DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 23: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates during the game against the Detroit Pistons on February 23, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Phil Jackson had a handy rule for determining the NBA’s real championship contenders well before the playoffs began. Jackson is credited as the creator ‘40-20 rule,’ which states a team has to hit 40 wins before 20 losses in the regular season to have a shot at the title. This rule has held up shockingly well throughout time, with 18 of the last 19 champions and 41 of the last 45 champions fitting into the criteria. Only the the 1995 Houston Rockets, 2004 Detroit Pistons, 2006 Miami Heat, and 2021 Milwaukee Bucks have won an NBA championship without winning 40 games before losing 20 games since the league introduced the three-point line for the 1979-1980 season.
With the Boston Celtics’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, there’s now only three teams that fit Jackson’s ‘40-20 rule’ for this season’s 2026 championship race:
The Pistons went 14-68 two years ago. What’s changed since then? Cade Cunningham started living up to the hype as a former No. 1 overall pick, Jalen Duren developed into an All-Star center, and head coach JB Bickerstaff (who replaced Monty Williams after the 14-win season) whipped the defense into the league’s No. 2 unit behind homegrown players like Isaiah Stewart, Ausar Thompson, and Ron Holland. Detroit made a big jump to 44 wins last year then had the Knicks sweating in a tough first-round series. Right now, the Pistons are on pace to win 61.5 games this season. It’s simply an incredible turnaround.
The Spurs were always destined to be a contender eventually with Victor Wembanyama, but no one thought it would happen this quickly. Wembanyama hasn’t even played a playoff game yet, but that won’t stop the Spurs from being a popular pick to win it all this year. Wembanyama’s defensive impact is levels beyond any other player alive, and he’s a top-10 offensive player, too. San Antonio put a solid supporting cast around him this year by trading for De’Aaron Fox, signing Luke Kornet in free agency, and rejuvenating Harrison Barnes’ career. The Spurs have proven it’s better to be lucky than good by moving up in the lottery three straight years for Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. This organization lit two lottery picks on fire in the 2020s with Josh Primo and Jeremy Sochan, but it didn’t even matter because they landed the best prospect ever and then moved up into the top-4 of the lottery the next two years.
I’m not fully convinced the ‘40-20 rule’ holds this year. The Denver Nuggets were my preseason championship pick, and while injuries have crushed them during the regular season, they should still be a serious contender if they can get healthy by the playoffs. The Celtics will also have a good chance at the title this year, especially if Jayson Tatum returns from a torn Achilles. I wrote that there are nine teams in the title race this season a couple weeks ago, and I still stand by it. This championship picture is much wider than it historically has been due to the CBA bringing parity to the league.
The NBA’s problems — tanking, load management, a typically crappy All-Star Game — get all of the attention, but the playoffs might be the best product in all of sports right now. This last Super Bowl sucked! Meanwhile, last year’s Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals was amazing, and this year’s title race will be as wide open and competitive as it has ever been. The ‘40-20 rule’ hitting 41 out of 45 years is astounding. If the Pistons, Spurs, or Thunder win it all this year, please remember that Phil Jackson was right again.
The Portland Trail Blazers head to the Windy City tonight to face the slumping Chicago Bulls at the United Center for an 8 p.m. ET tip.
Chicago is in the middle of a 10-game losing skid, but my Trail Blazers vs. Bulls predictions expect the hosts to snap out of it.
Read more in my NBA picks for Thursday, February 26.
Trail Blazers vs Bulls prediction
Trail Blazers vs Bulls best bet: Bulls moneyline (+155)
It’s been an underwhelming campaign for the Chicago Bulls, who are sitting in 12th place in the East with a 24-35 record. Chicago couldn’t be in worse shape right now, with its last victory coming on January 31.
February has been a terrible month for this team, but this contest presents a clear opportunity to end a 10-game skid. The Bulls have won two straight against the Portland Trail Blazers, including a 122-121 victory in November.
The Blazers have also lost two of their last three and are 12-16 on the road. Chicago has a 15-16 record at the United Center.
Trail Blazers vs Bulls same-game parlay
Matas Buzelis has been brilliant, averaging 15.3 points per game on 36% shooting from downtown. He’s averaging 2.1 makes on 5.7 attempts per game.
The youngster has cashed the Over in treys in back-to-back contests, even going 6-for-11 from long range in Tuesday's loss to the Hornets.
Isaac Okoro is averaging only 9.2 PPG, but he’s hit the Over in four of his last six appearances.
In Chicago’s last meeting with Portland, Okoro played well, scoring 13 points. He’ll do his part in helping the Bulls grab a victory this evening.
Trail Blazers vs Bulls SGP
Bulls moneyline
Matas Buzelis Over 2.5 made threes
Isaac Okoro Over 10.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Gettin' Giddey with it
Josh Giddey is averaging 7.9 dimes at home, and he had 13 assists against the Blazers in November.
Over/Under: Over 235.5 (-110) | Under 235.5 (-110)
Trail Blazers vs Bulls betting trend to know
The Chicago Bulls have hit the Game Total Under in 24 of their last 40 games at home (+8.60 Units / 20% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Bulls.
How to watch Trail Blazers vs Bulls
Location
United Center, Chicago, IL
Date
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
BlazerVision, CHSN
Trail Blazers vs Bulls latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
On adjusting the Knicks’ style of play and still evolving the system with 20 games left:
“We have a brand of basketball or style of play that we’re focused on, we’re trying to get better at. We’re playing different offensively, not a lot different, but we’re playing different offensively to a certain degree from the preseason up until this point we’ve made some changes. And we made some changes defensively. That evolution will continue to happen throughout the course of the rest of the year.”
On failing to help the offense from the sidelines in the loss against the Cavs:
“No matter what we did, we either turned the ball over or we had a tough shot. And so we made some play calls tonight, but we didn’t generate anything from the calls that we made.”
Josh Hart
On the difficulty of maintaining Brown’s demanded pace late in the season:
“It’s what? Game 55 [actually it was the 59th game]? Sometimes it’s tough. Guys are banged up. So sometimes playing with that pace is difficult at times.
“I think that’s when we really have to focus on the execution, calling plays, calling sets, and executing those, getting guys in position to be successful… Obviously, you want to play fast, play with pace. Sometimes it’s difficult, and we’ve got to adjust to it.”
Jalen Brunson
On the team not being a finished product yet:
“We’re still becoming a better team every single day. We’re not trying to be a final product by Game 60… I know how good we can be.”
According to Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks are now 10.7 points better per 100 possessions with Karl-Anthony Towns on the court this season.
That ranks 1st among 45 players who have seen at least 1600 minutes of court time. pic.twitter.com/1xkn7gfwDh
“I’ve seen teams come together pretty late and win a chip. I think for us, we just gotta continue to have our head down, block out the noise and just continue to find ways to improve every single day. Because at the end of the day, when playoff time comes, and the ball goes up, there ain’t no more time.
“We gotta have it figured out. Not hearing all the noise and having it distract us, and we lose games trying to impress people or whatever the case may be, or trying to please the noise. We just gotta keep our heads down and focus on everyone in this locker room, this organization, and how we can help each other win.
“And be the best version of ourselves so that when it comes to playoff time, we have no regrets where we stand.”
On whether the plan was for him to shoot less after attempting five shots vs. Cleveland:
“Nah, we had a game plan that we wanted to try to execute. You’ve seen this all year: we wanted to move the ball, hunt mismatches, do what we do. We just didn’t execute today to get the job done.”
On taking only those five shots:
“We’re trying to run our offensive game plan that we had coming into today. We wanted to execute it at the highest level possible. We just didn’t do a good job of making the plays needed to win the game.
“That’s fine. It happens like that. Yeah, we’re just trying to do what we talked about at shootaround, what we game-planned offensively, what we wanted to get done.”
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 2: Head Coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics (C) is given a technical foul in the second quarter of a game against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on April 2, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As we breathlessly await the next trickle of information about Jayson Tatum’s eventual return to the court, it makes sense to discuss something that I’m sure the coaching staff has been thinking about for a long time. Who starts when Tatum returns? And what are the trickle down impacts of the rest of the rotation? (and yes, we are totally milking this Tatum news cycle content for all it is worth)
First of all, let’s assume this is after whatever reintegration time the team takes to ramp him up. They might bring him off the bench or give him a minutes restriction at first. But once he’s through the training camp phase, I assume he’ll be back in the starting lineup.
We can also assume that Jaylen Brown and Derrick White will join him in the starting lineup. So that leaves 2 other spots. Let’s look at some of the candidates.
Neemias Queta – He’s started all season long and has been the team’s best center. He’s earned the right ot keep starting. However,…
Nikola Vucevic – …the Celtics traded Anfernee Simons for Vuc for a reason. Thus far he’s been coming off the bench behind Queta, and that makes a great deal of sense. However, it will be interesting to see how well Vuc fits next to Tatum.
Payton Pritchard – Seems unlikely they would transition him back to a 6th man role if that wasn’t going to be his final destination once Tatum returns. But on the other hand, he might be the 3rd best performing player this season (or 2nd??).
Sam Hauser – Of the remaining players, he has the most starts this season (27) and has plenty of history playing with Tatum. He obviously stretches the floor and has evolved his game even more this year.
Jordan Walsh – He’s been up and down this season, but has established himself as a valuable role player. One that doesn’t need the ball to make an impact on the game.
Baylor Scheierman – Back in Summer League, it wasn’t exactly clear if he had a long term future in Boston. Fast forward to today and he’s firmly in the rotation and a big part of the team’s depth and identity. He’s started 12 games and gives the game good effort and surprising defense.
Hugo Gonzalez – No one is surprised by his defense and he’s been creative and poised in his role. Another player that doesn’t need the ball to add value. Of course, he’s still a rookie on a deep squad.
So make the call. Which two players would you start next to Tatum, Brown, and White?
Feb 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Khris Middleton (20) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
His IQ was described as beyond his years already back in high school. Khris Middleton, one of the new additions to the Dallas Mavericks roster in the Anthony Davis trade to the Washington Wizards, is not just any NBA veteran.
Second star at his peak in Milwaukee, once fighting for the top spot with later NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, battles with multiple serious injuries and the resulting psychological toll, reliable number two on a championship team, averaging more than 20 points in 80 playoff games through his career. Khris Middleton’s story is one of extreme ups and downs.
It includes being one of the best players on the best team in the world for a while, but also being accused of being too fearful and soft for the NBA. The rollercoaster career of the 6’7 forward is important to know if you want to understand the player who just had his first 25 point game as a Mav earlier this week.
Khris Middleton was a super efficient 11/15 from the floor en route to that 25 point performance (along with the 7 boards and 7 dimes noted below) and some of those 11 baskets are in these MavsTV broadcast highlights! Plus his post game visit with @LesleyMcCaslin! https://t.co/MlBAkiQtnspic.twitter.com/H3W5Vn43pW
Back in high school, John Pearson, Middleton’s coach at Porter-Gaud School, favored positionless basketball. He encouraged him to play all over the court, even in the post, Zach Lowe wrote in 2019 in a piece about the second star in Milwaukee.
According to Pearson, however, Middleton resisted. “But I wasn’t going to pigeonhole him,” he said later. It was a strategy that has proven beneficial to Middleton later in his career, and a gift in the NBA.
Another gift, which we see with the new, young franchise player in Dallas, rookie Cooper Flagg, as well, is the incredible mastery of being able to finish with both hands. Almost ambidextrous with a basketball, Middleton was forced to go left as a kid by his dad so often that he sometimes prefers it now. Just like we see with the younger Flagg.
Famously a Texas A&M alumni, Middleton was already a first-round NBA prospect after two years at the historic college, but they convinced him to stay another year. Unfortunately, he tore his meniscus that fall. He returned a month later, but wasn’t the same, his coach at the time, Billy Kennedy, remembered. “He was skittish. He played not to get hurt.”
After this, Middleton’s draft stock fell. Then scouts heard rumors Middleton was soft. The Detroit Pistons ended up picking him at 39 in the 2012 draft. Reportedly, that was nine picks after Middleton and his father stopped watching, because they were upset that he fell out of the first round.
But the Piston’s GM Joe Dumars didn’t see soft, Zach Lowe describes in his piece. He saw something more in Middleton. “I saw a guy who played at his own pace.”
People saw his unhurried style and thought he had a low motor, and he was misunderstood often. But the psychological toll on players after returning from serious injury was still affecting Middleton. He kept playing tentatively in his first summer league, because he hadn’t regained full strength in his knee.
That made Dumars react. “This isn’t college,” Dumars told Middleton. “Turn it up.”
Piston’s assistant coach Steve Hetzel agreed and told Middleton: “Your physicality has to change. You’re playing soft. You’re not making contact plays.”
Middleton couldn’t seem to move beyond the fear of injury. The experiences of getting injured had affected his mental approach. This is how he described the psychological toll of coming back from serious injury later in his career, himself. As reported by Marc J. Spears on Andscape in 2024:
“People say I was scared to play mentally, or whatever the case may be. It was just I wasn’t ready to play physically, mentally. When you go through injuries, when you go through surgeries, you have to make sure physically you feel fine and mentally you’re there. All the way around, you have to be ready to play.”
Opening up about how vulnerable it can feel, Middleton described the anxiety of getting back on the hardwood:
“The toughest day [mentally] was my first day of playing. You have a lot of questions about yourself. You worry about your wind and how you feel. Those type of things. What is going to happen if you take a hard fall or a hard hit?”
It seems like if there’s one thing he has learned through his struggles with multiple injuries, it’s the importance of positive self-talk.
“I tell myself, ‘You got to get yourself through it.’At the end of the day, you’re going to survive and you’re going to be all right.”
The Kidd of it all
In 2013, Khris Middleton was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He spent almost 12 seasons there until leaving for Washington in 2025, which means that he was there for the entirety of Jason Kidd’s tenure in Milwaukee from 2014-18. According to Zach Lowe, Kidd immediately targeted Middleton as someone who could do more.
During a December practice in 2014, Kidd went straight at Middleton in front of the team, telling him he “sucked,” according to both Middleton and Kidd.
“That was our first encounter,” Kidd told Lowe. “You always remember your first encounter.”
But Middleton fired back, which Kidd didn’t mind because he wanted Middleton, who he saw as an introvert, to speak up. An early example of the type of coaching Kidd seems to favor in order to try and push players out of their comfort zone.
But Kidd reportedly sensed that Middleton could take it, and he was spot on in this case. “I loved it,” Middleton told Zach Lowe. “He fired me up.”
And then the hard and intense coaching, which Kidd was known for in Milwaukee, began, which turned out to be exactly what Middleton needed at that point in his career.
He pushed Middleton to get better at everything, they both recalled. Defense, passing, post play, get more comfortable going right again (he may have overdone the lefty thing), shoot more threes. And the experience of positionless basketball in high school had ensured that he was versatile enough to do it all.
Middleton had a great competitive spirit, which came out in a 2015 roster battle. Against none other than the future NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, for alpha status in Milwaukee. Sounds crazy now, but back then, it was a reality. It was still unclear who was the best player: Khris Middleton or Giannias Antetokounmpo.
At that point, Kidd – always aware of these things – sensed tension, as Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Monroe, and Jabari Parker were trying to find their place in the hierarchy, according to the Lowe piece. Kidd wanted the unspoken tension out in the open and interrupted a film session to ask every player on the roster, one by one, who was the best player among them.
“It was awkward,” Middleton said about the episode. Most of the team nominated Middleton, but Antetokounmpo refused to go along. “He was stubborn,” Monroe says.
“Khris was better then,” Antetokounmpo admits.
And then Middleton and Antetokounmpo got more physical on defense toward each other during practice. “We were fighting for that top spot, and we were almost actually fighting,” Antetokounmpo recalls. “I would come home with bruises and scratches.”
Kidd’s firing in Milwaukee
A lot has been said and written about Jason Kidd’s last days in Milwaukee. High expectations, disappointing results, chemistry issues. Players were tired of his confrontational style.
Kidd was apparently not oblivious to this. Two days before his firing, he asked Middleton, “Do you need another coach?” Both Middleton and Kidd recall.
Middleton would do his job regardless, he replied, but you could tell the team was moving away from him, as Middleton put it. “I couldn’t pin it all on him. It is never all one person’s fault. Jason and I had a great relationship.”
That relationship is now getting rekindled, as Khris Middleton has returned to Texas as a Mav and to Jason Kidd as a player. At least for now.
According to Marc Stein, the Mavs are leaving it up to Khris Middleton to decide whether he wants to stay with the team or negotiate a buyout. They have reportedly conveyed to him that he could have a place on next season’s team, if he decides to stay.
And perhaps Kidd could get something special out of Middleton once again. Peak Middleton was a complement to Antetokounmpo on a championship team: a great shooter, who can space the floor, score late in the shot clock, and defend multiple positions. Imagine veteran Middleton doing just some of that next to Cooper Flagg.
And with Middleton, the ceiling is very high still. As his former assistant coach in Detroit, Steve Heyzel, said: “There is beauty in a player who falls, and grows from it.”
The Atlanta Hawks will be looking for a second straight victory against the Washington Wizards tonight. The tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena.
Dyson Daniels is dropping dimes lately, and I’m eyeing him to do so again tonight in my Wizards vs. Hawks predictions.
Read more in my NBA picks for Thursday, February 26.
Wizards vs Hawks prediction
Wizards vs Hawks best bet: Dyson Daniels Over 6.5 assists (+100)
Dyson Daniels has been one of the Atlanta Hawks’ top playmakers this season, averaging 6.1 dimes, and with Trae Young gone, his passing has become even more important.
Daniels has cashed the Over in two straight, and he just dished out seven assists against the Washington Wizards earlier this week. The forward also registered eight dimes on Sunday against the Nets.
The 22-year-old is averaging 6.3 assists at homecompared to 5.9 on the road, and he already picked apart Washington. Daniels will replicate that performance.
Wizards vs Hawks same-game parlay
Onyeka Okongwu has been dominating on the boards, cashing the Over in three of his last four outings, grabbing at least 10 rebounds in each game.
CJ McCollum is averaging 2.6 makes on 6.8 triples per game for a 38.2% clip this season. While he was 0-for-6 in Tuesday’s revenge game, CJ did cash the Over in three straight contests before that.
He will bounce back tonight and find a rhythm from deep. With Nickeil Alexander-Walker questionable due to a foot sprain, that could also mean even more shots for McCollum.
Wizards vs Hawks SGP
Dyson Daniels Over 6.5 assists
Onyeka Okongwu Over 8.5 rebounds
CJ McCollum Over 2.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Downtown train
Okongwu has cashed the Over in triples in two of his last three, and was 2-for-7 from deep on Tuesday against Washington.
Wizards vs Hawks SGP
Dyson Daniels Over 6.5 assists
Onyeka Okongwu Over 8.5 rebounds
CJ McCollum Over 2.5 threes
Onyeka Okongwu Over 1.5 made threes
Wizards vs Hawks odds
Spread: Wizards +10 (-110) | Hawks -10 (-110)
Moneyline: Wizards +400 | Hawks -550
Over/Under: Over 235.5 (-110) | Under 235.5 (-110)
Wizards vs Hawks betting trend to know
The Atlanta Hawks have hit the Game Total Under in 19 of their last 30 games (+6.90 Units / 21% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Wizards vs. Hawks.
How to watch Wizards vs Hawks
Location
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Date
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
Monumental SN, FDSN SE Atlanta
Wizards vs Hawks latest injuries
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Feb 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots against Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Bucks notched back-to-back wins against Eastern Conference playoff teams, taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were without James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley, in a tightly contested 118-116 finish. The victory also breaks Cleveland’s seven-game winning streak over Milwaukee, dating back to January 26, 2024. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Kenny Atkinson called out Rollins’ improved passing pre-game, and he was proven correct. Made some exceptional reads and came up with a couple of clutch layups near the end.
This is the best KPJ has looked as a Buck. He was crashing the glass; he isn’t turning it over as much, and he’s becoming a late-game closer. That mid-range jumper to put Milwaukee up two with 20 seconds to go was exceptional.
The real AJ Green finally stood back up. Doc Rivers told us pre-game that he got after Green for not taking a shot in the first half against Miami, and clearly the message got across. Green took the first shot of the game for the Bucks and was aggressive from there on out.
Kuzma has found a rhythm from beyond the arc in his last two games. Shooting 32.5% from range this season, he’s shot 8/17 (47.1%) against Miami and Cleveland. Not saying this is sustainable, but the Bucks will take these types of performances from Kuz.
Despite scoring nine of his 15 points in the first half, Turner was not playing well. He was getting beaten on the glass by Allen and just looked slow. He seemed to find his legs in the second half, grabbing all three of his rebounds.
While it’s a lower-scoring output than Tuesday night, this was still a solid Bobby game. He didn’t force any bad shots and helped clean up the defensive glass.
Thomas had very similar games in this back-to-back. He had a nice scoring run when he first checked in, but didn’t find the bottom of the basket after that. Also, it was a bad look when Thomas appeared to complain about being taken out in the fourth quarter.
I was wrong when I said on Sunday that the Sims hype train was over. Every time he came into the game, the Bucks looked much better on the glass. Just a fantastic game for Sims.
It was a fairly quiet night for Dieng. He had a three-pointer and had a nice pass to Myles Turner for a dunk. Outside of that, it was a game to forget.
Grade: C-
Doc Rivers
Credit has to go to Doc for running with Sims as much as he did. I would’ve liked to see more of Sims and Turner together, but he made some solid adjustments, limiting the Cavs to 37 shot attempts in the second half (they had 50 in the first).
Grade: B-
DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Gary Harris, Gary Trent Jr., Andre Jackson Jr., Pete Nance
Inactive: Alex Antetokounmpo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince
Bonus Bucks Bits
Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and James Harden all sat this one out for Cleveland. Harden has a broken thumb. Despite playing on Tuesday night, Mitchell missed due to a right groin strain, and Mobley—who also played Tuesday—was out due to left calf injury maintenance.
Two of the Bucks’ major sticking points this season have been total rebounding and getting to the free-throw line, as they rank 27th and 29th in those areas, respectively. Tonight was no different, as they were out-rebounded by the Cavs 44-36 and outshot at the charity stripe 27-5. Doc credited their three-point shooting as the difference, with the Bucks going 19/45 (42.2%) and the Cavaliers shooting 12/40 (30%).
Ryan Rollins has continued to level up his game since he set foot in Milwaukee. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, who was an assistant in Golden State when Rollins was drafted there, talked about how much he’s grown since then:
“He’s really become a good passer and decision maker. He’s much more of a pure point guard than when I first saw him; he was just kind of speed and downhill. But now, I really like his feel watching him. These guys are so young and not used to the professional lifestyle, all that stuff, but I loved the talent, I loved his demeanor, tough as nails. I was just more pro Ryan Rollins, and now to see the passing and playmaking. Doc and them, development-wise, have done a great job with him. They have to recognize it here too, right? Guys like that sometimes, are you going to give them a chance? Are you going to give them an opportunity? You gotta give Doc and that group a lot of credit for saying, here you go.”
Jericho Sims is playing some of the best basketball of his career during the Bucks’ recent run of good form. In the last 10 games, he’s fourth on the team in minutes per game (26.5) and is averaging 7.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.3 APG. Doc talked pre-game about Sims’ development as of late, with the help of assistant coach Jason Love, specifically:
“J-Love is phenomenal, and that’s another guy when you look at where he’s (Sims) at now to where he was at the beginning of the year, his passing, his rolling, his catching, and making the secondary decision making has been fantastic. That’s taxing work. Who wants to roll 50 times in a practice, catch it, and then try to read over and over? You gotta want to do that stuff, (and) give Jericho credit, but give J-Love credit because they do it every day. They watch film every day, on when it doesn’t work and when it works, and he enjoys doing it.”
Myles Turner officially crossed the 1,500 block threshold in the first quarter after swatting a shot away from Dean Wade. He becomes the 41st player in NBA history to break into the 1,500 club, and is 17 rejections away from Caldwell Jones.
Up Next
The Bucks will wrap up their four-game homestand with another top-four seed in the Eastern Conference, as the New York Knicks come to town. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central time and can be watched on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
The San Antonio Spurs bring a 10-game winning streak to Barclays Center when they visit the Brooklyn Nets.
The Bottom-5 Nets defense will have its hands full tonight, and my Spurs vs. Nets predictions expect a high-scoring contest.
Read on for my NBA picks for Thursday, February 26.
Spurs vs Nets prediction
Spurs vs Nets best bet: Over 224.5 (-110)
This bet isn’t about the Brooklyn Nets suddenly becoming an offensive juggernaut, because they aren’t.
It’s about their Bottom-5 defense and how the San Antonio Spurs are scoring at an elite clip, averaging a league-best 124 points per game during their 10-game winning streak.
Brooklyn is allowing over 50% shooting in its last 10 games and offers very little defensive resistance. San Antonio has given up 110 PPG in that stretch, and Brooklyn has enough shot-makers to help push this one past the game total.
Spurs vs Nets same-game parlay
De’Aaron Fox has made at least two triples in three of his previous five games, and Nets guard Egor Demin is knocking down at least two made threes in five of his past nine contests.
Spurs vs Nets SGP
Over 224.5
De'Aaron Fox Over 1.5 made threes
Egor Demin Over 2.5 made threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: MPJ helps lift the total
Michael Porter Jr. averages over 24 PPG and has scored at least 23 points in two of his last five.
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Feb 25, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh (27) and Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) battle for a loose ball during the first half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
#1 – A second behind
Sometimes in life, you feel like you’re a step behind. Nothing big, but yet, it creates a difference between where you should be and where you are, and this small difference has consequences. Well, that’s how it felt looking at the Celtics’ off-ball defense last night.
This first bucket from the Nuggets is a great example of the Nuggets being a step ahead. The screen from Cam Johnson causes a bit of chaos as Derrick White and Jaylen Brown don’t switch, leaving a lot of space for Jamal Murray to cut to the rim. A few possessions later, it’s Brown again who is half a second late when Johnson starts moving, and that’s enough for the Nuggets to punish the Celtics.
Denver is a very smart, very well coached team. It isn’t a surprise they involved Jordan Walsh’s matchup in the screen because the young wing has a tendency to overpressure off-ball. Therefore, with all the screens and movement the Nuggets are creating, it is hard for him to keep up.
This game was a great example of what makes a team like Denver so good. They can find a breach in a great defense by targeting players’ tendencies. Like the Celtics, they scout, they learn, and they adapt their approach to the opponent, and it worked out pretty well, even in garbage time.
On offense, the Celtics lost the ball on more than 15% of their possessions. When this happens, the Celtics have a 50% win rate. Taking care of the ball is one of the foundations of that team, and they couldn’t deliver last night. Led by Bruce Brown and Spencer Jones, the Nuggets put a lot of pressure on the Celtics’ ball-handlers.
They also didn’t hesitate to bring a second defender to force a quicker decision and generated some mistakes from Boston. With that appetite for steals and the domination on the offensive glass, the Denver Nuggets were able to generate 10 more field-goal attempts than the Celtics. And when the Celtics lose the possession battle, it becomes a lot harder to compete against the best teams in the league.
#3 – Jokic deep-drop
It was a different sight than usual on defense for the Denver Nuggets. We are used to seeing Jokic hedging on the pick-and-roll to force a pass and put pressure on the ball-handler, but this wasn’t the case last night. The guards put a lot of pressure while the Serbian was commanding from the back.
It was an interesting way to take away the paint from the Celtics while showing bodies beyond the three-point line. While Jokic was in the paint behind the pick-and-roll, the Nuggets’ closest defender next to the screen would come to disrupt the action.
Thanks to that, Jokic had less effort to expend on defense and could compensate on offense. In some possessions, Jokic would come up to surprise the ball-handler and create some chaos, like here:
But overall, the 3-time MVP remained in a drop position, and this explains why the Celtics had so much trouble getting to the paint last night.
#4 – Denver daring Ron Harper Junior to shoot
The young wing is discovering the NBA and what it is like to be scouted by the best teams in the world. After a standout performance against the Suns, he was back on the bench to start the game. Yet, like every other player on the roster, the Nuggets scouted him and had a plan in mind for when he would come onto the court.
As the defensive plan was to protect the paint at all costs, they decided to leave him alone beyond the line to make sure the Celtics touched the paint as little as possible.
The Celtics tried to get him involved in the screening action, hoping he would draw some attention from the defense, but the Nuggets couldn’t care less about his shooting threat.
In the end, that approach worked out pretty well for Denver as Harper shot one for seven from deep in 10 minutes. This also took away part of his offensive impact, and the Celtics had to adapt their rotation.
#5 – Double-big again
Because the Nuggets were willing to leave non-shooters open, the Celtics tried their double-big lineup again. If the opponent isn’t going to respect your shooters, you might as well play big. And the idea makes sense.
Because the Celtics played with two bigs and the non-shooter of the two is Neemias Queta, Vucevic was matched up with a smaller player. Therefore, it was easier for him to get a mismatch in the post. However, it was also easier for Jokic to come help from behind because of Queta’s presence in the paint.
To make this work on offense, I think the Celtics need to work on high-low offense with more movement from the off-ball players around the two centers. Defensively, it brought more rebounding stability and rim protection. The Celtics could target non-shooting threats like Christian Braun so the paint remained stacked.
If the Celtics can build some offensive synergy between Queta and Vucevic, things could be really fun and bring a great balance against big teams like Denver.
#6 – Spread actions
Because Denver was so aggressive when it came to protecting the paint, the Celtics decided to start their actions from the half-court line to stretch the Denver defense.
Here, a zoom action for Derrick White starts from half court, with Sam Hauser screening at the logo and Queta handing off at the three-point line. Because of that space and the distance of the screen, Jones has more difficulty containing White. This created a little bit of chaos in the defense and worked pretty well.
Yet, starting from deep isn’t enough, and using screens correctly remains one of the most important parts of off-ball actions. Here, look how easy it is for the Denver Nuggets defenders to stay connected to their matchup despite the various screens.
The idea was great, the execution not so much. Yet, it gives some perspective on how the Celtics offense can adapt when the spacing is missing.
#7 – More volume for White?
Looking at the stats from cleaningtheglass.com, I’m left with a couple of questions.
First, why didn’t White have more opportunities with the shot? He was really efficient with 1.25 points per shot attempt, created chaos with his speed and passing, and yet his usage was pretty average.
In the meantime, Jaylen Brown’s usage was once again close to 40% despite really low efficiency. When the defense shrinks the space like last night, I would like to see more possessions for White to unlock Jaylen Brown off-ball.
Against such a smart defense, isolation and drives in a crowded paint won’t work as much as usual, and the Celtics need to readjust how JB plays against elite teams to make sure to maximize him next to a great connector like Derrick White. The former Colorado guard scored 18 points in the second quarter but couldn’t get anything going after that.
#8 – More minutes for Hauser?
A second question I would have asked is why Sam Hauser didn’t get more minutes. As we saw earlier, the Nuggets were willing to leave a shooter open to protect the paint – even if that shooter was Sam Hauser.
So, when Sam was the guy next to the ball on the pick-and-roll, it created great things for the Celtics because the help defender couldn’t fully commit. And if he did, the Celtics could swing the ball to the wing.
Even if he didn’t make all the shots, the added value in spacing was so crucial that it was vital for the Celtics to keep him on the court to have the best chance on offense.
It took seven games for someone to raise the question – let’s be patient. And also let’s take a step back and remember that Vucevic isn’t the Celtics’ savior. He never has been an efficient scorer, never been a great interior defender. But he is a smart player with great passing for a 7-footer.
If you are expecting Nikola Vucevic to reach Kristaps Porzingis’ numbers in rim protection and scoring efficiency, well, be prepared to wait for a while because it never was the case. However, Vucevic can bring a push in the possession battle while providing spacing and great secondary passing once he gets more comfortable in the Celtics offense.
Let’s be nice, let’s be patient, this roster isn’t changing anytime soon.
#10 – Out of gas, out of air
Three games in four days, the last one 5280 feet above sea level, and the Celtics were out of gas and out of air.
This month, they played six games on the road, a lot of time away from home. March should be far more comfortable with nine games at TD Garden.
Might be the perfect timing for Jayson Tatum to come back (and for me to book a ticket from France to cover some games from the ground).”
Feb 25, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh (27) and Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) battle for a loose ball during the first half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
#1 – A second behind
Sometimes in life, you feel like you’re a step behind. Nothing big, but yet, it creates a difference between where you should be and where you are, and this small difference has consequences. Well, that’s how it felt looking at the Celtics’ off-ball defense last night.
This first bucket from the Nuggets is a great example of the Nuggets being a step ahead. The screen from Cam Johnson causes a bit of chaos as Derrick White and Jaylen Brown don’t switch, leaving a lot of space for Jamal Murray to cut to the rim. A few possessions later, it’s Brown again who is half a second late when Johnson starts moving, and that’s enough for the Nuggets to punish the Celtics.
Denver is a very smart, very well coached team. It isn’t a surprise they involved Jordan Walsh’s matchup in the screen because the young wing has a tendency to overpressure off-ball. Therefore, with all the screens and movement the Nuggets are creating, it is hard for him to keep up.
This game was a great example of what makes a team like Denver so good. They can find a breach in a great defense by targeting players’ tendencies. Like the Celtics, they scout, they learn, and they adapt their approach to the opponent, and it worked out pretty well, even in garbage time.
On offense, the Celtics lost the ball on more than 15% of their possessions. When this happens, the Celtics have a 50% win rate. Taking care of the ball is one of the foundations of that team, and they couldn’t deliver last night. Led by Bruce Brown and Spencer Jones, the Nuggets put a lot of pressure on the Celtics’ ball-handlers.
They also didn’t hesitate to bring a second defender to force a quicker decision and generated some mistakes from Boston. With that appetite for steals and the domination on the offensive glass, the Denver Nuggets were able to generate 10 more field-goal attempts than the Celtics. And when the Celtics lose the possession battle, it becomes a lot harder to compete against the best teams in the league.
#3 – Jokic deep-drop
It was a different sight than usual on defense for the Denver Nuggets. We are used to seeing Jokic hedging on the pick-and-roll to force a pass and put pressure on the ball-handler, but this wasn’t the case last night. The guards put a lot of pressure while the Serbian was commanding from the back.
It was an interesting way to take away the paint from the Celtics while showing bodies beyond the three-point line. While Jokic was in the paint behind the pick-and-roll, the Nuggets’ closest defender next to the screen would come to disrupt the action.
Thanks to that, Jokic had less effort to expend on defense and could compensate on offense. In some possessions, Jokic would come up to surprise the ball-handler and create some chaos, like here:
But overall, the 3-time MVP remained in a drop position, and this explains why the Celtics had so much trouble getting to the paint last night.
#4 – Denver daring Ron Harper Junior to shoot
The young wing is discovering the NBA and what it is like to be scouted by the best teams in the world. After a standout performance against the Suns, he was back on the bench to start the game. Yet, like every other player on the roster, the Nuggets scouted him and had a plan in mind for when he would come onto the court.
As the defensive plan was to protect the paint at all costs, they decided to leave him alone beyond the line to make sure the Celtics touched the paint as little as possible.
The Celtics tried to get him involved in the screening action, hoping he would draw some attention from the defense, but the Nuggets couldn’t care less about his shooting threat.
In the end, that approach worked out pretty well for Denver as Harper shot one for seven from deep in 10 minutes. This also took away part of his offensive impact, and the Celtics had to adapt their rotation.
#5 – Double-big again
Because the Nuggets were willing to leave non-shooters open, the Celtics tried their double-big lineup again. If the opponent isn’t going to respect your shooters, you might as well play big. And the idea makes sense.
Because the Celtics played with two bigs and the non-shooter of the two is Neemias Queta, Vucevic was matched up with a smaller player. Therefore, it was easier for him to get a mismatch in the post. However, it was also easier for Jokic to come help from behind because of Queta’s presence in the paint.
To make this work on offense, I think the Celtics need to work on high-low offense with more movement from the off-ball players around the two centers. Defensively, it brought more rebounding stability and rim protection. The Celtics could target non-shooting threats like Christian Braun so the paint remained stacked.
If the Celtics can build some offensive synergy between Queta and Vucevic, things could be really fun and bring a great balance against big teams like Denver.
#6 – Spread actions
Because Denver was so aggressive when it came to protecting the paint, the Celtics decided to start their actions from the half-court line to stretch the Denver defense.
Here, a zoom action for Derrick White starts from half court, with Sam Hauser screening at the logo and Queta handing off at the three-point line. Because of that space and the distance of the screen, Jones has more difficulty containing White. This created a little bit of chaos in the defense and worked pretty well.
Yet, starting from deep isn’t enough, and using screens correctly remains one of the most important parts of off-ball actions. Here, look how easy it is for the Denver Nuggets defenders to stay connected to their matchup despite the various screens.
The idea was great, the execution not so much. Yet, it gives some perspective on how the Celtics offense can adapt when the spacing is missing.
#7 – More volume for White?
Looking at the stats from cleaningtheglass.com, I’m left with a couple of questions.
First, why didn’t White have more opportunities with the shot? He was really efficient with 1.25 points per shot attempt, created chaos with his speed and passing, and yet his usage was pretty average.
In the meantime, Jaylen Brown’s usage was once again close to 40% despite really low efficiency. When the defense shrinks the space like last night, I would like to see more possessions for White to unlock Jaylen Brown off-ball.
Against such a smart defense, isolation and drives in a crowded paint won’t work as much as usual, and the Celtics need to readjust how JB plays against elite teams to make sure to maximize him next to a great connector like Derrick White. The former Colorado guard scored 18 points in the second quarter but couldn’t get anything going after that.
#8 – More minutes for Hauser?
A second question I would have asked is why Sam Hauser didn’t get more minutes. As we saw earlier, the Nuggets were willing to leave a shooter open to protect the paint – even if that shooter was Sam Hauser.
So, when Sam was the guy next to the ball on the pick-and-roll, it created great things for the Celtics because the help defender couldn’t fully commit. And if he did, the Celtics could swing the ball to the wing.
Even if he didn’t make all the shots, the added value in spacing was so crucial that it was vital for the Celtics to keep him on the court to have the best chance on offense.
It took seven games for someone to raise the question – let’s be patient. And also let’s take a step back and remember that Vucevic isn’t the Celtics’ savior. He never has been an efficient scorer, never been a great interior defender. But he is a smart player with great passing for a 7-footer.
If you are expecting Nikola Vucevic to reach Kristaps Porzingis’ numbers in rim protection and scoring efficiency, well, be prepared to wait for a while because it never was the case. However, Vucevic can bring a push in the possession battle while providing spacing and great secondary passing once he gets more comfortable in the Celtics offense.
Let’s be nice, let’s be patient, this roster isn’t changing anytime soon.
#10 – Out of gas, out of air
Three games in four days, the last one 5280 feet above sea level, and the Celtics were out of gas and out of air.
This month, they played six games on the road, a lot of time away from home. March should be far more comfortable with nine games at TD Garden.
Might be the perfect timing for Jayson Tatum to come back (and for me to book a ticket from France to cover some games from the ground).”
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 25: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics dives for a loose ball against Cameron Johnson #23 of the Denver Nuggets in the first half at Ball Arena on February 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Boston Celtics could’ve secured a four-game road trip sweep over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, had it not been for their second-half tumble. Defensive lapses, a no-show from the reserve unit, and countless missed opportunities doomed the Cs.
But instead of sulking in the aftermath, Jaylen Brown took a different, more constructive approach to digesting the team’s 103-84 defeat in Denver.
“I think we’ll be pleased by how many open looks we had,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “It’s not like our offense didn’t create the advantages we were looking for. We got a bunch of great shots, it felt like. It just didn’t go down tonight.”
Boston fell victim to a collection of factors that snowballed into a storm greater than the blizzard they avoided back in New England this past weekend. Even so, there was a bright side worth pinpointing, as Brown did. The Celtics consistently generated quality looks throughout the second half, which made the result all the more frustrating. Shot creation wasn’t the issue. Shot conversion, however, was.
They finished 12-of-43 from 3-point range (27.9%), with Brown, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, and Payton Pritchard — all reliable perimeter threats — accounting for 13 of those misses. Of those attempts, 10 came on quality or wide-open looks. Over time, those misses dug a deeper divot, eventually forcing Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to pull the plug and sit his starters on the bench for the final 5:33 of the fourth quarter.
DENVER, COLORADO – FEBRUARY 25: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets drives against Ron Harper Jr. #13 of the Boston Celtics in the first half at Ball Arena on February 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Brown doesn’t believe any of that is worth overanalyzing as the team heads back home.
“It’s a long season. It’s a journey,” Brown told reporters. “One game doesn’t make or break us. Tonight, we could’ve played better, we could’ve converted a little bit more — second night of a back-to-back. We don’t hang our heads, though. We move on to the next.”
Leaving regret in the rearview mirror has become one of this season’s greatest strengths for the Celtics. It’s a principle that Mazzulla has preached since the start of the campaign, and one the team has consistently embraced. Whether during their most dominant performances and their ugliest slip-ups, the Celtics have continued to put that short-term memory into practice — pragmatically.
Boston won’t dwell on a single play, no matter how costly, but that doesn’t mean that details are ignored. Film gets reviewed. Mistakes get addressed. There’s a balance, and everyone in the locker room understands it.
Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić finished scoring 30 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, but it was far from pretty. Jokić opened the night 4-of-11 in the first quarter, and nearly half of his 28 shot attempts came from beyond the arc. The three-time league MVP wasn’t the sole difference-maker responsible for dragging the Celtics and tilting the game, even though his double-double suggests it.
For the most part, Boston’s defense held its own against Jokić.
“I think we did a pretty good job on him,” White told reporters, per CLNS Media. “… He’s really good and does a little bit of everything for them, so I think our big did a pretty good job on him.”
The Celtics have 24 hours to unwind and reassess before hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. Until then, they’ll roll with the approach that’s brought them this far in moving on from their Denver collapse. They’ll search for whatever opportunities remain in place to improve, make use of their miscues against the Nuggets, and establish the best way to strategize. It’s a collective effort.
“It would’ve been great to finish out strong in the road trip with a win,” Brown told reporters. “But 3-1 on a West Coast swing, coming straight out of the All-Star break, is not half bad. So, we just got to continue to get better little by little. I like where we’re at as a group. I think we’re playing some really good basketball. I think our guys have developed in areas that we continue to push along, so we just got to keep that up.”
Boston still owns the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, with a one and a ½ game lead over the New York Knicks. The race for the top spot also remains within reach, as the Celtics trail the Detroit Pistons only by five games. So while their 20th loss of the season was a tough one to stomach in real time, Boston remains in a favorable position worth highlighting.
“I like where we’re at as a group,” Brown told reporters. “I like where we’re at as a team.”
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 25: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics dives for a loose ball against Cameron Johnson #23 of the Denver Nuggets in the first half at Ball Arena on February 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Boston Celtics could’ve secured a four-game road trip sweep over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, had it not been for their second-half tumble. Defensive lapses, a no-show from the reserve unit, and countless missed opportunities doomed the Cs.
But instead of sulking in the aftermath, Jaylen Brown took a different, more constructive approach to digesting the team’s 103-84 defeat in Denver.
“I think we’ll be pleased by how many open looks we had,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “It’s not like our offense didn’t create the advantages we were looking for. We got a bunch of great shots, it felt like. It just didn’t go down tonight.”
Boston fell victim to a collection of factors that snowballed into a storm greater than the blizzard they avoided back in New England this past weekend. Even so, there was a bright side worth pinpointing, as Brown did. The Celtics consistently generated quality looks throughout the second half, which made the result all the more frustrating. Shot creation wasn’t the issue. Shot conversion, however, was.
They finished 12-of-43 from 3-point range (27.9%), with Brown, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, and Payton Pritchard — all reliable perimeter threats — accounting for 13 of those misses. Of those attempts, 10 came on quality or wide-open looks. Over time, those misses dug a deeper divot, eventually forcing Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to pull the plug and sit his starters on the bench for the final 5:33 of the fourth quarter.
DENVER, COLORADO – FEBRUARY 25: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets drives against Ron Harper Jr. #13 of the Boston Celtics in the first half at Ball Arena on February 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Brown doesn’t believe any of that is worth overanalyzing as the team heads back home.
“It’s a long season. It’s a journey,” Brown told reporters. “One game doesn’t make or break us. Tonight, we could’ve played better, we could’ve converted a little bit more — second night of a back-to-back. We don’t hang our heads, though. We move on to the next.”
Leaving regret in the rearview mirror has become one of this season’s greatest strengths for the Celtics. It’s a principle that Mazzulla has preached since the start of the campaign, and one the team has consistently embraced. Whether during their most dominant performances and their ugliest slip-ups, the Celtics have continued to put that short-term memory into practice — pragmatically.
Boston won’t dwell on a single play, no matter how costly, but that doesn’t mean that details are ignored. Film gets reviewed. Mistakes get addressed. There’s a balance, and everyone in the locker room understands it.
Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić finished scoring 30 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, but it was far from pretty. Jokić opened the night 4-of-11 in the first quarter, and nearly half of his 28 shot attempts came from beyond the arc. The three-time league MVP wasn’t the sole difference-maker responsible for dragging the Celtics and tilting the game, even though his double-double suggests it.
For the most part, Boston’s defense held its own against Jokić.
“I think we did a pretty good job on him,” White told reporters, per CLNS Media. “… He’s really good and does a little bit of everything for them, so I think our big did a pretty good job on him.”
The Celtics have 24 hours to unwind and reassess before hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. Until then, they’ll roll with the approach that’s brought them this far in moving on from their Denver collapse. They’ll search for whatever opportunities remain in place to improve, make use of their miscues against the Nuggets, and establish the best way to strategize. It’s a collective effort.
“It would’ve been great to finish out strong in the road trip with a win,” Brown told reporters. “But 3-1 on a West Coast swing, coming straight out of the All-Star break, is not half bad. So, we just got to continue to get better little by little. I like where we’re at as a group. I think we’re playing some really good basketball. I think our guys have developed in areas that we continue to push along, so we just got to keep that up.”
Boston still owns the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, with a one and a ½ game lead over the New York Knicks. The race for the top spot also remains within reach, as the Celtics trail the Detroit Pistons only by five games. So while their 20th loss of the season was a tough one to stomach in real time, Boston remains in a favorable position worth highlighting.
“I like where we’re at as a group,” Brown told reporters. “I like where we’re at as a team.”
Cooper Flagg is currently the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year. His Duke roommate, Kon Kneueppel, is behind him at around +220 (you bet $100, you win $220). Flagg is currently injured (and Dallas is tanking), and, as somewhat of a betting man myself, I wondered why I should not take the juice on Kneuppel in anticipation that Flagg doesn’t reach the 65-game threshold. This led me to a Marc Stein tweet where he explained that the threshold does not apply to the Rookie of the Year award. Why? Outside of MVP, you could argue that Rookie of the Year is the most coveted award in basketball. Unlike the other trophies, you only have one shot to win it. The NBA’s desire for players to play more is the genesis for this arbitrary number of games, and yet it does not apply to the award that theoretically should have the most participation. This is a sign of a fundamentally broken system, and instead of trying to assign more random parameters around qualification, they should scrap it all and let chaos win.
Cade Cunningham could win the MVP this year by default, essentially. This is not a knock on Cade, as he is the leader of the East’s best team currently. But at their current pace, the only top-five MVP candidate (by betting odds) outside of Cunningham that is on track to play 65-plus games this season is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is on pace for just 67 and is also currently hurt. So we may see a year where Nikola Jokic, averaging a triple-double while leading the league in rebounds and assists, Luka Doncic, averaging 32.5 points, and Victor Wembanyama, blocking nearly three shots a game to go with his 24 points and 11 rebounds on a Spurs team that has improved its win total by seven games already, all do not qualify for MVP. And for what? To satisfy a made-up, health-related rule in a league that is increasingly more injured as the days pass? It is completely asinine. The voting has always been narrative-based and subjective, and now is the time to lean in and remove any objectivity so creativity can run free.
Adam Silver has said the NBA is a social league, and one that values internet clips and reactions. What if, instead of closed-door voting, they broadcast the deliberation? Imagine a room with Bill Simmons, Kendrick Perkins, and other NBA talking heads duking it out over why Nikola Jokic’s advanced metrics outweigh Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s bucket-getting ability. Or maybe they throw Chuck Klosterman in there, and he dispels any Luka Doncic support, citing Nico Harrison’s probable cause for trading him. That would do numbers on social media, Adam! After all, the media ultimately writes the history books. The discussion around the games is done by the people who vote for these awards, so why restrict their subjectivity at all?
It’s time to get weird. The NBA’s half-baked attempt to put bumpers up on award voting has failed, even if all the aforementioned players reach 65 games played. That these conversations even happen is an indictment of this fragile algorithm. These awards ultimately matter only in debate circles and online forums, so trying to act like they are a sacred relic with high standards is counterintuitive to the goal. In fact, let’s go a step further. Each candidate should have to pitch their case to a Shark-Tank-esque panel of writers and analysts. You want clips, commissioner? How about one of Shaquille O’Neal saying “I’m out” after Victor Wembanyama points to his three-point efficiency at 7’4” as a pillar of his MVP argument.
There are better ways to decide these awards. If the rules apply to some, but not all of them, then it’s time to get rid of the rules. The NBA is an experimental league. We have seen this with All-Star weekend, the play-in tournament, and the NBA Cup. The awards should be the next thing to throw fun wrinkles at.
Cooper Flagg is currently the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year. His Duke roommate, Kon Kneueppel, is behind him at around +220 (you bet $100, you win $220). Flagg is currently injured (and Dallas is tanking), and, as somewhat of a betting man myself, I wondered why I should not take the juice on Kneuppel in anticipation that Flagg doesn’t reach the 65-game threshold. This led me to a Marc Stein tweet where he explained that the threshold does not apply to the Rookie of the Year award. Why? Outside of MVP, you could argue that Rookie of the Year is the most coveted award in basketball. Unlike the other trophies, you only have one shot to win it. The NBA’s desire for players to play more is the genesis for this arbitrary number of games, and yet it does not apply to the award that theoretically should have the most participation. This is a sign of a fundamentally broken system, and instead of trying to assign more random parameters around qualification, they should scrap it all and let chaos win.
Cade Cunningham could win the MVP this year by default, essentially. This is not a knock on Cade, as he is the leader of the East’s best team currently. But at their current pace, the only top-five MVP candidate (by betting odds) outside of Cunningham that is on track to play 65-plus games this season is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is on pace for just 67 and is also currently hurt. So we may see a year where Nikola Jokic, averaging a triple-double while leading the league in rebounds and assists, Luka Doncic, averaging 32.5 points, and Victor Wembanyama, blocking nearly three shots a game to go with his 24 points and 11 rebounds on a Spurs team that has improved its win total by seven games already, all do not qualify for MVP. And for what? To satisfy a made-up, health-related rule in a league that is increasingly more injured as the days pass? It is completely asinine. The voting has always been narrative-based and subjective, and now is the time to lean in and remove any objectivity so creativity can run free.
Adam Silver has said the NBA is a social league, and one that values internet clips and reactions. What if, instead of closed-door voting, they broadcast the deliberation? Imagine a room with Bill Simmons, Kendrick Perkins, and other NBA talking heads duking it out over why Nikola Jokic’s advanced metrics outweigh Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s bucket-getting ability. Or maybe they throw Chuck Klosterman in there, and he dispels any Luka Doncic support, citing Nico Harrison’s probable cause for trading him. That would do numbers on social media, Adam! After all, the media ultimately writes the history books. The discussion around the games is done by the people who vote for these awards, so why restrict their subjectivity at all?
It’s time to get weird. The NBA’s half-baked attempt to put bumpers up on award voting has failed, even if all the aforementioned players reach 65 games played. That these conversations even happen is an indictment of this fragile algorithm. These awards ultimately matter only in debate circles and online forums, so trying to act like they are a sacred relic with high standards is counterintuitive to the goal. In fact, let’s go a step further. Each candidate should have to pitch their case to a Shark-Tank-esque panel of writers and analysts. You want clips, commissioner? How about one of Shaquille O’Neal saying “I’m out” after Victor Wembanyama points to his three-point efficiency at 7’4” as a pillar of his MVP argument.
There are better ways to decide these awards. If the rules apply to some, but not all of them, then it’s time to get rid of the rules. The NBA is an experimental league. We have seen this with All-Star weekend, the play-in tournament, and the NBA Cup. The awards should be the next thing to throw fun wrinkles at.
CHICAGO - OCTOBER 23: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls smiles during a game against the Seattle SuperSonics on October 23, 1996 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1996 NBAE (Photo by Noren Trotman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There is nothing like a good discussion amongst people when things are civil and both can present coherent and thoughtful views while also being willing to hear what the other has to say, even if you don’t agree with them.
However more often than not these discussions delve into arguments usually with either side digging in to their view and getting nasty and mean and then the insults come out and the name calling starts and next thing you know you are both frustrated.
Even though I am all for a good discussion, there are some arguments that people make that as soon as I hear them I just walk away before I get started because there is no point, since I already know that person isn’t open to hearing any opinion other than the one they just espoused.
So what is one of those arguments I am tired of?
It has to be the basketball G.O.A.T. conversation. In the past 10 years or so there has been a rise to declare LeBron James the G.O.A.T. over the real G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan. I have tried to defend his case but those who think it is LeBron have no desire to listen. So just for the sake of consistency, let me lay it out one more time:
NBA Championships: Jordan is 6-0, LeBron 4-6. Jordan never played a game 7 in a Championship game, which I think is as impressive as anything.
NBA Finals MVPs: Jordan 6, LeBron 4
NBA MVPs: Jordan 5, LeBron 4
NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Jordan 1, LeBron 0
NBA Defensive first team: Jordan 9, LeBron 5
NBA Scoring Champion: Jordan 10, LeBron 1
In these next stats keep in mind that Jordan played 14.5 seasons compared to James 23
NBA All-Stars: Jordan 14, LeBron 22 (though Jordan never pulled out of one hours before tip off preventing a substitution from happening)
NBA All-Star MVP: Jordan 3, LeBron 3
All NBA: Jordan 11 (10 first, 1 second), LeBron 21 (13 first, 4 second, 4 third)
Olympics: Jordan 2 golds in 2 trips, LeBron 3 golds and a Bronze in 4 trips
PPG: Jordan 30.1, Lebron 26.9 (yes LeBron has more points but he also has played 8.5 more seasons)
PPG Playoffs: Jordan 33.4, LeBron 28.4 (Again, I understand LeBron has more points but also played 113 more games than Jordan)
I could keep going but instead I am going to end with this story. I was at the dentist one day. The dental assistant was a Duke fan and she knew I went to UNC. She started talking about how Duke was better and I mentioned how none of Duke’s players were any good in the pros (this was back in the early 2000’s) due to injury or just being bad. Her response was well who does UNC have, Michael Jordan? I thought about this for half a second and just started laughing because not only did UNC have some of the best players in the league at that time with Antwan Jamison, Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, and Vince Carter, but at the same time, even if they didn’t, they still had the Greatest of All Time…Michael Jordan.
Are you a Jordan guy or do you think its LeBron? Are there other arguments you are tired of? Let us know in the comments below.
