The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 114-98 behind 45 points from Donovan Mitchell. This was Cleveland’s fourth straight win and its second in a row against the Magic.
The Cavs fell into a 10-point hole early on before Donovan Mitchell carried them out of it. His 26 points in the first half brought energy into the arena and momentum back in Cleveland’s favor. The Cavs entered halftime with a five-point lead, outscoring Orlando 39-24 in the second quarter.
Turnovers were nearly an issue again for the Cavaliers. They entered this game with one of the worst turnover percentages in the league for the month of January, and turned it over six times in the opening 10 minutes of this game. Darius Garland’s efficient control of the offense is something this team isn’t equipped to replace full-time.
Thankfully, the Cavs got themselves in order after a scrambly first quarter. They only turned it over eight more times the rest of the way, getting back to their season-average. They won the rebounding battle and finished the game shooting above 40% from three. Do all of those things, and you have a good chance of winning any game.
Jaylon Tyson, who was named to the 2026 NBA Rising Star game before tonight’s matchup, scored 14 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished 4 assists, and shot 5-9 from the floor. He’ll be the first Cavalier on a standard contract to compete in the Rising Stars game since Evan Mobley.
Mitchell put the Cavalier offense on his back for long stretches of this game. It was another prolific scoring performance from Mitchell, who has been in a groove recently and is showing no signs of slowing down. Evan Mobley has also been hitting his stride, scoring an efficient 20 points to go with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Cleveland has now won 11 of their last 15 games and is quickly climbing. back up the Eastern Conference. They host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Something tells me you won’t want to miss that.
This was something of a foregone conclusion, of course, but Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg has been selected to play in the Rising Stars Game during NBA All-Star Weekend next month in Los Angeles.
Flagg will enter the Rising Stars game as one of the league’s marquee youngsters, bringing season averages of 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists into the game through the first 43 games of his NBA career. He’s the only player to rank in the top five in points (second), rebounds (third), assists (fourth), steals (second) and blocked shots (third) per game among rookies this year.
The NBA announced today that Mavericks forward/guard Cooper Flagg has been selected to compete in the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/yI9uYWMigo
Flagg turned 19 on Dec. 21, and before that, had piled up an NBA resume only rivaled by LeBron James as an 18-year-old. On Dec. 15, just six days before his 19th birthday, Flagg became the only 18-year-old in NBA history to record a 40-point game, when he scored 42, brought down seven rebounds and dished six assists in a 140-133 loss to the Utah Jazz. Only James scored more points (625) in NBA history as an 18-year-old than Flagg did this season.
He was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month for both October/November and for December.
Flagg has been one of the best clutch players in the league all year long, which will give him some consideration in All-Star voting circles, but the selection to the Rising Stars game likely ends his candidacy for an All-Star reserve spot. All-Star Game reserves will be announced on Feb. 1 ahead of the Rising Stars tournament, which will be played on Feb. 13 and the All-Star Game itself, which will be played on Feb. 15. All the festivities will be held at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, in Inglewood, Calif.
Blake Griffin was the last rookie to be named an NBA All-Star in 2011.
The Rising Stars Challenge is a four-team, three-game mini-tournament featuring selected rookies and second-year players split into three teams, with the fourth team in the field made up of players from the NBA G League. Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Rising Stars mini-tourney. Austin Rivers will coach the G League team.
Third-year Maverick Dereck Lively II participated in each of the last two Rising Stars challenges. The MVP of 2025’s Rising Stars mini-tournament was San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle.
The three 2026 Rising Stars teams, made up of NBA rookies and second-year players, will be drafted on Tuesday. The field of players for the Rising Stars mini-tourney is as follows:
Rookies
Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies) Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets) VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers) Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans) Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks) Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs) Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards) Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets) Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors) Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)
Sophomores
Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls) Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs) Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers) Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards) Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder) Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards) Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets) Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies) Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers) Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat) Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)
NBA G League Players
Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars) Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics) David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs) Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (San Diego Clippers) Alijah Martin (Raptors 905) Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)
Tom Thibodeau is keeping his eyes peeled for his next coaching opportunity.
The former Knicks coach, who took them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years last season, told SiriusXM’s “The Starting Lineup” that he wants to be in the NBA ranks again.
“I love the game. Obviously, I’m preparing for the next opportunity, so hopefully I’ll be ready for it,” Thibodeau said.
Joakim Noah, Tom Thibodeau, Taj Gibson and Luol Deng look on during the game during the Derrick Rose jersey retirement on January 24, 2026 at United Center. NBAE via Getty Images
It shouldn’t come as much of a revelation that Thibs wants back in the game after being fired by the Knicks and replaced by Mike Brown.
Thibodeau served as head coach of the Knicks for five seasons, leading the team to a 226-174 record during that span.
The Knicks reached the playoffs five times during his tenure, which included the Eastern Conference Finals trip last season.
Thibodeau was named Coach of the Year in 2021 and the Knicks had 40-plus win seasons in four of his five seasons in the Big Apple.
Thibs previously coached the Bulls from 2010-15 and the Timberwolves from 2016-19, accumulating a 578-420 record all-time as a head coach.
The former head coach was in the Windy City for the jersey retirement ceremony of Derrick Rose.
Rose, who played for Thibodeau in Chicago, praised his former coach and pushed back on the narrative that the he was to blame for his ACL tear.
“They look at Thibs as the injury part, but I’m here to say f–k that,” Rose told the crowd during his jersey retirement ceremony. “There’s a reason why, everything is meant to be, bro. Thibs was the first coach who made me feel special when we used to watch film. I used to do s–t in games just to make sure he saw me on tape.”
The Golden State Warriors are looking for back-to-back wins in their road baseball series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, after cruising to a 111-85 win on Sunday night. But the second win will be much, much harder to come by, as the Warriors are playing without nearly all of their key players.
Here’s the full injury report for the game.
Warriors
Out — Steph Curry (right patellofemoral inflammation)
Curry got a bit banged up in Sunday’s win and, as a result, we’re all deprived of getting to watch the greatest show in sports tonight. Thankfully it doesn’t appear to be anything serious.
Out — Draymond Green (left low back soreness)
Yep, no Draymond, either. The Warriors will be without their offensive leader and their defensive leader.
Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL tear)
You know the drill by now. It still sucks, though.
Out — Jonathan Kuminga (left knee bone bruise)
It’s a big bummer that Kuminga got hurt right as he re-joined the rotation. I would have loved to see him play tonight with so much of the team sidelined. He would have had a big role. Hopefully he’s back on the court soon.
Out — Al Horford (left toe injury management)
Horford played on the front end of the back-to-back, so he was never going to play tonight.
Out — De’Anthony Melton (left knee injury management)
It seems the Warriors are going to rest Melton on a lot of back-to-backs, which makes sense. He is still getting fully up to speed after recovering from his ACL tear.
Out — Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation)
The younger Curry remains out, though a return is getting closer.
Out — LJ Cryer (left hamstring tightness)
It’s a bummer for Cryer that he can’t play, as everyone healthy should see sizable minutes. Cryer has played just eight minutes in his young NBA career, and surely would have gotten some significant run in this game if he were healthy.
Wolves
Out — Anthony Edwards (right foot injury maintenance)
The Wolves are much healthier than the Dubs but, like the Warriors, they’ll be without their superstar and face of the franchise.
Out — Terrence Shannon Jr. (left foot abductor hallucis strain)
A late first-round pick in the 2024 draft, Shannon has been sidelined for a month in his sophomore season. He hasn’t played since Christmas.
Enjoy the game, Dub Nation. It kicks off at 6:30 p.m. PT on Peacock.
Egor Demin, the Brooklyn Nets’ first lottery pick in 15 years, has been selected for the NBA’s Rising Stars Competition at All-Star Weekend, the league announced Monday afternoon. The selection for the competition that features rookies, sophomores and G League stars, takes place at 9:00 p.m. ET February 13 at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, the first night of three-night weekend.
The 6’9” guard is one of 10 rookies, 11 sophomores and seven G Leaguers to make the team.
Michael Porter Jr. will learn his All-Star fate on Sunday when All-Star reserves will be revealed but Demin’s selection ensures that Brooklyn will have at least representation at the 75th All-Star Game. MPJ has never made an All-Star Game. Skill competition participants will also be announced soon, but no Nets are likely to be selected for that.
Demin is the first Brooklyn Net to be selected for the Rising Stars competition since 2019 when the competition was rookies vs. sophomores. Rodions Kurucs was named to the rookie squad and Jarrett Allen to the sophomores.
Demin, a native of Moscow and a BYU product, was taken at No. 8 in the first round at the end of June and after playing in the Summer League in Las Vegas, he spent two months rehabbing from plantar fascia before finally joining the Nets in preseason. In the regular season, Demin is averaging 10.2 points, 3.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 40/40/85 for the season. He is the 11th youngest player in the NBA.
For Demin, it’s another recognition and for the Nets front office, justification for what was at the time an unpopular pick. In the days and weeks leading up to the Draft, Demin was seen as a precocious playmaker but a limited shooter. Since then, he’s shown that not only can he shoot, but he can shoot at a high volume and in clutch moments.
In fact, other than than Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel, Demin is arguably the 2025-26 rookie class’s best volume shooter from deep. And other than last month, he’s been the class’s top volume shooter, hitting 47.1% of 6.4 attempts per game. Knueppel, who’s on an historic run, is hitting 39.0% of 6.3 attempts.
Demin is one of five first-round picks the Nets selected in June, a record haul. The others were Nolan Traore, taken at No. 19; Drake Powell at No. 22; Ben Saraf at No. 26 and Danny Wolf at No. 27.
NBA assistant coaches determined the pool of 21 NBA players, with each team submitting one ballot. Voters ranked 10 rookies and 10 sophomores, with more points assigned to higher placements. The top 10 rookies and top 10 sophomores by point total earned spots. The final spot was awarded to the higher-scoring player among the 11th-ranked finishers in each class. The pool includes one more sophomore than rookie based on total points received.
The players will be divided into four teams for the competition, with a draft run by four honorary coaches taking place Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET…
Presenting the honorary head coaches for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars!
NBA Rookies and Sophomores will be drafted onto three teams on Tuesday (1/27) at 7:00pm/et on Peacock, with NBA G League players to comprise the fourth team.
In what is described as a mini-tournament, Team A will face Team B in the first semifinal (Game 1), and Team C will play Team D in the second semifinal (Game 2). The winner of Game 1 will meet the winner of Game 2 in the championship (Game 3).
For each semifinal game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points. For the championship game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 25 points.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Stephen Curry and Draymond Green won't play for Golden State on Monday night at Minnesota due to injuries. Anthony Edwards will rest for the Wolves.
Both Golden State players suited up Sunday afternoon as the Warriors won in Minneapolis. But coach Steve Kerr said Curry's balky right knee was causing him enough trouble on Monday morning to rule him out.
Green is sidelined with a back injury.
Kerr expressed hope that both players would be back in the lineup for Wednesday's game at Utah.
The Warriors were already short-handed after losing forward Jimmy Butler for the season with a torn ACL. Forward Jonathan Kuminga also will sit out with a bone bruise and a hyperextended left knee.
For Kentucky, Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and Kam Williams remain out. Lowe is having season-ending shoulder surgery, while Williams recently underwent foot surgery and could return later this season if all goes well, though no definitive timetable has been given yet.
As for Quaintance, he remains sidelined with swelling in his surgically-repaired knee. This will be his sixth game missed since initially being ruled out ahead of the Mississippi State game on January 10.
For the Commodores, the big absence is point guard Frankie Collins, who is recovering from surgery on a torn meniscus in December and is listed as out. The fifth-year senior is averaging 7.8 points (38.2% from the field and 25% from deep), 4.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per contest. Vandy was 9-0 with him in the lineup and has gone 6-3 in his absence.
The Commodores have a surprise addition to the injury report in starting guard Duke Miles, who is listed as questionable to play. Miles logged 28 minutes in Saturday’s win at Mississippi State while going for 17 points, seven steals, four assists, and three rebounds.
For the season, Miles is averaging 16.6 points (45.1% from the field and 34.1% from deep), 3.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per game.
Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt Injury Report
Duke Miles will be a tough matchup for Kentucky tomorrow.
He leads the SEC in steals/game (2.8), and has had 5 games of 5+ steals. In his last game, he had 7 vs. MSU.
Kentucky will be without a true point guard. Going to have to take care of the ball. pic.twitter.com/7r8U9oNtfC
Rui Hachimura is making it clear – through his words off of the court and his actions on the court – that he’s willing to do what’s needed to help the Lakers win.
And that’s a welcomed sight for a Lakers coaching staff, led by JJ Redick, that’s on the precipice of making an important decision when it comes to Hachimura.
Rui Hachimura leaps to keep the ball in bounds as Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington looks on. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With star guard Austin Reaves set to make his return to the court as soon as this week after missing the last month because of left calf strain, the Lakers will have to make a decision about their starting lineup.
Even if it’s not in his first game back, which could be as soon as Wednesday night against the Cavaliers in Cleveland, Reaves will rejoin the first unit permanently. Reaves will likely replace either Marcus Smart or Jake LaRavia, who’ve started alongside Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton when available since late December after Hachimura started to miss time with a right calf strain.
But will Hachimura also rejoin the first unit after starting the first 30 games he played in before missing time with the calf injury? He’s been a full-time starter for the Lakers since February 2024.
Or will he continue to be used as a reserve, like he has in the seven games he’s played since returning from injury?
“We’ll assess things as they go,” Redick responded when asked about the plans for the starting lineup. “The reality is that until Austin’s back, we’re going to go with [the Doncic-Smart-LaRavia-James-Ayton starting] lineup, and then we’ll figure out the best path forward.”
The reality, for the Lakers, is that their best path forward is for Hachimura to embrace a role as a reserve if and when the team is fully healthy.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: as All-NBA-/All-Star-caliber players, Doncic, Reaves and James are starting when they’re available. And even with Ayton’s struggles as of late, the Lakers need to start a traditionally-sized center.
Hachimura reacts after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2026. Getty Images
That leaves one starting spot left.
Even though Hachimura brings important skills and attributes to the floor — spacing (42% on 3s over the last three seasons), cutting and knowing how to play without the ball, which is especially important next to star players — the Lakers need a more defensive-oriented fifth starter.
Smart and LaRavia would be good candidates for the spot.
It’s not just that the Lakers’ initial first unit of Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura, James and Ayton struggled to start the season (a minus-19.9 net rating in a small sample of 85 minutes). But lineups with James and Hachimura on the floor together have struggled, especially defensively.
There’s been a sentiment surrounding the Lakers that having Hachimura come off the bench could potentially risk losing his buy-in.
And those feelings weren’t without merit.
LeBron James and Rui Hachimura high-fiving during a game. Getty Images
Outside of just raw statistical production, Hachimura was significantly more effective and efficient the previous two seasons as a starter compared to as a reserve. And the Lakers performed better while he was on the floor when he started vs. came off the bench.
But Hachimura made it clear to The Athletic that he’s open to a bench role, with his main focus on winning ahead of his pending unrestricted free agency as the three-year, $51 million contract he signed with the Lakers in July 2023 expires after this season.
And his actions have backed up those words so far.
There was the viral clip of him having one of his better individual defensive sequences during the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ comeback attempt that fell short against the Clippers on Thursday.
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Hachimura had a season-high eight rebounds in Saturday’s road win over the Mavericks, and also knocked down a pair of clutch 3s to help get the Lakers over the hump.
And he didn’t start in either game, showing that he’s willing to be engaged regardless of whether he’s a starter or reserve.
Hachimura, and the Lakers, have emphasized being about winning. It’s time for both sides to fully embrace the change that could lead to more success.
“At the end of the day…I’m trying to help this team win,” Hachimura said earlier in the season. “That’s the whole purpose of being here. I’ve been here for four seasons now. I think I’m one of the guys that has been here the longest too, so I’m happy to be here playing with these guys, the coaches and everybody. I love these guys. Of course the contract and stuff is coming up. But at the end of the day I’m just trying to focus on every day, just in the moment.”
BOSTON — Boston Celtics two-way player Ron Harper Jr. has been selected to participate in the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars challenge as one of 7 G League players, the NBA announced on Monday. Harper Jr., who spent the last two training camps with the Celtics before signing a two-way contract with Boston, has been one of the G League’s most consistent players this season.
The Rising Stars game, which will take place at All-Star Weekend next month, is comprised of 21 standout NBA rookies and sophomores, plus seven players who have played in G League games.
Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Castrol Rising Stars mini tourney, while former NBA player Austin Rivers will coach the G League Rising Stars team.
In addition to Harper Jr, the G League will be represented by Sean East II, Yang Hansen, Ron Harper Jr., David Jones Garcia, Yanic Konan Niederhouser, Alijah Martin, and Tristen Newton.
Harper Jr has had a standout season in the G League, averaging 26.9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, while shooting 49.7% from the field and 40.2% from three.
He’s appeared in 7 games for the Boston Celtics this season, most recently playing rotation minutes in a double-overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
Previously, Harper Jr spent two years with the Toronto Raptors and one year with the Detroit Pistons. He was on two-way contracts with both teams.
While Harper Jr. got good news regarding the Rising Stars challenge, fellow Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez did not. Gonzalez was not selected as one of 10 NBA rookies to participate in Rising Stars; those rookies are Cedric Coward, Egor Demin, VJ Edgecombe, Jeremiah Fears, Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Tre Johnson, Kon Knueppel, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Derik Queen.
Victor Wembanyama is not the only Spur who has secured an invitation to All-Star Weekend. Guards Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and David Jones-Garcia have been selected to participate in the Rising Star game, the league announced.
Castle is not only the reigning Rookie of the Year but was also the 2025 Rising Stars game MVP, leading his team to a spot at the All-Star game in the last edition. The sophomore has made a leap in his second season, posting averages of 16.6 points, five rebounds and seven assists per game while starting and logging 31 minutes per game for a team with a 31-15 record. He was a lock to be selected for the event and received heavy consideration by fans, players, and media for the All-Star game.
Harper’s participation also seemed likely despite his role. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2025 draft has spent his rookie year coming off the bench behind De’Aaron Fox and only playing 21.1 minutes a game. As a result, he’s averaging a respectable but not eye-popping 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists a game. Despite not getting the starring role others in his class have enjoyed, he’s among eight first-year players with 300+ points, 100+ rebounds and 100+ assists, while being the only player to do it in fewer than 800 minutes, according to the Spurs news release.
Jones-Garcia, who earned a two-way contract thanks to a fantastic showing in Summer League, has been named to the G League squad that will participate in the event. Jones-Garcia is averaging 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 14 games for the Austin affiliate, per the team’s release. The Dominican scorer has also appeared in 11 games with the San Antonio Spurs this season.
Here are all the players who will be a part of the event:
The 2026 Castrol Rising Stars Player Pool!
NBA Rookies and Sophomores will be drafted onto three teams on Tuesday (1/27) at 7:00pm/et on Peacock, with NBA G League players to comprise the fourth team.
The format of the event is an interesting one. The rookies and sophomores who will represent the NBA will be drafted into three teams on Tuesday, January 27, at 6 p.m. on Peacock. The fourth team that will participate in a mini tournament on Saturday, February 13, will be comprised of G League players. Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony, and Austin Rivers will be the honorary coaches.
As the Head Coach, he takes his leadership seriously, stands up for his players, and is always open and forthcoming. As an Offensive Coordinator, his system which encourages multiple passes and cuts has resulted the Raptors finishing in the top 7 in assists in each of his first two seasons (and currently 2nd this year). As a Defensive Coordinator, Darko’s schemes and rotations have boosted the Raptors from the 17th-ranked defense last season to 4th, as of this writing.
after holding the thunder to 7 points over the final 5 minutes of last night's game, the raptors now own the best crunch-time defensive rating in the league at 96.4. they're doing this without a single player taller than 6'9. pretty incredible
One hat I did not think Darko would wear was that of a psychic. Back in October 2023, before his first game as Head Coach, Rajakovic proclaimed, “I think one day he’s going to be Defensive Player of the Year. That’s something he wants to be, that he wants to develop into, and I’m going to do everything in my power to help him on that path.” (You can disregard the heaps of praise he bestows on Dennis Schroder. That definitely does not fall into the ‘psychic’ category, but the ‘head coach’ category of Darko’s hats)
Rajaković backed Scottie Barnes as a future Defensive Player of the Year while also reminding reporters not to forget about Dennis Schröder’s defensive skillset: pic.twitter.com/rRNrmcBVAx
Barnes has been a revelation this year. Not the kind of revelation where a player comes out of nowhere to shock everyone, but a revelation to the rest of the NBA. Scottie has been a defensive menace throughout his five seasons in the league. However, playing for lottery teams in each of the last two seasons, preceded by two seasons under Nick Nurse where he wasn’t fully unleashed has kept Barnes’ defensive reputation at bay. Locally, Raptors fans are well aware of what Scottie brings to the table defensively, night in and night out.
This season has been an endless stream of defensive highlights. From blocking LeBron James in the final minute of a tie game, to blocking Collin Sexton to secure a victory over Charlotte, to blocking a potential game-tying mid-range attempt by Chet Holmgren, Barnes’ defense has become a regular fixture in Toronto’s game recaps. Not only is he saving the Raptors, but also looking out for people’s health! What a saint!
Scottie Barnes is a man of the people.
When the Blazers score 100, fans get free McDonald's. So not only did Scottie Barnes stop Yang and Love from getting the Blazers their 100th point, he also stopped 17,438 at the Moda Center from developing heart disease. GG Scottie. pic.twitter.com/qjKlftH9tb
The stats match what the eyes see. Scottie Barnes’ name is all over the defensive stats pages. Barnes is (big inhale):
#1 in total stocks
#1 in blocks in the 4th quarter
#1 in blocks in the clutch (under 5 minutes, margin within 5 points)
#3 in defensive win shares
the only player in the NBA with at least 60 steals AND 60 blocks
The individual numbers only paint part of the picture of Barnes’ impact. Check the last sentence of the first paragraph again. Your eyes do not deceive you. The Toronto Raptors have the 4th-best defense in the league! The team’s other above-average defenders have either been injured (Jakob Poeltl), inconsistent (Ja’Kobe Walter), or have only started to play more minutes (Collin Murray-Boyles). Jamal Shead has been solid, but nowhere near the impact of Barnes.
Scottie’s DPOY case only becomes stronger when considering Poeltl’s been out since mid-December. The Raptors have played 18 games without a true Center…..and its defensive rating has increased!
The current buzz around Barnes is nice to see, but Raptors fans know it will take a lot more than stats and highlights to win over the voters. Let’s take a look at the 3 players with better DPOY odds — Chet Holmgren, Victor Wembanyama, and Rudy Gobert.
I think this is the highest Scottie has been on the DPOY odds ladder.
Chet getting too much credit for OKC’s defense? Will Wemby qualify for the 65 game threshold? Rudy is Rudy.
The case for Chet is clear as day: he’s the anchor behind the league’s best defense. Holmgren ranks #1 in defensive win shares, #2 in defensive rating, and #3 in blocks per game. The individual numbers, combined with the potentially record-breaking defensive numbers — the gap between OKC’s 105.4 defensive rating and 2nd-place San Antonio’s 108.6 defensive rating would be the largest margin in NBA history — justifies Holmgren’s place at the top of the betting odds.
However, take a closer look at the rankings and their may be a kink in his armor. Just behind Chet in the defensive win shares standings is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2nd), Cason Wallace (4th), and Ajay Mitchell (8th). In the defensive rating list, Holmgren is followed by Wallace (3rd), Mitchell (7th), SGA (10th), and Lu Dort (13th). Is it a stretch to think that Wallace, who ranks 1st in total steals and 3rd in steals per game, might steal some votes from Chet? Is the Thunder’s defense more of a collective effort rather than an individual? If Chet misses a game, there are still 3-4 other premium defenders ready to pick up the slack! (That group doesn’t even include Alex Caruso, 2-time All-Defense, or Jalen Williams, who was on last season’s All-Defense team)
Also, if the voting came down to Scottie vs. Chet, Barnes might have a leg up.
Victor Wembanyama: Out of this world and out of the running?
The case for and against Wemby is set for the next decade (assuming the league keeps the ridiculous 65-game rule): if Victor is healthy enough to play the minimum number of required games, he should be the favourite to win DPOY. Every. Single. Year.
As it stands right now, Wemby has missed 14 games already this season. If he misses 4 games or more the rest of the way, he will be ineligible for the award.
Rudy Gobert: Sure but why?
Outside of citizens from Minnesota and France, who can tell me why Gobert is in the ‘favourites’ tier with Holmgren and Wembanyama?
Minnesota’s 10th-ranked defense is lower than Toronto. Gobert ranks lower than Barnes in defensive rating, defensive win shares, and defensive box plus/minus. Rudy doesn’t have the same defensive demands since he plays alongside 2 wings, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels (Did I double-check I had the right McDaniels? You’ll never know.), who are better defenders than any Raptor other than Barnes. So, Gobert is more deserving than Barnes because he averages 2.9 more rebounds and 0.2 more blocks? Is this a legacy thing? Make it make sense, oddsmakers!
Is Barnes ready to buck the trend?
The obvious theme between Holmgren, Wembanyama, and Gobert is that they’re all paint-devouring, rim-protecting Centers. From Bill Russell to Hakeem Olajuwon to David Robinson to Shaquille O’Neal, the Defensive Player of the Year award has defaulted to big men for as long as the honour has existed. But in the current NBA, when switching and rotating and scrambling are the name of the defensive game, there’s nothing more valuable than a player who can defend all 5 positions a perfectly as Scottie Barnes.
He already has a better case than Gobert. He outperformed Holmgren — both statistically and visually — in a matchup that will stick in voters’ minds. He is 4 more missed games from not having to worry about an alien. Scottie Barnes has the statistical profile, the eye-popping highlights, and is gaining traction as this year’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Darko the Psychic has a good ring to it, don’t you think?
The Washington Wizards play the Portland Trail Blazers. Let’s get right to it.
Game info
When: Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Injuries: For the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly (back), Tristan Vukcevic (hamstring), Marvin Bagley (back), Trae Young (knee, quad) and Cam Whitmore (shoulder) are out. Khris Middleton is day-to-day.
For the Blazers, Matisse Thybulle, Kris Murray, Scott Henderson, Duop Reath, Blke Wesley an Damian Lillard are out. Robert Williams III and Deni Avdija are day-to-day. Avdija is ruled out for tonight’s Blazers game at the Boston Celtics, so perhaps the front office wants to save him for tomorrow.
What to watch for
First, I hope you are all safe from the major winter storm we had last weekend. I feel like we should have had two feet of snow, but we only had a few inches of snow and several inches of sleet. Because of the sleet, it is taking a lot more time to clean the roads, sidewalks and everything in between. I’m feeling it in my bones after clearing out snow four times in the last two days.
The game tomorrow night will not be postponed because the weather will be clear tomorrow. The Blazers are coming off a loss to the Toronto Raptors last Friday and are 23-23 this season. They are led by none other than… DENI AVDIJA! He is averaging 26 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists this season and should be a lock as an All-Star reserve when they are announced next week. Since the Blazers are playing the Celtics tonight and with Avdija not suiting up tonight for what should be a highlight matchup due to a back strain. But Avdija is expected to play tomorrow for a … revenge game. Let’s see if Washington can spoil that tomorrow, one way or another.
The NBA announced its pool of participants for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars game on Peacock on Monday, Jan. 26. Twenty-one players – 10 rookies and 11 sophomores – along with seven G Leaguers were chosen to represent the future of the NBA to tip-off All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles on Feb. 13.
The rookies are headlined by 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who has looked every bit the franchise centerpiece the Dallas Mavericks were in desperate need of after shipping out Luka Doncic a year ago. Memphis Grizzlies emerging wing Cedric Coward is also in the pool, along with the New Orleans' Pelicans' duo of breakout stars Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
The players will be drafted into three teams on Tuesday, Jan. 27 with a fourth comprised entirely of G League players. Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Austin Rivers will serve as the coaches for each team.
Here is the full list of players they will be picking from:
2026 NBA Rising Stars roster
Here is every player named to the Rising Stars game:
Four teams of seven players each will face off in a mini tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on Friday, Feb. 13 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The Nets will officially be represented at 2026 NBA All-Star weekend.
Brooklyn youngster Egor Demin has been selected to participate in the Rising Stars Game.
Demin is the 17th Net to be named to the event, and the first since Jarrett Allen and Rodions Kurucs in 2019.
He’s also the first BYU player to participate since Shawn Bradley in 1994.
The 19-year-old certainly has done enough to earn his spot during his outstanding first NBA campaign, and he's solidified himself as a key piece of Brooklyn’s backcourt moving forward.
Demin has started 31 of his 39 games, and he's topped double digits in points in 19 of those.
He currently ranks second among rookies in threes made per game (2.4) and threes made on the season (95).
The sharpshooter also set the franchise record for triples in a game with seven back on Dec. 29 against the Warriors.
The Rising Stars event will take place on Friday, Feb. 13, at 9 p.m. ET at Intuit Dome.
