyone seemed to be. Joel Embiid with a huge smile on his face. James and Maxey interrupting each other’s interviews. Players joking around between takes.

There was an energy around this team that felt different. And for one day, we got to see it from a few feet away.

Click here to watch player interviews and press conferences from Media Day.

It was a rainy morning outside of the Auerbach Center on Monday as Media Day for the 2026-27 Boston Celtics was set to be under way. Perhaps this was a symbolic way of washing away the past to usher in the new season. Walking in, you could tell there was a feeling of change and new beginnings in the room.

This was a common theme throughout the day with new faces arriving to the podium as old faces from a season prior become a memory. As the long, atrocious offseason has finally come to an end, we are finally upon the next chapter of Boston Celtics basketball in the start of a brand new era.

1. Mitchell Robinson is Awesome

Out of all the interviews we were able to see today, I felt like nobody had more fun with it than Mitchell Robinson. Robinson signed a three-year, $47.4 million contract with Boston on July 1st and Media Day was the first time we got to talk to him in a Celtics uniform. Safe to say he made a great impression early with his positive attitude and sense of humor.

His relationship with Joe Mazzulla is going to be a fun watch this year as it feels like both of them have a lot of mutual respect for each other. Mazzulla said that Robinson is one of the best big men in the NBA and his resume speaks for itself. In Robinson’s presser, he talked about how much it meant to him that Joe went down to Nashville to see him, saying Mazzulla “sees them as people instead of just players.” Mitch did say Joe had to apologize to him for fouling him so much when he was on the Knicks but that is water under the bridge now and he is ready to get to work.

Robinson is also a big hit amongst his new Celtics teammates, including his running mate at the center position Neemias Queta. When I asked Queta about his relationship with Robinson, he said, “Mitch is a great guy to be around. He’s gonna make us a lot better. Excited to have him as a teammate, way more than having him as an opponent. He’s gonna give us a different look being able to rebound at a really high level, defend pretty much one through five. He’s a great guy to be around too, and I think he’s gonna help us get to the next level.”

I have a feeling Robinson is going to be a fan favorite amongst Celtics fans this season based off of his personality alone. The room had a different energy when he was at the podium and you could feel that Boston got a great guy. I am excited to see his play on the court and his interviews being must see TV postgame.

2. Jayson Tatum: The Leader

With Jaylen Brown being traded away to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, Tatum is now seen as the undisputed face of the franchise. This prompted the question of his ability to be a leader for the team moving forward and we saw answers in some direct and indirect ways.

The first instance we saw was in Joe Mazzulla’s interview when he was asked about Tatum’s ability to lead. He brought up all the success he has had over the course of his career from being a rookie under head coach Brad Stevens, to going to the Finals under head coach Ime Udoka in 2022, to winning the championship in 2024, to coming back from his Achilles injury last season. Tatum has experienced a lot in his NBA career and Mazzulla said he will use those experiences he’s learned on and off the court to become a better player.

When Tatum was asked about his leadership style, he said he is very comfortable taking on this position and echoed Mazzulla’s sentiments of being through it all going into his 10th NBA season. He continued by saying, “leadership is about a lot of different things. The biggest one is self-awareness, awareness of the group, and just understanding we all have roles. We are simply in this together, so it looks different from person to person.”

There was a more contentious question later on in Tatum’s presser when he was asked if he thinks the Celtics are “his team” from a leadership perspective where he seemed a bit apprehensive about taking that title. He said, “It’s not just saying its my team, I got 14 other teammates that I’m gonna lean on and we all need each other.” This is the answer I would expect from a leader. I think Tatum is going to be fine in this position and we have already seen him taking charge.

When Sam Hauser was about the offseason workouts the team had out in Los Angeles this summer, he said that Tatum was the one who organized the entire thing. Hauser said, “JT hit the group chat, invited us all out, and most of us made it work… It was a lot of fun. We did a lot of work on the court, played some golf, had some dinners, so it was a lot of fun.”

This shows me at least that Tatum is going to be a vocal leader on and off the court. In those offseason workouts, we saw him even working out with the younger guys like Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell. I don’t think there should be a question about Tatum’s leadership this season and I am excited to see him play with the new team in place.

3. Payton Pritchard Breakout Incoming

When it comes to the most serious press conference we saw, it had to be Payton Pritchard. It felt like he was already locked in playing in a game and he was just answering questions from the media. One of my favorite lines from him was when he was asked about how he could continue to improve as a player and he said, “everybody always tries to put people in a box and for every year of my career since I’ve been young, people put me in this box of like this is the player you can be, and I just I feel like those expectations I kind of blow them out the water. I don’t know what I can be doing differently, but I will find something that will make me excel to another level.”

This answer gave me chills and it’s not like we haven’t seen him continue to improve his game. Every year of his career, he has increased his production when given more minutes. This has resulted in a 6th Man of the Year Award in 2025 and a career season last year where he averaged a career highs with 17.0 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.1 rebounds. So, if this year is really the year we see Payton Pritchard reach another level, we can look back on this answer from Media Day as the first sign.

4. Increased Offensive Tempo?

One of the big things that I took away from everyone on the Celtics as a whole is that they want to play with an increased tempo on offense. Payton Pritchard said, “I think we are going to be playing with more movement, hopefully play a little bit faster.” Ee also heard Sam Hauser say the offense was going to be “pretty free-flowing.”

This makes me wonder if the Celtics are going to try to get out and run a little more this season. Boston finished last in pace in the NBA last season and with the personnel they have it would make sense. With the fast, energy guys they have like Payton Pritchard, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh, the Celtics have guys who will be able to push the pace this season and we could see them utilize getting out in transition more.

5. Harper Jr.-George Number Swap

I wanted to end my takeaways with maybe the funniest answer we saw at Celtics Media Day: the story of Ron Harper Jr. switching his jersey number to number 8 this offseason and giving his number 13 to Paul George.

When Harper Jr. was asked for more details about the transaction, he didn’t give us many concrete answers, because him and George never really talked about it. The deal was facilitated through their agents, but Harper Jr. did say, “Both parties were able to come to a mutual agreement that benefited us both. So, we’re both really happy for how that worked out” which got a good laugh out of the media members in attendance.

Early Monday morning, just before Media Day began, the Brooklyn Nets announced a “jersey patch” deal with Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant headed, of course, by Joe Tsai…

This deal differed substantially from other patch deals, which have gone for as much as eight figures per season. In the past, companies both big and small paid the freight to get the recognition that comes with every TV close-up of a Nets player at the free throw line, his jersey adorned with a corporate logo. There was Motorola, the big cellphone manufacturer, and All-In-One, a New York-based medical billing and IT company owned by a Nets season ticket holder. They also contracted with WeBull, an online brokerage, and Get Your Guide, a tourism company … in other words an eclectic group.

The Alibaba patch is simple, the company’s name spelled out in the company typeface on the left breast of the jersey opposite the Nike swoosh, part of a separate apparel deal. Alibaba says it will use the patch to support the team’s 60th anniversary celebration, according to the press release. The celebration will be a year-long campaign honoring iconic players, defining moments and milestones across the franchise’s history.

But the patch deal between the two Tsai entities isn’t the only eye-opener in the deal. The Alibaba jersey patch is only one part of a much bigger and intriguing sports technology deal, as a follow-up press release to the tweet revealed.

Alibaba Group and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment today announced a strategic multi-year partnership naming Alibaba an Official Technology and Cloud Partner of the Brooklyn Nets. The partnership pairs Alibaba’s cloud technology with the Brooklyn Nets’ live game replay, in-game entertainment and marketing initiatives, creating more immersive experiences for fans in the arena.

Cloud technology partner? Isn’t this A.I, although the press release doesn’t mention A.I? What’s going on here? Here’s how Toby Xu, Alibaba’s Chief Financial Officer, described it in the press release:

“Alibaba has long partnered with leading sports organizations worldwide, giving us a deep understanding of how to deliver technology at the scale and speed live sports demand,” Xu said. “We are excited to team up with the Brooklyn Nets to unlock new possibilities in sports innovation. As we head into the new season, we look forward to delivering immersive experiences for fans at Barclays Center and beyond.”

There it is: “immersive experiences,” the centerpiece of Alibaba’s foray into sports. As we reported back in May, Alibaba has worked with sports organizations around the world on such “immersive technology.” Indeed, in addition to its e-commerce business, A.I and Cloud innovations, Alibaba under Tsai has become a sports technology giant.

The company has been the official Cloud provider for the last four Olympiads and will have the same role in Los Angeles in a little less than two years. NBA China, UEFA, the European soccer federation, and amateur sports federations like World Aquatics have all bought in. For the big customers, “immersive technology” might be better described as “hyper-personalized,“ a way to get beyond the passive experience of sitting in front of a TV set. As an example, four months back, Alibaba and the NBA announced NBA Chat in China. Built on Alibaba’s advanced Qwen A.I. model and NBA’s historical data, player analytics and other digital assets, NBA Chat delivers real-time, comprehensive game insights directly on mobile devices.

Fans can dive deep into their favourite players’ on-court performance — from detailed career statistics and live shooting percentages to full offensive and defensive breakdowns of ongoing or past games, and even team tactical strategies — all at their fingertips.

In their press release, Alibaba and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment hinted about how the fan experience will be enhanced at Barclays Center but without much detail.

Beginning with the 2026-27 NBA season, Alibaba’s technology will power a Real-Time 360º Replay system at Barclays Center, bringing faster and more innovative replays. Through the in-arena “Nets Figure Lab,” fans will also be able to create personalized collectible cards using Alibaba’s technology.

Across the season, Alibaba and the Nets will use the partnership to test and scale innovative technology and marketing applications on and beyond game day, enhancing fan experiences while supporting the next chapter of Nets basketball. For the Nets, the collaboration represents an investment in the future of the franchise.

The “Nets Figure Lab” was not more fully described, but the “Real-Time 360º Replay system” is the core technology of the Alibaba Sports Technology initiative.

What might the technology look like? A year ago, when the Nets visited Macao as part of the NBA China tour, Alibaba showed off examples of their technology, like the brick, mortar and glass NBA House…

And there was a taste of the digital: game action on whatever screen fans prefer once the NBA games are broadcast in China this season…

Fans might ask isn’t this “Real-Time 360º Replay system” a bit of old hat? Haven’t we seen this on national TV games or even on YES Network? Things like 360 degree views, etc. have been a staple of sports programming for more than decade. The difference now is that the technology was exclusively the realm of directors sitting in front of banks of monitors in TV studios or in high-tech production trucks. Now the average fan will have it all right in front of them. Welcome to the age of hyper-personalized sports viewing, fan as director.

In short, think of cloud technology as the stadium where the game is being played and AI technology as the production team creating the full experience for the fans.

The Alibaba/BSE press release didn’t provide details, as we’ve noted, but the press release suggested the partnership will “test and scale innovative technology,” an indication that this is a work-in-progress. In fact, the ultimate end of the experiment is that fans will be able to create alternate endings, rejigger game flows, take events that occur and compare them to the opposite outcome and move on. Player impact and coaching decisions will get new scrutiny. In what form, at what level is something we will have wait on.

So it sounds like fun and the goal is no doubt making Barclays Center a sports technology hub … but like we said, this isn’t just about a jersey patch deal.

Oddmakers project the Nets will win fewer than 25 games. The delusionally confident Nets think they can win twice that many. 

They’ve set it as a goal, talking about it privately and now publicly. 

“That’s the goal from Day 1. We said our goal is to get 50 wins,” Terance Mann said Monday when asked by The Post about trying to lead a young, inexperienced group that, heretofore, has no idea how to win. 

“So you’re going to have to go in there with the mentality that we’re going to get 50 wins. And that’s through the guys with years [of experience] leading that. Most of us came from winning situations, so we know what it takes, and that’s just what we’re going to do.” 

It’s the start of training camp, so hope springs eternal. It just isn’t shared by many outside of the Nets locker room. 

And they’re fine with that. 

Their projected win total opened at just 19.5 and has climbed to 24.5 behind encouraging summers from 20-year-olds Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr., and what should be a potent frontcourt duo of vets Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle. 

“Man, at the end of the day, we’re just trying to win,” Brown said. 

Granted, they’re still projected to be among the league’s worst teams. 

Still, Porter was the first Net to publicly predict a 50-win campaign. And even though he admits his answer was to a leading question by controversial streamer N3on, Porter said what he said, and is standing by it. 

“Yeah, I mean the question was framed like he said, ‘Can you guys win 50 games?’ Of course I’m not going to say, ‘No, we can’t win 50 games,’” Porter said. “And I do genuinely believe you’re supposed to go out on the floor every night with delusional confidence and compete to win. And I do think we have the players that every single night our goal should be to win. And we can win. 

“Yeah, obviously the NBA is stacked right now. The Eastern Conference is stacked. There’s a lot of good teams. But we definitely did nothing but get better last year. And there were a lot of games that we were in last year that we could’ve won. So for me, we have no choice but to go up. And why not shoot for the stars.” 

The Nets might have a better chance of reaching the stars than winning 50 games, something they’ve done exactly once in their NBA history, en route to the 2002 Finals. 

But Porter is right in that they should be better. 

Their rookies suffered through the growing pains of a league-high 6,716 minutes last season. The only four teams in the past decade to play rookies more saw their win totals jump by 10.5 victories the next season, and another ten wins the next. 

That — plus Randle’s on-ball scoring and ability as a floor-raiser — is why the incoming All-Star had vowed they can “shock the world.” 

“It starts [Tuesday] with training camp and we just build from there. Stack days, continue to improve, come in with the right focus every single day. For me, when I do that and I’ve done that in my career, the teams that I’ve been a part of have done that… the results always follow,” Randle said. “We have great leadership in the coaching staff with Jordi [Fernández] and everybody else. We have the talent.

“It’s really just about the mindset, and not just coming in every single day, but coming in with intention and purpose, understanding things aren’t always going to be easy and knowing how to navigate those and showing up to work the same way whether you lose by 20 or win by 20, nothing changes, the process stays the same. So the biggest thing for us is just falling in love with the journey every single day, falling in love with the process and the results will follow.” 

And maintaining that delusional confidence, even if the losses chip away at it.

If you’re a guard with the Golden State Warriors during the Stephen Curry era, you better know how to make a big splash. That means both knocking down pure jumpers from way downtown, and also making winning plays that get the fanbase behind you and wins up on the schedule. You make enough splashes and you start making waves.

At GSW media day, fourth year guard Brandin Podziemski walked up to the podium on Monday and the first thing anybody noticed was the waves in his hair. We’re talking fresh waves brushed in and laid down, the kind of look that leads me to believe he’s a young man who spent the offseason with a durag, a soft brush, and a whole lot of patience.

Then he started talking, and the second thing I realized was how differently he was approaching his words than last year.

If you’ve followed this young fella for any amount of time, you know that’s a different Podz at the mic. I think he knows exactly why, going back to last October. Podz sat down with The Athletic’s Nick Friedell and laid out, with zero hesitation, where he saw himself in the Warriors’ family tree: “When they leave this thing, they got to leave it with somebody,” he said. “How can I have their trust? And they can go to [owner] Joe [Lacob] and [general manager] Mike [Dunleavy] and be like, ‘Hey, we want to leave it with him. He’s going to continue what we’re leaving.'”

He kept going. “So, I think about that all time, and I set myself up in that position to have that. And there’s a lot of other things than just skill that you need to be in that position.”

Unfortunately, the internet heard a third-year guard publicly measuring the drapes in a house where Steph Curry and Draymond Green still pay the mortgage. And that very same internet responded the way the internet responds to everything, which is loudly and without nuance. They booed this man at a baseball game!!

By March, Podz was walking it back a little, though only a little. In an NBC Sports Bay Area article by Nick Avila entitled “Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski explains viral comments were taken out of context” he said:

I think I could have worded them a little bit differently, but I also think how it’s perceived on the internet is a little taken out of context. Your biggest strength can be your biggest weakness and I think it’s gotten me to this point and obviously with anything in life, there’s going to be pushback, people aren’t going to like you for what you say or what you do. But I’m just going to stick with it. It’s worked.

I never hated the quote personally. I grew up in East Oakland hooping and I learned early that sometimes you gotta talk it while you’re still learning to walk it. Speak it, believe it, receive it.

Ambition is fine, but I think the problem was the venue. In this franchise the torch gets passed down generationally on the floor, in the fourth quarter, when Draymond is barking coverages and Steph needs somebody to make the extra pass land somewhere useful. What I heard on Monday was a 23-year-old who figured that out without giving up the part of himself that said it in the first place. The confidence is still there but he knows he already put it out there on the microphone and now it’s time to put it out there on the hardwood.

The clock he was talking about last fall is real, too. Curry turned 38 in March and Draymond turned 36 the same month. When Podz talked about “when they leave this thing,” I’m guessing he was just doing math out loud. After watching a who’s who of young Warriors prospects disappear off the roster like a David Blaine magic trick, Podz should understand how quickly “future of the franchise” can become “former Warrior.” Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and James Wiseman are all different players with different circumstances and the same result: none of them became the guy Steph and Draymond left this thing with.

So now he’s done talking about it (at least for the cameras) and I think that’s the right call. It also means the only place left to put all that ambition is the box score, and every night this season people are going to look at it and ask whether the youngster who wanted the keys actually knows how to drive.

I tried to get waves in junior high school. It’s a lot of work man, I’ll tell ya. I’m sure anyone who’s ever had waves will tell you that the consistent brushing is the whole thing, morning and night, and the week you get lazy with it your head starts looking whupped.

I have a feeling trust with Steph and Draymond works the exact same way. If Podz wants them walking into Joe and Mike’s office someday to say leave it with him he just has to make the right play, sprint the defensive rotation, knock down the big shot, and come back tomorrow and do it again. That’ll be wavy, baby.

Jalen Brunson sat at the podium during Knicks Media Day on Monday with no cast, brace or any type of protection on his left wrist.

The captain is ready to go.

Brunson underwent offseason surgery on that wrist to repair a tendon issue. He notably played through the injury during the end of the playoffs en route to winning Finals MVP in spite of it.

“It was painful, but I clearly could play through it,” Brunson said Monday. “Did what I had to do every single day just to make sure I was right.”

Brunson didn’t fully realize the severity of the injury at first, waiting until early July for surgery rather than immediately after leading the Knicks to the NBA championship a few weeks earlier in June. He spent most of the summer in a cast.

“Didn’t think I necessarily needed surgery, so if that was the case, maybe I would have gotten it done sooner,” Brunson said. “So yeah, I was just playing through it, didn’t think anything of it, and I feel good. And we’ll see.”

During Thursday’s “Roommates Show with Jalen Brunson & Josh Hart” block party, the All-NBA point guard said that he is “fully cleared” for training camp, which begins this week.

Speaking with The Post last month, Brunson opened up about the injury and his determination to play through it.

“I just knew that the opportunity rarely presents itself to be in a position like that,” Brunson said at the time. “So I just wasn’t going to let something that seemed minor take me out. Just [do] whatever needed to be done, [then] focus on it afterwards.”

For a well-known workaholic who loves grinding away hours in the gym, the injury affected his offseason routine.

“It’s reminded me a lot about patience, for sure,” Brunson said.

Extension talks between the Nets and Michael Porter Jr. are ongoing. But they don’t sound urgent or anywhere close to bearing fruit. 

Porter was Brooklyn’s leading scorer last season amid a career year. But he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and despite being extension-eligible since July 6, neither side seems to be in a hurry to hammer out a deal. 

“Yeah, I’ll leave the negotiations internal,” Nets GM Sean Marks said. “That’s obviously between the Nets and Mike and his agent. But they’re ongoing. The dialogue is ongoing. But again, we are in no hurry to do this. I don’t think he’s in any particular hurry either. 

“If there’s a meeting point that we feel like, ‘Hey, this works for both sides,’ then that’ll happen. But as we’ve mentioned before, this is not something that there’s an expiry date on it in the next couple of months either. So we both have time. Both sides have time to figure this one out.” 

Porter, 28, will surely have his name come up in rumors before the trade deadline. 

But the forward — on a $40.8 million expiring deal — can extend at any point this season. 

While Porter was never going to get the full four years, $234 million he’s eligible for, how much will he and agent Mark Bartelstein demand? 

“I have a great agent and I know him and Sean, they’ve been speaking some. But for me, I’m just excited to play basketball,” Porter said. “I never was a dude who played for a big contract or for the money. So for me, I’m just excited to play with these guys and be in Brooklyn and build this organization as one of the leaders. 

“I’ve voiced that I’d love to be in Brooklyn and that I’m enjoying playing with these guys. And I think we’ll be a lot better this year, obviously. … The way these young guys have gotten better just in one year, I’m excited to see what we can do. So that’s where my mind is at and I’m not even thinking about anything else.” 

Porter averaged 25.6 points on 48.2 percent shooting and 39.8 percent from deep through January, but took his foot off the gas after getting snubbed for the All-Star Game and fell off to 20.5 points on 40.9 percent shooting (including 25.6 from 3) in his last 14 appearances. 

For him, consistency is the key. 

“For Mike to come in here, to own that opportunity that he had, have a great year, for us we’re looking for consistency from him,” Marks said. “We’re looking for him to take another step on the defensive end of it, rebounding. So just become more of a complete player on the court. The other one is what can you do [with] the intangibles. That’s important for us in the locker room. 

“Not just Mike — this goes for all the guys, specifically the guys who are a little older, who’ve seen it, been around. What’s their leadership look like? Can they take another step in that category? And Mike knows that. We’re expecting big things from not only himself and Moe [Wagner], and Keon [Ellis] and Julius [Randle]. … We’re asking them to lead by example, both o

The overwhelming trajectory of the NBA is working against the Knicks.

They’re out to buck an era-defining trend.

None of the past eight champions have repeated the following season; the Warriors in 2017 and ’18 were the last teams to do it, having lost in the 2019 Finals. Almost a decade of parity followed in a league that previously was ruled mainly by dynasties.

Why should these defending champion Knicks be any different?

“We write,” Josh Hart said during the team’s Media Day on Monday, “our own history.”

It’s more than just that none of those teams repeated. It’s how much — and how quickly — most fell off.

“Obviously, it probably shows the significance of the [collective bargaining agreement], the second apron, all those kinds of things,” Hart said. “At the end of the day, that’s the past. It has no precedent on what the future is going to hold. For us, we’re not really worried about it. We’re worried about etching our own stories and our own legacies.”

The current CBA, particularly with that second apron, makes it difficult for champions to keep their roster together without facing harsh penalties. It’s the main reason the Knicks had to let Mitchell Robinson walk in free agency.

Talent has become increasingly spread out across the league rather than condensed on a select few teams.

But the Knicks return the rest of their core beyond Robinson, and all still are in their respective primes.

“I think we have the confidence knowing that we did do it,” Jalen Brunson said. “That’s going to help us, but that can also hurt us. So it’s all about how we go into training camp and how we go into these first few weeks to see where we are as a team, and then we’ll be able to adjust or continue to grow.”

There is some experience with the situation among the core. The trio of Brunson, Hart and Mikal Bridges won an NCAA championship together at Villanova. Brunson and Bridges, in particular, experienced the thrill of that championship and won it again two years later.

They will lean on the knowledge gained from that experience.

“Just about not being satisfied, I think, is the biggest takeaway moving forward,” Brunson said. “You still wanna figure out how you can grow as a person, as a player. So I’ll use that experience.

“You just have to find a way to turn the page and move on, and I think it starts with the people who surround you. How quickly can they move on to the next thing?”

The Eastern Conference was shaken up around the Knicks over the offseason. A looming rivalry with the 76ers — now with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown — will be something they will have to hear about all year. The Pacers welcome back a healthy Tyrese Haliburton — the Knicks’ nemesis. The Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo, while the Raptors brought back their 2019 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.

And, as the defending champions, the Knicks — particularly with 34 prime-time games (tied for most in the league) — will be the matchup opponents have circled on their calendars.

“We’ll be hunted,” OG Anunoby said, “but we’re going to be hunting other teams as well.”

“To repeat is gonna take an even higher sense of discipline and execution,” added Karl-Anthony Towns. “And we’re gonna have to be even better than what we showed in the playoffs. All of us are aware that we’re gonna have to bring a whole other level to the table if we expect to have a chance to repeat.”

There are also potential off-the-court pitfalls — what coach Mike Brown called “elephants in the room.” The futures of Towns, Hart and Miles McBride are all uncertain, with each yet to sign a contract extension for which they are eligible. Towns and Hart on Monday didn’t shy away from letting it be known that they’re not exactly thrilled with the situation.

It has the potential to be a distraction that hovers over their effort to repeat.

“We can’t afford to have any slippage in our process,” Brown said. “We can’t afford to decline with our focus and our energy and our daily habits, to what our standard is.”

Added Brunson: “The first couple of weeks or whatever of the season is going to show us who we are and where we are.”

This group undid 53 years of Knicks history. Undoing eight years of NBA history — and etching their place in that special echelon of champions — is the new mountain to climb.

“I think we’re all excited for the opportunity to do it again,” Hart said. “I think you guys will see that with how we conduct ourselves, with how we play, that we’re not satisfied with getting one and that hungriness that we’re gonna have.”

For all the drama that surrounded the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, you wouldn't have known it judging by all the smiles at the podium during media day on Monday, Sept. 28.

The Lakers are coming off a second consecutive 50-win season under head coach JJ Redick and went with a complete roster overhaul in the wake of LeBron James' exit. President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka swung big, landing Walker Kessler to be their center of the future in a trade that sent two first-round draft picks and two unprotected first-round pick swaps back to the Utah Jazz. That move was followed up by filling out the roster around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves with supporting players who can dribble, pass and shoot. And after an offseason trip to Ljubljana, Slovenia, the new-look Lakers feel bought in.

USA TODAY Sports predicts the Lakers record in 2026-27 at 48-34, in large part due to the uncertainty surrounding so many new faces and the growing pains that are sure to come up at some point. Reaves acknowledged that on Monday.

"We're a very new team to one another," Reaves told reporters. "And there's gonna be some growing periods where things aren't going the way that we want them to go. But that doesn't change the goal at the end of the day, and that's to be as competitive as we can every single night."

"I think we're all underrated, if that makes sense, in different aspects," Collin Sexton added. "We're competitors. I feel like we added people that are willing to compete and we added guys that don't back down to anyone. I know for myself, I'm somebody that's not gonna back down to any challenge. I'm not gonna back down to anyone.

"... We're here."

Ziaire Williams took it one step further.

"We have a bunch of great passers on this team, great shooters, great defensive versatility," he told reporters. "I think we have everything we need to win an NBA championship."

Here are the five biggest takeaways from Lakers media day on Monday Sept. 28:

For all the drama that surrounded the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, you wouldn't have known it judging by all the smiles at the podium during media day on Monday, Sept. 28.

The Lakers are coming off a second consecutive 50-win season under head coach JJ Redick and went with a complete roster overhaul in the wake of LeBron James' exit. President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka swung big, landing Walker Kessler to be their center of the future in a trade that sent two first-round draft picks and two unprotected first-round pick swaps back to the Utah Jazz. That move was followed up by filling out the roster around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves with supporting players who can dribble, pass and shoot. And after an offseason trip to Ljubljana, Slovenia, the new-look Lakers feel bought in.

USA TODAY Sports predicts the Lakers record in 2026-27 at 48-34, in large part due to the uncertainty surrounding so many new faces and the growing pains that are sure to come up at some point. Reaves acknowledged that on Monday.

"We're a very new team to one another," Reaves told reporters. "And there's gonna be some growing periods where things aren't going the way that we want them to go. But that doesn't change the goal at the end of the day, and that's to be as competitive as we can every single night."

"I think we're all underrated, if that makes sense, in different aspects," Collin Sexton added. "We're competitors. I feel like we added people that are willing to compete and we added guys that don't back down to anyone. I know for myself, I'm somebody that's not gonna back down to any challenge. I'm not gonna back down to anyone.

"... We're here."

Ziaire Williams took it one step further.

"We have a bunch of great passers on this team, great shooters, great defensive versatility," he told reporters. "I think we have everything we need to win an NBA championship."

Here are the five biggest takeaways from Lakers media day on Monday Sept. 28:

Are you familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? It’s a concept that the needs of a human being fall into five distinct layers, typically visualized in the shape of a pyramid, with the most fundamental items required for survival at the bottom (air, food, water, shelter, etc.), and the least essential items (respect, status, and reaching one’s potential) near the top. It’s essentially the scale between a person’s wants and needs, and it illustrates that one cannot reach self-actualization without first supporting that ideal with a foundation of the needs below.

NBA basketball teams are built in mostly the same way.

At the base are the things a team needs to exist: players, a court, goals, equipment, rules, etc.

Then you have items like uniforms, coaches, and referees.

Closer to the top come the flashier things. An adoring fanbase, endorsements, fame, success, stardom, etc.

But in the case of the Utah Jazz, historical failure to win an NBA championship means that Utah has never reached basketball self-actualization — consistently falling short of their ultimate potential. This is why Ryan Smith’s first course of action with the franchise was to tear it down to its most fundamental level. The star players were the first to go. Then the veteran coach. Then the supporting cast of talent. He even sucked the life and color from Utah’s uniforms, leaving them with a bare-bones and hideous appearance as a visual representation of the team’s self-inflicted serfdom.

In order to climb the ladder to self-actualization, the Jazz first had to fortify their most fundamental needs.

And they’ve done exactly that, drafting and nurturing young players who could develop into future stars, adding established talent to blaze the trail to a brighter tomorrow, and replacing the team’s neon rags with robes of purple.

We’re witnessing the twilight of a revolution, but ushering in a new age of greater competition is the easy part — converting potential into wins is harder.

Thankfully, we got a glimpse into the Utah Jazz’s organizational direction at media day, and using what I’ve learned, I proudly present to you Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Much like the work of Maslow, Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs outlines the biggest developments of Utah’s offseason and how crucial they are to reach the team’s ultimate goal.

And best of all, I’ve illustrated Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs by my own hand, for your scientific reference. Would you believe me if I told you that zero artificial intelligence was involved in the creation of the image below?

Base: Hard work and character

When asked what he’s looking for in the starting lineup, Will Hardy didn’t talk about ability, positions, or even mention any player names. Instead, he put an emphasis on players’ mindsets; he focused on character.

“I’m looking for competitors,” Hardy explained.

“I’m looking for people that want to win. I’m looking for people that are willing to give themselves to the group. If everybody on our team can take ten percent of their self and put it in the middle, we’ll have the ability to have those learnings happen faster. If we have to navigate through the choppy waters of big ego, it can be harder.”

Then instead of issuing a warning to his players, or tempering the expectations of those in attendance, he took a moment to vouch for the roster Utah had meticulously constructed over the offseason.

“If there’s one thing I am sure of today, it’s the character of the guys we have on the team.”

Josh Okogie, who arrived in Utah via free agency this Summer, really likes what he’s seen in the Jazz’s approach. There is a lot of space for mediocrity in the National Basketball Association, but with his experience, Okogie sees potential embodied through action when he observes his teammates, his coaches, and the direction of the organization as a whole.

In every controllable metric, the Jazz are doing what is necessary to win at a high level.

“This is a very unique team,” Okogie began. “I’ve played on a lot of different teams, and I’ve seen the habits of good teams and the habits of bad teams. … I would say this team is unique because their style of play is different than what you would see in the modern game today.”

Okogie chose to sign with Utah despite a comparable offer from the Denver Nuggets because the trajectory of the Jazz is incredibly attractive. This is no longer a start-up building from the ground floor; Utah is already on the ascent.

“I think we have all the tools and ingredients to be a pretty good team.”

Jaren Jackson Jr. doubled down on the endorsement of his coach and veteran teammate, highlighting the hard work and positive attitude of his younger peers and the approach they took during the offseason.

“These guys work! That’s what stands out for sure — they work all the time,” Jackson excitedly shared when asked his observations of the youngsters in Utah. “Darryn, Key, Ace, they’re always shooting right here after we’re done playing. They’re always working out together, they’re always going over stuff — they just never want to stop working.”

“They should be proud of themselves for the work they’ve put in. I don’t ever have to say that to them, because they always want so much more for themselves.”

Which leads us perfectly to the next level of Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and it’s all about the improvements made in Utah’s young core.

Center: Self-Improvement

Utah took a very traditional approach when it came to rebuilding. Tearing the team down to nothing and rebuilding through the draft is textbook for a small-market franchise, and the Jazz did just that.

And the reward for their labors is one of the more intriguing batches of young talent in basketball.

Keyonte George, obviously, took a massive leap in his third year, turning himself from a mid-first-round draft pick into a fundamental piece of Utah’s future. Look no further than his freshly inked 5-year, $157.5 million extension for evidence of the organization’s faith in him.

But to shift the prevailing narrative and turn the page of his career from that of a promising up-and-comer to a certifiable star, his defense needs to improve. He knows it, and he wasn’t shy when acknowledging the focus he’s put into growing as a defender.

“Whether it’s learning personnel, being a good help-side defender, being a good one-on-one defender, being one of the guys that you don’t really want to hunt towards the end of the game, that’s what I’ve been focused on. So that’s the strength, different footwork, and different technical stuff.”

Keyonte’s development isn’t all hypothetical, either. He made it clear that he’s made observable improvement in two specific facets of the game.

“I’m able to move better — stay in front. This year, the main thing for me is really focusing on personnel, because once you start to pick up on players’ go-to moves and you figure out how teams want to play, you can play the game within the game on that side, so that’s what I’ve been focusing on.”

Ace Bailey possesses clear potential to bloom into stardom, and is building muscle onto his slender frame — a much-needed development for a player whose height will likely match him up against the full-grown men who terrorize the NBA from their perch on the wings.

The rest of the original young core, Filipowski, Sensabaugh, and Collier, are all pursuing internal improvement to earn a permanent place with this team before the winning train is soaring down the tracks.

Filipowski revealed a lingering injury — a herniated disc — that had been hindering his performance a season ago but has since fully recovered.

Brice Sensabaugh understands that he may have to wait until restricted free agency to re-sign with the Jazz, but plans to utilize this season as a method to cement his place on the roster.

“I’m just keeping my head on straight,” Sensabaugh resolved. “And you know, whatever happens happens.”

Development of the young core is essential to raising the ceiling of this team, but there’s one figure who stands atop it all. His performance, his growth, and his rise will be the biggest difference-maker for a franchise anxious to become an undeniable threat to those who sit atop the NBA.

Peak: DP

No, that DP doesn’t stand for Dr Pepper (which coincidentally is at the top of my personal hierarchy of needs); I’m referring to Darryn Peterson. The final draftee of Utah’s tanking era. The prize for the Jazz’s years of anguish. The player whose arrival marks a great shift in the Jazz’s future.

He needs no further introduction — Darryn Peterson is practically all that Jazz fans have talked about since June — but a few quotes from media day are drenching Peterson’s already blazing flame of hype and converting it into a fireball monstrous enough to send Smokey Bear into retirement on sight.

And the most notable quote of all belongs to Mo Bamba, of all people.

Having played for 7 different NBA franchises in his 8-year career, Bamba has shared the court with many exceptional players. When asked if Peterson reminds him of any players across the league, Bamba laughed as he drew a gargantuan comparison.

“This is going to sound crazy, but I see a lot of Kawhi in him,” said Bamba. “Quiet, bucket-getter, mid-range… Obviously two very different positions, but I see a lot of Kawhi.”

“I was talking to Nurk a couple of weeks ago, and he sees a lot of Dame, and I think that one is a little more comparable, because position-wise, scoring-wise, pull-up game, offensive talent-wise, and capability-wise.”

“I hate that Darryn is going to see this,” he laughed.

But if the Kawhi comparisons make you concerned about Peterson’s personality, Keyonte George’s declaration of friendship should put any anti-social allegations to bed.

“We sit next to each other in the locker room. We hang out with each other off the court. I go to his house and he comes to my house. We got the same dog. So, like, I mean… that’s my dog!”

It may take Darryn Peterson a few years to truly become a star for the Utah Jazz, but if you direct your attention to Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a clear and reliable foundation sits beneath him.

Utah’s path to self-actualization is not hypothetical — this is a team built to reach that peak.

Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.

Are you familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? It’s a concept that the needs of a human being fall into five distinct layers, typically visualized in the shape of a pyramid, with the most fundamental items required for survival at the bottom (air, food, water, shelter, etc.), and the least essential items (respect, status, and reaching one’s potential) near the top. It’s essentially the scale between a person’s wants and needs, and it illustrates that one cannot reach self-actualization without first supporting that ideal with a foundation of the needs below.

NBA basketball teams are built in mostly the same way.

At the base are the things a team needs to exist: players, a court, goals, equipment, rules, etc.

Then you have items like uniforms, coaches, and referees.

Closer to the top come the flashier things. An adoring fanbase, endorsements, fame, success, stardom, etc.

But in the case of the Utah Jazz, historical failure to win an NBA championship means that Utah has never reached basketball self-actualization — consistently falling short of their ultimate potential. This is why Ryan Smith’s first course of action with the franchise was to tear it down to its most fundamental level. The star players were the first to go. Then the veteran coach. Then the supporting cast of talent. He even sucked the life and color from Utah’s uniforms, leaving them with a bare-bones and hideous appearance as a visual representation of the team’s self-inflicted serfdom.

In order to climb the ladder to self-actualization, the Jazz first had to fortify their most fundamental needs.

And they’ve done exactly that, drafting and nurturing young players who could develop into future stars, adding established talent to blaze the trail to a brighter tomorrow, and replacing the team’s neon rags with robes of purple.

We’re witnessing the twilight of a revolution, but ushering in a new age of greater competition is the easy part — converting potential into wins is harder.

Thankfully, we got a glimpse into the Utah Jazz’s organizational direction at media day, and using what I’ve learned, I proudly present to you Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Much like the work of Maslow, Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs outlines the biggest developments of Utah’s offseason and how crucial they are to reach the team’s ultimate goal.

And best of all, I’ve illustrated Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs by my own hand, for your scientific reference. Would you believe me if I told you that zero artificial intelligence was involved in the creation of the image below?

Base: Hard work and character

When asked what he’s looking for in the starting lineup, Will Hardy didn’t talk about ability, positions, or even mention any player names. Instead, he put an emphasis on players’ mindsets; he focused on character.

“I’m looking for competitors,” Hardy explained.

“I’m looking for people that want to win. I’m looking for people that are willing to give themselves to the group. If everybody on our team can take ten percent of their self and put it in the middle, we’ll have the ability to have those learnings happen faster. If we have to navigate through the choppy waters of big ego, it can be harder.”

Then instead of issuing a warning to his players, or tempering the expectations of those in attendance, he took a moment to vouch for the roster Utah had meticulously constructed over the offseason.

“If there’s one thing I am sure of today, it’s the character of the guys we have on the team.”

Josh Okogie, who arrived in Utah via free agency this Summer, really likes what he’s seen in the Jazz’s approach. There is a lot of space for mediocrity in the National Basketball Association, but with his experience, Okogie sees potential embodied through action when he observes his teammates, his coaches, and the direction of the organization as a whole.

In every controllable metric, the Jazz are doing what is necessary to win at a high level.

“This is a very unique team,” Okogie began. “I’ve played on a lot of different teams, and I’ve seen the habits of good teams and the habits of bad teams. … I would say this team is unique because their style of play is different than what you would see in the modern game today.”

Okogie chose to sign with Utah despite a comparable offer from the Denver Nuggets because the trajectory of the Jazz is incredibly attractive. This is no longer a start-up building from the ground floor; Utah is already on the ascent.

“I think we have all the tools and ingredients to be a pretty good team.”

Jaren Jackson Jr. doubled down on the endorsement of his coach and veteran teammate, highlighting the hard work and positive attitude of his younger peers and the approach they took during the offseason.

“These guys work! That’s what stands out for sure — they work all the time,” Jackson excitedly shared when asked his observations of the youngsters in Utah. “Darryn, Key, Ace, they’re always shooting right here after we’re done playing. They’re always working out together, they’re always going over stuff — they just never want to stop working.”

“They should be proud of themselves for the work they’ve put in. I don’t ever have to say that to them, because they always want so much more for themselves.”

Which leads us perfectly to the next level of Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and it’s all about the improvements made in Utah’s young core.

Center: Self-Improvement

Utah took a very traditional approach when it came to rebuilding. Tearing the team down to nothing and rebuilding through the draft is textbook for a small-market franchise, and the Jazz did just that.

And the reward for their labors is one of the more intriguing batches of young talent in basketball.

Keyonte George, obviously, took a massive leap in his third year, turning himself from a mid-first-round draft pick into a fundamental piece of Utah’s future. Look no further than his freshly inked 5-year, $157.5 million extension for evidence of the organization’s faith in him.

But to shift the prevailing narrative and turn the page of his career from that of a promising up-and-comer to a certifiable star, his defense needs to improve. He knows it, and he wasn’t shy when acknowledging the focus he’s put into growing as a defender.

“Whether it’s learning personnel, being a good help-side defender, being a good one-on-one defender, being one of the guys that you don’t really want to hunt towards the end of the game, that’s what I’ve been focused on. So that’s the strength, different footwork, and different technical stuff.”

Keyonte’s development isn’t all hypothetical, either. He made it clear that he’s made observable improvement in two specific facets of the game.

“I’m able to move better — stay in front. This year, the main thing for me is really focusing on personnel, because once you start to pick up on players’ go-to moves and you figure out how teams want to play, you can play the game within the game on that side, so that’s what I’ve been focusing on.”

Ace Bailey possesses clear potential to bloom into stardom, and is building muscle onto his slender frame — a much-needed development for a player whose height will likely match him up against the full-grown men who terrorize the NBA from their perch on the wings.

The rest of the original young core, Filipowski, Sensabaugh, and Collier, are all pursuing internal improvement to earn a permanent place with this team before the winning train is soaring down the tracks.

Filipowski revealed a lingering injury — a herniated disc — that had been hindering his performance a season ago but has since fully recovered.

Brice Sensabaugh understands that he may have to wait until restricted free agency to re-sign with the Jazz, but plans to utilize this season as a method to cement his place on the roster.

“I’m just keeping my head on straight,” Sensabaugh resolved. “And you know, whatever happens happens.”

Development of the young core is essential to raising the ceiling of this team, but there’s one figure who stands atop it all. His performance, his growth, and his rise will be the biggest difference-maker for a franchise anxious to become an undeniable threat to those who sit atop the NBA.

Peak: DP

No, that DP doesn’t stand for Dr Pepper (which coincidentally is at the top of my personal hierarchy of needs); I’m referring to Darryn Peterson. The final draftee of Utah’s tanking era. The prize for the Jazz’s years of anguish. The player whose arrival marks a great shift in the Jazz’s future.

He needs no further introduction — Darryn Peterson is practically all that Jazz fans have talked about since June — but a few quotes from media day are drenching Peterson’s already blazing flame of hype and converting it into a fireball monstrous enough to send Smokey Bear into retirement on sight.

And the most notable quote of all belongs to Mo Bamba, of all people.

Having played for 7 different NBA franchises in his 8-year career, Bamba has shared the court with many exceptional players. When asked if Peterson reminds him of any players across the league, Bamba laughed as he drew a gargantuan comparison.

“This is going to sound crazy, but I see a lot of Kawhi in him,” said Bamba. “Quiet, bucket-getter, mid-range… Obviously two very different positions, but I see a lot of Kawhi.”

“I was talking to Nurk a couple of weeks ago, and he sees a lot of Dame, and I think that one is a little more comparable, because position-wise, scoring-wise, pull-up game, offensive talent-wise, and capability-wise.”

“I hate that Darryn is going to see this,” he laughed.

But if the Kawhi comparisons make you concerned about Peterson’s personality, Keyonte George’s declaration of friendship should put any anti-social allegations to bed.

“We sit next to each other in the locker room. We hang out with each other off the court. I go to his house and he comes to my house. We got the same dog. So, like, I mean… that’s my dog!”

It may take Darryn Peterson a few years to truly become a star for the Utah Jazz, but if you direct your attention to Jazzlow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a clear and reliable foundation sits beneath him.

Utah’s path to self-actualization is not hypothetical — this is a team built to reach that peak.

Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.