Category: NBA

Drafting the right players can make or break your fantasy basketball season, but knowing who to avoid is equally crucial. As we head into the 2025-26 NBA season, several big-name players carry significant bust potential despite their attractive ADPs. From injury concerns to reduced roles, these five NBA stars could derail your fantasy roster if you're not careful.

2025 Fantasy Basketball Busts

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (ADP 22)

News broke Thursday that James (sciatica) is going to miss the start of the regular season. It will mark the first time in his career that he will not be ready for a season opener. Injuries weren't a major issue for him last season, with him playing 70 games and averaging 35 minutes. He turned that hefty workload into averages of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.1 three-pointers per game.

It's not a decline in production that makes James someone to consider fading. He will turn 41 years old in December and is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he appeared in at least 70 games. The Lakers have needed him to play a ton based on their past roster construction, but they don't have the same issues this year. Luka Doncic can carry the load whenever James is out, and the Lakers have a good overall supporting cast that includes Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton. They also improved their depth with the additions of Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia. James' main goal is to be healthy for what he hopes will be a deep playoff run. Given his age, expect him to be very cautious with any injuries that come up. Even when he's healthy, he could see added rest days, especially down the stretch. He's too risky to be a second or third round pick in fantasy. 

Josh Hart, New York Knicks (ADP 55)

Hart was a breakout star for those who drafted him last season. He provided excellent all-around production, averaging 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 three-pointers. He also shot 52.5% from the field, which was up from 43.4% the season prior. Many fantasy managers were able to select him outside the top 100 in their leagues, making him one of the best values of the season.

Things could be very different for Hart this season. Tom Thibodeau was a very fantasy-friendly coach, often riding his starters heavy minutes. Hart was no exception, as he averaged 38 minutes while playing 77 games. Thibodeau is gone and has been replaced by Mike Brown. The Knicks have also improved their bench, bringing in Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele and Malcolm Brogdon. Hart could even lose his starting job to Mitchell Robinson, who missed most of last season while battling injury. In what could end up being a drastic decline in playing time, Hart is difficult to justify selecting this early in drafts.

Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets (ADP 67)

The Nuggets needed to make some moves to improve their cap situation and add depth. Their lack of talent on the bench was a big problem last season and contributed to them being ousted from the playoffs. In order to make bench additions, the Nuggets traded Porter to the Nets in a deal that landed them Cameron Johnson. Denver then used their cap flexibility to add Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas.

Porter goes from being the number three or four option on the Nuggets to being a leading man with Cam Thomas on the Nets. An increased usage rate should help his scoring upside. However, Porter now finds himself on a rebuilding team that is filled with rookies. The Nets aren't likely to make a run for a playoff spot, so we could see Porter rested down the stretch. Even if Porter gets off to a hot start with his new squad, he might not be able to maintain it.

Jordan Poole, New Orleans Pelicans (ADP 73)

After struggling in his first campaign with the Wizards, Poole bounced back to average 20.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.5 three-pointers last season. On the downside, he shot just 43.2% from the field and averaged 3.0 turnovers. He changed teams yet again this offseason, being moved to the Pelicans in a trade that sent C.J. McCollum to the Wizards.

Poole now finds himself part of a much more talented roster that includes Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III. That might make it difficult to maintain his 29.0% usage rate from last year. Dejounte Murray (Achilles) could also return around January, which could throw a wrinkle into Poole's playing time. Don't be surprised if Poole's scoring numbers take a significant hit this season.

Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers (ADP 77)

It couldn't have gone much worse for George during his first season with the 76ers. Injuries limited him to just 41 games. When he was on the floor, he wasn't very effective. He averaged only 16.2 points, breaking his streak of nine straight seasons in which he averaged at least 21.5 points. He also shot just 43.0% from the field. On the bright side, he did chip in 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.3 three-pointers per game.

While George is generally being drafted outside the top 75 this season, he's still someone to consider fading. His injury concerns are nothing new, as he has played more than 56 games in a season just one time since he left the Thunder following the 2018-19 campaign. He is currently dealing with a knee injury that could impact him at the start of the season. It's difficult to have much faith in the 35-year-old remaining healthy.

The question caused Lakers coach JJ Redick to say he was “not being combative" with his answer.

Asked if the Lakers are missing opportunities to practice more and build on-court chemistry because of their busy six-game preseason slate, Redick was quick to wonder why reporters were so concerned about the situation.

“You guys are really harping on this,” Redick responded.

So, Redick was asked, is it a thing or is it not a thing?

“I’m not being combative right now,” Redick said. “I just want to acknowledge that you guys, like the last four days, like it’s becoming a little bit obsessive with all these questions about opportunities lost. So, I will answer it again. These are the cards that we were dealt. I sure would like everybody to be healthy.”

Making the most out of the situation, the Lakers held off the Golden State Warriors 126-116 Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena despite not playing with LeBron James (sciatica), Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart (Achilles tendinopathy).

Redick said the plan is for Smart to “get two games [in] this week.”

Read more:LeBron James to miss Lakers' opening game because of sciatica issue

The Lakers have three remaining preseason games: Tuesday at Phoenix, Wednesday at Las Vegas against the Dallas Mavericks and Friday against the visiting Sacramento Kings — four games over a six-day span.

Redick was reminded that the Lakers as an organization have chosen to play six preseason games — the maximum allowed by the NBA.

“It’s something to be discussed I think going forward,” Redick said. “I think it’s awesome. I really do because we got to play in Palm Springs and I think it’s awesome that we get to play in Vegas and I recognize that there’s Lakers fans all over the world that maybe don’t get the chance to see us play.

"You hope that we can find some sort of balance in the future to get more practice time, less travel time. I’m sure at some point we’ll be one of the teams going overseas, so then that adds another scenario."

Redick did say for training camp purposes, practice tends to be more helpful in team building than preseason games.

“I think more practices would be beneficial," Redick said. “I do think the exposure to a game situation and playing against an opponent is very beneficial. You don’t have a lot of days anymore and to try to cram six games in there [and] four games in six nights, it’s significantly difficult.”

Against the Warriors on Sunday, Austin Reaves (21 points), Dalton Knecht (16), Rui Hachimura (16) and Deandre Ayton (14 points, eight rebounds, five assists) were on top of their games.

For Ayton, who was six for eight from the field and had a blocked shot, his joy came from the fans cheering him on. Sure, it was only a preseason game, but Ayton loved the vibe and the positive energy he felt.

It was Ayton’s first time playing at Crypto.com Arena since he signed a two-year, $16.6-million deal with the Lakers.

“It hit me in the whole arena today just hearing the fans and everybody cheering,” Ayton said. “It was kind of an unusual sound other than boos. ... It was everybody showing love and welcoming me to L.A. I played so freely and I had a lot of fun."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

What we learned as Brandin Podziemski dominates in Warriors' loss to Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Dating back to last season, the Warriors came into Sunday night having won eight consecutive preseason games. The streak came to an end in their 126-116 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. 

The Warriors were without multiple key contributors, including Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford and Moses Moody. Seth Curry missed his third straight preseason game after being a late signing to training camp, and De’Anthony Melton (knee) and Alex Toohey (ankle) continue to be out from injuries.

Vying for a starting position in the backcourt, Brandin Podziemski took advantage of being a focal point of the Warriors’ offense. Podziemski had nine points through the first half and then caught fire in the third, scoring 14. The Warriors then only trailed by five points going into the fourth quarter because of Podziemski’s efforts. 

Podziemski’s night was done, leaving the comeback attempt to the rest of his teammates. But Sunday night in LA belonged to Podziemski, showing how he can be a reliable scorer and playmaker, especially when the Warriors aren’t at full strength. Podziemski in 26 minutes scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting and also had five rebounds and eight assists. He was a plus-6.

Brandin Podziemski was able to score everywhere tonight

23 points
10-of-16 shooting
3 of 7 from 3
8 assists
5 rebounds pic.twitter.com/iAOQun7JtU

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) October 13, 2025

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ first loss of the preseason.

Shorthanded Starters

Down their top two players, adding Horford and Moody to the list of Warriors absences called for an interesting starting five. Coach Steve Kerr started with Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Quinten Post. Moody is out the rest of the preseason and will be re-evaluated in a week with what the Warriors are calling a strained calf. 

“We’re not too concerned about it. It’s just we’re being careful,” Kerr told reporters in LA. 

The age of the Warriors’ top players already guarantees Kerr will have to be comfortable with multiple combinations and consistently tinker with who his starters are. This was the perfect opportunity for several young Warriors and role players to step up. The score was tied 13-13 when Kerr made his first substitution, bringing Gary Payton II in for Post. 

Golden State’s starting five began the second half together, and came out strong trying to cut down a 17-point deficit. The Lakers’ lead was cut to 10 points with the Warriors outscoring the Lakers 21-14 through the first five and a half minutes of the third quarter when Kerr brought Payton in for Post.

Kuminga’s Highs And Lows

Offense will have to run through Kuminga on nights that Curry and Butler are out. There were moments where he showed he can step up with more responsibility, and others where consistency continues to be a problem.

Kuminga in the first quarter twice took advantage of Dalton Knecht switching onto him in the post. He also had three assists in the first quarter. Then in the second, Kuminga went from getting his ankles crossed on defense to throwing down an explosive dunk that only he can slam left-handed with ease and authority. 

No. 1, Jonathan Kuminga pic.twitter.com/IiIsaLsEB2

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 13, 2025

JK what was that???

📺 NBA League Pass pic.twitter.com/7chWeOeMI6

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 13, 2025

Kuminga in the first half scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and had four assists. His fourth was a dime to Pat Spencer cutting into the paint for a layup. But Kuminga also didn’t have one rebound at halftime, led the Warriors with five turnovers and was a game-low minus-18.

There were highs and lows in Kuminga’s third game of the preseason. Kuminga played 22 minutes and scored an efficient 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He dominated around the rim, but missed his only 2-point shot outside the paint and badly forced one of his three 3-point attempts. 

Jonathan Kuminga dominated around the rim

Kind of an up-and-down game, but the process has been positive pic.twitter.com/LpHp35Fgu3

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) October 13, 2025

The process overall has been positive. Kuminga is keeping his eyes up and mostly has been in flow of the offense. He finished with no rebounds, six assists and five turnovers as a minus-10.

Creating Space

Between offseason additions and the development of certain players, Kerr has raved over the space these Warriors can create. He now can have an offense that plays four-out, or even five-out. When at full strength, that is. 

The end of the first quarter saw a unit of Pat Spencer, Will Richard, Payton, Gui Santos and Trayce Jackson-Davis struggle to score with very little spacing. None of those five are considered threats to shoot from long distance. The start of the second quarter also was a struggle. 

That group featured Podziemski, Hield, Kuminga, Santos and Jackson-Davis. Those five give Kerr one surefire 3-point threat in Hield, and a hopeful second with Podziemski. The Warriors as a team in the first half shot 19 percent from three, going 4 of 21. Payton was the only bench player to make a three, and no Warrior made multiple threes. 

They also didn’t attempt a single free throw in the first half, while the Lakers went 13 of 15 at the line.

After making only four 3-pointers in the first half, the Warriors made three in the first two and a half minutes of the third quarter – two by Post and one from Podziemski – and five for the entire quarter. The Warriors made two more threes than the Lakers, 14 to 12, but shot a lowly 32.6 percent, which was far lower than LA’s 44.4 percent clip. Podziemski, Post and LJ Cryer were the only Warriors to make more than one three. 

Richard (1 of 6), Santos (1 of 5) and Spencer (1 of 5) combined to go 3 of 17 on threes.

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Sixers roll out Embiid-Bona frontcourt in Blue-White scrimmage  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid’s in the middle of a new twist to Sixers head coach Nick Nurse’s preseason tinkering.

Embiid featured Sunday in the Sixers’ annual Blue-White scrimmage at Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. And he shared the floor with another big man in Adem Bona. 

Nurse confirmed after the scrimmage that he’s “trying to look at Bona and Joel together.” With Paul George sidelined as he works back from a left knee injury and Trendon Watford out because of right hamstring tightness, it’s not yet clear how the Sixers will divvy up power forward minutes. Two-way contract player Dominick Barlow has played well this preseason and fellow two-way Jabari Walker has also been in the mix. 

Bona is an unconventional option, although Nurse noted his role may not change much alongside Embiid. The 22-year-old stuck almost exclusively to dunks, layups, put-backs and the occasional post-up his rookie year. In contrast, Embiid’s jump shooting and overall array of offensive skills have historically been giant strengths. 

“I think there’s kind of an open position at the four, especially right now with Paul not being quite ready yet,” Nurse said. “There’s a number of guys that we’re trying to work into that spot. … (Bona) is probably going to be more of the five. He’s going to play down toward the basket, rim protect and things like that. There’s certainly some drives and dump-offs to him … that are high-percentage plays. I like that part. He’ll help the rebounding, he’ll help the rim protection. We’ll see how it goes.”’

Bona brought his typical shot swatting to the scrimmage and stared down Johni Broome after denying the rookie a dunk. He’s pleased at the prospect of playing next to Embiid. 

“I think it brings another dynamic to the team,” Bona said. “It’s going to bring a huge amount of size and presence in the paint.” 

While Bona measured a tad over 6-foot-8 without shoes at the NBA draft combine, he indeed plays much bigger. The UCLA product’s wingspan is a shade under 7-4. He posted a 40-inch maximum vertical leap at the combine and sure seems to have added to that. 

Of course, most Sixers projections ride on Embiid’s health. He scrimmaged Sunday, moved smoothly and scored plenty. 

Joel Embiid with the slam at Sixers’ Blue-White scrimmage: pic.twitter.com/ocr2k27ZJd

— Noah Levick (@NoahLevick) October 12, 2025

The Sixers have avoided timelines in discussing Embiid’s return from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The scrimmage was his first live action in front of a crowd since Feb. 22. 

“I knew this would be the first time you guys had seen him for a long time,” Nurse said. “I don’t know how many weeks this is now — I’m losing track — but he’s been out there playing. Again, just trying to continue to progress. 

“Today was a good progression day. Lots of running, lots of 5-on-5, lots of early practice stuff, lots of 5-on-0. …  And then he went out there and did his thing. He shot the ball well, he scored well, he orchestrated the offense well. I thought he ran pretty good as well — both directions.”

Bona would love to see all of that translate to games. When the Sixers drafted him, he envisioned frontcourt minutes with Embiid.

“I’ve been working toward that,” he said, “and I’m really excited to see how that’s going to look.” 

Kings forward Keegan Murray out for start of NBA season with thumb injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings will be without one of their star players to begin the 2025-26 NBA season.

Sacramento forward Keegan Murray suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb in Friday’s preseason loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center, the team announced on Saturday.

The Kings also announced the 25-year-old will undergo surgery and will be re-evaluated in approximately 4-6 weeks.

Murray, entering his fourth season, is an integral player in coach Doug Christie’s system, averaging 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 44.4-percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent from 3-point range in 34.3 minutes last season.

Murray, who is expected to take another leap on both ends of the floor this campaign, never has missed more than eight games in any of his first three seasons. 

Heading into its first full season under coach Christie, Sacramento will be without a key two-way combo forward, at a minimum, for the first month of the regular season.

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At some point during the Lakers’ preseason, Luka Doncic will play in a game.

The question is when.

Even after being a full participant in practice Saturday, Lakers coach JJ Redick said that Doncic was “TBD” (to be determined) when asked if his star guard would play in Sunday’s exhibition game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.

Redick said Austin Reaves will play and that Marcus Smart will see action in his first preseason game of the season.

The Lakers will play six preseason games, three of them coming after the game against the Warriors.

After practice, Doncic was asked when he would play.

Read more:LeBron James to miss Lakers' opening game because of sciatica issue

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “We got to talk about it — JJ and my team. So, I don’t know yet. But I’m probably going to end up playing two games of the preseason.”

When the regular season starts Oct. 21 at home against the Warriors, Doncic will not have running mate LeBron James beside him.

James was diagnosed with sciatica nerve issue on his right side, the Lakers announced to the media Thursday, saying that he’ll be re-evaluated in approximately three to four weeks.

James and Doncic formed a great partnership when they played together after the shocking blockbuster trade last February.

Not having James to start the season has to be unsettling for Doncic and the Lakers.

“It’s a big change,” Doncic said. “He’s a great player. He can help us a lot. But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be next man up. We got a group of guys that have been practicing and hopefully LeBron can join us as soon as possible. We are going to obviously need him. But our mentality has got to be next man up. That’s it.”

Doncic will get plenty of help from Reaves, Smart, Deandre Ayton, Jared Vanderbilt and others with James out.

Still, the assumption is that Doncic will have to carry a heavy load with James sidelined.

“No. I don’t view it that way,” Doncic said. “I just want to play basketball. If I do less, if I do more, whatever it takes for me to get a win.”

James hasn’t practiced at all, but Doncic said that hasn’t stopped the two of them from figuring out the team can still function at a high level.

“It’s not everything about on the court. That’s what I’ve been saying,” Doncic said. “It’s about chemistry off the court, too. So, obviously, now it’s a little more off the court, but while we watched practices this week, we talked a lot about it.”

Lakers keep moving ahead without James

They had known over the summer that James had been dealing with “the nerve irritation,” Redick said, and so it wasn’t a total surprise James is going to be out with a sciatica issue.

Redick said James has been on the court “every day” doing individual work. He just hasn’t been able to practice with his teammates.

Redick was asked how James' inability to participate in practice affected his game planning for practice and going into the season knowing that he won’t be available for a while.

" No, no effect on practice planning,” Redick said. “And we haven't game-planned yet, so, no effect.”

Redick had not put too much emphasis on his starting lineup during training camp and during the preseason games.

But with James turning 41 in December, entering his 23rd season and being injured in training camp, Redick was asked if he could foresee having a lineup with James starting and another with him out.

"Potentially. Yeah,” he said. “Something that certainly has crossed my mind in the last couple days. Yeah…You hope that he's back soon. That's, those things are, those things can be tricky. So it, I don't think it's …

“We knew this going into camp, so it wasn't like it's changed anything for how we want to practice or what our philosophies are with the preseason games. It is unclear who's gonna be, what the starting lineup is gonna be. That's the reality until he is back. We'll have to figure that out.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mike Dunleavy lauds Brandin Podziemski's goal to become Warriors cornerstone originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry has been the face of the Warriors for the better part of two decades, but who’s next in line to carry that burden once the two-time NBA MVP decides to hang it up?

Brandin Podziemski recently stated his desire to earn that prestigious role, displaying a level of ambition that is appreciated by general manager Mike Dunleavy.

Dunleavy wouldn’t make a hard commitment to handing the keys of the franchise over to Podziemski, opting to see how the cards unfold when the time comes, as he explained further during an interview on 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru” Friday.

“I think we like his ambition overall. That’s part of the reason that makes him good,” Dunleavy told Matt Steinmentz and Daryl Johnson. “He believes in himself, he goes out there and shows it every night. So, on the whole, I like to see that. As far as the future goes, it’s so hard to predict. I think from his standpoint or any of our young players’ standpoint, who knows how good these guys are going to be … we’ll see where the chips fall.

“We love having BP. He has been an integral part of our team the last couple years, as has some of the young guys we drafted in the first round, second round, picked up, undrafted, whatever it may be. We feel good about our young group. But who knows five years from now what any of this is going to look like. So, we just want to focus on this year, putting together the best team we can do and we’ll kind of cross the bridge of everything else as it goes.”

Podziemski voiced his lofty goal during an exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Nick Friedell, detailing how warning that trust goes beyond just his skill on the court.

“When they leave this thing, they got to leave it with somebody,” Podziemski told Friedell. “How can I have their trust? And they can go to [owner] Joe [Lacob] and [general manager] Mike [Dunleavy] and be like, “Hey, we want to leave it with him. He’s going to continue what we’re leaving.

“So, I think about that all time, and I set myself up in that position to have that. And there’s a lot of other things than just skill that you need to be in that position.”

Podziemski is entering his third NBA season after being selected No. 19 overall in the 2023 draft, earning All-Rookie honors after a standout campaign in his first year as a professional.

The 22-year-old guard followed that up with another solid performance in his sophomore season, posting 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 64 appearances.

While Podziemski certainly has displayed the desired traits you’d seek in a leader, his long-term role will be sorted out when the time comes. For now, his, and every member of Golden State’s focus remains putting the Warriors in the best position possible to pursue a championship this season.

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Mike Dunleavy acknowledges uncertainty of Steve Kerr's Warriors coaching future originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors are focused on the present, but general manager Mike Dunleavy can’t ignore the uncertainty looming with Steve Kerr’s future as coach.

Dunleavy joined 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru” on Friday and discussed where things stand with Kerr as he enters the final year of a two-year contract he signed in February 2024.

“Yeah, I mean, I guess technically there is [uncertainty],” Dunleavy said. “This isn’t really a regular situation with a head coach where he’s in the last year of his deal. We know what it is with Steve. He’s been here a long time. He’s been an amazing part of this franchise, and as far as I’m concerned, can stay as long as he wants.

“We’re going to give him the grace of the season to go through it, or at least some of it, to see and feel where he’s at mentally and physically.”

With two years left on Steph Curry’s contract, two left on Draymond Green’s with a player option in the final year and Jimmy Butler also signed through the 2026-27 NBA season, it only feels right that Kerr would end his Warriors tenure with the guys he started it with.

When asked about it last week, Kerr told reporters he didn’t want to address it at that point because he wants to see how he feels in six months, adding that he’s “very comfortable” just going into the season with one year left on his deal.

“I get how maybe it doesn’t line up,” Dunleavy said, “but it’s hard to see Steve moving on, or to see Steph finish his career without Steve on the sidelines. I think it’ll all work out, but we’re not going to jump into anything. We’re going to go on Steve’s terms.

“And right now, he just wants to take it and see how the season goes. And no problem on our end.”

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Steph Curry, several Warriors starters out for third preseason game vs. Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will be without several starters for their third game of the 2025 NBA preseason.

Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford and Moses Moody all will miss Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, coach Steve Kerr told reporters Saturday (h/t ESPN’s Anthony Slater).

Kerr already had informed media members on Friday that Butler would be away for Sunday’s game as an excused absence, stating the reason was positive.

Meanwhile, Kerr said Curry is “banged up,” but the plan is for him to play Tuesday against the Trail Blazers in Portland.

Horford made his unofficial Warriors debut in Golden State’s preseason opener last Sunday, finishing with three points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal. He was a plus-13 in 14 minutes.

Moody, after leading the Warriors with 19 points and five 3-pointers last Sunday, will miss the game in Los Angeles due to a calf issue. Kerr said Moody will undergo an MRI later Saturday, but the team believes it is minor.

The Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Quinten Post.

Strength in numbers will be tested early this season.

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We’re just three games into the preseason, but it’s been a transformative stretch for the Knicks as they build up the foundations of their restructured offense under new head coach Mike Brown.

A primary reason for hiring him was to diversify and maximize an offense that finished top five last season, but steadily declined into the playoffs and stagnated too often by admission of the players running it.

We won’t see the final results until months from now, and even early returns should be taken with a grain of salt, given the undertaking of installing a new read-and-react system in a low-stakes preseason environment. Still, we can start to spot the big differences and how that might inform what this team looks like, fully formed. 

Here are three major ways this Knicks offense is different from prior iterations.

Three-point emphasis

Brown wants 40 three-pointers per game out of these Knicks, a mark well above their previous 34.1 average and one met by only four other teams during the 2024-25 season. New York is currently on pace this preseason, averaging 44 behind a revamped shot diet.

A big focus for them this training camp has been getting two feet in the paint to collapse the defense and create catch-and-shoot opportunities for shooters. The Knicks have been doing more of this thanks to increased ball and player movement, pace, and cutting down on mid-range shots. 

All of their top scorers have aligned early shot diets with these principles. Out of the 32 shots Jalen Brunson has taken this preseason, only two have come from the mid-range -- ditto for Karl-Anthony Towns (1 of 19), OG Anunoby (1 of 15) and even Mikal Bridges (1 for 26).

The Knicks will probably want to get a little more out of the paint and free throw line, but this is probably just a preseason thing. We’ll see how stringent these changes remain, how the personnel adjusts, and how much it boosts the offense once we’re well into the regular season.

Freelance fundamentals

One thing that looks to be consistent with last year’s approach is a reliance on freelanced offense, or trusting the talent on the court to make the right reads without relying on too many canned plays. However, where the 2025 Knicks could stagnate in their approach -- often simplifying to a pet pindown or weave to get Brunson the ball in pick-and-roll or isolation -- this year promises increased motion and sharing to generate looks. 

Brown mentioned running no set plays in the Knicks’ most recent win, in an effort to familiarize them with the new system. Two major tenants of the approach are spacing principles and emphasis on movement.

New York is trying to be more diligent with spacing the floor by keeping players spread and in motion behind the arc, while also being smarter about how they cut into the paint. There were times last season when guys would be bunched up in the same corner, or cutting into each other on a drive. Hyperfocusing on the right positioning with no plays running should help deter those mistakes.

The other piece is increased player movement, including a ton of quick-hit dribble hand-offs, give-and-gos, and weak-side cuts and flares to keep the opportunities flowing with no set being run. There also seems to be an informal dribble or isolation limit, as the ball is moving much freer than in years past. 

Quicker pace

This change has been a little tougher to gauge on the eye test and by the numbers. Partially from preseason obfuscation, partially because this might be the biggest new adjustment for New York’s top players, and partially because it’s not as simple. Increased pace means more fast breaks and quicker shots. 

Some of the changes have been more subtle -- like Brown preaching for guys to spread out to the corners as quick as possible semi-transition, which we’re seeing the beginnings of. But the results may not look like what some expect right away.

The Knicks won’t be turning into seven seconds or less anytime soon and probably at all, but they’re trying to get more leak-outs in transition, make space for trailers, and even get into their halfcourt stuff much quicker, which may bring the biggest impact. 

A big issue with last season's offense was just taking six seconds to cross halfcourt and another eight to finally begin the action. It happened often.

Again, drawing any concrete conclusions from these early games is a fruitless exercise, but they’ve given us a real look into the core tenants Brown has been preaching for this new-look offense all training camp. It may take some time to fully realize, but we can see the building blocks starting to emerge.

Mike Dunleavy admits Kuminga distractions are ‘impossible' for Warriors to avoid originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors are ready to turn the page to basketball after a strenuous offseason, but Mike Dunleavy can’t avoid the obvious.

Dunleavy joined 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru” on Friday and addressed the reality of the aftermath of Kuminga’s contract situation.

“This is the nature of the business, especially in the offseason,” Dunleavy said. “You got to cover news, cover things that are going on. But once camp starts and you jump into basketball, that’s what our guys are focused on. Of course, there are going to be things that come up in the season, rumors and all those things, and the players have to deal with that.

“I think it’s impossible to go through a season without distractions and things like that.”

After a 92-day standoff, Kuminga and the Warriors finally agreed on a two-year, $46.8 million contract with a team option in the second year.

The 23-year-old returned to the Warriors’ practice facility for training camp last week, and all parties involved have downplayed any bad blood or drama between Kuminga and the rest of the team.

While his role within Steve Kerr’s offense still needs to be sorted, Kuminga’s sole focus is doing whatever he can to help the Warriors win. And a few weeks ahead of the 2025-26 season opener, that’s the only vibe Dunleavy has got thus far.

“But I don’t see the JK stuff from what’s happened in the offseason in terms of figuring out a contract for him carrying over into the season,” Dunleavy said. “That would be pretty surprising to me. He’s not that type of guy. We’re moving forward. The rest of the team is moving forward. I haven’t really seen any of those things lingering thus far in camp, even.”

As Dunleavy stated, the team won’t be able to avoid any outside noise. But as long as the Warriors are good within their own walls, Kuminga’s presence should be nothing but a positive for Golden State.

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