Category: NBA

The expectations are always high at Kentucky. And so is the salary for second-year coach Mark Pope, who earned $5.25 million in total compensation during a 2025-26 season that saw the Wildcats ejected in the second round of the Men's NCAA tournament.

Pope’s contract ranks sixth in the SEC, behind two national championship-winning coaches — John Calipari of Arkansas and Todd Golden of Florida — and another two Final Four coaches — Tennessee’s Rick Barnes and Alabama’s Nate Oats.

DATABASE: Check out USA TODAY's coaches salary database

College basketball rankings: Too-early Top 25 poll for 2026-27 season

But Pope might not have the worst contract in the conference. That title could also belong to Mississippi’s Chris Beard, who made $6 million this season as the Rebels slumped to the bottom rungs in the SEC standings.

In his past four seasons, Dusty May has won a combined 124 games, posted a pair of 35-win seasons and led two different programs to the Final Four and won Michigan's first national championship since 1989.

Since Florida Atlantic’s miraculous Final Four run in 2023, May’s profile has grown to the point where his name is near the top of every list of college basketball’s best coaches.

DATABASE: Check out USA TODAY's coaches salary database

College basketball rankings: Too-early Top 25 poll for 2026-27 season

This much is certain: At $3.73 million in total compensation for this season, May definitely provides the best bang for your buck of any coach in the country.

USA TODAY Sports compiled pay information from each school in the Power Four conferences and from each school outside those conferences whose team has appeared in at least three of the past five NCAA tournaments.

May is atop the list of the country’s most underpaid coaches:

Dusty May, Michigan

May’s compensation for this season is an incredible deal given how he’s transformed the Wolverines back into the best team in the Big Ten and a national champion. While he’s due for a major pay raise this spring, especially after the interest from North Carolina, May currently provides what is easily the best return on investment of any coach in our survey for this season.

Pat Kelsey, Louisville

Kelsey inherited an absolute mess at Louisville but has immediately returned the program to the top rung of the ACC. After going 12-52 in the two years prior to his arrival, the Cardinals are a combined 51-19 under Kelsey with two tournament appearances, including a trip to this season’s second round. Overall, he has just one losing record in 14 seasons as a college head coach and has made five of the past six tournaments while at Winthrop, Charleston and Louisville. Kelsey made $3.35 million in compensation this year, fourth among ACC coaches.

Ryan Odom, Virginia

Virginia was facing uncertain times with the retirement of Tony Bennett in October of 2024. Odom arrived last March and overhauled the program's offensive scheme in his first season and led the Cavaliers to a 30-6 record, a second-place finish in the ACC and a trip to the second round before bowing out against Tennessee. He’s now made the tournament at four different spots (UMBC, Utah State, VCU and Virginia). In addition to being maybe the best hire of last offseason, Odom earned $3.28 million in 2025-26 ranked fifth in the ACC.

It’s more a matter of when, not if, the Lakers fall down to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference it seems.

There hasn’t been much going right for the Lakers over the last week and Monday night was no different. For one, the Lakers lost to the Thunder, which didn’t help their own case in the playoff race, even if it was an expected result.

However, they didn’t get any favors, either. After trailing by 21 points in the first quarter, the Rockets stormed back against the Suns to win their seventh straight game and tie the Lakers. That leaves the standings looking as such.

The Lakers have the tiebreaker over the Rockets, so just matching their record would be enough to secure the fourth seed and home court advantage in the first round. But that’s easier said than done.

The Lakers play a pair of play-in teams in Golden State and Phoenix in a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Houston has its own back-to-back against the Sixers and Wolves, both games at home.

If you’re not feeling good about the Lakers’ chances, you’re not alone. While they can’t fall all the way to the sixth seed, it feels inevitable that they’ll land in the fifth seed. From there, you can pick which is the “better” opponent for the Lakers to face in the first round, but it feels like the fate will be all the same once the postseason arrives.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Relax, you need some information first: what’s left of the Milwaukee Bucks takes on the Detroit Pistons tonight in the Motor City. It’s game 80 of the season and the Pistons have wrapped up the first-seed in the East, while the Bucks are locked into the 11th or 12th spot. And you know what that means—meaningless basketball! Still, just like me, you’ll tune in because we are basketball Bucks sickos, finding comfort in the numb. Despite sitting at opposite ends of the Eastern Conference standings, the season series between Milwaukee and Detroit has been relatively close, with the Pistons leading two games to one. Will they clench the series with a win tonight, or will the makeshift Bucks level it up?

Where We’re At

Despite the NBA investigating the Bucks for “their handling of the player participating policy,” Milwaukee continues to field tanking unconventional lineups, including sitting seven of their top players against the Nets—take that, NBA PA, Shams Charania, and anyone else who’s taken umbrage. And, hey, if Giannis gets his wish, we might even see a lineup featuring three Antetokounmpos! But only if it’s about winning and culture, right Giannis? Squabbles aside, it’s been refreshing seeing the Bucks play as a team recently, especially one driven by Ryan Rollins, Ousmane Dieng, and other young(ish) Bucks like Pete Nance and Jericho Sims who could stick around long-term (shout-out to Cormac Ryan, too, who’s doing everything he can to earn an extended look in Milwaukee or elsewhere). Also, with yesterday’s loss to the Nets, the Bucks are just a game ahead of the Chicago Bulls in the standings. So, if you’re feeling down, that might (paradoxically) ease your pain.

The Pistons, meanwhile, have earned the right to play—or sit—whoever they want after locking up the best record in the Eastern Conference. A gritty defensive team that pays homage to Detroit teams of yesteryear, the Pistons’ attention is focused on postseason success after losing to the New York Knicks 4-2 in the first round last year—and not winning a series since 2007-2008. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff will likely feature in end-of-season Coach of the Year conversations, and the Pistons have to be happy with how he’s led the team to success in the recent absence of should-be-but-can’t-be MVP candidate Cade Cunningham (eight wins, three losses). But for a coach who’s relied on depth and players coming through in waves—11 players average over 17 minutes per game on the season—Bickerstaff still has work to do figuring out who deserves to be in the inevitably-shortened playoff rotation. Tonight, then, might just have meaning after all.

Injury Report

With the Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back, their official injury report hasn’t yet been submitted. However, with Giannis (knee), Kyle Kuzma (Achilles), Kevin Porter Jr. (knee), Bobby Portis (wrist), Ryan Rollins (hip), Gary Trent Jr. (hip), and Myles Turner (ankle) all out against the Brooklyn Nets yesterday, we’re likely in for some interesting rotations once again tonight.

For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham (left lung; pneumothorax) and Isaiah Stewart (left calf; strain) are both questionable.

Player to Watch

After a rocky first half to the season, in which he was barely in the rotation—just 14.4 MPG in 30 of the team’s first 41 games—Jericho Sims’ second half has been nothing short of inspiring. Prior to yesterday’s game against the Nets, Sims had appeared in 33 of a possible 37 games, averaging what-would-be career highs of 22.7 MPG, 5.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 1.9 APG (he even had a career-high-tying six assists against the Nets last night). But this pattern of deficiency and excellence is not limited to the first and second halves of the season. Overall, Sims has proven elite in points per shot attempt (99th percentile for bigs), effective field goal percentage (99th percentile) and, surprisingly, assist to usage ratio (91st percentile), per Cleaning the Glass. Yet, he’s also proven poor in steal percentage (9th percentile), block percentage (10th percentile), and, true to the eye test where his hands often look like two balloons, turnover percentage (0th percentile—yes, apparently that is a thing!). All considered, this Jekyll-and-Hyde profile shouldn’t be surprising—Sims is an NBA journeyman after all. However, with all eyes on the future, if Sims can even marginally shore up these weaknesses, his efficiency alone could make him a far more impactful rotation piece moving forward. What better time to start than tonight, against budding All-Star big Jalen Duren?

How To Watch

Tune in at 6:00 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

For the two of you out there waiting for the newest entry in the Cavalier of the Week series. Forgive me. I have dropped the ball and now have to pick up the slack. That being said, in the time I haven’t handed the award out, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been on a little bit of a run, going 9-2 since I last donned someone with the incredible honor of being a Cavalier of the Week.

That being said, I am going back to the well and nominating Jarrett Allen for Cavalier of the Week again. The first two-time winner of the illustrious award. What an honor Jarrett.

In all honesty, with the level of defense — if you can even call it that — we have seen in the last month or so, I cannot in good faith award either James Harden or Donovan Mitchell with the award.

Average Player Grade over last 11 games: A-

Stats during that stretch: 4 games played 16.3 ppg, 9 rpg, 0.8bpg in 21.4 mins per game

Standout performance: Tuesday 3/31 against Los Angeles Lakers (18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists in 19 minutes)

For those immediately wondering how I can pick Allen for the award when he has only suited up in four of the eleven games, I do not blame you. Despite the Cavaliers currently ending the season with one of their best stretches in terms of record. It doesn’t feel like the team can make a real swing for a title if Jarrett Allen isn’t on the floor.

To see how the Cavaliers rely on Allen, look no further than the “standout performance” for Allen. The Cavaliers looked awful against the Lakers. Plain and simple, the team could only find reliable contributions on offense if Jarrett was given the ball. Allen delivered on every touch. His efficiency against Los Angeles is not an outlier. Allen has had the best stretch of his career both in terms of aggressiveness and efficiency.

While it was only 19 minutes, once Allen was off the floor, the Cavaliers couldn’t find a reliable look offensively, and it led to Atkinson pulling all the starters midway through the third. The formula for a good game for the Cavaliers’ offense was highlighted in this game. Get Allen involved early and often. Most teams do not have the answers to the Harden and Allen pick-and-roll. Once that pairing has its fingerprints on the game, it opens up looks for the Cavaliers on the perimeter.

Now, this highlights an issue we have seen for the Cavaliers this whole season. When Allen is out due to injury, there is no way to replicate this two-man game with the rest of the roster. Mobley, for all he can do on both ends, is not the same roll man as Allen at all. This leads to the Cavaliers’ offense looking like a bunch of chickens running with their heads cut off.

As the Cavaliers look toward the postseason, Allen is the main player to watch. He feels like both an offensive and defensive stalwart. For this responsibility to fall on someone who is still fighting through an injury is far from ideal. The Cavaliers are looking to be fighting an uphill battle as the postseason approaches. However, at least there can be confidence that Allen, if healthy enough is going to be a major contributor.

Jarrett, for the second time… your award is in the mail.

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The dying days of the NBA regular season are loaded with unknowns.
 
While bettors are scratching their heads when it comes to motivations, minutes, and matchups, take comfort in knowing that bookmakers are doing the same.

Picking through the prop markets for value at this time of year requires digging deeper beyond stats and projections. I do my damndest to find those underlying edges with my best NBA prop picks for Wednesday, April 8.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Chet Holmgren	Over 14.5 points	-110
Donovan Mitchell	Under 24.5 points	-105
Aaron Gordon	Over 2.5 assists	+120

Prop #1: Chet Holmgren Over 14.5 Points

-110 at bet365

The Oklahoma City Thunder can secure the No. 1-overall seed in the NBA Playoffs with a win over the Los Angeles Clippers tonight. This contest looks a lot stiffer than OKC’s recent run of games. 

The Thunder were set as double-digit faves in nine of their last 11 outings. Oklahoma City steamrolled in their three most recent showings, allowing for a lighter load for starters like Chet Holmgren.

Holmgren logged just 18, 20, and 22 minutes in that span, but the game script says he’ll see his normal workload (30+ minutes) vs. a Clippers squad (+6.5) still pushing for postseason positioning.

Los Angeles is running thin in the frontcourt. It’s been missing reserve center Yanic Konan Niederhauser for a month, and lost Isaiah Jackson to an ankle injury at the end of March. That’s left L.A. to roll out a much smaller rotation and lean on the 37-year-old legs of Brook Lopez as the lone center.

Holmgren will draw checks from the slower Lopez or smaller forwards John Collins and Nicolas Batum. His points production is forecast between 15.5 and 16.2 versus a scoring prop of 14.5 O/U. 

There’s a much higher ceiling for OKC’s 7-footer, with these numbers tempered by his reduced action in the Thunder’s blowouts. Holmgren dropped 22 points in his last matchup with L.A. in December, and the Clippers still had Ivica Zubac.

• Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Oklahoma, FanDuel Sports SoCal

Prop #2: Donovan Mitchell Under 24.5 Points

-105 at bet365

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks are going to be sick of each other. Not only do they close out the schedule with a home-and-home set, but they’re likely meeting in a first-round playoff series.

Cleveland is locked in the No. 4 seed and has nothing to play for in these final games, which means not only protecting your stars but also not tipping your hand against this Atlanta defense.

Guard Donovan Mitchell is one matchup the Hawks need to solve, but they may not get much intel from the Cavs, at least not tonight. 

Mitchell suffered an ankle injury on the weekend and sat out Monday’s win over Memphis. While he’s listed as questionable, Mitchell downplayed the injury and has been adamant about playing out the final games of the schedule.

Player projections vary based on his floor time, with some models sitting as low as 23.2 and others peaking above 29 points. Given Atlanta’s defensive prowess (No. 9 in defensive rating) and the Cavs potentially capping Mitchell’s minutes, I’m leaning toward the lower forecasts.

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Ohio, FanDuel Sports Southeast-Atlanta

Prop #3: Aaron Gordon Over 2.5 Assists

+120 at bet365

The Denver Nuggets aren’t done yet. With three games remaining, Denver is fighting off a crowd of Western Conference contenders for the No. 3 seed. A matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies helps a lot.

The Nuggets are peaking at the perfect time, bringing a nine-game winning streak into Wednesday, and veteran forward Aaron Gordon is rounding into form after dealing with injury issues all winter.
 
Gordon does it all for Denver, including setting up his teammates. Since getting back to his normal workload in mid-March, Gordon is averaging 3.0 assists on 6.3 potential assists over his last seven games.

He’s dished out five and three dimes in overtime wins against Portland and San Antonio and faces a much easier defense from the Grizzlies. Memphis gives up the fifth-most assists and sits 20th in assist rate allowed on the season. And that's the full squad. The Grizz could hold open tryouts for warm bodies today with just seven healthy players listed.

Player projections for Gordon all sit north of three assists with a ceiling of 3.5 dimes tonight.

• Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Altitude Sports, FanDuel Sports Memphis

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

USA TODAY Sports requested all forms of compensation for the men’s basketball head coach, and/or acquired the federal tax return, from each school in the Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences and from prominent schools outside those conferences whose teams have appeared regularly in NCAA tournaments in the past five years.

Except as noted, a not available (designated by “—" in the table) denotes schools that are private; did not release the information; or schools whose coaches are new. A $0 means the coach doesn’t get compensation from that source. In cases where an athletically related outside-income report was unavailable, a coach’s compensation might be undercounted by thousands of dollars from that category alone.

Figures for public schools are based on the coach’s contract year that covers, or covered, the 2025-26 season, including the most recently available base salary.

COMPENSATION CATEGORIES

SCHOOL PAY: The most recently available base salary, except as noted; income from contract provisions other than base salary that are paid, or guaranteed, by the university or affiliated organizations, such as a foundation or an athletics department operating as a related non-profit organization. Examples include payments in consideration for shoe and apparel use; television, radio or other media appearances; and personal appearances.

It also includes deferred payments earned annually, conditional or otherwise; contractual expense accounts (if unaudited) and housing allowance; signing and other one-time bonuses considered to be earned in the current contract year.

It does not include other amounts that might have been earned as annual incentive bonuses in other years, the value of standard university benefits such as health care or the value of potentially taxable items such as cars; country club memberships; game tickets for the regular season, postseason and other sports; the value of stadium suites; travel upgrades; spouse/family travel and game tickets; and amounts connected to transactions related to buyouts owed by coaches for terminating a contract with a prior employer.

OTHER PAY: Amounts listed on the coach’s most recently available, self-reported athletically related outside-income report. Some public schools, citing public records disclosure exemptions, do not provide the outside-income report.

TOTAL PAY: Sum of School Pay and Other Pay.

MAXIMUM BONUS: The greatest amount that can be received if the team meets prescribed on-court performance goals (e.g., NCAA Tournament goals, wins totals, regular-season and/or conference tournament championships, coaching awards, etc.), academic and/or player-conduct goals. Also includes amounts for reaching ticket sales, attendance or other goals, including those related to national TV appearances and guarantee-game revenue. Bonuses that can be awarded on a discretionary basis are not included.

BONUSES PAID: These were not calculated for the 2025-26 seasons.

SCHOOL BUYOUT OWED AS OF APRIL 1, 2026: Amount school would owe coach if he is fired without cause on April 1, 2026. Except as noted, these figures do not take into account the potential impact of automatic contract extensions that could be achieved in connection with meeting goals such as the team appearing in the NCAA Tournament. Many of these amounts are expressly subject to coach’s duty to make good-faith efforts to find another job, with income from that employment offsetting the amount owed. If mitigation and offset are not addressed in contract, coach still may have obligation to make efforts in that regard.

NOTES

AMOUNTS IN ADDITION TO COACHES' TOTAL PAY: Includes payments made by schools and/or their affiliated organizations on behalf of coaches who owed buyout amounts to their previous employer for terminating contracts so they could accept employment elsewhere.

PITTSBURGH AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS: The pay information listed came from federal tax returns or the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law report. Documents provide compensation for 2023 calendar year based on all income paid by the school or support organizations, including benefits, perks and performance bonuses.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NCAA men’s basketball head coach salaries methodology

SAN FRANCISCO — The play-in tournament officially awaits the Warriors, who locked their spot in as the Western Conference’s final entrant with Tuesday night’s results.

“It’s not exciting,” Draymond Green reacted, bluntly.

This was hardly news for a team that has more or less known its position for the better part of the close to the regular season. There was a remote possibility that they could jump the Clippers into ninth by winning out, but that was ended by Los Angeles beating the Mavericks.

So, for the fourth time in its seven years, the Warriors are play-in bound. They will have to win two road games against some combination of the Clippers, Trail Blazers and Suns, in order to advance to a first-round matchup with either the Thunder or Spurs.

“I’m a competitor, so I’m gonna do all I can to win, but it’s not all that exciting,” Green continued. “As a competitor, you want to rise to the challenge, but I’m not going to sleep tomorrow night like, ‘Man, we’ve got the play-in next week.’”

The expanded postseason format introduced in 2020-21 is the only reason the Warriors are still alive after going 9-18 without Stephen Curry the past 27 games. Still, Green said, “it ain’t working.” The idea was to encourage more teams to compete to the end of the regular season.

“I think it worked initially,” Green said. “And now, to have a team stuck in 10th, it ain’t working. We could’ve lost our last 15 games and been stuck in 10th. … The play-in came about to make teams maybe through 12 or 13 keep going. They ain’t keep going (this season). They kind of slowed down. And then they hit the brakes.”

Green spent as much time assessing the pros and cons of the play-in as he did the details of Golden State’s 110-105 win over the Kings, and who could blame him? Sacramento and four other teams below the Warriors clearly weren’t incentivized to try for the No. 10 seed.

There was so little at stake, or at least so little reason for the Kings to want to win, that they intentionally fouled Seth Curry — an 86.4% free-throw shooter — down by 3 with 1:39 to go.

Asked for his solution to the NBA’s tanking problem, Green gave it some thought and suggested more punishments such as the respective fines the league dolled out to the Jazz ($500,000) and Pacers ($100,000) for their actions earlier this year.

“I get fined when I do wrong, so just fine the hell out of them,” Green said. “We love taking money from players. Keep fining the teams. I’ve seen two fines. And we all know everybody’s tanking. But you’ve seen two fines. If it was players, they’d snatch that money in a heartbeat.”

The league has been divided into two groups: teams trying to win and teams trying to lose. The Warriors have been buried at the bottom of the first bucket for most of the past two months, now, giving little meaning to the outcome Tuesday or any game of late, really.

They’ve had a reason to care about the product on the court the past two games: It’s the beginning of a short window to get Curry and their other injured players reacclimated and reintegrated before the games begin to matter again.

Curry came out of his second game back from a knee injury healthy and with 17 points in 25 minutes. But he was largely quiet in the second half, and Kerr said he looked “a little rusty,” while calling out his responsibility for three of the Warriors’ 11 third-quarter turnovers.

“Steph was part of that with a couple poor decisions … he knows he had a little bit of a ragged game handling the ball,” Kerr said. “The second game back, to me, is always harder than the first. When you’re coming back, the first one, you get that adrenaline, and I think the other night, it was such a high-level game, and tonight, I felt like there was a little bit of a letdown for the whole team.”

The Warriors lost another chance to learn how they want to use Curry with Kristaps Porzingis, who was ruled out with knee soreness, along with Al Horford (calf), Quinten Post (foot), Gui Santos (pelvis) and Will Richard (back). The big man brought in at the trade deadline fouled out of Curry’s return, so the duo has only shared the court for eight minutes. 

Perhaps the biggest thing the Warriors can take away from the win is confidence in De’Anthony Melton, who played his best game in nearly a month.

“I just wanted to figure out a way to get out of this slump,” Melton said after a 21-point effort in 29 minutes, his highest scoring output since March 16. He missed two of the 10 games since, averaging just 8.0 points per game on 30% shooting from the field — 23.1% from 3.

Curry’s return has opened up the floor for everyone, but especially his backcourt partner. Melton also said a thumb injury that made it painful to dribble or catch the basketball has healed.

“That’s the biggest thing I think,” he said. “It was just lingering with me a little longer than I liked (and) kind of started to mess with my mental a little bit, feeling confident out there. 

“My body’s started to recover better and I’m starting to feel a lot better than I did. Those types of things matter.”

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Anthony Davis and Trae Young are not expected to play again this season, Wizards coach Brian Keefe said before his team’s 129-98 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.

Young was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 5 but played just five games with the Wizards due to a quad contusion, MCL sprain and back issues. The 27-year-old point guard averaged 15.2 points and 6.2 assists on 59.5% FG and 42.9% 3PT with Washington while on a minutes restriction.

Young has a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season. He is widely expected to decline his player option and instead ink a multi-year contract extension to stay in Washington.

Davis, 33, was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks at February’s trade deadline but didn’t make his Wizards debut due to ligament damage in his right hand. Washington kept pushing back the All-Star forward’s return date before Keefe finally ruled out a return this season.

The Wizards’ decision to shut down Davis and Young for the remainder of this season should come as no surprise. Washington is still tanking despite securing a bottom-four record and keeping their top-8 protected pick. And with just three games left in its final rebuilding season, there’s close to zero incentive in playing either of its star players.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Orlando Magic
Date: April 8th, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM CDT
Location: Kia Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio

There’s a very specific kind of relief that only long-time Timberwolves fans truly understand, the kind where you’re not celebrating something great so much as you’re exhaling because something catastrophic didn’t happen.

That was Tuesday night in Indiana.

Within a span of a few hours, the Wolves handled their business against a decimated Pacers team, the Suns lost to the Rockets, and just like that, Minnesota’s magic number to avoid the play-in dropped to zero. It’s official: the Wolves are in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and we can all avoid the psychological warfare that would have been a one-and-done play-in scenario for a team that spent parts of this season flirting with the three seed.

Given the franchise’s history, and let’s be honest, we’ve seen enough inexplicable meltdowns to last a lifetime, that alone is worth something.

While we breathe our collective sigh of relief that the Wolves avoided disaster, let’s not forget that they also created the conditions that made disaster possible in the first place. Too many nights where they drifted. Too many games they treated like a Netflix show you half-watch while scrolling your phone. Too many fourth quarters where they convinced themselves they could “flip the switch”, and then discovered, yet again, that the switch doesn’t always work.

So yeah, they’re in.

But they’re also here, staring at what’s almost certainly the six seed, because of all the opportunities they let slip through their fingers over the past six months.

The Standings Reality Check

Let’s talk about the other “magic number” — the one that actually matters now.

Houston’s magic number to lock up the five seed is down to one. They still have Philadelphia on the schedule, which, as Minnesota learned the hard way, is no walk in the park with Joel Embiid back in the lineup. But even if the Rockets stumble there, and the Wolves take them down on Friday, Minnesota would still need Houston to drop the regular-season finale against a Memphis team that’s basically holding open tryouts for lottery odds.

That’s not happening.

The Wolves technically still have a path to five, but we’re now firmly in the Al Michaels, “Do you believe in miracles?” territory. Unless you’re banking on something truly bizarre, the six seed is where this is headed.

Which brings us to the real question:

Do you keep chasing the illusion of five… or do you accept six and start preparing for what’s coming?

Because what’s coming is likely Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

The Weird Silver Lining

And here’s where things get interesting.

Because as much as slipping to six feels like a missed opportunity, there’s a strange, almost uncomfortable logic to the idea that this might actually help the Wolves, if they handle it correctly.

This team is banged up. Anthony Edwards has been nursing an inflamed knee. Jaden McDaniels decided to build camaraderie with his bestie by taking on a knee injury of his own. Naz Reid is clearly managing that shoulder. And even Rudy Gobert, who has been the defensive backbone all season, has looked like a guy who could use a few days where he’s not wrestling with 270-pound centers.

And if the path is Denver?

Then you don’t need to be 95%. You need to be right.

Because beating Jokic isn’t about effort. It’s about precision, discipline, and having enough in the tank to survive the mental grind of a seven-game chess match.

A tired Gobert is not beating Jokic.

A locked-in, fresh Gobert might.

So… What Do You Do Now?

That’s the tension of this Orlando game.

On paper, it still matters. The five seed is technically alive. You’re not mathematically eliminated. You don’t just wave the white flag.

But in reality? This is where you have to be honest with yourself.

Because there’s a difference between playing to win the game… and playing to win the next two weeks.

Keys to the Game

1. Don’t Get Anyone Hurt. Seriously, That’s the Headline

This isn’t a normal “key to the game.” This is the key.

The Wolves have been one of the healthier teams over the past couple of seasons, especially compared to their own history. The past two Western Conference Finals trips were made possible because they mostly avoided the kind of injuries that derail playoff runs.

That luck is already being tested, and if there’s one thing we know about the NBA, it’s that the worst possible injury always happens when you think you’re just “getting through one more game.”

Chris Finch doesn’t need to treat this like Game 7. He needs to treat it like a controlled scrimmage with stakes.

That doesn’t mean you roll out a G-League lineup and punt the game. But it does mean managed minutes for the Wolves’ core players and absolutely no “play through it” nonsense if something feels off.

Because the only way this game becomes a disaster… is if someone doesn’t make it to Game 1 healthy.

2. Keep the Structure, Even If the Stakes Are Weird

Even if you’re dialing back minutes, you can’t let the habits slip.

This team has spent the last few weeks trying to rediscover its identity after that California trip where everything went sideways. The wins over Boston and Houston showed what it looks like when they’re locked in. The losses showed how quickly it disappears.

So yes, this isn’t a must-win in the traditional sense, but it is a must-maintain. If you let those winning habits slide now, you’re not flipping a switch in Game 1. You’re just hoping it magically reappears.

And we’ve seen how that goes.

3. Let the Role Players Build Rhythm

If there’s a hidden benefit to this stretch, it’s this: The supporting cast has had real reps.

Guys like Bones Highland, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo have been asked to do more, and that matters. Because in the playoffs, those are the players who swing games.

This is another opportunity to sharpen that. Let them handle the ball. Let them create. Let them get comfortable in roles they might need to step into if a series tightens or someone tweaks something. Because if this team is going to make a run, it’s not just about Edwards and Randle. It’s about whether the rest of the roster can hold up when defenses start loading up.

4. Don’t Completely Turn Off Competitive Instincts

There’s a danger in “accepting fate” too early. You don’t want to overextend yourself chasing something unrealistic. But you also don’t want to walk into the playoffs having spent a week playing at half-speed.

There’s a balance here.

Compete. Play hard. Execute. Just do it smart.

Because the last thing you want is to show up in Denver and realize you’ve been in cruise control for two weeks while the other team has been sharpening knives.

The Final Thought

The Wolves did their part. They avoided the play-in in this minefield of a Western Conference. Given the way this season twisted and turned, that alone shouldn’t be taken for granted.

But now comes the part that actually defines this team.

Not the standings. Not the seed.

The version of themselves they bring into the postseason.

Because if this team shows up as the group that beat Boston and Houston, connected, physical, disciplined, then nobody is going to be thrilled about seeing them in a 3–6 matchup. If they show up as the team that sleepwalked through chunks of the season, that let leads evaporate, that couldn’t string together 48 minutes? Then it won’t matter who they play.

Maybe the five seed is slipping away. Maybe six is inevitable.

That’s fine.

Because the real question isn’t where the Wolves land.

It’s whether they use these last few games to become the team they’re capable of being, or the one that spent all season convincing us they might never quite get there.

We’re about to find out.

The Boston Celtics’ newest majority owner, Bill Chisholm, recently took part in a 1-on-1 interview with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, and there was plenty for fans to take away from it. The interview covered topics such as his thoughts on and relationship with the team during his first year, the approach in the upcoming offseason, and even thoughts on building a new stadium.

Bill’s first year

Chisholm is a self-proclaimed die-hard Celtics fan, and he can often be spotted on the sidelines of the team’s home games at TD Garden. He’s been extremely present, without being apparently overbearing. He shared how pleased he was to have the opportunity to be the leading governor of the Celtics, while also reflecting on the season so far.

“I’ve been following the Celtics forever, and this is my favorite team,” he said, adding “This is a fun team to root for. They play hard every night, they bring it, they execute, and there’s been a lot of really good leadership.”

He continued by saying that he feels “extremely welcome,” and that he’s trying to “find the right balance of being supportive and visible to them without making them feel like I’m looking over their shoulder.”

Wyc Grousbeck, the previous majority owner of the team, was beloved by fans. Not only did he help return the team to a winning culture which was briefly absent during the late 90’s and early 2000’s, he supported the team enough for them to deliver two championships during his tenure, and he did so while maintaining a fan-like presence.

Based on Chisholm’s answer, he seems to be taking a similar route, relishing in the opportunity to lead his favorite team while doing what he can to put them in the best possible position to succeed. He noted that he’s made an effort to build a relationship with all of the players and Joe Mazzulla, while also mentioning that he and Joe are “on the same page,” and that he’s a huge fan. Bill provided some well-deserved praise to Brad Stevens as well, saying “[Brad] and his team are tremendous.”

In terms of managing his new ownership duties along with his previously existing business responsibilities, Chisholm credited Grousbeck for making things “seamless” for him, saying that Wyc “did it for over 20 years and done it incredibly well,” while extending similar praise to Brad and the executive team for managing the basketball aspects.

In terms of challenges, Bill had this to say: “Probably my biggest challenge is to incrementally improve things, but most importantly, ensure the culture stays intact. For me, the thing I’ve probably been most proud of is resisting the temptation of the new owner curse [of making too many changes], because it’s a very good situation and I certainly don’t take that for granted.”

Celtics fans are likely equally grateful of Chisholm for not leaning into that temptation, and can certainly appreciate the transparency. In terms of things that he’s trying to improve, Bill didn’t have anything specific in mind. Instead, he said that he tries to get that pulse from Brad, assistant general manager Mike Zarren, and their team. He noted that Brad emphasizes culture more than anything, so that’s where the focus is currently.

The offseason approach

This upcoming offseason will be Chisholm’s first at the helm. When asked about how involved he intends to be, Bill had a simple message which fans will love: “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Chisholm feels confident that he knows what that entails, mentioning that he’s taken the time to understand the CBA and the salary cap to stay informed, and to empower the team to make better decisions. He did say that “ultimately, I’m looking to Brad and [team president Rich Gotham] and their teams to make the recommendations, and I’m there to support them.”

Bill is cognizant of the fact that fans are afraid of the possibility that new ownership means cost cutting, treating the team as a business venture as opposed to something entwined with the lives of millions. He emphasized that he knows he has to prove himself from now until the time he passes the team along, and is eager to do so.

“We were completely aligned that we’re about winning. We’re going to compete, play hard, develop our talent, find additional talent, and this is not a gap year. We’re just not doing that. I can put my hand on heart saying that. I’ll prove it and I’ll continue to prove it every day, that I just want to win,” he said.

Reflections on Jayson and Jaylen

When asked about Jayson Tatum’s recovery from the torn Achilles, Bill was clearly amazed, saying “holy cow, he’s throwing up triple-doubles now.” He added that there was never any pressure for Tatum to come back, but they knew it was a possibility, and wanted to prepare the team for either reality.

Chisholm also reflected on how Jaylen Brown stepped up this season: “He’s always been incredible, but to have even another gear in Year 10 is really incredible. I think as a player he upped his game across all dimensions, but as a leader as well.”

Jaylen’s leadership clearly made an impression on Bill, who shared stories of seeing JB coaching and supporting his teammates on the sideline, or taking the game into his hands when the team was struggling. Chisholm added that Jaylen “absolutely should be first-team All-NBA, and for me he’s certainly my personal MVP.”

Thoughts on a new arena

Previously, Bill was asked whether he had any intentions of building a new stadium for the team to play in. At the time, he responded by saying that he believes TD Garden is a good home for the team, but he was curious to hear more from the fans.

The Globe resurfaced the discussion, asking Chisholm if the fans gave him any feedback on the idea, and if he changed his stance at all. Bill’s response was that “it’s pretty much the same as it was at the beginning of the season… The Garden is a great place to play… It’s loud, a lot of energy, and it’s got a storied history.”

Ideally, Bill wants the team to stay where it is. He did note that to make it work, he wants to improve both the fan and player experience. “If we can do those things and remain where we are now, that’s great. And if that doesn’t work there, we’ll think about other places,” he said.

He added that Celtics ownership and Bruins ownership are on the same page about their commitment to staying at TD as of now. “That’s where we want to end up and we’re working on it as we speak,” he said.

Boston and family

Bill currently splits time between Boston and California because of his other business dealings, but feels very warmly about Boston despite the harsh winter: “It’s a fantastic city, and to have the energy of what’s been going on with the Celtics, but also the Patriots’ run, it’s been a magical time for Boston as a city and a sports city. I always say it’s the best sports city in the country, so that’s been special.”

He added that he “grew up in the North Shore, but this is my first time living in the city proper, so there’s a lot of stuff that’s familiar and a lot that’s new as well.” He also mentioned that “it’s a dead heat” for who in his family is the biggest fan of the team between his wife, his three kids, and himself, of course. He called it a “gift” from the Celtics to give him the opportunity to share this experience with his kids, who are in their mid-to-late 20s.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Wolves fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

I sure hope Adam Silver and whatever blue ribbon panel he assembles to end the practice of tanking succeeds because watching the end of this Wizards season just plain sucks. Last night, the G-League-plus lineup and some playing time shenanigans got Washington a 31-point vanquishing by a Bulls team that entered the game with a 5-22 record since the trade deadline.

This one wasn’t close. Or competitive. Or even entertaining. There was some spectacle in the sense that both teams played fast. The way that played out was the Bulls ran for layups and transition threes, and the Wizards took quick shots…which the Bulls then turned into fastbreak layups. For the game, the Bulls outscored Washington 31-14 in transition points.

The big reason the final margin wasn’t even bigger? Chicago is terrible. Against a Wizards team giving up wide-open threes and frequent free runs at the rim, the Bulls made just a third of their threes.

At the game’s pace, league average efficiency would have produced a combined 248 points. The Wizards and Bulls managed 227. Much of the credit for that belongs to Washington’s offense, which registered an offensive rating of 91. League average this season: 115.7.

Washington’s defense was so non-competitive that Patrick Williams (who’s a well below average NBA player) and Rob Dillingham (whose first team gave up on) had probably the best games of their NBA careers. Williams had 20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and a block — the kind of performance the Bulls imagined they would get when they signed him to a five-year, $90 million contract. Dillingham scored 26 points in 27 minutes.

As bad as it was, the game was not completely devoid of positives for the Wizards — at least as far as we can extract anything meaningful from an opponent as similarly lacking in true NBA-level talent.

• Bilal Coulibaly continued to attack with dribble drives. Opponents have had trouble staying in front of him when he decides drive, and the Bulls were no different. Chicago’s zone help concepts frequently brought what passes for their big man into his driving lane, but Coulibaly was able to get into effective pull-ups or kick to open teammates…who missed the open looks.
• JuJu Reese had another double-double — 17 points, 11 rebounds. During the broadcast, Glenn Consor said Reese has shown he’s an NBA player. I still think that’s a bit optimistic — his big rebounding numbers have mostly come against lineups lacking size. I kinda think he’s in that four-A situation they used to talk about when I followed baseball. Basically, it was a label applied to players who could excel at the AAA level but weren’t quite good enough to be productive at the highest level. Maybe Reese can get there if he works on body and skills.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.