Category: NBA

And now we get to the player takeaways from Media Day. If you didn’t catch my first article detailing the responses from Wes Edens, Jon Horst, and Taylor Jenkins, go check that out. Now, obviously it’s not practical to cover every player on the team, but I did my best to cover the most notable players, quotes, and tidbits, so here they are!

Myles Turner

Myles Turner was the first player to front the media. Turner’s opening question was about why he decided to organise a team minicamp in his home state of Texas.

“With having so many new players, I wanted to get everybody together and wanted everybody to have some fun,” Turner said. “A lot of guys had never been to Austin before. I’m Texas through and through; I just wanted to show off the city a bit.

“The camaraderie was great, and everybody showed up, so that’s one thing that I was really proud of. It just gave us a little extra time to get to know each other.”

Changing the topic, Turner was then asked how he defines himself as a leader on this young team. The 11-year vet emphasised that he understands the position he’s in and wants to set the right example for the younger players.

Regarding media expectations, Turner wasn’t interested in outside narratives, saying, “The only expectations are the ones we put on ourselves.”

“Just like everybody else, we want to win. But it’s one thing to want to win; it’s another thing to do the things that are required to win, and I think that’s more where our attention goes this year.”

Tyler Herro

Understandably, Herro had the longest presser out of all the players, but he answered each question with a lot of respect and grace, I thought. His first question centred around what’s changed about Milwaukee for him since he was drafted.

“When I grew up here, I spent a lot of time in the suburbs, not really downtown, and so I’ve obviously seen how much the city has grown since I’ve been gone for the last eight or nine years,” Herro said. “It’s a beautiful city; I love being here, and I’m excited to start a new era of basketball. The organisation is amazing… Just how they’ve welcomed me with open arms—I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Herro was asked whether the Heat players getting traded for Giannis meant they viewed themselves as “replacing” him, a notion he flatly dismissed.

Herro on what he feels his role will be on a new team, and whether there’s any trepidation:

“I feel like we’re all new. Taylor’s new; he’s got a brand-new coaching staff. The guys who came in the trade with me are new. We’ve got two or three rookies. Everybody’s here, and we’re all doing it together. It doesn’t really feel like I’m coming into somewhere where they’re not welcoming me with open arms… It feels like this is where I’m supposed to be”

One answer I really enjoyed was how Herro responded to a question about his goals for the season: “I don’t have any individual goals.”

“I feel like everything is around the group. When people try to write everyone off, especially after the trade we made, people feel like we’re not going to win games… That’s the opposite of what we’re thinking… We’re trying to win; we’re trying to compete. That’s my main goal: to help lead this team to as many wins as possible.”

Jaime Jaquez Jr.

There weren’t too many interesting notes from Jaquez’s presser, but his answer to a question about how he approaches the prospect of getting a rookie-scale extension done before the season begins was noteworthy:

“I approach it the same way I approach every day: just try to be as professional as I can be. I’m here to work. My contract is the one going into next year; that’s the only one I can really worry about… whatever happens will happen.”

Like Turner and Herro, Jaquez wasn’t fazed that the media doesn’t rate the Bucks very highly.

“I feel like I can keep my expectations pretty consistent no matter where I’m at,” Jaquez said. “The goal is always the same: you want to win as many games as you can and compete for a championship. The media says what they want to say, but what really matters is what the core group of guys believe.”

Brayden Burries and Nate Ament

As you can imagine, interviewing 19- and 20-year-olds never yields the deepest responses, but I thought Burries’ and Ament’s answers to 1) what the vets have taught them so far, and 2) what coach Jenkins has told them will help them get minutes, were both notable.

Burries: “The team that’s the most together is going to win a lot, but also the physicality… It’s a physical league, so just getting my mind and body ready for that.”

Ament: “Yeah, the NBA game is much different from the college game, but also just teaching me about the league… Things you should and shouldn’t do, requirements in your contract, and how to be a professional.”

Burries: “Impact winning outside of scoring. Rebounding, defending, being a great teammate, and being coachable. Even if you’re not playing, still having a positive mindset, and then once you get an opportunity, make the best of it.”

Ament: “Effort plays. We’re the youngest on the team, so giving energy every day, running the floor hard, playing defence—all those types of things.”  

Kasparas Jakucionis

“It means a lot”: Jakucionis on what the fresh start means to him.

“I played for the University of Illinois not too long ago, so I’m familiar with the weather here,” the young Lithuanian said to some chuckles around the room. “I’m just excited to be here.”

Jakucionis also opened up on his turbulent offseason, saying that being traded was hard at first, but he soon realised he couldn’t control it, so he put his head down and focused on what he could.

Kel’el Ware

Ware was pretty short (but respectful) in most of his answers. However, I thought his response to a question about how he and his Heat teammates have transitioned to Milwaukee was notable. Ware said he thinks it’s gone smoothly for all four of them, but “the most smoothly” for him, as the Cream City reminded him of his hometown in Arkansas: “It wasn’t like a big change for me.”

Ware was also bullish on how he and Myles Turner could complement each other:

“We’re both bigs who can shoot, play down low, defend, and rebound. So if you have two bigs that are able to do that, that’s what you need.”

Kyle Kuzma

Fittingly, Kuz rounded out the day with a bunch of thoughtful responses, but I thought his best was his answer to how his myriad NBA experiences will help him lead this group.

“This is my 10th year in the NBA, and it’s such a blessing… doing it for a decade, you get to learn a lot about yourself through trials and tribulations… We have some people on this team who have only played for one team in their life, and now they just got traded to a brand-new team—I know how that feels. I know guys who have played a role in a certain system that may be asked to do something else—I’ve done that a lot of different times.

Hilariously, Myles Turner dropped in to ask Kuzma about his skincare routine.

Washing your face, exfoliating, moisturising, and using serums were the four keys, according to Kuz. And on that note, we’re out.

What’s up, Brew Hoop family. After the longest offseason for Bucks fans in a while, the new season is finally upon us! I’m here with the first article from media day, plucking out the most newsworthy content from Bucks co-owner and governor Wes Edens’ solo presser, as well as Jon Horst and Taylor Jenkins’ joint presser. The second article includes the best player quotes. Enjoy!

Wes Edens

Wes Edens opened by saying the Bucks brass is “extremely excited” about the season ahead, but also thanked Giannis and his family for giving 13 years to the Bucks and the city of Milwaukee.

“It’s been a minute since we haven’t had [Giannis] in the building,” Edens said. “It’s good to acknowledge that, but it’s also a great time to change and move on.”

Moving to the coaching change, Edens drew on his experience as Aston Villa’s co-owner to discuss how coaching can impact a team and why choosing the right coach is crucial to success. Edens said he sees the qualities he was seeking in Taylor Jenkins, saying Jenkins may be “the biggest addition in the NBA offseason.”

When later asked what specifically he and the Bucks were looking for in their coaching search, he answered, “somebody who was going to be a builder.”

“Taylor is the right person at the right time,” Edens said. “He’s a known quantity… We know exactly what we are getting with him, and we feel really blessed he was available. He is a tremendous teacher… Look at some of the guys in Memphis and the impact he had on them; we think he can have a similar impact on some of our players”

Regarding Giannis, Edens was quizzed about what went into the decision not to trade him last offseason.

“We won more games from 2018 to 2023 than any other team in the league. We had massive amounts of success. It was the right decision in all of our ownership’s view to try to give that the best chance of having the next year of it. We did a bunch of very aggressive things. They were all with the intention of trying to give ourselves another chance to win a championship.

“But now you look around here, there’s no Giannis, there’s no Khris Middleton, there’s no Brook Lopez, no Jrue Holiday… but we have the next crop of these young folks here that have every right to believe they can be the next group that kind of builds towards that.”

Edens was also asked about the health of the fanbase after some low attendance numbers at Fiserv late last season:

“Wisconsin fans are fanatical sports fans,” Edens said. “Everything kind of goes through a cycle. Obviously when you’re winning 60 games a year, it’s not hard to fill up your stadium. When you win less than that, it’s a little more challenging. But we’ve made big investments not just to the arena and all the programming with it to create the best entertainment that we can.

“People spend a lot of money to come out on a Tuesday night in February; we want them to feel like they’ve had the best experience they can, not just on the court but off. I really believe that fans are very intelligent and are very authentic. If you’re authentic, they really respond to that, and you don’t have to win 75 games to have the arena full again. I feel like we’re going to have a really good year on the court and I think we’re going to have a good year off the court as well.”

Edens conceded that the new TV rights deal—which will have all 82 games broadcast for free over the air—would not be ideal for the organisation’s bottom line, but that it was the right move to make as this new era kicks off.

“We’re gonna be impacted negatively this year, but we made the decision to invest in the fan base and to reach a lot more people. People will get a great chance to see the product we put out there.”

Finally, Edens answered a direct question about whether he’s considered selling his stake in the team: “I haven’t.”

“I mean, circumstances change. You never know, but no, I have no plans to.”

Jon Horst and Taylor Jenkins

Jon Horst was asked the first question about his message to fans regarding the team’s direction as Milwaukee enters the post-Giannis era.

“We talked a lot about having a successful offseason, executing a successful draft, and hiring a great coach as the pillars of our focus when the season ended last year,” Horst said. “We sit here today feeling like we accomplished a number of those things.

“There’s a great level of energy and excitement, buy-in, collectively with the group, and that gives us a foundation to build from. Everything we’re going to do today and going forward is building a group and trying to do it together each and every day.”

Jenkins was then asked about what the word “culture” means to him and how he plans to implement it with the Bucks.

Of course, Horst was always going to be questioned on the elephant in the room: why he signed Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64m deal.

“When you look at Gary Trent and what he’s done for us in the last two seasons… he’s an elite shooter… Only 27 years old. He was big for us in playoff moments, so there’s a big belief in Gary for what we think matters, and that’s elite shooting in the NBA; that’s hard to find. It’s something that Taylor values, and I think he’s even going to maximise more with us, so it was a great opportunity for us to do that, and we acted on it.”

Horst was tight-lipped when asked later about the NBA’s investigation into possible cap circumvention and how he justified Trent’s contract, responding, “We’re working with the league, and we can’t comment any further on that.” Both Wes Edens and Trent himself gave the same answer in their pressers.

Moving on, the players traded in from Miami were obviously a major topic of conversation, with Horst revealing that each of the four players being in the deal was pivotal to getting it across the line.

“We wouldn’t have done the trade without one of those players,” Horst said. “We went into this trying to get players who not only could help us compete now, but can also grow and develop as we go forward… They fit a culture and a style of play that we want to embody… They absolutely check the boxes we were trying to check if we were going to do a trade.”

“They’re the competitors we desire,” Jenkins added.

Another topic discussed was how the organisation plans to champion accountability after the mess that was last season. It sounded like Horst knew things had to change and was determined to make that happen.

“We’re here today talking about building a culture and identity of accountability,” Horst said. “We’ve got a group of guys that we think embody that and that are going to live that. Taylor is going to demand that each and every day, and quite frankly, if they don’t live by it, we’ll figure out the accountable actions and move forward from there.”

When asked what he wants the team’s identity to be, Jenkins cited the team’s new mantra: “Compete. Together. Get Better,” which multiple players later repeated in their pressers.

“It starts with our competitiveness. I’m not going to guarantee wins and losses; we just talked with the team about developing our winning standards and habits. It starts with ‘Compete. Together. Get Better.’”

Horst closed by echoing Edens’ thought on this not being a “rebuild.”

“There’s an urgency to compete today. We believe that building the next great era of Bucks basketball has to have a foundation of competitiveness, and we have to instill that out of the gate. There is a patience component to this… but there’s not a complacency component to this.”

Kristaps Porziņģis' latest health problem is the same old story for the Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The vibe around media day throughout the NBA is akin to returning to school, seeing your friends after a summer away and getting the laughs out now that it’s time to get back to work.

For the Warriors, the vibe shifted early in the morning, long before the team boarded a plane to Hawaii for training camp. Everything changed in the opening statements from general manager Mike Dunleavy. As he started his ninth sentence of the day, a “here we go again” attitude could be felt near and far just as the day had begun. 

“Additionally, Kristaps [Porziņģis] is going to be out indefinitely with a health issue that I was informed about yesterday, so he’ll miss the start of camp here,” Dunleay announced. “Don’t have a timeline for him or anything further than that. So we’re a little banged up to start, but we’ve got plenty of depth. We’ll get through it.” 

Dunleavy couldn’t provide more information aside from Porziņģis now being sidelined for an unknown period because of a “health matter.” The Warriors found out about the problem Sunday and Porziņģis did not travel with the team to Hawaii. He, at the very least, will miss training camp and the first preseason game. 

Is this another tough turn of events or what we should expect for the entire season from a Warriors team being held together by Rick Celibrini’s first aid kit? Maybe somewhere in the middle? 

Acquiring Porziņģis at last season’s trade deadline for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield put a deflated balloon on the Warriors’ failed two-timelines plan. Porziņģis has the kind of tantalizing talent that made him the No. 4 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, that made him an All-Star in his third season and that has seen him average 20 points per game in six different seasons. He’s the NBA’s first unicorn, and equally as mystifying as his nickname that depicts a mythological character. 

How the Warriors viewed Porziņģis going into this season essentially was as an offseason acquisition they get to have a full go with. His talent is what earned him a two-year, $40 million contract extension from the Warriors with virtually no outside competition. But his long history of missing games from injury and an ongoing health matter is why his contract only has $3 million guaranteed next season. 

Porziņģis started the final 10 regular-season games he suited up for, as well as the Warriors’ two play-in games. The results weren’t perfect, but they provided a blueprint of how coach Steve Kerr wants to move forward with his offense. He wants Draymond Green to shoot more. He wants to have a five-out offense, and Porziņģis, as a 7-foot-2 marksman from long distance, is the ideal center to stretch the floor and accomplish Kerr’s goal. 

“KP and Al [Horford] have really provided us that spacing at that spot,” Kerr said Monday. “That’s important if you are playing the more modern style that we’re looking at. So we know we’re going to need Kristaps, and we feel very confident that we’ll have him at some point. Al, of course, he’s ready to go, and he’ll provide that as well.” 

Losing Porziņģis for an undisclosed time both changes the starting lineup, and turns up the pressure cooker on several players. Horford most likely will step into the starting center role, which he did 13 times last season. He and Green will have to be better together from the jump. The two played 266 minutes over 32 games last season and produced an ugly minus-13.8 net rating with a 99.3 offensive rating and a 113.1 defensive rating. 

Horford, 40, will need to be the player he was from Christmas on last season instead of the one who started off extremely slow, couldn’t find his shot and missed multiple weeks to sciatica. He won’t be the only one feeling the burden of Porziņģis’ absence. 

So will Yaxel Lendeborg. As will Brandin Podziemski. Third-string center Charles Bassey will have to step up, and even Graham Ike, who recently was signed to a two-way contract. 

And yes, losing Porziņģis for an extended period would put even more weight on the back of a hunched-over Steph Curry. 

The Warriors superstar doesn’t have his co-pilot to navigate the start of the season. Jimmy Butler was the Warriors’ other player who could drop 20 points on any given night. Porziņģis is the hypothetical second option who can be a mismatch out of the post and beyond the arc. The Warriors will keep their fingers crossed he can somehow be exactly that by the time the regular season rolls around in a few weeks. 

“I’m not marking him down as being out to start the season or anything like that,” Dunleavy said. “He’s just not available this week.” 

In the three seasons prior to trading for Porziņģis, the veteran big man averaged 21.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting 38.9 percent from 3-point range and winning a championship ring with the Boston Celtics in that span. But his games played went from 65 to 57 to 42. This past season, he played 32 regular-season games and missed 50. 

Like Dunleavy said, Porziņģis could be back at the beginning of the season. Yet fans can’t expect that. The real expectations are this is how it’s going to be for however long Porziņģis wears a Warriors jersey. He will show flashes of a unicorn and then gallop off into the forest, unbeknownst to anybody. 

Palm trees, sand in their toes and the smell of the ocean will bring the vibes back to fun and positivity throughout Warriors training camp. The spotlight will continue to shine on Lendeborg and Curry can always make believers close their eyes to reality. 

It’s just too bad the same old story for the Warriors started in the opening statements of media day. Moving forward will be another challenge for a group that loves to be doubted. There’s also only so much wiggle room for a team already standing on the edge of a cliff.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Why Steve Kerr advised Yaxel Lendeborg to take time off before rookie NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The average NBA career is a short 4 1/2 years. Yaxel Lendeborg wants to make sure his time in the league stretches far beyond that number, and that begins with taking care of himself in the gym.

“I want to be here every single day at all times just because I know how it’s going to get,” Lendeborg said Monday at Warriors Media Day. “The average … lifespan I guess that people are in the NBA is three, four years, I think I keep hearing. I definitely have hopes and plans of being in it for way longer. If I can get like grandpa Al (Horford), then hopefully 20 years would be great, but we’ll see how it all goes. I’m going to continue to try to work out and stay in the best shape as I can be.”

Lendeborg’s constant presence in the gym also has caught coach Steve Kerr’s attention, who told media that the rookie has “a great approach”.

“I’ve literally had three different conversations with him telling him to get out of here for a few days because, you know, we’re going to embark on this eight-month journey or so starting tomorrow,” Kerr said Monday. “He just can’t stay out of the gym. He wants to be great.”

Kerr also said how he likes Lendeborg’s “journey,” winning a national championship last year at Michigan and having to “fight for everything,” while adding that he is “going to play a ton”.

With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody sidelined with injuries until the midseason mark, Lendeborg could play a crucial role in the early part of the season.

The 24-year-old briefly played alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green during Butler’s players-only camp in San Diego, but as Golden State begins its training camp Tuesday, the veterans and coaching staff surely will be keeping an eye on Lendeborg’s ability to fit into the Warriors system.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Very few days in Utah Jazz history have made me as excited as Thursday, June 22, 2023 – the night of that years NBA draft. As a plucky 18 year old, I (unwisely) fancied myself quite the prodigy in the draft field, and 7 to 10 P.M was my time to show off my stuff. I thought Taylor Hendricks was a pretty solid selection , and didn’t feel too strongly one way or other about Keyonte George (though I would’ve preferred Brandin Podziemski).

I had set myself up for disappointment that night – there was a player that I had convinced myself beyond all doubt was the correct pick at #9, but who was so outside of the realm of possibility that this pipe dream was bringing me nothing but grief. He wasn’t picked at #9 and, even more heartbreakingly, he wasn’t picked at #16. Surely, he wasn’t going to last until the Jazz’s last pick at #28. Surely.

But someway,

somehow,

the Utah Jazz selected Brice Sensabaugh at #28. We are going to win the championship.

2023 Grant Nielson has not yet been completely validated (I hope I have not shot down 2026 Grant Nielson’s credibility in the opening 200 words). Brice has shown flashes each of his first three seasons, but he cannot yet even be labeled as categorically positive – the shooting has been less consistent than hoped, the shot selection has often been morbidly fascinating, and the defense has been unequivocally awful. His smoothness in the mid-range has not yet served as the foundation for a winning basketball player.

However, I will continue to stubbornly, almost paternalistically, stand in defense of my younger self and his contrarian draft opinions, because, in spite of it all, I still endorse pieces of my 2023 evaluation of Ohio State’s freshman bucket-getter. As Sensabaugh continues to make year-by-year improvements, I concurrently become less and less ashamed of my pre-draft championing of him. Brice was as effortless of a shot-maker as I had ever seen for a player his age, from any area on the court. He had the mass to avoid the fate of other spindly scorers in his archetype (I’m glad the Jazz didn’t take Jett Howard), and a sneaky athleticism that should do just enough to allow him to translate his game to the next level. Coming out of high school, he was marketed as more of a point forward, leading me to believe that the flashes of passing I saw at Ohio State could be harnessed and developed into something more. Then and now, Brice Sensabaugh had and has it.

A comment given by Austin Ainge, given in an interview with new Salt Lake Tribune Jazz writer Shreyas Laddha, provides me with some hope that the it that Brice has is finally becoming the it that the Utah Jazz need. When asked which players have stood out over the summer, Ainge didn’t begin by gushing over either Ace Bailey or Darryn Peterson, the two youngsters with the most pedigree and (hopefully) room for growth – instead, he said begins by saying that Brice Sensabaugh has had a “particularly good summer”. Immediately, I was struck by how odd this comment would read if Brice is not apart of the opening night rotation, which is not yet guaranteed; the Jazz are hoarding wealth when it comes to competent back-up shooting guards.

But after that initial reaction, I asked myself – “what does that even mean?” In an empty gym, Brice has always looked great. Purely from a shot-making perspective, Sensabaugh isn’t substantially worse than a lot of the 20 points per game, household name, franchise faces. Does a “particularly good summer” imply more of the same beautiful mid-range jumpers, or is Austin referring to something more?

The Utah Jazz backup shooting guard race is still decidedly up in the air, so in this article I will lay out the 3 (feasible) improvements necessary for Brice to make if he wishes to secure consistent playing time this year, and that I hope were the foundation of the Summer that Austin Ainge found so praiseworthy.

On-Ball Playmaking and Passing

Normally, when teaching a highly talented youngster how to become a winning player, it involves some degree of scaling down. No longer are you the #1 option – you have skill, and you need to learn how to translate it to the very specific role that we need you to play. Strangely enough, I feel the opposite is more applicable to Brice, and that is all entirely due to the context of the team around him, especially when he is playing with bench units. The backups brought in this Summer have clearly been chosen to shore up the team’s obvious defensive shortcomings – Jaxson Hayes, Josh Okogie, and Josh Green all have paid their bills on the defensive end, but conversely offer very little offensively. Now, I don’t think that trio will play very many minutes all together, but I do anticipate minutes with two of the three on the court; those minutes will live and die by the hand of the offensive conductor that accompanies them. Hayes, Okogie, Green, and even slightly more well-rounded bench pieces like Svi and (likely) Ace – none are players that, at this point, are consistently creating offense for themselves or their teammates. They can be positive, but they, for the most part, prefer to receive than to give.

Brice Sensabaugh, being one of the few competent ball-handlers on the roster, has the capacity to be a huge boon to the second unit when placed next to more defensively oriented players. While my 2023 dreams of a point forward Sensabaugh are dead and buried, I have consistently been impressed with the accuracy and decision making Brice showcases when he does decide to function as a playmaker. I’ve been especially impressed with his passes on the move – his ability to situate himself, pick up the ball from the dribble, and deliver accurate passes are three small skills, but still quite valuable ones. This pass below was probably the Utah Jazz assist of the season, and exemplifies what I hope Brice has been focusing on this Summer.

So, while I don’t want too many sets to be initiated by Brice dribbling the ball up the court as a traditional point guard, I think there are other ways for his passing to open up the offense. I picture him in the corner to start a play, running off of a Filipowski pin-down, catching the pass from Collier on the wing and then, with the pressure of his shooting shifting the defense, taking two or three dribbles into the middle of the court and making an accurate, quick decision. His shooting is the one skill that we can unequivocally count on heading into this next season, and it has the potential to unlock so much of his game. The play outlined above only works because of the gravity Sensabaugh will have as a shooter running off that screen – defenders who have read the scouting report know that Brice is a contender for the best off-the-catch shooter on the team, and will be strained in their attempt to stay on their man and make Brice’s shots more challenging. I don’t mean to sound blasphemous to Jazz fans, but I would love to see Brice play a role similar to a modern-day Jeff Hornacek (this is only a comparison of role, not skill) – a player made so dynamic by their unique combination of shooting and playmaking. We’ve seen the signs from Brice in this regard, and this development (both in Brice’s skill and Hardy’s gameplan) looks to be some tantalizing low-hanging fruit.

Rim Pressure and Shot Selection

This change requires both a shift in attitude and physicality. Even back to his collegiate days, Brice has always been a bit too comfortable in settling. Sure, he’s never possessed overwhelming quickness or burst, but he has always had the physical size necessary to impose his will on smaller players. To this point in his career, Brice has simply not gotten to the rim enough. He shot 11% of his total attempts at the basket this past season – a career high – but, for reference, that would be the 3rd lowest mark of Svi Mykhailiuk’s entire career. Instead, when he begins to face resistance on the path to the rim, he too often falls back on his floater or a short, fall-away midrange – he has a comparative advantage over much of the league with these shots, but even he doesn’t shoot them efficiently enough for them to act as a substitute to a rim attempt. Additionally, with every subpar floater or midrange, two naturally contact-averse shot attempts, Sensabaugh lets the referees off the hook. Even if he misses a contested layup or two due to his limited verticality, his frame could be ideal for physicality and, in turn, foul drawing. Free throws are the most efficient shot in basketball, especially for a player like Brice (85% at the line over his career thus far), and he is leaving those points at the table with his inefficient shot selection and avoidance of contact near the basket.

I believe rim attempts will become more plentiful as Brice plays for a team with the goal of winning. Offense is not a 1v1 game – Sensabaugh is not the only player who has an impact on his individual shots at the basket. As the team improves, both in mindset and performance, our offense will be better. As our offense improves, more strain is put on the opposing defense. As strain on the defense increases, it becomes easier and easier for a player to get to his spots. No longer are we incentivized to give substantial minutes to Bez Mbeng and Kyle Anderson – instead, Will Hardy will use his best players and his best schemes to produce the best offense. I see a world where, with only marginal improvements to Brice’s talent as a player, he jumps to a 20% rim frequency this next season, driven by his inclusion in an offense with a newfound desire for competence. He certainly has to want to get to the rim, but infrastructure may be the independent variable most causally linked with Brice’s shot selection.

The midrange shots sure are pretty, though.

Defense, Defense, Defense

At the end of the day, this is the improvement. It’d be great if Brice showcased his passing, and I’d love if he got to the rim more frequently, but they are almost inconsequential in comparison to defense, defense, defense. In each of his three seasons, Brice has populated the very bottom of the barrel in every advanced defensive stat you can find. Unfortunately, these one-number metrics are substantiated by a putrid eye-test. He’s too slow to guard guards, too contact-averse to guard bigger on-ball wings, too large to chase off-ball wings off of screens, too short to guard forwards and bigs. He doesn’t steal and he doesn’t block and he doesn’t rebound. Even more fatally, it is painfully obvious that defense has not been Brice’s priority. He was recruited to Ohio State as a scorer, he was drafted as a scorer, so, seemingly, he still considers himself as only a scorer. I don’t enjoy participating in armchair psychology, but the chasmic difference in effort level between his mid-range isos and off-ball defense makes some theorizing inevitable. In an era where coaches are more persistently and meticulously attacking mismatches than ever before, If Brice does not improve on defense, he cannot play basketball in the playoffs.

Thankfully, he seems to know this just as much as we do. When asked about his work over the offseason, Brice responded with defense as an emphasis:

Brice does not need to become a lockdown. He doesn’t need to become a steal+block machine or start pulling down 10 rebounds a night. He just needs to be fine. His offense gives him his NBA-level skill, and all he needs to do now is make sure that the rest of his game isn’t nullifying it. Currently, if Brice is having a bad shooting game, he is providing some of the harshest negative impact in the league – the defense is damaging enough that he cannot afford the low shooting percentage games that will naturally, inevitably come to every player. However, if it is true that defense has been one of the two primary focuses of Brice’s summer, his value could legitimately skyrocket. Even a marginal improvement defensively could exponentially increase the value of Sensabaugh on the basketball court – a worst-in-the-league level defender is so much more detrimental than a simply bad defender, and a coach can much easier utilize a bad defender’s offense than a worst-in-the-league level defender. Maybe it requires losing weight and maybe it’s just a mindset shift, but either way – Brice Sensabaugh can guarantee himself 20 minutes per game and a decade in the league if defense changes from an intermission to a priority.

I’m rooting for Brice Sensabaugh. I’ve been rooting for Brice Sensabaugh for over 3 years. I hope that he is the backup shooting guard selection because I believe that, of the available options, he clearly has the highest ceiling. However, from my over 3 years of fandom, I have become just as well acquainted with what Brice is bad at as what he is good at. So, while it’s good that I wasn’t in the Jazz brass championing Brice as a potential #9 overall selection in the 2023 NBA draft, with a few well-directed tweaks over this particularly impressive summer, Sensabaugh can still be a home-run #28 draft pick.

What are you hoping to see from Brice this year? Let me know below!

Minnesota sports fandom is not for the faint of heart. To be a Minnesota fan is a constant wade through the lingering vape-waste left by departed stars who found greater success in another city. Both sides of the Mississippi clutch their heads, reeling from second-hand champ syndrome.

Everyone sees it. In my day job as a wastewater communications specialist, I’ve traveled to many parts of this great, combined-sewer-overflow inundated nation. And what is the first thing people say when they learn I grew up tracing Paul Bunyan’s footsteps? “Did watching Karl-Anthony Towns win an NBA title with the New York Knicks break your heart?”  And four months earlier, the question was the same except for an oblong ball: “Did you die inside when Sam Darnold won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks?”

I assume, dear Canis readers, that you are Minnesota sports fans. Your iron hearts forged by so many Traumatic Sports Losses that a Gary Anderson 32-yard gimmie merely doinks unfulfilled beside your steely resolve.

This means you know my reply. No. My heart is fine thank you. Still left of center, all four ventricles beating as expected.

But that’s not to say I felt nothing … no there was a…a…tingle. The slightest flop of sweat against my brow. I did follow KAT with fervor for seven years and I don’t (exclusively) root for mere laundry. Watching Towns win it all was less a heart attack than a satisfying yet tumultuous bite of a bánh mì sandwich with one too many jalapenos. 

So let’s put our tortured sports experiences to good use. I propose applying the scoville spiciness scale to rate the complex mix of joy and suffering that comes from watching a Minnesota legend hang a banner with a new franchise. 

Are you ready to feel the burn?!

Bell Pepper – Andrew Wiggins

Wiggins was miscast as a franchise player with the Minnesota Timberwolves. I felt bad for how he was treated by Jimmy Butler, but also had accepted that the former number one pick was never going to be the key ingredient for a Timbo title. When Wiggins miraculously stepped up to play a Pascal Siakam-style role for the 2022 Golden State Warriors, I was flabbergasted. He rebounded with passion and scored just enough second banana bank shots to let Steph Curry carry the day. What a pleasant surprise! But seriously no sweat from this one, this was never gonna happen in Minnesota.

Good for Wiggs. 

Banana Pepper – Brad Johnson 

Imagine me in 1998: a fresh Robert Smith jersey draping past my seventh grade knees and a middle school mustache wisping across my upper lip. “Brad Johnson is gonna take us to the promised land!” I declared. Brad got hurt early in the season, unleashing an incredible Randy Moss fever dream from fall to winter. I always rooted for Mr. Johnson after he left Mankato and he ably embodied the Trent-Dilfer-Plus game manager role that the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed. His title left a mild tang at most. (In a similar vein, Doug Mientkiewicz’s Boston Red Sox title was probably a Friggitello pepper.)

Poblano Pepper – Kevin Love

Now we’re feeling some heat. David Khan did K-Love dirty, low-balling him when who else was going to be the face of the Wolves? Derrick Williams? Darko Miličić ? At the same time, Kevin did me dirty. I bought partial season tickets two days before he performed the most catastrophic knuckle push up in jealous boyfriend history.

Instead of watching a frisky Wolves team led by the best rebounder in the league, I spent a season watching Rick Adleman guzzle heart medication while Alexey Shved re-enacted Anna Karenina on the court. This was the only time in my life I wished I drank more. Love winning it all with the Cleveland Cavaliers definitely brought emotional spice, but ultimately did not cause too much distress. 2016 was a LeBron title and Love was just a role player learning how to fit out. (Love did play great defense on Curry during a critical fourth quarter possession in Game 7 of the 2016 finals. I was proud of him.)

Jalapeno Pepper – Karl Anthony Towns

KAT was an oasis. By the time he came to the Wolves in the 2015 draft, I resembled an unraveled mummy. Drained of hope by years of futility. But KAT was different from Wiggins and Anthony Bennett and Michael Olowokandi and all the former number one picks who’d disappointed in a Wolves uniform. I loved his furious (if offensive-foul prone) dunks and sweet three-point release. By the 2020s, the team was finally good enough to make the playoffs and the enigma of KAT fully emerged.

When he was great, he was capital “G” Great (he out-dueled prime Nikola Jokić!), but when he got sloppy…my god. The bone-headed fouls at the worst time. The early in the shot clock threes. With each foolish mistake, I found myself muttering “Karl” under my breath in a full on walrus voice like Tom Thibodeau after three milkshakes.

When we traded Towns to the Knicks, I got depressed because it felt like the trade was more about saving money than building a better team. Maybe, I thought, a new city would finally unlock KAT’s true potential. Nope. He was basically the same player on the Knicks as on the Wolves. Fully capable of going blow for blow with Victor Wembanyama one game, and then fouling out early multiple games in a row with the title on the line. Jalen Brunson brought it home, but I didn’t feel cheated out of a banner. It was, as stated, a satisfying yet tumultuous bite of a bánh mì sandwich with one too many jalapenos.

Serrano Pepper – Lakers move to Los Angeles

My favorite lake in Los Angeles is the fetid tank of pure hubris Lakers fans swim in everyday when they celebrate their “seventeen NBA titles.” Excuse me???  I believe at least five of those were won in Minneapolis (Yay!) when the league was… openly segregated (Yikes). Okay, probably best not to get too upset over this. The major bummer about this one is that the Lakers uniforms and Vikings uniforms look great together.

Ultimately, can’t give this one a high spice-pain level because eventually Minnesotans got a new team and a chance to root for Malik Beasley. Who’s the real winner now Hollywood?

Cayenne Pepper – Sam Darnold 

Sam seemed nice and all. Played hard. Great attitude. Aired it out to Justin Jefferson. But his torrid love affair with turnovers was a crippling vice in Minnesota. This one only burns because it shows how the Vikes can’t catch a break. Somehow Darnold led the league in interceptions with the Seattle Seahawks and won the Super Bowl anyway. The Vikings would have found a way to turn those I-N-Ts into T-E-A-Rs. This one scalds the tongue–in the immortal words of Bruno Mars “so hot, makes a dragon wanna retire, man.”

Habanero Pepper –Kevin Garnett

Ouch! Ouch! Too hot! The only thing more intense than my sadness at the KG trade was the Big Ticket’s general demeanor every day of his life. But still, I watched his ‘08 Boston Celtics team with extreme passion and partisanship. Garnett was my guy, even if he rocked shamrocks. Seeing him win the title was an exquisite high-spice meal–so much joy, so much pain.

I’m not crying, its just the habanero heat I swear. 

Ghost Pepper – AJ Pierzynski

Why does this one sting so bad? For some reason, it irks me more to have a “you-love-it-when-hes-on-your-team” guy win it all with a division rival than to see a former hometown superstar reach their destiny elsewhere. Imagine how a Golden State Warriors fan would feel if Draymond won a chip with the Lakers.

Also. Look at this guy’s face…man, he had to win it with the White Sox? Boooooo!

Carolina Reaper – Chauncey Billups

As someone who bought Troy Hudson’s rap album, I have major regrets. Mr. Big Shot was a perfect floor general for KG, instilling a strong defensive identity at the point of attack and flashing a knack for timely threes. His stats don’t look too gaudy now (around 12 points and five assists per game in ‘02), but this was during the slugfest era of the NBA when a final score of 88-82 was a common occurrence.

The Wolves let Billups leave in free agency for nothing, dooming the team to chase a trustworthy guard for KG for the rest of his tenure (Marko Jarić, T-Hud, Randy Foye, Rashad McCants…I would go on but my keyboard is too slick with tears.)  Like the fearsome Carolina Reaper, this one really hurts. Honestly, I’d only relive this experience/taste the terror flames again if I needed to promote an upcoming film project to the audience of Hot Ones.

Pepper X – David Ortiz

The Minnesota Twins discarded a franchise messiah because he hit too many home runs. I will never get over this. Seriously, who looks at a man of Ortiz’s generous girth and thinks “that guy should bunt more.” To pour a gallon of gourmet Icelandic sea salt in the wound, Ortiz slayed the Yankees for another city’s cursed franchise while the Twins lost six straight playoff series to the Bronx Bombers. It burns! Why would a just God make such a pepper???

Chernobyl – Nazereon Hilton Ried

If Naz wins it all with the Charlotte Hornets, the resulting cloud of toxic emotions will plume across oceans for decades.

So stay strong Wolves fans! You’ve been tempered by steel and at least we’ve got the ring-laden Lynx in our city. Pile on the Tabasco and share your most mourned Minnesotan players in the comments.

All told, Kevin Porter Jr. is coming off a better season than I initially thought. I mean, averages of 17.4 PPG, 7.4 APG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.2 (!) SPG are nothing to sneeze at. Granted, those numbers are somewhat inflated because 1) he only played 38 games, and 2) he got heaps of minutes when he did play (33 minutes per night). Still, it’s impressive. Porter played a key role and hit a number of huge shots last year; I cast my mind back to that game at home against the Cavs late last season:

For all his warts, one thing I appreciate about KPJ is his confidence and self-belief. He’s not scared to take big shots and assume that responsibility. Also, Porter is really hard to stop when he gets going downhill; his goofy same-hand, same-foot finishes routinely catch shot-blocking bigs off guard, and he’s got the passing vision to go with it.

With all that said, Porter is no perfect player. Firstly, he turns the ball over far too much (nearly three per game last season). He also takes some horrible, out-of-the-flow shots, which often lead to runouts down the other end and thus might as well be classed as turnovers. I still have nightmares from that 2025 playoff series against the Pacers. Yeesh.

The biggest issue I have with KPJ, however, is that he needs the ball in his hands for the offence to work; he shot 32.2% from deep last season, so his utility as an off-ball player is limited. Now, that becomes an issue when you consider the influx of guards Milwaukee has brought in over the offseason. Are they really going to prioritise Porter over Ryan Rollins or Tyler Herro? What about Brayden Burries? At least Jakucionis profiles well as an off-ball player.

This is one of the main reasons—along with the off-court stuff, obviously—that I don’t think the 26-year-old is long for this team. I reckon there’s a good chance Horst lets him walk in free agency once his player option expires at the end of this upcoming campaign. For now, though, let’s hope he has a great season.

Who’s up at six?

Former Duke star Brandon Ingram was recently traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, but he won’t be playing for a while, as he has had surgery for a partial Achilles tear and also a heel spur.

There’s not a ton of information about his status, but our guess, for what it’s worth, is that it’s not as serious as what Jayson Tatum went through with his Achilles injury.

Still, the estimated recovery time is 6-9 months, so it’s no minor injury, and of course, we don’t know what the heel injury requires. And Ingram is now 29. It’s not old by NBA standards, and both training and rehab methods are vastly improved.

On the bright side, the surgery was in May, and the recovery is going well, so hopefully, he’ll be available before too much longer.

• Brandon Ingram’s LA Clippers Debut Will be Delayed
• Clippers news: What’s really going on with Brandon Ingram’s partially torn Achilles injury
• Brandon Ingram Suffers Achilles Tear as Clippers’ Nightmare Begins With Four Concerning Injury News on Media Day
• Clippers’ Brandon Ingram to miss start of season after surgery revealed partially torn Achilles
• “Cursed franchise”, “He didn’t pass the physical?” – NBA Fans Perplexed As Clippers Reveal Shocking Brandon Ingram Injury On Media Day

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

Darius Acuff Jr. fueled by his own competitive fire, low Kings expectations originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO — Darius Acuff Jr. approached his first NBA media day like any other day.

To everyone else, Acuff was one of the biggest storylines as eyes followed the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft everywhere he went once he first walked onto the Kings practice facility court. To him, it was just Monday.

Why? Because becoming an NBA player never was some far-fetched dream for the Arkansas product. It never was something that was unspoken in his Detroit household that bled and sweated the game of basketball. It was reality within reach. It was manifested. It always was meant to happen.

But the confidence in himself should not be mistaken for ungratefulness.

“I always felt like [an NBA player]. I always dreamed of it,” Acuff said Monday. “So it’s kind of hard not to feel like you’re not there. But when you actually get here, like doing this is kind of another thought, like, damn, I really made it. But like I said, just soaking it all in, just trying to be that young player willing to learn from anybody. It’s still great, though.”

Acuff is a 19-year-old with the maturity and mindset of a 40-year-old man.

He attributes that to his upbringing in Detroit, a home he always will rep as he embarks on embracing his other new home in Sacramento.

He spent his summer mostly in California’s capital, getting adjusted to his new environment and teammates. He worked out a lot with his fellow rookies, Alex Karaban and Emmanuel Sharpe, as well as with second-year guys such as Max Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell. But his on-court work with veteran big man Domantas Sabonis is what could become a real dual threat for opponents.

“Yeah, it’s been great,” Acuff said. “A couple of the five-on-five sessions we were on the same team, and it was kind of easy to play with him. I’m going to get some layups off him, he can pass, too. It’s great building chemistry with him. It’s very exciting for sure.”

Like Acuff, Ben Simmons is new to the Kings organization.

The rookie is excited to share the floor with someone he grew up watching and never imagined he would be teammates with.

“Nah, I ain’t ever thought that. Watching Ben he got drafted in 2018, right? 2016. See, I was in like third grade. I was in third grade and watching Zach [LaVine], of course, dunk contest, all that. So even Malik [Monk], I watched Malik play. He played for coach [John Calipari]. So just being here is great, man. Learning from them guys is going to be great for me all year.”

He revealed that both Monk and LaVine texted him as soon as he was drafted by Sacramento. And since then, they have been among the many veterans who have guided him along the way and will continue to do so throughout his rookie season.

Acuff will be the starting point guard for the Kings during the 2026-27 season, which presents questions about what Simmons’ exact role will be. Acuff acknowledged that the logistics will be sorted out throughout training camp and preseason, but for now, the team is focused on honing in on one of its identities, which is playing fast.

However, it won’t take long for Acuff to realize words mean very little to the Kings fanbase, who have experienced just one playoff appearance in two decades. He is a competitor; he wants to win, but he also knows the odds are against the Kings.

He doesn’t mind that.

“Yeah, for sure,” Acuff said when asked if the Kings’ low expectations could be used as bulletin board material. “We want something to fuel you. Like I said, my one thing that I said is I’ve been really trying to win. So you know, I’m not too worried about what other people say. I’m focused on what me and the team are trying to do, and that’s win games.”

Despite being a 19-year-old rookie, he believes that starts with him.

He recognizes and accepts that responsibility wholeheartedly. It begins with accountability — one of general manager Scott Perry’s six pillars.

“I say just staying level-headed, just being smart, and just being a leader as the point guard,” Acuff said. “You got to lead the team. That’s how y’all are going to win. So just getting everybody where they need to be. Everybody taking accountability, no matter who you are, and just like I said, being together as a team, being together on and off the court is going to help on the court.”

Acuff, so far, has been a man of few words with the media, but when he speaks, he speaks with conviction.

It is early, and there is a lot that has to fall into place for Acuff to thrive in his new role as the face of the franchise over the next several years. But whether it be his rookie season or Year 10 for him, he only has one thing on his mind.

His goal is simple.

“Win.”

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast

Yesterday was Media Day for the San Antonio Spurs. The players decked out in their uniforms and met with members of television, magazine, newspapers, and on-line sports broadcasting. The team members were in their home jerseys which underscores their unity but diminishes their individual style.

Fortunately, GQ took some time to engage Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper in a photo shoot.

“@dy1anharper and @StephonCastle are the NBA’s new dynamic duo. Can they get the @spurs to the promised land?

“We understand what goes into [making] it,” Harper says. “Now, we got to do it.” Castle echoes his backcourt partner’s thought: “We finna go back.”

You can see more of the photos from their shoot in this post:

You can read the entire article HERE.

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

The Atlanta Hawks are back and ready to start the 2026-27 season, and what better way to know they’re back than Media Day. It always feels like the first day of school, but it’s the time when players all come together and share with the media and fans what’s going through their minds ahead of the season.

For the Hawks, they added some new players to the team who should be major contributors to their success, but they also have returning players who are looking to take another jump in their game.

Here are some of the best sounds and bites from the Hawks during Media Day.

What CJ McCollum is looking forward to in training camp

“I got traded in January. I got here, met the team on a road trip, and kind of jumped right into the season, which was difficult, but I think I’m most excited about being able to go through a full training camp. We went through the season, lost in the postseason, and had the summer where we were all here on and off. Everybody was here pretty early in September. So, we’ve been able to work out together, play some, and kind of hang around each other. I think that’s important for camaraderie, trust, the ability to execute down the stretch, and then also accountability.”

Onyeka Okongwu on the first time entering the season as the starting center

“I love the fact that they have a lot of confidence in me. I’m excited for it. I’m ready for the responsibility and I’m ready to see how far this team can go.”

Jock Landale on returning to the Hawks

“I took it on myself to get here as early as possible. I think I’ve been around since July 5th. A lot of guys have been around and in the gym, I feel like we’ve made some really good leeway in kind of building relationships with each other and just learning what it is to play Atlanta Hawks basketball. We’ve got a long way to go given that it’s still September, but I think we’ve made some really good inroads to our own identity.”

Nickeil Alexander-Walker following up on his MIP season

“My main focus out of that is to continue to grow as a player, to continue to get better, to maximize the opportunity and every single ounce of potential that I have left. Wherever that takes me, it takes me. I think that by doing that, it has proven over time that it just continues to get better. I don’t stress the success more than I stress not continuously working and getting complacent.”

Asa Newell and his playoff experience during Year 1

“Year 1 being in the playoffs just set the standard for this organization, and we’re going to try to make the playoffs every single year. It was cool being in the environment of State Farm, being in the environment of New York, and going against the Knicks. It’s extremely physical. The matchups, switching, the different lineups, it was really good, and I think that for our group it really helped us moving forward.”

Kingston Flemings going against Dyson, Nickeil and Lu

“We’ve been in OTAs already going at each other, so it’s been good. They’re all competitive. Being able to learn and being able to play against these guys, it’s a dream come true. I’m blessed to be on this team playing against guys like that every single day. I’m looking forward to it.”

Aaron Wiggins bringing experience to the Hawks

“There’s championship pedigree and experience that I bring, but with that as a basketball player, there’s competitiveness and just the motivation to win again that exists within me. I think bringing that energy is consistently contagious. I think amongst the team, everybody wants to win, and everybody wants to compete, and with that mindset, we’ll all get better, and over time you’ll see the team develop and get better with that as well.”

Dyson Daniels working on his jump shot  

“Obviously, shooting was very bad last year for me, and it’s been a focal point for me in this offseason. For me, it’s been about the sequencing in my shot, getting more rhythm through my shot, and getting more energy through my legs so I can get my arc up. A big thing with me was it was a very flat shot, so trying to get more arc. That’s been a big focus for me this offseason.”

Dorian Finney-Smith on what he can bring to the Hawks

“My voice. I’m very talkative on the court. I know a lot of young guys kind of think it’s cliché, but the loudest team always wins. They’re usually the most connected team. When you have to problem-solve on the court without a coach, that’s what you need. You need your communication, and that’s what I bring. I probably talk too much on the court, but I’m a competitor.”

Jalen Johnson reflecting on playoff loss

“There was the first month and a half, two months after the season; all it was was film from that next series and just how I can learn and grow from that because, at the end of the day, I want to win championships. The playoffs are where you need to be at your best. Understanding that and having the right people around me who help me focus on what I need to focus on. You’ve got to have the mental capacity to be able to want that for yourself and not be complacent. I want that.”

Lu Dort is happy to be in Atlanta

“I already had some familiar faces on the roster, which was good with Nickeil and Wiggins, but just seeing the potential defensively with Dyson and JJ as well, and a lot of guys on the team, there’s a lot of stuff that we can do. After I got the call, I was just really happy for that situation.”

Another year, another Celtics Media Day in the books. This is maybe my favorite part of the offseason. The team is assembled, the stakes are set, and all the new and returning faces are telling me exactly what I want to hear.

Up until the playoffs rolled around, I had very little to complain about last season. The team exceeded all expectations in my eyes, and I wasn’t as low on them going into the season as many others were. That being said, there was still plenty of room for improvement, even during their impressive regular season.

Maybe the best encapsulation of that sentiment in a single player is Derrick White. White put together a pretty great season all things considered. He produced career-highs in points (16.5), assists (5.4), steals (1.1), and blocks per game (1.3). Along with that, he was among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio, ranked sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and made it onto the All-Defensive First Team.

Fans and critics alike have found it pretty easy to overlook all of those achievements, though. Derrick had a pretty poor year in terms of efficiency, and the conversation surrounding that stole the show, especially when the playoffs rolled around and it seemed like he couldn’t buy a bucket while the Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead.

White shot an abysmal 39.4% from the field over the course of the season. From behind the arc, just 32.7%. With three-point attempts making up over half of his shot diet, each missed shot felt like it was carrying some extra weight.

Derrick was able to acknowledge the struggles during his media availability on Monday, while giving some encouraging words alongside them: “I think every offseason, you try to just go back and see what went wrong, why it went wrong, and try to correct it for the next season. Obviously, shooting was a big thing, and something I think I’ve corrected, hopefully… I feel good. I feel confident, and I’ll try and go out there and perform.”

When asked about what specifically he worked on, he joked at first, “you guys would look at me crazy if I said I didn’t figure it out at all.” He then continued to say, “there are obviously some things that I think I kinda dropped that I’ve done in the past. So, just kinda going back to some things that I’ve done… Just a bunch of those little things that kinda compound, combine into a bad shooting year, and just trying to be better for next year.”

White has been a core member of the Celtics since Boston decided to trade for him. He’s taken on more responsibility with each passing season. With Jayson Tatum’s absence, Derrick not only had to operate without the one teammate who makes his job the easiest; he also had to shoulder a larger workload than he was used to.

Before Tatum returned to the court, White was taking 15.2 field goal attempts (FGA) per game, up from the 12.6 FGA from the previous season. That bumped him up from the fourth highest FGA rate on the team in 24-25, behind Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis, to the second highest, only behind Jaylen.

At the same time, he saw a similar increase in his usage. In the 24-25 season, Derrick was again fourth on the team behind Tatum (30.1%), Brown (28.2%), and Porzingis (25.3%) at 19.5%. This past season, he was third (22.7%) behind Jaylen (35.6%) and Anfernee Simons (22.8%) prior to Tatum’s return. He had the ball in his hands more, and was tasked with controlling the offense more often, all while a larger chunk of the possessions was concentrated into Brown’s hands, meaning the responsibility wasn’t as spread out.

This upcoming season, Tatum should be back to his usual self, and while Derrick may still be tasked with a lot of offensive responsibility, Paul George should be able to take on a fair bit of the catch-and-shoot looks White had early in his Celtics tenure, while Mitchell Robinson’s screen-setting and rolling should open up a lot more of the floor. Derrick should be back in a much more comfortable position to operate from, and if his offseason efforts pay off, he’ll become a major key to unlocking Boston’s offense between his shooting and playmaking.

The way I see it, White set a high bar for himself last season, but left a wide-open window to reach, and even pass that bar. Just a few more weeks until we get to see him and the team back in action.

When he’s at his best, Matisse Thybulle is already regarded as an elite, ball-hawking wing. Now think about what the new Lakers guard can do with Walker Kessler by his side.

“[I] just feel like I can fully live up to my defensive potential,” Thybulle said Monday at Lakers media day, “because of having a rim protector like Walker.”

Just as Kessler is expected to lift the Lakers’ offense by pairing with Luka Doncic, the Lakers are equally excited for the influence Kessler can have on defense. The 7-foot-2 center is the type of rim-protecting force that can unlock a new scheme and elevate his teammates as the Lakers compete in a top-heavy Western Conference.

Coach JJ Redick said the Lakers’ tendency to switch on defense in recent years was “by necessity.” The Lakers, with the inconsistent Deandre Ayton at center, ranked 20th in defensive rating last season with just 4.3 blocks per game. Their 41 rebounds per game ranked 27th.

Read more:Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ready to take charge of new-look Lakers

In 2024-25, his last full season, Kessler was second in the NBA in blocks (2.4). The former Utah Jazz center averaged a double-double (11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds) during his third year, looking primed for a breakthrough. Then, a shoulder injury limited him to just five games last season.

The Lakers believe the 25-year-old Kessler’s talent, age and fit with Doncic and fellow star guard Austin Reaves made him worthy of a high-investment sign-and-trade; the Lakers sent four first-round draft picks to Utah to secure the restricted free agent, who then signed a four-year, $130-million deal with L.A.

“I think the Lakers organization is obviously a historic organization, and there’s maybe added pressure to that,” Kessler said. “But I think for me, with that pressure comes a lot of opportunity to play at a stage like this and to compete for a championship. I think that with the price they gave [for] me, again, speaking to the belief that they showed me, it makes me want to play my best ball for them.”

Redick said he hopes to use Kessler similarly to how the San Antonio Spurs use reigning defensive player of the year Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs superstar lurks down low near the basket, allowing guards to pressure aggressively on the perimeter.

The plan sounds perfect to Kessler’s new teammates.

“I’m a gambling man,” forward Jake LaRavia said with a smile. “So when it comes to defense, being able to play passing lanes and not have to worry about getting beat so much because you’ve got Walker as the back-line defense, it’s going to make us wings and guards feel a lot more comfortable being a little bit more aggressive defensively, maybe being able to pick up full-court a little bit more.”

The Lakers are chasing Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City and San Antonio. The last two conference champions were first and third, respectively, in NBA defensive rating last season, anchored by their star centers. Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren finished second in defensive player of the year voting and earned his first All-Star appearance.

Read more:Five storylines to follow as Lakers open training camp this week

Hoping to keep pace, the Lakers brought in Kessler as their most high-profile offseason addition. They also revamped their options on the perimeter, adding a stable of three-and-D players to support Doncic and Reaves by spacing the floor on offense and covering for the superstars on defense. Thybulle — a two-time NBA all-defensive team honoree — guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton and forward Ziaire Williams are expected to be among the new faces responsible for taking the Lakers’ defense to the next level.

“OKC, San Antonio, they play really hard defensively,” Grimes said. “You can get away with a lot more. So we’re really trying to set that tone.”

Doncic lauded the roster moves. Many of the signings were “underrated,” Doncic said. The Lakers don’t mind being overlooked for now.

“I think we’re competitors,” Sexton said. “I feel like we added people that are willing to compete, and we added guys that don’t back down to anyone. ... So I think we gotta show people.”

Doncic, who missed the postseason because of a hamstring injury, is especially eager to get back on the court. The thought of his long-awaited return was one of the few times the maniacal competitor showed a genuine smile during his obligatory news conference Monday.

Kessler said his shoulder is “110%” and “better than it’s ever felt.” The injury lingered since college and started getting worse last season. Shutting it down for the season felt like “it would be the best timing,” Kessler said in July. At the time, Utah was much more focused on draft position than playoff hopes.

With a line of Larry O’Brien trophies lording over the Lakers’ practice court, Kessler knows expectations in L.A. will be the highest he’s ever faced.

“To play for a [historic team] like this, I don’t really feel pressure. I just feel grateful,” Kessler said. “Grateful for this opportunity and grateful to play for this franchise.”

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On the court, Austin Reaves really doesn’t have much left to prove. Well, except whether he can stay on the court.

The Lakers’ star guard is tough, he’s talented, he has the temperament and competitive compass to lead a team. He’s been blessed with a sense of the moment and a sense of humor. It’s been a treat to watch him go from an undrafted curiosity to star guard for the Lakers, recently the recipient of a new four-year, $184-million contract.

Reaves foretold of his future stardom in 2023 after scoring nine consecutive points in a playoff victory over the Memphis Grizzlies: He’s him, he’s him!

Now entering Year 6, we’re long past doubting the ability of this kid from Newark, Ark. — except, of course, for his durability, his availability.

When he played last season, averaging 23.3 points on 49% shooting, the Lakers were 36-15 (.706). That’s better than every Western Conference team besides the Oklahoma City Thunder (.780) and San Antonio Spurs (.756).

But when Reaves was out of uniform and headband, the Lakers were a ho-hum 17-14.

Read more:Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ready to take charge of new-look Lakers

Reaves missed those games — and his shot at his first All-NBA and All-Star selections — because of right groin soreness in November, a left calf strain in December and January, and a left oblique strain in April.

Those were frustrating injuries, but they weren’t random. Unfortunate, but not exactly unlucky. They weren’t freak injuries, they were conditions that cropped up when his usage ticked up.

It seemed a sign that Reaves could be overburdened when he had to carry extra weight more than just part-time.

So the Lakers need the 28-year-old that they’re paying more than anyone but Luka Doncic to steel himself against that wear and tear. They better hope he spent at least as much time training his body to withstand another NBA season of body blows as he did going low on golf courses this offseason.

Monday at media day, where Doncic and Reaves sported matching golf tans, the now-longest-tenured Laker testified that he “had a really good summer and put myself in a really good spot going into this year.”

That’s good, that’s really good.

Because if the new-look Lakers are going to succeed, they need Reaves whipping passes and weaving to the rim for as many of their 82 regular-season games as possible.

They also need him to stretch well and drink lots of water and regularly get good nights’ sleep.

To go ahead and invest in hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy, compression boots and anything else he watched LeBron James do to defy Father Time in the five seasons they played together: “There’s a lot more that goes into it than the casual fan sees,” Reaves said Monday. “You have to do more every single day, especially the older that you get.”

The Lakers have watched Reaves grow up, from a surprising bit player in 2021-22 to a multifaceted menace who last season scored 51 points one game, dished 16 assists in another, and had others with 11 rebounds and four steals.

That’s why he got the big contract. And that’s why, when Reaves said Monday that, in his mind, “nothing really changes with how I approach the game,” it made sense.

He plays winning basketball, and if it ain’t broke, you’re not supposed to fix it.

But the Lakers also need Reaves to realize he’s really rich now. He should let it get to his head a little bit and be smarter out there.

He’s not going to be overdrawn when those moments arrive, asking him to make a bang-bang decision: Cash or charge?

For Reaves, the answer should almost always be cash. Because what’s in the Lakers’ best interests? Reaves drawing an offensive foul or coach JJ Redick drawing up a lineup without Reaves in it?

Read more:How a healthy and motivated Walker Kessler could transform the Lakers' defense

Protect yourself at all costs, Austin. Luka, too. Let all these defensive-minded role players fighting for playing time take the charges; that’s their job.

New Lakers center Kevon Looney became a three-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors. He knows what wins championships: Defense and health.

“For us to reach our full potential, we’re going to have to be a good defensive team,” Looney said Monday. “And then every team needs health. We got the talent, but being healthy and taking care of our bodies is going to set us apart.”

Reaves has already set himself apart, as an underdog, a dawg, and now, one of the Lakers’ top dogs.

He’s worth every penny that they’re paying him. But he’s still got to earn it.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Good morning BBN!

The Kentucky Wildcats basketball season tip-off is only a few days away as the Cats will take the floor at Rupp Arena on Friday night for Big Blue Madness.

Mark Pope’s first two seasons have been up and down, but one thing has been constant: Injuries.

The first season, it was Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Kerr Kriisa, and Andrew Carr who battled injuries.

Last season, it was Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance who went down for the season, while Kam Williams and Mo Dioubate also missed time.

Before this season tips off, several Cats have already battled some injuries.

Williams is still working his way back from a second foot surgery. Milan Momcilovic hurt a finger on his shooting hand, Trent Noah suffered a significant hamstring injury, and now Jerone Moton can be added to the list with a knee injury sustained in practice.

Luckily, nothing seems serious enough to play a major factor in the regular season, but the fact that they have already started is definitely unsettling. At some point, chalking all of this up to ‘bad luck’ just can’t be a real excuse anymore.

Now, we just hope they all stay away and give Pope his first fully healthy team in his tenure.

Tweet of the Day

Yes he did.

Headlines

Pope Believes ‘Length is Our Strength’- UK Athletics

Let’s hope so.

Lizzie Carr Named SEC Player of the Week, O’Brien Setter of the Week- UK Athletics

Let’s Go!

Instead of a Blue-White Game, Kentucky will hold an open practice for fans- KSR

Should be fun!

A meeting with Mark Pope turned Malachi Moreno’s stubborn summer into dramatic improvement- KSR

Love to hear this.

Jerone Morton suffers knee injury in practice, re-evaluation to come- Cats Pause

The injury big bites again.

Snap counts and PFF grades: Kentucky pulls away from South Alabama- Cats Pause

Take a look at the grades and snap counts for the Cats this past Saturday.

Giants trade for Vikings QB McCarthy but say Winston is QB1- ESPN

We still get Jameis!!

LeBron James says he envisioned joining Knicks as free agent- ESPN

I’m sure Knicks fans will take the title, but could have been awesome to see LeBron in NYC.

Lincoln Riley’s USC future in doubt after Oregon loss despite roughly $70 million buyout, sources say- CBS

Looks like Riley could be on his way out in LA.

South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart suspended one game by SEC for contact with Alabama player- CBS

The Cats will for sure not see Stewart on Saturday.