Category: NBA

The uncertainty surrounding two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee should be resolved within the next month.

At an introductory news conference Wednesday for new head coach Taylor Jenkins, Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam addressed the issue hanging over the franchise's head this offseason: Trade the 10-time All-Star or try to re-sign him to a new deal?

"I just think before the draft is a natural time," Haslam told reporters. "Because if Giannis does play somewhere else, we've got to have a lot of assets. That's Jon's (GM Jon Horst) job to do. And if he's here, then you build the team differently."

The Bucks are guaranteed to have a top-14 pick in the June 23 draft, with the exact spot to be determined by Sunday's draft lottery.

Antetokounmpo has expressed a desire to remain in Milwaukee, even though he could become a free agent next summer. However, he's stated his preference is to play for a team that's committed to winning a title. That doesn't describe the Bucks last season, who went 32-50 as their star forward battled injuries and frustration with his playing time.

The Bucks can offer Antetokounmpo a four-year, $275 million contract extension in October. However, if he doesn't sign, free agency looms at the end of the season.

"We never had any problem communicating directly with Giannis – at all – and always knew where he stood," Haslam said. "And I think he always knew where we stood. We've had those kind of conversations since the season was over.

"So sometime over the next six or seven weeks, we'll decide whether Giannis is going to sign a max contract and stay with us, or he's going to play somewhere else."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with Bucks could be settled by draft

Coming off a heartbreaking Game 1 defeat, the Spurs eyed revenge against the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game 2 of their Western Conference Semifinals series. Carter Bryant returned from his ankle injury, so the Spurs were back at full strength. After a tough shooting first quarter for both teams, the Spurs managed to take a seven-point lead into the second quarter. The Spurs stepped on the gas and started to outplay Minnesota on both sides of the ball. They forced multiple turnovers and outscored the Wolves 35-18 to take a 24-point lead into the half. In the third, the pressure somehow kept escalating. The Spurs continued to dominate the pace and ramped up double teams for Anthony Edwards and others. They outscored the Wolves 39-28 in the third and put the game completely out of reach in the early fourth. The Spurs ultimately won 133-95, and tied the series 1-1.

Stephon Castle led the way with 21 points (6-10 FG, 9-9 FT), four assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Steph fought off tough defenders and forced his way into the paint. With several slashing finishes and midrange jumpers, Steph also got to the free-throw line and drained all nine of his attempts. With his frame, Steph is interchangeable on both sides of the ball. He was active in the passing lanes and continues to play terrific on-ball defense. With the series shifting up north, the 21-year-old is playing as if he has already been here before.

BLOW-BY JAM! Steph fakes out Mike Conley and has a clear path for a monster slam!

SHEESH STEPH 😤

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/WjQzew1Ekf

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

AND-ONE! Steph fights through Jaden McDaniels’ contact and somehow flips it in for the and-one!

HOW STEPH?!?! 🤯

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/rmMHeLSWDp

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

Victor Wembanyama dropped a double-double: 19 points and 15 rebounds, along with two assists, two blocks, and a steal. Although it is not a triple-double with blocks, Wemby had a much better offensive game: shooting just under 50% from the field and splashing two threes. He managed to get two rejections (which, at this point, feels like a disappointment) and was deterring Wolves players from attempting shots in the paint. A balanced Wemby is unstoppable, as he continues to be an opposing coach’s nightmare to gameplan. Wemby is just as adaptable on either side of the ball, and he will be ready for what Chris Finch throws at him next.

UFO APPROACHING! Wemby plays solid defense, then runs the floor and skies in for the one-handed putback slam!

VIC PUTBACK OMG ‼️

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/HAuclHQ4Cr

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

JUST THROW IT UP THERE! Devin Vassell and Wemby run the P&R, and it results in an alley-oop and-one!

COUNT THAT ☝️

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/9vit9C9tVj

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

Here’s the Twitter/X highlight bundle for the Alien!

19 PTS, 15 REB, 2 AST & 2 BLK 📊 pic.twitter.com/p7yVrJp6e8

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

De’Aaron Fox dropped 16 points, two assists, and two steals. Fox faced a lot of criticism for his Game 1 performance, and he owned up to it postgame. He then started hot in Game 2, nearly matching his scoring total from Game 1 in the first quarter alone. He shot 50% from the field, and even drained a pair of threes. Due to the score of the game, the box score may not look like an out-of-this-world performance, but it definitely was the spark plug to kick the team into high gear.

INSTANT OFFENSE! After the Wolves’ bucket, Fox takes the inbounds pass and immediately zooms it to a cutting Carter Bryant for the destructive poster slam!

WELCOME BACK CB 😳

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/ENARv8gi8y

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

Fox bucket-getting never gets old.

De’Aaron Fox tonight:

• 16 points
• 2 steals
• 2/2 3PM
• 5/10 FG pic.twitter.com/9J8hXvEgS4

— Bala (@BalaPattySZN) May 7, 2026

Julian Champagnie dropped 12 points (4-6 3PT), three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. After laying a goose egg in the first half, Julian dominated the third quarter. All of his threes came in the third, including a sequence that will make any Spurs fan smile. He drained a wing three, rejected Edwards’ shot out of bounds, and then drained another three after Fox picked Julius Randle’s pocket. Julian was one of the best three-point shooters in the league this season, and performances like this have Spurs fans thinking about Danny Green comparisons.

JU GOT THE HOT HAND 🔥

📺 @ESPNNBApic.twitter.com/rUVCYZkRlA

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

Dylan Harper dropped 11 points. seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals. After leading the Spurs in scoring with 18 in Game 1, Dylan picked up right where he left off. He dished out dimes, was active on the boards, and made crazy dribbles with finishing moves. Night in and night out, Dylan continues to play like a seasoned vet. Anytime he brings the ball up the court, his playmaking instincts kick in, and it continues to make Spurs fans feel spoiled.

Dunker spot! Dylan finds an open Luke Kornet as the defense collapses, and it results in a two-handed finish!

THROW IT DOWN LUKE 😤

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/h1d3j3rusN

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

CLEANUP ON AISLE 2! Dylan skies in for the putback slam after seeing Wemby have one of his own!

DYLAN OUTTA NOWHERE ‼️

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/H9dkjVX5Vp

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

UNGUARDABLE! Dylan catches the pass from Steph in transition and puts on a show. He spins off of Jaylen Clark, puts a move on Terrence Shannon Jr., and finishes while floating in the air!

Too smooooth @dy1anharper 🧈

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/Kj2al7FS31

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

Devin Vassell dropped 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Throughout his first playoffs, Dev has played like a playoff riser. His numbers might not wow the casual fan, but the effort he has shown on both ends of the floor has given the Spurs an extra boost. He always seems to make the extra play that is appreciated by the fans, and in this game it was this ridiculous no-dip catch and shoot three.

Just like they drew it up 😏

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/SkckLtEeUP

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

Seriously, look at this. He jumps before he catches the ball and manages to shoot it all in one motion!

still thinking about that @Yvngdevo three 🤯 pic.twitter.com/lEQCq460JX

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

FOUR POINT PLAY! Dev drains the wing three while being fouled by Conley for the and-one!

DEV FOUR POINT PLAY 🔥

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/5LRgwRrSna

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 7, 2026

All in all, this was a much-needed bounce-back win. After coming out flat in Game 1, the silver and black ramped up the defensive pressure and finally started to generate easy looks that were executed. Harrison Barnes even poured in 12 points off the bench. Keldon Johnson dropped a near double-double with nine points and 10 boards. For context: Seven players finished in double figures, and 14 out of 15 scored (Poor Plumlee)! It was a total team effort and domination that has given the team and its fans confidence heading into Game 3 in Minnesota.

Finally, here are the full game highlights.

Game 3 heads to Minneapolis this Friday at 8:30 P.M. (CST) on Prime Video.

It is admittedly easy to get a little bored watching Cameron Boozer. Scouting young basketball players usually offers a sense of discovery, but Boozer has been displaying the same steady dominance since he was 14 years old. There are no frills to his game, just sound decision-making with a well-rounded skill set and a physical style of play. As a high school player, Boozer won four state championships in Florida, three EYBL championships on the Nike grassroots circuit, two gold medals with USA Basketball, and one mythical national championship playing against prep schools from all over the country. His Duke team lost three games by a combined five points all year, and it took a miracle to keep them out of the Final Four. At every stop, Boozer has consistently been the star player driving his team’s success.

Critics will always find a way to excuse Boozer’s mastery. He was overpowering high schoolers. He won’t be able to score over real rim protectors in the pros. NBA forwards are going to burn him with their speed. At least so far, Boozer has been unfazed by any jump in competition despite also being the youngest player on the floor with a July 2007 birthday that will make him the only projected lottery pick who is still 18 years old on draft day.

There are no perfect players, and Boozer is far from perfect. He’s slow, he isn’t a great leaper, and often looks pretty stiff in tight spaces. Of course, you can poke holes in Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic too, and it hasn’t stopped them from being three of the best players of their generation.

Boozer was the best player in college basketball this season as a true freshman, but he isn’t considered the consensus No. 1 overall pick at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft. Classmates A.J Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson are excellent prospects in their own rights, and in some ways it’s understandable why people think they will translate to the pros better than Boozer. I’m here to tell you those people are overthinking it. Boozer is the best prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft, and each team that passes on him in the lottery is making a huge mistake.

Boozer has crushed every level of competition. There’s no reason to think it won’t continue in the NBA.

Boozer’s production is unmatched

Boozer became the fifth freshman ever to win the Wooden Award as college basketball’s most outstanding player this season, and it was nearly unanimous with 59 of 61 first-place votes.

Boozer just had college basketball’s second most productive season since basketball-reference started tracking box-score plus/minus. BPM is an all-in-one metric that “estimates a basketball player’s contribution to the team when that player is on the court.” It is not a flawless stat, but it’s one of the better public metrics for capturing individual performance.

Being super productive at a young age against older competition is perhaps the biggest signal of future stardom. The only other freshmen on this list — Williamson, Davis, Flagg, and Holmgren — have all acquitted themselves well in the NBA so far.

Rank	Player	BPM	Year	School
1	Zion Williamson	20.1	2019	Duke
2	Cameron Boozer	18.4	2026	Duke
3	Anthony Davis	17.24	2012	Kentucky
4	Sindarius Thornwell	17.14	2017	South Carolina
5	Zach Edey	16.7	2024	Purdue
6	Yaxel Lendeborg	16.7	2026	Michigan
7	Cooper Flagg	16.35	2025	Duke
8	Brandon Clarke	16.3	2019	Gonzaga
9	Frank Kaminsky	16.2	2015	Wisconsin
10	Trayce Jackson-Davis	16.02	2023	Indiana
11	Keegan Murray	15.69	2022	Iowa
12	Denzel Valentine	15.57	2016	Michigan State
13	Delon Wright	15.55	2015	Utah
14	Zach Edey	15.39	2023	Purdue
15	Victor Oladipo	15.09	2013	Indiana
16	Donovan Clingan	15	2024	UConn
17	Chet Holmgren	14.97	2022	Gonzaga

Want some diversity in your all-in-one metrics? Boozer also posted the highest single-season RAPM score since Hoop-Exploder started tracking college basketball in 2017-18. RAPM measures a player’s impact on scoring margin to reflect their contribution to team success regardless of numbers in the box score. In short, when Boozer is on the floor, his team consistently wins his minutes. I don’t think that trend is stopping now.

Boozer’s offensive versatility is unmatched

Most players are best when they’re used in certain ways. Not Boozer. The 6’9, 250-pound forward can play a variety of different roles on offense, and excel in all of them. This season at Duke, Boozer spent at least nine percent of his time doing eight different play types, and scored efficiently on all of them.

Yes, Boozer was able to bully college competition on post-ups. He was also awesome at pick-and-roll ball handling, spot-up shooting, offensive rebounding, isolation scoring, cuts, and roll man duties. Here’s the points per possession data on these variety play types, via Synergy Sports. This shows that Boozer won’t be pigeonholed into a role at the next level.

Play type	PPP	PPP Rank	PPP Rating	Percent of Time
Post Up	1.096	86%	Excellent	21%
Pick and Roll Handler	0.938	77%	Very Good	10.90%
Spot-Up	1.269	95%	Excellent	10.50%
Transition	1.347	88%	Excellent	10.10%
Offensive Rebounds (Putbacks)	1.384	85%	Excellent	9.80%
Iso	1.042	81%	Very Good	9.70%
Cut	1.486	88%	Excellent	9.70%
PnR Roll Man	1.275	82%	Very Good	9.30%

Boozer has a supercomputer brain

Boozer is great in a lot of areas, but his best skill may be his processing. You might be more likely to hear that term when reading about quarterbacks in the NFL Draft, but it’s equally critical in basketball. Star players need to be able internalize a constantly changing set of variables in a split second and use it to maximize their win probability on any given possession. Boozer does this better than any 18-year-old forward you will ever see.

Boozer is such a good scorer that he commands a lot of defensive attention. It only makes him more deadly as a passer. He’s the sort of player who never forces his own offense, and instead just wants to make the right play. Watch this possession, where Boozer turns a post-up into an alley-oop dunk by manipulating the weakside defender with his eyes to make him think the pass is going to the corner.

pic.twitter.com/bR7XWuPq6D

— Follow @CrazieCast (@DukeTWTClips) February 28, 2026

Look at this pass against national champion Michigan where Boozer sucks in the help as a driver before bailing out at the very last second to create an open wing three for his teammate:

I can't believe this pass from Cam Boozer on Saturday. Unreal stuff. Backhand pass while moving down the lane at full speed…. It is silly how impressive this is. pic.twitter.com/jv9jaziA3r

— JPR (@Scouting_Col) February 23, 2026

Boozer’s 25.6 percent assist is a tremendous mark for a freshman with his size, and I’m even more impressed by his 3.6 rim assists per 100 possessions. Rim assists are the most valuable pass you can make on the court because there’s a greater chance of completing the play than with a longer jump shot.

Here’s how Boozer compares as a passer to his other peers projected to be drafted in the top-10.

Player	Assist %	Rim assists per 100
Cameron Boozer	25.6	3.6
AJ Dybantsa	22.1	2.2
Darryn Peterson	12.5	1.8
Caleb Wilson	18.1	2.5
Kingston Flemings	32.6	3.7
Yaxel Lendeborg	18	2.9
Keaton Wagler	23.2	2.4

Only Flemings is a better playmaker among the elite prospects in this class, and he’s a smaller guard at 6’3. Boozer doesn’t have to play on the ball (more on that later), but when he does, you can trust him to make excellent decisions.

Boozer’s physicality is top notch

Boozer exited Duke’s shocking Elite Eight loss to UConn with “a couple fractures” in his face and scratches all over his arms. His opponents got it just as badly as he did he all year. Boozer consistently uses his 250-pound frame to his advantage, and it shows up mostly in his rebounding, screen setting, hard rolls to the rim, and ability to get to the foul line.

Boozer is going to generate a lot of extra possessions on the offensive glass. His 12.5 percent offensive rebound rate ranked in the 97th percentile for prospects in this draft class, per DraftBallr. On this possession, Boozer creates the open corner three for a teammate, works to get into rebound position, and finishes it with a putback after he grabs the offensive board.

Boozer uses his physicality to consistently muscle his way into free throws, too. Getting to the foul line is a star skill in the NBA, and Boozer has it. On this play, he’s acting as the roll man and finishes over Rueben Chinyelu for the and-one. Chinyelu is listed at 6’10, 265 pounds with a 7’8 wingspan, which would make him one of the longest and heaviest players in the NBA. Boozer still invited the contact and got the bucket.

cam boozer moves florida's rueben chinyelu – one of the most physical and strongest players in college basketball – under the basket for an easy and-1 finish pic.twitter.com/4Bt9REbGUC

— Chip (@SwingSkill) January 20, 2026

Boozer’s 53.6 percent free throw rate ranks in the 89th percentile of the class, per DraftBallr. You can count on him to make his freebies too with a 79 percent stroke from the foul line on 280 attempts.

Boozer will shoot at a high level in the NBA

Boozer’s free throw percentage is a sign of strong touch, and his range extends to the NBA three-point line. This season, he made 39.1 percent of his 138 three-pointers. He’s going to be a weapon on pick-and-pops from day one while also being able to space the floor as a spot-up shooter.

Boozer had 147 possessions as a jump shooter this year and scored 1.12 points per possession, which ranked in the 86th percentile of the country. He’s at his best as a shooter when a teammate sets him up. Boozer scored 1.22 PPP on his catch-and-shoot attempts this year, posting impressive 61.2 percent true shooting on those opportunities. He has easy NBA range on his jumper when he gets squared up.

Boozer can hit shots over contests despite a slower release. On 41 possessions this season, he went 16-of-25 and scored 1.17 PPP on “contested jumpers,” according to Synergy.

He does have some limiting factors as a shooter right now. He’s not a super high volume three-point chucker after taking 6.5 threes per 100 possessions this season. He’ll want to bump up that two or three more in the pros. He’s also not a natural shooter off the dribble yet. He scored 0.90 PPP on dribble jumpers this year, which ranked in the 65th percentile and merely rated as “good” — a rarity on Boozer’s profile.

The pull-up jumper is a superstar skill, and Boozer will need to develop it to reach his highest-end outcomes. It’s also going to be an important counter when he’s not fast enough to beat his man off the dribble. Here’s one example where Boozer ripped a step-back three after his drive was denied against Louisville. If he can do this with more consistency, his offensive ceiling is going to be through the roof.

Boozer can drive really well for a 250-pound forward

Boozer’s simple-yet-effective driving is one of the best parts of his game. He can be trusted to run pick-and-roll or attack a smaller defender on isolations, and the threat of his downhill scoring opens up opportunities to make plays as a live dribble passer. While he doesn’t have a ton of counters in the middle of the floor, he can usually rely on his bully ball game to get to the line if all else fails.

When a guard screens for Boozer, he knows how to punish switches by running over smaller defenders. Even without crazy pop off the floor as a leaper, he’s still able to square himself to the basket, and he has the touch to make below-the-rim finishes.

Great rep as a pick-and-roll handler from Cameron Boozer. I want to see him used like this more often: pic.twitter.com/eqVJtxvOUJ

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) December 6, 2025

Boozer made 64.5 percent of his rim attempts this season with 57 percent of them coming unassisted. He doesn’t need to play as a full-time point forward because he’s so good in so many other areas, but he can take on those duties in a pinch if his team needs it.

Boozer is already pretty good at driving and finishing with either hand. He’s not the most agile driver, but he has step-throughs and Eurosteps when he needs them.

Beautiful drive from Cam Boozer pic.twitter.com/KNs0UtA8zl

— FLOOR and CEILING (Wilko) (@wilkomcv) February 16, 2026

Boozer almost never settles from mid-range. He only took 52 two-point attempts all season away from the rim. When he has the ball, he’s going to the hole or kicking out to a teammate to space the floor. You could argue not having a mid-range game hurts Boozer’s NBA translation if he’s expected to be in a star role — the mid-range is said to be the domain of superstars — but non-rim twos are also the least efficient shot any player can take. The fact that he prioritizes a ‘Moreyball’ shot-profile is a wonderful thing for a player this young.

Boozer’s outlet passing will boost transition offense

Boozer has been throwing dimes in transition going back to his high school days. He’s such a dependable defensive rebounder, and when he gets to the ball he’s always looking to hunt for quick-hit opportunities in transition.

One minute of Cameron Boozer outlet passes. His defensive rebounding, passing and grab-and-go abilities will all juice transition offense. pic.twitter.com/1WAzAIUDvV

— Matt Powers (@DraftPow) April 23, 2025

Boozer impacts winning in so many areas

Boozer’s combination of usage, scoring volume, and efficiency at such a young age is a strong star indicator. This year, he scored 40.3 points per 100 possessions on 65.3 percent true shooting with a 30.6 percent usage rate. A team can run their offense through him and reap the rewards, but he can also thrive in an off-ball role as a floor spacer, rebounder, and connective passer.

Boozer is going to be a plus in the possession game. He’s an outstanding rebounder for a power forward on both ends of the floor. His 14.7 percent turnover rate and +1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio aren’t the strongest numbers …. but it’s still better than Dybantsa (15 percent turnover rate with +1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio) while clearing Peterson in A/TO. He got to the foul line more than Dybantsa or Peterson, too.

Boozer is not super long or super athletic. He will allow blow-bys defensively that compromise his team’s structure. He’s going to have some games where he’s not finishing well at the rim in the halfcourt. He’ll probably need to tighten his handle so he doesn’t get picked trying to run over smaller NBA defenders.

Even if you allow for all of that, Boozer is still the best player in the class because when the ball hits his hands, his team gets a good shot. He thinks the game at a high level, he has impressive touch as a shooter from all over the floor, and he plays a physical style that will translate well when the game slows down in the playoffs. He’s able to vacillate between all these roles on the same possession and still maximize his team’s chances of scoring.

This play shows Boozer’s versatility on different play types, his motor to keep hunting an advantage, and his quick processing ability.

MSU defense stops the Boozer drive, he flows into handoff, becomes the roller, throws the short roll lob to Patrick Ngongba, who is undercut and gets free throws pic.twitter.com/6Zs4mrTbN4

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) December 6, 2025

Boozer is a better shooter than Dybantsa, a better playmaker than Peterson, and a much better rebounder than both. There also might not be a stronger player in this draft class. Even if he’s just hoping to get to average defensively, he still has quick hands and sharp instincts to make some plays on that end. If nothing else, he’s great at ending defensive possessions with a rebound.

The 2026 NBA Draft class is stacked with talent inside the top-4, but Boozer stands alone. Taking anyone else with the top pick will be a regrettable decision.

There was no John Poulakidas player preview here at MavsMoneyball. That is understandable given the undrafted rookie’s whereabouts at the time. Back in October, he was preparing to play 27 minutes per night for the Clippers’ G-League affiliate, having been waived by Los Angeles in camp two weeks earlier. He didn’t become a Maverick until early March, shortly after Ryan Nembhard’s two-way contract was upgraded to a standard deal. He made his NBA debut that same night, played in 13 games over the next six weeks, and ended the season with eight made threes and a career-high 28 points in the same finale where Nembhard broke Jason Kidd’s franchise rookie assist record.

Two undrafted guys on the same squad, both having memorable nights on the last day of a 26-win season.

Who is this guy?

John Poulakidas is a 6-foot-6 lefty shooter from Naperville, Illinois, who finished his college career as the second-leading three-point shooter in Yale history. He shot 40.2 percent from deep across 110 games for the Bulldogs, made 243 career threes, and finished 10th on Yale’s all-time scoring list at 1,362 points. The most efficient way to describe him is also the most accurate one: he’s a shooter, and he has been a shooter for a long time.

The college résumé has texture beyond the percentages. As a junior in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Poulakidas hit the game-winning jumper in Yale’s 78-76 first-round upset of fourth-seeded Auburn, finishing with 28 points on six made threes. He returned for a senior year, led the Ivy League in scoring at 19.4 points per game, earned First Team All-Ivy honors, and was named MVP of the Ivy League Tournament after a 25-point championship game against Cornell. He went undrafted in 2025 and signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Clippers before getting waived in camp.

Season retrospective

Most of his year was spent with the San Diego Clippers, the L.A. Clippers’ G-League affiliate. Across 24 regular-season games there, Poulakidas averaged 14.7 points and shot 47.3 percent from three on more than seven attempts per game (96-of-203), the seventh-highest three-point mark in the G League among qualified players. After joining Dallas in March, he played 14 minutes in his NBA debut that night, a 117-90 loss to Charlotte.

His March was a typical two-way distribution. Most of his time went to the Texas Legends. At the NBA level, the appearances were short and scattered: 18 minutes for three points against the Pelicans, 28 minutes for 11 points against the Bucks, single-digit cameos in between. Somewhere in there, Mark Followill landed on “Pull-a-three-dis.” The long-time announcer’s nicknames don’t always work. This one did — the kind of corny that earns its smile during garbage time.

April rebooted the workload. Cooper Flagg’s ankle was managing him out of the rotation. Dallas had nothing to play for. The bench got long. On April 8 against the Suns, Poulakidas put up 23 points on five made threes in 29 minutes off the bench, his career high at the time. Four days later, in the season finale against Chicago, he played 36 minutes and finished with 28 points on 8-of-16 from three.

Outlook

Most rebuilds come with built-in upside. Bad year, high pick, talent infusion later. Dallas doesn’t get that. The team’s first-round picks are mostly gone for the next four years, which means there’s no benefit to being terrible. This year the losses helped the Tankathon premise. For the next four years, losing will do this franchise no good at all. The Mavericks have to rebuild without the usual rebuilding rewards, and that puts a different kind of pressure on every roster spot. The cheap value has to be developed in-house, in the places other teams aren’t looking.

A player like Poulakidas is exactly the kind of low-cost flier that math rewards. He shot 40.3 percent from three across his 13 NBA games. He shot 47.3 percent from three across his G-League work in San Diego. He shot 40.2 percent from three across four years at Yale. The shooting profile has been consistent at every level he’s played. He’s 23, which fits the Flagg-era timeline cleanly, and cheap perimeter shooting that takes pressure off a focal point is one of the more useful things a rebuilding roster can have—especially one that can’t draft its way out of holes.

The roster math complicates the path. We can pencil a draft pick that will likely get plenty of minutes if not a solid starter role. Perhaps that will be alongside Kyrie Irving, who will slated to return from his knee injury next season. Klay Thompson is potentially still here at least to start of the campaign. Max Christie is locked in. Flagg eats wing wherever he wants them. Poulakidas is not breaking up that group. The question is whether the back-of-bench shooter who made 31 of 77 threes in a lost season is the kind of guy you keep on a real contract instead of the kind of guy you let walk because the slot is needed for someone else.

Two-way contracts exist for cases like this. They’re cheap experiments at the back of the roster, low-risk fliers on undrafted prospects, and most of them produce nothing memorable. Poulakidas’s two-way produced 13 NBA games, two career nights, and a back-of-the-bench question that has more substance than back-of-the-bench questions usually do.

He didn’t earn what Nembhard earned. The sample is too small and the context too soft. But he earned a look, and he earned a question. On a roster that can’t draft its way out of holes, the question itself is an asset.

The new Ujiri front office now decides on the answer.

The Lakers defensive strategy in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals was brilliant. 

Attack Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in four different ways in an attempt to choke off the oxygen of the Oklahoma City offense. By doing so, the Lakers were daring anyone else on the team to beat them. 

Chet Holmgren did. 

While the Lakers were busy blitzing, trapping, shading, swarming, and hedging the reigning MVP, Holmgren slipped through the cracks like a cool breeze under a locked door.

He finished with a team-high 24 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. He drained two threes, and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. 

This is why it’s so difficult to beat the Thunder.

Just when you cut off the head of the snake, another head reappears and bites you. 

The Lakers made SGA look human in Game 1. They held him to 18 points—the first time he’s scored under 20 in almost a year—and forced him into a shocking seven turnovers and only three free throw attempts. Both well off his season averages. 

“We got back in transition, we matched up, and then all of a sudden we walked away from him and he got a wide open dunk,” said Lakers’ head coach J.J. Redick, when asked how Holmgren was able to slip through the cracks while the defense was locked in on SGA. “That is not something we want to do in Game 2.”

The Lakers’ Holmgren problem is something to look for in Game 2 on Thursday. 

When he and SGA are on the floor together, he gets wide-open looks when the Lakers’ big runs out to hedge the post. Oftentimes, both Deandre Ayton and Jaxon Hayes were able to force SGA into throwing the ball away, but sometimes he was quicker than they were and found a wide-open Holmgren.

When SGA sits and Holmgren remains on the floor, there’s no letdown. 

OKC’s offense doesn’t stall without their MVP, it continues on. In the non-SGA minutes in Game 1, the Thunder were plus-9 and had an offensive efficiency rating of 133.3. 

“We have to be better when Shai is not on the floor,” said Redick on Wednesday. “They play a very specific way when he is not on the floor… we need to be even if not win those minutes.”

The Lakers’ strategy on SGA is working. 

In fact, it might be their only path to upsetting OKC in the series. But to Redick’s point, when he’s not on the floor, you have to keep your foot on the gas. The Lakers need to win those minutes, not lose them by nine points. 

One way to do that is to contain Holmgren. 

That’s easier said than done, but it starts with discipline, execution, and not drifting. 

The man guarding Holmgren must stay with him at all times and not get caught drifting or ball-watching. Because that split-second of hesitation can be the difference between a stop or a wide-open dunk. 

According to Redick, containing Holmgren requires remaining physical and holding OKC to midrange jump shots. They have to continue to blitz SGA and limit his operating window, but the bigs also need to get back to Holmgren in time to stop him.

Because right now, they’re solving one problem, but creating another. 

And Holmgren is that new problem.

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Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.

Player Snapshot

• Position: SG/SF
• Age: 28
• Contract Status: One-year deal, UFA in 2026-2027
• SunsRank (Preseason): N/A
• SunsRank (Postseason): 15

*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.

Season in One Sentence

Arriving halfway through the year, Amir Coffey showed that his hustle and hard work on the court embodied what the Phoenix Suns culture was all about.

By the Numbers

He may have spent limited time here, but let’s look at those stats.

GP	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3PT%	FT%	DEFRTG	OFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
16	14.1	4.8	1.9	1.0	0.4	0.1	50%	41.7%	69.2%	110.6	116.2	+5.6

The Expectation

The bar was not set too high for Coffey, but he had a bar to reach. The team clearly needed more wing depth, with Rasheer Fleming not getting much burn and Grayson Allen sustaining injuries throughout the year. With free agent signing Nigel Hayes-Davis also not living up to the hype, taking a flyer on Coffey was the right call, especially for a team that needed a boost at that moment.

The Reality

Coffey came to Phoenix and fit the team’s culture and needs. With Dillon Brooks breaking his hand and also being sidelined, this provided the opportunity for Coffey to get some playing time. Since the Suns also signed Haywood Highsmith, the small wing room has become really deep. Coffey only suited up in 16 games for the Suns, but brought some positive energy on both ends in his short time.

Compared to his time spent in Milwaukee earlier in the year, Coffey was in a better spot. For starters, he got more minutes here in Phoenix, 14, compared to 9 in his previous venture. The wing also proved he could do exactly what the team needed him to do. Coffey made big-time threes if he was open, he hustled for OREB’s to create second-chance plays, and he used his active hands to create turnovers.

These were all things that allowed him to generate some playing time until he was injured towards the end of the season. That then shut down Coffey as the Suns geared up for the playoffs and were shrinking the rotation.

What It Means

With Coffey being an unrestricted free agent, the Suns could bring him back, and with his smaller role, it would not be too expensive. The question is whether too much wing depth arises. They already have Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, Haywood Highsmith, and want to develop Ryan Dunn and Rasheer Fleming.

Fans widely expect the Suns to move one of those wings for a true power forward, and if that is the case, he could be brought back as the third-string small forward, but the Suns could look to get younger, too. Coffey was a late-season signing with the Bucks last offseason, so the market may be low for the wing, allowing the Suns to leave the option out there but not strike right away on a new deal.

I like Coffey and would like to have him back, but the roster construction may prove otherwise.

Yeah Amir Coffey can get resigned

— BruceVeliz (@BruceVeliz) March 6, 2026

Defining Moment

The best moment of the season for Coffey came on March 5th, when he had his best game for the Suns. Even in the loss, he posted up 12 points and 4 rebounds, showcasing his true 3&D ability as a wing.

Amir Coffey has consistently brought energy and impactful plays for this team since his addition at the deadline

Love his hustle and grind to do the little things for Phoenix, definitely should not go unnoticed

— BruceVeliz (@BruceVeliz) March 7, 2026

Grade: B

Even if he was not a key impact player every night, given what he was expected to be, Coffey deserves this rating.

He came in the middle of the season and looked a lot better on this Suns team than he did on the Bucks. Now, you could argue the Bucks’ dysfunction and their coaching staff compared to the Suns was that issue, but I think that is a disservice to Coffey, who showed he could still be a solid role player.

One that I was very interested in the Suns signing this previous offseason, and was happy they could acquire at least some point down the line. Coffey came in and filled a need for wing depth, while being better than Nigel Hayes-Davis, whom they traded him for.

To me, that is not only a win for the Suns but also for Coffey, allowing him to find himself on a roster next year if it is not Phoenix.

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Sixers know they had chance to ‘steal a game,' see signs they can fight back in Knicks series originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers traveled home empty-handed, knowing all their hard work was for naught Wednesday night.

In contrast to the opener of their second-round playoff series with the Knicks, the Sixers’ competitive spirit and defensive diligence were stellar in Game 2. However, they missed all sorts of shots in the fourth quarter of a 108-102 loss without Joel Embiid (right ankle sprain and right hip soreness).

“We played good enough defense to win that game,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said, “especially in the fourth (quarter). What was it, 19 points (for the Knicks) in the fourth? You’ve got to hope you can score more than 20 in a quarter.”

The Sixers scored a mere 12 points in the fourth, shooting 4 for 19 from the floor and 1 for 10 from three-point range. 

They felt capable of far better jump shooting down the stretch. Paul George had a fantastic start to the game but went scoreless and missed all five of his field goal attempts in the fourth quarter. VJ Edgecombe shot 0 for 4 in the fourth, Tyrese Maxey 2 for 7. 

“Good looks,” George said in the visiting locker room at Madison Square Garden after his 19-point night. “I thought we just ran out of gas. We got a little flat. We got some pretty good looks, for the most part. We just didn’t knock ‘em down.”

As George noted, the Sixers’ lack of juice in the final minutes was evident. Maxey played 45 minutes in the Sixers’ Game 7 win over the Celtics and nearly 47 on Wednesday. At 36 years old, George logged 43 minutes in Game 2. Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr. were both at 40. 

Nurse’s norm is to play his best players unless the circumstances force him to do otherwise. Another bench player or two like Justin Edwards might have lightened the load a bit on the Sixers’ stars, but the philosophy tends to be fair enough in the playoffs. And depth has not been one of the Sixers’ strengths since president of basketball operations Daryl Morey dealt away Jared McCain and acquired no players at the trade deadline.

“I don’t know,” Nurse said when asked about whether the extreme minutes load impacted his top players late in the fourth quarter. “It may have. But I look at it and those guys are wanting to stay in there. They really are committed to fighting through the game. You look at Tyrese, he played almost the entire game and he’s a plus-minus of zero in a six-point loss. So even the minute and 15 seconds he was out obviously weren’t very good. 

“Those guys, not only did they play lots of minutes, but they played hard at both ends. And there was a lot going on, a lot of pressure on them and stuff, and I commend their effort. All we needed were one or two (wide-open makes). … Just one or two to at least get it down to the end where we’d have a chance.”

Maxey’s rest day plans were simple ahead of Friday night’s Game 3 in Philadelphia.

“Probably a whole bunch of nothing,” he said. “Treatment, sitting down, relaxing.”

Besides the off-target jumpers, Maxey’s turnovers stung at the end of the night. He posted 26 points on 9-for-23 shooting, six assists and six giveaways. The Sixers’ All-Star guard had some sharp, decisive moments against the Knicks’ blitzes but wasn’t pleased overall with how he handled New York’s defense. 

“They did a good job of taking away certain passes that I like to make when I get trapped,” Maxey said. “And then there were a couple of times we didn’t execute our trap offense. The trap came, I tried to advance pass it, and the advance (outlet) didn’t come up, and now I’m stuck in the air.

“I’ve got to do a better job of just dragging it out and being more poised. They trapped me aggressively. It wasn’t like a soft trap. … It was my fault a lot of those times. I’ll be better with that.”

For what it’s worth, the film shows only one Maxey turnover that stemmed directly from a trap.

There was a haywire sideline out-of-bounds play, two ill-advised passes in the Sixers’ half-court offense, and two times he lost the ball on drives. Maxey’s maintained a low turnover rate throughout his career and will expect to play a cleaner Game 3. 

Dominick Barlow was a second-half bright spot in Game 2, entering at center with both Andre Drummond and Adem Bona in foul trouble. 

An intelligent, versatile, can-do sort of player, Barlow had six points on 3-for-3 shooting, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 16 minutes. Whatever Embiid’s status is for Game 3, Barlow made a strong case to remain a key rotation piece, including at center. 

“I’ve been in situations where I haven’t played before,” Barlow said. “I know sometimes that things are random. They told me I was probably going to play tonight. It came at a spot that I didn’t know, obviously. But I thought I played (well). Made some mistakes … but I thought defensively, we were good at the end of the game and gave ourselves a chance.”

That opportunity slipped away with a flurry of fourth-quarter misfires.

“We had a chance to steal a game here,” George said. “They did a good job. Our job is to go home and win on our floor, keep the series alive. We do understand that at some point, we’re going to have to steal one here.”

Donovan Mitchell wasn’t happy with his lack of trips to the line after having just two free-throw attempts in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 1 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

“I’m just not getting the calls,” Mitchell said afterward. “I don’t know why. I don’t flop, maybe that’s why. … It’s frustrating a little bit because I’m such a dynamic driver.”

Mitchell is a dynamic driver, or at least, he has been. For various reasons, he hasn’t been able to showcase that this postseason.

Through eight playoff games, Mitchell is taking just 22% of his shots in the restricted area (40th percentile). For comparison, he attempted 24% of his shots there in the regular season (54th percentile) and 30% there last postseason (74th percentile).

That’s a dramatic drop, and one we saw come into play in Game 1 against Detroit.

Nine of Mitchell’s 19 shots came in the paint, but only one was in the restricted area.

Here’s a look at eight of his nine shot attempts in the paint (his field goal three minutes into the game isn’t available on nba.com). In six of the eight attempts below, you’ll notice that he either shies away from contact or quickly gets the shot up before contact can be made with defender. That’s why most of these come in the five to 10-foot range, and not at the rim itself.

You can get to the line without getting to the rim. James Harden did an excellent job of this in Game 1 as he had nine free-throw attempts. But you still have to be intentional about how you attack for that to happen. Harden, even though he’s lost a step, isn’t afraid to initiate contact and be the aggressor. That, more than anything, is why he’s consistently gotten to the line throughout his career.

Not getting to the rim or basket is also reflective of the Cavs’ lack of spacing overall. Cleveland’s defense needs the trio of Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen (or at least Wade and Allen) to be passable. Having two or three players that teams are okay with ignoring on the perimeter clogs driving lanes and leads to turnover issues.

At the same time, there’s no getting around that in matchups against wing-heavy teams. They need their oversized frontcourt out there to be competitive. The Cavs are just gambling that their star backcourt can figure things out enough offensively. So far, they haven’t been able to, at least not consistently.

This has all resulted in what has been a disappointing postseason run for Mitchell.

The scoring hasn’t been there in either volume or efficiency. He currently has his second-lowest points per game in his playoff career (23.1) on his second-lowest efficiency since coming to Cleveland (49.5 effective field-goal percentage).

That has laid bare some of the other flaws in his game. If Mitchell isn’t scoring, his lack of ability as a rebounder, defender, or playmaker means he’s simply not positively impacting winning. As a result, the Cavs have been -3.2 points per 100 possessions better in the playoffs when he’s off the court compared to when he’s on. That’s the complete opposite of what we’ve seen from Mitchell since his time in Cleveland.

There are many reasons why the Cavs went seven games against a less talented Toronto Raptors team and dropped Game 1 against Detroit. However, none more than the fact that Mitchell can’t get to the basket and, by extension, the line like we’ve come to expect. If he’s not doing that, the scoring isn’t going to be at the volume or efficiency this team needs, even if these issues aren’t entirely his fault.

If Mitchell or the team can’t figure out how to get him easy looks inside, the offseason will be here far too early for the Cavs. This team can’t survive Mitchell not playing as an All-NBA level scorer.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Lakers punched first, but the Thunder punched harder in their Game 1 victory on Tuesday to kick off the best-of-seven second-round playoff series.

Now, it’s on the Lakers to respond with a better counterpunch in Thursday’s Game 2 at Paycom Center to avoid falling behind by two games before the series shifts to LA for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday. 

“Obviously, it’s playoffs at the end of the day, so, I mean, even though it’s not necessarily win or go home, it leads to win or going home,” Jaxson Hayes said. “So, I mean, we gotta just come in as the more desperate team and with more urgency and just locked in and just ready to go.”

Here are three adjustments the Lakers need to make for Game 2:

Attack OKC’s defense better

It goes without saying that the Thunder are deploying different defensive strategies with Luka Doncic not available for the Lakers. 

The Lakers are seeing less hedging/aggressive pick-and-roll defenses from the Thunder, who used more drop coverages and switching in Game 1 compared to the regular-season games Doncic played in.

And they have to be better at attacking the Thunder’s strategies. 

They struggled against the Thunder’s drop coverage for most of Game 1 — which has been a season-long Lakers’ weakness regardless of opponent. 

And the things that worked — post-ups and inverted pick and rolls — weren’t used frequently enough as the game progressed. 

The Lakers’ defense wasn’t perfect against the Thunder, but it was good enough to keep the game competitive and potentially win.

Better shotmaking will help. 

But the process needs to be much better, too.  

“Offensively, we’ve got to be a lot better,” coach JJ Redick said. “That obviously falls on me to make sure we’re organized. Some stuff falls on the guys. Like, we had too many possessions without getting our corners filled. That just requires you jogging across the floor. But, we certainly can be more intentional about what we’re trying to do and who we’re trying to involve. A lot of the stuff that we kind of identified prior to Game 1 was there for us. We just got to keep emphasizing those points.”

Alter Austin Reaves’ rotation

Austin Reaves was among the key Lakers players who struggled with their shotmaking in Game 1. 

He shot 3-for-16 from the field, including missing all five of his 3-pointers, for just eight points to go with six assists, five rebounds and four turnovers. 

It goes without saying that the Lakers need Reaves to be better to have a shot against the Thunder.

And he will be. 

“We need Austin to be Austin,” Redick said. “The reality is, ideally when you get to this time of year, your body is kind of in peak shape from a conditioning standpoint, from a fitness standpoint. When you’re out, it doesn’t matter what you do — echo bike, treadmill, running on the court, whatever — nothing can simulate playing in an NBA game, much less an NBA playoff game. So, there’s a little bit of a catch-up there for him, and then as a staff, we got to help … put him in positions to be successful.”

One way the Lakers could help Reaves, who’s just three games back from a monthlong absence because of his left oblique injury, is shortening his playing-time shifts to help preserve his legs instead of having him play the longer stints to start the first and third quarters and close the halves. 

Reaves has shot 2-for-17 on 3-pointers since returning in the Game 5 loss to the Rockets on April 29.

He’s still getting his legs back after a long layoff. 

“We’ve looked at that,” Redick said about shortening Reaves’ shifts. “We’re looking at ways to help him. Being undermanned, it’s hard to. We’re trying our best with the rotation.”

Defensive details

One of the defensive details the Lakers could clean up is being tighter with their rotations after double-teaming or sending help toward NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

And knowing who to close out hard against and who isn’t as much of a priority to leave open. 

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After exceeding expectations during the regular season, the Boston Celtics ultimately fell short, underperforming in a seven-game series loss to the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.  

The disappointing end to the season brings renewed scrutiny to the roster, but it also shifts attention to the organization’s financial positioning. Last offseason’s tax-saving moves now provide the Celtics with added flexibility as they approach a consequential summer.  

The Celtics’ decision to trade Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis started a wave of deals driven by cutting costs. Holiday was on a contract that carried a 2025–26 cap hit of about $32.4 million, while Porzingis was set to earn just over $30 million in the final year of his deal. Boston was able to execute additional roster moves both in the offseason and ahead of the trade deadline, ultimately maneuvering itself below the luxury tax line and out of both apron thresholds. 

Those moves have given Boston multiple avenues to pursue free agents and execute trades with significantly fewer restrictions. By dropping below the first apron, the Celtics gained access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, valued at just over $15 million and usable either on a single player or divided among multiple signings, an advantage unavailable to teams operating above the apron thresholds, where exceptions are far more limited. In addition, Boston still retains several trade exceptions (TPEs), further enhancing its ability to absorb salary in future deals without matching outgoing contracts. The chart below illustrates this newfound roster-building flexibility in greater detail. 

With all that being said, one area where many fans believe improvement is still needed is at the center position. 

Neemias Queta enjoyed a breakthrough regular season in his first year as a full-time starter, emerging as a steady interior presence and finishing fourth in the NBA’s Most Improved Player voting. However, once the playoffs arrived, we saw him really struggle to stay on the court. He did close the season out on a good note with a monster Game 7.

Luka Garza effectively showed everyone that he can be a serviceable big in this league after not playing much at all with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the playoffs though, his impact wasn’t the same and only averaged eight minutes per night.  

Nikola Vucevic never quite got in a sustained groove in green and while he had some moments vs Philly, not playing a single second in Game 7 may impact his free agency decision.  

With the possibility of needing additional depth in the frontcourt, here are three bigs the Celtics could target who should realistically fall within their range of acquisition. 

Day’Ron Sharpe  

9pts | 7rebs | 2.3asts | 1stl | 60/23/68 | 62 games | Nets  

In November of last year, HoopsHype’s Micheal Scotto reported that the Celtics showed interest in signing Day’Ron Sharpe before the Nets resigned him. 

Sharpe is a physical, high-motor 24-year-old center who brings value primarily through rebounding, interior efficiency, and effort-based play. Standing around 6’9″ with a strong, wide frame, he operates as a traditional big who does most of his work in the paint. Offensively, he’s good around the rim, scoring mainly on putbacks, dump-offs, and short-roll opportunities rather than self-created looks.  

His most defining skill is his elite offensive rebounding, where his instincts, positioning, and persistence consistently generate second-chance opportunities. Sharpe rebounded 15.8% of his teammates misses putting him in the 92^nd percentile. He also shows underrated passing ability for a center, making quick, unselfish decisions out of the short roll or after securing rebounds, which helps keep the offense flowing. His 2.3 rim assists and 10.2 potential assists per 100 possessions rank in the 90^th percentile.  

Sharpe may also have a case for possessing some of the best hands among centers when it comes to disrupting passing lanes, based on his production last season. He recorded 6.5 deflections per 100 possessions ranking in the 100th percentile for his position, while his 2.9 steals per 100 possessions placed him in the 99th percentile, underscoring his unusual activity and instincts on the defensive end for a player of his size. 

Day’Ron Sharpe is currently on a $6.2 million team option that the Brooklyn Nets are widely expected to exercise, meaning Boston would likely need to part with assets to acquire him. Given that prior interest has already been established, it would not be surprising to see Brad Stevens revisit those discussions and explore a potential deal. 

Robert Williams  

7pts | 7rebs | 1.5blks | 71/39/60 | 59 games  

Old friend Robert Williams just produced his healthiest and best season since being traded from the Celtics.  

Rob is still an elite defensive center whose impact is defined by his rim protection, vertical athleticism, and instinctive play on the back line. At around 6’9″ with a long wingspan and exceptional explosiveness, he plays much bigger than his height, functioning as a true defensive anchor when healthy. Williams is one of the league’s premier shot blockers, combining timing, anticipation, and leaping ability to alter or erase shots both at the rim and as a help defender. His defensive versatility stands out as well. At his peak, he has shown the ability to play a roaming “free safety” role, reading the floor, jumping passing lanes, and covering teammates while still recovering to protect the rim.  

This season Rob averaged 4.1 blocks per 100 possessions, which ranked in the 98^th percentile. Even when he’s not just blocking shots, he’s defending the rim well as opponents shot 14% worse at the rim when he defended it (92^nd percentile).  

Offensively, Williams operates almost entirely within the flow of the game, thriving as a low-usage, high-efficiency finisher. He scores primarily on lobs, putbacks, and dump-off passes, using his vertical spacing to pressure defenses without needing touches called for him. There have been many flashes this year of his athleticism looking close to the 2022 version of him. He is also a very underrated passer for a center, particularly from the high post or on quick reads out of short rolls, which helps facilitate ball movement. Rob is also starting to stretch out his shooting range, but I don’t think that’ll be a big factor in his impact.  

The primary concern with Robert Williams III has long been, and likely will remain, his health. However, he is coming off a strong season and reinforced his value with an impressive playoff showing against the San Antonio Spurs, where he averaged 10 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. That performance has almost certainly elevated his market as he enters unrestricted free agency. 

Jock Landale  

10.6 pts | 5.7 rebs | 1.7 asts | 51/38/63 | 68 games  

Jock Landale, 30, is known for his physical play, high motor, and fundamentally sound offensive game. Standing around 6’11” he primarily plays as a center, using his size and strength to battle in the paint while also showing enough mobility to operate effectively in modern, up-tempo systems. 

Offensively, Landale offers the most versatility of the three options listed. He possesses soft touch in the paint, allowing him to score efficiently with a variety of finishes, including hooks and floaters. That same touch has gradually extended beyond the interior as his career has progressed, developing into a credible perimeter threat. This past season with the Atlanta Hawks, he averaged a career-high 2.8 three-point attempts per game while converting an impressive 38.3 percent, further underscoring his offensive range. 

As with the other two bigs mentioned, Landale is also an underrated passer at the five. That’s no coincidence as recent Boston Celtics frontcourt players have consistently shown an ability to facilitate at some level. In Boston’s system, it’s essential that the center can make quick, accurate reads to capitalize on the frequent two-on-one and three-on-two advantages the team creates. 

While he has the most offensive game out of the three, Landale offers the least defensively. Landale is a fundamentally sound but physically limited defender whose effectiveness comes more from positioning, effort, and awareness than from elite tools. He does have solid strength though and can hold his ground reasonably well against traditional post-up bigs and does a respectable job of contesting without fouling. He plays with good discipline, understands team defensive concepts, and is generally in the right place, which allows him to function within a structured system. He’s not going to block a ton of shots and doesn’t provide a ton of versatility from what I’ve seen, but he could be a nice change of pace offensive center that can hopefully knock down some shots.  

Landale will enter unrestricted free agency this summer after by far his most productive season in the league. I do believe he garners interest from some teams, but the price shouldn’t be out of Boston’s range. 

Honorable Mention :

Karlo Matkovic  

5.7pts | 3.7 rebs | 1blk | 60/42/73 | 62 games | Pelicans  

25-year-old Croatian big Karlo Matkovic has been someone I’ve looked at for the Celtics for some time now. Matković is a mobile, athletic big who offers an intriguing blend of energy, defensive activity, and developing offensive skill. Standing around 6’10” with good length and fluid movement, he runs the floor well and plays with a high motor, making him effective in transition and as a rim runner. Offensively, most of his work is done around the basket shooting 81.7% in the restricted area, but he has shown the ability to shoot from the outside. Matkovic shot 42% from deep this season with New Orleans only 1.5 attempts.  

Defensively, he stands out more using his mobility and timing to contest shots, protect the rim, and switch onto the perimeter in short bursts. While still raw in terms of strength and overall polish, Matkovic’s athleticism and defensive versatility give him upside as a modern rotation big who can impact the game without needing the ball. 

The Pelicans have a pending decision to make on Matkovic with his team’s option looming, but there is a slight chance they don’t pick him up as they look to develop Derik Quenn and Yves Missi who are younger options.  

Anyone claiming to know what Bilal Coulibaly will be is either lying or delusional. Through three NBA seasons, one number stands out: 68. That’s how many games he’s missed — 27.6% of Wizards games since they traded up to draft him seventh overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

A few other numbers jump off the screen — 49.7% on two-point field goal attempts, 31.3% on threes, and 73.4% from the free throw line. All solidly below average.

But that’s topline stuff and not necessarily the whole story. That he’s missed 68 games is fact. How many he would have missed if the team hadn’t been trying to lose is an open question. My guess is it would have been a lot less, but it’s unprovable.

During his short career, Coulibaly has gained a reputation as a good defender, though it’s worth mention the team has been no better at slowing opposing offenses when he’s been on the floor. The “young players sometimes take some time” for their on/off stats to start matching up with their box score numbers factor may apply, as does the context that he’s had to share the floor with truly horrendous defensive teammates. That said, he made some strides towards being more disruptive this season — see upticks in his per possession steals and blocks. Perhaps positive signals for the future.

To call his offensive game a “project” would be an insult to projects. He’s shot poorly, struggled to finish in traffic, and been hampered by iffy ball handling skills. And, he also improved pretty significantly this season.

For example, over his first 20 games this season, Coulibaly’s offensive rating (points produced per 100 individual possessions) was 99. League average this season was above 115. Over his final 36 games played, his offensive rating was 111. Still a bit below average but also significant improvement.

The eye test was similarly inconclusive. I noted across multiple games later in the season that Coulibaly was more assertive offensively, that he was driving more frequently, and that opponents were having difficulty staying in front of him when decided to attack. He also had more than a few…interesting…attempts to score inside. Sometimes he used his vertical leap and long arms to go over defenders, others he did that weird slow-down Euro-step thing and blew the shot, and still others he threw up wild shots that had no chance (a few of which actually dropped).

Over his final 17 games, he shot 38.1% from three-point range, which might mean something. It was only 76 total attempts though, so there’s nothing conclusive. It might mean his shooting truly improved. It might also mean he was on something of a heater.

Coulibaly’s overall trend is clear from the PPA Performance EKG below. Like teammate Kyshawn George, he started great and cratered. But then Coulibaly steadily improved the rest of the way. Over his first 20 games, Coulibaly’s PPA was 72 (in PPA, average is 100 and higher is better). Over his last 20: 125.

Now, 125 isn’t great. It’s solidly above average, though. He also had multiple above-average 10-game stints, including two with a PPA of 150 or better. A significant factor in both stretches were outlandishly good games (above 400 PPA scores), so apply the appropriate measure of salt.

On the other hand, Coulibaly’s rolling season PPA hit a replacement level 47 (close enough — replacement level in PPA is 45) after his 13th game. He notched a 118 the rest of the way. Again, not great but not bad either.

If it feels like I’m veering from one extreme to the other here, it’s because I am. And that’s because it’s what the data is saying. In my Consistency Index, Coulibaly scored an astronomical 123 this season. A lower score means more consistency.

His great and awful games came in near equal measure. He had 11 200+ PPA games (20%) and 10 that scored in the negative. He had 19 games with a 150 or better, and 15 with a 45 or lower.

I was very much in favor of drafting Coulibaly before the Wizards selected him. I liked the move to get him on draft day. Zach Lowe’s Nerf gun to my head, I’d guess he’s going to be pretty good. But it’s mostly a guess and a hunch. His overall production has improved each season…and there’s enough really bad games to give me doubts.

He’s eligible for an extension this summer, which the Wizards would be certifiably nuts to give him, unless it’s a deal like the one Deni Avdija signed. Which Coulibaly would be certifiably nuts to sign. A big year next season could be lucrative for him.

At minimum, I think Coulibaly can be a defensive specialist. If the shooting comes around, he could be a highly valuable three-and-D type. If he develops an overall offensive package, he could be a star. It’s fascinating how little is sure with him after three NBA seasons.

Game 1 went down to the wire, the Spurs lost on a missed Champagnie buzzer beater. Afterwards, there was no heads hung, no self deprication, just an urgency to watch film and make the necessary adjustments before heading into Game 2.

Matthew Tynan of Corporate Knowledge reported that Spurs legend Gregg Popovich sat in on the film sessions. Victor Wembanyama referenced Pop in his post game presser, mentioning “you’re never as good as you think when you win and you’re never as bad as you think when you lose.”

Whatever was deciphered from the analysis of Game 1, the Spurs know that had to come out swinging. And that’s exactly what they did.

The Spurs defense stiffled the Timberwolves, limiting them to 17 first quarter points and just 35 at the half, giving the Silver & Black a 24 point advantage.

Two minutes into the second half, the Spurs expanded their lead to 29 points. By then, Wembanyama, Castle, and Fox each had scored 14 points. The balanced distribution shaped the team’s attack as they continued to dominate Minnesota.

Anthony Edwards, coming off the bench for the second game in a row, was limited to 12 points in his twenty-four minutes.

Julian Champagnie, who went scoreless in the first half, hit four three-pointers in the third quarter as the Spurs shut down Minnesota.

Early in the fourth quarter the Spurs lead grew to 40 and both teams emptied their benches. Jordan McLaughlin and Kelly Olynyk played the final 10 minutes of regulation. Lindy Waters III joined them with 8:23 left in the game. Even Bismack Biyombo and Mason Plumlee got in on the action relieving Carter Bryant anfd Harrison Barnes for the final 3:12.

Afterwards, head coach Mitch Johnson praised the team’s defensive “consistency, physicality, and contact” adding that the team was ready for tonight’s game despite losing home court advantage.

The team now heads to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday night. They will need to carry the win without resting on their laurels. As visitors, they’ll have an arena against them. Although they faced the Trail Blazers in Portland, the Minnesota crowd will be even more vocal and uninviting. They now need to prepare for the challenge ahead.

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Well, we’re now several days removed from the end of the Boston Celtics season, and I think I’m finally ready to talk about it.

First thoughts: It definitely still stings. I wish I was still watching my guys play basketball.

If we are solely looking at the result of Boston’s series against the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s hard to look at it as anything but a disappointment. Dropping three straight games, including two at home? On top of that, the Celtics have lost to three of their biggest rivals in all three of their playoff exits over the past four years – the Miami Heat in 2023, the New York Knicks in 2025, and Philly here in 2026.

The 2024 championship is doing a lot of heavy lifting for my mental health right about now. Without that ring, these pills would be a lot tougher to swallow. It’s not all bad, though. Let me take you on a journey through my mind, a ride on a rollercoaster of emotions that was the Celtics first round series against the Sixers.

The ride starts before Boston even played their first regular season. (Don’t worry, it speeds up pretty quickly from here.)

Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Josh Minott, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Luka Garza, Xavier Tillman, Ron Harper Jr., Amari Williams, and Max Shulga. This was the Celtics active roster coming into the season, along with Jayson Tatum, who we weren’t entirely sure would return this year from his Achilles injury.

Looking at that roster, I expected Boston’s ceiling to be a Play-In tournament berth at best. The first six players on that list were certainly experienced, but I did not see the assembly of talent as one that could compete with the other playoff-caliber teams in the East, let alone across the league. Beneath them was three rookies, five players who never held a meaningful role on an NBA roster, and Xavier Tillman, who seemed to be falling behind after knee issues flared up over his last two seasons in the NBA.

Never could I have imagined that this roster would finish with 56 wins and the second-best record in the East. The sheer amount of fight and passion that these guys showed for 82 games was such a pleasure to watch. Walsh, Hugo, Baylor, Luka, Neemi, Ron – heck, even Anfernee and Minott – these guys made me fall in love with Celtics basketball all over again this year.

There were so many moments of pure joy, thinking a scrappy win against a top team was the best win of the season, only to be topped by another one just a couple nights later. Even through his down shooting year, Derrick was making incredible game-winning plays left and right. Pritchard gave us several amazing performances himself, along with a bunch more buzzer beaters. And of course, Jaylen put up an MVP-caliber season through so many career-highs, and silenced so many of the narratives surrounding him.

Now, when you fast forward to the last game of the regular season, everyone is healthy. Jayson Tatum is back to playing high-level basketball, and already looks like an All-Star again. The Celtics bench unit goes up against the healthy Orlando Magic who are fighting for seeding, and they squeak out a gutsy win on a heroic game-winning shot from Luka Garza.

What a high that was. Boston felt unbeatable at that time. I could not have been happier with their regular season, and I was preparing for a deep playoff run from them as well.

Given how I was looking at the team before the season, you would think that I couldn’t be disappointed with any result from here on out. Any playoff success could easily have just been a cherry on top. Well, as much as I shouldn’t be, unfortunately, I am disappointed.

Game 1 was a dream. The Celtics won by 32 points on their home floor, and they looked every bit as dominant as I’d hoped they’d be. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown played like the superstars we know they are. Pritchard had a great game off of the bench too. Tatum and Walsh did a fantastic job containing Tyrese Maxey, which was probably my biggest concern coming into the series. It seemed like smooth sailing from there.

Game 2 rolls around, and Boston got off to another fantastic start. With three minutes left in the first quarter, the Celtics were up by 13. I was getting way too ahead of myself in the CelticsBlog group chat talking about “mercy rules” and “dominating Philly.” Oh, how naive I was.

Philly took a timeout at that point, and when they came back from the break, they immediately went on a 10-0 run to flip the game on its head. Boston was still leading, but they were playing on their heels, and I knew I had spoken too soon. It was a tight back-and-forth battle for the rest of the quarter, but the Sixers closed strong, taking an 8-point lead into the half. The game was still well within reach, but I didn’t have a great feeling about it.

The Celtics ended up losing by 14 points at home. Now, Philly had taken home-court advantage in this series. My first disappointment.

But, not entirely unexpected. In 2024, the Celtics dropped the second home game of their first-round series with the Heat and the second round with the Cavs. In 2025, they dropped two home games against the Knicks. It seems that in recent years, home-court advantage hasn’t felt the same for Boston anyways.

I was definitely concerned. Heading into Philly for game 3, I didn’t want to see Boston drop another game; Then I really would have been panicking. I had confidence that the Celtics would bounce back, but the nerves started creeping in.

But then, Boston took care of business on the road, and that too with Embiid returning in game 4. An 8-point victory in game 3 and a 32-point victory in game 4 sent my nerves packing. Little did I know that they booked round-trip tickets.

I was feeling good at the time. The Celtics had a chance to close things out at home now, and they had dominant victories both with Embiid on and off the court. Again, I got cocky. I was talking about how the Celtics have dominated the Sixers since “The Process” began, and how this year would be no different. I even sent the Embiid “they always kick our ***” quote graphic to my basketball group chat with my friends. I think Boston may have fallen into the same false sense of security that I did.

From the tip of game 5, it felt like the Sixers were simply outworking the Celtics. They were playing great defense, and were having a much easier time creating open looks for themselves. The game was close for a while, and the Celtics even held a 13-point lead early in the third quarter, but things just never felt comfortable. And, like in game 1, Philly managed to turn the tides. After Boston took their 13-point lead, the Sixers responded with a 15-3 run to make it a 1-point game.

The Celtics pushed their lead back up to 8 with around two and a half minutes left in the third, but they allowed another 12-5 run to end the quarter, once again cutting it to a 1-point lead heading into the fourth. At that point I had little faith the Celtics to close the game out. They were not nearly as engaged as they needed to be, and they seemed to be lacking a sense of urgency. On top of that, they just weren’t consistently getting high-quality shots, and weren’t converting enough of the ones that they did manage to generate.

Boston only scored 11 points in the fourth quarter. Philly scored 28. A 13-point third quarter lead turned into a 16-point loss. It was devastating.

The Celtics have done this many times over the past several years. They get comfortable, and when they build up leads, it feels like the focus is on protecting it rather than building on it. They stop going on the attack, and start going on the defensive. It makes for a very frustrating watch, and it allows teams that have their backs on the ropes to get back into a game, or even a series.

The Sixers certainly took advantage. Game 6 was one of the most frustrating games I’ve ever watched as a Celtics fan. I was squirming in my seat on the couch, yelling at the TV, and even debating turning it off altogether, all things which rarely happen when I watch sports. I usually pride myself on being more-or-less composed, if not just a little extra chatty. Game 6 took a lot out of me.

The lead tracker gives a glimpse into the devastation.

A pathetic performance after getting embarrassed on your home court. To make matters worse, Jayson Tatum was in clear discomfort starting in the third quarter, grabbing at his calf in the leg which he did not have surgery on. He was stretching it out, hopping on the bike, trying to play through it, but ultimately never got over it.

After Philly took a 23-point lead early in the fourth, Joe pulled the plug on all the starters. Pritchard and the “Stay Ready” group took the floor, and managed to make two big dents in the Sixers lead. They played the Celtics basketball we had seen all regular season long, and they even got some great looks which they weren’t able to convert, but could otherwise have really made the game competitive again.

Those last 10 minutes were the only time I could find any joy or relief in the game, even though we couldn’t pull out a win. I just love watching guys like Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Ron Harper Jr., and Luka Garza work their tails off as if they’re fighting for their lives. How could you not?

Still, while they subdued the sour taste in my mouth for a bit, I couldn’t help but come away from the game defeated. I had lost my faith in the Celtics to win the series, another extremely rare feeling for me. I didn’t even feel that way after JT went down in the Knicks series last year.

It just felt like Boston wasn’t ready for the challenge. Our big men could not keep up with Embiid, Derrick was having an abysmal offensive series, and with Mazzulla limiting the bench players’ playing time, it felt like we rarely had guys on the court who were willing to out-fight the Sixers.

The days leading up to game 7 were solemn. I was truly dejected, dreading all of the slander the Celtics would get, the trash that our rivals would be able to talk about us, finally letting Embiid get a win over the Jays, and most of all, the impending early end to an otherwise magical season. I hated all of it.

I can’t entirely explain why, but with maybe an hour left before tip-off something changed for me.

Maybe it had to do with our vets at CelticsBlog, Mike Dynon and Shirley Coshatt. Earlier in the series, Shirley reminded me that the 2008 Celtics went 7 games in the first round as well. We all know how that year went for Boston. Mike also came into the CB group chat talking about “when” the Celtics win, not “if.”

For the first time in the last 48 hours, I no longer had a feeling of dread. Instead, I had a feeling of hope, and excitement. The nerves turned to adrenaline. The Celtics were going to win the game. I let my friends know about my revelation.

Two minutes later, Tatum is ruled out from the game.

And you know what? I doubled down. I will admit that my confidence was shaken, and those feelings of dread peeked their head again, but I stood tall, and I re-committed. The Celtics were going to win the game.

Joe was almost forced to re-insert guys like Hugo, Baylor, and Garza back into the lineup after benching them for much of the series. I felt like we’d finally have some urgency and fight back on the floor. It was a bit of a rock fight to start the game, but the fight was certainly there. Even after falling back 17-6 in the first six minutes, the Celtics stayed in the game.

Jaylen Brown and Derrick White seemed like they were finally ready to take over again. White re-discovered his shot, a sight that could have brought tears to my eyes. JB stumbled a bit, but steadied himself and settled into the game. Even Queta was finally able to stay on the floor for longer than usual, and made a real impact too. The bench guys were hustling up and down the floor, and winning more of the loose balls that fell to the Sixers in previous games.

The score didn’t favor Boston, but my hopes were still well and alive. Every made basket felt electric. The Celtics were finally giving the TD Garden crowd something to cheer about, and were riding their energy too. We were chipping, and chipping, and chipping away at Philly’s will with small plays that had a big impact.

We arrive at the final four minutes of the game. The Sixers hold a 99-98 lead, Boston carrying the momentum. Five straight missed shots between both teams. Several open looks for Boston, and a huge block by JB as well. Two minutes go by, and they weren’t able to break the seal. Maxey decided to take over the game, and gets himself two easy layups to put the Sixers up 5 with just over a minute remaining in the game.

My hopes are on their last legs. It won’t be easy, but a couple of the right plays and Boston can still win this.

Three more missed shots by the Celtics and an intentional foul. Philly goes up 7 with twenty seconds left.

My hopes are dead. Once again, I am devastated.

The dread fills in. Why did we have to lose to Philly? Why couldn’t we take care of business when we were the better team all season long? Why did Tatum have to get hurt and miss game 7? Why didn’t Joe trust the young guys more in the previous 6 games? Why wasn’t Derrick able to get his shot going until the last game? What am I supposed to do with no more Celtics basketball?

My friends rushed to the group chat to throw my words in my face. They almost all hate the Celtics, and were happy to pile on, even when their teams were already eliminated. At least my friends were thinking about me, right?

I think of myself as a pretty positive guy, and I had to try to find it again in that moment. But it was hard. I was happy to see the team go out fighting. I hated seeing the team go out at all. I was happy that we got an amazing regular season. I hated that it didn’t amount to much in the playoffs. I was happy that Tatum returned at all, let alone to a star level. I hated that he couldn’t be out there in the final game.

Even as I’m writing about this today, almost a week removed from the loss, I have so many conflicting feelings in my head and my heart. Maybe some of it is what NBA Twitter would call “cope.” Maybe some of it is having too much free time on my hands while being a chronic over-thinker. Probably a big part of it is seeing all of the rumors, narratives, etc. that fans and sports media alike have rushed to fill my timeline with.

It’s incredibly frustrating when people start to tear apart a team you love like a member of your family, watch over 82 games of, and spend over 200 hours with each season. Outside of the people in my life, I don’t think I have a greater love than basketball. I bleed green. I am a Boston Celtics fan until the day I die.

At this point, I’ve managed to forgive them for the disappointing end, and love them for all the exciting steps along the way. Now I just have to power through an offseason of hot takes, trade ideas, and probably a whole lot of online negativity.

But I’m excited for the future. I still love this roster. As much as I understand that we can’t just run it back and expect to win next year, it’s gonna hurt me to see any of these guys not with us anymore (except for maybe one or two of the late additions.)

There’s going to be a lot of blame going on, and I’m sure Brad Stevens will find ways to hold the team accountable, but as a fan, I’d like to just go back to appreciating all the good moments we had with the team rather than dwelling on the bad ones. Take a deep breath with me, fellow Celtics fans. It will all work out. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Every so often, pro sports seems like something straight out of junior high. Last week, there was the beef between former Duke star Wendell Carter and Detroit Pistons Jalen Duren. Carter is dating Angel Reese, who used to go out with Duren.

This week, we have the entertaining Austin Rivers-Draymond Green beef.

Those guys were in the same high school class, and recently, Green mocked Rivers on his podcast, saying that he peaked in high school, and that playing for his father Doc Rivers got him the biggest bailout in history.

Admittedly, that’s a funny line, but Rivers clearly didn’t appreciate it.

And then Rivers came back with this. He called Green the luckiest player in the world for playing alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, aka the Splash Brothers, and later, also Kevin Durant.

We’ll give Green this: he’s carved out a remarkable career, and it’s largely due to his intelligent approach to the game. When he was drafted, we thought a lot of teams underestimated him, and time has proven that right. A 6-6 guy has thrived in the post in this era? Only a basketball genius could have done that.

But Rivers is right when he ridicules Green for saying Steve Kerr damaged his career. Kerr was a brilliant coach for Green, and found ways to make him incredibly effective. He has never been an offensive focus, though.

Anyway, it’s not exactly Bird vs. Magic, but it is an entertaining beef, and neither guy seems ready to back down, so it’ll probably go on for a while. So pass the popcorn!

Austin Rivers flexed in a Duke Brotherhood tee while absolutely putting Draymond Green in his place. I agree with every point that Austin made. In my opinion Rivers has the basketball knowledge and IQ to be a great head coach if he ever decided to pursue that route pic.twitter.com/gYq3ILYDZb

— Sports King🔥 (@Sports_Kings_) May 6, 2026

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