Category: Basketball

Last weekend I went to a trading card show with my oldest son here in Germany. Lovely time, great fun. The old man got a nice Jordan, some Ewings and Shaqs, youngster found another Brunson for his collection. At one booth we were flipping through the dollar box as I noticed a rather ugly team logo on the vendor’s sweater. As he politely asked what we were looking for I told him about our love for the Knicks and then couldn’t help myself to make it clear we surely do not look for players of his unlikable squad.

The Philly fan laughed, I did too – just some ol’ good natured rubbing. As we discussed the early season I mentioned that he surely had an interesting year ahead of him. “We all know that it’s going to go south somehow”, he chuckled, referring to the bulky knees of his team’s center and other issues his franchise has grown accustomed to. Of course I knew what he was talking about; as you may remember, it was mostly the Knicks who tormented the little brothers from Philly in recent years. Yet I was still amazed at how defeated the nice man sounded regarding his team’s chances.

I’m sure you don’t have to look long before you find more obnoxious members of the Sixers fan species, especially after their surprisingly solid start to the season (4 wins, 1 loss). It also includes an opening night win against New York. Of course no Philly fan wants to hear about the asterik of getting the emotionally drained Knicks on Ring Night as a lot of people including their new star player made that game bigger than it actually was.

Knicks starting their NBA Cup defense in Philly

As fate would have it, the Sixers on Friday again have a chance to define themselves against a reigning champion, and again it will be your favorite basketball team. This time the Knicks start their title defense in the much-maligned NBA Cup, that test-tube baby of a basketball competition that clearly had its moments over the years yet feels extremely forced most of the time. No matter if you care about Adam Silver’s money grab or not the game against Philly will surely be an interesting one as it matches the Knicks against a potential playoff opponent and against one of their biggest rivals at the moment.

JALEN BRUNSON WITH THE CROSSOVER ON NORMAN POWELL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bwzVwUEXjc

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 29, 2026

What we saw from the Sixers on Opening Night was a bit of a preview of their early season in general. They played some top-notch defense, helped by the switchability of a motivated LeBron James and the supposedly decent shape Joel Embiid has gotten himself in. Philadelphia has plenty of strong wings, and many of their guys thrive in the passing lanes. It gets them out on the break, as they have a top-5 pace in the NBA right now, and their assist-to-turnover ratio also sits right there with the best teams in the league.

Currently, that’s one of the only things they do well on offense, though. Exactly two players from their regular rotation shoot over 45 percent from the field right now; they get no offensive rebounds, and they do not shoot or hit a lot of threes. Even with all their scoring power, their half-court offense has mostly been driven by isolation. Every Philly star takes his turn, mostly with mixed results. Tyrese Maxey clearly has been the best of the brotherly bunch, scoring 28.4 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting.

76ers play strong defense yet run a clunky offense

The bad O and strong D have led to extreme ups and downs early for the newly assembled group, which partly was expected yet might also be a concern going forward. You sure wouldn’t feel that secure if your team got down by 29 against Cleveland in your home opener, then trail Detroit a few nights later by 21 in your only loss just to top it off by going into the 4th quarter down 13 against the Pacers sans Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac. Begrudgingly, we give them at least some credit for coming back.

Either way, the show must and will go on in Philadelphia. Only recently did we see LeBron complain about playing center and Joel Embiid about not playing at all – funny for one of the guys who basically invented the term load management. Jaylen Brown also made headlines talking about his relationship with Jayson Tatum, beef or no beef yet: “Maybe some lamb chops and gravy”. Uh, okay, we’ll chalk it up as just another instance of a guy trying to sound extremely smart and interesting yet doing the exact opposite.

For the Knicks it would definitely be smart to not get caught up in all that hoopla. Recently, they have found a much better rhythm on offense, and that will clearly be needed against the physical forces from Philly. Jose Alvarado might be coming back for this one; he is currently listed as a game-time decision. Limiting turnovers will be at a premium as New York does not want to run up and down with the 76ers, especially not on the road. When Nick Nurse tries to hide Embiid on Josh Hart, the Knicks have to punish it. Test the opponent’s communication on the backline with plenty of crisp backdoor cuts, ease the ball-handling pressure for Brunson, and hit your open shots. Sounds easy, I know. In the end, it’s only a game.

The vendor at the card show, and we definitely agreed on that. I’m not sure if he’s watching the battle this Friday; maybe he has another show to prepare for. One thing I know, though: I sure would love it if the Knicks gave him a reason to feel a little more defeated.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (2-3) at Philadelphia 76ers (4-1)
Date: Friday, October 30, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Place: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
TV: Prime Video
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

You’ll recognize the World Champion Pacôme Dadiet from his time spent cheering from the bench or dancing on a parade float. His babyface looks are unchanged since his NBA debut—much like his skills.

In a (not so) surprising move, the Knicks have declined to pick up the option for this important practice player. Scoopman Shams Charania reports that the Knicks “plan to decline Pacome Dadiet’s fourth-year option worth $5.37 million, sources tell ESPN.”

This money move will free up a little cap space for Leon Rose as he crunches contract numbers for Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and presumably Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek. The Frenchman will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Dadiet appeared in 18 games as a rookie, 29 as a sophomore, and for one minute of one game in the current campaign. He also played two seasons in the G League with the Westchester club. Late in his second season there, he delivered multiple 25–32-point games, including a 32-point outing with five boards, four dimes, two thefts, and a block.

Although he seemed to be improving in the minor leagues, he hasn’t shown it in his limited appearances at MSG. The best young NBA players demonstrate growth from year to year, with crisper floor movement, shot refinement, physical development, and increased BB IQ. Not so with Pac-Man. The barely 21-year-old will leave an important legacy in New York, however, even if this is indeed his final season with the club.

When selected with the 25th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Dadiet agreed to a four-year rookie-scale deal worth about $13.01 million rather than the more typical maximum scale amount near $13.9 million. First-round rookies can sign for as little as 80% or as much as 120% of the slotted amount. Dadiet took the minimum 80% for 2024-25, a first-year salary of roughly $1.81 million instead of around $2.71 million.

This created about $904,000 in extra flexibility under the 2024-25 second-apron hard cap. The Knicks also paid an $850,000 buyout to free him from his German club (Ratiopharm Ulm), but that overseas buyout did not count against the NBA salary cap.

Without that discount, the subsequent trade for Karl-Anthony Towns (which sent Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and other pieces to Minnesota, with Charlotte involved for salary matching) would have nudged New York over the second apron. The Towns acquisition as structured would have been impossible, at least in that form.

Later seasons of Dadiet’s deal moved closer to (or above) standard scale, but by originally “taking less,” he helped facilitate the acquisition of KAT, who helped deliver a championship to the city two years later.

The new season is still young—and so is he—but Dads already has a ring and some serious bragging rights. If the ride ends after this season, he’s got plenty to be proud of.

Knicks in five.

We’re 6.1% of the way through the NBA regular season.

That’s just there in case anyone is taking Houston’s 5-0 record and extrapolating it to contender status.

The Rockets were 13-4 to begin last season, and we all remember the disaster that ended up being. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t enjoy this fun start. You absolutely should! But taking a fun surprising start and building new expectations off of it is a recipe for disappointment. Give this team time.

Nevertheless, the Rockets are playing fun and free. This looks nothing like last season’s tooth-pulling adventure. The offense is flowing and shots are going in. There will inevitably be a time where the vibes are no longer stellar.

Speaking of last season (I’m sorry), there was a time where the Rockets were 15-5 and sauntered into Dallas to take on the 8-16 Mavs. And yes, of course it was the second night of a back-to-back because it always is. Anyway, the Rockets were without Alperen Sengun (GTD tonight), Steven Adams (OUT tonight), and Fred VanVleet (available as I type this and knock on all of the wood in the Pacific Northwest). Dallas scored at will, shooting 60% from the field. They went 7-19 from deep and only took 20 free throws, but when you get a ton of shots at the rim, the analytics aren’t as important (yes I know analytics says shots at the rim are best).

Now, Houston isn’t on a back-to-back, but they do play again tomorrow. This is a Friday night game so you know American Airlines Center will be packed to see Cooper Flagg and Friends get their first division win. It’s yet another road test for a surging Rockets team that is dealing with some injuries and still trying to find out who they’ll be over 82 games.

Dallas is 3-1 since that opening night matchup, with their only loss coming to the Spurs. They just took down the Oklahoma City Thunder to give OKC their first loss of the season and they would love to do the same to their I-45 rivals.

Tonight also marks the first game of Houston’s NBA Cup journey. The Rockets will be attempting to win the Falcon this season in West Group A. Their other road contest will come against Denver in a couple of weeks, and they’ll have two home games against the Jazz and Suns. Remember, 4-0 guarantees a spot in the Cup playoffs while 3-1 gives you a good chance but introduces point differential into the mix.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Alperen Sengun: GTD

Steven Adams: OUT

Marcus Smart: GTD

Reed Sheppard: OUT

Mavericks

Naji Marshall: GTD

Derek Lively II: OUT

Santi Aldama: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

Hou -5.5

Check here for updates

Schedule Advantage Counter

Rockets: 0

Opponents: 1

Looking ahead because we can

Tomorrow night in Oklahoma City against the Thunder

The Lakers (4-1) will kick off their quest for another NBA Cup title on Friday against the Golden State Warriors (2-3). Both Pacific Division teams are in West Group C for the group stage.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

When: 7 p.m. PT, Oct 30

Where: Chase Center

Watch: Prime Video

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It’s been just a week since these two teams faced off in the season opener and now they’re back in the spotlight to headline the first day of the NBA Cup. After dominating the Warriors in the season opener, the Lakers have kept building momentum while the Warriors have been up and down.

And oh, Yaxel Lendeborg has not stopped talking about Luka Dončić. I mean, seriously, it’s like there’s a new quote from him about Luka that makes the rounds every single day.

Is Yaxel Lendeborg looking forward to the Lakers game on Friday?

“Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes, I am. I’ll talk about that on Friday.” pic.twitter.com/31b3isk3dI

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 29, 2026

How quickly things change.

Going from LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry headlining these Lakers-Warriors matchups to now it being Dončić vs. the rookie from Michigan. It’s an interesting shift for a matchup that has lost some of its juice over the past few seasons. Maybe this NBA Cup game will add more to the fire.

Speaking of the NBA Cup, the Lakers and Warriors are in the same group as the Spurs, Blazers and Kings. All these teams will face each other for the next month and the squad that’s on top of the Group C standing advances to the knockout round. They can also advance as the wild card team by having the best record among all second-place finishers in the conference.

Given how the Lakers have performed in the NBA Cup over the last two years, it would be nice to see them go far this season for a change. Perhaps it won’t be too hard to motivate them given the additional money that could come with winning these games. That’s why some of these NBA Cup games add much-needed juice this early in the regular season.

If the Lakers-Warriors season opener was any indication, Friday’s rematch should be even more thrilling. The purple and gold should expect a better Warriors team coming in with a two-game winning streak. Golden State has really benefited from Lendeborg’s early success and on top of that, Curry — who just scored 44 points in their recent victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves — is still one of the most dangerous players.

The Lakers’ defense will have to be prepared. It’ll be interesting to see if head coach JJ Redick continues to give Jared Vanderbilt playing time after he played 21 minutes in the victory against the Clippers. Vando was a has a plus-minus of +22 and had seven rebounds. The Lakers also nabbed a season-high 48 rebounds, which hopefully is a sign of improvement moving forward.

Beyond controlling the boards, the Lakers must once again capitalize on their advantages over the Warriors. LA has more offensive firepower, a better bench and, frankly, the best superstar on the floor and it has to look that way on Friday. The Lakers can’t let Lendeborg or Brandin Podziemski make a significant impact.

Golden State will be more comfortable knocking down those 3-pointers at home and playing loose. It’ll be up to the Lakers to control the game as they did so in the first matchup.

Let’s see if the Lakers can do that and start their NBA Cup campaign with a statement win on Friday.

Notes and Updates

• If you need a refresher course on the NBA Cup, here’s the perfect thread for it:

GROUP DRAW ✉️ pic.twitter.com/IKKdsPegxv

— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2026

• In the season opener match between these two teams, Walker Kessler scored 26 points and was a perfect 12-12 from the field. It’ll be ideal if the Lakers can get a monster performance from their big man again.
• For the Lakers’ injury report, Ziaire Williams (left foot injury management) is questionable.
• Cameron Carr (right oblique strain) and Adou Thiero (left knee injury management) remain out.
• As for the Warriors, Gui Santos (left knee tendinitis) is doubtful while Kristaps Porzingis (not with team), Moses Moody (left patellar tendon repair) and Jimmy Butler III (right ACL repair) are out.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

The start of the NBA season is infamously known as “October basketball” by many.

With an 82-game regular season, the stakes feel low, players are getting legs under them, and new additions are still getting acclimated to their new teams. Although they have stakes, the first handful of games almost feel like dress rehearsals with exclusive members in the audience, rather than the packed Friday shows on Broadway that are about to begin, with 75+ games still on the schedule.

But the games aren’t just about stakes: they’re also a reminder of what teams don’t have anymore.

With the Phoenix Suns on a four-day break between games, I put my NBA League Pass on a team I seldom watch compared to the other 29 teams: the Charlotte Hornets. As Detroit was closing out the surprise darlings from a season ago in a 97-89 win, I could not stop thinking about the Phoenix Suns, not because Charlotte recently acquired the team’s unprotected 2033 first-round pick, but because of who was on the floor for them late in a close game.

Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen.

Both traded from the Suns this past offseason in return for Miles Bridges. The two played pivotal roles for the team last year, helping the Suns make the playoffs. No matter who was in the lineup alongside them, they provided toughness, experience, and continuity, most memorably in a late February game against Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers that helped the team get out of a rut with Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks out. Allen led the scoring attack, and O’Neale hit the game-winner.

And while Bridges, with his size and offensive versatility, is an upgrade over Allen and O’Neale on the court, with the Suns reportedly dealing with “growing frustration” in the locker room over the lack of a point guard, while neither plays point guard and both struggled in Charlotte’s loss last night, they were both key members helping resurrect Phoenix from disappointment to a surprise.

Yes, the team is three games into the season. Yes, the Suns resigned and extended many of their key players from a season ago, all in an attempt to build around Devin Booker, who’s tied for the second-most seasons in a Suns uniform, but when there are reports of discombobulation, it’s natural to remember the people who help combobulate, even if there’s continuity within the discombobulation.

Just something to think about as we wait for Suns basketball to return from this early-season 96-hour hiatus between games. The stakes for “October basketball” may remain low with teams so close to each other in the standings, but the reminders that arise shine brightly.

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The Atlanta Hawks were back in action on Thursday evening to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hawks are coming off a loss to the Miami Heat last night, where not much went right for them on either side of the ball. The one bright spot was Kingston Flemings, who had his breakout game, finishing with 23 points.

As for the Cavaliers, they’re also coming off a back-to-back, as they defeated the Washington Wizards 121-111.

The Hawks struggled against the Heat due to the likes of their frontcourt, and the Cavaliers pose similar problems with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen down low.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker got things started for the Hawks with a 3-pointer.

Keil gets our first basket with a wing triple pic.twitter.com/h9DNhwSOEC

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2026

It was another slow offensive outing for the team in the first quarter, as they couldn’t get much to go at the rim. The 3-point numbers weren’t bad, but they didn’t take that many to make a big difference.

That led the Cavaliers to grab a double-digit lead toward the middle of the quarter, and the Hawks found themselves fighting back. Going into the second, the Hawks trailed the Cavaliers 28-16.

It was a slow start to the second for the Hawks, but the bench was able to find a little bit of a rhythm to cut down their deficit. It was Aaron Wiggins who brought the Hawks life as the quarter continued, knocking down a few 3-pointers to bring them within striking distance.

Wiggs getting us going with a couple buckets 🪣🪣 pic.twitter.com/A6ZyjPU3gg

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2026

The starters fed off that energy, and they were able to get stops on defense that led to their offense. Onyeka Okongwu made a layup to tie the game at 37.

CJ with a little razzle dazzle 💫 pic.twitter.com/K4OD2AN507

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2026

The Hawks were able to take the lead a few possessions later, and even extend it a little further. Okongwu was able to get a few 3-pointers to go in after struggling with his shot to start the season.

Triple O knocks down his 2nd longball of the night 🏹🏹 pic.twitter.com/B5gE75aASG

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2026

The Hawks led 46-44 going into halftime.

It was a strong start to the third for the Hawks, and Okongwu continued his hot shooting from the 3-point line. They were able to maintain their lead throughout the quarter, and Okongwu brought his scoring inside the paint.

Onyeka in attack mode in the 3rd 💪 pic.twitter.com/Egu4NyfLvy

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2026

Wiggins and Jalen Johnson were able to knock down 3-pointers.

1 and 2 each make a 3 😁😁 pic.twitter.com/TQGTV1mJqi

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2026

Even when the Cavaliers made their run, the Hawks always had a response. To end the quarter, Flemings found Alexander-Walker on the break for a 3-pointer to give the Hawks an 89-82 lead going into the fourth.

King to Keil 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/ghUiBu6O8s

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2026

The Hawks continued to stay afloat in the fourth, hitting timely shots and getting stops on defense. Wiggins was there when they needed him, and Johnson was also able to get some shots to go, including this dunk in transition.

Jalen Johnson Jam 🚂 pic.twitter.com/Y5B3Q2mnVW

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2026

Jal3333333nnnnnnn pic.twitter.com/eQU6Zyh13i

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2026

The Cavaliers had one final run in them, and they made it close with less than a minute remaining. With 20.6 seconds left, the Hawks led by one point, and that’s when the free-throw game came in. Alexander-Walker was able to knock down both to give the Hawks a 3-point lead. From there, all the Hawks needed was a stop on the other end, and they got multiple stops to seal the game in the end.

Okongwu finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds, Alexander-Walker finished with 25 points, and Wiggins finished with 20 points and seven rebounds.

The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday to face the New Orleans Pelicans.

A not quite fully healthy Washington Wizards squad are hosting a surprisingly strong Charlotte Hornets as they kick off the NBA Cup Group stage play on this Halloween weekend. Here’s the preview!

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Game info

Gametime: 7 p.m. ET, Friday, Oct. 30

Where: Capital One Arena, D.C.

TV: LeaguePass, Monumental

Injuries:

Wizards: Tre Johnson, Justin Champagnie, Tristan Vukcevic, Jamir Watkins

Hornets: Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams, Kylan Boswell

What to look for

The Wizards have started the season with some good wins, but also a few more-or-less expected losses against the Cavaliers and Raptors. What was quite surprising is their loss to these same Hornets just a few days ago.

Can the Wizards flip the script for this game that actually means more, as it is part of the NBA Cup?

The biggest question is, of course, how will this new squad of onece All-Stars and young talent mesh. This will be a great game to gauge that.

Anthony Davis has shown some flashes of his former All-Star play. Tre Young, on the other hand, still needs more time it seems to be back in his full capacities. What still is missing is a cohesive defense though. But whatever it is right now, it’s a big improvement from last season.

Let us know in the comments your thoughts!

Here are some highlights from that recent game with the Hornets:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLAQRSIIDkQ&themeRefresh=1

The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t able to extend their win streak to four games, falling short to the Atlanta Hawks 111-114.

James Harden and Donovan Mitchell were able to find their spots to score 46 points combined, but it was not enough as the Hawks kept the Cavaliers at arm’s length throughout their many comeback attempts in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers came out efficient and were able to grab a 15-point lead in the second quarter. However, it never really felt like the Cavaliers were able to reclaim that same level of energy or shot-making once Atlanta’s shots started falling.

The Hawks outhustled the Cavaliers from the second quarter onward, including efforts from Onyeka Okongwu (27 points and 10 rebounds) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (25 points).

The Hawks, despite struggling to put the ball in the basket in the first quarter, finished shooting 44% from the field and 40% shooting from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, did not share such fortune (31% from three), it never really felt like they recaptured the groove seen early on.

The Cavaliers saw minimal shooting output from Evan Mobley, Peyton Watson, and Jaylon Tyson, who combined for a 6-for-24 effort from the field. It seemed as if the Cavaliers just ran out of gas and thought that they could simply shoot themselves out of the slump they found themselves in. Unfortunately, unlike their opponent, the Cavaliers never found that rhythm again for the rest of the contest.

Games like this happen, especially on the second end of a back-to-back. However, the Hawks were also coming off a back-to-back and were able to respond to the first punch thrown.

The Cavaliers once again have proved that an area of improvement for this team is holding onto the leads that they build, or at the least being able to react to a counterpunch from an opponent.

The Lakers, like every other NBA team, are operating under small sample sizes. 

And with the 2026-27 NBA season just 1 ½ weeks old, that’ll be the case for at least a few more weeks until teams get closer to Thanksgiving. 

But a team’s first few games are informative, and the Lakers have already provided enough information to show the type of team they’ll be – their areas of strengths and concerns after a 4-1 start. 

Here are five standout statistics from the Lakers’ first five games entering Friday’s NBA Cup Group Play matchup against the Warriors in San Francisco:

60.4 

That’s the combined amount of points the Lakers star backcourt of Luka Doncic (league-leading 36 points per game) and Austin Reaves (24.4 points) are averaging so far this season, making them the highest-scoring pair of teammates in the league. 

Factor in their passing (Doncic with 8.3 assists; Reaves with 5.4) and they’re not only two of the ten players in league who were averaging 24 points and 5 assists entering Thursday, but also the only pair of teammates in the league doing so. 

Doncic and Reaves working so well together, while also producing gaudy stat lines, isn’t surprising. 

They combined to average 62.7 points and 17.1 assists during the Lakers’ 10-4 start to last season while LeBron James was sidelined. 

The star guards also averaged 58.1 points and 13.1 assists during the Lakers’ 16-2 stretch in the late winter/early spring. 

It’s unlikely Doncic and Reaves will come even close to being the highest-scoring duo in a season. The record of 72.3 points, which is held by Wilt Chamberlain (50.4 points) and Paul Arizin (21.9 points), seems unbreakable. 

But being the highest-scoring duos in a season since the NBA-ABA merger (1976) isn’t out of the question. 

James Harden and Russell Westbrook, who combined for 61.5 points per game while with the Rockets in 2019-20, currently hold that distinction.

122.5

Considering the aforementioned combined offensive firepower of Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers entered the season with expectations of being an elite offensive team.

And they’ve been that. 

Their offensive rating entering Thursday ranked third in the league behind the Trail Blazers (126.8) and Rockets (122.5).

They were at the top or near the top in several offensive categories, including true shooting percentage (65.8%; No. 1), effective field goal percentage (61.7%; No. 1), 3-point percentage (39.2%; No. 2) and halfcourt offensive rating (106.6; No. 2). 

64.5

That’s the Lakers’ defensive rebounding percentage, which ranked as the third-worst mark in the league. 

It hasn’t been surprising to see the Lakers struggle on the defensive boards when starting center Walker Kessler hasn’t been on the court. 

What’s been the most surprising is that the Lakers have actually been a worst defensive rebounding team with Kessler on the court compared to the bench. 

They’ve collected 10.4% more defensive rebounds with Kessler off the court – a trend that likely won’t continue. 

“Where he can continue to grow with us, he was, like per 36 numbers, per minute numbers, he’s not rebounding at the rate [we expect],” coach JJ Redick said. “And obviously that’s an area of concern for us right now. So need to be him doing better, particularly on the defensive glass. That’s where I think he can give us the biggest boost right now defensively.”

7th 

That’s where the Lakers ranked in terms of offensive transition frequency and points per transitiion possession after being more middle of the pack last season.

This is despite losing LeBron James, one of the best transition players in league history.

“Doing a decent job of throwing the ball ahead,” Redick said. “And I think [we] have had some really good moments of sprinting for layups. The other thing I think we’ve done a decent job of and part of it is the throws aheads: By throwing the ball ahead and by running, you create early cross-matches. Those early cross-matches are a little more comfortable.”

65.2%

That’s the percentage opponents are shooting against the Lakers at the rim.

While it’s an average number compared to the rest of the league, it’s a significant improvement from last season’s mark of 71.5%, which was the second-worst mark among all 30 teams.

It hasn’t been the start to the season that the Utah Jazz were hoping for. Let that be my late submission for Understatement of the Year, as the upstart Jazz have not only lost four of their first five games (their lone victory a one-point stand against a New Orleans team that remains winless at the time I’m writing this article) but have seen three members of their starting unit go down with injury.

Most notable of all were veteran bigs Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. making early trips to the locker room during the same half of play against Memphis. The two players head coach Will Hardy described as Utah’s best will both miss time, and the reserves haven’t been able to keep their head above water in their absence.

To be fair, Utah’s schedule hasn’t exactly been favorable to this point in the year. They had two dates with the Grizzlies, who might be the biggest surprise of the early year, as they sit with an unblemished record of 4-0.

It doesn’t help morale that Walker Kessler, who Utah could have retained this offseason had they been willing to pay top dollar, has been excellent in Los Angeles. The Jazz were forced to dip to their fifth-string center, Tony Bradley (always good to see a familiar face), in their second loss to the Grizz.

A glimmer of hope, however, has been the outstanding play from fourth-year point guard Keyonte George. Utah’s front office raised their hands in an overwhelming vote of confidence in Key by extending his tenure for five more years and a sizable stack of cash. Their investment is already paying off early.

Taking charge and planting his rear end in the director’s chair, George shouted into the megaphone as he dropped a season-high 31 points against the NBA Finals runners-up. They leaned on him, and they leaned hard. Hard enough that Will Hardy felt inclined to give his young point guard a breather at the beginning of overtime.

Keyonte has been exceptional this year, but the team became far too reliant on his scoring ability late into the game, and the wheels fell off in the critical stretch of added time.

Perhaps rolling out Isaiah Collier over Darryn Peterson was a sound decision on paper — putting the ball in the hands of the more experienced player is logical — but the offense stalled as Collier pounded the air out of the ball, and costly turnovers saw Utah’s early three-point advantage give way to a rapid 12-0 run. It was miraculous to see what was essentially the Jazz’s second and third unit go wire-to-wire against a healthy San Antonio side, but it’s clear Utah’s sculpture has plenty more rough edges to carve away.

And they can start by taking down a frisky Portland team in the Delta Center.

The Blazers are unbeaten behind a core of players that fascinates and perplexes me. On the surface, it’s a roster that is well-balanced and carries some real firepower.

Deni Avdija was silently one of the best forwards in the NBA last season, a master of rim-pressure and free-throw trips. He’s running the show again this season, averaging a team-high in minutes, points, and steals.

But he’s not alone this year; Portland’s front office upgraded the backcourt significantly. Shifting the uneven Scoot Henderson to the second unit in favor of Damian Lillard, who’s picking up right where he left off before being traded to Milwaukee two seasons ago. Torching the net for nearly 43% from three-point land through three games, he’s averaging 21.4 points per game.

And he’s got a running mate in Ja Morant. Morant, who was dumped from the Grizzlies’ sinking ship (which is floating quite comfortably today, interestingly enough), has played very well with his new team and, shockingly, has been shooting the leather off the basketball at 44.4% from three.

Add Jrue Holiday, Donovan Clingan, and Toumani Camara to the mix, and it’s no wonder why the Blazers opened the year 3-0 — this is a frisky, dangerous team.

So how will the Jazz fare against their Northwest Division rivals in Salt Lake City? The inertia doesn’t bode well.

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Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk and a Utah Jazz columnist for the Standard-Examiner. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently writes from his desk in Japan.

Egor Dëmin will be sidelined for at least a week after being diagnosed with a right leg bone bruise, the Nets announced Thursday.

He’ll be reevaluated next week after leaving Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Celtics with the injury.

Jordi Fernández said after Thursday’s practice that Dëmin’s injury is not long-term.

But without the second-year player, another 2025 first-round pick, Nolan Traore, will likely be counted on more.

Traore, who played well against the Celtics in his first start of the season before leaving due to cramps, has impressed when he’s been able to stay on the court.

He’s been able to use his speed, which Day’Ron Sharpe called his “biggest threat.”

Dëmin and Traore were the two highest draft picks by the Nets a year ago and they had five in total.

On Thursday, the team announced it was picking up the third-year options on all of them, including Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf.

“We brought them in for a reason,’’ Fernández said. “We believe every single one of them has a future in this league. Everyone has different paths to get there and that’s OK. I think it shows we believe in the process.”

Powell (G-League assignment) was listed as questionable for Friday’s game, while Saraf (G-League assignment) is out.

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Mikel Brown Jr. accepted the blame Tuesday for making a pair of late mistakes in the loss to the Celtics.

His coach and teammates were quick to defend him and praise the rookie for taking accountability.

“Honestly, we’re not in that situation without Mikel hitting a couple big shots down the stretch,’’ Michael Porter Jr. said. “So people can look at the mistakes, but it doesn’t get to where we’re at [Tuesday] without him doing what he did.”

“That’s the type of person he is,” Fernández said of Brown. “He’s tough. He holds himself accountable. Other people have excuses. That’s not who he is. … He’s not down on himself. He likes big moments. I’m excited for him to keep giving us those moments.”

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Through four games, Sharpe is averaging a career-high 21.5 minutes per game.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that he’s also averaging 3.8 fouls per game, significantly higher than the 2.4 fouls he put up a year ago.

“I just think you can’t be over-physical,’’ Sharpe said. “That has me in trouble with fouls. I’m not trying to foul. I’m so busy trying to be impactful. I’ve got to start playing harder, with purpose [and] control my physicality.”

The Warriors sent the “Inside the NBA” crew personalized jerseys — Charles Barkley’s was extra special.

Barkley went viral after an “Inside the NBA” segment of “Who He Play For?” because of the Hall of Famer’s inability to accurately pinpoint where players landed in the offseason. From Moe Wagner to Taurean Prince, Barkley went 0-for-5 in the game.

Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith allowed Barkley to try again. He failed a second time.

Then, the crew gave him a third chance. And thrice Barkley failed.

It was a hilarious segment and a prime example of why “Inside the NBA” continues to be one of the best studio shows in sports. A week later, the Warriors sent Barkley a personalized jersey with the name “I Don’t Know” printed on the back.

Warriors sent personalized jerseys to the Inside crew

stay to the end to see Chuck's pic.twitter.com/owpNrI8nhZ

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) October 29, 2026

“Inside the NBA” has run for 37 seasons, originally debuting in 1989. Johnson, who has been a part of the show since its inception, announced this season would be his final year with the program.

Barkley, who has been a part of the show for more than two decades, paid tribute to Johnson earlier this week.

CHICAGO — The Knicks will start their secondary title defense like they began their primary — against LeBron and the 76ers. 

The group stage of the NBA Cup kicks off for the Knicks on Friday night in Philadelphia, a rematch of the regular-season opener from 10 days prior. 

The Knicks lost that matchup, 106-100, because Tyrese Maxey took off and LeBron finished. This time, the Knicks (2-3) are coming off consecutive victories — against the Pistons and Bulls — while Philadelphia (4-1) is still riding the pace and skill of Maxey, the reigning Eastern Conference player of the week. 

“We just need to obviously not do what we did [the last time we played them],” Jalen Brunson said. 

Brunson broke out of his shooting slump in Wednesday’s victory over the Bulls, reeling off 38 points with six treys. 

The Knicks are in the toughest NBA Cup group with the Sixers, Pacers (game on Nov. 13), Cavs (Nov. 25) and Heat (Nov. 27). The winner automatically advances to the quarterfinals, along with two wild cards from the six groups. 

Last year, the Knicks won the tournament, with the semifinals and finals held in Vegas. This year, if they advance, the semis are at the home team’s arena and the final is at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indiana, the historic basketball site from “Hoosiers” and home of Butler University. 

Despite winning the NBA Cup, Knicks owner James Dolan declined to hang the banner until they won the NBA Finals. 

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Pacôme Dadiet will hit free agency in the summer because the Knicks, as expected, are declining to pick up his $5.4 million team option for next season, a source confirmed. 

Dadiet, a 2024 first-round pick, has been out of the rotation again and is worth more to the Knicks as a trade chip on an expiring deal than on the books for over $5 million next season. 

The 21-year-old Frenchman has logged one minute this season. For his career, Dadiet is averaging 1.6 points on 33 percent shooting. He’s the lone Knicks first-round pick on the roster. 

ESPN first reported that the Knicks were declining Dadiet’s option. The deadline is Saturday. 

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Sixers star Jaylen Brown is listed as questionable for Friday with knee soreness. Neither Joel Embiid nor LeBron James are on the injury report. 

The Nets came up just short of beating the Celtics in Boston in their last game, but the end result is they fell to 0-4. 

For a team that’s trying to change the direction of a franchise that knows tanking all too well — and lost its first seven games a year ago — they know the results have to change. 

And they believe they’re close. 

“We haven’t won yet, so obviously we want to get the zero out of that column and get a one right there,’’ Michael Porter Jr. said after practice in Brooklyn on Thursday. “It’s important. That’s why that loss the other day hurt. We felt we were in a position to win the game, but if we play like that and can continue to improve, then we’ll get there.” 

Their next chance comes Friday at Barclays Center against the Pistons, followed by games on the road versus Indiana and the Knicks, so it won’t come easily. 

Unlike the previous two seasons, when the Nets could have benefited from losing but did not fare well in the draft lottery, this year their first-round pick goes to the Rockets as a result of the trade that sent James Harden to Brooklyn. 

So the time to start winning is now. 

“We’ve just got to get that first win,’’ Day’Ron Sharpe said. “Once we get that first win, we can use it as momentum.” 

And the lack of a victory is on the players’ minds. 

They entered Thursday as the only winless team remaining in the Eastern Conference and one of just three in the league. 

“For sure,’’ Sharpe said of whether the record was something the team thought about. “You don’t want to have a zero on the board. Last year, we started 0-7 and we’re not trying to do the same thing this year.” 

To prevent another round of Groundhog Day — without the silver lining of a potentially high pick — the Nets will have to play like they did in Boston — without the late-game miscues that ended up costing them. 

“We’re almost right there,’’ coach Jordi Fernández said. “It came down to late-game execution.” 

But he added, “I think games like this in the future will lead to more wins.” 

As Porter noted, the Nets are again playing with some key new players, from veterans like Julius Randle to rookie Mikel Brown Jr. 

“It’s gonna take some time to develop some chemistry and I think from Game 1 to the last game, there’s been some growth,” Porter said. “Teams that are brand-new like this, it takes a while. We understand that and I think we’re willing to be patient with the process and continue to stack days and it’ll turn around for us.” 

Fernández agreed and doesn’t want his team to press. 

“We want to play with an edge, not anxiety,’’ Fernández said. “I just want to see continuity from what we did in the game against Boston. There’s no doubt in my mind, the first [win] is gonna come … I believe in the process. Right now, I’m not anxious about a win. I want to play consistently the right way. That [Boston] game is a clear example of who we want to be.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking for their fourth straight win as they take on the Atlanta Hawks.

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