The Pistons and Wizards play each other again, but it is after 3 days of rest for the Pistons and the day after a game for the Wizards because the NBA used Chat GPT to generate the schedule this year or something. This will only be the Pistons 3rd game in the last 8 days and their 2nd game against the Wizards.

The Pistons were able to control Monday’s game from start-to-finish, but the game was a little closer than it should have been because they had no answer for Anthony Davis. Davis finished the game with 44 points and only missed 5 shots total.

The Pistons will still be without Jalen Duren, so they once again may struggle to guard Anthony Davis. But, as Monday proved, even if they can’t stop Davis, they can still win if they stop the rest of the team.

Game Vitals

Where: Capital One Arena in Washington DC
When: Thursday, November 12 at 7 pm EST
Watch: Scripps Sports Network
Odds: Pistons (-10.5)

Analysis

There isn’t a ton more to say about this matchup that wasn’t very evident in Monday’s game. With Jalen Duren out, the Pistons have no solution to opposing big men with any kind of offensive skill that are over 6’10”. It seems hyperbolic, but it really has been the case. Paul Reed is undersized and John Collins is not a natural center. Tolu Smith has the size to possibly keep up, but he has proven to be out of his element pretty much any time he has gotten playing time so far.

The Pistons did opt to start John Collins at center against the Wizards on Monday and it did work out offensively, as he had a season-high 24 points. But, the aforementioned Anthony Davis was able to cruise to 44 points without much resistance. Anthony Davis always seems to have his best games against the Pistons and I wouldn’t expect him to hit a couple threes every single night, but a lot of the offense he was able to generate was off of offensive rebound putbacks or shots over the undersized players guarding him.

Surprisingly, the Pistons were only outrebounded 46-45, but they were outrebounded 14-11 on the offensive glass. If you watched the game, you could see the Pistons lack of size rear it’s head countless times. It is just the current state of things and something the Pistons will have to manage as best as they can for the next two weeks while Jalen Duren is still out with his hamstring injury.

The Pistons benefitted heavily from poor games out of Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George, which George in particular has been arguably the Wizards 2nd best player this season. Trae Young also had a poor night from beyond the arc where he shot 3-of-10. Some of that is because of how good the Pistons perimeter defense is and if the Pistons can replicate that tonight, it doesn’t really matter if they have nobody to slow down Anthony Davis.

AJ Dybantsa was able to get going a bit on Monday as he scored 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting. There were times where he looked overwhelmed, as he had 5 turnovers, but he showed why he was the number 1 pick and a building block for the Wizards. The Pistons have perimeter players to slow him down, but the refs were very whistle-happy on Monday which helped Dybantsa get momentum on his drives to the basket since the Pistons were not able to be as physical.

One small point of concern has been the play of Cade Cunningham over the last few games. He had arguably his best game of the season a little over a week ago against the Charlotte Hornets and since then has really struggled, especially from beyond the arc. He is 1 for his last 19 from beyond the arc after being close to 40% through the first seven games of the season.

He is playing more off-ball and getting clean looks, they just aren’t falling right now. Teams are obviously focusing their defense more on Cade, but a lot of the current issues are just due to not being able to hit his outside shots. Hopefully that changes tonight.

Luckily, Daniss Jenkins has been able to step up the last couple nights as he had a career-high, 31 points against the Lakers on Sunday and then 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists on Monday while starting. Given the success the Pistons had starting him along with John Collins at center, I would suspect that they roll out that starting lineup again.

There were some issues defensively, which I already touched on, but the offense was much better with Collins starting and more-importantly, it finally got John Collins going after his early-season struggles.

If the Pistons are able to replicate the game they played on Monday, they shouldn’t have a difficult time defeating the Wizards, but if they let one of the other players besides Anthony Davis get hot, the Wizards have a shot at the upset.

Lineups

Detroit Pistons (7-3): Cade Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins

Washington Wizards (4-8): Trae Young, Kyshawn George, AJ Dybantsa, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr

Question of the Day

Do you think there is a solution to the Pistons big-man struggles or do they just need to ride it out until Jalen Duren returns?

In last night’s loss to the Cavaliers, Mikal Bridges played 17 minutes, took three shots, and finished with two points, two rebounds, and an assist. This was another disappointing performance in a season when we expected the wing to make his first All-Star appearance.

At his presser after the game, coach Mike Brown said: “Mikal is a starter, and so it’s not a question of that. He’s like a lot of players. They’ve had their good moments and their not-so-good moments. And Mikal has a proven track record of playing at a pretty high level as a starter in this league. So, for me to make a quote-unquote panic decision and change it right now, we’re ten games in, or whatever we are, I’m not feeling it.”

And in the locker room, Jalen Brunson defended his teammate. “The people in this room have his back night in & night out. We see the work he puts into his game, […] Regardless of what the noise is on the outside, that’s our brother.”

Bridges is an iron man. Between college ball and the pros, he hasn’t missed a game. He’s also one of Jalen Brunson’s closest friends on the team, and as a Villanova teammates they won two national titles together. Kal’s mantle is full of pre-pro awards, and he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2022. Bridges is a world champion. With a lithe, long body, he’s a tremendous cutter, plays a terrific midrange game, and guards multiple positions well. He’s a career 48% / 37% / 84% shooter, averaging over 14 points and 1.2 steals per game. Maybe not Hall-of-Fame, but definitely Hall-of-Pretty-Good.

In 2024, Brooklyn traded him to New York for a boatload of picks. In just over two seasons at his current home, he’s averaged more than 15 points per game and has been a fixture of the starting lineup.

He’s also been consistently inconsistent. There were times last season when we thought it might be time to sacrifice the games-played streak for a little RnR. After the first five games of the playoffs, we were ready to leave him behind in Atlanta. Then he went on an incredible run, and aside from faltering somewhat against the Spurs, he was essential to New York bringing home a championship. As we know, winning heals a lot of wounds. Those same fans who complained about the overpay soon took up a delirious chant about defiling those picks.

You cannot deny the man’s achievements—nor that he’s stunk so far this season. After a summer of celebration, the 30-year-old has started the current campaign with some of the worst play of his career. Eleven games in, his stats are 5.9 PPG, 33% FG, and 27% 3PT. These Knicks are notoriously late starters, often not hitting their stride until late in the first or even second quarter. Or the fourth. Cap even joked about this in his SNL appearance. But this time, Mikal has no stride to hit. Lately, he has watched the fourth quarter action from the bench (very expensive seats, indeed).

Mike Brown is a supreme diplomat, saying all the right things at all times. Yet, Mikal is a starter because the coach chooses to start him. That’s the coach’s prerogative. The skipper could field someone else as the starting shooting guard—say Landry Shamet, who’s proven himself more than worthy. Why hasn’t he?

First, there’s a chemistry to the team that Mike Brown handles like plutonium. To disrupt the starting five by separating Kal from his ‘Nova brethren might yield positive results on the court, but could foment discord behind the scenes. A demotion could also further erode Bridges’ confidence, which would be bad for their long-term plans. Unless he’s shipped off before the midseason trade deadline (more musings on that below), the Knicks will need Bridges in shape physically and mentally for a deep postseason run.

Further, there’s the potential loss of reliable sparkplug off the bench. For a while now, Shamet’s been the most consistent in that role. McBride and Clarkson have certainly had their moments, too, but when Mike needs a sub AND a bucket AND defense, ShamWow has become his security blanket. When the score is close, Landry’s steady contribution makes it difficult to justify giving those two-guard minutes to Bridges in the final frame.

Here’s Brown again, from his postgame. “Yeah, part of it is we got two guys that are playing really well in Landry and Deuce, and so it’s hard. [… They] have been a big part of what we’ve done defensively. If they’re playing at a high level, I got to keep trying to find ways to get those guys on the floor.”

As Brown alluded, the Knicks have more guards than they need. Conversely, they remain light at the center position. They have Karl-Anthony Towns playing a career year, Andre Drummond backing him up with great rebounds and questionable shots, and . . . James Wiseman? Sometimes? Leon Rose & Co. are aware of this. They also know that in a trade for a big man of talent, they will need both a desirable player to offer and one whose salary helps to offset what’s incoming.

Obviously, Bridges is a nice guy. He’s not so diabolical as to throw his season to insulate himself from being traded. His sub-standard play does complicate trade opportunities, however. Another club that’s willing to part with a talented center will want to take on a positive, productive player, not a distressed asset with a lot of basketball miles on his wheels.

There’s also a not insignificant chance that the front office is totally cool with what they have and are unwilling to make a panic move either. After all, the team that won the Finals did so with Karl-Anthony Towns, occasional Mitchell Robinson, and a sprinkling of Ariel Hukporti. If Brown can coach Wiseman up to Huk-level participation, then what’s the difference, really?

When asked about his play earlier in this short season, Bridges said, “Obviously we should be better than we are, me personally,” he said. “But it takes time and just not skipping steps.”

He doesn’t sound panicked. Neither does Mike after 11 games. Nor Jalen, Leon, or the rest of the team. What about 15 games? 20? Can we run screaming down the street on December 1st? Ideally, Bridges gets right in Friday’s game against Indy, kills the conversation for the rest of the season, and we all look back and laugh. If this continues to be an issue, though, we’re very interested to see Mike’s next move.

Go Knicks.

Four things to watch as Sixers look to respond against Raptors originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers will not need to wait long for an opportunity to move past their most lopsided loss of the season.

Less than 48 hours after Boston’s 123-101 win exposed several of Philadelphia’s early weaknesses, the Sixers will host the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Raptors are coming off a difficult meeting with the Celtics, too. Toronto led Boston by 22 points Wednesday before being outscored 61-34 over the final 29:24 of a 98-93 loss.

Philadelphia enters at 9-3 following Tuesday’s defeat. Toronto is 5-6 and will complete a back-to-back and its third game in four nights.

LeBron James has been ruled out because of low-back and sciatica management. Joel Embiid is questionable with right plantar fascia injury management. Toronto will be without Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Nate Bittle.

Here are four areas to watch as the Sixers try to respond.

The possession battle

Few teams have forced opponents into mistakes as frequently as Toronto.

The Raptors have generated 18.9 turnovers per game, the highest mark in the NBA. They are also averaging 10.9 steals and nearly 15 offensive rebounds.

The Sixers have countered that type of pressure well. Their 13.0 turnovers per game are tied for one of the lowest marks in the league.

Something will have to give.

Toronto’s length remains disruptive even without Leonard and Barnes. The Raptors regularly crowd ball handlers, reach into passing lanes and send multiple players toward the offensive glass. Jakob Poeltl supplies size inside while RJ Barrett, Ja’Kobe Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles can create problems away from the ball.

The Raptors’ pressure can punish a careless pass twice. It takes away a Sixers possession and gives Toronto an opportunity to score before the defense gets organized.

Philadelphia has largely avoided those mistakes while adjusting to a new lineup and playing at a quicker pace. Maintaining that control without James, who has handled a significant share of the playmaking, will be one of Thursday’s clearest challenges.

Keeping Toronto out of the open floor

Toronto has not built its offense around half-court shooting.

The Raptors are averaging 49.6 paint points and 16.4 fast-break points. Even while shorthanded Wednesday, they scored 18 points in transition against Boston.

That presents a direct test for a Sixers defense allowing 16.5 fast-break points per game, the fourth-highest figure in the NBA. Philadelphia has also surrendered 49.5 paint points per contest.

The first concern will be slowing the ball.

Immanuel Quickley returned Wednesday after missing two games with right hamstring soreness. He gives Toronto another guard capable of attacking early in the shot clock, while Barrett has consistently looked to get downhill with Leonard and Barnes unavailable.

Poeltl can create scoring chances without having a play called for him. He runs the floor, screens for Toronto’s guards, rolls toward the rim and cleans up misses.

The Sixers have been effective in transition themselves, averaging 17.1 fast-break points. Maxey and VJ Edgecombe can change ends quickly after a stop, but Philadelphia must secure the ball first.

Thursday’s game could swing on which team gets to run and which one is forced to create against a set defense.

Another unpredictable night from three?

Toronto provided an extreme example Wednesday of how quickly the three-point line can alter a game.

The Raptors entered their matchup against Boston shooting 31.8 percent from beyond the arc. They proceeded to hit 10 of their 18 attempts in the first quarter, tying a franchise record for threes in a period.

They went 6 for 25 over the final three quarters.

After Wednesday, Toronto is shooting 32.4 percent from three this season. The Sixers should not treat the Raptors like an elite perimeter team. They also cannot allow them to find early confidence through uncovered catch-and-shoot attempts.

Walter made five threes Wednesday and scored a team-high 17 points. Rookie Allen Graves added 13 points, while Quickley, Barrett and Jamison Battle are all willing shooters when the ball reaches them in rhythm.

Philadelphia’s problems against Boston extended beyond the Celtics making difficult shots. The Sixers were late on several closeouts and occasionally allowed too much separation while navigating screens.

Toronto does not rely on the three as heavily as Boston. Wednesday showed it can still build a lead quickly when those shots start falling.

Using the schedule advantage

The Raptors expended significant energy Wednesday before traveling to Philadelphia.

They scored 38 first-quarter points, built a 22-point lead and then watched Boston erase the entire margin before the end of the third quarter. Quickley and Barrett each played more than 31 minutes. Poeltl and Walter both played at least 29.

The Sixers should have the fresher legs. Whether they take advantage could become apparent early.

Philadelphia has averaged 26.3 first-quarter points with a minus-2.2 scoring margin in opening periods. Slow starts have forced the Sixers to play from behind several times, including in their 29-point comeback against Cleveland.

An aggressive start would make Toronto respond quickly after a draining loss. Maxey and Edgecombe can apply pressure by pushing the ball after defensive rebounds instead of allowing the Raptors to set their pressure defense.

James’ absence will require an adjustment. Maxey, Brown and Anfernee Simons should handle more of the ball and more of the decisions that come with initiating the offense.

If Embiid plays, the Sixers can make Toronto work through Poeltl by establishing him inside. If Embiid sits, Philadelphia’s size concerns will become more pronounced with Adem Bona, Dominick Barlow and Ariel Hukporti also unavailable.

The Sixers have a rest advantage against a depleted opponent coming off an emotional loss. Their response should begin well before the fourth quarter.

Late in the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-112 win against the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night, Luka Dončić went to the locker room with an ankle injury after Kyle Kuzma ran him over on a pretty careless closeout.

Status alert: Luka Doncic (ankle) headed to locker room after checking out in garbage time Wednesday.

He landed on Kyle Kuzma's foot on a follow-through and was attended to on-court before shooting a free throw.pic.twitter.com/QhGz5UmI9V

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 12, 2026

Despite not returning once he took and hit his free throw, Dončić made clear there’s nothing to worry about moving forward.

“I’m good,” he told reporters postgame “Obviously, it’s painful a little bit, but I’ll be fine.”

Off to a roaring first three weeks, Dončić is powering the Lakers’ West-leading 11-2 start and current seven-game winning streak. With Dončić on the floor this season, Los Angeles has outscored its opponents by 165 points in 395 minutes. When he sits, it’s been outscored by 62 points in 229 minutes.

If you’d like the small-sample theatre for those numbers, that’s a plus-19.3 net rating with him and a minus-11.1 net rating without him. The Lakers are posting a ridiculous 131.0 offensive rating during his minutes. Yet they’ve also been much better defensively in that span, allowing 111.6 points per 100 possessions with him and 120.0 per 100 without him.

That’s largely the product of Dončić playing career-best defense as he’s drawing charges, inhaling rebounds and consistently occupying the passing lanes or rotating punctually off the ball to generate turnovers. Only Brandin Podziemski (five) has drawn more charges than Dončić (four) while his 2.4% steal rate and 1.1% block rate are career highs, per Cleaning the Glass.

Although the on-off numbers are staggering and the Lakers will certainly be glad Dončić has avoided injury, they have survived the two games he’s sat out thus far. Austin Reaves scored 43 points Sunday to lead them past a very good Detroit Pistons squad and they trounced the Los Angeles Clippers, 103-87, back on Oct. 28.

That’s not to downplay Dončić‘s importance but rather to highlight the Lakers’ depth and their adaptability. Dončić is a supernova but 11-2, including seven straight wins, doesn’t happen with a one-man show. Los Angeles is a well-rounded group and has received key contributions almost every night from its supporting cast. It’ll look to keep that going when its road trip comes to a close Sunday against the Phoenix Suns at 7 p.m.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

Earlier today, Kevin Broom wrote his “morning after” analysis of the Washington Wizards’ loss to the Indiana Pacers. And he’s sounding the alarm. Though Washington has played 12 games, there is already more than enough information to indicate that this season will be … tougher than anticipated.

In the case of the Wizards this season, they may not really be the quality of a team that wins just 14-15 games (which is what their adjusted scoring margin implies), but a) they could be, and b) it’s pretty unlikely they’re even the quality of a 35-win team. Best case at this point is probably mid-20s in wins — better than last season, though not the major step forward many hoped.

While it’s not as early as we think, it’s getting later fast. We already have half the information needed to draw a meaningful conclusion. By game 20, it’ll be about 70%. By game 30, it’s closing in on 80%.

So as Wizards fans, are you satisfied with a 25-28 win season with an AJ Dybantsa – Anthony Davis – Trae Young trio? But more urgently, are you satisfied with the Wizards being roughly 10-20 by the time the Christmas holiday comes around?

We are just two weeks away from Thanksgiving ladies and gentlemen. And I have a poll below from the feed. If the Wizards continue stagnating at a sub .500 win pace, do you think that this warrants changes like the coaching staff and/or midseason trades? Let us know below.

There’s this popular belief known as the Law of Averages. While it’s not a recognized theorem in the mathematical world, it’s a common saying that refers to the idea that if something happens more or less often than it should, logic says things will eventually balance back out and return to normal. It’s a fallacy in the gambling world; if you keep flipping a coin and it keeps landing on tails, that doesn’t mean the odds are better it will land on heads the next time because each individual flip is a separate event with no relationship to another. The same applies if you keep starting a card game over with a full or new deck — your odds of winning don’t improve just because it’s been a while since you last won, because this hand has no relationship to the last.

However, one place where averages and the “laws” that go with them do often apply is basketball. While still technically a mathematical fallacy, one thing about sports is more than anything, it comes down to talent, and across a large sample size, the numbers do in fact tell a story. Sure, each individual game is a separate event from each other, but it’s the same players with the same skillset going through the same motions, so there is in fact a relationship across the separate events, and more often than not, they will do close to what the numbers say they will.

Of course, there are always outliers and unexpected events — sports wouldn’t be any fun if everything always went as expected — and that’s exactly what happened last night in the first half between the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls. The Spurs were on a nine-game winning against what we can all probably admit is not the most difficult stretch of schedule ever, but they were walking into a potential trap game considering it was against a team on a seven-game losing streak, and the Law of Averages says one of those streaks is getting closer to ending, right? It was also the end of a four-game road trip, things have been too easy on said-trip, and they may have been looking ahead to Friday’s Cup match against the Warriors (which may have lost some luster if Steph Curry is out after appearing to injure his abdomen last night night against the Rockets).

Other than a flurry from three and a hot start from De’Aaron Fox briefly keeping them in it, the Spurs quickly found themselves falling behind while the Bulls were insanely hot through the first 18 minutes of the game. They shot 17-20 (or 85%) from the field in the first quarter and at one point were shooting 83% from both the field AND three in the second. While the Spurs’ effort wasn’t what you’d call admirable, I was never too worried during the first half because I knew the Law of Averages would eventually take over.

No team, not even the Warriors of a decade ago, can keep up those types of numbers for an entire game, let alone a team as bad as these Bulls. They got the lead as high as 22 in the first half, but the Spurs weathered the storm and waited for their numbers to start averaging back to the mean while knowing they had a another gear they could turn on. They used a run before halftime to cut the deficit to a very manageable 14 points while the Bulls’ numbers starting dropping (they were “only” shooting 67% by the midway mark), took their presumed licking from Mitch Johnson in the locker room, then came out firing in the second half.

As the Spurs returned to their normal selves, the Bulls were understandably overwhelmed, knowing they had already given their best shot and the Law of Averages had now taken its hold. Victor Wembanyama went back to demoralizing teams with an unstoppable presence at the rim, balanced out by taking (and making) timely jumpers within the flow of the offense. By the end of the game, everything was as it should be: the Spurs won while shooting 50% from the field (38% from three), and while the Bulls still ended with impressive final numbers (58% and 52%, respectively) thanks to their otherworldly first half, they made five fewer field goals thanks in part to coughing the ball up 19 times compared to the Spurs’ 6. The Law of Averages was alive and well for the Spurs 10th straight victory.

Or, you know, maybe that had nothing to do with it at all and there was just something off with the Bulls’ court. You could have watched that game and simply concluded that, based on the massive swings in shooting each team took from half-to-half, “Right rim good, left rim bad.”

Takeaways

• “Oh, Wemby had 32 points on 13-18 shooting, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks? Ho hum, just another day at the office.” Yes, we have reached that point with him. His numbers have been so outlandish and even historical lately that I hardly even noticed him last night. And while it’s fun to see opposing fans oohing and awing, we’re just like, “He dunked from the free throw line? Nothing new.”
• You know how else you know someone has arrived at greatness? When the haters start hating. “He’s 7’7”, he should have a post game to be great!” Wemby starts dominating in the paint: “So what? He’s just tall!” The funniest “rage” tweet I saw recently was one dude complaining that he can “only” handle 25 minutes per game, so he must not be in good shape. No bro, that’s just a result of all the blowouts and him not needing any more minutes. And if he was playing into extended garbage time, you’d just accuse him of stat padding. As the old saying goes, “Haters gonna hate, Spurs gonna win”.
• I think it’s officially time that we put Fox’s poor finals performance behind us. We all know he was playing on one leg, and while he had a couple of massive gaffes, he wasn’t the only one who messed up or cost them the series; it was a team effort. (I even pointed out in a comment on a Feed post yesterday that had the Finals gone any further, Wemby would have a Draymond Green mark on his legacy because he more than likely would have been suspended for Game 6 for flagrant accumulation — and that was after he was lucky to avoid it after Game 3. The league wasn’t going to bail him out twice.) But back to Fox, he has been a tremendous steadying present for this still-young squad, with Stephon Castle in a bit of a funk right now and Dylan Harper playing very well overall but still streaky from quarter to quarter. It’s time we get back to remembering and appreciating the good Fox brings, which far outweighs a couple of bad plays on a bum ankle.
• The strength of schedule of the Spurs’ start to the season may not be the strongest, but it has been exhausting, at least for me. Three back-to-backs in the first 10 games, 12 of the first 20 with tip-off times at 8:00 or later — it’s been brutal for my sleep schedule. That’s why last night’s 7:00 tip-off time was the most amazing feeling ever. I watched, it ended, then I went to bed at my normal time (or what now feels early), and I’m relatively fresh for a Thursday morning. The good news is after game 20 — 8:30 against the Lakers on Black Friday — the Spurs won’t have another game with a tip-off time later than 7 until #42 on January 20: their first game back from the Europe trip.

I distinctly remember the 2022-23 Utah Jazz, the first season for current Head Coach Will Hardy, starting out the season 10-3, with Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson leading the recently blown-up roster that, for the first time in half a decade, did not feature Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert. There were conversations in NBA media — on podcasts, in blogs, in my college dining hall (NBA media is everywhere) — about if the Jazz would be able to tank properly, as they clearly had planned to coming into the season. Maybe Hardy was just too good a coach; maybe this would be a mid-2010s Celtics situation with Brad Stevens and that weird Jeff Green and Avery Bradley team, when it became clear that they had to compete because tanking was just off the table. Danny Ainge ran that team, and Danny Ainge runs this team. It was all lining up.

Nope! They figured out how to tank just fine. Hardy got his ducks in a row, and successfully tanked not just for the rest of 2022-23, but for 2024, 2025 and 2026, making the Jazz, by my calculation, the only team other than The Process 76ers that has unapologetically tanked for four consecutive seasons. And they get one-fifth the hate they deserve for it.

But they might be getting all the karma. The 2026-27 Jazz have kicked off their first USDA-certified “not tanking” campaign by going 1-11 in their first 12 games. Their single win was a one-point home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, a disasterclass in their own right, and have since ripped off 10 straight losses despite finally putting out a roster that looks like it could do something other than intentionally lose. 

Maybe they’re just tanking again. Maybe Will Hardy, who coached zero winning seasons on his first contract but still signed a contract extension through 2031, will coach through all nine years of both contracts and maintain his illustrious .326 career winning percentage. Has all this tanking been for nothing? Has all this glorious “development” wrought by a half-decade so disgusting that the NBA had to change its lottery rules resulted in … this? Is the team really just injured? Are they actually tanking again? Or do they just suck?

Their main “hey we’re actually trying now” acquisition was Jaren Jackson Jr., who promptly tore his MCL and will be out 6-8 weeks from October 27, but the team isn’t bad enough on paper for that to fully explain what’s going on. Their roster has lots of premium talent … on paper, but that talent simply hasn’t translated to wins at any point in the last four years or in the first 10 games of this season. Their efficiency is horrendous, 28th in team shooting percentage, but look closer: they’re 29th in offensive rating, 29th in true shooting percentage and 29th in effective field goal percentage. Don’t know (or don’t care) what any of that means? Also fine! Their team point differential is currently -11.5, which is WORSE THAN LAST YEAR when it was -8.4. They were 22-60 last year.

Are any of these first-round picks actually going to pan out? Thus far, I have no clue if Keyonte George can put up numbers on any kind of good team, and top-10 picks Cody Williams and Taylor Hendricks never returned on their draft slots, the latter perhaps due to a horrific injury before his career ever got off the ground that wasn’t anybody’s fault. But you don’t get infinite shots at this, and Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson must be elite players if the Jazz want to be anything more than a mediocre home for 90-second, not-even-that-cool Lauri Markkanan/Keyonte George highlight videos.

Perhaps Utah is just the NBA example of my rookie quarterback theory in the NFL of “you either have it or you don’t,” in that I don’t really care if a guy sits behind some veteran starter for a year or if he starts immediately; those who advocate for QBs sitting a year are simply hiding behind an undefeatable Catch-22, in which (stay with me now) successful QBs that sit must have succeeded because they sat … and unsuccessful QBs who didn’t sit should have sat … while unsuccessful QBs who sat were just always going to be bad. I reject this notion, and declare that all good QBs were always going to be good and all bad QBs were always going to be bad. Maybe the four years of horrendous Utah Jazz basketball were just evidence that they were always going to be bad.

Because truly, we had no evidence in the last four seasons that a Lauri Markkanan-captained team was a winning basketball team. He’s a fine player, but he’s inefficient and a big man who doesn’t really rebound or protect the rim or rebound while his 3-point numbers have deteriorated the last two seasons. And none of the basketball he’s played in his entire career has mattered. Ever. You’ll struggle to find the “playoffs” tab on his basketball reference page, because it doesn’t exist. Not in Chicago, nor Cleveland nor Utah — Markkanan has never appeared in a playoff game.

Institutionalized losing does things to players. It torpedoed an entire generation of 76ers draft picks, teaching them that playing was optional and winning was not the goal. Building was the goal, like they were simulating through an NBA2K MyLeague and could just keep getting better forever until they win the NBA Finals because the game’s code says they should. That’s not how the real world works. I’m worried the Jazz have four popped tires, a busted-up engine and no tail lights; they don’t even realize it, and just merged onto the highway. 

I wanted this team to be good. I loved Peterson in the draft and would have taken him number one, but this team is awful. Legitimately awful, and somebody better yank the steering wheel and course-correct soon. Otherwise … uh, they’ll have officially tanked for longer than The Process 76ers. Not a record you want to have.

Welcome to the Fawning or Warning?, a fortnightly feature where I muse on all things Milwaukee Bucks, however explicitly or tangentially related, and determine if they’re worth fawning over or if they’re a warning sign of something going awry.

NBA Lowlights

Just a few weeks ago—and for as long as I can remember—NBA.com enabled fans to see specific clips of every game’s action via its play-by-play section. You could even download these clips—it’s how so many content creators did their thing. Heck, it’s how we’ve been able to add footage to complement our writing. In a press conference following the NBA Board of Governors meeting in 2025, Adam Silver seemed to embrace it too:

There’s a huge amount of our content that people can essentially consume for free. This is very much a highlights-based sport. So, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter — you name it — any service, the New York Times, for that matter, your content is not behind a paid firewall. There’s an enormous amount of content out there — YouTube — another example, that is advertising-based, that consumers can consume.

Now, it seems, things have changed. Play-by-plays are no longer hyperlinked and other avenues, including accessing players’ “Video and Shot Charts,” like this one of Tyler Herro’s against the Indiana Pacers, are now strictly shot charts (and other data). Why the NBA has chosen this route is unclear. If it’s simply a matter of copyright, that’s completely fair. But that doesn’t explain the sudden change. If it’s a technical issue—the league rebuilding how it stores clips (or something similar)—why do it now, at the start of the season?

Either way, it’s the fan who suffers. Once again.

Verdict: Warning.

Veteran Privilege and Big Problems

Through the season’s first few weeks, Taylor Jenkins has leaned on his veterans as starters. Before the Lakers game, and excluding absences due to injury or rest, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kyle Kuzma, and Myles Turner had started every game—the only players on the team to do so. They also occupy the top four spots in minutes per game, averaging four more per night than the next closest Buck (Ryan Rollins). On the one hand, this is understandable. As the team’s most tested players, they are positioned to fare better against other teams’ best players. Moreover, as the team’s elder statesmen, they are best equipped to demonstrate the on-court skill, intelligence, and habits you want the impressionable younger players to develop. That is, to lead.

At least, they should be.

So far, Herro and Jaquez get a pass. But Turner and Kuzma have been anything but consistently productive starters. Turner has regressed from last season’s lows, shooting just 32.9% from the field and 25.5% from three, and has been far more noticeable for what he’s not doing than what he is. To put it bluntly, he’s labouring out there—and not in the “hard work” kind of way. I won’t even get started on his rebounding. Kuzma has had his moments, including his recent 27-point explosion against the Boston Celtics, but even that was more fool’s gold than anything sustainable—and it didn’t take long before the quality shots that went in became heat checks that didn’t (and cost the team dearly on the other end). Against the New York Knicks, things only got worse; against the Lakers, he shot 2/8, had more turnovers than assists and rebounds combined, and “led” the team in plus/minus at -22.

Compounding the issue, it seems there are rules for some and not for others. Rollins was pulled after his poor play to start the year, moving to a bench role and seeing his court time drastically reduce: 26.0 MPG as a starter versus 18.8 MPG off the bench. Turner and Kuzma, however, have seen steady minutes regardless of how they’ve played. Regarding the latter, with Nate Ament impressing and Ousmane Dieng barely playing (just 75 total minutes in the first ten games)—and both of these guys inarguably a more significant part of Milwaukee’s long-term plans—you’ve got to ask, “Why?” Even with Jenkins’ changeup against the Lakers, it was the younger Jaquez who was shifted to the bench and not Kuzma.

In Turner’s case, the answer is a lot more complicated. His backup, Kel’el Ware, has been just as poor, posting similarly awful shooting splits (.392/.187/.800) and generally looking quite lost out there. Like Turner, who (mind the pun) turns it over 3.6 times per 100 possessions (fourth-worst on the team, per Basketball-Reference), Ware is also turning it over far too often—4.3 times per 100 possessions. Disaster meet disaster. Still, is this reason for Turner to have played 108 more minutes when both have been available?

Maybe the thinking is to showcase Turner for a trade? That’s certainly not working, and I’ve never bought that notion anyway—teams know who and what a 10-year veteran is. Maybe it’s a case of old dogs being unable to learn new tricks but young dogs having that ability (and therefore not getting rewarded until they’ve mastered it)? Certainly, that teaches a lesson. But is it the right one?

Verdict: Warning (alarms blaring).

The Little Things

Close your eyes and breathe—the full inhale/exhale cycle. Three times. Just to release the tension. Then go to your happy place. Is it the same as mine, watching Bucks’ rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament? Is Bango there too?

Amidst all the warnings, it’s imperative to find pleasure in the little things. Watching Burries sky for rebounds has been a joy, even if the juxtaposition between his and Turner’s effort on the glass is jarring. Seeing him find confidence in the mid-range against the Celtics was a thing of beauty too. But his positivity isn’t limited to on-court action. Watch closely and you’ll see Burries standing, waving the towel from the bench, celebrating others’ success—even when down 20. Culture building stuff.

Ament’s growth has also been a pleasure. Where he looked timid and uncertain to begin Summer League play, he now looks confident, nailing threes without hesitation—even in the Pat Connaughton variety! He’s also showing growth physically, attacking defenders—like he did against Jayson Tatum and Derrick White (even if the call was overturned)—and, more impressively, using his quicks and length to stay in front of and contest a whole range of offensive players. Like Burries, Ament has also shown signs of the good stuff. After nailing one of those Planet P threes in the second quarter against the Knicks, he pushed Kasparas Jakučionis to Miles McBride to ensure the matchups were right. I’d show you the clip, but…

Verdict: Fawning.

The Cavaliers did on Wednesday what they do best: win meaningless, regular-season games.

The Knicks, meanwhile, handed out a dub and ate a loss on purpose on their way to find their best-working lineups for when winning, you know, actually matters.

Here’s the latest from MSG on a rare off day.

Mike Brown was asked about starting Landry Shamet over Mikal Bridges

"Mikal has a proven track record of playing at a pretty high level as a starter in this league. For me to make a "panic decision" and change it right now, I'm not feeling it" pic.twitter.com/M128YSZKnk

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 12, 2026

Mike Brown

On Wednesday’s loss:

“We’ll learn from this game, and keep it moving.”

On why Bridges remains a starter despite his shooting slump:

“Mikal is a starter. And so it’s not a question of that. He’s like a lot of players: They’ve had their good moments and their not so good moments. And Mikal has a proven track record of playing at a pretty high level as a starter in this league.

“So, for me to make a quote-unquote ‘panic decision’ and change it right now — we’re 10 games in or whatever we are. I’m not feeling it. So I’m good.”

On the Knicks’ defensive physicality and ability to defend without fouling:

“Just our level of physicality. Our level of physicality without fouling. Because you can be over the top, grabbing and pushing and holding, but our guys, they’re doing their work early. They’re doing their work early and they’re being real physical about it without putting their hands on guys. When you do that and you do that for close to 48 minutes, you usually get good results. And our guys are doing it.”

On the defensive intensity of Landry Shamet and Miles McBride:

“I think our physicality on the defensive end of the floor is at a pretty high level. And they [are doing] it the right way. They’re doing it without fouling, which is a lot of fun to watch. The point of attack with Landry and Deuce, especially, on the ball, is unbelievable.”

On Josh Hart’s perimeter defense and the importance of his return:

“He’s tremendous on the ball. In pick-and-roll situations, we always want our point of confrontation, especially against guys that shoot the ball at the 3-point line, Josh is really good at that. He’s really good at leading with his chest. And he’s strong. He’s a strong guy that knows the league, he knows the players very well.

“His impact when it comes to guarding the ball, on the perimeter especially, is something that you always miss.”

On the Knicks’ defensive communication, rebounding and improved pick-and-roll coverage:

“Their level of communication is high. Their ability to box out is high. Their ability to get back in transition is high. We were hurting in the pick-and-roll game defensively, but we’ve done a better job because the point of attack has been good and our guy guarding the screener has been great, too.”

On Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart losing minutes to Shamet and McBride:

“It’s gonna be hard to find minutes at times for Mikal. And maybe even at times for Josh. Because those two guys [McBride and Shamet] are playing at a pretty high level.

“Part of it is we got two guys that are playing really well in Landry and Deuce. And so it’s hard. It’s going to be hard to find minutes at times for Mikal — and maybe even at times for Josh, because those two guys are playing at a pretty high level, and not just on the offense of the floor but defensively, too.”

On the Knicks’ defensive struggles against Cleveland and his decision to keep playing Shamet and McBride:

“I mean, this is one of our worst defensive games overall that we’ve had. In the past five or six games we’ve been playing really well at that end of the floor, but they got loose tonight.

“And Landry and Deuce have been a big part of what we’ve done defensively. So if they’re playing at a high level, I’ve? got to keep trying to find ways to get those guys on the floor.”

On taking responsibility for keeping the Knicks in their defensive blitz against Donovan Mitchell too long:

“We blitzed Donovan in the second half and that fourth quarter. Give Donovan credit, he did a nice job making the right play out of it. … I kept us in the blitz a little too long, and I should have taken us out of the blitz. That part is on me.

“I kept us in the blitz a little too long. I should have taken us out of the blitz. So that part is on me and I gotta be better helping our group in that area.”

On the Knicks’ curious lack of free-throw attempts:

“[Cleveland] had 14 more free-throw attempts than us, four more offensive rebounds than us and two less turnovers. When that happens versus a good team, it’s gonna be hard to win the game.

“At one time, the free-throw advantage was 18-3. That’s not why we lost the game, but you just hope to get a little bit better whistle when you’re playing a good team like that, because it’s already hard enough to go win a game.”

On Brunson receiving no free-throw attempts despite playing nearly 35 minutes:

“Jalen plays 34 minutes or almost 35 minutes and he has zero free-throw attempts. That’s pretty alarming. I’m not sure how or why it’s that way. I know at one time, the free throw advantage was 18-3. That’s not why we lost the game, but you just hope to get a little bit better whistle when you’re playing a good team like that, because it’s already hard enough to go win a game. That was part of the reason why we lost the possession game. … James Harden had a great game as well. James shot as many free throws as our whole team.”

On Andre Drummond helping replace Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding:

“Andre’s done a fantastic job in that area, as an individual. He’s not Mitch, nobody would compare him to Mitch, but he’s brought a dimension to the table that we really like. He’s always been a great offensive rebounder, and he’s showing it now as an individual.”

On the Knicks’ assistant coaches emphasizing offensive rebounding and transition defense:

“They’re handling the offensive duties and they’ve been emphasizing the crash areas. And they’ve done a great job — a fantastic job — of coaching our group, in that area. So our guys have a really good understanding of when to go and when not to go and how to go so we don’t get beat in transition.”

Jalen Brunson on Mikal Bridges' start to the season:

"No matter what's going on with what people are saying, the people in this room have his back night in and night out. We see the work he puts into his game. That's our brother, we're going to keep it that way" pic.twitter.com/H10qGtAnj0

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 12, 2026

Jalen Brunson

On the Knicks failing to execute in crucial moments against Cleveland:

“We were in it. But just timely stops and timely buckets were needed.”

On Cleveland’s defensive adjustments and his failure to respond quickly enough:

“You gotta give them a lot of credit. It’s something I’ll be a little more prepared for. I just didn’t adjust in-game as fast as I wanted to. I was still able to make plays, but not enough to win.”

On needing to be more aggressive even if it means making mistakes:

“From how we started the game to how we finished it, just from my end, I can’t be hesitant. I can’t be a little stagnant at times. It puts my team at a disadvantage, so I just have to be more aggressive in my mistakes, if I’m making any. I just need to have a little more aggression.”

On supporting Mikal Bridges despite his struggles and criticism from outside the team:

“No matter what’s going on, with what people are saying or anything, the people in this room have his back night in and night out. We see the work he puts into his game. We see the time that he puts in. When you’re doing the right things day in and day out, things will eventually fall in your favor. So just giving him support, giving him confidence every single day, regardless of what the noise is on the outside. That’s our brother, and we’re going to keep it that way.”

On controlling what he can after receiving no free-throw attempts against Cleveland:

“I just gotta control what I can control, and keep it at that.”

NBA champions Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson join @malika_andrews to discuss the Knicks team dynamic and the league 🏀 pic.twitter.com/L508aeFeIB

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 11, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns

On taking greater rebounding responsibility following Mitchell Robinson’s departure:

“When you lose a great offensive rebounder like Mitchell Robinson, you got to pick up the slack. Of course, we have one of the best rebounders of the generation in Andre Drummond. But I want to do my part, and one of the ways I can impact winning and help our team tremendously on a nightly basis is make sure they don’t get second-chance points and also we get second-chance points.”

WHAT A BLOCK!

Peyton Watson wins it with the DEFENSIVE EFFORT!

Watch the #NBA on ESPN on Disney+ pic.twitter.com/i4YMOvVblG

— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) November 12, 2026

Miles McBride

On the difficulty of defending James Harden after his 32-point performance:

“MVP, scoring champ. He’s a tough matchup for anybody in this league. You gotta tip your hat to him.”

On the uncalled goaltending on Peyton Watson’s block:

“I thought it was a goaltend. The guys behind the bench said that as well.”

Landry Shamet talks about his improved defense throughout his career

"Once you've had a number of reps, you have a feel for the rhythm and you can let your instincts go. It's definitely something that's grown because it was a weak point in my draft card coming out of college" pic.twitter.com/RIeN9L0dSa

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 12, 2026

Landry Shamet

On James Harden and Donovan Mitchell adjusting to the Knicks’ defensive blitz:

“James has been doing this a long time. Donovan’s been doing this a long time. They probably got a little comfortable. At the end of the day, it was a one-possession game, and we could have shored up a few things, probably, that would have helped us keep it a little tighter and given us a chance to win. But give them credit, because they knew what we were doing and took advantage of it.”

Jordan Clarkson

On his offensive rebounding prowess:

“I just got a knack for it.”

On the Knicks collectively replacing Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding contributions:

“I think a lot of that is effort. And just doing it. A lot of us are crashing. You see guys like Deuce going in for those plays. Everybody, honestly. Picking up where we left off last year. We had a guy (Robinson) who was able to grab a lot of offensive boards, get us extra possessions. So all of us had to kind of step up and do that. But Dre has been doing a great job of rebounding, getting us extra possessions. Kicking it out and finding his way.”

Shump really struck a nerve over the winner vs. loser label 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9ITP04RyeY

— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) November 11, 2026

Steph Curry injury forces Steve Kerr, Warriors' staff into nightmarish scramble originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The momentum the Warriors generated by an eight-game win streak, boosting hopes for a strong first half of the season, went into an immediate stall Wednesday night in Houston.

Stephen Curry, the primary source behind the team’s Golden surge, sustained an oblique abdominal tear in a 115-108 loss to the Rockets and will miss at least two weeks – likely more.

Houston center Alperen Sengun locked arms with Curry in the first quarter and disengaged with enough force to yank Curry’s right arm awkwardly enough that he immediately grabbed his right side. He left the game in obvious discomfort and did not return.

Steph had to head to the locker room pic.twitter.com/bh14teEBMh

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 12, 2026

The tear was diagnosed upon Curry undergoing an MRI examination after the game.

Curry’s absence for at least the next six games sends Warriors coach Steve Kerr and his staff into a nightmarish scramble, as it dramatically changes the offense.

Golden State does not have an ideal point guard behind Curry, so they’ll have to rely on a committee that includes Draymond Green, Yaxel Lendeborg, De’Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski. There is the likelihood that Brandon Williams, out with a mild hamstring strain, will recover before Curry.

For now, Melton likely moves into the starting lineup, joining Podziemski in the backcourt. They were a frequent pairing in the second half of last season when Curry missed 27 games with runner’s knee. The Warriors were 9-18 while Curry was sidelined.

Both Melton and Podziemski are playing at a higher level than they did last season, but Curry’s absence poses a different kind of challenge.

The biggest difference between this season and last is that Lendeborg is on the roster. The rookie already is tasked with orchestrating the offense when Curry is off the floor, and now those duties get considerably heavier.
Lendeborg provided a glimpse of what’s to come Wednesday night, raising his aggression on offense and finishing with a game-high 25 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.

But there is no “replacement” for what Curry brings. He’s having a marvelous start, particularly for a 38-year-old in his 18th season. He went into Houston averaging 30.6 points per game, shooting 50.3 percent from the field, including 45.7 percent from deep – and 98.7 percent from the line. His accuracy rivals that of the 2015-16 season when he was the only unanimous MVP in NBA history.

Buckle up, Dub Nation. Health is the No. 1 concern for these Warriors, and it’s already slowing their progress.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

It was a tale of two halves in the San Antonio Spurs’ 124-119 win over the Chicago Bulls. The Spurs found themselves down 20 against Chicago in the first half, allowing the Bulls to shoot 66% from the field. But San Antonio completely flipped the script in the second half, outscoring the Bulls 68-49.

The Spurs couldn’t get much of anything going offensively in the first half. De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama were the lone bright spots, carrying the offensive load.

.@swipathefox in attack mode early 🦊

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/rdRgAyWp7f

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 12, 2026

Fox scored 11 of his 17 points in the first quarter. He started by nailing a pair of threes. Then he began to attack the rim, getting into the paint and making plays for the Silver and Black.

off to a hot start 🔥@swipathefox: 11 PTS | 4-4 FGM pic.twitter.com/jj9QSDPW1L

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 12, 2026

Fox is shooting just 33% from deep this season. He’s shot his best when the defense sags off him into the paint. That wasn’t the case against Chicago, as he hit tough shots in the Bulls’ defenders’ faces.

W3MBY 👌

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/P39byZ4Reb

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 12, 2026

Wembanyama continued his 30+ points-per-game scoring streak with a 32-point performance on Wednesday. Wemby had it going from deep, hitting two of his six deep shots. This is exactly the type of three-point shot you want to see the big man taking – within the flow of the offense with a clean look at the rim.

Protecting the paint 🚫

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/Og0Fy8R5dq

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 12, 2026

Wembanyama did it on both ends, with 5 blocks. His rim protection was particularly helpful in the third quarter when San Antonio went on its big run.

VIC COMING THRU 👽😤

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/kGEI1fITFZ

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 12, 2026

Most of the third quarter was defined by turning the Bulls over and getting out in transition. The Spurs forced 16 steals, and Chicago turned the ball over 19 times, leading to 22 points for San Antonio. This big dunk was an example of how easy it was for the Spurs to score in transition. Josh Giddey just ducks out of the way to avoid a Wembanyama poster.

KJ LOB TO WEMBY 🔥

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/WAe5Eggq7w

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 12, 2026

San Antonio found Wembanyama on plenty of lobs, too. Keldon Johnson’s passing was particularly impressive as he had 4 assists to go along with his 1o points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. When he’s getting downhill, he draws a lot of defensive attention, freeing up plays like this to get Wembanyama an easy dunk.

SHEEEESH CB 😤 pic.twitter.com/H0yHWe1uaa

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 12, 2026

KJ found Carter Bryant for a dunk through two Bulls defenders late in the game as the team tried to seal the win. Bryant finished the game with 10 points, including two three-pointers.

SLASH BROS OOP LET'S GOOO ‼️

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/a6mh7bHdNy

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 12, 2026

Dylan Harper had a big third quarter on his way to a double-double. Harper had 18 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals in the win. He did a ton of damage on the break, including this lob to Stephon Castle for the emphatic dunk.

After winning its 10th straight game, the Spurs now have the longest active win streak in the NBA. They’ll look to extend it to 11 games in a Friday NBA Cup matchup with the Golden State Warriors.

The Milwaukee Bucks competed for much closer to 48 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers but again couldn’t get over the line, losing 123-112. The main storyline was Taylor Jenkins’s rotational adjustments: inserting Nate Ament into the starting lineup, sending Jaime Jaquez Jr. to the bench, and removing others from the rotation entirely. All told, I’d say the returns were positive, even if they didn’t result in a win. Those adjustments will definitely be something to monitor moving forward. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Ryan Rollins

23 minutes, 8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, 3/10 FG, 2/6 3P, -12

Rollins seems to be getting smothered more by taller, longer defenders this season than last. Just couldn’t get many good looks and was stripped/coaxed into throwing bad passes. I will say that Rollins made an impact, generating extra shots, with three of his seven rebounds being O-boards.

Grade: D+

Tyler Herro

34 minutes, 27 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 8/16 FG, 2/7 3P, 9/10 FT, -17

It was great to see Herro back out there to give the team direction. Even though his three wasn’t dropping, he still made a major impact with his in-between game and at the free throw line. I also feel like guys are getting in Herro’s way a bit as he’s trying to penetrate; you know, cutting in front of him and the like.

Grade: B

Jaime Jaquez Jr.

30 minutes, 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 7/16 FG, 2/7 3P, 9/9 FT, -13

Jaquez was fantastic. This felt like a matchup where he finally had an advantage over the long-but-skinny Laker defenders. I also loved how Jaquez kept leading by example, especially on defence, as the game wore on. I noticed multiple times when Jaquez was bodying up his man in the backcourt—even before the ball was thrown in—and it seemed to force others to follow suit.

Grade: A-

Kyle Kuzma

23 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 6 PF, 2/8 FG, 1/6 3P, 4/4 FT, -22

Look, Kuzma was tasked with guarding Doncic, and he was about the only guy who had the length and height to at least make Doncic think when he drove and shot. That said, I didn’t think he played a particularly smart defensive game, as shown by him fouling out in 23 minutes. I understand keeping Luka off the free throw line is much easier said than done, but Kuzma made several ill-advised closeouts and was way too close to Doncic as he probed and snaked pick-and-rolls, which meant the Lakers superstar could jump backwards and draw fouls with ease. On offence, it was another brickfest for Kuz, who took a heap of ill-advised threes and had no impact elsewhere.

Grade: D-

Kel’el Ware

22 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 1 turnover, 3/8 FG, 0/2 3P, -16

Eh, Ware was… fine? I mean, he still can’t seem to get much offence going (and he generally looks a little uncomfortable trying to score), but he did make an impact beyond the scoreboard. Funny stat: only one of his five rebounds came on the defensive glass. Plus, you take three blocks from your starting centre any day of the week. Plus, in an improvement on recent games, Ware was more a-ware of his positioning in the drop defence, and even broke up a lob in the first half.

Grade: C

Brayden Burries

23 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3/7 FG, 1/2 3P, -12

I don’t know if Burries played poorly; it was more that he looked a bit directionless. Part of me feels like he’s being asked to do things he’s not quite ready for in terms of initiating offence and handling the ball, and that’s getting him into some uncomfortable spots. Still, three offensive rebounds is very Brayden Burries.

Grade: C-

Nate Ament

22 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 1/3 FG, 0/1 3P, -20

Other than his electrifying dunk in transition, Ament’s first start didn’t go great. It wasn’t like he was just shot chucking out there, but he made some really bad mistakes. First, Ament telegraphed a cross-court pass right to the Lakers defender; he also tried to take Walker Kessler one-on-one with a healthy shot clock, only to have the ball ripped away. That mentality won’t earn Ament minutes; he needs a better understanding of who he is and what he does well at this point in his career (hint: it’s not creation). Also, Ament had some atrocious possessions as an off-ball defender.

Grade: D+

Ousmane Dieng

18 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 6 PF, 3/5 FG, 2/3 3P, +13

I don’t blame Dieng for fouling out; he was the other primary Doncic defender and, unlike Kuzma, I thought his defence was about as disciplined as it could get, and he got a few rough calls. Overall, Dieng was one of the Bucks’ best; his early-season shooting struggles seem to be behind him. Solid minutes with minimal mistakes.

Grade: B

Jericho Sims

18 minutes, 0 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 block, 0/1 FG, -5

Sims was fine. Had some decent possesions as a switch defender.

Grade: C

Taylor Jenkins

Jenkins flagged that change was coming after the Knicks loss, and he followed through. Jenkins’ major change was tinkering with the lineup to balance the first and second units. He started Ament and sent Jaquez to the bench. As was confirmed postgame (see Bonus Bucks Bits), this was no “demotion.” It felt like the starting unit could use a more complementary piece (Ament), while the second unit needed another creator (Jaquez). Now, Jaquez played well, so obviously people are going to say it “worked,” but even just conceptually, I like the idea. The other changes Jenkins made were to trim the rotation, excising Jakucionis and Green, while upping the minutes of Herro, Rollins, and Burries, which is also something fans had been calling for. Overall, we need more data, but I would say the early returns were promising.

Grade: B-

Garbage Time: AJ Green, Bogoljub Markovic, Kasparas Jakucionis, Pete Nance, Gary Trent Jr.

DNP-CD: Caris LeVert

Inactive: Kam Jones, Cormac Ryan, Myles Turner

What We Learnt

Jenkins is willing to experiment until he gets the desired result. I think there were steps taken towards that in this one.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Alright, it’s time to bring a bit of levity to the season. So if I have time—and the situation suits—I might make a Bucks-themed meme here and there. Here is the first!

• I think the NBA actually hates the Bucks with this schedule. Per the broadcast, Milwaukee has the hardest schedule in November of all 30 teams. Thanks, Adam Silver. Really looking out for the little guy here.
• The Bucks actually did OK in the paint battle, considering how many easy buckets Luka Doncic can generate at the rim, only losing 48-40. Milwaukee also got 58 points off their bench.
• After not watching Doncic yet this season, I forgot how much of a drag the constant trips to the free throw line for breathing on him can be. Not that he wasn’t drawing some legit fouls, but some of those calls seem to be reserved for a select few NBA players.
• Even though it was a rough night for Nate Ament, Jenkins’ postgame answer about how he’s seen the rook’s defensive growth this year was really enlightening. I remain very intrigued by the archetype of player they are trying to mould him into.

here's more from jenkins on nate ament's defensive growth early in the season

"when I sat down with him early on in our time, i said, ‘what are gonna be ways that you’re gonna impact?’ he said, ‘i know it’s gotta be defense coach.’ i’ve held him to that" https://t.co/E6gzbfJylQpic.twitter.com/krh4NbxmPM

— jack maloney (@jackmaloneycbs) November 12, 2026

Jaime Jaquez Jr. on his move to the Bucks' bench: "Coach told me he felt like… we needed some help on the bench and he thought I could fit there." Tyler Herro said Jaquez and Ryan Rollins balance the bench, and with Myles Turner back, "that's a good second unit."

— NBA Wire (@nbapresserwire) November 12, 2026

Up Next

The Bucks head back on the road to take on the Orlando Magic on Friday night. Catch the game at 6:00 p.m. CST on MY24.

Charles Barkley praises Steve Kerr's ‘faith' in Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been given a mandate to be a scoring machine, and he has not wasted the opportunity.  

Through 12 games, Lendeborg is averaging 21.7 points per game. Among NBA rookies, he is second only to Sacramento Kings gunslinger Darius Acuff Jr. 

Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA,” credited coach Steve Kerr with allowing the Warriors rookie to let it rip. 

“Yaxel is playing with tremendous confidence…” Barkley said Wednesday during halftime in the Warriors’ loss to the Houston Rockets, “…he’s got a purple-green light. He is going to shoot it. Shout out to Steve Kerr for giving him the ability. He’s got a reckless abandon.” 

“Yaxel is playing with tremendous confidence. … Steve Kerr has got a lot of faith in this kid.”

—Charles Barkley gives Kerr & Lendeborg their flowers 👏 pic.twitter.com/BjjAos4SpT

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 12, 2026

It’s a positive “reckless abandon” that Barkley describes, allowing Lendeborg to score a game-high 25 points Wednesday in Houston after Steph Curry exited the game due to injury. 

YAX IS ON FIRE 🔥

Warriors cut the Rockets' 15-point lead to just 1 pic.twitter.com/et4Gwuxj7H

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 12, 2026

Lendeborg’s confidence was evident in June when the Warriors selected him in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Barkley notes that Kerr has done well to allow that confidence to flourish early in his career. 

“Steve Kerr has got a lot of faith in this kid; he said it publicly,” Barkley explained. “And one of the superpowers of coaches… a coach can’t give you confidence, but he can take your confidence. And that sounds so simple, but it’s really, really important… 

“…He is just letting it go. So shout out to Yaxel for playing with confidence.” 

Lendeborg is the second-leading scorer on the Warriors behind Curry, who is now out for at least two weeks due to an oblique abdominal tear suffered Wednesday. 

With Curry out, Kerr will need to continue to foster his rookie’s confidence. It might be the only way that the Warriors can stay afloat while their superstar is out.

In the two games Curry missed so far this season, the Warriors are 1-1. Lendeborg led the Warriors both times in Curry’s absence, scoring 26 and 37 points, respectively. 

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As sports fans, our teams give us plenty to think about and then some. They give us stuff to bicker, to complain, to ramble about. We follow their every move meticulously, we break down the potential of prospective grocery baggers and hail them as the next coming. We love to read or listen to others doing the same, even or especially if we do not agree with their viewpoints. Lucky fanatics get something to cheer about every once in a while – consider that box checked by our beloved New York Knickerbockers lately.

Understandably, that focus on one team, that love for one franchise can lead to kind of a narrow view on things at times. Nothing wrong with that; fandom doesn’t have to be rational, it doesn’t have to explain itself. And it does not necessarily have to involve the other team’s perspective or, frankly, the other team at all. At times though, that group in the different colored jerseys is the biggest answer to the question you have regarding your own squad’s performance.

Last night felt exactly like that kind of game where the Knicks did a lot of stuff well, but in the end the Cleveland Cavaliers just did most of it a little bit better. And when the Knicks didn’t do something as well, it was also the Cavaliers who had a hand in that. From the opening tip, it was obvious that the Cavs wanted this one – analytically and this time around actually in reality, too. They remembered last Saturday when New York rained on their Rocket Arena parade on the second night of a back-to-back; they surely remembered the last time they visited Madison Square Garden. And it looked like they were tired of the narrative that had them as the soft wannabes that can’t keep up when the orange and blue drivers push the pedals to the metal.

Cavaliers put an end to Knicks’ winning streak

Donovan Mitchell lived in the lane for most of the night; every high slip screen was an automatic downhill and kick opportunity for the team from Ohio, and their old and new length bothered the smaller Knicks for long stretches of the game. Peyton Watson might not be able to hit the water from the Verrazzano Bridge right now, but he sure can impact a game defensively. A lot of the Ohioans were feeling good about themselves; Tyrese Proctor and Meleek Thomas gave youthful, quality energy off the bench. And then, of course, there was James Harden. That guy who is a poster child for a lot of ugly wrongs in the modern game, the one who has been awful all year long so far but decided to show up for this one and give his team a vintage performance in the very building he crapped the postseason bed in just half a year ago.

So even if, at least in Harden’s case, it’s hard to stomach, let’s follow Knicks Fan in Jerusalem’s proposal from the Postgame Thread that gave this text its headline. Let’s credit the Cavaliers for a game well played, for shots hit, for storms weathered. But as the headline and our friend in Israel suggested, there’s another side to the story, a “but”. Tipping our collective cap to the Cavs sure doesn’t mean the Knicks can’t do a lot of things better in the future. Jalen Brunson had a good scoring game yet failed to deliver any rhythm to the offense. Too many times the ball just stuck on the perimeter (a particular problem for OG Anunoby right now), and there wasn’t nearly enough off-ball movement to stretch a much bigger defense that wants you to finish over their size.

Mike Brown talked about the balance of minutes between Mikal Bridges, Landry Shamet & Deuce McBride

"It's going to be hard to find minutes at time for Mikal, and maybe at times for Josh [Hart]" pic.twitter.com/TNkgtLJCQ4

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 12, 2026

That size played quite a role in yesterday’s contest, be it on the boards or in the passing lanes. Unfortunately, the Knicks won’t get any taller, that’s for sure. Mike Brown tried to counter Cleveland’s length by going to Mohamed Diawara early in the absence of Jordan Clarkson. Mo had a nice drive and, in theory, could be a solution for physical matchup problems like this one, but clearly isn’t there yet. The young Frenchman seems unsure about himself, plays hesitantly, and is missing the wide-open shots he knocked down in his sleep last season. His defense mostly looks good but not good enough to warrant a bigger role yet.

So, what’s happening with Mikal Bridges?

Aside from plenty of mental lapses, missing open shots was a problem for Josh Hart last night as well, but we excuse the veteran as he clearly had to shake off some rust after his injury break. That doesn’t change the fact that his lack of consistent outside shooting can become an issue at times, especially against good teams that willingly put roaming defenders on him. Normally, he adds so many other intangibles that you can live with it in the bigger picture more often than not. In Mikal Bridges’ case, though, well, what’s there right now? Hounding defense? Don’t see it consistently. A presence off the ball? Nope. Secondary scoring? Corner threes? Emotion? Desperation? Anything?

Bridges once again played an uneventful, meager 17 minutes in this one. Plenty of the other guards – Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet, and Tyler Kolek – currently do everything Bridges is paid for and actually a bit more. The longer this situation drags on, the louder Mike Brown will hear the question: When will you make a change to the starting lineup? It’s easy to understand why he’s reluctant; he sure doesn’t want to create an internal problem by benching someone who did his part in winning a championship last year. But what if the problem is creating itself? There’s a tipping point to everything.

For the Knicks, this game won’t be one, and it shouldn’t be. There might be some stuff to think about, though, going forward. Just like we want to have it as fans.

Kevin Durant excited to see ‘problem' Yaxel Lendeborg grow in NBA with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Yaxel Lendeborg’s early season success is catching everyone’s attention.

The Warriors’ rookie went up against Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant in Golden State’s 115-108 loss on Wednesday night, ending with a team-leading 25 points.

Lendeborg made several shots over Durant and the 19-year NBA veteran praised the 24-year-old after the game.

“He’s a problem,” Durant said on Space City Home Network. “A matchup problem. Being that tall and being able to [have] that skill too, man. I’m excited to see his career unfold and grateful that I got to play against him tonight.”

The Warriors snapped their eight-game winning streak and lost star guard Steph Curry to an injury, a big blow for Golden State. But Lendeborg’s performance kept the team in the game. Durant mentioned how Lendeborg’s strong first half forced Houston to adjust.

“I mean, you’ve got to give them credit,” Durant said postgame. “They’re a championship organization. Yax was playing great ball, he kept them in the game in the first half and we just tried to do everything we can to stop him in that second half. Hopefully Steph [Curry] is all right, he’s been playing great ball. Their team has been playing great ball, so it’s good to get a W.”

Per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson, Durant signed a jersey for Lendeborg after the game and sent it to the Warriors’ locker room as a sign of respect.

Lendeborg then posted an image of himself guarding Durant on his Instagram story, captioning it with ‘wow man.’

Yaxel posts image of him guarding KD to his IG:

“wow man”

After the game KD was asked about Yaxel, his response “problem” follower by a bunch of compliments for the rook 💯 pic.twitter.com/n4cfHaZQlS

— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) November 12, 2026

Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, is averaging 21.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists through 12 games and is proving to be a nice complementary star alongside Curry.

Curry will be reevaluated in two weeks, giving Lendeborg the chance to be a focal point.

Golden State will look to bounce back from the loss when it faces the San Antonio Spurs in their second NBA Cup game at 6:30 p.m. PT on Friday at Frost Bank Center.

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