Category: NBA

Expectations have followed Karl-Anthony Towns since he entered the league. This isn’t unique for a former No. 1 overall pick, but it always felt different with Towns.

He’s been far from a bust. Six All-Star appearances, three All-NBA selections, three trips to the conference finals. Most front offices would be beyond themselves at the prospect of drafting a player with this kind of resume. But Towns has always left people wanting more.

Historically, he’s been at his best offensively at the center position. But his physical limitations gave his teams a hard ceiling on defense when they went with this alignment. If you play him at the four spot, he tends to disappear on the offensive side of the ball. How can you build a true contender with this sort of conundrum on your hands?

Well, this postseason, Towns has given us the answer to this seemingly unsolvable riddle, and now, we’re finally getting the fully-realized version of him that we’ve all been waiting for. 

Mike Brown Has Optimized Towns

A critical flaw of Towns is that he often gets tunnel vision whenever he puts the ball on the floor to attack, making it easy to load up on him without fear of him burning the extra help with a pass. Of the 161 players with at least five drives per game in the regular season, Towns touted the fourth-lowest pass rate (18.8%, per NBA.com). 

However, Towns has always had a knack for feathering pretty passes in tight windows when he can survey the floor from a standstill position. To maximize this, after their Game 3 loss to the Atlanta Hawks (the inflection point of the New York Knicks’ season), head coach Mike Brown started running more five-out offense with Towns initiating from the perimeter (often referred to as “delay”). 

If you spent any amount of time watching the Sacramento Kings when Brown was their coach, you’ve probably seen some form of this with Domantas Sabonis. However, it works even better with Towns on the perimeter because his all-time shooting prowess makes it so that the player guarding him (usually a center) must stay attached to him, nullifying their ability to sink back and protect the paint. Couple that with how hard it is for teams to switch off-ball screens featuring the bruising OG Anunoby and the slippery Jalen Brunson, and you have a recipe for offensive dominance (the Knicks are first in offensive rating this postseason).

Towns Deserves Some Flowers 

To say that Towns is playing the best basketball of his career simply because of decisions made by his coach would be a major disservice. After all, the Cleveland Cavaliers did a great job of defanging the Knicks’ delay offense (as seen in the Knicks’ first offensive possession of the series). Yet, Towns was still immensely effective, finishing a +79 in four games. At the end of the day, Towns’ success is firmly his own doing. 

For starters, quick decisions have never been a strong suit of his. Too often, it seems like he overcomplicates the game, allowing smaller players to get under his skin and bait him into silly offensive fouls, when he should just enable his blend of size, quickness, and skill to make him a walking mismatch.

Conviction has gone from a question mark to a weapon for Towns this postseason. His dribbles per touch are the lowest they’ve ever been, evidence of his decisiveness as an attacker. When a tilt in the defense presents itself, he no longer waits for the floor to re-balance; he exploits it and cashes in.

This is another reason why Towns, the passing hub, has worked so well. Since he’s bullying his way through tinier players, you have to guard him with a big man. Cross-matching assignments is no longer a choice; it’s a death sentence. 

Part of the reason Towns is flourishing on offense is that the Knicks have allowed him to operate as the sole big man on the floor (only sharing 27 minutes with Mitchell Robinson this postseason, per PBP Stats). Only this time, it isn’t the detriment to their defense that it once was. 

I want to say that Towns is defending is you know what, off. But since this is a family-friendly website, I’ll just say he’s defending his tail off. 

A picture-perfect example of this came in Game 3 against the Cavaliers. Early on, Cleveland was doing a great job of punishing his soft hedge/at the level coverage by hitting the roll man and unlocking a 4-on-3 power player (first clip in montage below). The Knicks adjusted by having Towns switch to drop coverage (which he executed perfectly, second clip). But Towns also maintained the presence of mind to know when to switch to a hard hedge/trap when ballscreens were angled toward the sideline (like he did to force a jump ball on James Harden). 

It isn’t a perfect measure, but one way to get a glimpse of Towns’ impact is through Basketball Reference’s Box Plus-Minus (BPM). Through two rounds, Towns was one of only four players to maintain a BPM over 14 while playing at least ten playoff games. Since then, that number has dipped a hair, but he is still at a level that few players in NBA postseason history have ever reached.

Now, is Towns actually in the same player classification as the names listed in that tweet? Absolutely not. But is Towns playing at a borderline All-NBA level right now? Probably.

And most importantly, the Knicks are the closest they have been to ending their championship drought that they have been in the last three decades, thanks in large part to Towns unlocking the best version of himself.

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Victor Wembanyama may be in only his third year in the NBA, but it is hard to imagine the San Antonio Spurs’ superstar letting the Western Conference Finals end short of seven games.

Of course, the Oklahoma City Thunder hope to end this series tonight, but these Thunder vs. Spurs props and NBA picks put too much trust in San Antonio’s role players on Thursday, May 28.

For more analysis, read our complete Thunder vs. Spurs predictions.

Best Thunder vs Spurs props for Game 6

Player	Pick
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	Over 7.5 assists	-145
Dylan Harper	Over 3.5 rebounds	-115
Julian Champagnie	Over 2.5 threes	+110

Game 6 Prop #1: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 7.5 assists

These Game 5 props included this same bet priced at -130. The Oklahoma City Thunder star then proceeded to dish out nine assists. Thus, this price moving to -145 makes some sense, but it is not enough of a move to scare off the thought.

Frankly, oddsmakers need to move this number to 8.5 in this series, and until they do, it will continue to be a quick bet.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has little choice but to move the ball. Down two backcourt mates — Jalen Williams is again listed as questionable, but consider yours truly skeptical of his availability — SGA has the ball in his hands more, but also has more defensive attention.

Look at his field-goal attempts. The two-time MVP took 23 and 24 shots in the first two games, respectively. He has since averaged 17 shots per game, despite handling the ball more often.

It is no coincidence SGA has now cleared this prop in four of five games, falling short by only the hook in Game 4 and averaging 9.8 assists per game.

Oklahoma City needs the ball in his hands, while the San Antonio Spurs are able to devote the defensive pressure to force it out of his hands.

Game 6 Prop #2: Dylan Harper Over 3.5 rebounds

Since Dylan Harper tweaked his hamstring in Game 2, his scoring has plummeted. Perhaps that is by coincidence, but going just 5-for-16 from the field in the three games since and averaging six points per game is rather notable for someone who was previously shooting 53.5% this postseason and averaging 14.4 points per game.

There is some inclination to take the Under on Harper’s points prop, set at 9.5 (-115 at bet365). But he is still logging minutes, 25 in Game 5, and perhaps he finds a rhythm now eight days removed from that initial injury.

Despite the clear knock on his explosiveness, Harper has still found rebounds. He snagged five in Game 4 and six in Game 5. Credit the rookie for finding ways to impact the game despite losing some of his offensive effectiveness.

That emphasis should continue. San Antonio needs to play Harper, and he needs to keep making those minutes matter in some way.

Game 6 Prop #3: Julian Champagnie Over 2.5 3-pointers

This is somewhat out of the usual want to include at least one plus-money prop. (Many days in the WNBA feature three plus-money props, and those are the halcyon days of spring and summer.)

But it is also recognizing just how many 3-pointers Julian Champagnie has taken in this series. Sure, he went 0-for-5 in Game 4, but the number to notice there is the five. It marked actual reluctance from the gunner.

Otherwise, Champagnie has taken at least seven 3-pointers in each game of this series. He has shot 37.6% from deep in the postseason after hitting 38.1% in the regular season.

When taking seven 3-pointers, it is more likely than not Champagnie will hit at least three of them. This should not be set at plus money.

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.

Welcome to our annual Lakers season in review series, where we’ll look back at each player on the team’s roster this season and evaluate if they should be part of the future of the franchise. Today, we continue with a look at Dalton Knecht.

Things can move pretty fast in the NBA. Just ask Dalton Knecht. 

After a strong collegiate career, Knecht was taken 17th by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 draft. Many analysts pegged the selection as a steal given pre-draft rumblings projecting Knecht to go as high as the lottery. That sentiment seemed wise after his strong preseason and flashes of 3-level scoring ability throughout the year. 

Things seemed to be looking up for Knecht and the Lakers. But then an unfortunate meeting with the rookie wall and a botched trade derailed Knecht’s trajectory. 

The player who looked poised to be a key part of the Lakers’ future now must sit idly with a murkiness that comes next. 

Let’s take a look at how Knecht’s performed this season and what may lie ahead.

How did they play?

In short, not well and not much. 

After playing 76 games as a rookie, including starting 16, Knecht appeared in just 37 games, with one start, this season. His minutes, which primarily came during garbage time, dropped to just 11.3 per game from 18.6 last season. 

Despite the expected ups and downs that come with being a rookie, Knecht shot the ball well in his first year as a pro. Compared to other NBA wings, Knecht’s 57.9% eFG% ranked in the 79th percentile, largely thanks to his ability to finish at the rim (74%) and from the 3-point line (38%). 

Whether mental or otherwise, Knecht has failed to reach a similar level ever since. That was especially the case this season as his conversion rate at the rim fell by 10% and and from beyond the arc by 7%. As a result, his once impressive eFG% dropped by 6.8% as a sophomore (27th percentile). 

Knecht’s offensive slippage wouldn’t be as much of a problem if he were able to offer value in other areas. However, the combination of his defensive deficiencies and general awareness concerns has put more pressure on his offense to keep him afloat.

With the Lakers’ improved depth on the roster, Knecht quickly fell down the team’s rotation. And every missed shot and rotation further sealed his fate.

What are their contract situations moving forward?

The Lakers signed Knecht to a 4-year deal following the draft. With a chance to cleanly cut ties with him, the team instead chose to pick up Knecht’s $4.2 million team option for the upcoming season. He has one more team option left on his deal before he becomes a restricted free agent in 2o28.

While there are those within the organization who hoped Knecht could bounce back, the decision to keep him in the fold was likely to ultimately use his contract as trade fodder.

After rescinding a deal that would have sent Knecht and draft capital to Charlotte for Mark Williams during his rookie season, the Lakers reportedly “aggressively shopped” him at this year’s trade deadline.

With no suitors, the Lakers will presumably scour the market again for a trade partner, either as a part of a bigger deal or in a salary-dumping maneuver to open up maximum spending ability this summer.

Should they be back?

It would behoove both parties if Knecht were on another roster by the start of the season.

Between the trade rumors and unclear path toward minutes, Knecht would benefit from a change of scenery. His landing on a team that can give him continued reps would be the best first step in rehabbing his image around the league.

For the Lakers, their desire to create financial flexibility and bolster their squad makes Knecht all the more expendable. He is already 25, and the team may already have his best-case outcome in Luke Kennard back next year, not to mention housing other younger players who have shown more promise.

With an expected influx of new talent this summer, the Lakers have their eyes set on the future. At one point recently, Knecht would have been a part of those plans. But instead, he is just the latest example of how fickle the NBA can be.

All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social

This Spring, we went from hearing from Jordi Fernández nearly every day, to not hearing from him at all. The coach hasn’t been “ghosting” us. There wasn’t break-up between he and the Nets. In fact, they seem to be more committed to each other than ever. The season just ended, and so did our chance to chat with him for a bit pre and postgame.

This week, however, Fernández reemerged alongside a familiar face from The YES Network, appearing as a guest on Nets Pod with Sarah Kustok. Basketball and Branzino were both discussed in great detail…

Kustok opened the conversation asking Fernández what stood out to him the most from his sophomore season in Brooklyn. His response mirrored the one he gave during his exit interview roughly a month and a half ago — blending honesty with positivity.

“It’s been growth, and I’ve had to learn how to be in this position,” Fernández said. “Obviously, when you get the job, you always believe that you’re ready for it, and even though you’ve coached, and you’ve been a head coach before, probably, basketball is the easiest part of it. But then you have the head coaching duties, and what it means — the amount of people that you’re responsible for, the amount of people that you have to touch every day. I think that’s been a great journey so far. I’ve learned, I’ve grown, and the best thing is being around good people, and this organization is built, and is still building the right thing for the right things, and we believe that we’ll keep taking those positive steps.”

Fernández later called controlling his emotions over results his biggest point of growth last year. He explained how he’s learned to see wins in on-court advancements, specifically with his younger players, rather than merely concentrating on what the scoreboard tells him.

“Egor [Dëmin]’s shooting, Nolan [Traoré]‘s play making, Ben [Saraf]’s touching the paint, Danny [Wolf]‘s versatility, and Drake [Powell]‘s ability to guard the ball — all those things that we have the results and the numbers, those are wins. And it’s not just the rookies, everybody else. Nic [Claxton’s playmaking, and then Mike [Porter Jr.], his usage, and Ziarie Williams’s 3-point percentage is improved a little bit. Those are wins.”

The 42-year-old also slipped in a fun fact. The Nets, noted, had played the rookies 6,400 minutes this season, “which is, I think, the most rookies have ever played.” Add that the fact that the Nets roster this season was the league’s youngest in 20 years and you get a better sense of his challenge.

Fernández also went on to shout out the coaches he’s previously worked under, including Mike Brown, Michael Malone, and Sergio Scariolo, explaining how their “investments” in him empowered him to do well. Positivity remained a theme for the entire discussion as well. When asked about how he and the team kept their heads up even during the prior season’s difficult stretches, he called doing so a non-negotiable whilst continuing to pay homage to his mentors.

“One of my mentors, a retired high school coach, he always said one thing that you can always control is your attitude,” Fernández said. “Positive energy is contagious, and so is negative energy, so you can wake up every day you’re alive, and believe that it’s going to be a good day, and tell yourself that today’s going to be a good day. I’d rather do it this way than the other way.”

Foodie Nets fans might disagree, as much of the podcast’s latter half concentrated on Fernández favorite dishes to cook and restaurants to visit, but in my opinion, the episode reached its high point about a third of the way through. Since his coaching tenure began, Fernández has often talked about how he and Brooklyn’s front office have detailed developmental plans for each player on their team. Here, he finally shared some details on how those are put together.

“It’s very collaborative here, from the front office, to medical performance, obviously nutrition, player development on the court,” Fernández said. “Everybody brings in what the plan should look like, and then the players have to understand. This process works through the year. In season, we do it in different ways, and we can show how their development impacts what they do on the court.”

On the topic of development, Fernández also shared that from what he’s seen, many of Brooklyn’s younger players are progressing down their tracks well already this offseason.

“They already look older, they look bigger, they look like they’ve been working, their bodies look really good, and it’s exciting,“ he said.

The coach also touched on the players Brooklyn could add to the team soon, wisely not giving an inch when it came to revealing the team’s plans for its three picks in June.

“We may get younger, because we’re going to select, most likely, from one to three new players,” he said. “But also at the same time, the ones we’ve had, they’re a year older, so it’s very exciting because you acquire talent, and you develop talent, and there’s the unknowns of the beauty of the NBA. It’s free agency, all that stuff, and which obviously Sean and his group do a great job with, and there’s always the communication day to day on how we want to take the next step.”

The conversation then took a more personal route. Fernández priased the From Badalona to Brooklyn documentary the team put together for him, took us through his upbringings in the kitchen, expressed how Brooklyn’s embraced he and his family, and some of his favorite bands, two of which are based in the area.

The full episode is available to watch on Youtube above. It’s also streamable on Spotify and Apple Music.

Wednesday, May 27^th was the deadline for college players to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to school. Several big names who had been floated as potential options for the Dallas Mavericks, especially with picks 30 and 48. With everyone’s decisions now made, let’s run through the list of important guys who are staying and going.

Back to school

Amari Allen (F, Alabama)

This is not a surprise, although Allen would’ve very likely been a first-round player. Back to Alabama he goes, where he’ll have an elevated role and a chance to work on improving even further.

Tounde Yessoufou (G/F, Baylor)

Yessoufou was one of those who declared for the draft while also entering the transfer portal. Last year a Baylor Bear, after withdrawing from the draft he will be playing at Madison Square Garden… for the Johnnies. This is a player I would’ve taken at 30 for Dallas.

Milan Momcilovic (F, Iowa State)

After entering the draft, Momcilovic is also returning to school, where he will apparently be making upwards of $5 million next year. Can’t say I blame him, but losing a 49% three point shooter from this class is a bit disappointing.

Billy Richmond (F, Arkansas)

After initially staying in the class, Richmond’s reversal of course sends him back to Fayetteville.

Tyler Tanner (G, Vanderbilt)

One of my absolute favorites, Tanner will return to Vanderbilt as a preseason All-American and one of the five best players in the SEC. While it is a bummer he is no longer in the class, he will be a joy to watch in college one more time.

To the league

Allen Graves (F, Santa Clara)

Graves was an interesting case, as his draft range could be awfully wide. However, instead of taking a large NIL bag from LSU or Duke, the Santa Clara product will head to the NBA as a likely top 25 pick.

Read our draft profile of Allen Graves here.

Christian Anderson Jr. (G, Texas Tech)

There were rumblings that Anderson might enter the portal earlier this offseason, but once that didn’t happen it was pretty clear that he was headed for the NBA. He will likely be a top 25 selection as well.

Koa Peat (F, Arizona)

This was an interesting case, as most NBA executives polled by the Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman said Peat should return to school. Alas, he stays in the class.

Meleek Thomas (G, Arkansas)

While no official announcement was made, ESPN’s Johnathon Givonny reported on Thursday that Thomas is indeed keeping his name in the draft. He is a likely first round pick, and depending on where Dallas goes at pick nine, he’s very much in play for them in the late first.

What’s next

It’s officially workout season for these prospects. As reports surface on who the Mavericks are bringing in, we’ll keep you posted right here at Mavs Moneyball.

Fraternizing with the Enemy continues to go back-and-forth just as much as this wild Western Conference Finals series. After the Spurs appeared out of gas in Game 5 against the Thunder and now face an elimination game in San Antonio, I discussed with Cray Allred of the Daily Thunder what he observed and any potential concerns going forward — both about the teams on the court and the flaws this series has exposed in certain NBA procedures (such as *cough* the rudimentary way coaches have to call for a challenge).

J.R. 

The night that Wemby misses a dunk in transition isn’t your night. The night that Castle smokes a wide open layup isn’t your night. And when the refs miss an OKC goal tending call plus two out of bounds calls (one that Mitch Johnson tried to challenge and they didn’t grant resulting in a three-point play on the other end, including Mitch’s tech) then you might want to consider the possibility that the evening in question doesn’t belong to you. 

I’m not going to gripe about the calls the refs make because once you start that it’ll never end. Literally. You become convinced that the refs and the league are against your team and down that path, madness lies. And by madness, I mean becoming convinced that every call that goes against you is part of a conspiracy that the league has to fulfill vengeance against your team for some undefined grievance. I know, because I lived that. But that’s a story for another day.

So I don’t let myself go there again, but I do allow myself to criticize the systems the league has in place, because the league changes rules and that can make the games more fair. (Or at least more difficult to complain about.) Point in case, I griped about Zaza Pachulia sliding under Kawhi Leonard and taking him out of the series. Then they changed the rule. Now shooters are protected. You might say they’re overly protected, but there’s not such thing as a “make it fair” button. It’s either going to be too dangerous or too safe. So, you might as well err on the side of safety. 

Here’s my new gripe. The league needs to have a button that coaches can press to stop the play from starting or a flag to throw on the court. That way we’re not subject to refs hearing or acknowledging a coach in order for a challenge to officially granted. 

How about you? What gripe do you have that a new rule would alleviate and improve the game?

Cray

One thing I hope we can agree on: the San Antonio and Oklahoma City markets are not where Adam Silver and the NBA want to conspire to. The reason the league will run through our teams is that they have acquired and developed the best talent, without needing the free agency and trade levers used by bigger market teams that used to rule the league. (Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, Wolves, and Warriors, to name a few). The teams that the Thunder and Spurs have left in the dust.

I’d be okay with giving coaches a cleaner play stoppage lever for challenges. Teams already stall and delay the game while coaches decide whether to call timeout and twirl their fingers, which feels silly to watch as a viewer.

I’m actually against rule changes by default. I’m a bigger believer in the law of unintended consequences than I am of the idea we can shape the way the game looks and feels with more policy work.

I much prefer legitimate points of emphasis within the rulebook. In the second half of the 2023-2024 season, the refs obviously started swallowing their whistle to allow defenders to crowd and all-but-handcheck perimeter offensive players. It pissed everyone off because they denied it loudly in public before quietly acknowledging in a league memo to the governors. Then in the 2024 offseason, the NBA told its teams that this was the new reality: referees would be using their judgement to favor more physical and contact-heavy play, slowing the runaway offensive numbers getting juiced by three-point spamming.

Rick Carlisle warned us. Teams like the Pacers, Thunder, and Spurs leaned into the advantages that physical defenders like Nembhard, Nesmith, Caruso, Cason, Castle, and Vassell gave them. Fans watching their teams get ripped to shreds by these elite modern defenses aren’t blaming their front offices, of course, because blaming the refs is a much more soothing pastime.

So I’m dubious of rule changes, but I don’t hate change. What I hate is the unwillingness to make things better within the rules. We all know that the typical summer “points of emphasis” usually last through the preseason and then fade away when the games matter. Meanwhile there are tools to counter plenty of things jeopardizing the competition and NBA product; the league just doesn’t use them. Cap circumvention. The rot of gambling influence. Flopping fines. Injuries to stars piling up in the war against DNP-TV. But instead, the league is spending most of its fix-it energies concocting a new formula for ping pong balls.

It definitely wasn’t your night, just like Game 4 wasn’t ours. I’m surprised that the consensus reaction is that we’ve advanced even further into the greatest chess match ever. Don’t you think it’s more simply that the teams with the most desperation have played much better at home? That’s how I’d chalk up most of the individual performances, including from our two most valuable players: Victor Wembanyama and Jared McCain

J.R.

There is definitely room for the chess match, no doubt. And I’ll tell you that I’ve dived deeper into the pool of analysis videos in an attempt to better understand the tactics behind this game I’ve been watching for the last 40-some years. (Wow that’s a long time.) But Tuesday night seemed to pivot largely on effort. So many plays were made by OKC in which the same force just wasn’t being exerted by the visiting team in general, and oddly Wemby specifically. 

There were far too many plays where I expected Vic to elevate and swat the ball away from the basket, but he just watched his opponent take a trip to the rim. Definitely not what I’ve grown accustomed to over the year, and I think I have to put my vote in the “he’s exhausted” group. 

Oddly, that doesn’t make me feel less optimistic about Game 6. After the Thunder win in San Antonio, I found myself having issues maintaining my hope, but I don’t feel that right now. Maybe that’s delusion, but it feels like San Antonio will take the next one. I’m definitely concerned about his Game 7 but why should I even be thinking about that when the Spurs are facing elimination for the first time since DeMar DeRozan was a Spur? Maybe I’m exhausted too.

Ok, tell me what concerns you about G6 and how you’re dealing with it. 

Cray

To be clear, I love the Thunder’s chances to win one of two. I’m in the “Wemby’s exhausted” camp with you, and San Antonio hasn’t put together two straight games with the intensity needed to best the champs. The Thunder have thinned, but they’re still deeper and fresher. And I believe in Shai+whoever to land a knockout punch, given two shots at the up and comers.

There’s still plenty of cause for concern. Game 5’s offensive explosion masked some cracks in the defense for OKC, which had kept them in the series through four. An elimination Game 6 should be the boost of all boosts for the Spurs, even if they’re gassed. And if you get to a Game 7, anything can happen. Cold shooting. Foul trouble. Injury. Lemon booty. And if it’s close, the kind of game-deciding bad call we’ve somehow avoided so far. The kind of stuff you can’t get over for 40 years of fandom. And all of that is more likely with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell still unavailable. 

Outside of random, crazy, heartbreaking playoff possibilities, both Wemby and Dylan Harper still scare me. The Spurs hung close for most of Game 5 with both of them struggling. Wemby digging deep to find another gear is something the greats all eventually get around to. Harper could recover more health, or energy, or confidence, whatever combination of those things are holding him back.

Though I do sense a shift in the Spurs’ self-belief, an essential part of what has made them so great this season. I told you I admired you that Wemby practicing against simulation hack-a-defense and Mitch Johnson’s refusal to make excuses after Game 2. I’ll add to the list Devin Vassell’s jovial comments about each team getting away with what the refs allow after Game 4. I’m not going to pile on Stephon Castle for complaining about the whistle, or Wemby for skipping the postgame, or Thunder legend Mason Plumlee for doing goonwork in Game 5’s closing moments (as quoted by NBA media correspondent and TikTok sensation, Jared McCain). But taken together, I don’t think the vibes from the Spurs reek of confidence and composure as they face down elimination.

Feel free to stand up for any of those guys if you think I’m being unfair, or recommend me your favorite Spurs alternate mascot or side story that helps lighten your spirits amid the grind of the playoffs. Are the nuns the most fun? The jackals? A deeper cut? (We disavow Thundor in my household but McCain, the public figure, brings us joy.)

Former 49ers WR Jauan Jennings compares joining Vikings to Durant's Warriors fit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jauan Jennings played a big role for the 49ers as one of the team’s most reliable third-down options over the past several seasons, but when San Francisco added Hall of Fame wideout Mike Evans this past offseason, the writing was on the wall in big bold letters.

Now, with a new one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, the 28-year-old wide receiver has high praise for his new group – and himself.

“I feel like Kevin Durant with the Warriors,” Jennings told reporters on Wednesday when asked how he felt about joining Minnesota.

“Big three, man,” Jennings answered when asked why he compared himself to the 16-time All-Star. “There’s just a lot of talent over here. Top down, head to bottom, a lot of talent.”

In addition to Jennings, the Vikings’ wide receivers room boasts one of the NFL’s top pass catchers in Justin Jefferson, as well as Jordan Addison.

Jefferson has begun his NFL career with six-straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and continues to be considered a top wideout in the game, while Addison’s production has dropped year after year in his three seasons amid an array of off-field troubles.

Jennings’ confidence isn’t anything new. The wideout played the 2025 season under a one-year “show-me” type contract and hit every benchmark to earn almost $4 million in incentives before his departure.

As for the comparison, Durant joined a Warriors team that finished their 2015-16 season with a record-breaking 73-9 record, while Jennings joined a Vikings team that went 9-8 in 2025 and failed to reach the postseason.

Same, but different.

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Tyrese Haliburton can’t hear Knicks fans.

The star Pacers guard who earned villain status in New York after eliminating the Knicks in back-to-back postseasons said the Madison Square Garden crowd is too celebrity-centric and not loud enough.

“A place like New York, they have a lot of passionate fans, and people love the Knicks, but there are a lot of celebrities in there who sometimes get too cool to be super loud,” Haliburton said on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday.

Haliburton then made an exasperated face when describing the Oklahoma City environment and how hard it is to play there, with Indiana having lost to the Thunder in seven games in last year’s Finals.

He suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7 that ultimately sidelined him for the entire 2025-26 season.

“I think OKC does a great job with kind of having that like college environment in there,” Haliburton continued. “It’s pretty ridiculously loud, so I would say it’s the best environment.”

McAfee joked with Haliburton about the comments regarding the Knicks fans being too cool for school.

“Well, you’re saying that Ben Stiller is not going crazy?” the former punter said. “(Timothée) Chalamet was losing his mind! You better watch your mouth if you talk about Tracy Morgan like this, OK!”

Haliburton has quite the history with New York and its fans.

He and the Pacers defeated the Knicks in six games in the conference finals last year as the local ran out of gas behind former coach Tom Thibodeau.

The Pacers also eliminated the Knicks in the semifinals in seven games the previous season.

The conference finals began with a heart-wrenching buzzer-beater from Haliburton in Game 1 to send to the contest to overtime, with the guard grabbing his throat to signal a choke, channeling longtime Garden villain and ex-Pacers star Reggie Miller.

While the Knicks have mostly the same roster this season, this team is completely different.

The Knicks employ lineup 11 players deep and get excellent use of their bench under coach Mike Brown, who invested in his bench from the get-go and has seen dividends pay off in the postseason.

Brown has elicited phenomenal performances from Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and more en route to a dominant NBA Finals run.

Knicks fans have rallied behind them, creating one of the loudest home crowds in the NBA and traveling well to Cleveland and Philadelphia during this raucous run.

After the Game 1 comeback win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, Ringer founder and podcaster Bill Simmons said that the Knicks fans were “the best crowd of the year” as they cheered their squad to a 22-point comeback in less than eight minutes.

Do not underestimate the power of cultural awareness and understanding in the international world of basketball. For Masai Ujiri, new Dallas Mavericks president and alternate general manager, navigating in multiple languages, customs, cultures and traditions is nothing new. 

Born in England, raised in Nigeria, an executive in the American National Basketball Association over the last decades, Masai Ujiri is about as international as it gets. 

Back when he was traveling the world as an international scout – at the time he got to know new Dallas Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz – it must have given him an advantage compared to many in that world because of his background and exposure to different cultures early on. 

One of the side effects – or bonuses – of being born into a world of multiple nationalities and cultures, is the fact that you learn how to adapt and adjust quickly. You learn the skill of observation – how do people do things here, what’s the unwritten rules, what is frowned upon – and you learn how to fit in no matter where you go. 

That must have served as a major advantage for Masai Ujiri, as he found his footing in the international world of global basketball and started putting those skills to good use, both when scouting – and when networking. Something he is reportedly very good at. 

Ujiri, who’s described as well-respected and charming, has always been good at making and keeping connections. Acquaintances even call him “very sweet” and “very thoughtful”. And very good at finding talent and creating an atmosphere that allows players to reach their full potential. 

He started out as an unpaid scout with the Orlando Magic back in 2002 and moved to a paid scouting position with the Denver Nuggets in 2003. Seven years later, he was named the team’s general manager.

After winning the NBA’s Executive of the Year award with the Nuggets, he moved to Toronto. The Toronto Raptors then made the playoffs eight times during his 12 years in charge. Oh ya, and won their only championship in franchise history in 2019.

Understanding talent, and not being afraid to look outward and in new places to find hidden gems, Ujiri was part of drafting international players from places most people wouldn’t even have considered. 

There’s Jakob Poeltl, an Austrian center, who the Raptors picked in 2016 with the number nine pick. And that same year, they used their number 27 pick to get a completely unknown wing player from Cameroon, who hadn’t played organized basketball for very long. That was Pascal Siakam, now a four-time NBA All-Star. 

Ujiri’s international background has clearly helped make him a good judge of character. He also earned the reputation of being bold. 

Working in the trenches of the scouting world for years, he met, connected and built relationships with numerous people all over the world. One of them is Mike Schmitz. And as soon as Masai Ujiri was offered the job as Dallas Mavericks president, he knew he wanted to bring Mike Schmitz along.

“You track people along the way, you pin-point those that stand out or those that have the talent you want for particular jobs, and he’s one of them,” Masai Ujiri said of Schmitz right after it became public that he had hired him as general manager earlier this month. 

“I’ve done a lot of scouting internationally,” Schmitz said of Ujiri when he was introduced, “and when I first got in the scouting space and was out and about on the road, we’ve been in the same gyms for years and years.”

“Whether that’s in Africa, in Europe or in the states, I’m really thankful for that relationship and him bringing me on.” 

According to Ujiri, Schmitz has a talent for finding hidden treasures and is not afraid to make bold decisions. Traits Ujiri seems to value highly. 

Mike Schmitz worked as an assistant general manager for the Portland Trail Blazers the last four seasons, and was part of finding talents like Deni Avdija from Israel, who made the All-Star team this season. They also drafted a long list of future NBA talent. Before that, Schmitz worked as a draft analyst for ESPN and DraftExpress.com. 

“I’ve known him (Mike Schmitz) for many, many years,” Ujiri said. “He’s an incredible scout, an incredible leader. He digs deep into work, data, and what you want to know about really scouting a player, team building, all those things.”

“Treating people well, scout organizing, managing people, it’s a whole package you want and it’s very important that we set a tone now for this organization because the fans, the organization, you (media) guys, everybody deserves that.”

And going back years also matters when it comes to something pivotal in business: trust. 

“Obviously, we’ve had a long-standing relationship,” Schmitz said. “And I think just him being able to trust in me, and me being able to lean on him in a variety of different areas, so I think it’s going to work great.”

And hopefully, with this new leadership that doesn’t seem afraid to look outward and to try new things, hidden gems, diamonds in the rough and already successful players from other leagues will be considered in the same way as players who take the traditional route to the best league in the world. 

Since parting ways with the Toronto Raptors last year, Masai Ujiri has spent most of his time working with his nonprofit, Giants of Africa, which puts on basketball camps, builds courts and provides education opportunities to children around Africa and in Nigeria, where he was raised. 

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

We wrap up our series on first round draft prospects by taking a look at players who could be available if the Suns decide to trade into the 29 to 31 range. Unlikely? Sure. Still worth doing the homework? Absolutely.

That range currently includes the Cavaliers at 29, the Mavericks at 30, and the Knicks at 31, which technically opens the second round as the first pick on day two of the draft. 

The reason for doing the due diligence is simple. It’s not something we did last year until late in the game. We didn’t believe the Suns would trade up into the lottery, so a lot of the focus stayed on picks 29 and 52, which is where Phoenix originally looked slotted to select. Then draft night happened, and suddenly the board changed.

That’s part of this process. Things move. Teams pivot. Opportunities appear out of nowhere. That’s why it helps to take a holistic approach, explore every realistic avenue, and have a feel for all the options on the board. That way, when draft night arrives, and something unexpected happens, you’re ready.

Prospects at 29-31

I’ve previously reviewed Zuby Ejiofor, Ebuka Okorie, Henri Veesaar, and Joshua Jefferson. All of them would be potential targets in this draft range (though Okorie and Veesaar both have an average draft spot of 28, which might make them targets for the Suns at 26). However, there are a couple more prospects here that the Suns might take if they’re looking for a point guard behind Gillespie or expect Mark Williams to leave in free agency.

Tarris Reed (University of Connecticut, Senior, C)

Tarris Reed Jr. is a physically imposing, 6’11” and 270-pound center known for his elite screening, interior dominance, and high-motor rebounding. He offers NBA teams a ready-made “glue guy” profile who does the dirty work, sets heavy picks in the pick-and-roll, and finishes efficiently around the rim.

Key Statistics

27.3 MPG, 14.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.3APG, 2.9 stocks, 60.7 FG%, 0.0 3PT%, 61.7 FT%

Strengths

• Size & Length: Boasts a massive, NBA-ready frame with a rumored 7’4″ wingspan. He uses his strength well to carve out deep post position.
• Mobility: Moves surprisingly well for a player of his bulk. He did very well at the combine in both lane agility and the shuttle run.
• Screening & Rolling: One of his best traits is his ability to set heavy, bruising screens that open up driving lanes for perimeter players. He rolls hard and possesses soft hands to catch and finish.
• Touch & Efficiency: Scores efficiently around the basket, particularly on layups and dunks. He has a soft touch on hook shots and interior finishes.
• Playmaking: Flashes underrated passing vision from the post and short roll, consistently making smart, connective passes to open cutters.
• Interior Presence: Acts as a capable rim protector and a steadying presence in drop coverage. He alters shots and controls the defensive glass well.
• High Motor: Brings constant energy, competing hard on both ends of the floor, which translates to him reliably grabbing contested rebounds.

Weaknesses

• Lack of Floor Spacing: He operates almost entirely in the paint and the dunker spot. He has rarely attempted three-pointers and lacks a face-up scoring bag or perimeter creation.
• Free-Throw Shooting: Struggles from the charity stripe, which can be a limiting factor in late-game situations.
• Foul Trouble & Defensive Versatility: Can occasionally get into foul trouble when defending more agile, face-up bigs. While his drop coverage is solid, he can still improve his timing and switchability when defending pick-and-rolls on the perimeter.

Draft Range

After stellar late-season tournament runs and impressive measurements at the NBA Draft Combine, Reed has risen up draft boards into late first-round or early second-round projections. Reed projects to go anywhere between 21^st and 44^th, with an average of 31.5 and a median of 34.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Bobby Marks at ESPN estimated what the salary value for top free agents was this summer, and he came up with $42 million over 3 years for Mark Williams. Because the Suns are saddled with Jalen Green’s contract and Bradley Beal’s buyout, they’re likely to have to do some penny pinching this offseason. In a lot of cases, Williams failed to pass the advanced metric test this year and missed 22 games plus all of the playoffs. 

Gambo reports that Goodwin and Gillespie are higher priorities for the franchise, which may elect to stand pat with Oso Ighodaro and Kaman Maluach. If they decide to do so, Reed would make a fine replacement for Williams as a defensive-minded center who moves well, plays hard, and has a nose for rebounds. Ryan Kalkbrenner fit a similar profile in 2025, and he had an outstanding rookie campaign.

NBA Comparisons

Andre Drummond, Steven Adams, Isaiah Stewart

Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt, Sophomore, PG)

Tyler Tanner is a highly dynamic, polarizing sophomore point guard out of Vanderbilt who is testing the 2026 NBA Draft process. Following a massive breakout sophomore campaign, he earned First-Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team honors. His evaluation is defined by a battle between elite, modern advanced metrics and traditional height requirements as a 5’11” (in socks) 167-pound point guard.

Key Statistics

27.3 MPG, 19.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 5.1APG, 2.4 steals, 48.5 FG%, 36.8 3PT%, 85.3 FT%

Strengths

• Elite Playmaking & Decision Making: Tanner serves as an exceptional floor general with an airtight 5.1-to-1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. He reads defensive rotations at light speed, utilizing advanced spatial awareness to deliver precise skip-passes or pocket-passes out of the pick-and-roll.
• Deadly First Step & Cadence: He possesses a blistering first step and a tight crossover that allows him to generate paint touches at will. He manipulates defenders beautifully by rapidly switching gears and using deceptive hesitations.
• Skyrocketing Perimeter Efficiency: After a sub-40% field goal percentage as a freshman, his shot mechanics became highly versatile. He developed a hair-trigger, “no-dip” release that translated to a 36.8% clip from deep on 4.5 attempts per game.
• Hellacious Defensive Disruption: Despite his small stature, Tanner was a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist. He led the SEC in steals (2.4 per game) using immaculate anticipation to jump passing lanes and elite footwork at the point of attack.
• Functional Athleticism: He punches far above his weight class vertically, boasting a 39-inch maximum vertical jump that allows him to finish above the rim when given a runway. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Weaknesses

• Severe Size Limitations: Standing under 5’11” barefoot, he faces an uphill battle in a modern NBA dominated by positional length. He is missing the baseline physical frame typical of NBA starters.
• Defensive Targetability: Modern NBA offenses will relentlessly target him in switch-heavy schemes. Bigger guards and wings will easily shoot over his 7’9″ standing reach or back him down into the low post.
• Screen Navigation Physicality: Weighing just 167 pounds, his lack of functional core strength makes it difficult to physically fight over screen actions or hold his ground against downhill driving threats.

Draft Range

Late first, early second round. He may not stay in the draft, and it likely hinges on whether he receives a first-round promise. He projects to go anywhere between the 28^th and 48^th picks, with an average of 34.5 and a median of 33.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Tyler Tanner is going to be one of those ultimate tests of advanced metrics and eye-test versus the current meta of the NBA. Numerous outlets have declared that there is no place left in the modern NBA for a smaller point guard, and they’re generally right.

That said, Tanner has ridiculous verticality, his basketball IQ is off the charts, he’s a fantastic ball thief with 2.4 steals per game, and he has great shot mechanics with a super-quick, high release. He shoots very well, he has great court vision and awareness, and his metrics all say he’s a great player… except for his height. In the end, I think he projects as a great “energy guy” backup point guard.

NBA Comparisons

Patty Mills, Damon Stoudamire, Tre Jones, Jose Alvarado, Fred VanVleet

Final Verdict

After multiple articles, I’m now tracking 25 prospects. There’s a plethora of intriguing players if the Suns trade into the first round. If they trade up to the 17^th pick, I like Morez Johnson Jr. and Chris Cenac Jr. as long, hyper-athletic power forwards. However, Hannes Steinbach is also a potential lottery pick steal if he’s still on the board.

If the Suns obtain something in the 26-31 range, my favorite picks are Zuby Ejiofor, Ebuka Okorie, Henri Veesaar as a floor-spacing five, Allen Graves, and Joshua Jefferson. I like Zuby Ejiofor in particular, who I believe is vastly underrated. He absolutely killed it at the combine, and his advanced metrics say he’s going to be an immediate contributor. If the Suns used the 26^th pick on him, I would not be at all disappointed.

Of course, there’s no point in having a power forward on the team if you won’t play them because Jalen Green is jamming up rotations, but that’s a story for another time.

The biggest news of the day came via a Passan bomb at 6AM yesterday morning. Travis Kelce is now a minority owner of the Cleveland Guardians.

Guest contributor, Mike Mahoney, gave his scouting report of the Lake County Captains Position Players.

The Guardians were able to avoid the sweep, taking yesterday’s game behind Gavin Williams. The game recap can be read here. Tonight is a much needed off day for the team with Boston coming to town for a weekend series.

MLB Network listed out their José Ramírez award for most underrated players. There is one current Guardian and one former Cleveland player on the list:

The MLBPA has made their first proposals for the collective bargaining.

The NBA’s 2025-26 awards were fully revealed after the Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla on Tuesday became the youngest Coach of the Year winner in over 50 years.

Two California Post sports staffers, NBA reporter Melissa Rohlin and Lakers reporter Khobi Price, had two of the 100 ballots that determined the voting for every award — from MVP (Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) and Coach of the Year to All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year (Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama).

Here are insights into their voting process:

1.) What factored into your MVP vote and how did you feel about Luka Doncic’s fourth-place finish?

Price: With respect for transparency, it’s important to note I had Doncic third on my MVP ballot. So his fourth-place finish is more than fair. Gilgeous-Alexander was once again the best player on the league’s best team and had a historic season in his own right when factoring in his productivity, efficiency and ability to lead the Thunder to a league-best 64-win season. He was the clear-cut season-long MVP, evident by him receiving 83 first-place votes. It’s nitpicking when deciding between Doncic, Wembanyama and Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic for spots Nos. 2-4. Wembanyama has an argument for the league’s most impactful two-way player per minute. But the gap between his total minutes played (1,866) compared to Doncic (2,289) and Jokic (2,265), and offensive impact/workload favored Doncic and Jokic even with respect to Wembanyama’s defensive dominance. It was splitting hairs when deciding between Doncic and Jokic for second place, but Jokic’s historic production, efficiency and early-season dominance (he was the MVP favorite before getting injured in late December) gave him the slight edge. 

Rohlin: There was a very strong field, and this was a hard decision. Doncic had a phenomenal season, and his stats were eye-popping, including his unbelievable March in which he averaged 37.5 points and led the Lakers to a 15-2 record. But Shai GIlgeous-Alexander was the best player on the league’s best team, Victor Wembanyama was an absolute force on both ends of the court and Nikola Jokic put up video game numbers. While Doncic had a great season, I think his fourth-place finish was fair. The Lakers had an up-and-down season before their surge in the spring, and the competition for this award was incredibly deep. 

2.) Why wasn’t JJ Redick on your Coach of the Year ballot?

Price: Similar to Doncic, it came down to a very competitive field. Redick is clearly already among the upper echelon of coaches. Leading the Lakers to a 53-win season despite Doncic (18 games), LeBron James (22) and Austin Reaves (31) missing a combined 71 games and the role player overhaul made Redick a worthy candidate for votes. But as noted in my story in the aftermath of the voting results being revealed, oftentimes Coach of the Year voting comes down to which team overachieved the most. And Mazzulla’s Celtics, J.B. Bickerstaff’s Pistons and Mitch Johnson’s Spurs were the biggest overachievers of the season. And that’s before getting into Charles Lee’s Hornets and Jordan Ott’s Suns. But it’s clear Redick is on the path to being a great coach, if not already one, who should receive consideration moving forward. 

Rohlin: This was another tough one. Redick cemented himself as a great coach this season. He got the Big Three of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James to buy into their roles, including getting James, who’s arguably the greatest player of all time, to embrace being the team’s third offensive option. And then after Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries April 2, he convinced a Lakers team that everyone counted out to believe in themselves, which led to them shocking the basketball world by winning their first-round series against the Rockets. Redick deserves a lot of kudos, but the Celtics, Pistons and Spurs also greatly outperformed their expectations. The Celtics had the second-best record in the Eastern Conference despite Jayson Tatum missing 66 games. The Pistons went from missing the playoffs last season to finishing with the East’s top record. And the Spurs finished with the second-best record in the league, becoming a real powerhouse faster than anyone anticipated. I had Joe Mazzulla at the top of my ballot, followed by J.B. Bickerstaff and Mitch Johnson. But that doesn’t take anything away from Redick’s season. 

3.) Were there any Lakers who you felt should’ve been better represented in the voting for any awards besides MVP and Coach of the Year? 

Price: Not really when factoring in the missed time between Reaves and James. It’s less about punishing players for injuries, but more so acknowledging the natural season-long impact suppression compared to some of their peers. 

Rohlin: LeBron James’ streak of 21 straight All-NBA selections was broken this year because of the 65-game rule. That was a bummer. At age 41, he once again defied Father Time in his historic 23rd season. He averaged 20.9 points on 51.5% shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists, and it’s a shame he wasn’t able to be honored for his incredible performance. 

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4.) What was the most challenging award to vote for and why? 

Price: The All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defense teams are always difficult, especially when it comes to the final spots for each team. But Rookie of the Year gave me the most fits this year. I voted for Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, but I went back and forth between him and Hornets wing Kon Knueppel until the end of the regular season. Knueppel had a compelling case because of his historic combination of 3-point shooting, efficiency and impact on a Hornets team that won 44 games and made the play-in tournament. But Flagg got the edge because of his production, workload and overall impact even if it resulted in a 26-win season for the Mavericks. 

Rohlin: Definitely MVP. I understand the frustration that has been widely shared by players that the bar for this award keeps moving. Sometimes the player with the best stats wins this award. Sometimes it goes to the player who led his team to the best record. In some seasons, defense is a big factor. Others it’s not. None of it is fair, per se. This season, with two-way stars Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama on the ballot, defense was a big factor, which hurt Doncic and Jokic. It’s hard to weigh everything in a fair manner and decide what to give weight to when there are no distinct rules or descriptions for this award. Doncic led the league in scoring (33.5 points), was third in assists (8.3) and sixth in steals (1.6). In another season, those numbers could’ve won him the award. But this season, it earned him a fourth-place finish. 

5.) Now that it’s been a few seasons, how do you feel about the 65-game threshold for most major awards?

Price: It’s a step in the right direction, but it needs to be modified. Fifty-eight, or 70% of an 82-game season, is the number of games required to qualify for several statistical league leaders. That should also be the case for the major awards. I never understood why there were different qualifiers. Also add in a minutes-played requirement (1,624, which is equivalent to 28 minutes per game, or 1,740, which is equivalent to 30 minutes per game) for players who may miss the 58-game mark but carried significant workloads for their teams in the games they did play. 

Rohlin: Scrap it. Too many players were disqualified for awards because of legitimate injuries. This rule was meant to prevent load management and encourage player participation, but instead it’s punishing players for things they can’t control and encouraging them to put their bodies at risk to meet an arbitrary eligibility cut-off.

SGA is even trying to play to the refs in the court of law.

The NBA’s reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has sent a legal warning to a fantasy sports company that made a board game mocking the Oklahoma City guard’s notorious flops.

The Thunder star’s lawyers demanded that Underdog Sports stop using SGA’s name and likeness after it created a game called “Unethical Hoops” based on the kids’ classic Operation — in which a buzzer goes off anytime SGA is touched, the Athletic reported.

Underdog Sports recently held a contest giving away 100 copies of the game during the Western Conference Finals — where the Thunder are one game away from eliminating the San Antonio Spurs and facing the Knicks in the finals.

Phoenix Suns forward and NBA villain Dillon Brooks promoted the game in the contest advertisements.

SGA’s lawyers told the company to “permanently cease and desist from any and all use of Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s [name, image and likeness] in any and all media, including but not limited to your website (including the Unethical Hoops Website), apps, social media accounts, digital marketing and advertisements, promotional emails, push notifications, affiliate or influencer placements, and any physical goods including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website.”

All board games must be destroyed, according to the letter from SGA’s reps, ArentFox Schiff LLP — who may or may not have heard of the Streisand Effect.

The game website was still live Thursday and Underdog told The Post it has no intention of ending the promotion, citing previous instances of cracking jokes about other players and teams, including the Knicks and Mets.

“We’ve poked fun at Knicks and Lakers fans, the Red Sox owners, the Mets and more,” a spokesperson told The Post in a statement.

“We like to have some fun with whatever is in the sports fan zeitgeist.” 

When the Mets went on a 10-game losing skid last month after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hugged Mr. Met, Underdog offered $1,000 for a lucky fans’ rent payment every day the team went without a win.

Underdog also hosted an event outside Madison Square Garden in April that allowed fans to throw eggs at a comedian decked out in Atlanta Hawks gear.

SGA been widely mocked during the NBA playoffs for his ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line — with fans accusing him of flopping and questioning his style of play and whether or not it’s “ethical” basketball.

In the last four years, he has attempted 391 more free throws than the next-closest player, according to the Athletic.

In this postseason SGA has made 120 free throws and 114 field goals. 

SGA, who won the league’s Most Valuable Player award this year and last year, shrugged off the criticism.

“It does nothing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after game against the Spurs.

“Doesn’t fuel me, doesn’t discourage me. It’s part of the game. I’ve been dealing with it a long time. I don’t really hear it. I’m focused on what’s going on on the court.”

Watching the Knicks punch their ticket to the NBA Finals has, in my opinion, sucked.

Yes, they’ve waited 27 years to return to this stage, endured truly awful stretches of basketball spanning decades, and maybe deserve it on some level. Still, it’s New York. It’s Knicks fans. It’s “bing bong” and Timothée Chalamet clips that will infiltrate your timelines for the next two weeks.

But spending this much time looking at the Knicks has made me appreciate how different Boston’s story has been.

The Knicks built their team from the outside in. They deserve…credit for it, as physically painful as that sentence is to type. They made trades, found the right veterans, identified the right fits, bet big on a team identity, and kept pushing until they finally broke through.

Boston’s path has looked very different.

The Celtics’ best era since the Big Three started with two draft cards.

Jaylen Brown, third overall in 2016. Jayson Tatum, third overall in 2017. Two swings near the top of the draft, both connected cleanly enough to change the next decade of Celtics basketball.

It’s a story we’re all familiar with, and one that feels simple and obvious in retrospect. It wasn’t. Brown was booed on Draft Night. Tatum arrived after Boston traded out of the No. 1 pick and trusted its board, going as far as to preemptively protect themselves from criticism for doing so. There were years of debates about whether they could play together, whether they liked each other enough, whether one had to go, whether the partnership had a ceiling, whether the Celtics were being too patient or not patient enough.

Then, they won the title.

And somehow, two years later, we’re back to asking whether the Jays era has underachieved.

The standard is still the standard

The Celtics are and should be held to a ridiculous standard. That’s part of the deal here in Boston.

This franchise is strictly focused on banners, not vibes, which is why a first-round exit after blowing a 3-1 lead to Philadelphia was and is awful. It should still bother people. I know it still bothers me.

Noa Dalzell, Senior Writer here at CelticsBlog, put it well on her latest episode of You Got Boston. She said she is “not excusing their loss this past season,” adding, “They should not have blown a 3-1 lead.” That is the correct baseline. The Celtics were too good and too well-positioned to lose that series, even in a season that plenty of people spent months calling a gap year.

The issue is what happens after the disappointment settles in. A bad ending has a way of walking backward through time and staining everything before it. Suddenly a decade of contention becomes a decade of missed chances. A title becomes “only one.” Deep playoff runs become evidence for prosecution.

Noa pushed back on that framing too, saying, “If you say that they underachieved, then everybody has underachieved except for the Golden State Warriors since 2015.”

She’s right. Since 2015, the Warriors are the only franchise to win multiple titles.

Granted, not every team should be graded the same way. Some cores are better positioned for sustained excellence, like the modern-day Thunder or the aforementioned Warriors. Some titles feel more like the product of having the right pieces in the right place for one magical run, like the Kawhi-led Raptors or the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks. 

But the larger point holds. Ever since the Warriors dynasty ended, no one has been able to stack chips.

If the argument is that every great player or duo who fails to become a dynasty has failed, then nearly the entire league has spent the last decade failing.

That’s a pretty miserable way to watch basketball.

The résumé grew quickly and quietly

One strange thing about the Tatum-Brown era is how quickly winning became background noise in their larger story.

By the time they broke through in 2024, the Celtics had already been to four conference finals with Tatum and Brown together, plus the 2022 NBA Finals. They had made the playoffs every year of Tatum’s career. They had never finished below .500 with both of them on the roster. Tatum had already made five All-Star teams and four All-NBA teams, while Brown had three All-Star selections, and an All-NBA nod.

Even this season, which started under the shadow of Tatum’s Achilles tear, somehow became another reminder of how high this group’s floor has been. Brown stepped into the heaviest version of his role yet and led the Celtics to a 56-win season. That is not normal. Most teams lose a player like Tatum and spend the season looking like someone unplugged the router. Instead, Boston stayed in the mix to the point where it felt like just another normal season of winning in a very abnormal year.

Boston has gotten so used to deep runs that fans sometimes treat them like table stakes. The conference finals became a place the Celtics were supposed to be every year, like it was some recurring calendar invite. That is an absurd privilege.

There are fanbases that spend decades hoping to draft one player as good as Brown or Tatum. Boston got both in back-to-back years. Then, they both stayed. Then, they improved. Then, they won it all, together.

A lot of Celtics fans are old enough to remember when the present felt bad and the future looked worse.

The late 90s were ugly. The early 2000s had Paul Pierce trying to drag half-built rosters into relevance while the rest of us tried to convince ourselves that maybe this was the year everything finally clicked for Mark Blount. Before Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen arrived, plenty of seasons felt like they were over before Thanksgiving. There’s a different kind of frustration that comes with watching a contender fall short, but at least that frustration comes from proximity to something real.

The Tatum-Brown era has offered a level of annual belief that younger fans may not realize is rare. In the words of Joni Mitchell, you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.

The Celtics nailed the picks that mattered

The draft-history context makes this point even clearer.

Over the last twelve drafts, Boston has had plenty of misses. James Young. Guerschon Yabusele. Romeo Langford. The Desmond Bane trade. Plenty of second-rounders who barely created a ripple in the fabric of Celtics history. Boston has taken a lot of bites at the apple, and some of those bites were just teeth hitting the core.

But they nailed the picks that could end up defining an era of the most storied franchise in NBA history.

Brown at No. 3. Tatum at No. 3. Marcus Smart at No. 6 before them. Payton Pritchard at No. 26. Robert Williams at No. 27. More recently, Boston has been trying to squeeze value out of late picks like Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez.

That’s a different kind of roster-building than what we’re seeing from the Knicks right now. New York’s current Finals team was largely assembled via trades and free agency. Again, credit to them. Building a winner through trades and targeted additions is still hard, even if being based in New York City probably helps more than being based in a place where the free-agent pitch begins with, “Hear me out.” Ask the Suns how easy it is to just put expensive names together and hope the basketball gods carry you to the promised land.

Boston’s identity, though they’ve lost key pillars like Smart and Williams over the years, still runs through the two guys it drafted and developed.

There should be a specific satisfaction in that. How great has it been to watch Brown’s handle tighten over the years, even after it became the internet’s favorite easy joke? What about watching Tatum go from smooth, unassuming scorer to an all-around forward who can defend, rebound, pass and carry like one of the league’s best? Don’t you remember that feeling of people saying the partnership had run its course, then seeing those same two players standing on a parade duck boat together?

The Celtics didn’t rent this era. They raised it.

Maybe that’s why the frustration can hit so hard in seasons like this. Fans remember the whole thing. The early flashes. The blown leads. The Kyrie mess. The bubble. The 2022 Finals. The 2023 faceplant against Miami. The Porzingis and Jrue trades. The breakthrough. The latest playoff collapse. It all lives in the same folder.

But the folder is still mostly full of winning.

Boston drafted the stars everyone wants. Then we got used to them.

If a time traveler had explained this era to Celtics fans the night Pierce and Garnett were traded to Brooklyn, nobody would have complained.

Five conference finals appearances together, two NBA Finals appearances, one championship, no seasons finishing worse than .500? Every Celtics fan would have signed up immediately. Some probably would have asked if the person delivering this prophecy needed a ride to Logan and whether the Harlem Shake was still prospering.

Living through success changes how it feels. The wins stop surprising you. The conference finals start feeling like your right versus your reward. The flaws become more irritating because the stakes are higher. The losses feel like theft.

That is what Tatum and Brown have done to us. They made winning feel normal.

The Celtics should keep chasing more because this era deserves that urgency. This season showed how much Brown can shoulder without Tatum, but it also showed how fragile any title path becomes when one of the two pillars is missing. Tatum and Brown are expensive now. The cap is tighter. The roster needs work. The center spot needs clarity. The East is not waiting around for Boston to feel sentimental.

Still, any conversation about what comes next should start from an honest place.

The Jays era has not been perfect. There are fair arguments that more than one banner should have been raised by now. Still, this era has given Celtics fans one of the best homegrown runs in modern franchise history.

Someday down the road, the Celtics will be searching for the next version of this. That’s probably when we’ll understand how much fun this era really was.