Category: NBA

Four games and no information? A season series that offers little roadmap for the postseason meetings to come?

It’s a bit of a weird situation as the Lakers head into the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, their roster overhaul and strange December making it hard to really look to the past for information on the future.

“We had games the last, six, seven weeks where we hadn't played the team since [Anthony Davis] was on the team and didn't have Luka [Doncic]. So we have a way of prepping based on previous games, previous games against Luka,” JJ Redick said Sunday. “We have a general idea of what their rules are, just like they have a general idea of what our rules are.”

Still, there have to be things from the Lakers games with the Timberwolves this year that are going to matter.

As the teams open their first-round playoff series Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena, let’s take a quick look at how they match up.

Read more:How the NBA's play-in tournament works and when it starts

KEY TEAM STATS

Lakers

Record: 50-32

Offensive rating (OFF RTG): 115.0 (11th)

Defensive rating (DEF RTG):113.8 (17th)

Net Rating (NET RTG)*: 1.2 (14th)
(*Net rating subtracts defensive rating from offensive rating for a projected margin of victory.)

Timberwolves

Record: 49-33

Offensive Rating (OFF RTG): 115.7 (8th)

Defensive Rating (DEF RTG): 110.8 (6th)

Net Rating (NET RTG)*: 5.0 (4th)
(*Net rating subtracts defensive rating from offensive rating for a projected margin of victory.)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lakers

Luka Doncic: 28.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 7.5 apg, 43.8 fg%/37.9 3-pt. fg%/79.1 ft%

LeBron James: 24.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 8.2 apg, 51.3 fg%/37.6 3-pt. fg%/78.2 ft%

Austin Reaves: 20.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.8 apg, 46.0 fg%/37.7 3-pt. fg%/87.7 ft%

Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards: 27.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.5 apg, 44.7 fg%/39.5 3-pt. fg%/83.6 ft%

Rudy Gobert: 11.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 67.4 fg%/67.5 ft%

Julius Randle: 18.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.7 apg, 48.5 fg%/34.7 3-pt. fg%/80.6 ft%

HOW THEY FARED

Season Series: 2-2

Oct. 22, 2024, in Los Angeles

Lakers 110, Timberwolves 103

The Lakers won their season opener as LeBron James and Bronny James become the first father-son duo to play as teammates in an NBA game. JJ Redick’s first win was sparked by the Lakers holding Minnesota to just 42 first-half points. Anthony Davis dominated with 36 points, Rui Hachimura had 18, LeBron James had 16 and Austin Reaves scored 12, the Lakers shooting five of 30 from three-point range. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 27.

Dec. 2 in Minneapolis

Timberwolves 109, Lakers 80

The Lakers had a season low for points, playing without an injured Austin Reaves (hip contusion). The team made only six of 31 from three, with D’Angelo Russell making four of them. Anthony Edwards shot just three of 13 , but three different Minnesota reserves scored in double figures off the bench.

Read more:Lakers rest on final day of regular season, prep to face Timberwolves in playoffs

Dec. 13 in Minneapolis

Timberwolves 97, Lakers 87

The Lakers offense was only slightly better in Austin Reaves’ first game back from injury. LeBron James was out dealing with a foot injury. Four players not currently on the roster played significant minutes — Anthony Davis, Max Christie, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish.

Feb. 27 in Los Angeles

Lakers 111, Timberwolves 102

Playing with their full rotation, the Lakers held Minnesota to 17 first-quarter points while leading by as many as 17 points. LeBron James scored 33 and grabbed 17 rebounds while Austin Reaves had 23 and Luka Doncic 21 against Minnesota, which was playing without Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. Rookie Terrance Shannon Jr. led Minnesota with 25 points off the bench. Anthony Edwards got ejected and played just 26 minutes.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Why Parsons believes Butler's impact will help Draymond win DPOY originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”

Retired NBA veteran Chandler Parsons believes Warriors forward Draymond Green will win the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year award because of Jimmy Butler’s impact.

Parsons laid out his reasoning on Monday’s edition of FanDuel’s “Run It Back Show” with co-hosts Michelle Beadle and Lou Williams.

“They’re a much better team with Jimmy Butler – that’s undeniable,” Parsons told Beadle and Williams. “They’ve struggled as of late, [but] they’re so much better defensively. Draymond Green is going to win Defensive Player of the Year because Jimmy Butler went there and their team got way better defensively – and he’s great defensively.

“Offensively, defensively, they’re a better overall team with Jimmy Butler.”

Golden State has won 23 of 30 games Butler has played in since acquiring the six-time NBA All-Star on Feb. 5 in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Heat, so while Dub Nation might be torn after the Warriors’ 124-119 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Chase Center, it would be wise to lean into the franchise’s big-picture momentum entering Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Nonetheless, Green individually has flourished since Butler’s arrival and has generated serious buzz to earn Defensive Player of the Year, an award he has won once before in 2016-17. Green has averaged 1.9 steals, 1.0 blocks and 6.2 rebounds in the 31 games since Butler’s first Warriors appearance – on Feb. 8, a 132-11 win over Butler’s former Chicago Bulls in which he scored 25 points – and is viewed as a finalist among other top-notch defenders such as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley, Houston Rockets’ Amen Thompson and Clippers’ Ivica Zubac.

The Warriors have their work cut out for them as they pursue their fifth NBA championship in 11 seasons. And Parsons doesn’t want people to forget how Butler has helped Golden State and Green emerge as contenders for the league’s highest honors.

But most importantly, Parsons isn’t writing off the Warriors.

“So I can’t sit here and say teams figured them out,” Parsons said. “I think [the Warriors] are going to have to make some adjustments on the fly [about] how Steph [Curry] is being guarded. But the other guys got to step up. … It’s going to be a collective effort from them.”

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How this year's Celtics compared to 2024 championship squad originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The 2023-24 Boston Celtics steamrolled their opponents en route to Banner 18, cruising to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and posting a 16-3 record in the playoffs.

While they’ve remained one of the NBA’s top teams during their title defense, the road to a repeat won’t be a cakewalk.

Unlike their predecessors, the 2024-25 Celtics weren’t the most dominant team in the league, or even their own conference. The Oklahoma City Thunder owned the best regular-season record at 68-14 to claim the top seed in the Western Conference, while the Cleveland Cavaliers edged out the 61-21 Celtics for the top spot in the East with a 64-18 finish.

Boston dropped both of its regular-season matchups against Oklahoma City and split its season series against Cleveland, 2-2.

Statistically, the 2024-25 Celtics came up short in nearly every major category compared to the 2023-24 championship squad. Aside from a slight edge in opponent points per game, this year’s team only surpassed last year’s in 3-point attempts and makes. (They set NBA records in both categories.)

The 2023-24 Celtics led in points per game, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, offensive rating, defensive rating, and net rating.

Of course, while they may not be the juggernaut like the championship group, the 2024-25 Celtics still should be considered a heavy favorite to win it all. Their only rough patch of the season came in December and January, when they went a mediocre 11-9 over a 20-game span with a 3-8 record after wins. Since Jan. 25, Boston has rediscovered its championship identity with a 30-7 record.

As reigning champs, the C’s have excelled despite having a target on their back. Superstar Jayson Tatum has embraced the unique challenge of defending a title.

“It’s been a lot of fun, honestly, this year,” Tatum said before the team’s penultimate regular-season game against Charlotte. “Bringing everybody back besides Oshae (Brissett), we have such a joy and a connection with each other. There was some tough moments, but with one game left in the season I can say that everybody has felt valued, everybody has played a part in our success this season, everybody understands the common goal that we share, and we know who we are. We know who we are individually, we know what we bring to this team and to make it what it is, and we have so much fun doing what we do.

“We realize when you’re on special teams, and you’re with special guys, you just try to cherish those moments. The season goes by fast, but it’s been a fun one so far.”

The No. 2 seed Celtics will meet the winner of Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament showdown between the No. 8 Atlanta Hawks and No. 7 Orlando Magic in Round 1 of the playoffs. If they advance, they will meet the Detroit Pistons or New York Knicks in the East semifinals.

Game 1 at TD Garden is scheduled for Sunday, April 20 with the tip-off time to be determined.

Tatum joins Larry Bird as only Celtics to accomplish this rare feat originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum played arguably the best basketball of his career this season, and he made some team history in the process.

Tatum led the C’s in total points (1932), rebounds (623), assists (431) and steals (76). As a result, he joined Larry Bird as the only players to lead the Celtics in all four categories during a single season multiple times.

Tatum also accomplished this feat in the 2020-21 campaign.

Tatum led the C’s with 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and six assists per game this season. He has scored 26-plus points per game in five consecutive seasons. His 250 made 3-pointers were the most of any forward in the league this season. No other forward made more than 200.

The 26-year-old superstar should make first team All-NBA for the fourth straight season. The last Celtics player to do that was Bird, who made All-NBA first team in eight straight seasons from 1979-80 through 1987-88.

Regular season success is great, but Tatum and the Celtics have higher goals.

The 2025 NBA playoffs begin this weekend, where the C’s will try to repeat as champions.

Boston’s first-round opponent will be the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in tournament game between the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks.

The 2024-25 regular season is a wrap for the Knicks. After a 113-105 win on Sunday afternoon against  the Nets, the Knicks finished third in the East with a 51-31 record. The Knicks had a relatively predictable season. Jalen Brunson led the team in scoring for a second consecutive season, Mikal Bridges played all 82 games again and the years-long debate of Tom Thibodeau’s rotations and minutes distributions continued.

There were a few surprises from this year's team that stood out from New York’s regular season that weren’t expected at the season’s start.

Free-throw merchant

OG Anunoby has never been a foul magnet. In the first seven seasons of his career, Anunoby averaged 2.1 free-throw attempts per 36 minutes. That trend continued at the start of this season, but a massive shift has occurred over the final month.

Anunoby has averaged 4.7 free-throw attempts per 36 minutes in the last 18 games. His freebie uptick has been mainly due to driving into the paint with a head of steam. Anunoby’s also attacked mismatches in the post and established a gather step move that draws fouls on a regular basis.

OG with the slam! 💥 pic.twitter.com/YCkSXFfKoy

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 20, 2025

The free-throw boost from the Knicks’ demon has led to a boost in scoring (22.7 points) during this late stretch. Anunoby was relatively quiet offensively in New York’s two recent losses to the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Knicks are going to exceed expectations in the postseason, the club will need him to continue being aggressive.

Three-point averse

When the Knicks acquired Karl-Anthony Towns and Bridges this past offseason, the thought was that the Knicks would be able to launch three-pointers on a regular basis. Towns specifically is one of the most efficient three-point shooting big men in NBA history.

However, that wasn’t the case this season. The Knicks don’t take threes often. New York was 26th in three-point attempts per 100 possessions this season.

Despite the limited hoists from beyond the arc, the Knicks finished the season eighth in three-point percentage, converting 36.9 percent of their long distance attempts. One of the reasons for New York’s top-five finish in offensive efficiency was the team’s three-point shooting accuracy. There’s no reason the Knicks can’t get up more threes. The club features eight rotation players that shot over league-average (36 percent) this season.

The team’s shot diet is geared more toward the midrange: 7.8 percent of New York’s points came from the midrange, fifth in the league, per NBA Stats. If the Knicks advance to a second round showdown with the Celtics, outside shooting will be a significant conversation. In Boston’s 4-0 sweep of the Knicks in the regular season, the Celtics attempted 65 more threes.

Bench positives

The Knicks bench is thin. All season, New York’s reserves have been last in the NBA in scoring by a wide margin.

But when the bench is on the floor, New York is winning. Surprisingly, the highest net rating on the team during the regular season belongs to Cameron Payne. During the backup point guard’s minutes, the Knicks have outscored teams by 9.1 points per 100 possessions. In second place is Miles McBride (plus-7.1 points per 100 possessions).

The two reserve guards have played a considerable amount with Towns, which has yielded positive results. In 353 minutes together, the trio has outscored opponents by 12.0 points per 100 possessions according to PBP Stats. There is some noise to those numbers. Payne and McBride have played heavy minutes in the early stages of the second and fourth quarters when other teams have their bench units on the floor too.

But it does show that the Knicks bench isn’t as much of a weakness when looking beyond raw stats like points scored.

Luka ends 12-year Steph, LeBron top NBA jersey sales streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Luka Dončić’s trade from Dallas and arrival in Los Angeles changed the NBA landscape in more ways than one this year — catapulting the Lakers up the Western Conference standings and sending Luka’s No. 77 purple and gold jersey into the history books.

Dončić becomes the first international player to lead the NBA in jersey sales in an season by besting Steph Curry and Lakers teammate LeBron James, who finished No. 2 and No. 3 in sales, respectively.

The Lakers’ star also is the first player other than Curry or James to top the list since the 2012-13 NBA season, when Carmelo Anthony earned the top spot playing as a member of the New York Knicks.

Luka Dončić is the NBA’s new top jersey-seller … and the first player not named Stephen Curry or LeBron James to sell the NBA’s most jerseys in a season since 2012-13 … and the first international player to lead the league.

More NBA from me: https://t.co/3dNEEu2e4Mpic.twitter.com/yiIZBxbiUi

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 14, 2025

The top 5 players in jersey sales are: 

1. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
3. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
5. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

The Lakers lead the way in terms of team merchandise sales, also boosted by Luka’s No. 77 jersey selling.

When 2024-25 season sales were tallied in January, the Celtics led at the season’s midpoint.

Like Curry, the Celtics hung on to the No. 2 overall team spot.

The Warriors finished a respectable third, while the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls rounded out the top five in team sales.

Suns fire head coach Mike Budenholzer after missing playoffs in lone season originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Phoenix Suns are once again looking for a new head coach.

Mike Budenholzer was fired on Monday following a 36-46 season in which the Suns finished 11th in the Western Conference, missing the Play-In Tournament by three games.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported news of the firing and the team later confirmed the decision.

“Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season,” the Suns’ statement read. “Our fans deserve better. Change is needed.”

This is the third straight year that the Suns have fired their head coach, with Monty Williams canned in 2023 and Frank Vogel let go in 2024. Phoenix won 45 games in 2022-23, then 49 games in 2023-24 before regressing this season to 36.

Budenholzer’s team was third-worst on defense in the NBA and went just 10-18 after the All-Star break as the squad plummeted out of contention.

The Suns have one of the most expensive rosters in the NBA, led by a trio of stars in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. The experiment of adding Durant and Beal hasn’t worked out for new owner Mat Ishbia, as the team has gone downhill since losing in the 2021 NBA Finals — ironically to Budenholzer’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Booker, Durant and Beal — who make more than $50 million each annually — are all under contract for next season. Other players on the books include Cody Martin, Nick Richards, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.

Suns fire head coach Mike Budenholzer after missing playoffs in lone season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phoenix Suns are once again looking for a new head coach.

Mike Budenholzer was fired on Monday following a 36-46 season in which the Suns finished 11th in the Western Conference, missing the Play-In Tournament by three games.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported news of the firing and the team later confirmed the decision.

“Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season,” the Suns’ statement read. “Our fans deserve better. Change is needed.”

This is the third straight year that the Suns have fired their head coach, with Monty Williams canned in 2023 and Frank Vogel let go in 2024. Phoenix won 45 games in 2022-23, then 49 games in 2023-24 before regressing this season to 36.

Budenholzer’s team was third-worst on defense in the NBA and went just 10-18 after the All-Star break as the squad plummeted out of contention.

The Suns have one of the most expensive rosters in the NBA, led by a trio of stars in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. The experiment of adding Durant and Beal hasn’t worked out for new owner Mat Ishbia, as the team has gone downhill since losing in the 2021 NBA Finals — ironically to Budenholzer’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Booker, Durant and Beal — who make more than $50 million each annually — are all under contract for next season. Other players on the books include Cody Martin, Nick Richards, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.

4 takeaways on Morey and Nurse's press conference following nightmare season  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Daryl Morey’s wildest nightmares never included him speaking to reporters after the Sixers’ 58th and final loss of the season.

“For me personally, it was obviously the toughest season of my career,” the Sixers’ president of basketball operations said Sunday.

“I’ll just say personally, I’ll spend every waking hour figuring out how to turn this team around going into next season.”

In his opening statement, Morey noted that himself and head coach Nick Nurse “will be back” following an injury-saturated, brutally disappointing year.

Here are four takeaways on their joint press conference: 

‘Very optimistic’ on Embiid 

According to a Sixers official, Joel Embiid wasn’t present for the team’s season finale because he had a follow-up appointment and rehab in New York City days after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Essentially every Sixer asked Sunday about Embiid said he’d be hoping and praying for the best. 

Morey said he thinks Embiid should return to “100 percent” and indicated there’s reasons for encouragement besides general faith. 

“Dr. (Jonathan L.) Glashow, who did the surgery, is very optimistic about his prognosis,” Morey said. “After a lot of work — working with over 10 doctors, six in person who examined him — and a long process to get to the right answer, we feel great that Dr. Glashow is the right answer and that the surgery went so well. 

“And we like that Dr. Glashow is going to do a lot of the early rehab with Joel in person. He has a great track record with a lot of great players in this league to have them come back strong.”

Grimes and Yabusele’s futures 

Though Morey tends to consider all possibilities, it appears unlikely the Sixers will make extreme changes to their roster this summer.

Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are each in the early stages of long-term, big-money contracts. Morey highlighted the Sixers’ plan of being a “younger, more dynamic group” around their stars next season, and rookies Jared McCain, Adem Bona and Justin Edwards certainly align with that vision. 

However, the Sixers still have meaningful decisions to come in free agency. Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele stand out. 

Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals after being traded to the Sixers in February. The 24-year-old guard is set to become a restricted free agent.

“I think he was a real bright spot,” Morey said. “We’re excited for him to come back. We’ve positioned ourselves to bring him back. He had multiple 40-point performances. His defense we think really fits well with Tyrese. We think he’s a very good fit there. And we think with Joel, Paul and Tyrese, he’s a very good fit.”

Yabusele wound up being a bargain one-year signing for the Sixers on a minimum salary. He was second on the team with 70 games played and reliably adaptable, energetic and intelligent. 

“We love what Guerschon was able to bring,” Morey said. “I think that was a great job by our scouting department and a great job by the coaching staff getting the most out of him. Just like Paul, he got pressed into some roles that were a little different that he thought. We thought he was going to play more of the four, and he’s excelled there. He gave us a lot of minutes at the five as well. 

“With the team going forward, I think his mix of minutes will be a little different when we’re healthy. And we really like his fit going forward, so we would like to retain him. Obviously, he’s an unrestricted free agent so it’s not for sure that happens, but we would like to retain him.”

Pinpointing roster flaws 

Whatever problem you inspect with the 2024-25 Sixers, you stare right into the injury sun. 

Morey and Nurse both acknowledged other issues, though. 

“It’s hard to look into the stats too much as a whole this year, right? … I think that the game keeps getting faster and faster, and more dynamic,” Nurse said. “Just for really basic things — defensive transition and defensive rebounding. We just need to be a little bigger, longer, more athletic, just to get that basic thing under control.” 

The stats do support Nurse’s view. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Sixers ranked last in the NBA in defensive rebounding rate. They were 28th in opponents’ points added per 100 possessions through transition play.

Morey admitted he “didn’t put enough emphasis on the team getting through the regular season.” 

“I do think the playoffs are still going to be pretty veteran-heavy and sort of a war out there, where the foul calls will go down and things like that,” he said. “But the regular season has turned really high-effort. Just to call out one area, it used to be every team was just dropping back after their shot. Now teams have length and athleticism, and they’re high-effort both attacking the offensive glass and being able to get back in transition. 

“It’s just a very high-effort regular season, so that’s why we need to deliver a deeper, younger, more athletic, longer roster to Nick around our three main guys.”

Lottery on the horizon 

In the NBA draft lottery picture, the Sixers’ outlook is not shabby. 

They’ll have the fifth-best odds in the May 12 lottery. The Sixers must land a top-six pick to keep their first-round selection this year (instead of sending it to the Thunder) and there’s a 63.9 percent chance they will.

Morey also mentioned the Sixers got back their own second-rounder this year as part of the Grimes-Caleb Martin trade. That pick is No. 35.

“That’s going to be a tool for us. … If you look at teams that make aggressive moves like us and then have a rough season, most of the time those teams have, like, no draft picks,” Morey said. “We have above-average draft picks going forward to improve the team for next season.”

And, if the lottery breaks as the Sixers hope, how will Morey approach the draft?

“Definitely best player available,” he said. “It has to be that in the draft for sure, but we see the pick as sort of a tool to upgrade the team. It will matter if it’s one, two, three, four, five, six, or we just have the pick in the future. … It’s just a tool to make the team better, but there’s obviously a good chance we take someone.

“In that case, it will just be the best player. I’ve never shied from that.”

4 takeaways on Morey and Nurse's press conference following nightmare season  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Daryl Morey’s wildest nightmares never included him speaking to reporters after the Sixers’ 58th and final loss of the season.

“For me personally, it was obviously the toughest season of my career,” the Sixers’ president of basketball operations said Sunday. “I’ll just say personally, I’ll spend every waking hour figuring out how to turn this team around going into next season.”

In his opening statement, Morey noted that himself and head coach Nick Nurse “will be back” following an injury-saturated, brutally disappointing year.

Here are four takeaways on their joint press conference: 

‘Very optimistic’ on Embiid 

According to a Sixers official, Joel Embiid wasn’t present for the team’s season finale because he had a follow-up appointment and rehab in New York City days after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Essentially every Sixer asked Sunday about Embiid said he’d be hoping and praying for the best. 

Morey said he thinks Embiid should return to “100 percent” and indicated there’s reasons for encouragement besides general faith. 

“Dr. (Jonathan L.) Glashow, who did the surgery, is very optimistic about his prognosis,” Morey said. “After a lot of work — working with over 10 doctors, six in person who examined him — and a long process to get to the right answer, we feel great that Dr. Glashow is the right answer and that the surgery went so well. 

“And we like that Dr. Glashow is going to do a lot of the early rehab with Joel in person. He has a great track record with a lot of great players in this league to have them come back strong.”

Grimes and Yabusele’s futures 

Though Morey tends to consider all possibilities, it appears unlikely the Sixers will make extreme changes to their roster this summer.

Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are each in the early stages of long-term, big-money contracts. Morey highlighted the Sixers’ plan of being a “younger, more dynamic group” around their stars next season, and rookies Jared McCain, Adem Bona and Justin Edwards certainly align with that vision. 

However, the Sixers still have meaningful decisions to come in free agency. Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele stand out. 

Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals after being traded to the Sixers in February. The 24-year-old guard is set to become a restricted free agent.

“I think he was a real bright spot,” Morey said. “We’re excited for him to come back. We’ve positioned ourselves to bring him back. He had multiple 40-point performances. His defense we think really fits well with Tyrese. We think he’s a very good fit there. And we think with Joel, Paul and Tyrese, he’s a very good fit.”

Yabusele wound up being a bargain one-year signing for the Sixers on a minimum salary. He was second on the team with 70 games played and reliably adaptable, energetic and intelligent. 

“We love what Guerschon was able to bring,” Morey said. “I think that was a great job by our scouting department and a great job by the coaching staff getting the most out of him. Just like Paul, he got pressed into some roles that were a little different that he thought. We thought he was going to play more of the four, and he’s excelled there. He gave us a lot of minutes at the five as well. 

“With the team going forward, I think his mix of minutes will be a little different when we’re healthy. And we really like his fit going forward, so we would like to retain him. Obviously, he’s an unrestricted free agent so it’s not for sure that happens, but we would like to retain him.”

Pinpointing roster flaws 

Whatever problem you inspect with the 2024-25 Sixers, you stare right into the injury sun. 

Morey and Nurse both acknowledged other issues, though. 

“It’s hard to look into the stats too much as a whole this year, right? … I think that the game keeps getting faster and faster, and more dynamic,” Nurse said. “Just for really basic things — defensive transition and defensive rebounding. We just need to be a little bigger, longer, more athletic, just to get that basic thing under control.” 

The stats do support Nurse’s view. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Sixers ranked last in the NBA in defensive rebounding rate. They were 28th in opponents’ points added per 100 possessions through transition play.

Morey admitted he “didn’t put enough emphasis on the team getting through the regular season.” 

“I do think the playoffs are still going to be pretty veteran-heavy and sort of a war out there, where the foul calls will go down and things like that,” he said. “But the regular season has turned really high-effort. Just to call out one area, it used to be every team was just dropping back after their shot. Now teams have length and athleticism, and they’re high-effort both attacking the offensive glass and being able to get back in transition. 

“It’s just a very high-effort regular season, so that’s why we need to deliver a deeper, younger, more athletic, longer roster to Nick around our three main guys.”

Lottery on the horizon 

In the NBA draft lottery picture, the Sixers’ outlook is not shabby. 

They’ll have the fifth-best odds in the May 12 lottery. The Sixers must land a top-six pick to keep their first-round selection this year (instead of sending it to the Thunder) and there’s a 63.9 percent chance they will.

Morey also mentioned the Sixers got back their own second-rounder this year as part of the Grimes-Caleb Martin trade. That pick is No. 35.

“That’s going to be a tool for us. … If you look at teams that make aggressive moves like us and then have a rough season, most of the time those teams have, like, no draft picks,” Morey said. “We have above-average draft picks going forward to improve the team for next season.”

And, if the lottery breaks as the Sixers hope, how will Morey approach the draft?

“Definitely best player available,” he said. “It has to be that in the draft for sure, but we see the pick as sort of a tool to upgrade the team. It will matter if it’s one, two, three, four, five, six, or we just have the pick in the future. … It’s just a tool to make the team better, but there’s obviously a good chance we take someone.

“In that case, it will just be the best player. I’ve never shied from that.”

4 takeaways on Morey and Nurse's press conference following nightmare season  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Daryl Morey’s wildest nightmares never included him speaking to reporters after the Sixers’ 58th and final loss of the season.

“For me personally, it was obviously the toughest season of my career,” the Sixers’ president of basketball operations said Sunday. “’l’ll just say personally, I’ll spend every waking hour figuring out how to turn this team around going into next season.”

In his opening statement, Morey noted that himself and head coach Nick Nurse “will be back” following an injury-saturated, brutally disappointing year.

Here are four takeaways on their joint press conference: 

‘Very optimistic’ on Embiid 

According to a Sixers official, Joel Embiid wasn’t present for the team’s season finale because he had a follow-up appointment and rehab in New York City days after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Essentially every Sixer asked Sunday about Embiid said he’d be hoping and praying for the best. 

Morey said he thinks Embiid should return to “100 percent” and indicated there’s reasons for encouragement besides general faith. 

“Dr. (Jonathan L.) Glashow, who did the surgery, is very optimistic about his prognosis,” Morey said. “After a lot of work — working with over 10 doctors, six in person who examined him — and a long process to get to the right answer, we feel great that Dr. Glashow is the right answer and that the surgery went so well. 

“And we like that Dr. Glashow is going to do a lot of the early rehab with Joel in person. He has a great track record with a lot of great players in this league to have them come back strong.”

Grimes and Yabusele’s futures 

Though Morey tends to consider all possibilities, it appears unlikely the Sixers will make extreme changes to their roster this summer.

Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are each in the early stages of long-term, big-money contracts. Morey highlighted the Sixers’ plan of being a “younger, more dynamic group” around their stars next season, and rookies Jared McCain, Adem Bona and Justin Edwards certainly align with that vision. 

However, the Sixers still have meaningful decisions to come in free agency. Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele stand out. 

Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals after being traded to the Sixers in February. The 24-year-old guard is set to become a restricted free agent.

“I think he was a real bright spot,” Morey said. “We’re excited for him to come back. We’ve positioned ourselves to bring him back. He had multiple 40-point performances. His defense we think really fits well with Tyrese. We think he’s a very good fit there. And we think with Joel, Paul and Tyrese, he’s a very good fit.”

Yabusele wound up being a bargain one-year signing for the Sixers on a minimum salary. He was second on the team with 70 games played and reliably adaptable, energetic and intelligent. 

“We love what Guerschon was able to bring,” Morey said. “I think that was a great job by our scouting department and a great job by the coaching staff getting the most out of him. Just like Paul, he got pressed into some roles that were a little different that he thought. We thought he was going to play more of the four, and he’s excelled there. He gave us a lot of minutes at the five as well. 

“With the team going forward, I think his mix of minutes will be a little different when we’re healthy. And we really like his fit going forward, so we would like to retain him. Obviously, he’s an unrestricted free agent so it’s not for sure that happens, but we would like to retain him.”

Pinpointing roster flaws 

Whatever problem you inspect with the 2024-25 Sixers, you stare right into the injury sun. 

Morey and Nurse both acknowledged other issues, though. 

“It’s hard to look into the stats too much as a whole this year, right? … I think that the game keeps getting faster and faster, and more dynamic,” Nurse said. “Just for really basic things — defensive transition and defensive rebounding. We just need to be a little bigger, longer, more athletic, just to get that basic thing under control.” 

The stats do support Nurse’s view. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Sixers ranked last in the NBA in defensive rebounding rate. They were 28th in opponents’ points added per 100 possessions through transition play.

Morey admitted he “didn’t put enough emphasis on the team getting through the regular season.” 

“I do think the playoffs are still going to be pretty veteran-heavy and sort of a war out there, where the foul calls will go down and things like that,” he said. “But the regular season has turned really high-effort. Just to call out one area, it used to be every team was just dropping back after their shot. Now teams have length and athleticism, and they’re high-effort both attacking the offensive glass and being able to get back in transition. 

“It’s just a very high-effort regular season, so that’s why we need to deliver a deeper, younger, more athletic, longer roster to Nick around our three main guys.”

Lottery on the horizon 

In the NBA draft lottery picture the Sixers’ outlook is not shabby. 

They’ll have the fifth-best odds in the May 12 lottery. The Sixers must land a top-six pick to keep their first-round selection this year (instead of sending it to the Thunder) and there’s a 63.9 percent chance they will.

Morey also mentioned the Sixers got back their own second-rounder this year as part of the Grimes-Caleb Martin trade. That pick is No. 35.

“That’s going to be a tool for us. … If you look at teams that make aggressive moves like us and then have a rough season, most of the time those teams have, like, no draft picks,” Morey said. “We have above-average draft picks going forward to improve the team for next season.”

And, if the lottery breaks as the Sixers hope, how will Morey approach the draft?

“Definitely best player available,” he said. “It has to be that in the draft for sure, but we see the pick as sort of a tool to upgrade the team. It will matter if it’s one, two, three, four, five, six, or we just have the pick in the future. … It’s just a tool to make the team better, but there’s obviously a good chance we take someone.

“In that case, it will just be the best player. I’ve never shied from that.”

Celtics have these two picks in 2025 NBA Draft after 61-win season originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Not many teams in the NBA playoffs own their first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but the defending champion Boston Celtics do.

The regular season ended Sunday, and the Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets to complete a 61-win season. It’s the first time Boston has won 60-plus games in back-to-back years for the first time since 2007-08 and 2008-09.

The first 14 picks of the upcoming draft will be decided via the NBA Draft Lottery next month. The final 16 picks in the first round and the entire second round are determined by final regular season record, which means the C’s have the following picks:

• First round: No. 28
• Second round: No. 32 (via Washington Wizards)

Boston’s own second-round pick (No. 57 overall) is going to the Orlando Magic as part of a previous trade.

The Celtics, Magic and Indiana Pacers are the only playoff teams that currently own their 2025 first-round pick.

The C’s also have the No. 2 overall pick in the second round, via the Wizards, from a previous trade. This is actually a pretty valuable pick because the Celtics will be able to get a first-round caliber player but not have to pay a first-round salary.

The Celtics have a very expensive payroll as a team in the second apron. The best way for these kinds of teams to quickly reload and build strong depth is to draft well because rookies are on cheap contracts.

So it’s important for the Celtics to get a decent player with one or both of their picks in the 2025 draft. And to their credit, they’ve done a good job making the most of their late picks in recent years:

• 2024: Baylor Scheierman (30th overall, Round 1)
• 2022: JD Davison (53rd overall, Round 2)
• 2020: Payton Pritchard (26th overall, Round 1)
• 2019: Grant Williams (22nd overall, Round 1)
• 2018: Robert Williams (27th overall, Round 1)

The 2025 NBA Draft begins Wednesday, June 25.

‘Hungry' Celtics leaning into historic opportunity to repeat as champs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The primary goal of the 2024-25 Boston Celtics has never been in doubt. And yet, members of the team occasionally have bristled at questions about the challenges of trying to repeat as NBA champions.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla railed against the idea of the Celtics being the hunted this season, and when asked about the pressure to repeat as champions on the eve of a new season, responded, “We’re all going to be dead soon, and it really doesn’t matter.”

Jayson Tatum repeatedly rejected the suggestion of Boston “defending” its title while pointing out that no one can ever take away what they did by winning in 2024.

For much of the 2024-25 season, the Celtics embraced the process of navigating an 82-game grind with a focus on not skipping steps despite the fact that their only true goal could not be accomplished until June.

Only in recent weeks has the team finally opened the conversation about the opportunity in front of them. Despite all the banners that hang above the parquet floor, no Celtics team has repeated as champions since the 1968-69 Celtics during Bill Russell’s final season as player/coach. No NBA team has repeated as champions in the past half decade, with the 2017-18 Warriors the last to do such.

Winning consecutive titles elevates a team’s legacy. Winning one is impressive, and as Tatum stresses, that can’t be taken away. But skeptics will nitpick the path and your place in history. Winning consecutive crowns pushes teams into a different echelon.

And the Celtics are embracing that opportunity.

“Joe had a great meeting [late in the season] and great speech — we’re going for something big, we’re going for something that hasn’t been done [for 56 years] in Celtics history [and] for a while now in the NBA,” said Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis. “And we have to take that challenge.

“We have to look at it as something bigger than what we did last year. It’s like a compound effect. If we can do it again, that will make it twice as big as last year, almost. That’s the beautiful thing about it. We have to go for it, utilize this time that we have.”

A second title eliminates so much of the “what could have been” that tends to linger with teams. The 2007-08 Celtics steamrolled to Banner 17 after Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined forces with Paul Pierce. But the 2008-09 squad might have been even better until Garnett’s knee injury derailed the quest to repeat.

That Big Three will forever be revered, but falling short in 2009 and 2010 forever leaves team members wondering if they could have won more. That the rival Lakers won consecutive titles in those two seasons doesn’t make it any easier.

The window for that last Big Three era stayed open longer than most expected, not slamming shut until Boston tripped up in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. The core of this current champion Celtics team knows that little is promised given the bloated cost of the roster, and that forces players to embrace the moment a little bit more.

“There is only a [small] amount of teams that have [repeated] in history and … it’s been over 50 years since the last time it’s been done [in Boston]. So that creates a desire and a hunger,” said Jaylen Brown. “A lot of times you’re going into series and they’re going to be like, ‘The other team is going to be more hungry.’ I think it’s a lot harder to win two than it is to win one, if I’m not mistaken.

“So, I think we’re chasing that. I think we’re hungry about that. And I think we’re going to go into some of these series [as] the hungrier team.”

So much of the concern entering the 2024-25 season was that the Celtics might not have the same day-to-day motivation after winning a title; that having to wait eight months to even have a chance to win another crown might conspire against them.

Instead, Boston ripped off 61 regular-season wins, produced the best road record in team history, and put up numbers only slightly less glitzy than their title season. Now, as the Celtics wait to find out their Round 1 opponent, there is a renewed hunger for what’s ahead.

“I feel like we understand [the opportunity], but more than that, I’m really hungry for it,” said 38-year-old Al Horford. “I’m really driven. I really want this for our group and for the Celtics organization. It’s one of those things that I’m just more excited, I feel like, this year than last year. So just very determined for us to get this done.”

Horford is one of the few in the Celtics’ locker room that knows what it takes to repeat on the big stage (Top assistant Sam Cassell won back-to-back NBA titles during his first two seasons in the league). Horford won consecutive national titles with the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007, and how divine that he got to watch them win another one this past month, with Mazzulla adamantly encouraging him to make the trek to San Antonio to see the title game in person.

Horford said he’ll let pundits argue over where the Celtics slot historically, but he isn’t bashful now about reminding teammates of the opportunity to position themselves among the most revered.

“Those are things that people will have to talk about and figure out, where they want to put us and do all these things,” said Horford. “But, for us, the group that we have, and the things that we’re trying to do, this would be pretty unique. Just looking at Celtics history, the last time was late 60s for a back-to-back. So, for us, it would be pretty special.”

Mazzulla initially bristled when this reporter started a recent interview with questions about the opportunity to repeat. Up until that point, the topic had been an unstated goal in the Celtics’ locker room, with Mazzulla trying to keep the team focused on all the steps of the journey.

“I think when you compete for the Celtics, it doesn’t have to be talked about, because [winning a title is] an expectation every single year, regardless of the past result,” said Mazzulla. “Each and every single night, each and every year, we know what the standard is. And the standard is playing Celtics basketball. The standard is going after greatness with an opportunity to win.

“We haven’t been able to [repeat] in the past, but it guarantees nothing in the future. And we can’t be distracted by the result. We have to be consumed and focused on the process of what that looks like going after greatness on a nightly basis, but also as an organization. And it’s important to carry that responsibility all the time.”

Jrue Holiday won a title with the Bucks in 2021, but the team got ousted in the Eastern Conference semifinals — by the Celtics, fittingly– a year later. Like the other champions of the past half decade, those Bucks will be remembered for that title season, but few will discuss them with the reverence of the teams that won multiple crowns.

Holiday understands the opportunity in front of the Celtics.

“Nobody’s done it in damn near a decade,” said Holiday. “I think to take on that challenge and to go through that experience and go through that obstacle together as a team is something that I truly enjoy. But to be able to complete the goal or complete the task, is something that I feel like everybody on this team wants more than anything.

“It does not need to be said. I think if you know our team and if you know us personally and you know how big of competitors we are, winning is everything, and I feel like we showed that last year. Try to do it again.”