Yesterday afternoon, Adam Spolane reported that the Houston Rockets had picked up Reed Sheppard’s fourth-year option. This means for the 2027-2028 season, Sheppard will be making just above $14 million before he is eligible for a rookie contract extension. It could be seen as an odd move for the Rockets, who had some questions about where Sheppard would fit into the rotation throughout this season, but it does seem like they want to keep him around for at least this year and next year before potentially extending him in free agency after the 2027 season.
Sheppard is the 10th first-round pick the Rockets have selected from 2021-24. He is the sixth of 10 players to have his fourth-year option picked up by the team. The previous five, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Amen Thompson, all inked contract extensions with Houston. After a rough debut year, Sheppard has become a fixture in the Rockets’ rotation. He moved into being Fred VanVleet’s backup at point guard from sliding completely out of the rotation. He also played three games for the Rockets’ G League team in Rio Grande Valley in January 2025 to get more playing time.
The Rockets feel Sheppard still can play point guard at an NBA level, but with VanVleet returning and Marcus Smart joining the team as a free agent, he’s been playing largely off the ball through four games this season.
“He’s a guy that has to get better at pick and roll,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka stated on media day. “He’s played off-ball his whole life, and you know he’s really good at it.
Numbers-wise, Sheppard does seem to have the ability to contribute as a scorer, playmaker and at times on the perimeter defensively, but he does need to figure out a way to be able to be a lot more efficient with his shooting from the field and from three.
Sheppard is definitely capable of improving his efficiency this year if he can play more off-ball and take advantage of playmakers like Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun, who can both set up Sheppard with great catch-and-shoot situations to create more separation from the defense when coming off screens and cuts. Sheppard might also develop as a shooter, just by acquiring more confidence over the season.
It should also be noted that Sheppard has had some injuries this season, including a left knee issue that helped him out against the San Antonio Spurs on October 23, and a back injury that kept him out of the lineup against the Dallas Mavericks.
The injuries Sheppard has suffered so far this year don’t appear to be severe, but they are crucial to keep in mind in case it is impacting his play on the court when he is available.
It is clear that the front office has belief in Reed Sheppard, and time will tell to see how he develops this season and beyond.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 26: The shoes of Paul George #13 of the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden on October 26, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 30: AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards reacts to a play against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of the NBA Cup game at Capital One Arena on October 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards won 95-79 last night against the Charlotte Hornets. AJ Dybantsa finally made his home debut in the regular season scoring 17 points and grabbing 8 rebounds on 5-of-11 shooting. While he didn’t shoot with the same efficiency as Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, yesterday’s performance was definitely a treat for all fans who were at Capital One Arena last night. Watch the highlights below!
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 30: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The season is young for the Phoenix Suns, and every game offers another chance to learn more about this team and whether it can execute its vision in a way that translates to winning. Thus far, it’s been rough. Phoenix is off to a 1-3 start, and if you take a look at the defensive rating, it certainly feels like Halloween. Because those numbers are downright spooky. Last in defensive rating at 125.8, last in opposing three-point percentage at 43.9%, last in opposing second-chance points at 22.3.
You don’t want to make rash decisions based on individual performances during the infancy of a season, but at some point you need to recognize that whatever this version of the Suns is isn’t working. At least not yet. Should patience be exercised? Perhaps, and we begrudgingly know it will. Until an internal threshold relative to either games or minutes has been crossed, this experiment in futility marches forward, with each night serving as a quiz to examine.
What did Friday’s night pop quiz teach us? It reinforces something we’ve known since we first started watching, playing, and consuming this glorious sport: teams function better when roles are clearly defined. “Positionless” basketball is a lazy term for those who support teams that do not possess defined roles. For teams with duplicative archetypes in the same starting lineup. “It’s gonna make sense,” one will say of the starting five. “Why?” a curious and befuddled onlooker will question. “Because the NBA is now ‘positionless’”.
I’m guilty. I’ve bought into the cheap trick and five-dollar fantasy that positionless basketball could equate to success. I purchased some stock in the belief that a Booker/Beal backcourt could be productive, and it’s why I’ve been cautious about the Booker/Green backcourt since its inception. Fool me once, shame on me n’ such. Sure, you can have a pair of combo guards in the backcourt, but they still need to have defined roles, defined areas of space in which they operate, and one better be pretty damn good at being the primary ball handler. Some call those roles “positions”.
Positionless basketball is something that has become a product of the AAU circuit, where young players are encouraged to pad their statistics because, ultimately, those numbers help them get noticed and create opportunities to make it big one day. With the NIL era upon us, getting noticed has become even more financially important. Somewhere along the way, traditional point guard play, facilitation, and distribution have become less of a priority. Those are the things that make everyone around you better, even if they don’t always show up in the box score.
Within the concept of positionless basketball, there still needs to be an understanding of roles and, more importantly, who is actually capable of executing them. What we witnessed Friday night, and quite frankly what we’ve seen throughout a season and a half, is another reminder that this offense simply functions better when Collin Gillespie is involved. He’s not a traditional point guard, but he excels in that role. That’s what the Suns need right now.
Why? Because Jalen Green was having an off night, something that has unfortunately plagued him throughout his career. Consistently, he’s been inconsistent. 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting against OKC, 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting against Denver. When you look at his career scoring trend, you see dots scattered about like duck shot on an outhouse.
I can’t blame the young lad. This team wants Jalen Green to be a facilitator, to essentially play point guard. And when you’re forced into an unfamiliar role, it takes time to adjust. Unfortunately, point guard is one of the most difficult positions to play in the NBA. It requires selflessness, court awareness, and the ability to process information at an incredibly high speed.
You can almost feel Jalen thinking out there early this season. He’s trying to read the defense, make the right decision, and execute what’s being asked of him. And the best flashes we’ve seen? They come when he stops thinking and starts reacting. That’s his superpower. His instincts, explosiveness, and ability to attack without hesitation are what make him dangerous.
It reminds me of Ryan Dunn, who’s being asked to become a true 3-and-D player despite that not necessarily being what his natural skill set lends itself to. Once again, the Suns find themselves asking a player to become something he isn’t, rather than maximizing what he already does well. And in the process, they’re diminishing the very qualities that make him valuable.
Green is better off the ball, operating as a piece of the offense rather than being the driving force behind it. Therein lies the roster construction conundrum we’ve been staring at for two seasons: 57% of your cap is tied up in duplicative players. Because the same could be said about Devin Booker. He excels when his role is not the offensive facilitating fulcrum. That, my fellow Suns’ citizens, is criticism I’ll save for another day…
We heard throughout the offseason that Green had spent time working with Steve Nash, with the goal of improving his ability to read opposing defenses and make quicker decisions. Early this season, it’s apparent that his processing is taking a split second too long. His assist percentage is 14.1% (33rd percentile), his assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.3 (14th percentile), and his assist points created is 6.0 per game (25th percentile).
In the NBA, where you’re facing elite athleticism and basketball IQ night after night, a split second can make all the difference in the trajectory of a career. Unfortunately, when you’re looking for someone to make high basketball IQ plays with split-second decision-making, Green typically isn’t the first player who comes to mind.
It’s a reminder that Jalen Green entered the NBA following his time with the developmental G League Ignite as a player whose greatest asset was his elite athleticism. He jumped off the high school screen with his explosiveness, his ability to finish around the basket, his shooting potential, and his impressive physical tools. He possessed the kind of raw talent that makes scouts salivate and front offices dream about what a player could eventually become.
His career thus far has been relatively average, with much of his scoring production coming through volume rather than efficiency. The physical gifts are undeniable. The challenge has been turning those gifts into consistently productive basketball.
Collin Gillespie took an entirely different path. He went from fighting for an opportunity on a two-way contract to earning a fully guaranteed deal and eventually a contract extension. And what keeps him on the floor? It certainly isn’t elite athleticism. It’s his defensive effort, his ability to read the floor offensively, his understanding of how to operate within a system, and his efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc.
So why am I bringing up the career paths of these two players? Because they represent two fundamentally different approaches to succeeding in the NBA. Green entered the league relying on extraordinary athleticism and the freedom to operate outside traditional positional responsibilities. Gillespie has built his career by understanding those responsibilities, embracing them, and executing within the structure around him. One was given opportunities because of what his physical gifts suggested he could become. The other earned his opportunities by consistently demonstrating that he understood exactly what his team needed him to be.
Collin Gillespie is more comfortable handling the ball, navigating his way through defenses, creating mismatches, and reading what the opposition is doing as those opportunities develop. Through four games this season, his assist percentage is 18.1% (38th percentile), his assist-to-turnover ratio is 3.3 (36th percentile), and his assist points created is 14.5 per game (64th percentile). Not gaudy numbers, but certainly improvements over what Green has provided in this small sample size to start the 2026-27 season.
Friday night was a reminder of this. Against Denver, during his first six minutes on the floor, Green and the Suns were a -3. Gillespie entered, and over the next nine minutes, Phoenix was a +7. That trend continued throughout the game. The team was chunky when Green was on the floor, fluid when Gillespie was present.
When Green entered, the offense tended to sputter. This isn’t solely his fault. The entire starting five was having trouble producing, as apparent from the rotations showcased above. When he and Devin Booker shared the court, roles were not defined, and the team had a -19.8 net rating.
When Booker was off the court and Green was tasked with the “bring the ball up the court” duties, the ball became sticky. The offense was less fluid. He’d dribble for a while, attack the basket, get blocked, and that was the possession. No movement, no opportunity for anyone else to get involved.
Green killed the Suns’ momentum on that possession. Dribbled into a crowded paint, never looked to kick it out, and forced a shot that got blocked. Murray answered with a three.
Green has to recognize when the defense collapses and move the ball. That’s a 5-point momentum swing.
Through four games, albeit with a small sample size, Green possesses a minus-28.3 net rating compared to Gillespie’s minus-2.3. And when you examine the on/off numbers, they speak for themselves.
The defensive side of the ball will always be the weaker part of this argument because Green has the opportunity to provide more defensively due to his size. For all the heart Gillespie has, he’ll never possess the physical tools to be an elite defender, yet he’s still third in the league with 3.0 steals per game.
When you look up and down the roster at the statistical output, particularly defensive rating, nobody on this team looks good. That’s what happens when you have the worst defense in the league. But there’s a significant difference between Jalen Green’s 133.3 defensive rating and Gillespie’s 120.7. So even on that end of the floor, Gillespie has been the better option.
I’ve hit you with a ton of advanced metrics and lineup data, but do we really need all of that? We know what our eyes are telling us, and at the end of the day, they’re telling us that there’s considerably more fluidity offensively and more intensity defensively when Gillespie is on the floor instead of Green.
This isn’t to suggest that the two players can’t coexist on the roster, because at this point in the season, they’re going to have to. The Suns will continue evaluating Green to determine whether he fits into what this team currently is and what it could eventually become. When you’re carrying a $36.3 million price tag, naturally, there’s going to be increased scrutiny surrounding your performance.
We need to see a larger sample size, right? But in reality, do we? Because we’re beginning to witness some of the same trends we saw last season with Green…
Remember the beginning of last year, when the Suns seemed to have a clear understanding of who they were? Green was injured for much of that stretch. When he returned, the team experienced some destabilization as it attempted to integrate him into the rotations and figure out how he fit.
What’s going to happen in the upcoming games? We might not know, but we saw a hint Friday night of what Jordan Ott is beginning to experiment with. Collin Gillespie closed the game while Jalen Green watched from the bench because Ott recognized that, within the confines of that particular matchup, it gave the Suns their best opportunity to win. How long until there’s a realization that, from an organizational standpoint, this might be the Suns’ best opportunity to win moving forward?
Not surprisingly, the team is standing with Green. “We’ve got a ton of confidence in JG,” Collin Gillespie said of his teammate following the loss to Denver. “We’re riding with JG 100 times out of 100.”
Moving Green to the bench is something I believe could benefit him. He’d be operating in a role much more conducive to his skill set, allowing him to focus on what he does best. But there’s also the potential for his ego to take a hit, and that’s the human element of this entire situation. It’s something we as fans have very little connectivity to when it comes to understanding the inner workings of the Phoenix Suns. There’s more to this than plugging and playing names into a roster. There are personalities involved, relationships to manage, and aspects of humility that need to be considered as well.
Again, we’ve now experienced this for 36 games if you go back to last season, and the results continue to be disjointed and disconnected on both ends of the floor. Green isn’t the sole reason for that, either. When Devin Booker scores three points in one game and then follows it up with another performance in which he doesn’t appear particularly aggressive, finishing with only 20 points, there are clearly greater issues at play. There’s one common concern running through all of it: your highest-paid players aren’t providing the effort and production you need from them consistently.
Maybe it’s too early to draw conclusions. My guess is that the franchise will give this another eight to ten games before seriously considering any drastic changes. Putting the human element aside for a moment, you eventually have to recognize who a player is, what he brings to the table, and whether his production matches the price you’re paying for it.
We’re only four games into the season, but Jalen Green is shooting 28.6% from beyond the arc, possesses an assist percentage of only 14.1%, and has a defensive rating that’s in the shitter. Those aren’t encouraging numbers for someone who’s supposed to be your starting “point guard”, especially when the offense continues to struggle with connectivity and the defense remains a significant concern. For context, Devin Booker isn’t exactly lighting things up defensively himself, carrying a defensive rating of 137.2.
At some point, the Suns have to decide whether they’re more committed to the idea of what Jalen Green could become or the reality of what Collin Gillespie already provides. Green can still be valuable, and finding a role that maximizes his strengths should remain a priority (although, at that price tag…yikes). But Phoenix needs someone who can organize the offense, make quick decisions, execute on the defensive end, and bring consistency to a lineup desperately searching for it. Gillespie has demonstrated that he can do those things. The question is how much longer Jordan Ott is willing to experiment before acknowledging what’s already working.
SAN FRANCISCO – The Friday-night sequence featuring Lakers star Luka Dončić crumpling to the floor trying to defend Stephen Curry went viral because nothing captivates NBA fans quite like three seconds of spectacle.
This was the latest Super Steph Moment, and he punctuated it by draining a triple that pushed the Warriors’ lead from nine to 12 midway through the third quarter.
Yet an earlier sequence was more crucial to the Warriors’ astonishing comeback win and, moreover, provided a glimpse of ferocity they’ll need to compete at the NBA’s highest level.
With the Warriors down 11 in the second quarter and Curry on the bench, backup big man Charles Bassey stifled a dunk attempt by Los Angeles center Walker Kessler. De’Anthony Melton grabbed the loose ball, triggering a fast break that was completed with his 30-foot lob to Yaxel Lendeborg, who slammed the ball through the net with 7:17 left in the quarter.
Lakers coach JJ Redick, the crowd’s roar ringing in his ears, immediately signaled for a timeout. It didn’t help. Five electrifying seconds sent pulses racing throughout Chase Center and among the Warriors.
“I thought that was play of the game for us,” coach Steve Kerr said Saturday.
The Lakers, over the rest of the quarter, shot 33.3 percent (4 of 12) from the field and committed four turnovers. They shot 37.8 percent in the second half while committing nine turnovers.
LA scored 42 points in the first 17 minutes, 53 over the last 31, which came after 6-foot-10 Bassey rejected 7-foot-2 Kessler – the guy who savaged the Warriors with 10 dunks in the season opener – at the rim.
“Not only is it huge for the energy of the game but I think it’s awesome as a team,” Georges Niang said. “Charles has been working his tail off. I was with Charles in Philadelphia, where he kind of had his first crack at the NBA.”
Bassey, who missed the first two games of the season with knee soreness, is a much more athletic but slightly less instinctive version of former Warrior Kevon Looney. He’s a smallish center who compensates with effort and fortitude.
And Bassey was the first leg of a pivotal sequence in Golden State’s 112-95 victory that evened its record at 3-3. Melton represented the second leg, rushing up the court and delivering a timely and accurate lob. Lendeborg was the final third, providing his lone highlight on a night when he stung himself with critiques.
“To have a guy that is battling injuries, fighting for his NBA life, and to go out there and impact the game like that,” Niang said, “and then finish it with an enormous dunk where Yaxel wasn’t clicking on all cylinders offensively – but he’s been awesome for us – just to have all that is the beauty of the game of basketball. It all connects.”
There will be many nights when the Warriors face a bigger, longer and younger team with the deeper pool of athleticism and talent. They’re in the process of figuring out what they must do to beat such teams. Their longtime No. 1 scorer is Curry, and they’ve identified Lendeborg as their No. 2. Draymond Green fills voids on both ends.
Golden State’s defense, however, is in its early stages – or at least they hope that is the case. Through six games, the Warriors are 22nd in defensive rating, with only four teams allowing more transition points and only two – the Suns and Kings – allowing a higher effective field-goal percentage.
Melton and Niang are becoming defensive forces. Bassey seems to enjoy defense, and Kerr made it clear that he deserves a bump in minutes. That alone could fill some of the gap that exists without Kristaps Porzingis while also making Draymond’s life a bit easier.
The defensive energy on display while limiting the potent LA offense to 57 points over the final three quarters is a start.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 15: De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots the ball against Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter in Game Six of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the second time this week, the Wolves fly from Minnesota to take on a rested team on the tail end of a back-to-back. This is their fifth game in seven nights. They are down their A1 player in Anthony Edwards but have found a way to win without him. To add to their win total in San Antonio will take a full team effort with what they have left.
This is the first matchup between the Wolves and Spurs since their playoff bout this past May. The Spurs would continue past Minnesota on their march to the final round where they were summarily spanked by the New York Knicks (thanks Karl).
Karl-Anthony Towns L of New York Knicks vies with Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio Spurs during the final game 5 between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at the 2025-2026 NBA basketball game in San Antonio, the United States, June 13, 2026. (Photo by Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua via Getty Images)
The Wolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly saw that the path through the Western Conference now curved through either Oklahoma City or San Antonio and their brand of swarming, hyper-athletic, in your jersey, perimeter defense. The Spurs being anchored by an All-Defense big man near the hoop.
As he did when building the Wolves to take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, he made a big trade that sent out precious draft capital and beloved players. The new vision was built around LaMelo Ball. An All-Star pass first point guard who can bend defenses in the half-court with either his passing or shooting.
In the past the Spurs tore up the hobbled Wolves by sending two defenders at Anthony Edwards who had little means of releasing the pressure in ways that punctured the defense. This left Victor Wembanyama clear to sit back and ward off the paint. The Wolves size that they had used to stifle the Nuggets was chop blocked.
Unfortunately we will not get to see Connelly’s full grand vision in action take on one of the very teams he built it for. As Edwards recovers from his successful arthroscopic surgery, the Wolves will instead have to contend with a team off to their own rocky start.
The Spurs are 3-2 with victories over the Dallas Mavericks without Cooper Flagg, the Sacramento Kings, and the Utah Jazz in overtime. At this writing they are middle of the league in shooting the basketball (tied at 18th in true shooting percentage at 56.2%), while boasting a top ten defense.
The Wolves have played well thus far against teams that lack consistent three point threats. Should the Spurs find some of their post-season form and hit from outside, it could get ugly fast.
Double Vision
San Antonio could employ the same defense they used in the playoffs against the Antless Wolves. Melo is a more capable ball handler and passer than Edwards and is better able to diagnose where to deliver the ball. What he is not, is someone who can handle a full night of physical bullying. Especially after playing a game 24 hours earlier.
Sending two players in any combination of Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, or Devin Vassell could rattle Ball’s cage enough to turn the Wolves over. I expect the Spurs will try to rough up Melo and frustrate him. If Rudy tries to screen him open, Wemby will hedge just enough to prevent the deep shot knowing he can catch up to anyone in the play diving to the rim.
The rest of the Wolves will need to move well off the ball and keep the Spurs guessing where and when Melo might look to release the defensive pressure.
Centre Bleu!
May 12, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half of game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Combing the standing reach of Rudy Gobert (9’7”), Joan Beringer (9’3”), and Wemby (somewhere between 9’7”-9’10”) we could run nearly one third of court tip to toe with French center. Outside of Luke Kornet minutes, the entirety of this game figures to see two of those three on the court at all times protecting the rim.
Where Wemby has more outside game than either Rudy or Joan, all of them do their best work on offense closer to the basket. Thankfully Rudy got back in the scoring column against the Clippers. As the elder homme d’État, he’ll need to bide his time to score against Wemby, collecting offensive rebounds when Big Vic is pulled far enough away from the rim and slamming them home before the defense can recover.
As the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Wembanyama stalks around the basket like Jack Skellington on the hunt for a new holiday. What the Wolves, specifically Terrance Shannon Jr., discovered last year in the post-season, is that you have to go at the man in the middle. This will not always reap rewards, but if Minnesota can get past their perimeter defender they need to go at Victor and force him to make a play.
The more the Wolves can make Wemby exert himself on one end, the more he will lack on the other end by the fourth quarter. On the second night of a back-to-back, it is a big ask for Minnesota, but Wemby is at his worst in the fourth.
Wembanyama’s Fourth Quarters (2026-2027 season)
Games Played (GP): 4
Minutes Per Game (MPG): 5.3
Points Per Game (PPG): 1.5
Rebounds Per Game (RPG): 1.3
Assists Per Game (APG): 1.0
Blocks Per Game (BPG): 0.5
When Kornet is in, the Wolves need to redouble their efforts to get to the hoop. Serviceable last year, Kornet has yet to find a rhythm this season.
Sample size theatre but something to keep an eye on.
Spurs offensive and defensive net rating after 5 games with Vic on vs Vic off:
Victor On: 118.4 offensive rating per 100 possessions 98.6 defensive rating per 100 possessions +19.8 net rating
The Wolves who battled the Spurs last year will come out looking to prove something. Ball and Jonathan Kuminga will feed off that energy and look to help their teammates looking to steal back their pride. Minnesota’s outside shots fall and they take the lead weathering a few surges by the Spurs. It gets close in the third but by the fourth, Wemby is spent and the Wolves tuck San Antonio into bed early, leaving a night light on for fear of the big bad wolf.
Happy Howloween!
Our blogging buddies are over at Pounding the Rock! Be kind to our friends who cheer for the team on the river walk!
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 22: Jaylen Brown #7, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 22, 2026 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Update, 5:15 p.m.: Jaylen Brown has been upgraded from questionable to available. With LeBron James and Joel Embiid out of the lineup, this is still a very winnable game for the Sixers. Tacko Fall is also active for the first time this season, while Jabari Walker will make his return to the lineup. We’ll see if Nick Nurse uses Fall and/or Walker in his center rotation.
It’s likely time for the first game driven by VJ Maxx of the season.
The Sixers released their injury report ahead of their Halloween showdown in Charlotte and have unsurprisingly ruled out Joel Embiid and LeBron James. Jaylen Brown, Jabari Walker and Tacko Fall are all listed as questionable.
Brown missed Friday’s game against the New York Knicks with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee. Nick Nurse did not have any more information other than he wasn’t available. James and Embiid will get the second leg of the back-to-back off as expected. James is again listed with lower back/sciatica management, and Embiid again with plantar fasciitis management.
The end of the bench remains banged up as well. Walker could miss his fourth straight game, also with patellar tendinopathy or jumper’s knee, as it’s typically referred to. Dominick Barlow remains out with his spine injury, but we could get out first look at Fall who’s been nursing a quad injury.
For the Hornets, who are also playing the second half of a back-to-back, they’ve yet to see Kon Knueppel, Colby White or Grant Williams play this season thanks to preseason injuries. Knueppel appears close to a return, having been assigned to Charlotte’s G-League team to practice. The Hornets will be without them for this one, but will essentially trot out the same team that lost to the Washington Wizards Friday night in D.C.
It should an interesting game. If the trio of James, Embiid and Brown are unable to play, we should see a whole lot of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons. That trio has been excellent coming off the bench so far this season. What Nick Nurse does at center is anyone’s guess and will largely be dictated by the availability of Walker and Fall.
Some 48 minutes later, however, it was Doncic’s newly minted archrival who felt like the boos should have been directed his way after, as he put it, “the worst game of my life.”
Yaxel Lendeborg of the Golden State Warriors plays defense against the Los Angeles Lakers in San Francisco on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
A few days earlier, Lendeborg said he was “absolutely” looking forward to seeing Doncic again, after culminating their back-and-forth Oct. 21 by saying he “lost all respect” for him.
When it came time to back up those words, he got absolutely pulverized.
“He’s a really confident guy,” coach Steve Kerr said of Lendeborg. “Tonight just didn’t go his way. Everybody has nights like this. The key is to bounce back with aggression and confidence.”
While Doncic went off for a game-high 37, including more than a few when matched up against Lendeborg, the Warriors rookie was contained to single digits for the first time in his career.
The Lakers’ Luka Doncic had a strong game Friday against the Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
In a 112-95 win, the Warriors were outscored by 20 in Lendeborg’s 24 minutes. He attempted only three shots, got to the foul line once and finished with six points. He didn’t dish out a single assist, turned the ball over five times and eventually fouled out with 2:45 left.
“We’re asking a lot of him,” said Steph Curry, who picked up the slack with 31 points on eight 3-pointers. “He has a lot of responsibility. He’s playing a ton of minutes. He’s got the ball in his hands a lot. So there are going to be highs and lows to it. … It’s a tough demand, but I think he’s built for it, and I’m pretty sure he’ll respond extremely well the next game.”
Going into it, Lendeborg said his goal was to remain poised and keep his cool.
Mission accomplished, maybe a little too much. Lendeborg let the crowd do the talking, but he was passive and out of sorts when it came to the actual game on the court.
“There were a lot of moments where I could have crashed out,” Lendeborg said. “But I stayed calm — a little too calm I feel like in order to get myself into a groove.
“I was just in my head the whole time.”
Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during an NBA Cup game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Every game is a lesson for a rookie still getting his feet wet in the NBA.
Lendeborg’s biggest takeaway from his worst night as a pro?
“Jesus,” Lendeborg said. “Man, honestly, I don’t even know. Try not to wet the bed as bad as I did. Or when you’re having moments like that, try to lean on your teammates a little more.”
While Lendeborg described himself as “pretty much the only Debbie Downer on the team,” Curry had a different perspective.
“What I love is he’s really established an even-keel kind of presence and mentality that it helps on nights like tonight [that] don’t go his way because he doesn’t kill the energy on the team,” Curry said. “We have his back through all of that.”
Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg, left, defends against Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in San Francisco. AP Photo/Justine Willard
Kerr’s best advice for the rookie was to flush this game as quickly as possible. They have another one Sunday against the Clippers, another Monday against the Suns and 74 more after that. The unrelenting pace of the NBA schedule is one of the biggest adjustments for a rookie.
“You can’t dwell on tough games,” Kerr said. “Young players tend to dwell on things a little bit. And then all of a sudden there’s another game and another game after that. You can’t let anything build up. You have to move forward.”
Informed of the words of wisdom Kerr had passed on at the podium a short while earlier, Lendeborg couldn’t help but flash that charismatic grin and let out a chuckle.
He had just admitted that he was “a big dweller on bad games.”
“I don’t know how long that’s gonna take to get out of that habit,” Lendeborg said. “But I’ll see what I can do.”
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 30: Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates a three-pointer during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup game against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the main schools of thought stemming from the “there’s only one ball to go around” critique of this year’s Sixers team was that it would hinder the development of VJ Edgecombe, especially going into a crucial second season.
Five games into his sophomore season and that hasn’t been a problem at all for the guard from Baylor. The Sixers have won all five games he’s appeared in and he’s made big plays down the stretch in just about all of them.
As the New York Knicks looked prime to pull off a devastating comeback in Philadelphia, Edgecombe hit a three to extend the Sixers’ one-point lead to four with 32 seconds remaining. It’s the type of clutch shotmaking the coaching staff has come to expect from Edgecombe after he made a habit of it his rookie year.
“He just does that, it’s really who he is,” head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. “We all know it.”
Nurse, nor any Sixer, had a problem with Edgecombe taking that shot despite missing his previous three attempts from deep on the night. He plays with a level of fearlessness and confidence that’s earned that trust from his teammates.
Even some of his newest teammates have picked on Edgecombe’s knack for big moments.
“He doesn’t shy away from the moment,“ LeBron James said. ”[He’s a] young, young kid, but thrives in the moment.“
It was a bit relieving that it was a three ball from Edgecombe that saved the day. For all his contributions this season, shooting the ball from deep has been one of his rare struggles. He’s shot just 29% from three through his first five games of the campaign.
“Early I haven’t been making a lot of threes, but they’re gonna fall, and I’m gonna keep shooting the ball,” Edgecombe said. “Tonight, even though I was 0-for-3 at the time, I still shot it. That’s just the confidence I have in myself.”
What Edgecombe has done a great job of this year is using the attention of his superstar teammates to cut into wide open lanes and scoop up easy baskets. He’s also become one of the best rebounders on the team while usually guarding the other team’s best player.
He’s done an especially good job cutting for Joel Embiid, a big reason Embiid is up to averaging 4.8 assists per game so far this season.
“When they go double him, obviously you know teams gonna rotate,” Edgecombe said, “and so I just try to find that gap where I can cut or just find a window for him.”
It’s the type of complementary basketball required to make a group with this much talent work together. Many worried before the season there wasn’t anywhere on the roster the Sixers would get those types of contributions from.
“It’s great to just have those guys, those complementary guys out there on the floor where we can all complement one another,” James said. “‘Rese getting double teamed, VJ has the confidence that Tyrese gonna give him the ball and he can knock down shots and vice versa.”
Edgecombe is clearly fifth in the pecking order in the healthy starting five when it comes to shot distribution, but that hasn’t stopped him from being one of their most important players when he’s on the floor. Being vital to helping a team with championship expectations pick up wins on a nightly basis has been just fine for his development so far.
SAN FRANCISCO — It was deader than dead inside Chase Center after the first quarter Friday night, a fitting graveyard-like atmosphere on the eve of Halloween.
It was about the worst 12 minutes of basketball Golden State had played this season. It appeared Kerr’s squad was headed for a second rout in 10 days at the hands of the Lakers.
Then, everything flipped.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) smiles during an NBA Cup basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. AP Photo/Justine Willard
Austin Reaves got to the foul line on the Lakers’ first possession of the second quarter, extending their advantage to 25 points, 40-15, and that’s as wide as it would get.
From the end of the first-quarter timeout on, the Warriors outscored Los Angeles 97-57.
“I don’t think I got too upset. I was trying to stay poised,” Kerr said. “We couldn’t have played any worse, and they knew it. I didn’t need to tell them. I just said it’s a long game.
“I don’t think I said anything about the modern NBA — I didn’t say anything to our players — but what I would [say] is 25, it’s the new 12. These games happen nightly in the league.”
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shouts to get an official’s attention during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers in San Francisco on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Getty Images
They don’t usually happen quite like this, though. In fact, the Warriors’ Jekyll-and-Hyde act produced a kind of game that had never been seen in the NBA, at least not in recent history.
As poor as the opening period went for the Warriors, the second was just as bad for JJ Redick’s squad. By halftime, Golden State had erased the entire deficit to pull even at 53.
It was the first time since the NBA started tracking play-by-play (in 1996-97) that a team had trailed by 25 or more in the first half and come back to even the score at halftime.
The final 17-point margin of victory was the largest by any team that has trailed by 25 or more.
“These games are wild,” Kerr said. “With the pace and the 3-point shooting, there are just these wild swings. You just have to stay with it.”
While Kerr kept his cool after the disastrous first quarter, the assistants in the second row of the Warriors’ bench let the players have it. They committed 10 turnovers, double their number of made baskets, and seemed to be rattled by Doncic’s furor in his rematch with Yaxel Lendeborg.
Anthony Vereen was the “lead voice” in calling out the Warriors players, Steph Curry said.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots a 3-point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA Cup basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. AP Photo/Justine Willard
“You need that kind of fire to see how we’re gonna respond,” Curry said.
And respond, they did.
After coughing up the ball 10 times in 12 minutes, they turned it over only six times over the remaining 36. Only one team ended up with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio, and it wasn’t the one that jumped to the early 25-point lead.
Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors points toward the Los Angeles Lakers bench at Chase Center in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Getty Images
“Everything went wrong,” Kerr said of the first quarter. “It was just a weird quarter. It was not anything strategy related. We didn’t change anything after the first quarter.
“Sometimes when you come back off a weeklong road trip and you have a day off, no shootaround, that first few minutes can be a little rough. That would be my excuse for tonight.”
In addition to his 21 first-quarter points, Doncic looked unstoppable as a playmaker, dishing out five assists. He finished with 37 points to best Curry’s 31, but he didn’t set up another Lakers bucket for the rest of the game.
“Luka had an unbelievable first quarter,” Curry said. “He looked very determined coming into tonight. Our offense got stagnant. Turnovers the first four or five minutes were deflating.
“We had a lot of chatter at the end of the first quarter, and it was kind of cool to see the second unit — just the overall execution on both ends in the second quarter.”
"Best game all around. He's been good, but that was his best game for sure."
That was how coach Nick Nurse described LeBron's performance Friday night, via Noah Levick at NBC Sports Philadelphia. LeBron finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, leading Philadelphia past New York — again! — on Friday night, but the numbers don't tell the story. He was the glue that made the entire 76ers project fit together, and when it mattered most he had the dagger putback.
It's just six games, but LeBron said he couldn't be happier with his offseason decision to come to Philadelphia, via the Associated Press.
"I'm having a great time," James said. "I love what we're bringing to the table every night. I love our competitive spirit. Guys show up to work. Guys are ready to work hard. It's a fun group, too. I'm like a big-ass kid, to be completely honest. These guys are great to be around and I'm more than happy I made the decision to come here."
LeBron got plenty of help as his friend Tyrese Maxey dropped 27 points, and Anfernee Simons came off the bench and hit five 3-pointers on his way to 21 points. That covered for a rough night from Joel Embiid on the offensive end, where he shot 3-for-12, but he still had seven assists and seven rebounds.
Jalen Brunson started making plays in the fourth quarter, as he so often does, and the Knicks walked down an 11-point 76ers lead in the fourth to make it a game late, and he finished with 24 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 12 rebounds.
However, when it mattered most, LeBron settled the 76ers down. That's what he brings most to the table, Maxey told NBC Sports Philadelphia.
"Leadership. Calming presence. He helped get a lot of rebounds. He'd help get the ball and calm it down. He was great. At the end of the day, it's LeBron James. At the end of the day, he can do stuff like he did tonight, getting a couple of big buckets."
His leadership has Philadelphia off to a 5-1 start — and LeBron is healthy and happy. That's all the 76ers can hope for this early in the season.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers complains after he thought he got fouled by Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 30, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming into the season, the point of emphasis that drew the most attention was the added focus on push-offs by offensive players. However, through the opening week-and-a-half of the season, it’s been the theatrics on the other side of the ball that have been punished.
Flopping technical fouls have been the flavor of the week for the Lakers. Starting with a post-game fine levied on Ziaire Williams last weekend, the purple and gold have become very familiar with the new point of emphasis.
After being the victim of Scott Foster’s antics that featured a trio of flopping technicals in quick succession against the Blazers, Tony Brothers strolled into San Francisco and created his own drama, including the most erroneous flopping call yet.
Jarred Vanderbilt is hit with a flopping technical, as Al Horford drives on him and unintentionally steps on him, on the way (with replays) pic.twitter.com/zeQjF0nyCg
Later on in the fourth quarter, another sequence drew the ire of the Lakers as Brandin Podziemski attempted to draw a foul with a particularly theatrical sequence. But not only was no common foul called, but neither was a technical foul for flopping.
It’s all added up to some head scratching for the Lakers and head coach JJ Redick, who spoke about the flopping technicals after Friday’s loss to the Warriors.
“We all recognize we want the offensive players to stop fouling,” Redick said, referencing himself and fellow coaches around the league. “All of our flopping fouls have been defensively. The reality for the officials, each crew is so different and what they interpret is so different. I think the consistency – the explanation I got for the Podziemski play was there was contact. But if you look at our flopping fouls that we’ve been called for defensively, there’s been contact. Whether or not there’s contact is irrelevant.
“We’re looking for something theatrical and extra. So if that’s not a foul and then throwing yourself back, I would assume that, to me that’s kind of the definition of flopping. Again, that was the explanation I got was there was contact. But, again, there was contact on a push off when Ziaire moves his hands back because they called it an offensive foul. So, there was contact but I guess the consistency, we’re still searching for it.”
The problem with these flopping technicals is that not only will different officials consider different things flopping, as Redick said, but it’s also never going to be called consistently. The Lakers went multiple games before a flopping technical was given to them, then saw it called in a flurry of games.
There is no standard flopping motion as there is with other violations. For example, you know when a player goes over the back or when a defender reaches in for a steal and hits a wrist or arm.
With flopping, though, it can take so many forms and, thus, some officials may view some movements as flops and others not as much.
In theory, it’d be great to get flopping out of the league. But right now, they’re not addressing the issue that existed but, instead, are creating a new one.
SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry dribbled through his legs and then jabbed hard to his left, sending Luka Doncic flying onto the ground. Curry stepped back, seemingly stunned that his closest defender was on his butt. He swished a 3-pointer.
Curry put both hands over his head. He shimmied his shoulders.
It was poetry. It was vintage Curry. It was the embodiment of joy.
“I didn’t expect it to get that nasty,” Curry said in his postgame interview with Amazon Prime Video after the Warriors’ 112-95 win over the Lakers. “It was one of those [moments] you kind of got to keep your composure. I remember James Harden used to do the shimmy to get himself open back in the day. I don’t know. I haven’t been that open in a long time.”
Doncic was still on the ground as Curry elevated midway through the third quarter. The league’s leading scorer was dropped by the greatest shooter of all time. Curry is still him.
The Warriors have now won three games in a row, including turning a 25-point deficit into a 17-point lead on Friday. They’re finding their groove. They’re fueled by Curry’s joy and a sprinkle of something new: his palpable acceptance that this isn’t going to last forever.
He’s engaging the crowd. He’s putting on a show. He’s savoring this.
“I just love this game,” Curry said. “All my mannerisms are all over the place because I’m just having fun. In those moments, especially at this stage of your career, you’re just appreciative of the ability to keep playing at this level. And I want that joy to continue until I’m done.”
We’re seeing glimmers of what Warriors basketball was at its peak. It comes in spurts, such as in last season’s play-in win over the Clippers when Curry went into a flow state, scoring 35 points, and Draymond Green transformed into a full-blown defensive beast, holding Kawhi Leonard to two points in the fourth quarter.
Curry breaking Doncic’s ankles was another example of that. It was a master at his craft making us all shake our heads and smile. It was the type of moment that will be memorialized.
When Curry is having fun, we’re having fun.
And when he’s having fun, the Warriors are dangerous.
Steph Curry warms up before a season-opening game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. London Entertainment
They’ve turned things around following a sluggish 0-3 start to the season. Against the Lakers, Curry had 31 points, including going 8-for-14 from deep. That performance followed a 44-point, eight-rebound, six-assist stunner from Curry in the Warriors’ 119-114 win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Curry is the master of the show. But the team is getting contributions from everywhere.
Yaxel Lendeborg is putting on a Rookie of the Year campaign, though he had a quiet six points and one rebound in his much-hyped showdown against Doncic following their trash talk in the teams’ season opener on Oct. 21. On a night in which Lendeborg was a nonfactor, the Warriors’ bench outscored the Lakers’ reserves, 50-7.
… Making things even more interesting: Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody will return in a few months.
Could the Warriors actually be good?
Everyone had counted them out, something Curry rejected.
When a reporter asked Curry on Warriors media day about the team not being expected to make the playoffs, he balked. “That’s how bad? Not make the playoffs? It went from championship to —.” Curry then put his hands up and uttered a few lighthearted “damns” as he walked out of the room.
At the time, his reaction was funny. But, hey, maybe we erroneously overlooked the Warriors. Maybe we erroneously overlooked him.
Steph Curry warms up before a season opener between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. London Entertainment
The runner’s knee that caused the 38-year-old to miss 27 straight games last season is looking bionic. He’s shining. He’s refusing to accept the reality that he’s aging or the narrative that the league’s modern-day dynasty that won four championships in eight years from 2015-2022 is flailing.
When Curry is on, he’s still the best show in the league.
Lendeborg didn’t hesitate when asked to describe Curry’s play on Friday.
“The stuff he was shooting and making, it was just like what are you doing?” Lendeborg said. “How are you even doing that? The people on the bench call him a sicko. I don’t even know. It was astonishing. Dude doesn’t get tired. He dribbles like that all day and doesn’t get tired.”
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, right, confers with head coach Steve Kerr in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Denver, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Lendeborg — and everyone else who watches Curry — is regularly left stunned.
It has been that way for the last decade. And even though he’s about to turn 39, that hasn’t changed.
Curry dropping Doncic amid a 42-point swing was epic. It was instant basketball lore. It was the league’s legendary shooter teaching its current superstar a history lesson on national television.
Cold shooting from the Lakers. Steph Curry’s highlight-reel-worthy plays, including eight 3-pointers.
And turnovers.
Austin Reaves (15) once again struggled with taking care of the ball. NBAE via Getty Images
Lots of turnovers.
The Lakers committed a season-high 22 turnovers against the Warriors, sparking easier shots in transition against a defense that wasn’t set.
The biggest culprit of the Lakers’ lack of ball security was star guard Austin Reaves. He finished with eight turnovers against the Warriors, the same number of turnovers he had in Wednesday’s win over the Clippers.
Reaves didn’t hold back when it came to assessing his performance.
“I was terrible again,” he said postgame. “That’s it.”
Austin Reaves was honest about his performance. NBAE via Getty Images
Reaves entered Friday coming off his worst game of the season so far.
The sixth-year guard had 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting to go with eight turnovers in Wednesday’s road win over the Clippers.
Against the Warriors, he didn’t perform as poorly but came close.
Reaves had 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting to go with five assists and four rebounds, but he once again struggled with taking care of the ball.
Austin Reaves will need to handle two-on-the-ball defensive coverages better. Getty Images
Reaves struggled early with the Warriors’ defensive pressure and strategies, recording six of his turnovers in the first half.
His three turnovers in the second quarter, which the Warriors won 38-15 to tie the game at 53 after the Lakers led 40-15, were especially costly.
“Just bad — we were bad,” Reaves said. “That first group that started the second was bad. And like I said, it starts with me, so I’ll be better.”
For Reaves, getting better means handling the more defensive coverages with more poise.
And for the team, it looks like building chemistry over the regular season will help avoid situations they found themselves in that led to turnovers on Friday.
“I mean, it’s real, but it doesn’t give that second unit an excuse to be pretty terrible,” Reaves said. “And that starts with me. And I’ll watch the film, try to be better. You got to learn on the fly and pick up things quickly. But as I said, I have to be better to start that.”
It’s been a sometimes confusing week for the Boston Celtics.
Derrick White looked baffled when he got MVP chants Tuesday night inside TD Garden while shooting free throws against the Brooklyn Nets. Payton Pritchard came to the sideline on Friday night after two dominating first-half stretches against the Chicago Bulls and found a smiling Joe Mazzulla waiting with a hug.
Smiles and hugs? From Mazzulla?
It turns out the secret is pretty simple. Respond to the coach’s challenges, and you might just get an in-game squeeze.
Pritchard grabbed only three rebounds, but one in particular jumped out to us during his first-quarter takeover. Pritchard tracked a long rebound and launched himself between both teammate Hugo Gonzalez and Chicago’s super springy Matas Buzelis to secure the ball.
Pritchard then broke out the other way in transition, accelerated past one Bulls defender, and took a bump from another while delivering an and-one layup that had Boston out front 40-21.
For the second time in a week, Pritchard had delivered a double-digit quarter against the Bulls. He finished the first quarter with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting and added 2 steals on the defensive end. Pritchard went on to finish with a team-high 30 points on 9-of-17 shooting over 34:45.
“Joe challenged me and I feel like, in the first four games, my defensive activity and my rebounding has been poor,” said Pritchard. “So [Mazzulla was] challenging me to to step up in that area and I think the hug was for me to be like doing that and him being thankful I’m doing it … We’ve been through a lot together and so it’s just great to keep it going, and then I stepped up to the challenge in that area.”
Despite his size, Pritchard has routinely ranked as one of the best rebounders on the offensive glass for his position. He’s been a bit more middle of the pack among point guards on the defensive glass, but that rate has plummeted to a career-low 5.4 percent to start the 2026-27 season, or nearly half his career rate.
That one tough rebound in traffic on Friday night was a reminder of how being active on the defensive glass can help fuel Pritchard’s overall output.
What’s more, Pritchard was credited with defending a team-high 14 shot attempts against the Bulls, who shot just 35.7 percent when he was the primary defender, or 7.9 percent below expected output.
“I think in tonight’s game you saw the absolute best version of him,” said Mazzulla. “Now, that takes a ton of energy — not going to be able to do that every single night. But the sky is the limit for him. And, as we continue to grow as a team and he continues to grow as a player, being able to be a complete player on both ends of the floor really helps us take it to a different level.”
While further gushing about Pritchard, Mazzulla added: “I like pushing him.”
For one night, all that pushing led to an embrace.
