Category: Basketball

What is the Lakers’ ceiling?

Lakers coach JJ Redick and Luka Doncic believe the team could compete for a championship this season. 

But is that realistic?

In the Western Conference alone, there’s a Goliath-sized impediment. 

You know, the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama who carried the Spurs to the NBA Finals last postseason before his team blew double-digit leads in four of its five games against the eventual-champion Knicks. Wembanyama, who’s next in line to become the face of the league after LeBron James retires, spent all summer stewing — and plotting. 

There’s also a well-established impediment. 

You know, two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the Thunder to a championship in 2025 and is now chomping at the bit to carry his team back to the Finals after the Spurs stunned Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.

The thing with this Lakers team is that their championship hurdles will be as much external as internal. 

There are nine new players, including Walker Kessler, who’s going to be an integral part of the Big 3 alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves. There are questions around the team’s perimeter defense. It’s going to take time for everyone to build chemistry. To jell. 

Not only do the Lakers have to worry about everyone else. But they have to worry about themselves. What’s their identity? 

Redick raised eyebrows when he claimed ahead of media day that he was confident the Lakers would develop into a championship-level team this season. 

When asked at Thursday’s practice why he believes that, he didn’t hesitate. 

“I think that every season,” Redick said. “Unless somebody blatantly tells me that we’re not trying to win, I think that every year. That’s why I say I’m confident. I said the same thing last year for all of January and February that we were going to figure it out at some point, and we did. And then we had some injuries.”

Redick’s not wrong.

He kept insisting that Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James would work out their kinks. Those words seemed empty at times. But eventually they shape-shifted and came together, going on a 16-2 run last spring before Doncic suffered a strained hamstring and Reaves suffered a strained oblique on April 2.

During that time, Doncic looked like the NBA’s best player, regularly delivering stunning 40-point performances. Reaves looked like an All-Star. And James, who’s arguably the greatest player of all time, wholeheartedly committed to becoming the team’s third offensive option.

Redick has his work cut out for him again.

Can Walker become an All-Defense-caliber player? Can Redick unlock the potential of guys like Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero, Cameron Carr, Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton and Matisse Thybulle?

Redick has a way of getting through to players.

He got James to agree to be the third option for the first time in his then-23-season career. He helped Luke Kennard transform into an ephemeral star in the first round of the playoffs against the Rockets when Doncic and Reaves were sidelined. He got the best out of defensive juggernaut Marcus Smart.

It’s not far-fetched that he could work wonders with this team. It’s not out of the question that he could make them believe they’ve arrived. It’s not absurd that they could buy into the idea that their time is now.

The Lakers have arguably the best player in the league in Doncic. They have a lot of talent. They have a great coach.

But they also have holes, such as proven starting forwards and a reliable backup center. There’s a lot of questions around them. They have a lot to prove. Especially against teams that already have most things figured out.

The Thunder have been atop the league together. The Spurs tasted victory before letting it drop out of their mouths like a dog rejecting a healthy snack. 

The Lakers are seemingly behind. 

But they could get there. 

Now, being a championship-level team doesn’t necessarily mean walking away with the Larry O’Brien Trophy. That’s not what Redick is saying. There are too many variables there. 

“Being a championship-level team or being a — I don’t like the word ‘contender’ — but being a team that can make a run and can play in the playoffs and can play different ways in the playoffs, those things take time, and it doesn’t mean you’re going to be in the NBA Finals,” Redick said. “It’s just not the way this works, particularly with the way the playoffs work in terms of just matchups and what you can exploit and what you can’t exploit versus certain teams. But I think because of our talent, because of our fit, because of our depth, I really like our team.”

Redick thinks the Lakers could be elite.

They could make the league nervous. If things go right, they could become a threat. They could really be in the mix.

And right now, there’s no reason to believe him. 

But there’s also no reason to doubt him. 

The Lakers currently have 16 players on the team and not enough roster spots to retain everyone.

LA has already been actively exploring trade avenues for Jarred Vanderbilt, but have reportedly had no luck in their efforts. As Opening Night quickly approaches, the Lakers are looking to trade Dalton Knecht before the season begins.

Brett Siegel of Clutch Points reported the latest on the Lakers’ roster battle.

“[Dalton Knecht] will not be apart of this roster long-term,” Siegel said.

Vanderbilt and Knecht have been the odd men out for a while as the new look Lakers embark on the Luka Doncic era. But it appears the Lakers are running out of options in their attempts to part ways with the former, who is currently owed $12 million as Vanderbilt is in the final year of a four-year, $48 million deal.

The Lakers have traded Knecht before in February 2025. Knecht was sent to Charlotte in exchange for center Mark Williams before the trade was rescinded.

Since the trade, Knecht has been a non-factor on the court. The Lakers had high hopes for the small forward as the team selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Knecht has shown flashes of brilliance in the purple and gold, particularly during his breakout rookie year where he averaged 18.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in the final nine games of November 2024. But his confidence seems to have vanished since the Lakers attempted to trade him to the Hornets.

Now, the Lakers are actively looking to find Knecht a better opportunity elsewhere with an inevitable roster crunch looming.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — On the eve of their final preseason game against the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers are more concerned with getting healthy than using it as a dress rehearsal.

The Lakers have been shuffling through different lineups and players through the first four games, but haven’t gotten a clear look at their full revamped roster.

“Can’t control it, so it’s not even a concern. Play the guys who can play,” JJ Redick told reporters after practice on Thursday. “We would have loved to have gotten looks with everybody healthy and everybody good to go. But we also have to be smart with an 82-game season.”

Redick added that the decrease to five preseason games has been a blessing in disguise because it afforded Los Angeles double the amount of preseason practice time compared to seasons prior, which is more beneficial when integrating a bunch of new players.

It has also allowed more time for players to heal from injuries, which has been a storyline of these preseason.

Collin Sexton hasn’t suited up for a game and, though his status for Friday’s game against Denver is still up in the air, Redick says he is making good progress toward playing on opening night. Sexton has been dealing with what Redick labeled a lower body/leg injury. Sexton was seen in practice Thursday with his calf taped up.

Los Angeles’ struggles without a tertiary ballhandler have been evident all preseason, and that’s exactly where Sexton slots in.

Ziaire Williams, who played in only the Lakers’ first preseason game, was a full participant in Thursday’s practice. He told reporters that he was dealing with some swelling in his left foot, but that it all looks good now. 

“Good,” Williams said on how he’s feeling. “It’s up to the staff now. I’m in good hands. They’ve been taking care of me. See how we feel. But yeah, it’s up to them. I’m ready to go as long as they say I am.”

Redick also noted Adou Thiero was a limited participant in practice, but that it’s just a maintenance thing for him. Cameron Carr was out on Thursday. We last heard that he was dealing with a contusion of some sorts, but haven’t been given much clarity on it.

Other than that, Redick says everyone else appears to be good to go. Asked how important it is to have as many people healthy as possible for their final preseason game, Redick said he doesn’t care about that and is more focused on getting everyone as healthy as possible for the season opener.

“It’s important, just to get game reps together, but health is key,” Williams said. “If you can’t go, you just can’t. It’s not the end of the world. … It’s not worth [it] to risk your body for a game that doesn’t count and then be out for the real game. We have a great staff who’s leading us in the right direction.”

You can follow Connor on Twitter at @cmorenoNBA.

The Knicks are back at the Garden tonight, wrapping up their preseason with a second rumble with the Raptors. On Tuesday in Toronto, the Canadian starters demolished the New York reserves by 50. In tonight’s final dress rehearsal, with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the other Knicks’ starters playing, the fight should be a little more fair.

Tip off is 7:30 p.m. EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is RaptorsHQ. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Extend kindness to your fellow humans. And go Knicks!

He made one of the biggest splashes in the Lakers’ first preseason game. Ziaire Williams set the tone of the Lakers’ new defensive style, pressuring the ball the full length of the court and injecting energy into his teammates. The Sierra Canyon High alumnus sank three three-pointers in a stellar debut for his hometown team.

Then came the swelling in his left foot.

After a minor injury slowed Williams’ preseason ascent, the 6-foot-9 forward could be in position to return to the lineup for the Lakers’ preseason finale at 7:30 p.m. Friday against the visiting Denver Nuggets. Williams practiced fully Thursday after missing the last three games. He’ll leave the final call up to the Lakers’ medical staff as the team tries to maximize its preseason preparation.

“It’s important, man, just to get game reps with each other, but health is key,” said Williams, who had 13 points and a steal as a starter in the preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 5. “If you can’t go, you just can’t. It’s not the end of the world. Going back to championship identity, we’re looking ahead at the bigger picture. So it’s not worth [it] to risk your body for a game that doesn’t count and then be out for the real games.”

With nine new players, the Lakers needed training camp and preseason games to build chemistry as a group. Small injuries to several players interrupted the process, but with one fewer preseason game than last year and almost double the total practice days, coach JJ Redick said integrating new players still has “been pretty seamless.”

“We would love to have gotten looks with everybody healthy and everybody good to go,” Redick said, “but we also have to be smart with an 82-game season.”

Read more:Walker Kessler debuts, but Luka Doncic sits during Lakers' preseason loss to Warriors

The Lakers debuted new center Walker Kessler only this week, and the star acquisition who jammed a pinky finger early in training camp still has not played in a game with guard Luka Doncic, who was held out of Tuesday’s game for a planned rest day. Doncic participated fully in practice Thursday, as did forward Adou Thiero, who sat out Tuesday because of “maintenance,” Redick said. Rookie Cameron Carr (undisclosed) remained out of practice Thursday after missing the last two games.

Guard Quentin Grimes has been a preseason iron man. The free-agent signing who is angling for a starting position has played a team-high 97 minutes in four preseason games. With Doncic and Austin Reaves playing together only once in the first four games, Grimes has filled a larger ballhandling role than he might have if the Lakers were at full strength. The 26-year-old guard who is on his fifth team in six seasons credited his journeyman history for helping him get comfortable with a do-it-all role.

“I’ve done a good job of just creating offense, creating opportunities whether that be for myself or for teammates, getting everybody involved,” said Grimes, who is averaging 12.3 points and 2.5 assists on 53.3% shooting in the preseason. “I feel like this team allows me to play on the ball, off the ball in any situation. I feel like I’ve played that kind of [role at] every stop.”

Collin Sexton is the only offseason acquisition who has not made his Lakers debut. Battling a lower leg injury, Sexton participated in all of practice except for periods of live play Thursday. After practice, the guard was seen with kinesiology tape snaking up his right calf while working on the court with assistant coaches.

Sexton’s presence could help stabilize the Lakers’ offense, which is averaging 25.3 turnovers during the preseason.

When Sexton was sidelined at the beginning of the preseason, Redick said he was not worried about the guard’s status for the Oct. 21 season opener against Golden State. When asked Thursday about Sexton’s availability, Redick said simply he was “trending in the right direction.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Houston Rockets vs. ONT Thunder

October 15th, 2026

Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX

Time: 7:30 PM CST

TV:NBA TV and Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)

Probable Starting Lineups?

Rockets: Fred Vanvleet, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun

Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Chetnik Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein

I truly have no idea what the starting lineups will be for this game, and whether either team will try to play their first string against each other. My sense is, they won’t. This is the Rockets third, and last preseason game, and it will be the fifth and last for OKC, too. NBA preseason basketball wraps up tomorrow night, with the actual season (hooray!) beginning on Tuesday the 20th, which will see the Thudner play the Spurks.

The Rockets will begin their season on Wednesday the 21st, at home against their overseas foe, the Dallas Mavericks.

The following players are listed as Game Time Decisions or Day To Day:

Rockets: Steven Adams, Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, Kevin Durant

OKC: Jaylin Williams, Chetnik Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Thomas Sorber, Nicola Topic – Otega Oweh is out for the season.

There’s a reason I picked Bruce Thornton for the picture. I suspect we might see a good bit of Basher Thornton.

The Lakers provided a positive update on one of their potential starters on Thursday.

Ziaire Williams was a full participant in the team’s practice ahead of Friday’s preseason finale against the Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena. 

The 6-foot-10 forward missed the team’s previous three preseason games after dealing with “a little bit of swelling” in his left foot.

“No idea actually,” Williams responded when asked what caused the swelling. “But the swelling is back down and I was getting up and down and it felt great.”

Ziaire Williams says he's feeling great after dealing with "a little bit of swelling" in his left foot.

His status for tomorrow after missing the previous three preseason games?

"Good. It's up to the staff now. I'm in good hands. They've been taking care of me. See how we… pic.twitter.com/27btQpgrjL

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 15, 2026

Williams started in the lone preseason game he’s played, the Oct. 5 win over the Kings in Sacramento, and is competing for one of the two open spots in the starting lineup alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler.

The Lakers haven’t filled those starting slots yet.

“It’s great competition,” Quentin Grimes said. “Everybody wants competition, everybody wants to compete for something, fight for something, earn something. Nothing’s given, so I think it just creates a healthy competition within the team.”

Williams appeared to be optimistic about his available for Friday’s matchup against the Nuggets. 

“Good – it’s up to the staff now,” the former Sierra Canyon star said. “I’m in good hands. They’ve been taking care of me. See how we feel. But yeah, it’s up to them. I’m ready to go as long as they say I am.”

Doncic also fully participated in Thursday’s practice after sitting out of Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors. 

Guard Collin Sexton participated in all of the team’s drills but didn’t play in the live scrimmage against his teammates, according to Redick. 

“He did some up and down drills vs. coaches,” Redick added, “and then we played live the rest of practice.” 

Sexton, who hasn’t played in a preseason game, “trending in the right direction” for the Oct. 21 regular season opener against the Warriors in Los Angeles, according to Redick.

Second-year forward Adou Thiero (maintenance) was a partial participant in practice, while rookie wing Cameron Carr was out.

Arkansas men’s college basketball coach John Calipari was too intimidated to approach pop megastar Taylor Swift at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks-Spurs Game 4 of the NBA Finals earlier this year.

During an interview on the “Eye on College Basketball” podcast on Thursday, Calipari explained that he was embarrassed to go up to Swift and acted like he was on his phone.

“I’m in the back corner just kind of watching, and Taylor Swift was there,” Calipari said, painting a picture of a star-studded “dugout” area where celebrities were mingling at the game. “I was embarrassed to go up to her. She was talking to whoever she was talking to, Adam Sandler and his wife [Jackie].

John Calipari closed down SEC Media Days with me at the third-floor bar last night and shared a hilarious story about how he was too scared to say hello to Taylor Swift during the NBA Finals. The phone detail at the end is incredible. pic.twitter.com/F6GdX105NS

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 15, 2026

“Normally I take a picture, and then I send it to my daughters and stuff. I was intimidated. [Swift] came up and was bubbly, and then I’m sitting here at this table. She’s at the other end. Adam and his wife go up. They converse…

“… Chris Rock is with his mom [Rosalie] right there. I’m fine, ‘Chris, how are ya?’ But she walked up. And what I did was this. I took my phone, and I acted like I was on my phone. I wasn’t on my phone, but I acted like I was… intimidated,” Calipari said.

Calipari was then asked by host Matt Norlander if he went to the Sandler-officiated Swift and Travis Kelce wedding, which took place on July 3 at Madison Square Garden.

“I didn’t get invited. I was kind of disappointed, but, you know, things happen,” Calipari joked.

Calipari shared a photo he took with Sandler and his wife while sitting on Celebrity Row for the Game 4 thriller at MSG.

“I got to spend some time with all the Knicks Alums, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock but I was too nervous to introduce myself to Taylor Swift! LOL!” Calipari said at the time.

The Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit — the largest in NBA Finals history — and OG Anunoby tipped in a missed 3-pointer by Jalen Brunson with 1.2 seconds remaining to give New York the lead en route to a 107-106 victory over the Spurs. Swift was joined by singer sisters Este Haim and Alana Haim and was among the thousands enjoying the wild celebration.

The Knicks beat the Spurs in four of five games to win their first NBA title in 53 years.

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Game Info

When: Friday, October 16th at 8:00 p.m. ET

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass

Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA

Injury Report

Wizards: Anthony Davis – Questionable (Rest), Khris Middleton – Questionable (Rest), Jamir Watkins – Out (Knee), Tristan Vukcevic – Out (Hip)

Thunder: Dejounte Murray – Questionable (Toe)

Pregame notes

The final preseason game is upon us. The Wizards so far have shown some flashes of brilliance during this preseason, with some encouraging performances from the Anthony Davis and Trae Young, as well as some of the youngest stars like AJ Dybansta, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and Tre Johnson.

With that in mind, there are still some things that the preseason has shown. The Wizards’ defense was rather sloppy during their, 131 -122, loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Despite a solid offensive output, the Wizards on defense allowed the Nets to shoot 57 percent from the field for the game. Call it just the preseason woes or not, the Wizards’ brass will most definitely want to show that this team can defend at a high level. Let’s see if we see any adjustments or improvement from what we saw on Monday night.

On the other side for Friday’s game, the Pelicans are getting ready for what is also their 4th and final preseason game. New Orleans, like the Wizards, have a young roster and are looking to continue to round out their roster as they look to improve upon a very disappointing 2025-26 campaign.

Given this is the last preseason game, we should expect to see more playing time from the deeper parts of both teams’ rosters as the teams will begin final cuts in preparation for the season’s start next week.

Simons and Bona to sit out Sixers' preseason finale vs. Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ final dress rehearsal is on deck.

The team will host the Celtics on Friday night in its preseason finale. After that, the regular-season opener next Tuesday against the Knicks is on the calendar.

As far as their stars, the Sixers have had a healthy preseason so far. Two key bench players will sit Friday, though. 

The Sixers ruled Anfernee Simons and Adem Bona out vs. Boston. Both were full participants in practice, a team official said, and they joined Exhibit 10 and two-way contract players in a full-court, post-practice scrimmage.

Post-practice Anfernee Simons jumpers: pic.twitter.com/6vGonbFtxh

— Noah Levick (@NoahLevick) October 15, 2026

Simons has been out with a hamstring injury, Bona a left foot sprain. They’ve each been sidelined for the full preseason. Same with Dominick Barlow (back). 

“They’re going through good portions of practice,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Thursday of Simons and Bona. “Listen, the coaching staff was obviously hoping to get them in a game before the opener just because it’s nice … to see where they’re at in that kind of game rather than see where they’re at in a real live one. 

“But it is what it is. Long season ahead. Hopefully, we’ll get them back sooner rather than later.”

Ariel Hukporti suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in the Sixers’ preseason opener, meaning Bona appears set to be the team’s clear primary backup center. The sharpshooting Simons seems poised to be the first guard off the bench. Over his last six seasons, Simons has averaged 16.9 points and 3.6 assists in 28.8 minutes per game and shot 38.6 percent from three-point range. 

“I’m super excited about Ant,” Tyrese Maxey said. “The little bit we’ve seen of him, just the way he shoots the ball, it’s going to open up so many different things. He can play with so many different groups, so many different lineups because of the way he shoots the ball. I’m excited to get on the court with him.”

Nurse indicated the Sixers plan to roll with their first-choice starting five in the preseason finale.

The unit of Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid played its first game together last week in a loss to the Nets.

“(The plan) is always a bit fluid and flexible, I think,” Nurse said. “We would like to get the majority of them into the second half. I think it’s now time to play, go in at halftime, come back out and get ready to go again. … And then it’s probably fairly short after that, but going through that part of it.”

In past preseasons, injury troubles have hindered the Sixers’ efforts at building a stable foundation.

They’re hoping for a relatively smooth start this time around. 

“A lot of guys are pretty healthy,” Maxey said. “I think that’s different. And then the preseason last year, it was kind of hard to get (Paul George) in. He was going through some (injury) things. Joel was going through some stuff. 

“Our first five has been pretty healthy and we’ve been out there pretty much every day. That helps.”

Nurse called this year’s training camp “a lot of fun.”

“The guys have been amazing as far as attitude and just coaching them,” he said. “Really fun couple of weeks. Their energy and their focus and their desire to get better (quickly) has been great, and that’s always really fun to coach. We’ve been healthy. That’s been much more fun than it has been. 

“There’s been a lot of things that have made it enjoyable. Just keep on working, keep on getting better.”

Following the 2024-25 season, the Spurs knew they needed an upgrade at back-up center. They had already traded away Zach Collins during the season, and Charles Bassey proved to be too injury prone, leaving them with just Bismack Biyombo to close the season after losing Victor Wembaynama to deep vein thrombosis. They responded with arguably the steal of the offseason by snatching a veteran with championship experience in Luke Kornet on a very friendly deal.

It worked swimmingly in the 2025-26 regular season, with the defensive drop-off when Wemby left the floor or missed time with injury being much lower than before. However, Kornet struggled as the playoffs progressed and the opponents got stronger, and not having any other reliable depth at center forced more minutes from Wemby despite him showing signs of fatigue in the Finals, leading to one of many reasons why they lost that series.

With that in mind, the Spurs went all in on size and defense in the draft a week later, taking a couple of beasts in the first round with Jayden Qauintance at 20th and trading for Tarris Reed, Jr. at 26th. While it will be a while — perhaps even a year — before we get see Quaintance, who is recovering from knee surgery, Reed has been one of the standouts in the preseason so far, averaging 5.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1 block. He especially stood out in Utah with 17 rebounds in 24 min, including doing his best Moses Malone impression with seven in a minute-and-a-half span in the 2nd quarter.

Spurs rookie Tarris Reed Jr. 4 PTS, 17 REB (8 OREB), 1 AST, 4 STL, 1 BLK in 24 minutes vs. Jazz

This guy is an absolute ball magnet pic.twitter.com/F8nNUwu6V2

— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) October 13, 2026

Reed isn’t your average rookie. He’s 23 years old and played all four years in college, including the last two at UConn under Dan Hurley (who also helped make Stephon Castle into the defensive menace he is today). His 6’11”, 265lb frame, age and maturity makes him strongest rookie in his class and even compared some veteran NBA centers, and in the preseason, an argument can me made that he has looked better than Kornet.

Tarris Reed Jr. full highlights vs. Phoenix Suns (123-103 W) – preseason:

4 Points on 2/2 FG, 9 Rebounds (3 Off. Rebs), 1 Assist (4 TOV), 1 Steal, 4 Blocks, 3 PF, and a +/- of -3 in 20:53 minutes played off the bench.

I also posted it on YouTube:https://t.co/UWj0G3chVkpic.twitter.com/sw20yfO4GV

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) October 15, 2026

None of this is to say Reed is ready to replace Kornet as Wemby’s back-up full time — he’s still a work in progress on offense and presents the same challenges on the floor with Wemby as French Vanilla, limiting his opportunities for extra minutes — but he certainly brings something the Spurs did not have last season: a strong, hardnosed big man who is a rebounding machine and won’t be pushed around by stronger centers. He gives Mitch Johnson the option to change things up in match-ups that are rough on Kornet, as well much more insurance should someone get hurt.

Wemby and Kornet missed a combined 32 games last season, and while only two of those overlapped (one being the meaningless regular season finale) and the Spurs still faired well, it’s still a lot of games with only one or no reliable center. The Spurs usually managed those Wemby/Kornet-less minutes by going small with Carter Bryant, Harrison Barnes or Julian Champagnie playing de facto center, but even if they still want to do that some by design this season (and they might with Tobias Harris), they at least won’t be forced to with Reed now in tow.

It’s always an over reaction to take the preseason too seriously, and it’s not like Reed has been facing the best the NBA has to offer so far, but his play has been a very comforting assurance that the Spurs handled their biggest weakness from last season about as well as possible. It will be interesting to see if he eventually supersedes Kornet in the rotation, or at least if Johnson shows no fear in putting the rookie out there when the situation or match-up calls for it.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves chose an interesting player to show love to before the NBA season.

On Wednesday, the NBA’s official X account posted a video in which select players were asked who they believed deserves their flowers.

Most players named guys who are typically underappreciated or underrated by sports media or the broader fan base, like Jrue Holiday or DeMar DeRozan.

When it came time for Reaves to give his answer, he said, “I think Wemby. Everything that, you know, he’s gonna get, already has gotten, is well-deserved.”

Reaves is getting roasted by Lakers fans for deciding to give Spurs star Victor Wembanyama his flowers, many of whom are baffled that he decided to show one of their biggest Western Conference foes this sort of love right before the season begins.

“ik reaves did not js say wemby,” wrote @lukawrldd.

“reaves is actually a b****,” added @ADHDgoat.

“this dude reaves said wemby,” said @VACCLNE.

Some of this frustration also stems from how Reaves is referencing everything Wemby is still going to accomplish in his career, which will have to come at the Lakers’ expense.

But more than that, Wembanyama gets a ton of love from the NBA and mainstream media as it is, which makes him a strange pick for someone who deserves to receive their flowers.

Reaves will have to show Lakers fans that his Wemby praise is irrelevant when these teams face off for the first time Nov. 27.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before — the Sixers may have problems this season in the front court when Joel Embiid doesn’t play.

In this case, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. One of Mike Gansey’s ancillary moves this summer was to bring in Ariel Hukporti on a one-year contract. At 24 years old, he was a much younger option behind Embiid than Andre Drummond, who ironically signed with Hukporti’s former team, the New York Knicks. Gansey was betting on Hukporti ascending and being a useful 10-15 minute per game guy on nights Embiid played and a viable starter for games Embiid was resting in. Well, now Hukporti is out for the season with a torn Achilles, and it’s back to the drawing board once again for the Sixers when it comes to an Embiid backup.

When we evaluate why this problem has persisted, we ask the question, can the Sixers truly do better here or are they always going to have a revolving door of backup big men while they have so much money tied up into their starting lineup? Let’s start with Drummond, their most recent attempt at solving this problem before Hukporti and work our way back to the earlier stages of Embiid’s career.

In Drummond’s case, a player in his 30s who had a history with the Sixers prior to his most recent contract and was still a solid rebounder in a bench role was probably a safe bet. Last season, Drummond finished out a two-year, $10 million contract and had some moments for Philly in the postseason. After all, he did do enough for the defending champion Knicks to bring him in as Hukporti’s replacement. Now, Drummond wasn’t always lighting the world on fire, but relative to some of the other efforts the Sixers have put forth as an Embiid backup, it’s safe to say Drummond was a worthwhile investment.

There have been some other options in recent years that have been used as centers as well. Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker have seen action there in smaller lineups, Adem Bona has certainly played some 5 and Guerschon Yabusele saw plenty of frontcourt minutes during the lost 2024-25 season. You can probably look at all four of these guys and have four different opinions. 

Yabusele was a good find by the organization and was a decent scorer, but he ultimately departed in free agency. For what it’s worth, between time with the Knicks and Bulls, Yabusele did have an underwhelming 2025-26 season.

The jury is still out on Bona, Barlow and Walker’s effectiveness, although they come with significant question marks as the answer at backup center this season. It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Bona will ever develop a steady offensive game and he can turn into a foul machine at times as well. Barlow is just 6-foot-9 and might have problems defending centers that are routinely two or three inches taller than he is. Walker has shined in the preseason, but is on the small side at 6-foot-7.

Nick Nurse has even used the 6-foot-9 Dean Wade some as a small-ball five in the preseason.

Speaking of smaller backup centers, did the Sixers let Paul Reed get away too easily? Reed is playing for the Pistons on a similarly priced contract to what Drummond just finished playing for the Sixers on. He was on the way up and now is seeing lots of minutes on another playoff team in the East. He was also a fan favorite. Sixers fans, do you miss him?

One thing that is for sure, all of these options were probably better than aging Dwight Howard, who played a lot for Philly in 2020-21. While we’re at it and looking back at the beginning of the decade, do you remember Kyle O’Quinn, Sixers fans? Before him, I think we all remembered Boban Marjanovic, but not for his play necessarily.

So, when you add it all up, backup center remains a topic of discussion amongst Sixers fans, but their options behind Embiid have at least felt more passable in recent seasons than they did 5-7 years ago. But without Hukporti for this season, Philadelphia will need Barlow or Walker or Bona to take a step and play lots of important minutes in the regular season and postseason. If none of those players proves himself by the trade deadline, Gansey will likely be in the rental market come February.

The events of the last twelve months in Los Angeles Clipper headquarters must have been brutally exhausting. In the past year, the Clippers have:

• Been featured on Pablo Torre Finds Out at least ten times for the Aspiration saga
• Due to that, they have been under NBA investigation for circumventing the salary cap
• Traded away two mainstays of their team over the last couple years, James Harden and Ivica Zubac
• Hosted NBA All-Star Weekend
• Lucked into the fifth overall pick in the NBA Draft, used on Illinois guard Keaton Wagler
• Traded away Kawhi Leonard
• Docked five first round draft picks, Ballmer suspended for a year due to cap circumvention investigation

Suffice to say, there is a LOT that has happened in Inglewood recently, and I’m sure getting everything behind them from the previous era of Clippers basketball is best for everyone involved. 

Unlike most situations where you have a team that’s hitting a hard reset, the Clippers have no incentive to be terrible, as their future first round draft capital has been forcefully taken by the league office. So, where does that leave the Clippers? Let’s dive in.

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Los Angeles Clippers: Last season 42-40, lost in Western Conference Play-In Game

Over/Under: 27.5 wins (-110/-115)

To win Pacific Division: 30/1

To win Western Conference: 600/1

To win NBA Finals: 1000/1

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Key additions: Keaton Wagler (5th pick in Draft), Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick (Kawhi deal), Max Strus (Cleveland), Rui Hachimura (LA Lakers)

Key losses: Kawhi Leonard (Aspirations of Toronto), John Collins (Detroit), Many draft picks

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I’m sort of buying the Clippers in the short term. Yes, rookie point guards taking a ton of minutes is typically a recipe to stink out loud as a team, but this entire thing isn’t on the shoulders of Wagler. Darius Garland, provided he’s healthy, should carry quite a bit of the burden. There are enough combo guards and wings to help get the offense going. I like Hachimura for this team, Brandon Ingram is solid and you’ve got plenty of bodies with Strus, Gradey Dick, old friend Derrick Jones Jr. and more to fill out the rotation. Ty Lue is a good coach, and the Clippers have no reason to be bad. They’re going to be better than the folks at Fanduel think.

Prediction: Over 27.5 wins (-110)