CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 28: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers poses for a portrait during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex on September 28, 2026 in Camden, New Jersey. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LeBron James and Jaylen Brown aren’t the only former NBA champions whom the Sixers added to their roster this offseason. Shortly after landing LeBron, they also signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year, veteran-minimum contract.
KCP has largely gotten lost in the shuffle of the Sixers’ offseason overhaul, particularly coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons. But he might wind up being their secret weapon both on and off the court.
Caldwell-Pope won a championship alongside LeBron with the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers, and he added a second ring a few years later with Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. He was a role player on both of those teams, which should give him a unique perspective to add in the Sixers’ locker room this year. Not only has KCP played with two of the greatest players of this generation, but he’s gotten to see the secret sauce behind two recent title teams.
At the Sixers’ media day, Caldwell-Pope spoke about how important it is for the team to build off-court camaraderie, and how that helped fuel both the 19-20 Lakers and 22-23 Nuggets. LeBron’s back-and-forth trips to New York City might not be helping much in that regard right now, but once the season starts and the Sixers start heading out on extended road trips, they’ll have plenty of chances to bond throughout the 82-game grind.
KCP isn’t just the Sixers’ honorary Kyle Lowry this season, though. There’s a chance that he’ll be able to make an impact on the court, too.
From 2019-20 through 2023-24, Caldwell-Pope averaged 10.7 points per game while shooting 45.0 percent overall and 40.3 percent from deep. Over the past two seasons, he averaged only 8.6 points per game while shooting 42.7 percent overall and 33.3 percent from distance.
At media day, KCP declared that his shot is still “great” and that he did a ton of shooting this past summer to get ready for this season. He also explained why he didn’t experience the success in Orlando and Memphis over the last two years that he did in L.A. and Denver.
“For me, I’m a rhythm player,” he said. “I have to be in a rhythm, being able to touch the ball, being able to feel the ball. Last few teams, that wasn’t happening how I wanted it to happen. But I still got there and played my ass off defensively, gave it my all on both ends.
“But I think here, just playing with these types of guys—Bron, JB, Joel, Maxey—it’s gonna be a lot of open shots, a lot of opportunity to be able to get back to shooting 40 percent. That plays a big part in me shooting 40 percent. I’ve gotta be able to get the ball, be in a rhythm. I think this team is gonna create those opportunities for us.”
Caldwell-Pope underwent surgery in February to “address a misalignment” of his right pinkie finger. He said that was “probably the longest I had ever sat out” throughout his 13-plus-year NBA career, but he added that “my game is still there.”
Since KCP is on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal, this was basically a risk-free signing for the Sixers. Anfernee Simons figures to be their sixth man, while Caldwell-Pope and rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr. will battle for any leftover minutes behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. If all of them play well, perhaps they’ll be able to convince head coach Nick Nurse to experiment with some three-guard lineups.
That isn’t the only way KCP could help the Sixers on the court, though. If he puts his recent struggles behind him, he could open the door to a larger midseason shakeup, too.
Simons signed a two-year, $12.3 million contract with the Sixers this summer, which includes a second-year player option. If he stays healthy and plays well, the Sixers might not be able to re-sign him next summer.
Since the Sixers are in a win-now window, they aren’t likely to preemptively dump Simons for draft capital at the trade deadline to avoid losing him for nothing in free agency. But if KCP plays well enough to give them confidence in a Maxey-Edgecombe-KCP-Philon backcourt rotation, the Sixers could use Simons’ $6.0 million salary as a way to solve one of their other roster problems. (Such as, say, backup center?)
Of course, last year’s trade deadline is a great example of how quickly such a trade can backfire. Shortly after the Sixers traded Jared McCain for the first-round pick that they’d later use on Philon along with three second-rounders, Maxey suffered a finger injury that sidelined him for two weeks in March. The Sixers were down to Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, Cameron Payne and Lowry as their only healthy backcourt options.
This year’s Sixers do have Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert on two-way deals as well, and they shouldn’t have to be quite as reliant on their two-way players this season as they were last year. (In other words, they shouldn’t hit their 50-game limit as early.) Either way, their backcourt depth does look like a clear strength for them heading into the season.
If Caldwell-Pope does have a bounce-back year, that could have some quietly huge implications for the Sixers heading into the February trade deadline and the spring.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 10: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball against Jamal Shead #23 of the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden on April 10, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Pamela Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a Canadian tour that included stops in Quebec City and Vancouver, the Toronto Raptors finally make their return to Scotiabank Arena to take on the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST on Sportsnet.
Here are three storylines to consider ahead of the contest:
He’s back
As announced by Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic during practice on Monday, Kawhi Leonard will be available against the defending champions. This potentially marks the first time Leonard has played in a Raptors uniform in Toronto since the team’s Game 5 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
While there won’t be a Nick Nurse in sight to call a momentum-halting timeout, expect Rajakovic to restrict Leonard to first-half minutes. Despite this, Leonard is seemingly on track for the regular-season.
“He went through practice (Monday),” said Rajakovic. “He’s feeling great.”
Last pre-season, Leonard played in three of four games for the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging roughly 21 minutes. After making his return from an ACL injury, Leonard appeared in two of four exhibition games in 2022-23. He averaged just over 16 minutes a contest.
Conditioning is key
When the Raptors wrapped up their 2025-26 season, Rajakovic noted that the team’s conditioning needed to improve. It came up again during Media Day on Sept. 28.
While the entire roster has seemingly worked on their endurance, one player who took that suggestion to heart was Jamal Shead, especially after his playoff experience. After averaging just over 21 minutes of action in his first two seasons in the league, Shead’s playing time ballooned to 32 minutes a game in the seven-game series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Since then, Shead has focused on preparing his body for the demanding environment of playoff basketball.
“I think that I’m way ahead of where I was in my first two years,” said Shead during practice on Oct. 12. “I think I still can do a little bit more work…but I’m in a good spot.”
Toronto begins a stretch of three games in four nights to conclude the pre-season. To open the regular-season, the Raptors play three games in five nights. That’ll certainly be an early test of the team’s conditioning and depth.
“I’d rather have it now than we run into it for the first time after seven or eight games and all of our legs are not used to it,” said Shead. “We’ll get to see how in shape we are, where our bodies are.”
Shead’s increased playing time during the playoffs was primarily due to Immanuel Quickley’s injury. With several players currently dealing with early ailments – and Leonard primed for load management – it’s in everyone’s best interest to be ready to do more.
“Our team’s in a good spot, you don’t see us with just hands on knees everywhere,” said Shead. “Of course we’re going to get tired, we play really hard, but I think for the most part, we’re pretty good.”
The ‘King of New York’
The Knicks are expected to rest their starters on the second night of a back-to-back. They arrive in Toronto after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-104 on Oct. 12. Jalen Brunson was electric, recording 20 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in only 21 minutes of play.
After the Raptors play the Knicks again on Oct. 15 for their penultimate exhibition game, the teams play a mini-two-game series on Nov. 15 and 17. Both games will be played in Toronto.
Alphonso de Lamartine (who surely we all know and revere) wrote in his 1854 documentation of the French Revolution, “History teaches all things, even the future”. While the great Frenchman was writing of something with greater consequence than the Jazz’s projection for the 2027 season, the principle stands – if we would like a forecast for this upcoming season, we need only to understand the success of some of the team’s historical parallels.
Now, this is not a perfect science. For starters, the NBA is rapidly evolving; a team in 2026 cannot craft wins from the same formula that a team in 1986 could. Additionally, the game is complex enough that you will never find a 1-to-1 comparison for a player by scouring the history books. This is to say that the task is more strenuous than finding the team with the 1980s version of Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George.
So, instead of drawing specifics from NBA history, we are going to look for general principles that link teams together. For example, the primary lesson that we learn from the French Revolution is not that we need to bolster the fortifications of the Bastille, but that when the government upholds unfair economic structures, people may seek radical change. The concept is timeless, even if the particulars of the playing field shift with time. So, while the Utah Jazz will undoubtedly shoot more three pointers than any of the team historical comparisons I discuss today, that difference in playstyle does not negate the concepts of basketball that connect the eras. Teams have needed and will continue to need playmakers, shooters, defenders. Teams that win the possession battle have been and will continue to be successful. Teams with a dynamic, creative coach have and will continue to exceed expectations. There is no historical team with Darryn Peterson and Ace Bailey, but that fact does not impede our ability to learn from history.
In this article, I will attempt to find three teams from NBA history similar in construction to the 2026-2027 Utah Jazz. One of these teams will be the worst-case scenario; where has a team gone wrong with a make-up similar to Utah? Another will a more likely, closer to 50th percentile outcome; if we simulate Utah’s season 100 times, what type of success will we most often encounter? Finally, a best-case scenario; if everything clicks, just how good can this team be? As I look for comparisons, I will not be taking age or career trajectory into account. For example, none of these teams need to have a player with as much potential as Darryn Peterson, but we are trying to find a team with a player that plays like current Darryn Peterson. Finally, before we jump into things, let me reiterate one more time – none of the team or player comparisons I make are 1-to-1, so do not come for my throat if the historical player that I say plays the Lauri Markkanen role is, in your opinion, better or worse than Lauri Markkanen. We’re just trying to have a good time.
Worst case outcome: 2006-2007 Milwaukee Bucks
MIAMI – MARCH 24: Mo Williams #25 of the Milwaukee Bucks takes a breather with teammate Michael Redd #22 against the Miami Heat on March 24, 2008 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Record: 28-54
Key Players: Michael Redd, Mo Williams, Andrew Bogut
Offensive Rating: 107.0 (12 out of 30)
Defensive Rating: 111.7 (29 out of 30)
Season Outcome: Lottery
This was the most encouraging aspect of my historical studies – it was very, very difficult to find a team with the Jazz’s level of talent that truly failed. The Bucks are the team that with the least clean comparison to the Jazz. That isn’t to say that I’m totally off-base here. This is a team who found offensive success with fairly limited playmaking and the lack of a tier 1 star. Additionally, this is a team that simply could not hang defensively, even with the presence of a genuine defensive anchor (Andrew Bogut was young, but already quite impactful on that end). Michael Redd fills the Lauri Markkanen role as a sturdy wing who devastates teams with off-ball scoring. Mo Williams functions as the Keyonte George: a smaller guard who is additive to a good offense but who can’t keep one afloat on his own. Charlie Bell, the teams starting shooting guard, was a solid off-ball shooter with some playmaking juice (about what I’m expecting from DP in year one). The Bucks had solid offensive pieces, but it wasn’t enough to build a genuinely competitive team.
The holes in this comparison are admittedly obvious. For one, the comparison between Andrew Bogut and Jaren Jackson Jr. is a major stretch. Even if Bogut was already effective as a defender in his rookie year, and thus filled the archetype of a real anchor on a bad defense, the offensive gap is so substantial – who knows how good the 2007 Bucks would’ve been if Andrew Bogut was stretching the floor and giving them a fairly efficient 20 points per game? On top of that, the Bucks bench was not nearly as impressive as what I project the Jazz’s to be. A current dilemma the Jazz seem to be facing is having too many competent bench wings (Sensabaugh, Green, Okogie, Svi, Ace, Hinson). I think the majority of those guys would be getting a guaranteed 20 minutes off of the bench for Milwaukee. That is especially true when taking the Bucks’ injuries into account – Michael Redd missed 29 games, Mo missed 14, Bogut missed 16, and backup power forward Charlie Villanueva missed 43. This, again, is encouraging. A team that I view as less talented than the Jazz still needed to suffer significant injury to end the season with only 28 wins – the season before, when Redd played 80 games, the Bucks found a way to sneak into the playoffs. The fact that it is difficult to find an unsuccessful team that was both (a) healthy and (b) as talented as the Jazz is history’s way of teaching us that teams like the Jazz tend to win games. If everything goes wrong (Lauri injured, Keyonte taking a step-back, only minor improvements from Ace), sure, maybe the Jazz fare like the 2007 bucks, but the former’s advantages of the latter makes that seem unlikely.
Summary: A loose comparison built off the precedent an off-ball scoring wing, effective point guard, and defensive anchor failing to lead to wins. Jazz are much stronger on the margins, and the Bucks have no answer for Jaren Jackson Jr.
Median outcome: 1997-1998 Minnesota Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS – 1998: Kevin Garnett #21 and Stephon Marbury #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves pose for a 1998 photo in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1998 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Record: 45-37
Key Players: Kevin Garnett, Stephon Marbury, Tom Gugliotta
Offensive Rating: 107.8 (7 out of 29)
Defensive Rating: 107.1 (23 out of 29)
Season outcome: Lost to the Supersonics in the first round, 2-3
The parallel here is much stronger. This Timberwolves team built a strong offense off of ball movement – they ranked 3rd in the league in total assists in 1998, and averaged the 2nd most points per game without any one scorer reaching 21 PPG. Similarly to what many of us are predicting with the Jazz, this offensive cohesion did not translate to defensive success, even with the presence of an anchor like Kevin Garnett (who was young, but still an all-star).
There are cleaner player comparisons among these two teams, as well. A young Garnett is a solid 90’s equivalent of Jaren Jackson Jr. (with some additional rebounding juice) and Tom Gugliotta, with his floor-spacing (to the deep mid-range, but still) and off-ball movement, being reminiscent of Lauri Markkanen. Backcourt ballhandling duties for the Timberwolves were very much reserved to their two point guards – Stephon Marbury and Terry Porter – which is similar to the offensive load we can expect Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier to carry when they are on the court. Anthony Peeler provides some of the passing and shooting and Darryn Peterson, Sam Mitchell brings the defensive intensity of either Okogie or Green, and like the Jazz, the T-wolves employed a few very large players whose primary goal was to be imposing and pull down rebounds. Eras shift the roles a bit, but the general ideas of players permeate across both squads. There are some key differences between the team (Nurkic is more skilled a center than any of the Minnesota bigs, and Garnett+Gugliotta are much better passers than their Jazz equivalents), but their core principle of “shot creating guard dishing to two forwards who are most effective at the receiving end of plays” is very comparable.
The result of the Timberwolves season is very telling. First, I believe it emphasizes the importance of Lauri Markkanen. Tom Gugliotta went down with injury near the halfway point of the year, and the added offensive pressure put upon the rest of the players really hurt their proficiency. I watched some of their first round series against the Supersonics, and I could tell that without their stabilizing offensive force, newly overtasked players began to flounder. It is not some novel observation that a team losing their leading scorer will struggle, but I did find it interesting that the same held true in a context similar to Utah’s; losing a scorer, even if they are primarily off-ball and your attack is balanced, can be very difficult to overcome. Still, this team fought until the very end, and put up a strong fight against the heavily favored Supersonics. If they had another ballhandler, the story might’ve gone differently. However, with Marbury forced to fend for himself against the incessant pressure of Gary Payton, he put up horrendous efficiency, and Seattle was able to advance.
Summary: Gugliotta, Marbury, and a young Garnett make up a similar big three to Utah’s Markk, George, and JJJ. While injuries were likely the deciding factor in their season, their lack of ballhandling should be a sign that the Jazz may need to pick up another initiator before they face the pesky hands of OKC or San Antonio.
Best case outcome: 2003-2004 Sacramento Kings
DALLAS – MAY 13: (Left to Right) Mike Bibby #10, Predrag Stojakovic #16, and Vlade Divac #21 of the Sacramento Kings are upset in Game five of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2003 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 13, 2003 in Dallas, Texas. The Mavericks won 112-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Record: 55-27
Key Players: Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, Vlade Divac, Doug Christie
Offensive Rating: 110.2 (2 out of 29)
Defensive Rating: 104.9 (21 out of 29)
Season outcome: Lost to the Timberwolves in the second round, 3-4
A man can dream, right?
This is about as good a team that didn’t play defense that there is in NBA history. 2004 Peja Stojakovic is likely the greatest individual season of any Lauri Markkanen comparison. Mike Bibby shows the benefits that can come as Keyonte’s dynamic offense ages and matures. Doug Christie’s union of 3, D, and playmaking could very well be replicated by a rookie Darryn Peterson. Vlade Divac, as a clever ground-bound anchor, likely sees shades of himself if he ever catches any Jusuf Nurkic minutes on TV. Brad Miller was stretching the floor, playing both big positions, and playing positive defense years before JJJ modernized that archetype for Memphis. And even though Bobby Jackson leans more into scoring than playmaking, he and Isaiah Collier effectively fill the same bench change-of-pace role. Fittingly, this Sacramento team that many said was ahead of its time finds its parallel in a 2027 squad.
For some, the success of this team is a mystery. With Chris Webber hurt most of the year (and when he returned, he was really a shell of himself), a traditional #1 scoring option could not be found. Peja led the team in points, but he isn’t a player that you can toss the ball to and ask to create consistent offense. Bibby, Christie, and Miller were all strong players, but were considered to be best when impacted by the gravity of a bigger star. Above all else, the Kings are an example of a team being greater than the sum of its parts, and that formula is what optimistic Jazz fans are betting on this year if the team is to exceed expectations. With a legendary coach and a near-unstoppable high-low, dribble handoff offense (we’ll miss you Jusuf Nurkic), the Kings were able to get the absolute most out of each of their offensive weapons. Go back and watch some of their highlights – some of their sets for Peja are eerily similar to what the Jazz run for Lauri Markkanen. If the Jazz are to make a substantial jump, it will be through the hivemind-esque cohesion exemplified by the Sacramento Kings (before Chris Webber came back from injury, at least).
Because of Webber, it is difficult to analyze the result of the Kings 2004 season. While Webber was out, the Kings had a scorching 42-15 record, or a 60 win pace. When Webber returned, they finished the regular season 13-12. It feels counterintuitive to assume that the Kings would’ve performed better in the playoffs without Webber, but it also seems obvious when you look at the actual results. Something had clicked during the 2003-2004 regular season, and by adding Webber into the lineup was the equivalent of throwing a grenade into the middle of it all. Had things stayed the way they were during those first 57 games, I would not have been surprised at all if the Kings found themselves in the finals playing the Pistons in 2004. Instead, they lost to the Timberwolves, partially because a dilapidated Chris Webber allowed Kevin Garnett to have the best series of his life. Nevertheless, the 2004 Kings provide a proof of concept – this is what the Jazz are gunning for until Darryn Peterson becomes the undebatable superstar that many of us believe he can be.
Summary: The Kings are the precedent. With a roster construction similar to Jazz, they meshed together to the tune of a 60 win pace without Chris Webber, all without a superstar or a strong defense. If it works, it’ll look like this.
Which historical team do you see in the 2026-2027 Utah Jazz? How do you feel about my comparisons? Let me know below!
(Photo by Tyler McFarland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is truly no need for preseason NBA games. The season is already too long with an eternal 82-game regular season slate, followed by four more months of the most intense basketball possible for a team to run all the way to the championship. Yet, there’s still about five more preseason games for every team despite the league’s long history of stars playing themselves into shape and pacing their bodies for the eventual postseason run.
Preseason is mostly useless, but it does often allow young players to get an audition for extended minutes they otherwise wouldn’t be seeing until injuries hit in the regular season. A few younger role players have already made a strong case for themselves during the preseason. Now we wait to see if it will translate to when the games start to matter for real with opening night coming on Oct. 20. Check out our list of NBA breakout candidates for more thoughts on the league’s most promising young players.
Here’s a short list of young NBA veterans who have impressed in the preseason so far. It will be interesting to look back on this list at the end of the year and see which performances were real, and which only happened because it was preseason.
Leonard Miller, F, Chicago Bulls
Leonard Miller put together another great game for the Bulls, his been incredible this preseason.
Chris Finch never gave Leonard Miller a chance at real minutes during his first three years in Minnesota. It’s hard for any second-round pick to earn minutes on a contender, and Miller’s shaky outside shooting made him a particularly rough fit in a Wolves front court that already had spacing issues with Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. Minnesota didn’t hesitate to part with him to acquire Ayo Dosunmu at February’s trade deadline, and that’s when his career finally started to tick up. The Bulls gave him a shot while they were tanking down the stretch, and Miller immediately proved to be productive, well-rounded player who knows how to use his big 6’10, 220-pound frame on both ends of the floor. Miller continues to impress in the preseason as an opportunistic scorer around the basket, a menace in transition, a quality rebounder, and an improved three-point shooter. Miller knows how to extend advantages with long, coordinated strides to the rim, and he has nice touch in close. He looks far more in control than he did earlier in his career. He’s never looked better than he did Sunday night, when he dropped 26 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes against the Nuggets on ESPN. It’s fair to still be skeptical of his outside shot, but if he’s made any progress there, Miller’s ability to generation extra possessions and score efficiently should earn him minutes. The Bulls have a major glut of young power forwards after spending their last three lottery picks on Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, and Noa Essengue, but Miller is simply too good to keep off the floor this season.
Brandon Williams, G, Golden State Warriors
Warriors Brandon Williams 19 PTS (7-8 FG, 2-2 3P, 97% TS), 1 AST, 1 STL, +12 in 17 minutes vs. Kings
Williams shined for the Mavericks last season in limited minutes filling in for the injured Kyrie Irving at point guard, and the Warriors did well to identify him as a buy-low free agent target this summer. Golden State has never had a point guard with the downhill scoring juice that Williams provides, and it should make him part of Steve Kerr’s rotation as Stephen Curry’s backup when the season begins. Williams is incredibly fast with the ball in his hands, and he’s slippery enough to keep defenders off-balance on his drives to the paint. His ability to glide to the rim and finish from awkward angles will be his bread-and-butter, and it sets up some easy passing reads for him to kick out to shooters. Williams won’t have much defensive versatility, but he looks pretty good guarding in isolation against other smaller guards, and he’s always quick to loose balls. The Warriors got him for an absolute steal on the veteran’s minimum. It’s fair to question how he fits into Steve Kerr’s offense as primarily a pick-and-roll ball handler, but he gives the Warriors an element they’ve always lacked, and that alone should get him rotation minutes.
GG Jackson, F, Memphis Grizzlies
It’s wild to think Jackson is still only 21 years old with three NBA seasons already under his belt, but that’s what happens when a player reclassifies to skip his senior year of high school. Jackson has never lived up to his recruiting hype at any point since heading to college early, but he’s always had the tools to be a productive off-ball scorer. If his preseason run is any indication, he might be putting it all together. He has 43 points in 46 minutes to open preseason, showing new confidence as an outside shooter while looking like a runaway freight train in transition. Jackson has a huge body for a forward at 6’9, 210 pounds, and he uses it to play a power game on the glass and in the open floor. He’s going to help the Grizzlies get up and down around the slower Zach Edey-Cameron Boozer front court, and he looks more decisive in his dribble-pass-shoot actions. Jackson’s size should make him a factor on the glass, and he no longer looks like a liability as a floor spacer. The Grizzlies are loaded with young talent, and he could be another diamond in the rough.
Asa Newell, F, Atlanta Hawks
Asa Newell has an ability to run into easy points just by using his god given tools. He’s an excellent run-and-jump athlete for a 6’11, 224-pound forward, and he’s kept his motor high in the preseason by moving without the ball and finishing everything around the rim. Newell’s skill set might feel a little outdated in the modern game when forwards are expected to be able to handle and shoot, but Atlanta’s up-tempo system should allow him to find more opportunistic avenues to make an impact. Newell isn’t going to be a creator, but he can put the ball on the floor in small doses to set up spin moves and step-throughs around the basket. His outside shot looked okay in low volume last year, and while that hasn’t been part of his preseason success, it’s something that will continue to be vital for him going forward. He’s a pretty nimble player when he gets in close, and he’s powerful enough as a two-footed leaper that it’s going to hard to challenge him around the rim. It’s still a bit of a question on how Newell fits into this version of the Hawks, but he could have some utility as a garbage man-style player just by keeping his energy high.
Kel’el Ware, C, Milwaukee Bucks
Ware always seemed to be in Erik Spoelstra’s doghouse in Miami, but it’s possible the lessons he learned with the Heat can help him take the next step in his career after being sent to Milwaukee in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Ware’s tools have never been a question as a super bouncy big man with a 7’4+ wingspan, and he’s always produced great highlights playing above the rim on both ends. The issue for Ware has been keeping his motor consistent while executing the scheme, but the early returns look good in preseason so far for the Bucks. Ware shoots such an easy ball from three-point range and has the results to back it up with a 36.9% stroke on 5.3 attempts from three per 100 possessions for his career. He started next to Myles Turner in the front court for the Bucks’ most recent game, giving Milwaukee two 7-footers who can space the floor beyond the arc. Ware has a massive catch and block radius when he goes above the rim, and he’s going to gobble up rebounds, blocks, and dunks on his tools alone. He just needs to stay focused enough to earn head coach Taylor Jenkins’ trust. A fresh start could be exactly what Ware needs to take the next step in his career.
Henderson was a bit underwhelming in his first two seasons after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and a torn hamstring delayed his debut until February last season. When he finally returned to the lineup, Henderson looked more comfortable playing off the ball while refining his ability as a shot-creator. Portland is no longer counting on him to be a savior with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant in front of him on the depth chart, but it’s going to be hard to keep him off the floor if he stays on the trajectory he’s currently hinting at during preseason. The game no longer feels too fast for Scoot: he’s more composed making reads as a passer, and he’s more confident shooting it from deep whether it’s off the dribble or on spot-ups. He gets a lot of deflections on the defensive end, and he’s good at challenging shots with his explosion off the floor. Henderson learned he wasn’t going to be able to dominate the NBA on athleticism alone, but he’s in a better spot now that his skill level has started to match his speed and strength. He’s playing for a contract next summer, and if the Blazers don’t want to pay him under Tom Dundon, another team will.
Ron Holland, G, Detroit Pistons
Holland entered a tough situation when he was drafted to a Pistons team that already had two non-shooters entrenched in the starting lineup in Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren. The outside shot has always been the biggest hole in Holland’s game, but it shouldn’t conceal everything else he does well on the basketball floor. Holland has always been a maniac in terms of his motor on both ends of the floor, and it excelled again in his preseason debut, when he amassed seven ‘stocks’ (steals and blocks) in 24 minutes. Forcing defensive takeaways allows him to get in the open floor, where his speed, leaping, and agility can all shine. Holland doesn’t need the ball to make an impact, although he’s not much of a threat away from the ball offensively in the halfcourt. It feels like he may have to move to a different team to really have a chance to stand out, but his defensive projection and transition ability continue to intrigue. It would be wonderful to see Detroit give him a real chance in different lineup configurations to see if his per-minute impact numbers could extend to a bigger role.
The puck stops here! Or it needs to if the Phoenix Suns want to have a shot at winning a playoff series this season. The here that I’m talking about is the glass.
After an unexpected first-round playoff appearance, the Suns are back, hoping to improve upon last season, one that established a culture and new direction for the organization after the short-lived Kevin Durant era. It was a season that greatly exceeded national and local expectations, yet fizzled when the competition ratcheted up in the postseason.
In that final stretch run, the Suns’ stalwart seven-footer and leading rebounder Mark Williams finally succumbed to the injury bug, as has far too often been his fate over the course of his career, leaving a second year Oso Ighodaro, a sprinkling of Khaman Malauch and a whole lot of small ball to replace his vacated minutes.
During this Mark-less stretch, the Suns struggled to compete on the glass. Larger teams had their way with the Suns, including a disappointing Houston team that swept the Suns in the regular season series. Houston will be back, and bigger, with the return of Steven Adams, and they won’t be the only team in the West with a clear size advantage over the Suns. From Wemby to Kessler Walker, from Gobert to the double big lineup in OKC, the Suns are going to need to figure out how to close out defensive possessions with a rebound if they want to be the team they envision.
The Suns expect to be a team that gets out in transition, a team that relies on downhill rim pressure and foul shots (uh-oh) rather than the great equalizer that is the three-ball. They can no longer afford to get worked on the glass and expect to win, especially in the playoffs where giving up an offensive rebound in the closing possessions is enough to end games. The problem of size has limited the Phoenix Suns’ championship potential for years, long before the arrival of Ishbia, Gregory and Ott.
One of the all-time great fictional teams, the Mighty Ducks, found themselves in a similar situation as this year’s Phoenix Suns. Returning off a Cinderella season with new, more challenging goals, the Ducks were quickly derailed by the size and physicality of the brutal Icelandic Junior National team. In the end, they overcame their limitations. Not through the individual efforts of any one player but through the collective efforts of a team and their coach.
The Phoenix Suns must take a similar approach to solving their rebounding woes, or watch the goals we set for them this offseason sink into the cold Icelandic sea.
Just like Gordan Bombay, the mastermind behind the Triple Deke and Flying “V” formation in D2, Jordan Ott returns to the Phoenix Suns for his second go-around as an NBA head coach with a number of puzzles that still need to be solved.
How do they optimize the scoring talents of Devin Booker and Jalen Green with a roster that requires at least one of them to facilitate? How does Ott incorporate the new talent that’s been added to the roster into an established culture while allowing the team space to morph into something new? How does he adjust the offense to account for likely inconsistent three-point production from his starting five? All of these are important questions, but to me the issue that really limits the potential of what the Suns can be, a top-ten defense that causes havoc plays to generate transition opportunities, is finding a way to be a better defensive rebounding team. Mark Williams is once again out of the lineup, so Jordan Ott will have to get creative in order to cover up the defensive rebounding deficiencies of his young, promising centers, neither of which appears ready to replace Mark Williams’ rebounding production.
Ott will need to prioritize defensive rebounding as he tinkers with lineups in order to find the most effective rotations, specifically in who he pairs with Oso and Malauch as they grow into their roles.
Oso might need to be paired up with length so lineups that feature Dillon Brooks at the four might be better suited for a different center, whereas a pairing player like Ryan Dunn with Obo might be a better fit. Malauch provides length but still lacks the strength and processing speed to get into and hold position, so he needs to be paired with strength, like Miles Bridges or rebounding guards who can get to balls that are out of his reach, such as Collin or Goodie.
It will certainly take some experimenting in the beginning of the season, but it can’t be pushed aside if the Suns want to earn a playoff seed that gives them a chance to advance. Luckily, like the Mighty Ducks in the Junior Goodwill Games, the Suns have added some pieces for Ott to add to the mix. The first will open up a level of physicality the Suns haven’t tapped into since the early nineties.
When Team USA needed to beef up, they went to the streets of Chicago to find Dean Portman to play next to Fulton Reed. The two came together to form the Bash Brothers, the unruly, frequently penalized, enforcers of the Mighty Ducks.
The Suns added Miles Bridges, and in doing so, they are able to play Dillon Brooks at the three, which seems a better fit for his stature. Beyond their physical attributes, both players play with an edge and aggressiveness that lends itself to success on the boards. Can Dillon and Miles come together as veterans and leaders on this team to not only provide that grit and intention through their play on the court but permeate it through the locker room to the Suns’ young forwards? A player like Ryan Dunn, who was one of the better defensive rebounders on the team last year and who’s looking to carve out a role on this team, could stand to benefit substantially from the Bash Brothers mindset. Now that Mark Williams is sidelined, the Suns will need all the help they can get.
Yet the Bash Brothers aren’t the only direction Ott can turn to fortify his front court. He has at his disposal a unique weapon in the war of the boards. The Mighty Ducks found an edge when they discovered Tyler Russ and his Knuckle Puck. The Phoenix Suns have Jordan Goodwin.
Now that Russel Westbrook has aged out of relevance in the NBA, there really is no other player in the league like Jordan Goodwin. He’s physical, crafty, and determined, finding any opening to sneak into places a 6’3” journeyman should never tread and snatch a basketball out of the hands of an unsuspecting opponent. As Khaman works to find his flow, having a guard like Jordan Goodwin, or to a lesser extent Collin Gillespie, to swoop in on balls that bounce away from the young seven-footer could cover up some of his deficiencies in positioning as he develops his processing speed.
While so much of Goodie’s success is tied to rebounding on the offensive end, could Goodie expand his impact on the defensive glass in order to shore up the front court when the starters go to the bench, ensuring that defensive stops don’t turn into open threes and easy buckets?
Goodie is Goodie; rain, sleet, or snow. He’s put in years of work to get there, but for Oso and Khaman that’s just not the case.
The toughest call for Gordon Bombay in the Goodwill Games ended up being the move that won the tournament. Replacing his veteran goalie, Golberg, while he was on a heater, with a talented goalie from Maine, Julie “the Cat” Gaffney.
In the biggest moment, a shootout, against the Icelandic team’s best scorer, Bombay made the move to insert the Cat because of the shooter’s vain tendency to go glove side. While Goldberg was a player Bombay had leaned on through both movies, the Cat was known for her quick glove. Situationally changing goalies made sense.
Oso earned Ott’s trust over the course of last season. Ott knows he can depend on Oso to be where he needs to be and loves the defensive upside of his switchability. Yet situationally there are matchups where it will make sense to start and skew the minutes towards Malauch.
Flat out, Oso is not big enough to hold up against the league’s strongest centers. You can not win a playoff game against the Nuggets with Oso matching up against Jokic. Ott needs to be flexible and willing to play through the mistakes that come with starting a young center. Losses that may come in the beginning of the year will turn to valuable experience that will be paid forward in the back half of the season.
On the flip side, it may not make sense to play Malauch against teams that are going to bomb threes that lead to a lot of long rebounds. The Suns are blessed with diversity at the center position. Ott should lean into that.
I personally would like to see some double big lineups, where Oso is setting screens on offense and Khaman is on the three-point line stretching the floor, and defensively Khaman is taking the center and anchoring the defense, and Oso is guarding the four. I’m not going to stick Oso out there to guard MPJ or some of the more athletic fours in the league, but if Houston wants to run out Adams and Sengun, Phoenix might have an answer in KhOso.
None of these answers even need to be permanent. They just need to hold things together until they get Mark Williams back. Mark, like Adam Banks on the Mighty Ducks, is a known commodity, and if the Suns don’t fall apart before he returns, having him fresh for the back half of the season and hopefully available for the playoffs could make his injury a blessing in disguise.
Plenty of questions still remain, and their answers will only be revealed on the court, but one thing I know for certain is that if the Suns can’t improve their rebounding, they won’t be winning a playoff series. Not in this Western Conference. Not without the three-point shot. The Suns are going in the direction of the rest of the NBA in emphasizing it, but do they have the pieces to do so successfully? Ott will certainly have more to work with than in his inaugural season, but there’s a lot of ground to make up. There’s no one player that can fix this, and just like the Mighty Ducks, the Suns must learn to fly together.
Draymond Green always has been one to speak his mind, even about his teammates’ contract terms.
After fourth-year shooting guard Brandin Podziemski signed a five-year, $110 million extension on Oct. 10, Green congratulated his younger teammate on Tuesday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” before commenting on an interesting aspect of Podziemski’s contract.
“I will say about this deal: it has the mutual option in the fifth year, and these mutual options, it’s kind of gotten a little weird,” Green said on his podcast. “We’re starting to see them pop up more and more in the NBA. You used to see the player option or team option, but lately we’ve been seeing these mutual options, … and it is ultimately a structure to where the final year of the deal requires both the player and the team to opt in for the contract to continue.
“Now, obviously, in the other ones, either the player has the option, or the team has the option. This one, they both have to agree. And if either the team or the player declines, the the year is voided. So this is essentially a four-year deal with the mutual option for the fifth year.”
Green noted that Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein and Miami Heat guard Pelle Larson, who both signed extensions this summer, also included a mutual option in their deals.
The former Defensive Player of the Year also pondered how the second apron could potentially alter a team’s perspective.
“The second apron has affected a lot,” Green said. “I wonder if this is another instance where the second apron is essentially making a team say, ‘Hey, we want the option to be able to get out of this because what if we are up against the second apron and we need a way out? This is an opportunity for us to be able to get out, even if we need to negotiate a lower number to avoid the second apron.’ “
The second apron is a spending threshold that went into effect in the 2024-2025 offseason, and severely curtails an organization’s ability to spend on or sign players through trade and free agency restrictions that are triggered if the monetary barrier is crossed.
The Warriors currently sit in the first apron with a $205 million cap that ranks third in the NBA, according to Spotrac.
Podziemski is set to be paid $5.7 million in the 2026-27 NBA season before his salary jumps to $18.9 million in the first year of his extension.
The Boston Celtics might be the most annoying team in the NBA this season — and in the best way possible.
Picture this: You’re a team playing your fifth game in seven days in Boston. Legs are heavy, everything feels like a grind. And when you’re not getting swarmed by Boston’s gaggle of young wings like Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh, you’ve got to try to figure out how to keep Mitchell Robinson and his 7-foot, 240-pound frame from vacuuming up every available offensive rebound.
Boston’s depth and potential playstyle might be the two biggest reasons the Celtics can remain entrenched at the top of the Eastern Conference, despite beefed-up competition and the departure of Jaylen Brown.
We may very well be overreacting to an incredibly small sample of preseason basketball, but in two games so far the Celtics have showcased a readymade identity that builds off much of what made the team elite last season. Health is vital to Boston’s overall regular-season success, and there’s a lot to figure out to be able to judge how successful this team might be when the playoffs arrive.
But over the course of 82, we’re pretty bullish that Boston is going to be exactly the sort of team that opponents don’t want to see.
Let’s crunch some early numbers:
22
That’s how many deflections Boston registered against Philadelphia. For context: Boston ranked 25th in the NBA generating just 15.2 deflections per game and lagged way behind league-leading Oklahoma City, which generated 20.8 deflections per game last year.
The addition of Paul George ought to kick up both Boston’s total deflections and steal rates on its own. George produced five steals against Philadelphia and has routinely ranked among the best at his position in steal rate. And whenever George wasn’t deflecting an entry pass, it was Baylor Scheierman swatting one on his own, then hurling himself into the front row of the stands to ensure that turnover morphed into points.
With George and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics now have two of the more underrated forward defenders in the league (their offensive prowess often overshadowing their ability on the other end). Mix in All-Defense stalwart Derrick White and Boston’s three core starters set a heavy defensive tone. Regardless of how coach Joe Mazzulla elects to deploy the rest of his depth, the Celtics are going to have the ability to roll in long, active wings like Scheierman, Gonzalez, Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr. to keep the defensive intensity up.
The Celtics have averaged 28.5 points off turnovers through their first two preseason games, this after ranking 25th in points off turnovers in each of the past two seasons (averaging 15.7 points off turnovers per game across those two seasons).
Boston has an opportunity with its personnel this year to take some more risks and cause more chaos on the defensive end. It’s a big reason why one of our bold preseason predictions was for Boston to lead the Eastern Conference in defensive rating this season.
44.8 percent
That is Boston’s offensive rebound rate this preseason, the best mark in the league and by more than three percent from the next closest team.
The Celtics were already one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA last season, subsisting largely on the corner crashes of its young wings combined with energetic big man play from Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. Now the team has added the league’s best offensive rebounder in Robinson.
The Celtics have a new luxury of managing the minutes of Queta and Robinson, letting them go full throttle over shorter stints as the two divide up the majority of 48 available minutes. Whatever is left over, Garza will come in and be relentless on the glass in those minutes.
What once felt like the weak spot of Boston’s roster, the center position now feels like a strength. Queta put up some of the best analytics in the NBA last season during his floor time, and Robinson is going to generate so many second-chance opportunities for a team that isn’t bashful about kicking the ball back outside and continuing to launch from the perimeter.
Consider this: Boston posted a 35-18 record (.660 winning percentage) in the games it won the shot margin last season. That’s a 54-win pace over 82 games. And Boston’s new personnel configuration gives it a chance to win the shot margin each night if the team takes care of the basketball.
18.1 percent
That is the offensive rebound rate for Boston’s opponents so far this preseason. It’s the best mark in the NBA this preseason by 5.6 percent.
Sustainable? We’ll need a bigger sample. But Boston ranked 25th last season, giving up second-chance opportunities on 33.6 percent of possessions. Even some minor strides in that category are going to help the hunt to win the margins. And Boston’s ability to finish out possessions this preseason is a big reason for its early success.
The bottom line is that Boston, with its new look, is set up to build off the “hardest-playing team” identity it embraced last season — and got accentuated in the Game 82 win over Orlando.
For a team whose North Star is winning titles, the Celtics have to figure out how to best translate that to the postseason. There is no victory in being a great regular-season team if it ends with a first-round exit.
But the first two preseason games have shown a roadmap to how Boston can stay at the top of a beefed-up Eastern Conference. The Celtics are the last team you want to see on the second night of a back-to-back. The handful of schedule losses that most teams will endure in the dog days of the NBA calendar might be the time when Boston thrives.
While we can’t know yet how rookies will adapt to professional basketball, how veterans will integrate with new teammates and how coaches will choose to employ individual players for the betterment of their teams, we can judge talent and skill.
His strength is overpowering defenders in the low block, and it’s remarkable how comfortably he gets to the rim, despite being undersized at 6-foot-6. As always, the questions with Williamson are his weight, conditioning and his availability, though in recent seasons, Williamson has made it a priority to slim down a touch. The Pelicans were in a lost season, but a career-low scoring average was nonetheless a concern.
No. 49 Rudy Gobert
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Center
Age: 34
2025-26 stats: 10.9 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.6 bpg
2025 was a return to the All-Defensive First Team for Gobert, who jumped back into the top-four of Defensive Player of the Year voting after a “down” 2024 (he was still second team All-Defense). And now he has a real chance to increase his scoring output with LaMelo Ball there to create easy opportunities as the most dynamic point guard Gobert has ever played with.
No. 48 Jaren Jackson Jr.
Team: Utah Jazz
Position: Center
Age: 27
2025-26 stats: 19.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Jackson Jr. is a dynamic two-way center that can affect both sides of the ball. He can score from inside and out. He can guard the interior and the perimeter. Jackson is a two-time All-Star, two-time blocks leader and was the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. He only appeared in 48 games last season though, so expect that number to go up.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, even though he is only entering his sophomore season in the league, the Spurs internally believe Harper is already their second-best player behind Victor Wembanyama. Something that pops about Harper: He averaged 2.1 unassisted field goals at the rim per 36 minutes, via PBPStats. That ranked behind two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2.35) for the most among players who hit the 65-game threshold last season. Harper was just 19 years old until a month before the playoffs began.
No. 46 Derrick White
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: Guard
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 16.5 ppg, 5.4 apg, 4.4 rpg
By all metrics, White set career-highs in points, assists, steals, and blocks, but he also shot under 40% and all but disappeared in the Celtics’ first-round playoff meltdown. His defense remains a strong part of his game, and with Jaylen Brown now in Philadelphia, he will be expected to be even more productive on offense to help Jayson Tatum.
No. 45 Trae Young
Team: Washington Wizards
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 17.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 8.0 apg
Young was limited to just 15 games total during the 2025-26 campaign — 10 with the Atlanta Hawks and five with the Wizards, who by the time Young arrived, had entered tank mode for the No. 1 pick in the draft. However, don’t sleep on Young; he’s one of the best playmakers at the point guard position. He can pass and he can score, especially from long range. Young now has a chance to reestablish himself as one of the best perimeter threats in the league alongside Anthony Davis and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa.
No. 44 De’Aaron Fox
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 18.6 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.8 rpg
There will be nights when Fox is the fourth scoring option, and if that becomes the norm, he may be prime trade bait at the deadline. The Spurs are still on the hook for his four-year, $221 million deal until further notice. Having three ball handlers on a team is a luxury, but not getting enough shots while still trying to please Victor Wembanyama is another matter.
No. 43 Lauri Markkanen
Team: Utah Jazz
Position: Forward
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 26.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 apg
Utah’s lack of competitiveness is hopefully in the past and should help one of the league’s best scoring big men. Markkanen could again put up big numbers with the talent infusion that is on its way to Utah, which has missed the playoffs in each of the past five years.
The big question last season was whether Wagner and fellow Magic co-star Paolo Banchero could co-exist. Both can handle the ball, and both can create their own offense. The difference with Wagner is that his jumper is more consistent. Wagner also flies under the radar as a defender, but he’s solid there. What new coach Sean Sweeney will want to see is availability; injuries have limited Wagner to just 94 games across the last two seasons, including just 34 last year.
No. 41 Joel Embiid
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Center
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 26.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.9 apg
Unlike some of the other injured players on this list, we saw enough of Embiid last year to know exactly how much his injuries have taken a toll on his mobility – and we also saw how effective he still was as a scorer. Expect that to continue with him apparently in better shape. The biggest knock today is his insistence to shoot so many threes despite his declining efficiency from deep.
OK, so maybe the (premature) “Baby Jokić” comparisons were inaccurate. That doesn’t change the fact that Şengün is an All-Star-caliber big man with terrific passing chops at the center of a Rockets team with expectations. The question for Şengün and Houston moving forward is simple: Is he closer to the reliable regular-season version, or the playoff dropper that helped open the door to a troubling first-round upset last spring?
No. 39 Jalen Duren
Team: Detroit Pistons
Position: Center
Age: 22
2025-26 stats: 19.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 65% FG
Duren may have overplayed his hand when he was named third-team All-NBA and demanded max dollars. While he did eventually sign for five years and $200 million, Duren’s next move is to improve his relationship with the team and his offensive game – especially in the playoffs, which is why Detroit was hesitant to pay him big bucks in the first place.
No. 38 Deni Avdija
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 24.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 6.7 apg
Avdija has increased his scoring average in each of his six NBA seasons, and he'll have three dynamic guards to play off him if he's asked not to be the offense's focal point. Another season like 2025-26, when he also posted career highs in assists and free-throw percentage, would put him in line for a big payday in 2028.
No. 37 Anthony Davis
Team: Washington Wizards
Position: Forward
Age: 33
2025-26 stats: 20.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Davis’ ability on the floor has never been a question. When he plays 60 games in a season, he’s a lock to make the All-NBA and All-Defense teams. The only problem is he’s played 60 games just twice in the last eight years. But, if we’re assuming good health, Davis is one of the league’s very best bigs and much better than this ranking.
No. 36 Evan Mobley
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 18.2 ppg, 9 rpg, 3.6 apg
Mobley, a former Defensive Player of the Year, is an enigma. He can easily dominate on any given night, but sometimes he seems overwhelmed, especially when his shooting is suspect and his rebounding is nonexistent. Mobley simply needs to elevate his Robin role to Donovan Mitchell’s Batman if the Cavs ever want to make it out of the Eastern Conference finals.
No. 35 Kyrie Irving
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Guard
Age: 34
2025-26 stats: Did not play
It’ll be interesting to see how Irving looks after a full year off, but if he’s anything close to the player he was before the ACL injury, he’ll still be one of the best guards in the game. As a former 50-40-90 guy whose year-to-year production is normally in that range, Irving has several ways he can beat a defense. Expect him to return to All-Star form.
No. 34 Paolo Banchero
Team: Orlando Magic
Position: Forward
Age: 23
2025-26 stats: 22.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.2 apg
Paolo Banchero is one of the young, bright stars of the NBA. He’s led the Magic to three consecutive postseason appearances and continues to grow in the league. His 6-foot-10 stature makes him a matchup problem for opponents. The next step in his game is getting him to buy into playing bully ball.
No. 33 LaMelo Ball
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 7.1 apg
While his identity on the court will shift after a blockbuster trade sent him from Charlotte to Minnesota, there is still plenty to celebrate about Ball. He is the only player in league history aside from Luka Dončić with at least 6,000 points 2,000 assists and 900 made 3-pointers before turning 25 years old. Pair his electric shooting and playmaking with Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves should make some noise on offense this season.
No. 32 Austin Reaves
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 23.3 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.7 rpg
Reaves’ ability to score at all three levels is an asset, and he will be expected to increase his production alongside Luka Dončić, now that LeBron James is no longer in L.A. to serve as a security blanket. Reaves just needs to stay healthy and prove that the team was right to give him a four-year, $180 million extension.
No. 31 Cooper Flagg
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Forward
Age: 19
2025-26 stats: 21.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.5 apg
Flagg came on strong to win Rookie of the Year honors last season, emerging from an early shooting funk to deliver some historic scoring performances during his first campaign in the league. His combination of size, skill and versatility naturally translated to the NBA, and he should have more space to operate with the return of Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks’ lineup. If his shooting improves in Year 2, Flagg could quickly ascend to the top of the league’s pecking order.
No. 30 Pascal Siakam
Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: Forward
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 24 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.8 apg
Don’t let a gap year without Tyrese Haliburton fool you. The Pacers’ dark-horse 2025 NBA Finals run doesn’t happen without Siakam’s all-around versatility. Full stop. Indiana can basically insert Siakam into any lineup and expect to win those minutes. He is the ultimate gap-filler, a guy who almost always finds a way to make a play. Now firmly in his early 30s, pairing Siakam with a defensive big like Ivica Zubac might unlock his final form.
No. 29 Amen Thompson
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: Forward
Age: 23
2025-26 stats: 18.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.3 apg
Along with his brother, Ausar, who plays for the Pistons, Amen Thompson might be the most athletic player in the entire league. He broke out last season when the Rockets deployed him as a point-forward, after starting point guard Fred VanVleet was lost to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Thompson is a two-way demon; he uses his quickness and length to lock-up his assignments, and he can slash to the cup for high-percentage looks. The only thing keeping Thompson from becoming a Top-15 player is a jumper that can be unreliable, especially from deep (21.6% last season).
No. 28 Stephon Castle
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Guard
Age: 21
2025-26 stats: 16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 7.4 apg
The 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year backed up that initial campaign by improving in nearly every statistical category during his second season, then elevated his game even further during the Spurs' run to the NBA Finals. Castle's shooting efficiency improved dramatically from his rookie year, while his playmaking and ability to lock down opposing teams' top perimeter scorers has quickly made him one of the league's most promising young guards.
There are role players, and then there are the kind of indispensable winning players who do all the little things and hard things at the same time. Anunoby is the latter. Anunoby can nail corner 3-pointers in the clutch, dive for loose balls and snatch long rebounds, and lock down the other team’s best player. He is the lovely rug that ties the room together for the reigning NBA champions.
No. 26 James Harden
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Guard
Age: 37
2025-26 stats: 23.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 8.0 apg
At his age, it’s amazing what James Harden has been able to do, especially adapting his game. We’ve seen the dynamic scorer version of Harden, and now we get more of a playmaking version of him. Is Harden still a top 30 player in the league? Yes, especially since this is a regular-season designation.
No. 25 Jalen Johnson
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Position: Forward
Age: 24
2025-26 stats: 22.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 7.9 apg
He’s more of a point-forward, and Atlanta’s decision to turn the offense over to Johnson proved to be a sound one. Though he’s versatile, Johnson is at his best when he’s leading the Hawks in transition, where he deploys his size, handles and vision to find teammates or simply get to the rim. Coach Quinn Snyder deserves a lot of credit here, as Johnson also displays excellent patience and doesn’t force many looks; he lets the game come to him.
No. 24 Scottie Barnes
Team: Toronto Raptors
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 18.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.9 apg
Barnes emerged as a bonafide two-way force as the Raptors became one of the Eastern Conference’s biggest surprises last season. The fourth-year forward shot better than 50% from the field for the first time in his career, pairing elite defensive versatility with a more polished offensive game. He then elevated his play in his postseason debut, helping push Toronto to the brink of an upset over Cleveland in the playoffs.
No. 23 Chet Holmgren
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Forward
Age: 24
2025-26 stats: 17.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.7 apg
Holmgren’s reported two-pound offseason weight gain certainly won’t do him any favors if he doesn’t use his other skills on offense. His defense is elite, and he has the capabilities to become a 25-point-a-night scorer. With the talent he has around him, including Shai Gilgeous Alexander, the MVP of the last two seasons, Holmgren should be an All-NBA mainstay for years to come.
No. 22 Jalen Williams
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 17.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.5 apg
Injuries (wrist surgery, hamstring) robbed huge chunks of his regular season and playoffs, which massively hurt the Thunder. But he remains a two-way forward who can slash to the rim, handle the ball and lace perimeter shots when required. Now that he’s fully healthy, he should continue his production as one of the game’s bright stars – one that was instrumental in closing out the Pacers at the 2025 NBA Finals.
No. 21 Jamal Murray
Team: Denver Nuggets
Position: Guard
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 25.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 7.1 apg
Where Murray lacks high-end athleticism, he makes up for it by being arguably the craftiest offensive player in the league. The veteran has built his career on reaching into his bag of tricks. And when he’s on, Murray’s capacity for microwave scoring and shooting can be genuinely jaw-dropping. All of this context is why he fits with Nikola Jokić like a glove as his running mate.
No. 20 Bam Adebayo
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Center
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.2 apg
Adebayo coming in at No. 20 still makes him a top-five center or big-man in the NBA. Don’t let the 20.1 ppg fool you, he can fill it up with best of them – Remember, 83? The addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo should really open up Adebayo’s game and his impact will be felt tremendously.
No. 19 LeBron James
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Forward
Age: 41
2025-26 stats: 20.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 7.2 apg
There will be times throughout the season when James coasts simply due to age and the mileage on his body. But he proved in carrying the Lakers to a first-round playoff win over the Rockets, when he needs to assert himself, he can still control a game better than most thanks to the best mind in basketball.
No. 18 Tyrese Haliburton
Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: Guard
Age: 26
2025-26 stats: Did not play due to injury
The last time we saw Tyrese Haliburton play basketball, he led the Pacers to the 2025 NBA Finals, where he pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games before he devastatingly tore his right Achilles tendon. We don’t know how Haliburton will look coming off the injury – which is why he finished this low on the list – but if he returns to form as the season progresses, while running pick-and-roll with Ivica Zubac, then he can easily outperform this spot in our rankings.
No. 17 Devin Booker
Team: Phoenix Suns
Position: Guard
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 26.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.0 apg
One of the smoothest and most consistent buckets in the NBA, Booker is a three-level scorer who has taken on even more responsibility since a June 2025 trade shipped Kevin Durant to the Rockets. Booker is the face of the franchise, and his silky jumper helped elevate the Suns to a surprise playoff run last season. He may not be the most vocal, but he has also embraced a leadership role, while trying to get the Suns back to legitimate competition out West – six seasons after they reached the Finals.
No. 16 Karl-Anthony Towns
Team: New York Knicks
Position: Center
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 3.0 apg
Towns’ frustrations with his contract situation could be an interesting side note and distraction for the world-champion Knicks, but Towns’ professionalism won’t let that be the case. As long as he keeps up his stellar playoff play, with timely outside shooting and defense, the Knicks will be right back in contention.
No. 15 Jaylen Brown
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Guard/Foward
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 28.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.1 apg
Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP, has been heralded for his ability to play both sides of the ball, but his offensive output deserves more recognition after being among the top five scores in the league during the 2025-26 regular season. The scenery change to Philadelphia could shine an even bigger spotlight on him, playing alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James.
No. 14 Tyrese Maxey
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 28.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 6.6 apg
Maxey’s high-profile teammates will probably make most headlines this year, but make no mistake: The electric point guard is the straw that stirs the 76ers’ drink. An explosive first step, an elite shooting stroke and underrated passing vision make Maxey one of the Association’s most dynamic offensive players. If the new-look 76ers live up to the hype, Maxey will almost certainly drive their success.
No. 13 Donovan Mitchell
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Guard
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 27.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.7 apg
Mitchell has earned all-NBA honors in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career and inked a new $273 million contract extension this offseason that should keep him in Cleveland for the duration of his prime. Questions linger about his viability as a No. 1 option in the playoffs after the Cavaliers were swept in the Eastern Conference finals, but Mitchell remains one of the league’s most explosive perimeter scorers and playmakers.
No. 12 Kevin Durant
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: Forward
Age: 38
2025-26 stats: 26.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.8 apg
For all intents and purposes, this might be Durant’s last hurrah, as he will move into fourth place on the all-time scoring list by season’s end. The 38-year-old can rely on the young core to give the Rockets hope of making a dent in the West, but Durant’s leadership and still-lethal scoring will ultimately decide Houston’s fate.
No. 11 Stephen Curry
Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: Guard
Age: 38
2025-26 stats: 26.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.7 apg
Whatever decline we’re supposed to be expecting from Curry hasn’t taken place yet. In the 43 games he was on the court last year, he was still cheffing. His 46.8 shooting percentage was his second highest in the last five years, and he still knocked down 39 percent of his threes.
No. 10 Kawhi Leonard
Team: Toronto Raptors
Position: Forward
Age: 35
2025-26 stats: 27.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.6 apg
Now free of distractions after a year-long saga following an investigation and subsequent discipline involving cap circumvention for the Los Angeles Clippers, let’s allow Leonard to reintroduce himself to us. The last time that Leonard played for the Raptors, he was crowned NBA Finals MVP for the second time in his career. Everyone knows what he can do on defense, but Leonard quietly played the second-most games in his career since 2017-18 while averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game at 34 years old.
No. 9 Jayson Tatum
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: Forward
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 21.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.3 apg
Expect Tatum to return to his All-NBA, MVP-candidate form without Jaylen Brown, with one caveat: his health. Tatum was injured again at the worst possible time, as the Celtics were eliminated early in the playoffs. Expecting Paul George to match Brown’s production might be a little too much to ask.
No. 8 Cade Cunningham
Team: Detroit Pistons
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-2026 stats: 23.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 9.9 apg
Cunningham has put up gaudy numbers for years. Last year was when the young star finally came of age at the helm of a winning Pistons team. At his best, Cunningham is a big, physical and strong guard who leverages every bit of his listed 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame to punish smaller defenders while leaning on a silky-smooth jump-shooting bag. He is a metronome the Pistons can count on to deliver, and perhaps even rescue them, every single night.
No. 7 Anthony Edwards
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 28.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.7 apg
Edwards set career highs for points, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage during the 2025-26 season before a knee injury slowed him in the Timberwolves’ playoff run. The franchise is betting that the addition of LaMelo Ball will finally provide Edwards with the elite playmaking point guard he’s lacked throughout his time in Minnesota. Already one of the league's most explosive scorers, Edwards enters 2026-27 with legitimate MVP and championship expectations.
No. 6 Jalen Brunson
Team: New York Knicks
Position: Guard
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 26.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.8 apg
Everybody is better than Brunson until it’s time to be better than Brunson. There was no better example than his 45-point magnum opus in the NBA Finals. When the lights are brightest, the 2025 Clutch Player of the Year gets it done.
No. 5 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Forward
Age: 31
2025-26 stats: 27.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 5.4 apg
Antetokounmpo is still a top-5 player in the NBA, and he has been for nearly the last decade becoming a 10-time All-Star, two-time league MVP, an NBA champion and Finals MVP. He’s about to remind everyone just how dominant he can be – even without a consistent jump shot – now rejuvinated and playing in South Beach.
No. 4 Luka Doncic
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Guard
Age: 27
2025-26 stats: 33.5 ppg, 8.3 apg, 7.7 rpg
Dončić has ranked among the top five in usage percentage in each of the last seven seasons, and without LeBron James, don’t expect that to change much. With the Lakers on national television 34 times this season, Dončić is expected to take Los Angeles to championship heights. It’s too bad the Lakers don’t have five Luka’s on the floor at once.
No. 3 Victor Wembanyama
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Center
Age: 22
2025-26 stats: 25.0 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.1 bpg
It was genuinely difficult not have Wembanyama at No. 1 overall, but after falling short to the Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals, it became clear that there is still more room for growth for the Defensive Player of the Year. Expect we see that this season as the MVP favorite looks to make it evident to the rest of the world that he is the best player on the planet. And with a chip on his shoulder after winning the Western Conference Finals, he can do exactly that.
No. 2 Nikola Jokic
Team: Denver Nuggets
Position: Center
Age: 31
2025-26 stats: 27.7 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 10.7 apg
Though he has a legitimate claim as the top player in the world, Jokić was just edged out. Either way, he might be the best passer in all of basketball – not just among bigs. His footwork is singular, his touch around the rim makes him a nightmare to defend, and he’s just the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a single season. Last year was the second-consecutive time he did it.
No. 1 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 31.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.6 apg
The two-time reigning MVP had the most efficient offensive season of his career in 2025-26, and his play remained elite in the playoffs with the Thunder battling injuries. SGA is also evolving as a playmaker after setting a career high for assists last season and dishing out nearly eight per game in the postseason. He’s already a defining player of this era, but another title with OKC and a third-straight MVP trophy in 2026-27 would elevate him into the conversation with the league’s greatest players of all-time.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 10: Onyeka Okongwu #17 of the Atlanta Hawks shoots the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers during a preseason game on October 10, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Luther Schlaifer/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Onyeka Okongwu enters his seventh NBA season with his perimeter game taking shape and his long-term future in Atlanta approaching an important checkpoint.
Coming off the best three-point shooting season of his career, Okongwu gives the Hawks something valuable at center: a player who can stretch the floor without sacrificing the mobility that makes him useful defensively. After starting 63 games last season, the challenge now is building on that progress and strengthening his case as Atlanta’s long-term answer at the position.
Okongwu shot 37.6 percent from three on 5.2 attempts per game last season. The volume matters almost as much as the percentage. Taking those shots consistently forces opposing centers to account for him outside the paint, creating more room for Atlanta’s perimeter players to attack.
That spacing makes him a natural fit in Quin Snyder’s five-out offense. When Okongwu pulls a defender away from the basket, Jalen Johnson has more space to drive and create. It also gives the Hawks flexibility to move their center between screening, rolling and spotting up rather than keeping him stationed near the rim.
His next step is making that shooting a dependable part of Atlanta’s offense again. Another productive season from beyond the arc would reinforce that his development can hold up as opponents adjust their coverage.
However, his evaluation cannot begin and end with three-pointers. Atlanta still needs its starting center to finish defensive possessions, protect the basket and compete against physical frontcourts. Okongwu’s mobility gives Snyder options when defending ball screens, but pairing that versatility with consistent interior play remains essential.
Those responsibilities carry additional significance because of his contract situation. According to Brad Rowland, Okongwu is eligible for an extension worth up to three years and $76.6 million, with an October 19 deadline to reach an agreement.
An extension would represent another investment in his place alongside Atlanta’s young core. The absence of one would leave questions about how the organization values him, particularly after its reported offseason interest in Isaiah Hartenstein and Jarrett Allen. Those pursuits suggest the Hawks have continued evaluating their options at center.
Still, missing the deadline would not automatically mean Okongwu’s departure is approaching. He has two seasons remaining on his current contract, and negotiations can stall over price or timing. His performance would remain a significant part of any future decision.
For Okongwu, this season is an opportunity to make his importance clear. His shooting already helps unlock Snyder’s offense. Sustaining that production while delivering more consistently inside would strengthen his argument that the Hawks’ search for their long-term starting center should end with the player already in their lineup.
BRIGHTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 28: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics poses for a portrait during NBA media day on September 28, 2026 at the Auerbach Center in Brighton, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Internal monologue:
Ok, time to write the annual preview article for the season. This is important, try not to mess it up. I mean, I know growing up that one of my favorite things to do was to open up the Sports Illustrated NBA preview issue and find the Celtics section. Then I would devour the previews from the Boston Globe. I want the new generation to feel that with this blog and look up to me like I looked up to Jack McCallum, Bob Ryan, and Jackie MacMullan. I should really make an effort to be objective, informative, fair, and balanced.
Then again, I’ll never have the kind of talent and drive those legends did. Why do I need people looking up to me? Maybe don’t take yourself so seriously. What, do you think you’re going to get your big break at age 51? Why don’t you just write from your heart and see if people connect with it?
Ok, you convinced me. Or maybe I convinced me. Whatever.
Sometimes I try to approach these things by establishing the bookend of “best case” and “worst case” and go from there. But let’s be honest, we all know that the worst case involves injuries and failures and sad times; and really who needs that in their preseason preview article? So we’re going with good vibes only in this one.
Jayson Tatum is back
Everything starts with the star of the show. The MVP candidate who returned in record time from Achilles surgery to look (mostly) like his old self at the end of last season. He has had a full offseason to recover and train and should (by all accounts) be up to full speed for the season.
It is a joy to watch Jayson Tatum play basketball. Full stop. He’s so talented in so many different ways. In fact, his versatility is one of his greatest and sometimes most underrated talents. He can score at all 3 levels (and even in the creases between those levels). He’s a willing and talented playmaker. He can be the hub of the offense but he can also get off the ball and still be effective. He’s a monster on the boards. He’s a disruptive help defender and generally an extension of the coaching staff on the court.
He’s so buttoned up and politically correct that it is almost boring. But he’s also so genuine with it that it comes across as endearing rather than eye rolling. He actually does just love basketball with all his heart and wants to play it the right way. He wants to be a leader and an inspiration to the next generation.
The spotlight tends to gravitate toward more edgy personalities, but I want to show some appreciation to a man that I’m proud to have my kids root for. I can’t wait to see what he does with the year ahead and beyond.
Brad Stevens has a plan
We can’t have a preview without addressing the departure of Jaylen Brown. That one hurt a lot of hearts and we each processed the news in our own ways. I was confused and angry and full of several other emotions at the time. The following months provided a little more context and perspective. Call it cope if you like, but I think I can see the vague outline of the vision.
In the back of our minds we knew something like this was probably coming sooner or later. Smart cap people were warning us about it for years. Nearly every other decision this front office has made has looked extremely smart over time. Why would this one be any different? In short, I’d trust Brad Stevens and his judgement long before I’d trust my own heart. He’s not without flaw, but he’s very good at his job.
As it stands, the roster is built around Jayson Tatum and a “replace Giambi in the aggregate” collection of Moneyball support players. Derrick White is poised to shake off his shaky shooting and remind everyone why he’s a plus-minus god. Payton Pritchard might be the best bargain contract in the league (not counting rookie deals).
At this time last year the big rotation was universally cited as the team’s most glaring weakness. Stealing Mitchell Robinson from the defending champs gives the Celtics one of the better center rotations in the league, with Luka Garza a luxury as the 3rd string big.
Then there’s the PG13 sized signature shoe waiting to drop. At some point the front office will have to decide if they want to move Paul George (and possibly draft picks) in exchange for a player or multiple players that better fit into the team’s short and long term plans. But there’s no need to rush that decision until we understand exactly what the needs are for this team.
Of course there’s also a world in which the team decides to keep George. Why would they keep the guy that just a year ago was listed among the worst contracts in the league? Well, what if everything goes right with the young players and several of them end up as high level rotation players? If there are no holes on the roster then there’s no need to move George (or those valuable draft picks) to fill roles. You could either extend George on a more reasonable number or let his contract eventually expire as extensions are starting to kick in.
The kids are more than alright
As hard as it was to move on from the core of a championship roster, the front office has replaced aging veterans with developing talent. While most (myself included) assumed last year would be a big step back (gap year), the team barely missed a step and gave guys valuable reps in a winning system (something a tanking team just can’t replicate).
Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and even Ron Harper Jr. each took turns proving they belong in this league. Each has had a season to build off the confidence those reps gave them and shore up shortcomings in their games. Neemias Queta went from major question mark to a tremendous success story.
Through the draft the team added Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell. Both of whom may see more time in Maine than Boston, but each of whom as real translatable talents for the NBA. They may have even uncovered a hidden gem in Devin Carter (when in doubt, take a flyer on a Kings cast-off, right Neemy?)
This isn’t a “two timelines” thing either. These are young players that have proven they can contribute to winning and they will have opportunities to show their stuff. The veterans are all willing teachers and “old heads” that can provide guidance and direction when needed. From Tatum to White to Paul George to Mike Conley, there are enough adults in the room to keep everyone focused. And of course when those guys need an extra few days of rest, the young guys will happily step into bigger roles.
Speaking of keeping everyone focused, I am a Joe Mazzulla believer. The biggest long-term challenge a coach has is getting the same guys to buy in year after year without the message turning stale. Joe seems to inherently understand this and he’s continually looking for new ways to get his message across. It helps that the roster turnover has given him new ears to bend and the veterans remaining (Tatum, White) are notoriously coachable.
Why not us?
Prediction time. There are a lot of very good teams in the East. I have a lot of respect for the defending champion Knicks. The Sixers have assembled a lot of on-paper talent. The Cavs have a track record of regular season success and are coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The Pistons had a dominant regular season. The Heat added Giannis to their “culture.” The Raptors brought back Kawhi Leonard and didn’t have to plant a single tree. The Pacers are bringing back Tyrese Hilburton and adding Ivaca Zubac. There’s going to be a lot of competition for the East title.
However, I keep coming back to the subtitle question. Why not us?
The Celtics have the talent and the system and enough young try-hards to finish in the top 3 of the Eastern Conference standings. Maybe even the top 2 (again). As I’m sure you’ve heard 100 times already, it is notable that fewer teams will be tanking, so the win totals might be harder to replicate from last year. But I could see the Celtics easily clearing the 5o.5 to 51.5 wins that Vegas is setting their over/under at (kids, don’t gamble, the house always wins).
My official prediction is 55 wins, if anyone cares. In the spirit of good vibes only, who’s to say that this team can’t win it all? Sure, it would take some good matchup luck, reasonably good health, and perhaps a few fortunate bounces, but what title team hasn’t had all those things in their favor? They key will be translating all that “try hard” execution from the regular season into consistent execution in the playoffs when everyone else is trying hard too.
Sure, there are plenty of things that could go sideways this season. There will be plenty of time to react to those things in real time. For the moment, however, anything is possible and the vibes are fresh and new. I’m excited to start this journey and see where it leads us again. This feeling of giddy anticipation is what got me hooked on basketball in the first place (all those decades ag0). Why not embrace it a little bit longer? Let’s go Celtics!
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 9: Cameron Boozer #27 of the Memphis Grizzlies dunks the ball during the first half of a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on October 9, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
During the run-up to the NBA Draft, Arizona’s Tobe Awaka and Duke’s Cameron Boozer faced a similar issue: neither was thought to have much of a vertical leap.
Awaka – 6-8 and 261 – registered a standing leap of 32.5 inches. For his part, Boozer – 6-9 and 253 – got 28.5 inches, which was better than expected. He also proved to be far more agile than scouts thought, with an 11.060-second pro lane drill time. That tied for first overall, and, incidentally, topped Cooper Flagg’s mark from the year before.
Anyway, Awaka and Boozer met in Sunday’s preseason match between the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies. Boozer shook loose and drove the lane, which resulted in a slam that Awaka started to contest but ultimately allowed in order to avoid a foul.
It didn’t matter; in the end Memphis won 104-100. Boozer played 12 minutes, scoring 8 more points besides that dunk. He also had 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
It’s still exhibition season, which means teams are looking at players and lineups, so to an extent, you can’t take too much of it seriously. Still, Boozer is probably making Memphis execs and coaches pretty pleased that he’s on their team.
DALLAS, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 25: Tobi Lawal #33 of the Dallas Mavericks poses for portraits during Mavericks Media Day at American Airlines Center on September 25, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When I think of the Mavericks’ impactful players in their 2024 Finals run, one of the first names that comes to mind is Derrick Jones Jr. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, do the little things, make a big defensive impact, and be an athletic sparkplug. Mavericks rookie forward Tobi Lawal brings those same exact qualities, but he’s two inches taller at 6’8, and six years younger.
The Dallas Mavericks have plenty of new faces heading into the 2026-27 season, but few are more intriguing as developmental projects than Lawal. He was selected 48th overall in the draft this summer and enters this year on a two-way contract after two seasons at Virginia Tech.
Lawal’s college numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page. The senior averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, while shooting 54.2% from the field. He also recorded six double-doubles in just 23 games. What DOES jump off the page is his athleticism. Lawal’s 45.5-inch maximum vertical at the NBA Combine was one of the best marks in combine history. He is a legitimate above-the-rim athlete who can run the floor, attack the offensive glass, and finish plays that most players simply can’t. Hello again, Derrick Jones Jr.
For a Mavericks team emphasizing youth and development under new head coach Dusty May, Lawal is exactly the type of player worth keeping an eye on.
The big question
The big question for Lawal is whether he can turn his physical gifts into a consistent NBA skill set. This isn’t as easy as it sounds for athletic and bouncy NBA prospects. Jones Jr. has been on six teams entering his 11th season. Lawal will need to add some finesse to his art while developing other offensive skill sets. Today’s NBA is all about scoring.
There is no question about the athletic ability. The questions are about everything that comes with it. Lawal is still developing as a shooter and ball handler, and he has primarily been a play finisher rather than someone who creates offense for himself or others. He shot just 25% from three as a senior at Virginia Tech. His offensive game will need to expand if he’s going to become more than an energy big who plays in short stretches. Dallas has several other athletic forwards who will take minutes and have so far proven they can score consistently.
The good news is that he doesn’t need to become a star to have an NBA career. The athleticism, rebounding, and defensive versatility give him a foundation. The next step is figuring out how many different ways he can impact a game.
Best case scenario
The best-case scenario for Lawal is that he earns consistent legitimate NBA minutes before the season is over. It’s challenging for two-way players to get consistent minutes, particularly early in the season, unless the injury bug strikes. So Lawal will need to make the most of every second he’s on the floor.
But there’s big upside. Think of a player who can run the floor, set good screens, dive toward the rim, clean up misses, and make life miserable for opposing wings and forwards defensively. A best-case scenario for Lawal won’t be about stats; it will be about impact. Catch and finish some lobs, knock down an occasional outside jumper, grab rebounds, and defend like your role depends on it (because it does).
If the jumper develops enough to make defenses respect him outside the paint, Lawal’s game will reach a whole new level. He has already shown flashes of being more than just a dunker. He shot 76.3% from the free-throw line as a senior and has shown flashes of being a decent catch-and-shoot player.
If those pieces come together, Dallas could have a legitimate rotation-caliber forward on its hands rather than simply a two-way developmental player.
Worst case scenario
The worst-case scenario is that Lawal’s athleticism doesn’t translate consistently enough to overcome the weaknesses in his offensive game. NBA defenses are much faster and more disciplined than what he saw in college. Simply being able to jump higher and run faster won’t guarantee playing time in the NBA.
His shooting could keep him off the floor if defenders don’t have to respect him away from the basket, while his ball-handling skills in traffic limit his ability to attack closeouts or create offense. Dallas also has a crowded forward gang, with players like Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Santi Aldama, Morez Johnson Jr., and Zaccharie Risacher, all of whom will get meaningful minutes on a nightly basis.
That makes Lawal’s margin for error fairly small. If he can’t consistently defend without fouling, rebound at an NBA level, or provide enough offensive value, he could spend most of the season developing in the G League.
Season Goal
Lawal’s goal should be simple: become a serviceable NBA-level role player. This would be a good starting point. The athleticism is already there. He doesn’t need to prove that he can jump out of the gym. He needs to prove that he can use those physical gifts the right way. Defense and rebounding should be his tickets onto the floor. Doing the dirty work on offense, like running the floor, screening, and finishing around the rim, will make a major impact on the Mavericks’ offense, particularly one that Dusty May has said will have a fast pace.
And then comes the jumper. Lawal doesn’t need to suddenly become a 40% three-point shooter. If he can develop into a respectable catch-and-shoot threat, it would force defenders to make a decision when he is standing outside the paint. That small improvement could dramatically open up the rest of his game.
The Mavericks don’t need Lawal to do everything. They need him to become really good at a few things.
Overall
Lawal is one of the more interesting developmental players on the Mavericks’ roster because of his unique physical attributes. He’s 6’8, 215 pounds, with excellent length and explosiveness. The question is whether Dallas can help him turn all of that into a reliable NBA skill set.
For now, Lawal probably shouldn’t be expected to walk into the Mavericks’ rotation and play 20 minutes a night. His two-way contract gives him something much more valuable: time. If he can use that time to improve his shooting, tighten his handle, and become a more consistent defender, the Mavericks may have found a legitimate rotation piece with the 48th pick.
At his best, Lawal could become the kind of player coaches love to have on the floor: explosive, relentless, switchable, and constantly making things happen. Things that don’t jump out of the stat sheet but undoubtedly impact the game. Plus, at the end of the day, the kid has a 45.5-inch vertical. There aren’t many players on the Mavericks’ roster more capable of making something happen above the rim than him.
The NBA preseason continues tonight with a matchup of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic on Peacock and NBCSN.
It's the third preseason game for two teams that made the Eastern Conference playoffs last year. The Cavaliers beat the Magic 119-105 on Sunday in Cleveland, Ohio.
Last season, the Cavs were 52-30 and reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018. They were swept by the New York Knicks, the eventual NBA champions.
The Magic secured the eighth seed through the Play-In tournament and blew a 3-1 lead to the Detroit Pistons in a first-round elimination.
Cleveland re-signed its superstars in the offseason, agreeing to a four-year, $273 million extension with Donovan Mitchell, who was entering the final year of his deal and could have gained an additional year and $80 million by waiting.
After declining his $42 million option and becoming a free agent, James Harden agreed to a three-year, $97 million deal to stay with the Cavaliers. The contract includes an option through the 2028-29 season when Harden would be 39 years old.
“The only thing I’m missing is a championship," said Harden, who has played in the second-most playoff games (191) without winning a title (behind Karl Malone's 193). "This is something that I want to do: I want to win a championship. I waited until the front office … made sure that we got everything we could get, and then re-signed.”
After squandering a 24-point lead in the second half of Game 6 against the Pistons, the Magic lost 116-94. Orlando fired head coach Jamahl Mosley was fired a day after the Magic's elimination. "This is a public apology," Orlando guard Jalen Suggs recently said about the loss to the Pistons. "That was unacceptable.”
Sean Sweeney, 42, is a head coach for the first time after 12 seasons as an assistant across five teams. He arrives in Orlando from San Antonio, where he helped guide the third-rated defense in the NBA last season.
Victor Wembanyama, the 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year, said Sweeney deserved all of the credit for the Spurs' defense. Orlando fell to 13th in points allowed last year after allowing the fewest points per game (105.5) in the 2024-25 season.
“From Day 1, his communication has been high level,” Orlando star forward Paolo Banchero said.
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Through two preseason games, the 2026-2027 Celtics look like the 2020-2021 bull market. It didn’t matter what you bought — it was going to the moon. Bitcoin, Dogecoin, gold, Tesla, it didn’t matter; everyone thought they had found the infinite money glitch. That’s what the Boston Celtics feel like two preseason games in. Jayson Tatum, Baylor Scheierman, Dillon Mitchell…everyone is playing wonderful basketball.
Now bear with me as I keep making barely sensical financial metaphors about this season’s Boston Celtics.
The Bitcoin Bros:
Celtics fans know these names. The chaos wing contingent of Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, and Dillon Mitchell are foundational to how this era of the Celtics wants to play basketball. Mash people on the offensive glass, move the ball, play with pace, and make life for opposing offenses a living hell. Celtics fans are like Bitcoin investors in the early 2010s: no one thinks internet gold is anything but a scam, or, in this case, the rest of the league is dubious that a tsunami of late-round draft picks is coming to terrorize the league.
They showed last season that they can impact winning and over two preseason games, these chaos agents appear to have levelled up. It shouldn’t surprise anyone, given their work ethic, age and tenure in the league.
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 14: Dillon Mitchell #20 and Chris Cenac Jr. #12 of the Boston Celtics poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on July 14, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Sydney Bezelik/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This is before we mention rookies Dillon Mitchell and Chris Cenac Jr. It’s hard to envision a path for Mitchell to earn playing time with the glut of aforementioned chaos agents of Baylor, Hugo and Walsh (and Ron Harper Jr.), but Mitchell is a special athlete. He combines his explosiveness with IQ and feel for the game that has been evident through two preseason games. Cenac’s ability to play the power forward of center position provide more pathways to playing time. I would expect the rangy big man to spend most of his rookie season with Maine, but it wouldn’t shock me to see Cenac flash a few times in the regular season.
Blue Chippers:
Jayson Tatum is like Apple stock. It doesn’t seem like his stock can get any higher, but it does. I was already bullish on Tatum coming into this season and his 27 minutes of preseason action did not dissuade me. By Tatum’s own admission, he was around 80% when he returned mid-playoff push last year. He quickly reestablished himself as an All-NBA caliber player. With the rust already shaken off and a full offseason to build confidence in his body, I expect Tatum to regain his place on First Team All-NBA. In Tatum’s first preseason action, he was effortlessly dominant. An MVP award for Tatum is on the table.
After last season, Derrick White’s ticker was in danger of falling out of the S&P 500. Despite one of the best shot-blocking regular seasons of all time for a guard, his dreadful playoff shooting has investors feeling uncomfortable. White’s preseason debut was rocky; early in the game, he clanked a few threes and turned the ball over a couple of times. The smooth-headed guard (I can say that because I am also smooth-headed), was able to rally as the game went on, impacting the game on both sides of the ball. It would really ease the concerns of fans to see him go on a hot shooting run to start this season.
Backing Payton Pritchard’s NBA journey has felt like investing in a sleeper tech stock that sceptics wrote off as incapable of scaling. Only to watch it grow every year until it makes everyone who believed in it rich. While I’m not as bullish as some who think Payton Pritchard can become Jalen Brunson, I believe Pritchard will continue to develop into one of the league’s most potent weapons. Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard have been a lethal combination since entering the league. In over 4,000 minutes sharing the court together, Tatum and Pritchard have a net rating of +8.1. Pritchard is the perfect perimeter teammate for Tatum; he spaces the court out to the logo, and their screening actions are lethal, as the opponent who is tasked with guarding Pritchard typically has no prayer in guarding Tatum, so when they are in action together, it creates difficult choices for opposing defenses. In Pritchard’s limited preseason action, he looks ready to handle an even larger offensive burden.
Precious Metals:
Apologies to Mike Conley and Paul George, but gold, silver, and all precious metals are clearly the NBA vets of the investment landscape. Gold is one of humanity’s oldest commodities. Reliable and necessary. NBA Champions require precious veterans. Al Horford, Alex Caruso, Andre Iguodala, the list is endless. Paul George and Mike Conley are here to steady the locker room and, in George’s case, perfectly complement Jayson Tatum. The theoretical fit of George, an elite shooter and defender who should seamlessly amplify Tatum’s scoring and playmaking, came to life instantly in their preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers. George’s willingness to buy into his new role as an ageing superstar will pay dividends this season.
Reading too much into preseason can be dangerous. However, by my calculations, the 2026-2027 Boston Celtics are going to the moon.
Opinions about the potential of the 2026-27 Warriors tend to focus on their relatively fragile health, as the team will open the NBA season without as many as three impact players and, above all, their advanced age.
Superstar Stephen Curry is 38. Longtime sidekick Draymond Green is 36. Center Al Horford is 40. Jimmy Butler III is 37 and in the middle stage of recovery from ACL surgery. Gary Payton II will be 34 in December. Kristaps Porziņģis is 31 with a body about 10 years older.
The general belief is that Golden State’s season will be an exercise in futility.
Jason Kidd begs to differ. The Hall of Fame point guard and longtime NBA coach cites his own history with a Dallas Mavericks team thought to be too old to make a long postseason run yet won the 2011 NBA Finals.
“We were too old,” Kidd said, half joking, in an appearance on the “Dubs Talk” podcast.
The 2010-2011 Mavericks were led by Kidd, who turned 38 two months before the Finals. Sharpshooter Peja Stojaković turned 34 during the series, and Jason Terry turned 34 two months later. Shawn Marion was 33, and the team’s best player, Dirk Nowitzki, turned 33 one week after the Finals. Seven Mavericks had at least 10 years of NBA experience. The trio of Nowitzki, Kidd and Terry, averaging 35 years of age, are the oldest core to win it all, taking a six-game series over a Miami squad featuring twenty-somethings LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
The Warriors hope to enter the 2027 NBA playoffs with a core trio – Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green – averaging almost 38 years of age.
“When you look at the Warriors, wisdom is key,” Kidd said. “Incredible coach, one of the best coaches in the league, in Steve Kerr. And then you look at what Steph does each summer. … Everybody talks about his stats and what he does, but his preparation is done in the summer, and what he does, and the time that he spends on getting ready for this for the season is like no other.”
Center Tyson Chandler, 28, was the only Dallas starter under 32. Golden State’s core likely would be supported mostly by four players: Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg (24), guard Brandin Podziemski (23), guard De’Anthony Melton (29) and, if he’s able, Kristaps Porziņģis (31).
That Dallas-Miami series is why Kidd won’t dismiss the Warriors, especially if they are relatively healthy at the end of the 82-game regular season.
“Yeah, because you don’t want to see Steph,” Kidd said. “We all wonder how we can slow him down. How can we do something that he hasn’t seen? He’s seen it all. He’s not afraid of the moment. He’s a unicorn, an incredible unicorn, but an incredible human being.”
Curry will be managing “runner’s knee,” a malady that caused him to miss most of the second half of last season. His presence is crucial for earning a postseason berth, much less the Warriors making a significant playoff run.
Golden State’s postseason viability will be tested early, as Porziņģis will miss at least the first couple weeks and preseason star Lendeborg will be adjusting to regular-season intensity.
The most optimistic projection for Butler has him returning shortly after the holidays. It’s unlikely that Moses Moody, a valuable wing who can come off the bench or occasionally start, will return before the NBA All-Star break.
“The Warriors are going to be a team that people might not talk about,” Kidd said, “but I think at the end of the day, they can crack the playoffs.”
