Category: Basketball

The Sixers may have been beaten 144-106 on Saturday against the Celtics, but there were still the kinds of positives you want to see from Philly’s young guys as most of the starting five sat out.

As their preseason finale approaches on Friday evening with a rematch against the Celtics, we’ll see if they can end things on a high note as their new stars are set to make another appearance.

While we don’t know exactly how much we can expect to see the Sixers’ starting five on Friday, we should be getting a look at the new group at least until the early second half, according to Nick Nurse when he gave an update after Thursday’s practice.

Nurse originally mentioned wanting to get the starting group to play a couple of games in the preseason, so it makes sense for LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown to return and get a final tuneup before the regular season begins. Even in a preseason setting with lower minutes, it’ll be interesting to see how fluid their cutting and passing looks, how they continue pushing in transition, how others move off the ball while LeBron initiates, and generally how their initial chemistry looks as this group gets started together.

In their brief half together against the Nets, the starters’ offense looked electric with so much firepower and range of styles to attack. Will we see more of the same against the Celtics?

Pure talent alone may carry the offense as the team starts to gel, although the defense may understandably take more time as schemes and communication are polished. That could lead to another strong showing from Jayson Tatum on Friday, after he calmly dropped 23 points on Saturday, with Payton Pritchard leading the team with 25 points and doing most of his damage from range with five made triples.

Apart from seeing the starting group, there’s VJ Edgecombe to focus on who stood out yet again in the Sixers’ last game. He scored a team-high 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting with a pair of threes, plus three rebounds, four assists and four steals. Energetic, impactful and disruptive as always, Edgecombe played exactly how the team would hope.

Jabari Walker continued his strong preseason on Saturday, too. He added 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting with six rebounds and a pair of assists. Walker stepping up comes at a good time as well, what with Ariel Hukporti’s injury shortening the Sixers’ center rotation. As Nurse inevitably experiments with different looks and mixes in more smaller lineups, especially when Embiid misses time, Walker is starting to make his case to be in the mix for more minutes.

We have to keep a close eye on Labaron Philon as well. On Saturday against Boston, he flashed his silky jumper both off the catch and when creating off the bounce, tallied seven assists to only two turnovers with crisp passing, and finished with 14 points (albeit on modest 5-of-13 shooting) and a 4-of-8 mark from three. Even with how stacked their starting lineup is and how they can stagger stars, the Sixers need spark-plug ball-handling, shooting and playmaking off their bench. Philon has such clear upside to be a factor there.

Basically, from the starting five chemistry to young guys like Philon, there’s plenty to monitor in the Sixers’ preseason finale.

Whatever happens with Friday’s result, though, the main thing that matters is we’re only four days away from the start of real Sixers basketball. On Oct. 20, when they open the regular season against the Knicks, we’ll get our first look at LeBron and Co. playing real NBA action.

It’s going to be quite the season.

Game Details

When: Friday, October 15, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia+, NBA TV
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Doc Rivers believes this Paul George trait could be contagious for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Former Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers had the same shocked reaction to the Jaylen Brown trade that most fans did — but he also believes the additions of Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and Mike Conley Jr. can help the Celtics remain competitive in a beefed-up Eastern Conference. 

“I think everything [the Celtics] do is intentional. I really do,” said Rivers, who will serve as analyst this season for the NBA on NBC. “When the trade went down, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is an interesting trade,’ especially to the partner that they chose. I was like, ‘I’m glad Tommy Heinsohn is not around right now,’ doing anything with Philly, you know?

“But, at the end of the day, when you take a step back from the shock, and you look at their team, it fits. I think their team is gonna be really good.”

How important is fit in the NBA?

“As a coach, I never worried about it, the fit thing. I was like, ‘I’m gonna make it fit, you know? I’m not giving up on talent,’” said Rivers. “But there’s so much more now with the NBA and the contracts. Like, when you’re taking up 70 percent of your [salary cap with two players] — it just doesn’t work in the NBA anymore. And so every team is scrambling, as you can see. And, to me, what [the Celtics’ front office has] done is they went for that fit and the financial construction. So I think what they did was pretty smart overall.”

Here are more takeaways from Rivers on the 2026-27 Celtics (you can hear the full interview on the latest Celtics Talk podcast, which also features play-by-play legend Mike Tirico): 

PG’s overlooked value: Defense that changes everyone around him

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Rivers coached Paul George during their time with the Los Angeles Clippers and thinks there’s one primary way that George can still impact winning at an advanced age in Boston. 

“The thing I think you’re gonna be surprised with is his defense,” said Rivers. George has since piled up a team-high 7 steals in 49 minutes of preseason action, routinely sparking fast break opportunities after turning over opponents. 

“On ball, [Clippers teammate] Kawhi [Leonard] was better, but I remember [Clippers current head coach and former Rivers assistant] Ty Lue and I talking one night and I was like, ‘You know, Paul’s an elite defender, and I think he’s even better off the ball.’ What’s happening is elite off-the-ball defenders can be contagious.”

George generated 2.7 steals and a staggering 6.5 deflections per 100 possessions last season with Philadelphia, ranking in the 97th percentile at his position for both marks. George has ranked in the 89th percentile or better in steal rate for his position in each of the past five seasons. 

On the offensive end, Rivers believes George can be maximized as a catch-and-shoot option. 

“He’s a great shooter. And where Jaylen did a lot off the dribble, I think Paul George they use far more as a catch-and-shoot guy. I think he’s elite at that,” said Rivers. “He can take you off the dribble, too. I didn’t use him as that much, when I was with the Clippers, because I wanted him to be catch and shoot. I think he’ll be more back to that catch and shoot stuff.”

George shot 41.6 percent on 4.5 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers per game last season with Philadelphia (compared to 34.1 percent on 2.2 pull-up 3s per game). The shot defied him a bit in his preseason appearances, but it’s clear the attention that players like Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard can attract on drives will lead to many open catch-and-shoot looks for George.

The D-White bounce back

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Rivers admitted there’s a bunch of potential X-factors for the Celtics this season, but the primary one is Derrick White finding his shot again.

“I think Paul George’s health, I think Mitchell Robinson’s ability to rebound is still underestimated — and I think Derrick White returning back to Derrick White,” Rivers said when asked about X-factors. “[White] didn’t have his typical playoff run, he struggled with his shot. That’s a fluke. So I think Derrick White being back to Derrick White is huge.”

Why is Rivers bullish on White finding his stroke again after the shooting woes of a year ago?

‘It’s the NBA, man. Like you get to missing shots and the NBA doesn’t stop and wait for you to get your mind right, you know?” said Rivers. “It just keeps going and there’s times you get left behind, mentally, and I thought that it was as simple as that.”

More Doc thoughts

–Doc loves Joe Mazzulla and his coaching style: “He’s one of my favorites. I mean, he really is, and not because he’s a Celtic. I just love him. I love him because he is who he is and I love coaches like that. You’re not going to talk him out of it. And that makes him a really good, consistent coach.”

–East is wide open — but also incredibly daunting: ” I think the East is wide open. And unfortunately, it’s wide open meaning there’s five teams that I can rattle off that could win the East. In two years, it went from the worst conference to the best conference. And so I think that’s the tough part. I don’t think any team will win as much as they won last year. I also think there’s no tanking teams this year, so you can’t just count 15 wins, you know? So this is gonna be a hard NBA season for the East.

–He’s got one bone to pick with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett: “You know what pisses me off? Paul and Kevin are golfing now. Like, what the heck? That would have been so much more fun … They ridiculed Ray and I for golfing, and now they love it, especially Paul. Paul plays every day.”

Tonight the Raptors’ final preseason game tips off, this time against the Detroit Pistons. So far, Toronto has split the preseason with a 2-2 record. They started off-balance when they lost handily to the Heat, but followed it up with convincing wins over the Clippers and Knicks and a single-possession loss to the Knicks yesterday. The Pistons are 2-1 in the preseason.

Detroit will have both a homecourt and rest advantage, having played their last contest on Wednesday. With this being the last preseason game though, it’s likely the benches will be cleared to cement final roster decisions for both teams before the official start to the season. Plus, both teams still have things they need to work on.

One of the bigger themes of the preseason has been Toronto’s size and rebounding issues. In both losses they were beaten on the boards, and in both wins they controlled them. Not insignificant, especially given their lack of traditional depth at center. This could be a point of concern tonight as Detroit has size and rebounding power. Jalen Duren was 6th in the League last year in rebounds per game, supported by Cade Cunningham, John Collins, and Ausar Thompson who all averaged more than 5 rebounds per game as well. That, all before you even look at their bench or backups. To win the battle, we’ll probably see a lot of Collin Murray-Boyles tonight who has a great presence around the rim at both ends and seems to be able to read exactly where the ball is going. Scottie will have to step up too, especially when Poeltl is on the bench. 

Detroit has tooled their roster for size and space, with Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, John Collins, and Isaiah Joe all strong shooters to complement and provide room to operate for Jalen Duren. Cade Cunningham has done a remarkable job distributing the ball and running their offence, always finding the open man and right play. He was second in the League last year on assists and hasn’t even hit his prime yet.  

Toronto’s defence has looked solid over the last couple of games, especially on the wings. This will be a great challenge for them, as plenty of teams around the League continue to develop similar offensive schemes. 

The Raptors’ offence has also been a lot more polished over the last few games, with Kawhi, RJ, and Scottie all taking turns leading the team in scoring. Quickley, CMB, Shead, Battle, Key, Burnett, and Walter have all managed double-digit performances. 

It would be a great way to start the season above .500 in the preseason. 

Where to Watch

Tune in at 7pm ET on Sportsnet

Probable Starters

Toronto: Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard

Detroit: Duncan Robinson, John Collins, Jalen Duren, Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson

Injury Status

Toronto: Nate Bittle

Detroit: None listed

It’s now been a week-and-a-half since Ariel Hukporti tore his Achilles in the Sixers’ preseason opener, and they’re no closer to finding a viable replacement for him. That could change in the coming days, though.

NBA teams need to have their 15-man regular-season rosters finalized by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, which means teams will be sorting through their end-of-bench options over the weekend. On Thursday night, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line mentioned two players as possibilities for the Sixers: Milwaukee Bucks center Jericho Sims and Dalas Mavericks center Moussa Cissé.

According to Fischer, the Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers have discussed a trade framework built around Sims and Dalton Knecht, although he’s heard “some pessimism from sources briefed on those talks that such a trade will actually go through.” Instead, the Lakers might wind up waiving Knecht, whom they selected with the No. 17 overall pick in 2024, right after the Sixers took Jared McCain. (Remember when that was a divisive choice among Sixers fans? Welp!)

Cissé’s $2.2 million salary became guaranteed on Oct. 1, which hardly suggests that the Mavs will turn around and cut bait on him. However, they’re “known to be exploring pathways to keep Dwight Powell on the roster,” Fischer reported, which could come at the expense of Cissé’s roster spot.

As we’ve already covered, the Sixers are hard-capped at the $209.0 million first apron, and they’re only about $1.8 million below that line at the moment. Outside of an undrafted free agent, they won’t have enough financial flexibility to sign anyone to a fresh contract until early December. If the Mavericks waive Cissé, the Sixers would not be able to sign him without cutting salary somehow.

The Sixers could waive Jabari Walker, who has only $250,000 of his $2.6 million contract guaranteed heading into the season, to free up the money to sign a free agent. However, Walker might be one of their better small-ball 5 options, so waiving him could wind up solving one problem for the Sixers while creating another.

If the Sixers don’t want to go the salary-dump route, they could trade one of their current players for Sims, Cissé or another option. However, even if the Sixers were willing to trade Hukporti as salary-matching ballast, he isn’t trade-eligible until Dec. 15. That makes Justin Edwards ($2.4 million) their most likely trade chip.

Since the Sixers are under the first apron, they are allowed to take back more salary than they send out. That wouldn’t be an issue with Cissé—in fact, trading Edwards for him would help them carve out an extra $225,000 in flexibility below the first apron—but Sims is earning $2.8 million. Fortunately, they’d be allowed to trade Edwards for Sims without including additional salary. (It might cost them a second-round pick to do so, though.)

Sims and Cissé aren’t the only two backup bigs to watch as cutdown day approaches. A handful of camp battles could help the Sixers find a stopgap option via their last two-way spot if they aren’t able to land a more permanent solution. Fischer and Marc Stein reported Sunday that the Sixers “are unlikely to add a big man on a standard NBA deal before early December” due to their proximity to the first apron, although they were referring to a free-agent signing rather than a trade addition.

If Cissé does shake loose from Dallas, he’d be eligible for a two-way spot. Since Sims already has four years of NBA experience, the Sixers couldn’t sign him to a two-way deal. The same goes for Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley, both of whom the New York Knicks waived on Thursday.

The Sixers will likely fill that last two-way spot with another backup big and hope to make do at that spot for the first six weeks of the season. They can reevaluate their options once December rolls around, although it wouldn’t be surprising if they look to push that out as long as possible to maintain roster flexibility heading into the trade deadline.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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Former Villanova standout Cam Whitmore might finally be catching a break in the NBA, and he’s making the most of it.

After bouncing from Houston to Washington, briefly landing in Cleveland for all of two minutes, and ultimately signing a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets in September, the 22-year-old is starting to look like a pretty interesting pickup.

Whitmore is fresh off a 17-point (on 7-of-13 shooting) effort in Denver’s 122-110 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, adding four rebounds and a steal in 24 minutes off the bench.

That came just over a week after he scored 14 points in only 15 minutes against the Utah Jazz.

Not too shabby for a guy who was looking for a more permanent situation a month ago.

Whitmore’s career has been a little frustrating to follow since Houston selected him 20th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. The former five-star recruit and Big East Freshman of the Year has shown plenty of scoring ability, but injuries, inconsistent playing time, and questions about his all-around game have kept him from establishing himself.

Now, he has a legitimate opportunity in Denver.

The Nuggets waived veteran guard Lonnie Walker IV earlier this week, leaving their 15th roster spot open for the taking. Whitmore is currently on a two-way deal, which limits him to 50 NBA games and makes him ineligible for the playoffs unless his contract is converted to a standard one.

It’s worth watching whether Denver eventually gives him that final spot.

Through four preseason games, Whitmore is averaging 10.3 points in just under 16 minutes per contest. He’s shooting 47.2% from the field, although his limited playmaking and inconsistent outside shooting remain areas to improve (and he’ll need to hit the freebies more consistently from the charity stripe — 10-of-14, or 71.4%).

Still, the Nuggets could use another athletic wing/scorer off the bench, and Whitmore is doing a pretty good job reminding everyone why he was once considered a potential top-ten pick.

There’s obviously a difference between putting up points in the preseason and earning meaningful minutes on a team with championship aspirations.

But after three NBA seasons without much stability, Whitmore is at least giving Denver something to think about.

Hopefully, this is the start of something good for the former Wildcat. But with professional athletes apparently being allowed back into college sports these days, maybe he’ll find himself back on the Main Line if things don’t work out.

The Milwaukee Bucks venture to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to take on their mid-west rival Indiana Pacers in both sides’ preseason finale tonight. The Bucks have looked expectantly up and down this preseason, as Taylor Jenkins tries to find cohesion within an essentially brand new roster—11 of the 19 rostered players weren’t with the team to begin last season—and determine the right rotations heading into the regular season. Following their blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls, the Bucks are now 1-3 in their preseason games.

The Task Ahead

Last season, with franchise point guard Tyrese Haliburton recovering from a torn Achilles, the Pacers tanked played not to win—and they did a great job at it, winning just 19 games. This season, with Haliburton back, the Pacers are expected to contend for postseason play, if not make it outright. To help their cause, they added free agents Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr., who will provide depth and athleticism that will suit Rick Carlisle’s up-tempo game.

During preseason play, the Pacers have gone 1-2. They beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in their opening matchup on the back of lights-out shooting overall—53% from the field and three, 91% from the line—and in particular from Aaron Nesmith (7/9 FG), along with unexpected playmaking from Jarace Walker (10 assists). They followed that up with a two-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks, where seven players scored 10-or-more points despite no one playing more than 22 minutes. So, despite some names changing, Indiana is very much back to the deep roster it had when it went to the NBA Finals less than a year and a half ago. More promising signs emerged in their two-point overtime loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Halliburton looking like his old self, posting 24 points and three assists in just 18 minutes. For the Bucks, this all spells trouble.

Injury Report

As is the case with preseason play, there is no official injury report—and with this being both sides’ final game before the regular season it’s well and truly anyone’s guess who will suit up. Still, here’s who we have more of an idea about.

Bucks:

• Nate Ament: doubtful (ankle)

Pacers:

• Aaron Nesmith: out (hamstring)
• Johnny Furphy: out (ACL)
• T.J. McConnell: questionable (undisclosed)
• Jarace Walker: questionable (undisclosed)
• Andrew Nembhard: questionable (undisclosed)

Player to Watch

Myles Turner struggled in four games against his old team last season, averaging just 10.3 PPG on .395/.280/.667 shooting splits. He also totaled more turnovers (6) than assists (4). This offseason, Turner stepped up off the court, embracing a role as a veteran leader for the young Bucks. But his leadership is needed on the court too—he needs to produce. He played well against the Oklahoma City Thunder—19 points, five rebounds, two blocks—but was largely invisible against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets. What better time to put it all together than the preseason finale against his old pals in Indiana?

Projected Starters

Who: Milwaukee Bucks (record) vs. Indiana Pacers (record).

When: 6:00 p.m. CDT.

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse—Indianapolis, IN.

Watch: MY24.

Listen: Check local listings.

Prescient Prediction

The Bucks have been chucking up the three ball throughout the preseason—a third-in-the-league 45 attempts per game!—but have largely been inaccurate doing so, shooting just 30.6%. Tonight, they’ll find the bottom of the net, hitting 40% or better on their way to 20+ threes. Turner will make five of ‘em.

At long last, the 2026-27 NBA season is nearly upon us, and with so much anticipation surrounding the official tip-off, awards predictions are hot in the search engine optimization world. 

Some categories are easy to narrow down. Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic will all have something to say about the Most Valuable Player award. Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren will swat their way into Defensive Player of the Year consideration. 

But others are far more wide-open. Like, you guessed it, the Sixth Man of the Year award. To be considered for this honor, you not only have to be one of the best players coming off the bench in the league, but you also need the cards to fall in a way where you don’t end up having to start so many games that you are omitted from contention. 

Projecting this race can be a tall task. But never fear, there is a way to narrow down the playing field, so long as we follow the lead of all great philosophers, and let history be our guide. 

Who Usually Wins Sixth Man of the Year?

From looking at past winners, you realize that there are two key ingredients to a 6MOY year candidacy. First, you need to score a lot of points. And second, you need to play on a team that wins a lot of games.

To put some color on these two elements, since 2001-02, every player who has taken home the award has eclipsed the 13 points per game mark, even last season’s winner (Keldon Johnson, 13.2 PPG). And of those 25 winners, 20 of them (80%) played on a team that ended the season with a top four record in their respective conference. 

With these parameters in place, let’s look at a couple of names that could fall under this description. 

[Sidebar:The exceptions to this second point are Lou Williams (twice), Jason Terry (2008-09), Mike Miller (2005-06), and Antawn Jamison (2003-04), who all still played on teams that made the playoffs.]

Ajay Mitchell (+490, 16.9%)

We’re going to do this in order of their odds on FanDuel Sportsbook. As of right now, Ajay Mitchell is the leader in the clubhouse, which makes sense since he plays for one of the best teams in the Western Conference (the Oklahoma City Thunder) and averaged 13.6 PPG last year. For what my money’s worth, he was the best bench player in the league last year, but his candidacy took a hit because he missed 25 games. If he can stay healthy this year, he’s got as good of a chance as anyone. But if you want better odds for a Thunder player, Jared McCain (+3000) could be a nice pick if injuries force Mitchell to start too many games. 

Dylan Harper (+600, 14.3%)

Dylan Harper should be a starter. In his inaugural postseason run (23 games), Harper averaged 14.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.0 SPG on 61.1% true shooting. But the politics of De’Aaron Fox’s reputation and contract make that switch easier said than done. So, the least the San Antonio Spurs can do is reward Harper for his sacrifice by helping him follow in the footsteps of the franchise’s most famous Southpaw: Manu Ginobili. 

Ayo Dosunmu (+1800, 5.3%)

After an offseason makeover, the fully-realized version of the Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to be the third-best team in the Western Conference behind the Thunder and Spurs. Despite all the changes they made, they decided to keep Ayo Dosunmu, who thrived after coming to the team in a midseason trade. In 24 games (15 coming off the bench), Dosunmu averaged 14.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1 SPG on 61.9% true shooting. The only worries with Dosunmu are whether Jonathan Kuminga will be good enough to keep him on the bench and the Timberwolves don’t take too long to find their footing in a loaded West. 

Sam Merrill (+5000, 2%)

Even if Peyton Watson continues his improved shooting from last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers new starting five of him, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley is going to be sorely lacking in that department. This means that Sam Merrill, who will start the season coming off the bench, is going to have a big part to play in helping to balance their lineups. Head coach Kenny Atkinson has always valued Merrill’s ability to space the floor (he shot 42.1% from three last season) while also connecting the dots of their offense, so expect the seventh-year guard to factor heavily into the rotation. Plus, in the past, we’ve seen white-hot marksmen make a serious bid for this award in the past – just look at Malik Beasley, who finished as the runner-up just two seasons ago. 

Sandro Mamukelashvili (+7500, 1.3%)

On paper, it seems like Collin Sexton will be the team’s sixth man. However, on a recent episode of the Dunc’d On Podcast, Lakers insider Jovan Buha compared Sandro Mamukelashvili’s projected role on the team with that of the one Naz Reid played in his time with the Timberwolves (a tenure that included a 2023-24 6MOY award). I just can’t quit that possibility. Mamukelashvili is probably one of the team’s five best players, but the lack of lateral quickness from Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic will likely forbid him from joining the opening group. And since the team doesn’t have a viable backup big, this leaves Mamukelashvili to act as both the team’s second power forward and center. With the Lakers finally fielding an appropriate team around Doncic, Mamukelashvili could emerge as a surprise contender for this award. 

Miles McBride (+7500, 1.3%)

The New York Knicks are trying to become the first back-to-back champion since 2018. To do this, they need to balance winning guys with also making sure their top five guys (Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns) don’t get run into the ground. But how to do this? Rely on your depth. And with Mitchell Robinson now gone, their most productive bench player is Miles “Deuce” McBride. Injuries limited him to just 41 regular season games, but when he did play, he was averaging 12 PPG. If McBride can boost that number up a bit and the Knicks can continue their dominance of the Eastern Conference, he has the exact type of microwave, bucket-getter profile that we’ve seen win this award so many times in the past (Jamal Crawford, Williams, Terry, etc.).  

Some Guys You Should Stay Away From

Right now, we’re targeting players who will be on teams that project to be at the top of their conference. So, naturally, we should avoid those guys whose teams we don’t believe in.

Looking at the current top ten in odds, there are four guys who come to mind. The Portland Trail Blazers had to participate in the play-in tournament last year, and their main additions this offseason are two players (Damian Lillard and Ja Morant) who don’t really make sense for this roster. Both of those guys are perceived candidates for this award, but even if one of them sucks it up and comes off the bench, I doubt Portland will be good enough for them to get serious consideration. The Denver Nuggets were the third-best regular season team in the Western Conference, but they are another year older and shed some key depth pieces (Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr.) this summer. Nikola Jokic is a wins machine, but with the Timberwolves, Lakers, and Utah Jazz all taking steps forward, regression could be in their future. Beware of DeMar DeRozan. Lastly, I’m personally fading the Philadelphia 76ers (the superteam model is antiquated), so I think Anfernee Simons is getting too much love from the books.

Asa Newell is coming into Year 2 of his career, and there’s a good chance that he’ll have a bigger role when looking at the frontcourt. In his rookie season, Newell was fighting for minutes with players such as Mouhamed Gueye and Jonathan Kuminga, but with the former currently rehabbing from injury and the latter on a different team, it opens up the door for more playing opportunities.

Newell showed growth throughout his rookie season, and that was thanks to the College Park Skyhawks, where he spent most of his time. When he was with the Hawks, he was usually at the five, where he struggled defensively, but he was able to work on that when he went to the Skyhawks during his stints.

At Media Day, Newell shared the things that he worked on during the summer, and his defense was one of them.

“My defense. I’ve been working on that all summer, trying to move my feet. Also my dribbling, I feel like where I came from, from college into year one, I just been a gym rat. My shooting ability, too. Those three are the main keys,” Newell said.

The Hawks mostly want Newell at the four with a center beside him, but he still has the ability to interchange if he has to. This season specifically, he should be seeing a lot of minutes when Jalen Johnson is off the floor.

The one thing that will help Newell get consistent minutes this season is not only his defense but also his shooting. That was an area where he definitely grew during his rookie season, as he shot 38.7% from the 3-point line and had a nice feel on the perimeter. When the Hawks needed more offense on the floor and Newell was available, Quin Snyder put him in the game over Gueye, who was better defensively.

It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out for Newell when Gueye does return from his rehab, and whether he can lose minutes during that time. That’s why it may be crucial for him to get off to a fast start to the season.

Again, defense will be the No. 1 key for Newell if he wants to see an increase in minutes this season. Throughout the preseason, he’s had his ups and downs on that side of the floor, but he’s been able to maintain some consistency on offense at times.

Coming into his second year, the Hawks definitely want to see improvements from Newell across the board, and he could be on the way to being a solid rotational player for the Hawks this season.

Jimmy Butler feels he let Steph Curry, Warriors down after tearing his ACL originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler cannot wait for the start of the next calendar year.

The Warriors will begin their 2026-2027 NBA season in just a few days, but Butler will not take part in the early portion of the campaign as he recovers from his torn ACL. Butler injured his knee in January, missed the rest of the season, and the Warriors missed the playoffs as a result.

The Warriors were right in the mix until Butler got hurt, but his injury depleted their star power and depth. Speaking to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Butler said he felt that he let his superstar teammate Steph Curry and the rest of the Warriors’ core down by getting hurt, with the team eager to win another ring for Curry before he retires.

“I really felt like I let Steph down,” Butler told Slater. “I let Draymond [Green] down. I let Steve [Kerr] down. Because they took a chance. If you don’t know me and you haven’t been around me, you don’t know what I’m about because of the things that you may read and hear. But they said, ‘F— all of that s—. This motherf—er knows how to win.’ They took a chance, and I felt I let them down.”

Butler’s addition to the team has proven valuable, given how his first season in Golden State went. The Warriors acquired Butler in a trade in February 2025 and went 23-8 the rest of the regular season to sneak into the playoffs.

From there, they beat the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in the first round, and if it weren’t for Curry injuring his hamstring, the internal belief was that they could have beaten the Minnesota Timberwolves and advanced to the Western Conference finals. Butler’s value is evident, with Kerr echoing that sentiment to Slater.

“He’s such an alpha,” Kerr told Slater. “Everyone feels so confident when he’s on the floor. He’s also a total wiseass. The humor, the dynamic that exists with him in the locker room. There’s just a sense of swagger that you have when Jimmy’s on your team. So, it felt like we lost that instantly.”

Butler, drafted No. 30 overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2011 NBA Draft, has accomplished a lot in his career, including earning six All-Star selections, five NBA All-Defensive team selections and five All-NBA selections. The only thing he is missing is an NBA title and wants to do everything in his power to help Golden State reach that goal again.

“I just want to help those guys win another [title], man,” Butler told Slater. “And get me one. I felt I let them down. Now, as I’m going through this rehab process, as I’m starting to move and run and jump, I’m like, oh s—, I could still do it. And that’s why I say y’all motherf—ers going to be real shocked if y’all think I’m going to come back and be some bum a– player.”

Butler is 37 years old, though, and while he believes he can still play at a high level when he returns, there may be doubts about whether he will still be an effective player. But he is not letting the doubters affect him, instead staying focused on making up for lost time.

“I don’t give a f—, honestly,” Butler told Slater. “I bet y’all not going to leave me. I bet no team going to be like, ‘Oh, no, don’t guard that guy.’ They’re not going to do that. I bet whenever I step on the floor, they’re going to send more than one body. I bet you’re still going to foul me. So what are we talking about here?”

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Per a Spurs press release:

“The San Antonio Spurs announced the launch of @LosSpurs, a dedicated Spanish-language Instagram account for the organization. The platform will serve as a digital space catered to Spanish-speaking Spurs fans, with curated content, storytelling and fan engagement efforts. Fans are encouraged to follow the @LosSpurs account to catch the latest news from the team, view exclusive content in collaboration with the Spurs main social accounts and receive information on watch parties, giveaways and more.”

The San Antonio Spurs have made concerted efforts to take the NBA to global heights. They invest time, resources, and energy into efforts in Mexico — everything from basketball camps to community initiatives. And a large percentage of their fanbase back here in San Antonio identify as “crazy Hispanic Fans.”

Said Jordan Mandelkorn, vice president of marketing, creative and retail for Spurs Sports & Entertainment,

“Our Spanish-speaking fans are a big part of what makes the Spurs family so special, and we want them to feel connected to the team in the language they call their own. Los Spurs gives us a new way to celebrate their passion, share stories that resonate with them and bring fans across San Antonio, Mexico and beyond closer to the Silver & Black.”

The team’s @LesSpurs account, launched in 2025 to cater to French-speaking fans, is the most followed French NBA team account in the league.

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I just want to put this out there right up front. Something about the way the Dallas Mavericks are handling Santi Aldama’s recovery from an undisclosed(?) injury is telling me we should be more patient than we think we must with the player and more skeptical than we usually are about anything the team says about his status as the season approaches.

Something smells awfully funny here. Even under the Masai Ujiri/Gina Miller administration (campaign slogan: “You can trust us this time. We promise.”), this team will find a way to remain somewhere on the spectrum between coy and disingenuous about injuries like these, and that “undisclosed” designation is our first clue.

What exactly is not being disclosed here? Everyone knows about the knee issues that limited Aldama to 43 games last season. Everyone knows about the arthroscopic stem cell shot procedure he underwent in March to try to relieve prolonged pain in that knee. Did Aldama injure something else after arriving in Dallas? Is the knee issue still nagging, six months after the procedure? Either way, the outlook is murky at best.

The Dallas Morning News reported recently that “it appears they’ll take the same [patient] approach with Aldama [as they are with Dereck Lively II’s recovery timeline].” He did not suit up for either of the two preseason games in Macao, China, and it seems less and less likely that Aldama will be ready to go when the regular season starts.

The Mavericks sent AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick via Golden State, and two future second-round picks to Memphis for Aldama. The deal was folded into a six-team trade that became official on July 8.

Big question

Which brings us to the biggest question surrounding Aldama’s arrival in Dallas for the upcoming season. With such a vague recovery timeline in place, when can Aldama realistically be expected to be a meaningful contributor for the Mavericks, and what role does he fill when that time comes?

The question lurking behind the question is, did the Mavericks trade for someone destined to become the second broken seven-footer taking up a roster space, or is this actually going to work? The fact that so much is being kept under wraps does not portend well at this point. Again, we’re going on seven months with this knee issue at this point.

Aldama brings shooting and size, the ability to stretch the floor and be a weapon along the perimeter. He scored 14 points per game last year in the 43 games he managed before the knee issues flared up. He shot nearly 48% from the floor and 35% from 3-point range. He can be dangerous, but will it pan out in any sort of meaningful way for the Mavericks? It’s hard to say when the team won’r say anything about him.

Best case scenario

The dream season for Aldama is only missing the first five games of the year, taking the next step offensively and getting more than seven rebounds per game this year. He played in a career-best 77 games in 2022-23, his second year in the league, so getting to 70 this year would be amazing. Forcing his way into the lineup for around 25 minutes a night would be ideal, too. Under those circumstances, Aldama would maximize his potential without being exposed as a potential liability against bigger, more physical frontcourts.

“Lineup versatility: He gives us a different dimension if we want to go with it,” first-year Mavericks head coach Dusty May said of Aldama. “An elite shooting lineup. But Santi’s not just a shooter. He can really close out. He’s learned to play against perimeter guys — shotmaking, driving, getting to the paint. That will be one of the many pieces we have to put together if we’re going to be really good.”

Worst case scenario

The worst case for Aldama is if the knee injury is something larger than the Mavericks have disclosed and it limits him from playing in half the games this season. He’s a role player on the rise, but only if he gets in enough games to make an impact. If he doesn’t, sure, that leaves more minutes for Morez Johnson Jr., but it makes the Mavericks’ second unit more one-dimensional. It limits the threat from beyond the arc, which is something this team drastically needs to be better at this season. Adding one or two shooters in Kyrie Irving and Sergio de Larrea is nice — much needed. But building a roster with shooting depth is really what the doctor ordered.

Season goal

Can Aldama make himself an indispensable part of the Mavericks’ rotation? Can he continue the upward statistical trajectory his career arc has assumed through his first five years? Can he space the floor and be a part of the equation that keeps opposing defenses from sticking two defenders on Cooper Flagg? These are the things we want to see. He has the ability to be more than just “a guy.” But he’s also a guy who could easily get relegated to the role of “a guy” if things swing a certain way this season.

If he can inch closer to 40% from 3-point range and score at a rate similar to what he did across his 43 games last year with the Memphis Grizzlies, he’ll be a meaningful contributor. If not, he’ll make it easier for the team to avoid picking up his option next season.

Overall

Everything hinges on Aldama’s health, and it’s an uncomfortable place to be as the regular season approaches. Truly, any outcome is on the table for what is essentially a one-year rental with a team option for a second year. You can squint and see whatever you want with this relationship: a chance to step into a meaningful, much-needed role on a team with a chance to improve vastly in Flagg’s second year, or someone who needs two months to get right before settling into a diminished role on a new team.

Hope for the best, sure, but this team’s recent history has also taught fans to prepare for the worst.

Every yea, all the NBA general managers are given 48 questions in an annual survey about their predictions on the new season. This year is a special occasion as it is the 25th anniversary of the survey. These questions range from best teams, players, coaches, offseason moves and more. The Celtics show up a good amount in this year’s survey, so lets go over it.

Standings Predictions

Starting in the predictions portion of the survey, we have the Eastern Conference standings predictions. With 60% of the vote, the GMs predicted that the New York Knicks would be the first place in the East. This was followed by the new look Philadelphia 76ers in second place and the Cleveland Cavaliers in third. The Boston Celtics find themselves as the fourth best team in the East with 27% of the voters predicting them to finish there. This ranking is an improvement from last year’s survey where the Celtics finished eighth. Boston only received a 7% chance to finish in first place at the top of the East, tied with Cleveland.

Coaching

Out of all the categories in the survey, coaching was the one that saw the Celtics appear the most. When asked which head coach was the best manager/motivator, Joe Mazzulla was tied for first place in the voting along with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra at 23%. When it comes to which head coach makes the best in game adjustments, Mazzulla was voted in fifth place at 7% of the vote while Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was number one at 30%.

Mazzulla also received votes in the categories of which head coach runs the best offense and the best defensive schemes. The craziest thing to me is out of all the things Joe Mazzulla was voted for, the reigning Coach of the Year in the NBA received zero votes for the best coach in the NBA. Although if you asked Joe, I don’t think he would care.

When asked who the best assistant coach in the NBA was, Sam Cassell finished tied for 5th place at 7% while former Celtics senior consultant and current Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy finished first with 17% of the vote. Cassell has been seen as a hot head coach candidate in the NBA for a while now and has been with Boston since 2023 so its cool to see him get respect from around the league.

When asked which active player will make the best head coach someday, Celtics guard Mike Conley was the winner by a big margin, finishing with 50% of the votes while Derrick White also received votes. Conley was brought in to Boston to be a veteran presence for the young guys on this team and has gotten glowing reviews from every player and coach so far. He also seems to have a great relationship with Payton Pritchard and that is a dynamic I can’t wait to see this season.

Players

Next up we have the players portion of the survey where the GMs were asked to name their MVP pick, breakout candidates, and the best player at each position. For MVP, the Spurs Victor Wembanyama is an overwhelming favorite, finishing with 77% of the vote. Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards followed him in the rankings but we also saw Jayson Tatum received votes as well.

Coming back from his torn Achilles last season, Tatum looked just as good as he did before the injury, averaging 21.8 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 16 games played last year. This season, Tatum said he had a full offseason of rest and recovery and with Jaylen Brown being traded, we could realistically see Jayson Tatum take a run at the MVP.

When asked “Which player is likely to have a breakout season in 2026-27,” the Spurs young guard Dylan Harper was voted number one with 27% of the vote. There was a tie for second place between Maine native and Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Raptors forward Collin-Murray Boyles, the Rockets guard Amen Thompson, and Thunder guard Cason Wallace at 17%.

Payton Pritchard was also recognized. Pritchard is coming off a career season last year with career highs of 17.0 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 79 games between starting and coming off of the bench. He was also just awarded with a contract extension of 2 years and $44.2 million on October 13th, showing the Celtics strengthened belief in the guard. There is a chance we could see Pritchard running away with the Most Improved Player Award this year and maybe even take a leap into being an All-Star in 2027.

In the position rankings portion of the survey, when asked who the best small forward in the NBA was, it was a tight battle between Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic of the Los Angles Lakers. Sadly, Doncic was voted the favorite at 37% while Tatum finished with 33%. Tatum did also receive votes for the best power forward in the NBA, but that was dominated by new Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo at 70%.

Offseason Moves

When it comes to offseason moves, it feels right the Boston appears a lot throughout this section in one way or another. Boston received some votes when it came to which team made the best offseason moves overall with former Celtic and current 76er Jaylen Brown being voted as the second best player when it comes to making an impact on their new team. Paul George did not receive any votes for any of the categories, which is a little disappointing because he could make a real impact for Boston this season.

The question that was the most interesting to me in this section was the most underrated player acquisition of the offseason. In that ranking, Mitchell Robinson finished in second place with 17% of the vote, only beat of by Tobias Harris of the Spurs at 20% of the vote. Robinson signed with the Celtics back in July after spending 8 seasons with the New York Knicks and even winning a championship with them in 2026. In 60 games last year Robinson finished with averages of 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks while being a major presence on the glass and finished 8th in Sixth Man of the Year Voting. We have seen Robinson’s impact on the Celtics throughout the preseason so far and baring any major injury, will be the defensive anchor of this team moving forward.

Other Notable Mentions

Starting with the rookies and international portion, Chris Cenac Jr. was tied for fifth place with the Grizzlies Cameron Boozer, the Lakers Cameron Carr, the Warriors Yaxel Lendeborg, and the Bulls Caleb Wilson when it came to the biggest steal of the draft at 7%. The Milwaukee Bucks 30th overall pick Brayden Burries was voted number one at 30%.

Cenac Jr. was the 27th overall pick by Boston out of Houston and it was a surprise that he fell that far. In his freshman season at Houston, Cenac Jr. averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 37 games. At only 19 years old, he has a chance to develop into a legit piece for the Celtics moving forward, especially with Boston’s reputation at developing big men in Big Fella University.

When it comes to defense, Derrick White received votes in the category of best perimeter defender in the NBA but no other Celtics appeared on the list in any category. In the miscellaneous section, the Celtics finished in fourth place when it came to which team was going to have the leagues most efficient offense at 13%. Boston also received some votes in the category most fun team to watch but didn’t get any votes for best home court advantage. Finally, Jayson Tatum got some votes when it came to the best leader in the NBA while Jalen Brunson of the Knicks finished number one at 53%.

Takeaways

The biggest takeaway I have from the 2026-27 NBA GM Survey is that almost everyone believes there are maybe four contenders in the NBA: the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder. Almost every category had one of those four teams as the number one answer.

In a way, it feels like other great teams like the Celtics are getting outshined a little bit. It makes sense in a way but I feel like we will look back on these answers next year and laugh at some of these answers.

For the Celtics, I definitely think they are getting underrated by the league as a whole. Not being voted for almost any defensive categories seems really weird given they were the fourth best defense in the NBA last year in defensive rating and added George and Robinson alongside White who was on the All Defensive 1st Team. I guess just like last season, no one really knows what to expect from Boston, and I hope it works in their advantage to sneak up on teams once again.

After seemingly being held hostage by Giannis Antetokounpo ever since they won the NBA finals in 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks have finally decided to send Giannis to his long rumored destination on the beaches of Miami. The package that the Bucks got in return was probably less than what a player of his caliber should command, but admittedly they did alright given the circumstances. It’s most definitely a rebuild in Milwaukee, but the real question is: For how long?

Milwaukee Bucks: Over/Under 25.5 wins (-120/-105)

To win Central Division: 100/1

To win Eastern Conference: 500/1

To win Finals: 1000/1

Last season: 32-50, 11^th in the Eastern Conference

Key additions: Most of last year’s Miami Heat rotation, Brayden Burries (10^th pick in Draft), Nate Ament (13^th pick in Draft)

Key losses: Thanasis Antetokounmpo and his slightly better brother, Giannis

Coaching change: Doc Rivers OUT (now analyst for NBC), Taylor Jenkins IN (previously fired by Memphis in March 2025)

Correctly, this Bucks franchise has given new coach Taylor Jenkins a clean slate to work with. This roster is very young, and there is a lot of promise with the players that they drafted, along with the guys they acquired via the Giannis trade. Kasparas Jakucionis, Kel’el Ware and Jamie Jacquez Jr. all need reps to continue their development after some uneven seasons in South Beach. While Brayden Burries is seemingly ready to be a plug and play combo guard in the NBA, Jenkins might want to poke and prod at his abilities as an on-ball creator throughout the season.

Perhaps most importantly, Nate Ament needs to have his development and role prioritized. He was one of the best prospects in the country coming out of high school, but an up and down year at Tennessee sent him falling further in the draft than many thought. The talent and skillset are still there, and still remarkable for someone who is nearly seven-feet tall. However, Ament is closer to a ball of Play-Doh than he is a finished NBA product. If the Bucks are going to be good in the future, it’s likely because Ament is who many think he can be.

Development, not wins, will be at the forefront of the Bucks year. I expect the record to show that accordingly.

Prediction: under 25.5 wins (+100)