Category: NBA

The Raptors were a team of questions this year, and while it might be hard to answer every single one, it’s a good bet that a right answer might start and end with Scottie Barnes. Who was the team’s best player? Scottie Barnes. Who anchored them defensively? Scottie Barnes. Who stepped up when things looked ugly? Scottie Barnes. Who’s an NBA All-Star? Scottie Barnes. And who looks like the Raptors’ future? Well, that would be Scott Wayne Barnes Jr.

Scottie has emerged as a bona-fide star, as a playoff riser; a figure who the team can rally behind, and who brings a combination of size, defense, and playmaking that has been exceedingly rare throughout the history of the NBA. The man delivered two playoff triple doubles of points and assists, while providing 6 stocks in a do-or-die game 6. Scottie was one of the few reasons the Raptors were able to hold the line against star-stacked Cleveland this postseason, and with that level of production on display, one can only imagine Barnes’ next leap could come sooner than later.

Barnes’ scoring dipped only marginally, with no real change to his assist or rebounding numbers, though he was able to grab an extra half a block every game. Scottie became the clear number-two scoring option behind Brandon Ingram for most of the season, and in exchange, has become hailed as one of the league’s premier two-way players, gaining increased media attention after his playoff heroics. 

Some defining moments stand out for Barnes this year. His naming to the All-Star team, snubbing for DPOY finalist, and his tying of the Raptors single game rebounding record with 25 boards, to name a few. But nothing stood out to me more than the run with Immanuel Quickley out, where Scottie Barnes slotted in as the Raptors’ point guard. The Raptors had six straight games of Scottie Barnes double digit assists in March, winning half and losing the others. The games dropped were against the LA Clippers and the Detroit Pistons (one led by superstar Kawhi Leonard and the other the top team in the east), alongside an admittedly embarrassing fumbling of the Sacramento Kings. Much has been said about how unreliable “March Basketball”, is for gauging the skills of a player, with frequently improbable success stories emerging late in the season before a final playoff push. These concerns should be belied by the fact that Scottie averaged 8.5 assists in the first round of the playoffs while averaging 24 points and nearly three stocks. Those are star numbers.

The SB-PG experiment was, in my mind, long overdue. There exists the age-old adage, that when a man shows you who he is, to believe him. Well, Barnes still wears his heart on his sleeve. In his Instagram bio, the first thing you see is “Toronto Raptors.” The thing after that? “6’9 PG.” 

There exists a great deal of discourse about the value of using facilitating wings to play point guard, and whether or not there is a place for small guards in the NBA anymore. I say, if they stuck Magic Johnson at power forward, the Showtime Lakers would have been worse off for it, and the Toronto Raptors could be making a mistake of comparable magnitude. Scottie lacks certain things often demanded of modern day point guards, namely, that truly automatic three-point shot, but his basketball IQ and gravity are building blocks of a team’s quarterback that Scottie has in spades.

Darko Rajaković’s branding of Barnes as someone able to make the leap to true superstar status might seem like jumping the gun to some. But this season, Scottie has put on display more than potential; he’s delivered results, consistency, and leadership, commodities that can bring the Raptors back to their apex sooner than anyone might have ever believed.

The marriage lasted eight years.

There was love. There was a championship. There were champagne-soaked locker rooms and million-dollar memories. There were moments when it all felt like a movie, like Hollywood had somehow written an award-winning basketball script and cast the perfect leading man.

And now?

Now it feels like that dramatic scene from “Marriage Story.” Two exhausted people in a room together fighting to preserve something that has quietly expired.

It’s time for the Lakers and LeBron James to get a divorce.

Not because they hate each other. Not because the relationship failed completely. But because sometimes relationships survive past their expiration date when both sides are terrified of what comes next.

LeBron may have admitted as much after the Lakers were swept out of the Western Conference semifinals by the reigning champion Thunder on Monday.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me,” he said, saying the scary part out loud.

The Lakers already know what their future looks like.

It looks like Luka Doncic.

Doncic is 27 years old and entering the prime of his career. LeBron is 41 years old and entering the final chapter of the greatest career in NBA history. Those two timelines are not synchronized anymore. One clock is beginning. The other is ticking loudly in the background like a smoke detector with a dying battery.

The Lakers could have built around Doncic last year, but LeBron handcuffed them by opting into the final year of his contract with a salary of nearly $53 million.

The 2025-26 season felt like the Lakers had already moved on emotionally and were dating someone new, but they still hadn’t told their ex-wife to move out of the house.

It’s true that after Doncic went down with a hamstring injury April 2, LeBron led the team to a first-round upset over the Rockets. We appreciate that. But in the end, the outcome was still the same: a sweep and another season without a championship.

Both parties will come up with reasons to stay together.

The team went 16-2 when fully healthy and when LeBron selflessly became the third option. They could use that as a reason to stay together and “run it back.”

LeBron will point to the roots his family has in LA. That his son, Bronny, is still with the Lakers’ organization. He’s an hour plane ride from watching his other son, Bryce, play college basketball at the University of Arizona. His daughter, Zhuri, plays on a volleyball team here. His wife, Savannah, co-hosts a podcast here. The infrastructure of LeBron’s empire all resides in LA.

But divorce court is not about remembering the honeymoon.

It’s about accepting reality.

And the reality is that the Lakers have spent years reshaping themselves around LeBron. They’ve built rosters around his preferences, worked with his moods and made decisions based on his basketball worldview. They constantly tried to satisfy the demands of their superstar.

Sometimes it worked brilliantly like the trade for Anthony Davis and the 2020 championship in the bubble.

Sometimes it blew up in their faces like a scene from the “War of the Roses.” Remember the Russell Westbrook trade?

That’s the hidden cost of LeBron.

He’s not just a player. He’s an entire ecosystem.

And for eight years, the Lakers were married to him.

But now it’s time to move on with someone else.

It’s time to build around Doncic.

With over $100 million in salary coming off the books this summer, it’s time for the Lakers to have a clean slate and a fresh start.

They need to find athletic rim protectors and lob threats to pair with Doncic on the pick and roll. Surround him with long wing defenders and knockdown shooters who can spread the floor.

“Any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster,” Lakers GM Rob Pelinka said during a season-ending news conference Tuesday. His comments were polite, respectful and diplomatic.

But public statements during divorces are always polite before the lawyers arrive.

Privately, they should thank him for the last eight years, for banner No. 17, and let him know that it’s not beneficial to the team for him to return. That you can’t pass the torch to Doncic while LeBron is still holding it. That even if LeBron signed a veteran minimum contract, Doncic and the franchise would still live in his shadow.

The Lakers and LeBron gave each other eight unforgettable years. A championship. Global relevance. And historic moments that will live on forever.

But all great relationships eventually arrive at the same terrifying question:

Are we staying together because we still belong together?

Or because we’re afraid to say goodbye?

And for the first time since LeBron arrived in the summer of 2018, the answer feels painfully obvious. 

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The Lakers would be lucky to re-sign LeBron James. 

Yes, he’s turning 42 next season. Yes, the Lakers’ focus needs to be building around Luka Doncic. And yes, there are some tricky politics at play.

But the bottom line is James is still damn good. 

He was the best player on the court in the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Rockets. In the second round, he had better stats than reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

Just let that sink in for a moment. 

This season, James proved he could be a star or a role player. He’s willing to carry the team or be its third option. He’s able to set aside his ego.

It’s weird that so many people are up in arms about the prospect of James returning to the Lakers. He’s about to be an unrestricted free agent. And after eight seasons with the purple and gold, they’d be lucky to have him for a ninth. 

When James came to the Lakers in 2018, they had fallen off the map, missing the playoffs six straight years. James resuscitated the franchise, recruiting Anthony Davis in 2019 and then carrying the team to its first championship in 10 years in 2020. 

Five years later, the Lakers rocked the basketball world by acquiring Doncic in a stunning trade in February 2025. While playing alongside James, Doncic went from being out of shape to entering training camp this season in arguably the best physical condition of his career. 

Do you think that was a coincidence?

James shows up to arenas 5 ½ hours before games and three hours before practices to do activation exercises and rehab drills. If arguably the greatest player of all time was doing that at age 41, you think the 27-year-old Doncic didn’t feel a bit of pressure to get his act together?

James’ influence on the Lakers extends far and wide. 

There are the obvious things he does to impact winning, such as the dunks, powerful drives and efficient jumpers. But there’s so much more happening behind the scenes. 

James is the ultimate professional. He’s a winner, having carried 10 teams to the Finals, winning four championships. His basketball IQ is unparalleled. 

He’s a finely tuned weapon who’s a freight train on the court and a wealth of knowledge off it. He’s an immeasurable asset. 

But you’re still not convinced?

Let’s play the stats game. 

When James embraced being the team’s third option in March, the Lakers went on a 15-2 run. Their offense was virtually unstoppable. Doncic was averaging 37.5 points a game. Austin Reaves was the second option. And James acted as the ultimate Swiss Army Knife, averaging 18.5 points on 56.2% shooting, 6.9 rebounds, seven assists and 1.3 steals. 

It’s unprecedented that a player of James’ caliber who could’ve been the first option on many teams was willing to take a backseat. It’s an unimaginable ask for an all-time great who still has his powers. 

But James was willing to do it. 

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Then after Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries April 2, James was asked to step back into the leading role. He seamlessly shapeshifted with the ease of turning on a faucet. 

No one thought the Lakers had a chance in their first-round series against the Rockets without their two leading scorers, who averaged a combined 60 points a game. James led LA to a 3-0 series lead. 

In Game 1, he looked like Magic Johnson, finishing with a game-high 13 assists to go along with 19 points and eight rebounds. In Game 2, he led all scorers with 28 points. In Game 3, he made a game-tying 3-pointer with 13.6 seconds left that sent the contest into overtime, finishing with 29 points and 13 rebounds. 

In the Lakers’ second-round series against the Thunder, James outplayed Gilgeous-Alexander, who is likely going to win his second straight MVP Award this month. 

James averaged 23 points on 52% shooting, four rebounds and 6.7 assists, while Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 21 points on 46% shooting, 2.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

What James is doing is incredible. We all know that. So why all the hate?

Silly me. That’s practically a rhetorical question. The act of criticizing James has become a competitive sport in and of itself since he entered the league at age 18. 

Two decades later, he’s not as fast and he can’t jump as high. But he can compensate for those deficiencies with one of the greatest basketball minds the sport has seen and one of its most in-shape physiques. 

The Lakers should bend over backward to convince James to rejoin the team. If he doesn’t retire, he’d have to take a significant salary cut wherever he plays. No team is going to pay him the $52.6 million he earned this season. 

But if James is willing to accept a big pay cut, the Lakers should pull all the stops to convince him to return. 

James is still great.

It wouldn’t be surprising if in 10 years, Doncic calls him one of the best teammates he ever had. Simply put, James is a winner. 

The Lakers would be lucky to have him on their roster next season. 

On any given night, there are statistics that reinforce the reality that this San Antonio Spurs team is special.

In particular, Dylan Harper, the Spurs star rookie, continues to impress coming off the bench for the Silver & Black.

Harper has the best fourth quarter field goal percentage in these playoffs. Better than the legendary LeBron James, better than Timberwolves former NBA Sixth Man Naz Reid, even better than his teammate Victor Wembanyama.

Harper also passed Derrick Rose as the youngest guard to ever record multiple double-doubles in the playoffs. His first came in game 3 of the first round of playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers. On April 24, Harper tallied 27 points and 10 rebounds.

On Tuesday, Harper scored 12 points while pulling another 10 rebounds in the Spurs Game 5 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He came out of the box ready and has never looked back. He constantly points out that he has the trust of the Spurs coaching staff and his teammates, which allows him to play freely and take the chances that have given us highlight after highlight.

While Harper is elevating the Spurs bench game, it should be noted that Devin Vassell currently has a +/- of 106, the highest plus-minus of any player through their first 10 playoff games since the stat began tracking in 1996.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that Victor Wembanyama has 38 blocks in his first 9 NBA playoff games, ranking him 12th in Spurs franchise history in blocks. Let the math on that sink in.

I love the breakdown of his blocks for this series. 21 of his 38 blocks are against Minnesota and he’s spread the love- five blocks on McDaniels, four on Shannon, Jr., and three apiece on Gobert, Randle, and Reid. He’s even batter two away from superstar Anthony Edwards.

The Timberwolves looked gassed on Tuesday, but they will come out fighting for their lives on Friday. The Spurs will have to continue to share the accolades in order to close out on the road.

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Kentucky Basketball center Malachi Moreno continues to weigh whether he will return to Kentucky for his sophomore season or remain in the 2026 NBA Draft.

When Moreno first announced he would test the NBA Draft waters, many believed the Georgetown, Kentucky native was almost certainly going to return to Lexington. Moreno reportedly even took a pay cut to return to Kentucky instead of entering the transfer portal.

However, after a breakout freshman season and increasing NBA interest, that decision is no longer viewed as a guarantee.

Coming into last season, Moreno was expected to be Kentucky’s third center behind Jayden Quaintance and Brandon Garrison. Instead, Quaintance played only four games all season, while Moreno stepped into a major role and became one of Kentucky’s biggest surprises.

Moreno averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 58.2% from the field. He played in all 36 games and started 30 while averaging 22.6 minutes per contest.

“This is my dream, to be in the NBA, so I am looking at it with my best foot forward,” Moreno tells Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports. “Obviously, I left the option on the table to go back to college if I could. Right now, all this leading into the decision is just how these next couple of weeks go. I know I have until the 27th to make that decision, and I will just have a lot of talks with my brother because he is probably going to be the most important factor in this decision, talks with my family, talks with my inner circle, and seeing what is the best decision for me at the time.”

Moreno also explained why he decided not to participate in scrimmages at the NBA Draft Combine.

“After talks with my brother, like I said, my agent, they kind of just said that they thought that I was in a pretty good spot,” Moreno said. “I’ve got Pro Day coming up after this, after the week is over in L.A., and they want me to be full strength for that. Then I’ve got a couple more workouts after that that are getting set up.”

When discussing whether he would need first-round draft status to remain in the draft, Moreno said he is still evaluating everything.

“Obviously, I would love to be a first-round pick. That would be great,” Moreno said. “I’ve got two weeks before I’ve got to make any kind of decision, so I am kind of talking with my inner circle and seeing what the best decision is.”

Kentucky fans will be anxiously awaiting to hear if he’ll spend one more year in Lexington.

Tweet of the Day

Convincing Momcilovic to withdraw and come to Kentucky should be priority 1 for this coaching staff.

Headlines

Kyle Wiltjer hopes UK fans are excited about Ousmane N’Diaye – Vaughts Views

The former Cat had a lot of good things to say about the incoming Cat.

UK shortstop Tyler Bell projected to go in top 20 of MLB Draft – SI

The draft is just under two months away.

How former UK Football players fared in spring ball at new locations – Herald Leader

Arizona State has yet to name Cutter Boley as starting quarterback.

UK Football expanding recruiting net into 2028 – Cats Pause

Some really solid prospects on this list.

Kentucky is a finalist for blue-chip DL – KSR

This would be a big pickup.

CBS ranks Kentucky Football 58th in the nation – CBS Sports

Next-to-last in the SEC.

Will LeBron return to L.A.? – ESPN

Not a simple decision, it seems.

Could former Cats be involved in a trade for Giannis? – SB Nation

It seems like the Greek Freak’s time in Milwaukee could be coming to an end.

Schaefer unanimously voted NHL Rookie of the Year – Bleacher Report

Well-deserved.

NFL announces international slate of games – Yahoo

The NFL is going to Paris for the first time.

New slate of quarterbacks to be featured on Netflix documentary – NBC Sports

That has the potential to be an interesting group.

Barack Obama hilariously asked Steve Kerr about Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga saga originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

From last summer all the way through February, the sports world begged the question: What will the Warriors do with Jonathan Kuminga?

Even former United States president and NBA superfan Barack Obama was curious.

So when Obama and Warriors coach Steve Kerr were in the same room for a dinner party last offseason in Aspen, Obama couldn’t help himself.

“Coach!” the ex-president said as he approached Kerr (h/t ESPN’s Wright Thompson). “What’s going to happen with Kuminga?”

It is unknown what Kerr’s response was, although it probably was along the lines of, “I don’t know,” the same response he likely repeated when asked about the situation over the next eight months.

Kuminga, whom the Warriors drafted No 7 overall in 2021, never found his footing in Kerr’s offense designed around Steph Curry. He showed flashes of his athleticism and potential, but the young high-flying wing couldn’t gel in Golden State system, especially after the team acquired Jimmy Butler.

After five seasons, the Warriors finally found a resolution to President Obama’s question.

Golden State traded the 23-year-old to the Atlanta Hawks in February for veteran center Kristaps Porziņģis, closing the chapter on a soured saga.

With another important offseason ahead for the Warriors, and with Kerr’s return as coach after signing a new two-year contract, perhaps Obama will have some more questions for the coach.

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Steve Kerr expected to retire as Warriors coach before play-in win vs. Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

To say that Steve Kerr went back and forth about his decision to continue coaching the Warriors would be an understatement.

In the days after Golden State’s 2025-26 NBA season ended with a play-in tournament loss to the Phoenix Suns, it became clear to some inside and outside the Warriors organization that Kerr likely would not return next season.

For very good reason.

Fast forward approximately three weeks, and Kerr officially is back on a new two-year contract.

So how close was he to calling it quits? ESPN’s Wright Thompson, who spent the last season with Kerr behind the scenes, published a detailed feature story about Kerr’s recent life on and off the court and shared an anecdote about the coach’s mindset before Golden State’s thrilling 126-121 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the first of its two play-in games.

“Steve Kerr walked into the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire with a secret,” Thompson wrote. “Win or lose, he’d decided to retire as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. It was a Tuesday morning in mid-April, the day before the team’s first postseason play-in game in Los Angeles. When this season ended, his 12-year run with the Golden State Warriors would end, too.”

“I think it’s over,” he said, almost mouthing the words. His sweatsuit separated him from the businessmen eating breakfast in suits and ties nearby. He put the odds at 95 percent.”

However, all it took to change Kerr’s mind, even just for a moment, was that one final win.

Later in the piece, Thompson then recalled Kerr’s sentiment postgame, in a private meeting with his assistant coaches, where he appeared to have a change of heart.

“An assistant with a stat sheet said they’d led for only four minutes and six seconds,” Thompson recalled about the private postgame meeting. “Everyone laughed and tried to stay in the moment. Steve looked over at me and spoke quietly, almost a whisper.

“I’m not leaving,” Kerr told Thompson.

Thompson shared that Kerr then opened his phone to find dozens of text messages before reading the one from his wife, Margot, first.

“You’re not leaving,” Margot wrote in the message.

And after Kerr weighed his decision for a few more weeks, she was proven right.

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Despite the ugly ending, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the 2025-2026 Celtics season was watching several unknowns ascend into real contributor territory.

Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez and Ron Harper Jr. formed a reserve wing group that helped establish the team’s revolving door identity. Entering the rotation, falling out, and recapturing a spot again was the standard flow of things.

Watching these four was particularly exciting in contrast to previous wing rooms. They brought a new type of versatility and athleticism, paired with elite effort.

Every few games, one would break out with a performance that made you think “Oh, this guy can play.” Often those big games would secure a temporary spot in the rotation until someone else made a statement of their own. It created a competitive spirit that helped fuel the Celtics to the second seed in the East, and it might’ve been a piece of what was missing in their loss to the Sixers. The shrunken playoff rotation zapped some of their unpredictability.

While they’ve shown flashes, and even stretches of consistent impact, questions remain for each of them. The questions are different though, so where does each one actually stand? Weighing current impact, system fit and long-term ceiling, here’s how I view this group of four.

4. Jordan Walsh

Walsh put together a very strong third season. After his sophomore campaign, it wasn’t even clear if he had a place on this roster. Then he was getting a genuine look off the bench in a playoff series to counter Tyrese Maxey. That’s a testament to his work ethic and growth.

The tools are what got Walsh drafted, and this was the year they finally shined. He has moments of lockdown defense across several positions, winning with lateral quickness and long, disruptive arms. His improved role player IQ allowed him to add value on the offensive end more consistently by finding gaps, making quick decisions and keeping the ball moving.

The challenge is that offensively, he’s still limited. The Sixers weren’t threatened by his shooting, and he finished the series 2-12 from three. Until that changes, it’s hard to justify his minutes when the game slows down.

At 22, the runway is there. Another year proving his jumper is real might force defenders to respect him, and he has the athleticism to develop as a slasher. But right now, he ranks fourth among this group.

3. Ron Harper Jr.

I might be getting ahead of myself here, but I see it with Harper Jr.

We are talking about a newly 26-year-old with under 400 total NBA minutes. Even so, it almost feels like he’s too low on this list.

He has arguably the most well-rounded skill set of the bunch. At 6’5, 230 lbs with a 7’1 wingspan, Harper Jr. has the frame to guard 1-4. He is a switchable defender who can force turnovers both on the ball and in the passing lanes.

The defense is clearly NBA-ready, but it’s the offense that’s difficult to ignore. In the G League, Harper Jr. averaged 25.4 points and shot 38.7% from three on 10.8 attempts per game. The sample at the NBA level isn’t large enough to be certain, but the flashes are hard to dismiss. 

Brad Stevens called him a “stud” after his first start, and said nobody inside the organization was surprised. That amount of organizational confidence in a player that was still on a two-way contract means something.

He’s shown comfort launching threes on and off the ball, is a strong and smooth slasher, and can handle the rock or make the quick read to keep things moving.

In some ways, he’s reminiscent of Derrick White. Not to say that’s who he’ll become, but he brings a similar balanced two-way toolkit. Depending on how the offseason unfolds, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him slide into a starting role. 

There’s no glaring hole in his game, which makes him a connective piece that works in a variety of contexts. He fits next to all of Boston’s best players, and looks capable of scaling up to take on more offensive responsibility.

With a team option heading into next year, he could be excellent value. If he gets the reps, there’s a realistic chance he becomes a development story similar to Neemias Queta as a player who ascended with enough time in the system and minutes on the court.

2. Baylor Scheierman

Baylor is good, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Some things simply cannot be taught, and Scheierman’s competitiveness is one of them. He’s cut from the same cloth as Payton Pritchard – the type of player who lives for a moment to let the fans, opposing bench, or the broadcast crew hear about it.

His rookie year had fun flashes but the vision wasn’t clear. He looked more like a streaky gunslinger than a real complementary piece. His sophomore year couldn’t have been more encouraging.

He appeared in 77 games, shot 39.9% from three — second on the team behind only Luka Garza — and held that level in the playoffs. The shot was always the selling point, but it’s the ancillary skills that are more exciting. He has a unique array of finishes with floaters, turnarounds, and deceleration on his drives. 

He’s a strong playmaker coming off screens and makes instant decisions to attack a scrambling defense. It all blends into a player who extends an advantage or builds upon it without letting it die.

The most important development might be the defense. Settling for playable on that end would have been fine, but he’s genuinely useful. The effort is obvious, but there’s strength, instincts and positioning behind it.

Scheierman has set himself up to be a key rotation piece for the foreseeable future.

1. Hugo Gonzalez

As a 19-year-old, Gonzalez was perfectly comfortable with the speed and physicality of the NBA. That is generally not the case, but his years in professional basketball prepared him well.

There is more to his offensive game than we’ve seen. It isn’t polished yet, but he can finish with finesse or power. He’s flashed floaters, euro steps and explosive gathers in transition and half court settings. He’s still a project in some ways, but he’s starting from a strong foundation.

The numbers paint the picture well. With Gonzalez on the court, Boston posted an 11.9 net rating. It dropped to 5.4 with him on the bench — the third largest swing on the team. The defensive rating improved by six points with him on the floor, with only a -0.7 drop on offense.

That kind of impact from a player still finding his way is striking. His three-point shot will ultimately be the swing skill for how good he can become, but 36% in Year One is not a bad starting point.

His youth is an advantage over everyone else on this list, but his impact is already showing up clearly. At 20, he’s the most intriguing of this group, and the one with the most room left to grow.

Brad Stevens said it plainly: “Hugo had a great rookie year and is, I think, a critical part of us moving forward… His athleticism can meet the moment in big games. That’s a real thing. You can see it.”

Jae’Sean Tate is the longest-tenured player on the Houston Rockets, as he’s been on several iterations of the team. Tate burst on the scene as an undrafted rookie, averaging 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his debut NBA season. He followed that up with an even stronger sophomore campaign, averaging 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

We can disregard the shooting chops (or lack thereof). Those were the good ole days. When the memories were all positive.

It’s also when Tate was getting regular playing time. This year’s Rockets ball club didn’t exactly need Tate, due to a good bit of depth at the wing position. Tari Eason, Jabari Smith, Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie…it was a crowded rotation, even with Thompson playing lead guard for most of the season.

Tate was even sent down to the G-League at the onset of the season. Even during his time with the Rockets, he played sparingly, having played 20 minutes just once, which happened to be Houston’s final game against the Memphis Grizzlies, when the Rockets rested their key guys ahead of their opening round postseason matchup.

Tate posted 13 points and 6 rebounds in that game. Now onto the good. Following the All-Star break, the Rockets were 11 points better in defensive rating when Tate was on the floor. But again, he didn’t play all that much.

When he did play, he was utilized as a center, once Rockets coach Ime Udoka opted for the all-wing lineup, following the season-ending injury to Steven Adams.

Tate found himself in the Rockets’ rotation during their postseason series against the Los Angeles Lakers also. At least early in the series.

(More bad memories).

Tate was partially responsible for Houston’s historic collapse in Game 3 against the Lakers, as he committed a bone-headed foul on Marcus Smart, which put Smart at the line for three free throws and sent the game to overtime.

It would be a surprise if Tate returned to the Rockets next season, even on a veteran-minimum deal. He’s always been undersized, yet able to maximize his physical tools. But his inability to stay healthy (not to mention his lack of shooting) is not something that Houston will be able to mask.

His hustle, effort and aforementioned defensive tenacity are part of the duplicate conundrum that Houston faces, which was referenced by Udoka at Houston’s end of season presser.

Remembering Jason Collins, a brave NBA trailblazer we all should aspire to be originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Few things hit harder than when someone dedicated to moving humanity toward the light dies too young. Someone like Jason Collins, whose personal quest for goodwill and free expression ended this week when he died at age 47.

After four years as a basketball star at Stanford, playing alongside his twin brother, Jarron, Jason was a first-round selection (18th overall) in the 2001 NBA Draft. In his second season, the 7-footer was the starting center of a New Jersey Nets squad in the NBA Finals. His assignment: 30-year-old Shaquille O’Neal, the league’s most imposing player since Wilt Chamberlain two generations earlier.

Collins neither flinched nor blinked. None of us could have known such fortitude would be a preview of his future.

By the time Collins passed away 23 years later, he had established himself as a widely respected player and, moreover, one of the bravest athletes in American history. He took a path to a sea all others, fearful of drowning, had evaded and dived in.

“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center,” Collins wrote in a first-person cover story in the May 6, 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated. “I’m black. And I’m gay.”

Collins would not allow himself to be influenced by public opinion; it was beyond his control. Any apprehension he might have had would not keep him from sharing his truth. It’s not as if he rolled out of bed one morning, grabbed his courage sweater and announced his authentic self to a basketball world that knew his game but not his life.

“I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport,” Collins wrote. “But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.”

Though American society had been limping forward for nearly two generations, diminishing much of the dark-ages stigma attached to homosexuality, the topic remained a source of unease in certain pockets of our planet. Collins knew that in the hyper-masculine ethos of men’s professional sports, including the NBA, there could be some backlash.

He instead received numerous expressions of support.

Kobe Bryant, whose Los Angeles Lakers twice defeated Collins’ Nets in the Finals, turned to social media to express pride in Collins’ decision. Charles Barkley called it “a great day in the NBA.” Warriors coach Steve Kerr, then an NBA analyst at TNT, said Collins’ “courageous act will impact many lives and help to create more tolerance in sports. Proud to have him representing the NBA.”

Collins’ decision lifted equality in American sports to an unprecedented level. It was greeted with loud applause then and still is broadly celebrated today, particularly among those who knew him well.

“An amazing teammate,” Kris Weems, a Warriors assistant coach who played with Collins for two seasons at Stanford, told NBC Sports Bay Area. “One of the smartest basketball players I’ve played with and been around. Just a really good guy from a really nice family.

“I’m honored that I got to be his teammate and see him grow and mature in his second stage of life, post pro basketball, that was inspiring to so many people.”

Another former Stanford teammate, Mark Madsen, now head coach at Cal, posted on Tuesday X: “Jason was one of the strongest and kindest (people) I have ever met. He was ferocious on the court and full of love and kindness off the court. He welcomed everyone no matter your background. He was the guy who brought fun and energy to life.”

Collins’ announcement also received considerable grace the moment he made it. Kobe Bryant, whose Lakers twice defeated Collins’ Nets in The Finals, turned to social media to express pride in Collins’ decision Charles Barkley called it “a great day in the NBA.” Warriors coach Steve Kerr, then an NBA analyst at TNT, said Collins’ “courageous will impact many lives and help to create more tolerance in sports. Proud to have him representing the NBA.”

Collins’ courageous move was a triumph over fear, rinsing more than 20 years of anxiety and fitful sleep. His name suddenly was bigger than basketball. Nine months passed before the Nets, then in Brooklyn and coached by former teammate Jason Kidd, offered a contract.

Collins signed it on Feb. 23, 2014. On that night, during a Nets-Lakers game in Los Angeles, he made history by stepping onto the floor as the first active openly gay NBA player to do so.

He had evolved from being a fine basketball player to being a man with a higher calling, an ambassador for closeted gay sports figures and open-minded people all over the globe.

Thank Jason Collins for taking that intimidating walk into the unknown, standing over the sea and diving in. May he rest in peace. And may his example guide us to a better place.

CHICAGO — St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor is about to realize his dream of making the NBA.

He’s almost certain to become the Red Storm’s first draft pick in a decade — maybe even a first-rounder after a solid performance in the NBA Draft Combine.

“It’s been a great experience,” Ejiofor said. “Having this opportunity is something I dreamed of for a long time and it’s literally right in front of my face.”

St. John’s hasn’t had a first-round pick since Maurice Harkless in 2012, or any draft pick since Sir’Dominic Pointer three years later. But Ejiofor has a shot — because he’s showing that he can shoot.

The defensive-minded bruiser measured 6-foot-7 ½ barefoot and 245 pounds with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, long and bulky but short enough that he’s going to have to develop a jumper.

Apparently he’s been in Las Vegas since St. John’s season ended working on just that, and it’s paying off at the combine.

“I mean, a lot [of practice shots],” Ejiofor said of his daily Las Vegas regimen. “It was like hundreds, thousands even: shots, 3-point shots, midrange, you name it, just trying to showcase a little bit more than I did in college.”

The result was clear.

Ejiofor shot 17-for-30 off the dribble and 12-for-25 in the 3-point star drill. He was 16-for-28 in a side-middle-side drill and 13-for-25 in spot-up shooting.

“I feel like it’s something I could’ve shown a little bit more in college. And then I had the opportunity to just come out here and just prove, not only to myself, but to everybody around that I could do it,” Ejiofor said. “And I had decent numbers. And I was pretty proud of it.”

The numbers will buoy his stock.

Ejiofor said he met with six teams Wednesday, including the Cavaliers, Hornets, Mavericks, Nuggets and Thunder.

He will meet with the hometown Knicks and Nets Thursday.

The St. John’s senior isn’t participating in the 5-on-5 scrimmages at the combine, with his agent feeling he’s slated to go between Nos. 25 and 35 in next month’s draft.

Ejiofor was mocked to go 43rd to the Nets by Yahoo Sports and 31st to the Knicks by Tankathon.

“New York, obviously it’s a special place. I’ve got to grow a whole lot in the city of New York. And obviously I have a lot of love over there. So, obviously it’d be pretty special to be in a familiar area,” Ejiofor said. “If the opportunity happens, I’m more than excited to be there.

“It’d be a great experience. I spent my last three years in New York. I have a lot of love there in New York City. I’ve been away for a while, but I’m going back to New York on the 17th to walk for graduation. But, yeah, it will be a great experience if it happens. I’m going to be excited and my family is as well.”

Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference)

Cleveland; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Cavaliers -3.5; over/under is 209.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Cavaliers lead series 3-2

BOTTOM LINE: The Cleveland Cavaliers look to clinch the Eastern Conference second round over the Detroit Pistons in game six. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 117-113 in overtime in the last meeting on Thursday. James Harden led the Cavaliers with 30 points, and Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 39.

The Cavaliers are 11-5 against the rest of their division. Cleveland ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference in team defense, giving up only 115.4 points while holding opponents to 46.4% shooting.

The Pistons are 12-4 against the rest of their division. Detroit is fourth in the league scoring 18.0 fast break points per game led by Cunningham averaging 3.8.

The 119.5 points per game the Cavaliers average are 9.9 more points than the Pistons give up (109.6). The Pistons average 117.8 points per game, 2.4 more than the 115.4 the Cavaliers allow to opponents.

TOP PERFORMERS: Evan Mobley is scoring 18.2 points per game and averaging 9.0 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 25.3 points and 5.3 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Jalen Duren is averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds for the Pistons. Cunningham is averaging 29.4 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 5-5, averaging 108.5 points, 43.2 rebounds, 21.7 assists, 7.0 steals and 6.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.6 points per game.

Pistons: 5-5, averaging 106.1 points, 43.5 rebounds, 22.6 assists, 8.8 steals and 7.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 103.2 points.

INJURIES: Cavaliers: None listed.

Pistons: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

DETROIT — After the game, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was asked what it took for this team to overcome a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes to complete the comeback.

James Harden, who was waiting in the back of the press-conference room for his coach to finish up, thought he would just answer it himself.

“Balls,” Harden said.

While crass, it’s the truth.

The Cavaliers have been called soft for years, and understandably so. They’ve folded in the biggest moments too often in the previous three years not to be called that.

However, this isn’t that team. At least it wasn’t in Game 5.

The Cavs were down nine against the Detroit Pistons with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. The building was on fire. The hometown fans were celebrating what they assumed would be a win. Any momentum that the Cavs had from a strong second half was completely gone.

But then they did something that they hadn’t previously done. They got off the mat.

The Cavs counterpunched with a Donovan Mitchell layup and seven-straight points from Evan Mobley. This was coupled with stifling defense on the other end, as they didn’t give Cade Cunningham anything easy going to the basket.

Cleveland needed overtime to get this game over the line, but they got the job done 117-113.

It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win. And probably the best victory this group has had since LeBron James was last in town.

Now, they just need one more win to go to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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This game was why you grabbed James Harden at the deadline. President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman’s reasoning at the time was simple.

“[We’re] really excited about when it gets to a chaotic time in the playoffs and we’re on the road, and there’s a fever pitch, being able to throw the ball to him and calm this thing down,” Altman said back in February.

Those words proved to be prophetic. Time and time again, it was Harden who came through. He settled the team down and ensured that they got good offense time and time again in a game they weren’t getting much from Mitchell.

Harden continually got to his spots possession after possession, as if it were 2018 again. And even when you let an older version of Harden get to his spots, he’s going to make you pay.

All of the shanagans that drew the ire of NBA fans for a decade and a half were on full display. Harden baited fouls with the rip through, his endless pump fakes, and his ability to get to the rim and have guys bounce off him.

So much so that he had an entire arena chanting “f*** James Harden” throughout overtime when he was continually parading to the charity stripe.

Aging stars can turn back the clock. The issue is that the consistency may not be there from night to night like it was in their prime. We’ve seen that at times throughout this series, when Harden has had issues with turnovers, which partially led to their collapse in Games 1 and 2. But when the Cavs have needed him this series, he’s more than answered the bell.

In Game 3, he closed the Pistons out with clutch shots. In Game 4, he kept the offense going and took care of the ball, playing a supporting role alongside Mitchell, and in Game 5, he dropped 30 points.

“He really understands the moment,” Atkinson said. “When to get a guy the ball, when to try to get a free-throw. All of it. [This was] the big reason we got him.”

Moving to a role like this has been an adjustment for Harden, and one that he’s not fully used to yet.

“I’ve only been here two and a half months,” Harden said. “The things that we’re going through is all new. Learning how to be a second option and feed and play off Donovan.”

Nights like this show that he does still have it when the team needs something.

Before the game, Kenny Atkinson said they needed a role player to step up to help them reverse their fortunes on the road.

“I just think we need someone to step up,” Atkinson said before the game. “It’s going to be someone you don’t expect.”

That someone was Max Strus.

Strus kept a somewhat lifeless offense alive at the beginning of the game. His four triples in the first half accounted for a majority of the team’s threes (6-14).

In the second half, he was seemingly everywhere on the court, coming up with every loose ball and playing great defense on Cade Cunningham.

“The things that he’s doing don’t necessarily show up on a stat sheet,” Harden said.

What did show up on the stat sheet was a much-needed 20-point performance off the bench.

“He’s got a nasty character, and I love it,” Atkinson said. “We need that.”

Donovan Mitchell simply didn’t have it in Game 5.

The Cavs have gone as Mitchell has this entire season. When he’s getting downhill and getting into the basket, Cleveland’s offense looks good. When he isn’t, things can look stagnant as they did at times in Game 5.

Detroit made shrinking the floor a priority. They walled off the paint by shifting help defense into driving lanes whenever he got the ball on the perimeter. This resulted in Mitchell attempting just two of his 18 shots at the rim.

When he’s not getting to the rim, he isn’t getting to the free-throw line either. Mitchell took just six free throws after getting 15 in the game before.

But the Cavs were able to overcome it still. That shows in part how this group is different, and not the same one we’ve seen in years past.

Additionally, the Cavs lost the possession game. They were outscored 27-16 in points off turnovers and 15-14 in second-chance points.

This wasn’t a pretty game, but again, that doesn’t matter on days like this.

Cade Cunningham was the star the Pistons needed him to be, until he wasn’t.

Cleveland’s defenders were already trapping him throughout Game 4 due to how few of Detroit’s role players were stepping up. That ramped up in Game 5 with sharpshooter Duncan Robinson missing this game with a lower back injury.

The extra attention didn’t matter.

Cunningham did a good job of moving off-ball to create advantages, and then when he got the ball, he made his move to the basket quickly before the help defense could arrive.

And when he was the primary ball handler, he accepted the trap and trusted his teammates to find the advantage out of the odd-man situation. More often than not, they did. This led to Cunningham scoring 20 points on 7-14 shooting in the first half.

Then things changed.

The Cavs found success in the second half by just switching these ball screens. They trusted the defenders to stay with him in isolation. Cunningham sought out the mismatches, but doing so tired him out. That showed through down the stretch, particularly in overtime, where he registered just two points and a turnover.

Cleveland simply wore Cunningham down. This is where Detroit’s lack of depth — especially with Jalen Duren struggling as he has — showed through most and cost them the game.

Mobley came through in the biggest moment.

He didn’t register a single point in the fourth quarter until the final three minutes. He scored Cleveland’s last seven points, which included making two free throws to send the game to overtime. That was impactful for someone who seemingly forgot how to make foul shots in the middle of the season.

Mobley did this while being by far the best player on the floor. He shut off drives to the basket by merely rotating over. His impact on that end — maybe even more than the offense — is what allowed Cleveland to climb out of the hole late.

On top of that, he was excellent as a playmaker in the short roll with a team-best eight assists.

The series isn’t over yet.

Despite how this game ended, Detroit has proven to be an incredibly resilient group. That makes Game 6 at home so much more important.

“I’ve been in this position before, and have lost this next Game 6, then that puts a lot of pressure on you in Game 7, especially if you have to go on the road,” Atkinson said. “It’s a must-win game for us in terms of if we want to move forward.”

According to Adam Finkelstein, the intel floating around Chicago during the combine was that AJ Dybantsa was hoping to stay in Utah.

From Finkelstein:

That comment by Dybantsa was also consistent with one of the most repeated pieces of intel floating around Chicago this week: that Dybantsa was reportedly hoping to stay in Utah. 

He’s been in Utah now for two years (one season at Utah Prep and one season in Provo at BYU). His family is now with him in Utah, and they’ve grown to like the state and were hoping to stay.

The question for the Jazz is, if Dybantsa goes #1, then who do they end up picking? It sounds like the Jazz are fine with Darryn Peterson as that pick.

So what will the Jazz do at No. 2, especially considering Cameron Boozer’s dad, Carlos Boozer, currently works for the organization in a scouting role? Most expect Kansas guard Darryn Peterson to be the Jazz’s pick here. While there’s more public speculation about other options, sources around the combine speak with almost the same level of confidence that Peterson goes No. 2 as they do Washington taking Dybantsa at No. 1.

Peterson is not only a good fit for Utah’s current roster, but some people, including myself, wonder if some inside the Jazz front office might consider him to be a superior talent. The Ainges, Danny and Austin, have long been known to follow the top prospects in high school basketball, and so they are undoubtedly aware of what Peterson’s game and reputation were before this year’s availability issues.

The more information we get, the more it seems like the Jazz are going to be in great shape regardless of what the Wizards do. If Utah prefers Peterson and he falls to them at #2, they should be ecstatic. If the Wizards don’t pick Dybantsa and take Peterson, then Utah gets the local favorite in Dybantsa with the insane physical tools that has incredible upside. It’s a win-win for the Jazz either way.

It’s really hard to overstate how big this is for the Utah Jazz. They are getting a #1 caliber player, no matter what the Wizards do. What an incredible beginning to this new era of Jazz basketball.