Category: NBA

NBA News

Posted on

Michael Ray Richardson, four-time All-Star banned from NBA for violating drug policy in the 1980s, dies

Michael Ray Richardson, a versatile guard who was banned from the NBA for violating its drug policy in the 1980s, died Tuesday. He was 70.

Richardson’s attorney and close friend, John Zelbst, confirmed his death to The Associated Press. Richardson, who had prostate cancer, died at his Lawton, Oklahoma, home, with his wife, Kimberly, present. News outlet Andscape first reported the death of Richardson, whose first name was alternately spelled Micheal over the years.

Richardson was a three-time All-Big Sky Conference player at Montana before being selected No. 4 in the 1978 NBA draft, two slots ahead of Larry Bird. He played for the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and New Jersey Nets. In eight years, he was a four-time All-Star who led the league in steals three times.

He was banned in 1986 after violating the drug policy for cocaine use. He played in the Continental Basketball Association and then finished his career in Europe. He later won five championships as a coach in the Continental Basketball Association and NBL Canada.

“It was a life of redemption and winning,” Zelbst said. “Redemption and winning. It’s incredible.”

In 1979-80, Richardson averaged 15.3 points per game for the Knicks and led the league in assists (10.1 per game) and steals (3.2).

“He was just an incredible player, and no one had seen anybody like him at that time,” Zelbst said. “He was Magic (Johnson) before Magic.”

In 1984, he led the Nets to a stunning playoff upset of the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers and stars Moses Malone and Julius Erving.

In his best NBA season, 1984-85 with New Jersey, Richardson was named the NBA’s comeback player of the year after averaging 20.1 points and 8.2 assists and a league-best 3.0 steals per contest.

He played one more NBA season before his ban.

“He got kicked out of the league, got sober and never went back to it,” Zelbst said.

Richardson coached the Oklahoma/Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry to three championships - in the CBA in 2008 and 2009 and in the Premier Basketball League in 2010. He also led the London Lightning to two NBL Canada championships. He returned to Lawton and spent much of the time in his later years guiding young Black men in the area.

Zelbst, who owned the Cavalry and Lightning, said Richardson was one of the best people he knew.

“Anybody that ever met him would just be fascinated by him,” Zelbst said. “He was such a bright light and I’m going to dearly miss him. He turned out to be my best pal, and it’s just heartbreaking.”

Posted on

NBA Revenue Projected to Hit $14.3B During 2025-26 Season

The NBA season is off to a hot start with close games and soaring viewership under its new media deal with Amazon, ESPN/ABC and NBC. The league’s accountants are also expecting a big year with gross projected revenue of $14.3 billion, up 12% from last season’s $12.75 billion, according to someone familiar with the forecast.

This tally includes league and team revenue outside of the money clubs make from non-NBA events, such as concerts, at arenas they operate or own. The figures were shared with league owners in September. The NBA declined to comment on the financial projections.

The growth is fueled by the league’s new 11-year, $76 billion media deal, which bumps each team’s TV revenue from $103 million to $143 million this season. The payouts rise roughly 7% per year on average, putting each team on track for $281 million for the 2034-35 season, based on a 30-team league. Forty years ago, each NBA team received roughly $1.5 million from national TV.

The 30 NBA teams generated $12.25 billion, or $408 million per club, in revenue during the 2024-25 season, including non-NBA events and excluding certain money that stays at the league level for investment and operations. The revenues ranged from $833 million for the Golden State Warriors to $301 million for the Memphis Grizzlies. The tally is net of revenue-sharing that transferred roughly $400 million to low-revenue teams last year, funded by high-revenue teams and 50% of luxury tax proceeds.

By comparison, NFL teams made $22.2 billon, MLB clubs made $12.75 billion, NHL franchises made $7.7 billion and MLS sides made $2.2 billion.

Basketball-related income, which is used to set the salary cap, was $10.25 billion last season, dinged by a choppy local media environment and multiple small-market teams reaching the conference finals, which impacted postseason gate receipts. It meant that more than $480 million went back to teams from the escrow fund set to ensure a 51-49 revenue split between players and owners.

The average NBA franchise is worth $5.51 billion, per Sportico’s NBA team valuations. That figure is up 20% versus last year and 113% from 2022, when the average was $2.58 billion.

Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Posted on

What changes are being made to 2026 NBA All-Star game?

AMA banner
[BBC]

The NBA has announced a number of changes to the All-Star game for 2026.

The All-Star game is an annual mid-season exhibition match involving the best players in the league.

Traditionally, a team from the Eastern Conference faces a team from the Western Conference, although the format has changed multiple times in recent years.

The first All-Star match was held in 1951 and has taken place yearly since then, with the exception of 1999 due to the NBA league lockout.

But what are the new changes for February 2026's All-Star game?

What's new to the All-Star game?

Steph Curry holding the 2025 NBA All-Star's Most Valuable Player award
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors has been selected 11 times for the All-Star game [Getty Images]

In 2026 a three-team tournament will take place consisting of two American teams and one team of international players.

They will all play each other once, with the top two teams facing each other again in the championship game.

Last year a four-team tournament took place, with the two winning semi-finalists facing each other in the final - deemed the championship game.

The starting fives for the two United States teams and the Rest Of World are picked via a combination of fans (50% of the vote), current NBA players (25% of the vote) and a media panel (25% of the vote).

The reserves to make up the three teams of eight are decided by NBA head coaches.

Like previous years, the squads will consist of 12 Eastern Conference players and 12 Western Conference players.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver will add extra players to fulfil the necessary quotas should a scenario arise where the 24 players do not consist of 16 United States players, eight international players and 12 from each conferences. It would mean that at least one team would have more than eight players in their squad.

When is it?

All four of the All-Star games, that last 12 matches each, will all take place on Sunday, 15 February 2026.

No regular season games take place during this period.

The All-Star matches will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California - the home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Who could feature?

LeBron James holds the record for the most All-Star selections, appearing in each of the last 21 games since 2005.

James, 40, missed the 2025 game due to injury and is yet to play this season, also because of injury.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, who have won 10 of the last 12 NBA Most Valuable Player awards between them, were all selected for the 2025 game.

Antetokounmpo missed last year's match due to injury.

San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, who was named Defensive Player of the Year two years ago, made his All-Star debut in the 2025 game and is among those likely to feature again in 2026.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

What is Ask Me Anything?

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits.

We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events.

Our coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio.

More questions answered...

Posted on

Four numbers that highlight Jordan Walsh's breakthrough with Celtics

Four numbers that highlight Jordan Walsh's breakthrough with Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics’ late-game execution woes have masked — or at least diminished — some of the more encouraging trends the team has produced through the first 12 games of the season.

Over the past week, perhaps nothing has been as notable as the rather unexpected emergence of third-year wing Jordan Walsh.

Walsh’s defensive potential has been evident ever since the Celtics snagged him with the 38th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. But he played sparingly on two championship-level teams, and it felt fair to suggest that the 2025-26 season was a bit of a make-or-break campaign, even if Walsh is still only 21 years old entering his third NBA season.

After logging three DNPs and playing sparingly through the early part of the new campaign, Walsh got an opportunity to reassert himself starting with last Wednesday’s visit from the Washington Wizards, and has basically made it hard for Joe Mazzulla to take him off the court. 

Something seemed to click against Washington for Walsh. He was relentless on the defensive glass. He brought a controlled chaos to the defensive side of the ball. The Celtics outscored the Wizards by 27 during his 24 minutes of floor time and it set the stage for Walsh to really showcase his defensive talents. 

That culminated Tuesday night in Philadelphia, where Mazzulla dispatched Walsh as the primary defender on 76ers superstar guard Tyrese Maxey, who averaged 33 points per game against Boston in the teams’ first two meetings this season.

With Walsh logging nearly 60 percent of the total matchup time, Maxey finished with his lowest scoring output of the season, generating 21 points on 5-of-17 shooting over 33:39. The Sixers escaped with a 102-100 triumph, but Walsh was an obvious silver lining with his inspired defensive play.

Here are four numbers that detail just how impressive Walsh has been in his recent minutes:

11.1 percent

That was Maxey’s shooting percentage when Walsh was the primary defender in Tuesday’s game. The NBA’s tracking data had Maxey finishing 1-for-9 with four points over 26.9 possessions and nearly six total minutes of matchup time with Walsh defending him.

Walsh was fantastic, including at the end of Tuesday’s game, helping to harass Maxey into a late miss in a tie game. Alas, the Celtics overreacted to helping near Maxey and that allowed Kelly Oubre Jr. to swoop in for a way-too-easy put-back that proved to be the difference in the game.

102.5

That is Boston’s defensive rating in Walsh’s 122 minutes of floor time this season. Not only is it second-best on the team among regulars, trailing only Neemias Queta (101.2), but Boston’s defensive rating is 12.4 points per 100 possessions lower during Walsh’s floor time compared to when he’s on the bench.

For context, the Oklahoma City Thunder top the NBA with a defensive rating of 104.1. The Celtics sit 13th at 113.4 overall.

Drill down to Boston’s last four games and Boston’s defensive rating drops to 97.9 in Walsh’s 98 minutes of floor time. It spiked to a team-worst 123.4 in his 94 minutes on the bench. 

9.1 percent

That’s how far below their expected field goal percentage that Walsh has held his defensive assignments over the last four games. Opponents are shooting a meager 37.5 percent against him on 10 shot attempts per game, per the NBA’s defensive dashboard. That’s the best differential on the team in that span. 

That number especially pops when you consider the recent defensive assignments like Maxey, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. 

Here’s a look at how Walsh has fared against his top defensive assignments this season, per NBA defensive tracking data:

window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}});

The Celtics have felt as comfortable letting Walsh joust with bigger, offensive-minded forwards like Banchero and Wagner, as they do in letting him chase around speedy and athletic guards like Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. It’s a defensive luxury to have a player like Walsh who the Celtics can trust against all sorts of opposing scorers.

16.8 percent

That’s the percentage of opponent missed field goal attempts that Walsh has rebounded this season, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all wings, per Cleaning the Glass data. The only players better in that category this season: Josh Hart (20.7) and Brandon Ingram (16.9).

The Celtics are simply a better rebounding team when Walsh is on the floor. The Celtics grab 71.8 percent of all defensive rebounds during his court time, the best individual mark on the team. Their overall rebound rate of 53.5 percent with Walsh on the floor would be a top-five mark in the NBA if maintained, and would slot the team ahead of Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. 

All of Walsh’s defensive metrics are elite for the early portion of the season. He’s blocking 1.6 percent of shots when he’s on the floor, which ranks in the 95th percentile among all wings, per Cleaning the Glass data. He generates steals on 3 percent of plays when he’s on the court, which ranks in the 92nd percentile among wings.

Walsh rebounds 44.4 percent of all missed free throw attempts when he’s on the court, which ranks in the 99th percentile. Only teammate Jaylen Brown has a higher mark in the league among wings. 

Posted on

Draymond Green claps back at NBA analyst's take on Warriors' recent struggles

Draymond Green claps back at NBA analyst's take on Warriors' recent struggles originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green isn’t letting outside criticism slide.

After Yahoo Sports NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor made a post on Threads blaming the Warriors’ veteran core — including Green and Jimmy Butler — for the team’s recent struggles, Green fired back, pushing back against O’Connor’s claim that the “old guys” are the problem in Golden State.

O’Connor, in his original post, was referencing a story from ESPN’s Anthony Slater, who reported shortly after the Warriors’ 126-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night that that Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski’s preseason comments about wanting to “be better” than Steph Curry elicited some eye rolls within the organization.

Green responded in real time on Threads, reminding O’Connor that he speaks for himself and challenging the analyst’s understanding of winning culture.

The back-and-forth comes as the Warriors continue to search for answers amid injuries, fatigue and a demanding away schedule. Golden State sits at 6-6 and will face the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night in the second half of a back-to-back, with both Curry and Green listed as questionable.

Golden State’s six-game trip continues through San Antonio, New Orleans, Orlando and Miami before returning to Chase Center.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

2025-26 NBA MVP ladder, race: Odds, power rankings, frontrunners including Cunningham, Doncic, Maxey

Entering Week 4 of the NBA, Tyrese Maxey and Cade Cunningham have entered the MVP chat as long shots with Philadelphia and Detroit as two of the hottest teams in the NBA, while Victor Wembanyama's 38 point night versus Chicago kept him in the top five of the MVP rankings. Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo continue to jostle one another for the top spot of who can rival the reigning MVP on the best team in the NBA.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Vaughn Dalzell’s Week 4 MVP Rankings

Oklahoma City Thunder Primary Logo
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (+180)
Points Per Game: 32.8 (3rd)
Assists Per Game: 6.4 (19th)
Rebounds Per Game: 5.2 RPG (T-83rd)

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue their run for back-to-back champions opening the season at 11-1 over the first 12 games. In that dozen, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) has scored 30-plus points 10 times with 28 and 23 in the two that went under. SGA's dished at least five assists in 9 of those 12 and grabbed five or more rebounds in seven contests to go along with only six games of 35 or more minutes.

Despite the 33.3% usage rate (5th) to start the season without Jalen Williams, SGA hasn't played the minutes that you'd assume with his numbers. If Cade Cunningham needs 45 shots and 18 free-throw attempts to score 46 points, how many does SGA need?

Well, SGA scored 35 points on 22 field goal attempts and 11 free-throw attempts two games ago versus Minnesota. SGA is one of the most efficient and prolific scorers we will see this decade and it's a consistent night to night basis. It's hard to argue he isn't defending his MVP the correct way through 12 games. SGA is a safe bet to go back-to-back from everything I've seen.

Los Angeles Lakers Primary Logo
2. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+350)
Points Per Game: 37.1
Assists Per Game: 9.1
Rebounds Per Game: 9.4

SGA is the safe bet, but my favorite pick to win the MVP was the new slim-thick version of Luka Doncic! Through seven games with him on the court, the Lakers have gone 5-2 and he's averaged a near triple-double of 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists with the second-highest usage rate (37.8%).

Doncic has only triple-doubled once this season, but double-doubled in five others. His latest outing versus Charlotte, a 38-point performance in 38 minutes, Doncic failed to record his first double-double of the season with seven assists and six rebounds.

The Lakers look great and so does Doncic. I think he will be a top-three contender all year for the award and still put up 30-7-7 at the least with LeBron James back in the mix. For the first time in my life, a team that LeBron is on, doesn't quote feel like it's his team, although he is still the leader and shot-caller, but you get what I'm saying. Luka is the face of the Lakers, but LeBron is the voice. There I got it.

Denver Nuggets Primary Logo
3. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (+300)
Points Per Game: 25.2 (T-15th)
Rebounds Per Game: 13.0 (2nd)
Assists Per Game: 11.9 (1st)

For the fourth time in the last five games, Nikola Jokic topped the 30-point mark as Denver is on a five-game winning streak. The Joker is doing it all, leading Denver in points, rebounds, assists, and minutes per game.

Jokic lead the Nuggets in scoring all five games during this winning streak and in fact, Denver is 6-0 when he is the leading scorer this season. When he triple doubles, Denver is 5-1 this season with the lone loss coming in OT during the season-opener to Golden State (137-131). Denver is tied for the third-best record in the NBA and will need to keep up the pace if Jokic wants to win MVP.

At this impressive rate, Jokic will likely finish third or fourth in MVP voting despite averaging a 30-point triple-double on a top-four team in the West. Unless Denver has a better record than Oklahoma City, or the best in the NBA for better words, I don't know Jokic gets the necessary votes over SGA or Doncic if Jokic didn't last year.

Milwaukee Bucks Primary Logo
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (+550)
Points Per Game: 33.4 (1st)
Rebounds Per Game: 11.9 (6th)
Assists Per Game: 6.2 (17th)

Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the NBA in scoring (33.4) and top 10 across the board in so many categories, it would take too much time to list them all. The Greek Freak has had to take his game to a different level, including fadeaway game-winners, but more impressively, becoming Point-Giannis.

Antetokounmpo has the third-highest usage rate (35.3%), or the second-best if you don't include Luka Doncic. He's directed the Bucks offense to the 10th-best offensive efficiency and 11th-ranked assist to turnover ratio to go along with the 10th-quickest pace. At 7-4, Milwaukee has continued to surprise and with the limited help from his role players. Antetokounmpo is playing like an MVP through 11 games.

San Antonio Spurs Primary Logo
5. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (+600)
Points Per Game: 25.7 (12th)
Rebounds Per Game: 12.8 (3rd)
Blocks Per Game: 3.9 (1st)

The Spurs have won three straight games and are tied with the Nuggets for third-best record in the NBA (OKC, DEN) and second-place in the Western Conference behind the Thunder. Not many people expected this start from the Spurs, that included a 5-0 record over the first five games.

Victor Wembanyama averaged 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, 4.8 blocks, and 3.4 assists in the first five games of the season. However, in the second five-game sample size, Wemby averaged 21.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game. Teams have started playing him differently to limit his impact, but the win-loss column hasn't been impacted, which is what keeps Wembanyama in the race.

When the Spurs start losing, Wembanyama's odds will start dropping, but will they start losing? San Antonio just received a boost when De'Aaron Fox returned and the Spurs are 2-0 so far as he's scored 21 and 24 points and shot 60.7% from the field! Maybe not this year for Wemby MVP, but an entire year of chemistry with this young Spurs team could lead to a MVP trophy for Wemby sometime in the next three seasons.

Stock Up

Philadelphia 76ers Primary Logo
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (+5000)
Points Per Game: 33.2 (2nd)
Rebounds Per Game: 4.9 (T-92nd)
Assists Per Game: 8.2 (6th)

Tyrese Maxey has continued to take control of the 76ers' high-tempo offense ranking second in the NBA with 33.2 points per game. Maxey turned in a season-low 21 points against the Celtics in his previous game without Joel Embiid, but Philadelphia won, so his odds stayed put at 50-to-1, better than the 70-to-1 last week.

As long as the 7-4 Philadelphia 76ers are winning, Maxey will be in the small second-tier to long shot contenders for MVP. The first tier is made up of SGA, Doncic, Jokic, Giannis, and Wemby. Then the second tier to long shots would be Maxey, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Paolo Banchero, and Jaylen Brown.

Detroit Pistons Primary Logo
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (+3500)
Points Per Game: 27.5 (9th)
Rebounds Per Game: 5.4 (T-76th)

Assists Per Game: 9.9 (2nd)

Cade Cunningham was 150-to-1 before the Pistons seven-game winning streak and now he's 35-to-1. Detroit owns the league's longest winning streak, but only one of those teams have a winning record, so it'd say hold your horses on any Cunningham MVP chatter.

However, his 46 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assist triple-double in an 137-135 OT win over Washington on Peacock certainly gave us a glimpse of what Cunningham can be. Cunningham went 14-of-45 from the field (31.1%), 2-of-11 from three (18.2%), and 16-of-18 (88.9%) from the free-throw line in the win for one of the more inefficient 46-point outings.

Stock Down

San Antonio Spurs Primary Logo
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (+600)
Points Per Game: 25.7 (12th)
Rebounds Per Game: 12.8 (3rd)
Blocks Per Game: 3.9 (1st)

There aren't many players with their stock dropping besides Anthony Edwards (+10000), so I won't write about him again, but Victor Wembanyama has watched his drop.

Over the last five games, teams have started implementing defensive fronting strategies with help to limit his scoring impact. It worked with four straight games of 22 or fewer points, outside of the last game when Chicago allowed him to go off for 38 points. Wemby is averaging fewer points (-9.0), rebounds (-3.6), and blocks (-1.8) per game over the last five opposed to the first five.

Wemby has now put himself into the fifth position for MVP for every sports book, but we can write him in as Defensive Player of the Year as long as he stays healthy.

Follow my plays for the season on X @VmoneySports, Instagram @VmoneySports_ and Action App @vaughndalzell.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

Posted on

Sixers give injury updates on George and Embiid following victory over Boston

Sixers give injury updates on George and Embiid following victory over Boston originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Fifteen or so minutes after beating the Celtics and improving to 7-4, the Sixers released an official injury update on Paul George.

George met with doctors on Tuesday night to assess his progress, a team official said. 

“The final stage of his return-to-play plan involves the continued strengthening of his left quadricep,” per the official, “which will be managed through a strength and conditioning program and on-court basketball activities. He will be re-evaluated later this week.”

George has been cleared to practice for over a month and looked good physically in post-practice periods open to the media. However, he’s been out for the Sixers’ first 11 games. 

The 35-year-old forward underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in July to repair an injury suffered during an offseason workout. He missed 41 games last year in his first season as a Sixer because of lingering injuries to his left knee, left adductor muscle and left pinkie.

Although the Sixers did not formally announce anything on Joel Embiid, head coach Nick Nurse also had an update to share on his star center. Embiid sat against Boston because of right knee soreness and had imaging done on the knee Tuesday.

Nurse’s update was short and sweet.

“Joel has no structural issues,” he said. “He’s day-to-day.”

Embiid played very well in his last appearance, posting 29 points on 10-for-16 shooting, six rebounds and four assists Saturday in the Sixers’ win over the Raptors.

“I think he’s trending upwards,” Nurse said. “I think the minutes and conditioning and everything are going to trend up to playing even better. So I think it’s really important that we’re going to hopefully get him out there soon.”

Posted on

Veteran big man Drew Eubanks thriving in thankless Kings backup center role

Veteran big man Drew Eubanks thriving in thankless Kings backup center role originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Backup center is one of the most thankless jobs in the NBA. Playing time comes in small, generally anonymous bursts while any stats of significance are as rare as a four-leaf clover.

Drew Eubanks is changing that narrative to a certain extent in his first season with the Kings this season.

The season isn’t even a month old and the 28-year-old journeyman has found a way to make his presence felt. He hasn’t done anything spectacular, per se, but Eubanks already has provided far more than Kings brass could have hoped for when they signed him to a one-year contract in July.

Through Sacramento’s first 13 games, Eubanks was putting up decent numbers that were amplified when starting center Domantas Sabonis was dealing with hamstring and rib injuries.

Sabonis has returned to the lineup and played well but fouled out of Tuesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, which opened the door for Eubanks to really prove his worth.

And he did exactly that while going up against three-time MVP and seven-time All-Star Nikola Jokić.

Jokić did what Jokić always does, no matter the opponent, but what stood out for the Kings was how well Eubanks did against the Joker when the two were matched up.

The Sacramento backup had 19 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes. Sabonis, by comparison, also scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 25 minutes.

“Drew was really good,” Kings coach Doug Christie said. “He’s playing against a monster (Jokić), first of all, but he gave some good minutes. He did some good things.

“In that backup role, we need him to be aggressive, be physical, rebound, (be) up to the level on pick-and-rolls, impact the basketball when he sets screens, roll extremely hard and use your athleticism, sprint the floor, flatten it out. He can do all that. When he has his regular minutes, that is totally something that he can do to take advantage of the opposition.”

Eubanks got the extra playing time against Denver because Sabonis was in foul trouble for most of the night before eventually fouling out.

Even before that, though, the Kings have found ways to keep Eubanks involved.

His average playing time of 15.8 minutes in Sacramento’s first 13 games was more than double the court time he got in 24 games with the Los Angeles Clippers last season.

Eubanks also is shooting at a higher clip than he has since 2022-23. While rebounds and assists are down from his career average, Eubanks is blocking shots at a clip of 1.2 per game, the second-best mark he’s had in the NBA.

“Drew’s a pro,” Zach LaVine said. “Come off the bench, start him, throw him in late … he’s going to figure it out. His energy and just him day to day, his charisma helps us out.”

The Kings actually began benefiting from Eubanks in the offseason.

During training camp he and Sabonis would engage in 1-on-1 battles or oppose each other in full squad scrimmages.

“He had a great training camp, huge training camp,” Sabonis said. “He looked amazing and it’s showing right now in the games. I’ve been hurt a couple games and (against the Nuggets) I fouled out. He stepped up big time.”

Asked how the training camp battles between the two centers went, Sabonis smiled.

“He was kicking my butt. He was really good. I was impressed.”

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast

Posted on

Knicks' Mike Brown: OG Anunoby 'is an All-Star,' deserves to be in Defensive Player of the Year consideration

OG Anunoby has never been an All-Star in his nine-year NBA career.

That will likely change this season if the Knicks wing keeps playing like he has through his first nine games, especially if head coach Mike Brown has a say.

But that's not all the recognition he believes Anunoby deserves.

"OG is an All-Star, in my opinion," Brown said after Tuesday's 133-120 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. "Not only is he an All-Star, he's an all-defensive performer. In my opinion, he should have an opportunity, amongst others in our group, to fight for Defensive Player of the Year in the league.

Brown continued, saying the 28-year-old is reaching new heights as a "playmaker" while still adjusting to a different style of offense.

"He's worked his tail off in the summertime, first of all. And then secondly, he's just getting comfortable with what we're trying to do. He knows where guys should be on the floor when he drives. He's making quick decisions with the basketball. When he feels a second defender step up, again based off of what we're trying to do offensively, he knows what spot should be filled. Anybody can make those passes almost blindly because he knows he's done his job and somebody should be there.

"He's just embracing what we're trying to do offensively with his talent, his size, his athleticism, his IQ. It's just showing that he can still go to another level as a playmaker."

In his first season under Brown, Anunoby is averaging career-highs in points (18.2), rebounds (6.2), and steals (2.2) per game. 

He's also shooting a career-high 43.8 percent from three and making a career-high 3.1 three-pointers per game. His true shooting percentage is a best 62.5 percent, while his usage rate is also a high of 21.1.

Defensively, Anunoby currently ranks fifth in the league in defensive win shares at 0.187, trailing only Miami's Jaime Jaquez Jr., OKC's Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren, and San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama. While it may be difficult to steal the DPOY from Wemby, Anunoby could find himself on an All-Defensive team.

Previously, Anunoby finished seventh in DPOY voting in the 2022-23 season after leading the league in steals (1.9) and earned All-Defensive Second Team honors that year. 

What Anunoby has done so far this season is impressive, and, like Brown believes, his efforts should earn him a spot at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Inglewood, CA  and other accolades at the end of the year.

Posted on

Knicks continue offensive onslaught vs. Grizzlies, but defense still a work in progress: 'We've got to finish games better'

The Knicks continued their dominance at home on Tuesday night, defeating the Grizzlies 133-120, pushing their winning streak to five games and starting the season 7-0 at MSG.

New York showed a lot of what has made them dangerous in the early going. They throttled the Grizzlies' defense for 78 first-half points and forced 11 Memphis turnovers. If you saw the final score, you'd think it was a much closer game, and the Knicks would tell you that it shouldn't have been.

Despite their offensive outburst in the first half, the Grizzlies outplayed them in the second, outscoring the Knicks 66-56. And first-year head coach Mike Brown brought up his team's defensive lapses in his opening statement after Tuesday's win.

"The first half, we did a really good job in a lot of areas...and our transition defense in the first half wasn't great but it was ok against a team like that," Brown said. "According to our measurements, they had 16 fastbreak points against us in the first half. The second half, we let up. We didn't sprint back like we should have...we did not play our rules and they got layup after layup after layup against us in transition, which gave them confidence...29 fastbreak points to a team in a half is going to kill ya. Especially when you have 11 turnovers in that half. We were careless with the ball as well...Hopefully, we'll grow from this and try to put 48 minutes in our next game because those two areas we did not do a good job of."

The Knicks will hope to put together that full 48-minute performance on the second of their back-to-back on Wednesday against the Magic, but they wasted an opportunity for extra rest because they allowed the Grizzlies to stick around. One positive is that New York is expected to have center Mitchell Robinson in the lineup after he sat out Tuesday due to injury management. Brown was asked about the defense and Robinson's role in it, but the coach didn't want that to be an excuse.

"It wasn't about Mitch; they killed us in transition," he said. "Give them credit because they kept fighting, but we could have had anybody on the floor, it would have been bad. We didn't do a good job getting back, we didn't do a good job following our rules while getting back."

While the Knicks let Memphis hang around in the second half, the offensive performance they put on allowed them to hold on. The team scored 130-plus points in their third straight game, which is the first time that's been done in franchise history. 

Jalen Brunson was awesome, scoring 32 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing 10 assists. He is now tied for third in franchise history with Stephon Marbury and Ray Williams for the most 30/10/5 performances as a Knick (five). 

But even the captain wasn't pleased with how his team finished Tuesday's game.

"Yeah, we're clicking (on offense), most importantly, we've got to finish games better," Brunson said. "Whatever's happening on offense, there's going to be times when we're not making shots and stuff. But we got to better defensively no matter what. It has to be our focus moving forward."

Brunson says the lapses are a product of late communication or simply a lack of communication, but was encouraged by the team's offensive production, especially in the first half.

"Ball's moving, playing off each other, playing ball," Brunson said. "When the ball is going in like that, it's great to see."

The Knicks shot 55 percent (39.3 percent from three) with 19 assists in the first two quarters. That's a product of Brown's offensive system that has ramped up the team's output.

Following New York's win over the Nets on Sunday, the team was the No. 2-ranked offense and had the league lead in made three-pointers per 100 possessions. 

They will look to keep it going on Wednesday against the Magic, where they'll look to go a perfect 8-0 at home this season. 

Posted on

Nets drop third straight after 119-109 loss to Raptors

NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 25 points to help the Toronto Raptors beat the Brooklyn Nets 119-109 on Tuesday night.

Immanuel Quickley had 24 points for Toronto, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Scottie Barnes finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Jakob Poetl had 12 points and 10 boards.

The Raptors won for the fifth time in six games. They shot 49.5 percent (45 for 91) from the field and outrebounded the Nets 50-36.

Nic Claxton and Michael Porter Jr. each had 21 points for Brooklyn, losers of 10 of its first 11 games to start the season. The Nets are winless in six games at home.

Playing its third game of a five-game trip, Toronto led 60-52 at halftime and increased its lead to 14 points early in the third quarter.

Brooklyn closed to 83-81 late in the third, but Toronto responded with three consecutive baskets, including a buzzer-beating floater from Jamal Shead.

Quickley’s three-pointer sparked a 7-0 run for the Raptors that made it 102-89 with 7:41 left.

Toronto has won in its last three visits to Barclays Center.

Up next

Raptors: Continue their trip at Cleveland on Thursday.

Nets: Visit Orlando on Friday.

Posted on

Knicks win fifth straight, stay unbeaten at home with 133-120 victory over Grizzlies

The Knicks led by 23 points at halftime, and as much by 28 points in the third quarter, holding on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 133-120, on Tuesday night.

New York has now won five straight games as the team improved to 7-0 at home to start the season. It's also the first time in franchise history they've scored 130-plus points in three straight contests.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Coming off a 40-point first quarter on Sunday against the Nets, the Knicks continued their stretch of fast starts against the Grizzlies. Memphis went up 5-0, but New York came storming back in what became a track meet at the Garden. OG Anunoby opened the scoring, and with Mitchell Robinson out, Landry Shamet stepped up with five of the team's first 11 points. Jalen Brunson then hit a three for his first points of the night and Ja Morant came right back with his first bucket on a floater.

Karl-Anthony Towns started to get going midway through the first quarter, blowing by Jock Landale for a two-handed slam to go up 18-15. Memphis continued to keep up, finding ways to score inside and tie the game at 30-30. 

-- Anunoby scored on a layup, Miles McBride came in and hit a three, and Anunoby got the crowd on their feet with a two-handed reverse dunk. The Knicks used that momentum and closed the quarter on a 12-0 run, as Josh Hart scored an and-one layup and Brunson hit a floater with 0.6 seconds left on the clock to put them up 42-30.

It's New York's second straight 40-point first quarter and seventh 40-point quarter of the season already.

-- The 12-0 run became a 19-0 run into the second quarter as Anunoby got another dunk, Towns scored quickly, and McBride made his second three-pointer. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Morant tried to stop the bleeding, but Towns made his first three-pointer to go up 52-35. Jordan Clarkson then heated up, scoring 10 straight of his own to pace the Knicks' second unit and build a 16-point lead, 63-47.

-- Memphis committed four turnovers in the first quarter, with three by Morant, and that trend became a real issue throughout the second. The Grizzlies turned it over eight more times in the second (12 total), allowing the Knicks to score in transition repeatedly (11 fast break points). Mikal Bridges' dunk put New York up 20 points with about a minute left in the first half, and then he connected with Hart for a three-pointer. Brunson hit a pull-up jumper with eight seconds left to make it a 77-54 game at the break.

New York won the second quarter, 35-24, as they shot 54.7 percent (29-for-53) from the field with 11 three-pointers (39.3 percent) in the first half. Brunson led the way for the starters with 14 points, while Towns and Bridges each had 10 points, Anunoby had nine, and Shamet had eight. Sandi Aldama was Memphis' leading scorer with 10 off the bench, with Jackson and Morant each scoring nine points.

-- Bridges scored on another Brunson assist, his ninth of the game already, to push the New York lead to 25 points with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter. Towns and Brunson hit back-to-back three pointers to keep the big lead, up 96-71 at the halfway mark, but the Grizzlies didn't give up. Vince Williams Jr. and Jaylen Wells each made three-pointers before Towns and Clarkson hit threes of their own, making it an 111-83 game.

Morant, Cam Spencer, and Williams made three straight threes to close the quarter for Memphis, but they allowed Bridges to hit a three with 13 seconds left to go up 114-93 at the end of the third quarter. Still, the Grizzlies won the third, 39-37.

-- The Grizzlies wouldn't go away and cut the Knicks' lead to 12 points on a Wells three-pointer, causing Mike Brown to call a timeout with 6:11 left in the game. The turnover problems resurfaced in the fourth as Williams threw the ball out of bounds, leading to a Brunson three on the other end to go up 129-116. It was Memphis' 22nd turnover of the game and New York's 33rd point off turnovers.

-- Towns scored 21 points with 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks in 31 minutes. Bridges had 22-7-4-4, while Anunoby put up 16 points on a tough shooting night (7 of 17, 1-for-10 from three). Morant finished with 16 points, 10 assists, and eight turnovers in the loss. Jackson and Aldama each scored 19 points, plus Wells had 18 points.

New York attempted a team record 55 three-pointers, making 22 of them. The franchise record for three-point makes in a game is 24 (Oct. 22, 2021 vs. Magic).

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

Brunson finished with 32 points, including 6 of 9 from three, with 10 assists and five rebounds. He was a plus-20 in his 35 minutes.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks will stay at home for a back-to-back on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic at 7:00 p.m.

Posted on

2026 NBA All-Star Game: All the details on new three-team, USA vs. international players format

The timing could not be more perfect.

The NBA All-Star Game returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026 — right in the middle of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. There is no better time to set up a first-of-its-kind All-Star Game pitting the best of the USA vs. the NBA's deep international talent pool, a world team.

Now we have the details on exactly what that will look like when the games are played on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California (home to the Los Angeles Clippers).

  • The 24 All-Star players will be divided into three teams — two USA teams and one world team — that will compete in a round-robin tournament of four 12-minute games. Each of the three teams will have a minimum of eight players (getting to the 24 in a traditional All-Star format).
  • Selection of All-Star players will remain the way it has been for many years. Fans (along with NBA players and select media) will vote for the 10 starters, five from the Eastern Conference and five from the Western Conference. Following that, a vote of the coaches will select the seven reserves from each conference.
  • The one big difference: Votes — and the rosters — will be positionless. Fans will be able to vote for five guards (or, with the West these days, five centers) to start if they choose; they will no longer be locked into two backcourt and three frontcourt players. The same will be true of the coach selections for reserves. This simply fits better with the increasingly positionless style of the NBA game today.
  • If that selection process does not end up with 16 U.S. players and eight international players (including American players with ties to other countries, if necessary), then NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select an additional player or players to join either group to reach that minimum. Which means some teams could have nine or more players.
  • How the players will be assigned to the two U.S. teams will be determined at a later date.
  • Once selected, those three teams will play in a classic round-robin format: Team A will play Team B in Game 1; the winning team from Game 1 will take on Team C in Game 2; followed by the losing team of Game 1 meeting Team C in Game 3.
  • From there, the top two teams by record advance to the finals, a fourth game. (Note: if all three teams have a 1-1 record after Game 3, the tiebreaker would be point differential.)

Bringing the energy

After the last handful of years, Silver and the NBA have been searching for ways to get more player buy-in — not to mention passion and energy — for the All-Star Game. The hope is that this format change will encourage players to bring the energy fans want to see.

"I would love that. Oh, I would love that," Giannis Antetokounmpo said at last season's All-Star Game about the idea of a USA vs. the World format. "I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I'd take pride in that."

"I would love to. My opinion is that it's more purposeful," Victor Wembanyama added about the idea at the time. "There's more pride in it. More stakes."

That eight-man World Team roster could be stacked: Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Alperen Sengun, Joel Embiid and Jamal Murray (not to mention Franz Wagner, Lauri Markkanen and more) could qualify for the international team.

Whoever ends up on the court, the pride of playing for one's country should inspire one of the best All-Star Games we have seen in a long time.

When is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?

The NBA All-Star Game returns to the Los Angeles area this season, with the game being played on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers, and will be broadcast on NBC Sports and Peacock. The All-Star Friday Night Rising Stars game (featuring NBA rookies and second-year players) as well as the All-Star Saturday Night events, including the Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest, will also take place at the Intuit Dome. Fans will be able to watch all of it on NBC Sports and Peacock.

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

Posted on

Nico Harrison is out in Dallas, now is time to pivot, build around Cooper Flagg

Nico Harrison is out as the Dallas Mavericks general manager — something that needed to happen.

Not just because he traded away Luka Doncic, a top-five player in the world entering his prime — although it's hard to imagine a more fireable offense for a GM. More than that, Harrison's firing had to happen now to stop everything that was to come. He had staked everything on his belief that trading away Doncic was what was best for the franchise and had made the Mavericks contenders right now, behind Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, two championship players, but ones who are now older and with injury histories. Sure, Dallas now had No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, but Harrison was all-in on the short term and winning now with these Mavericks, not thinking long-term. Every move he would have made was going to be about the two- to three-year championship window he said the team had. He would have extended Anthony Davis this summer. It would have boxed the team in.

Dallas now has a chance for a reset, but what comes next?

Finding a new GM

Before picking a direction, Dallas has to pick its next decision-maker.

In the short term, Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will serve as co-interim general managers, the team announced. Finley has been in the Mavericks front office for 11 seasons following his 15-year playing career. Riccardi has been in Dallas since 2022, having come over from the Brooklyn Nets. Both are likely to be interviewed and in the mix to get the job full-time.

One name instantly floated — by none other than former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban — is Dennis Lindsey. He spent seven seasons as the general manager of the Utah Jazz, and has also worked in the front offices of Houston and San Antonio. He is currently the senior vice president of basketball operations with the Detroit Pistons. Lindsey has experience in the role and knows Dallas, although how having the public support of Cuban plays with the current Mavericks ownership is up for debate.
One other name to watch: Jason Kidd. He is currently the Mavericks head coach, but since his time in Brooklyn it has been no secret in league circles that ultimately, he would like to end up being in the front office, putting a team together. Kidd has a strong relationship with team governor/owner Patrick Dumont, which helps.

Whoever the Mavericks choose, they need to do so relatively quickly, because there are major decisions ahead, and they are coming fast.

Pivot toward Cooper Flagg

Dallas has started the season 3-8, although a big part of those struggles is Irving's absence as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered last season. Without him, Harrison turned to D'Angelo Russell to run the point, and while that was the best available option it was not a good one. It led to the situation where Kidd asked Cooper Flagg to play point forward, and he has done as well as a rookie being asked to play out of position could be expected to. But it's not ideal.

That 3-8 start, along with Irving's continued absence, points to a clear direction the Mavericks should take:

Pivot hard and start building around Flagg. Now.

Dallas controls its own draft pick this season, in what is considered a very deep draft at the top. The Mavericks do not control their own picks from 2027 to 2030 — they have only one shot at this.

Doing that leads to other obvious moves. That starts with trading Anthony Davis, maybe at the trade deadline but definitely by next summer. Explore trading some of the other veterans, including Irving, as well as Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington (Dereck Lively, at age 21, should stick around).

It may take a handful of years to bring the entire thing together, but what San Antonio has done around Victor Wembanyama is the model. The Spurs didn't rush it (as much as his otherworldly talent pushes the timeline), they got a little lucky in the NBA Draft Lottery but selected wisely with reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle (who has taken a big step forward in his second season) and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper. When the opportunity arrived to land a high-level player who should pair well with Wemby in the form of De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio jumped at it. It took a few years, but we can all see the plan coming together.

Flagg is not Wembanyama, but the model is the same.

To be clear, the market for Davis — age 32 and with a history of nagging injuries — is not ideal, but there will be interest. Tell Irving to take all the time he needs and then some before returning this season. Then, this summer, work with Irving and test the trade market for a player who is still one of the better point guards in the game.

Dallas should have other goals, such as getting below the luxury tax in the short term and ideally finding a trade with Charlotte, which controls the Mavericks' 2027 first-round pick.

Harrison had a team in the NBA Finals just two seasons ago, then, inexplicably, traded away a star player in his prime, thinking that would give the franchise a better championship window. While there will be a temptation for ownership and the new GM to try to keep that timeline going, it's time to consider those sunk costs. The combination of injury-prone stars and elite teams in Denver and Oklahoma City makes a two- or three-year window seem like a long shot.

It's time for Dallas to think long-term. It's time to pivot and build around Flagg.

Posted on

2025-26 NBA Power Rankings: Rockets, Pistons, Heat in Top 10, while the 76ers and Warriors are out!

The 76ers and Warriors are the latest teams to get the boot out of my top 10 rankings, while the Western Conference claims my top three spots. The Eastern Conference does have four teams make the list, but the fourth almost lost to the Washington Wizards, so maybe there should be three....enjoy the list and the games on Peacock Tuesday night!

All Championship odds are courtesy of DraftKings.

Vaughn Dalzell’s Week 4 NBA Power Rankings

Oklahoma City Thunder Primary Logo
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (10-1)
NBA Finals odds: +210
Points Leader: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33.6)
Rebound Leader: Isaiah Hartentstein (11.4)
Assist Leader: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (5.9)

The Thunder are undoubtedly the No. 1 team in the NBA with a 10-1 start. The lone loss came by two points to Portland on the second night of a back-to-back and third game in four days. It wasn't a shocker, much like the double-digit wins Oklahoma City put up after that.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander now has seven straight 30-point games and 10 out of 11. Jalen Williams appears to be days, if not a week or two at the most away from making his return to the Thunder, which bolsters the starting lineup and defense for the best team in the NBA. Oklahoma City ranks sixth in defensive efficiency without Williams, but something tells me they will be top three with him.

Denver Nuggets Primary Logo
2. Denver Nuggets (7-2)
NBA Finals odds: +550
Points Leader: Nikola Jokic (25.2)
Rebound Leader: Nikola Jokic (13.0)
Assist Leader: Nikola Jokic (11.9)

Denver has won four straight games over Sacramento, Miami, Golden State, and Indiana. The Nuggets have back-to-backs on deck with Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers before wrapping up a three-game road trip at Minnesota (Anthony Edwards could be back).

Nikola Jokic has been playing like an MVP through nine games as he leads the Nuggets in points, rebounds, assists, and minutes. Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are both averaging per 20 points per game and if they can just get Cam Johnson going (8.0 ppg), this offense can be even more dangerous. Denver ranks top three in both offensive and defensive efficiency, the only team to rank top five in both categories.

Los Angeles Lakers Primary Logo
3. Los Angeles Lakers (8-3)
NBA Finals odds: +1600
Points Leader: Luka Doncic (37.1)
Rebound Leader: Luka Doncic (9.4)
Assist Leader: Luka Doncic (9.1)

The Lakers five-game winning streak was snapped to the Hawks in Atlanta, but Los Angeles bounced back with a blowout win over the Hornets in Charlotte.

The five-game road trip continues for the Lakers with Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and Milwaukee left. The trio of Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, and Austin Reaves are 4-1 together in their small sample size through 11 games.

New York Knicks Primary Logo
4. New York Knicks (6-3)
NBA Finals odds: +1300
Points Leader: Jalen Brunson (27.2)
Rebound Leader: Karl-Anthony Towns (12.7)
Assist Leader: Jalen Brunson (6.2)

New York is one of the hotter teams in the league with four straight wins over Chicago, Washington, Minnesota, and Brooklyn, so not the most impressive opponents. All four of the games have come at home for the Knicks and they have three more until Nov. 14. The Knicks are 6-0 at home so far.

New York is one of a few teams that doesn't travel across the country until the end of December and start of January, so they are in prime position to be a top seed in the East by Christmas.

Cleveland Cavaliers Primary Logo
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-4)
NBA Finals odds: +850
Points Leader: Donovan Mitchell (30.4)
Rebound Leader: Evan Mobley (8.6)
Assist Leader: Donovan Mitchell (5.4)

Cleveland is riding a four-game winning streak with victories over Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, and Chicago until an insane 140-138 OT loss to Miami.

The Cavaliers have seven straight home games after their road matchup with the Heat on Wednesday, which sets them up to stay hot. Cleveland doesn't start traveling across the country to the west coast until after Christmas, so I expect Cleveland to be a top three team in the East until the New Year strikes.

Milwaukee Bucks Primary Logo
6. Milwaukee Bucks (7-4)
NBA Finals odds: +4000
Points Leader: Giannis Antetokounmpo (33.4)
Rebound Leader: Giannis Antetokounmpo (11.9)
Assist Leader: Giannis Antetokounmpo (6.2)

Milwaukee has cooled off over the last six games with a 3-3 record, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing like an MVP leading the Bucks in points, rebounds, and assists.

Unfortunately, I am not sure how long Ryan Rollins can be their second-leading scorer (16.5) and Milwaukee expects to win. Role players like Kyle Kuzma, Gary Trent Jr, and Cole Anthony will have to step up if Milwaukee wants to maintain their status as a top four team in the East.

San Antonio Spurs Primary Logo
7. San Antonio Spurs (8-2)
NBA Finals odds: +3500
Points Leader: Victor Wembanyama (25.7)
Rebound Leader: Victor Wembanyama (12.8)
Assist Leader: Stephon Castle (7.7)

After going 5-0 to start the season, San Antonio dropped two consecutive games, then won the next three. The best part about their last win, De'Aaron Fox made his return to the Spurs after only 17 games with the team last year.

Fox averaged 19.7 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in that small sample size (6-11 record). To open this season, the former King scored 24 points on 9-of-14 from the field, 2-of-5 from three and 4-of-5 from the line, to go along with three rebounds and three assists over 31 minutes against New Orleans.

Fox scored 21 points against the Bulls with five assists and four rebounds. San Antonio has five straight home games on deck coming against Golden State (twice), Sacramento, Memphis, and Atlanta.

Houston Rockets Primary Logo
8. Houston Rockets (6-3)
NBA Finals odds: +1000
Points Leader: Kevin Durant (24.8)
Rebound Leader: Alperen Snegun (9.9)
Assist Leader: Alperen Snegun (7.3)

Since losing the first two games of the season, Houston has won six of the last seven games. The Rockets have knocked off the Nets, Raptors, Celtics, Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Bucks — but only Milwaukee has a winning record of that group.

Houston leads the NBA in offensive efficiency and ranks eighth on defense, plus the best rebounding percentage. The assist to turnover ratio ranks 21st, which will need to improve amid all the youngsters in the starting lineup, but Houston is in a good spot.

Detroit Pistons Primary Logo
9. Detroit Pistons (9-2)
NBA Finals odds: +4500
Points Leader: Cade Cunningham (27.5)
Rebound Leader: Jalen Duren (12.0)
Assist Leader: Cade Cunningam (9.9)

The owner of the NBA's current longest winning streak deserves a spot in the top 10, right? Over the past six seven, Detroit has beaten Orlando, Dallas, Memphis, Utah, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Washington. Only the 76ers have a winning record of that bunch, so the No. 9 spot will do.

Miami Heat Primary Logo
10. Miami Heat (7-4)
NBA Finals odds: +8000
Points Leader: Norman Powell (24.5)
Rebound Leader: Kel’el Ware (8.8)
Assist Leader: Daivon Mitchell (7.5)

The Miami Heat are my surprise entry to the top 10. Miami has quietly put together a stellar start to the season, especially with three straight wins. The Heat beat the Cavaliers in epic fashion on Monday night, plus beat Portland by five and Charlotte by 18.

Out of the Top 10

Philadelphia 76ers Primary Logo
10. Philadelphia 76ers (6-4)
NBA Finals odds: +2500
Points Leader: Tyrese Maxey (33.2)
Rebound Leader: Andre Drummond (8.1)
Assist Leader: Tyrese Maxey (8.2)

Since Nov. 4, the 76ers have lost three of the past four games with the 21st ranked defensive efficiency and 24th in assist to turnover ratio. In the past four, Philadelphia lost to Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit, three teams with winning records, so no the worst stretch of competition to take losses against.

Portland Trail Blazers Primary Logo
8. Portland Trail Blazers (5-5)
NBA Finals odds: +40000
Points Leader: Deni Avidja (25.5)
Rebound Leader: Donovan Clingan (8.8)
Assist Leader: Jrue Holiday (8.1)

Portland has continued to turn heads over the past five games as they have taken on some of the best teams in the NBA, including my top three ranked squads — Thunder, Nuggets, Lakers, and Magic — going 2-2 in that stretch with a loss to Los Angeles and Orlando, plus another to Miami (in the past five overall).

The Blazers unfortunately are 4-3 in the past seven games, but all of their losses on the year have come to potential playoff teams, so I like where Portland is while not having the record Houston, Detroit, or others may have.

Golden State Warriors Primary Logo
7. Golden State Warriors (6-5)
NBA Finals odds: +1400
Points Leader: Steph Curry (26.8)
Rebound Leader: Jonathan Kuminga (7.2)
Assist Leader: Draymond Green (5.8)

Over the past week, Golden State beat Phoenix (118-107), then lost to Sacramento (121-116) and Denver (129-104) before routing Indiana (114-83) in a revenge spot. The Warriors have dealt with injuries in the first 10 games, which is concerning long-term. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler have all missed games so far, plus Moses Moody and Al Horford.

I think Golden State is an obvious downgrade in the power rankings, especially with the six-game road trip starting in Oklahoma City coming up.

New to the Top 10:

Miami Heat Primary Logo
10. Miami Heat (7-4)
NBA Finals odds: +8000
Points Leader: Norman Powell (24.5)
Rebound Leader: Kel’el Ware (8.8)
Assist Leader: Daivon Mitchell (7.5)

Miami is now 5-0 at home compared to 2-4 on the road, but plays at home in three of the next four. Unfortunately, the Heat play the Cavaliers again, then the Knicks twice, and Warriors in that stretch.

Detroit Pistons Primary Logo
9. Detroit Pistons (9-2)
NBA Finals odds: +5000
Points Leader: Cade Cunningham (27.5)
Rebound Leader: Jalen Duren (12.0)
Assist Leader: Cade Cunningam (9.9)

Detroit almost folded against Washington Monday on Peacock, but won 137-135 in an OT thriller. The Pistons host Chicago on Wednesday in a rematch of the opening season loss (115-111). After that, the 76ers come to Detroit for a rematch of Sunday's game, which the Pistons won, so it's a formidable schedule to keep the heater going.

Houston Rockets Primary Logo
8. Houston Rockets (6-3)
NBA Finals odds: +1000
Points Leader: Kevin Durant (24.8)
Rebound Leader: Alperen Snegun (9.9)
Assist Leader: Alperen Snegun (7.3)

The Rockets are 5-1 on the road this season with the only loss being the 2 OT thriller on opening night versus the Thunder. Houston plays four of the next five at home, so they could rack up wins quickly, especially with three of the next four against the Eastern Conference.

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.