Category: Basketball

Warriors, Kings each rule out pair of star players for Wednesday's game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Both the Warriors and Kings will be without key players for Wednesday’s game at Golden 1 Center.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr ruled superstar Steph Curry (illness) out immediately after Tuesday’s win over the Phoenix Suns, and on Wednesday, the Warriors listed forward Draymond Green (rib) and guard Brandin Podziemski (wrist) as questionable against Sacramento, while downgrading forward Jimmy Butler (lower back) from questionable to out later in the afternoon.

The Kings, meanwhile, ruled out star guard Zach LaVine (lower back) and center Domantas Sabonis (ribcage contusion) for the Northern California matchup.

While both Sacramento and Golden State will be without its top scorers in LaVine (27.4) and Curry (26.8 PPG), respectively, both teams also will be without their second-best players.

Butler was questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Suns, but ended up playing in the first half, scoring 2 points with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 14 minutes before he was ruled out for the remainder of the game as Golden State built a 25-point lead late in the second quarter.

Curry, dealing with an illness that he admits hindered him in the second half of the game, was unofficially ruled out by Kerr on Tuesday night before being officially ruled out on Wednesday.

Both LaVine and Sabonis played in Sacramento’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday, and it’s unclear how severe their injuries are.

Steve Nash hilariously credits Steph Curry for pushing him into retirement originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

On the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, co-host Steve Nash told a story to LeBron James and guest Steph Curry about the moment he realized his NBA career was done — and Curry was part of the reason why.

The moment traces back to the 2014-15 preseason, when Nash and the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Warriors in Ontario, California. Golden State came out firing, putting up a 39-point first quarter and eventually cruising to a 116–75 win. Curry dropped 12 points in the opening 2:30 and finished with 25 points in just 24 minutes.

Nash, already dealing with back issues, knew he didn’t have the legs to keep up with Curry flying around screens.

“I’m guarding Steph,” Nash said. “They put up like 50 in the first quarter — maybe it was 45, but it felt like a 50-piece. He’s running everywhere. My back is broke. Everything’s jacked. I couldn’t have stopped him if I was 100 percent.”

"My hero!" 😭

This story from @SteveNash about @StephenCurry30 passing him by is hilarious. Watch the full episode for more great conversation, out now on our YouTube: https://t.co/HdIN9eJzNEpic.twitter.com/eiXt09r3eL

— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) November 4, 2025

A few days later, the realization hit.

“Man, literally like three more, four more days of thinking on it, I was like… yeah. I think it’s time,” Nash joked to Curry. “You put me out!”

In July 2014, Nash already had said the upcoming season would be his last. The 40-year-old point guard played just three preseason games before his back flared up again, including the one against the Warriors in Ontario. On October 23, 2014, less than a week before opening night, he was ruled out for the season and never appeared in another NBA game.

Nash didn’t formally announce his retirement until March 2015, but he says now that the moment guarding Curry was when the decision really settled in.

Instead of stepping away from the game entirely, Nash shifted into a new consulting role with the Warriors.

“Next thing I know,” Curry said, “he showed up at practice teaching us pick-and-roll.”

On the podcast, Nash joked that it was one of those “if you can’t beat ’em” situations — and LeBron quickly finished the line for him before the trio erupted into laughter. The matchup that ended his playing days ultimately brought him right back into the game.

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Early-season fantasy basketball trades separate contenders from pretenders. Shooting percentages haven't normalized, roles remain fluid, and league-mates overreact to hot starts or cold streaks. Smart managers target buy-low candidates with strong underlying metrics, cash in on unsustainable efficiency, and hold established players through shooting slumps. Understanding usage rates and minute trends reveals which performances are real versus noise. Act fast before the market catches up.

Buy

Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

As the top pick in the draft and one of the more highly regarded prospects in recent history, Flagg entered the league with significant fantasy expectations. He was going in the third or fourth round in many leagues, which means he's someone that fantasy managers intended to build their team around. The early returns have not been great, with him averaging 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 three-pointers. His biggest issue has been shooting only 38.8% from the field.

Since Kyrie Irving (knee) is out, the Mavericks have been deploying Flagg at point guard for stretches. That's a difficult assignment for any rookie, let alone one who is more suited to be a forward at 6'9". Despite the early growing pains, Flagg has massive upside. Once Irving comes back, Flagg can all settle back into a more suitable role playing the wing. Fantasy managers who drafted him early might be frustrated with their initial returns, so there is a possible buy-low window here.

Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls

Buzelis was widely regarded as one of the top breakout candidates this season. He didn't play much to begin his rookie season with the Bulls, but once they moved him into the starting lineup, his fantasy upside began to show. With a secure spot in the starting lineup entering this season, it looked like full-steam ahead for Buzelis when he recorded 21 points, six rebounds and three blocks in his season opener versus the Pistons. However, he has averaged a more modest 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks since.

Buzelis hasn't contributed a ton outside of points and three-pointers. It is encouraging to see him shooting 46.9% from the field and 42.4% from behind the arc. It's also good to see him logging 29 minutes per game. If not for a rough game against a very good Magic defensive team in which he fouled out in six minutes, his overall numbers for the season would look better. Big things could still be on the horizon.

Sell

RJ Barrett, Toronto Raptors

The addition of Brandon Ingram figured to cut into Barrett's scoring opportunities. However, Barrett is still averaging 20.8 points per game, which is nearly in line with his average of 21.1 points last season. However, it's important to point out that Barrett is shooting 55.4% from the field. He has shot 44.3% for his career, so some significant regression could be coming. His usage rate has indeed dipped significantly, falling from 28.7% last season to 23.3% through eight games.

Barrett averaged 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists last season, but is down to 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this season. If not for his significant increase in efficiency, his overall numbers would have taken a big step backward from last season. Trade him now before his shooting percentage begins to normalize.

Quentin Grimes, Philadelphia 76ers

Grimes helped many fantasy managers down the stretch last season. Over his final 25 games, he averaged 23.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.1 three-pointers. With the 76ers dealing with so many injuries, he logged 34 minutes per game during that span and was often their top scoring option. Despite Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid being back in the fold this season, Grimes has averaged 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.7 three-pointers over their first seven games.

Helping Grimes has been him playing 32 minutes per game. That type of workload might not be sustainable now that Jared McCain is back. Grimes played 30 minutes in McCain's first game of the season Tuesday against the Bulls, finishing with 10 points, three rebounds and four assists. Paul George (knee) should also return at some point down the road. It's possible that Grimes could be in the 25-to-28-minute range moving forward, so his fantasy value might have already peaked. 

Hold

Derrick White, Boston Celtics

White looked primed for an expanded role entering the season. Jayson Tatum (Achilles) is out, and the Celtics traded away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Other than Anfernee Simons, the Celtics didn't make any noteworthy additions. That left White with the potential to set a new career high in points after he put up 16.4 points per game last season.

As many expected, the added shots have been there for White. His usage rate is 23.6%, which is up from 19.8% last season. The issue is, him shooting 31.0% from the field and 26.3% from behind the arc has limited him to 14.4 points per game. Entering this season, White had shot at least 38.1% from behind the arc in each of his first three full campaigns with the Celtics. As his three-point percentage improves, so should his scoring contributions. Don't panic about his slow start and trade him at a discount.

Desmond Bane, Orlando Magic

The Magic had a clear need in the offseason and it was to improve their three-point shooting. That made the acquisition of Bane seem like a perfect fit. He has averaged at least 2.4 three-pointers in each of the last four seasons, and he has shot 40.8% from behind the arc for his career. The surprise for the Magic and fantasy managers alike is that Bane is shooting 28.6% from deep across his first eight games. That has left him to average just 13.9 points per game.

If there is a bright side to Bane's slow start, it's that his usage rate is 22.7%. That's not too far off from his mark of 23.3% with the Grizzlies last season. It will be difficult for him to average at least 5.0 assists for the third straight season playing alongside good passers in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but much better shooting production should be in the cards for Bane.