Category: Basketball

Fraternizing with the Enemy continues to go back-and-forth just as much as this wild Western Conference Finals series. After the Spurs appeared out of gas in Game 5 against the Thunder and now face an elimination game in San Antonio, I discussed with Cray Allred of the Daily Thunder what he observed and any potential concerns going forward — both about the teams on the court and the flaws this series has exposed in certain NBA procedures (such as *cough* the rudimentary way coaches have to call for a challenge).

J.R. 

The night that Wemby misses a dunk in transition isn’t your night. The night that Castle smokes a wide open layup isn’t your night. And when the refs miss an OKC goal tending call plus two out of bounds calls (one that Mitch Johnson tried to challenge and they didn’t grant resulting in a three-point play on the other end, including Mitch’s tech) then you might want to consider the possibility that the evening in question doesn’t belong to you. 

I’m not going to gripe about the calls the refs make because once you start that it’ll never end. Literally. You become convinced that the refs and the league are against your team and down that path, madness lies. And by madness, I mean becoming convinced that every call that goes against you is part of a conspiracy that the league has to fulfill vengeance against your team for some undefined grievance. I know, because I lived that. But that’s a story for another day.

So I don’t let myself go there again, but I do allow myself to criticize the systems the league has in place, because the league changes rules and that can make the games more fair. (Or at least more difficult to complain about.) Point in case, I griped about Zaza Pachulia sliding under Kawhi Leonard and taking him out of the series. Then they changed the rule. Now shooters are protected. You might say they’re overly protected, but there’s not such thing as a “make it fair” button. It’s either going to be too dangerous or too safe. So, you might as well err on the side of safety. 

Here’s my new gripe. The league needs to have a button that coaches can press to stop the play from starting or a flag to throw on the court. That way we’re not subject to refs hearing or acknowledging a coach in order for a challenge to officially granted. 

How about you? What gripe do you have that a new rule would alleviate and improve the game?

Cray

One thing I hope we can agree on: the San Antonio and Oklahoma City markets are not where Adam Silver and the NBA want to conspire to. The reason the league will run through our teams is that they have acquired and developed the best talent, without needing the free agency and trade levers used by bigger market teams that used to rule the league. (Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, Wolves, and Warriors, to name a few). The teams that the Thunder and Spurs have left in the dust.

I’d be okay with giving coaches a cleaner play stoppage lever for challenges. Teams already stall and delay the game while coaches decide whether to call timeout and twirl their fingers, which feels silly to watch as a viewer.

I’m actually against rule changes by default. I’m a bigger believer in the law of unintended consequences than I am of the idea we can shape the way the game looks and feels with more policy work.

I much prefer legitimate points of emphasis within the rulebook. In the second half of the 2023-2024 season, the refs obviously started swallowing their whistle to allow defenders to crowd and all-but-handcheck perimeter offensive players. It pissed everyone off because they denied it loudly in public before quietly acknowledging in a league memo to the governors. Then in the 2024 offseason, the NBA told its teams that this was the new reality: referees would be using their judgement to favor more physical and contact-heavy play, slowing the runaway offensive numbers getting juiced by three-point spamming.

Rick Carlisle warned us. Teams like the Pacers, Thunder, and Spurs leaned into the advantages that physical defenders like Nembhard, Nesmith, Caruso, Cason, Castle, and Vassell gave them. Fans watching their teams get ripped to shreds by these elite modern defenses aren’t blaming their front offices, of course, because blaming the refs is a much more soothing pastime.

So I’m dubious of rule changes, but I don’t hate change. What I hate is the unwillingness to make things better within the rules. We all know that the typical summer “points of emphasis” usually last through the preseason and then fade away when the games matter. Meanwhile there are tools to counter plenty of things jeopardizing the competition and NBA product; the league just doesn’t use them. Cap circumvention. The rot of gambling influence. Flopping fines. Injuries to stars piling up in the war against DNP-TV. But instead, the league is spending most of its fix-it energies concocting a new formula for ping pong balls.

It definitely wasn’t your night, just like Game 4 wasn’t ours. I’m surprised that the consensus reaction is that we’ve advanced even further into the greatest chess match ever. Don’t you think it’s more simply that the teams with the most desperation have played much better at home? That’s how I’d chalk up most of the individual performances, including from our two most valuable players: Victor Wembanyama and Jared McCain

J.R.

There is definitely room for the chess match, no doubt. And I’ll tell you that I’ve dived deeper into the pool of analysis videos in an attempt to better understand the tactics behind this game I’ve been watching for the last 40-some years. (Wow that’s a long time.) But Tuesday night seemed to pivot largely on effort. So many plays were made by OKC in which the same force just wasn’t being exerted by the visiting team in general, and oddly Wemby specifically. 

There were far too many plays where I expected Vic to elevate and swat the ball away from the basket, but he just watched his opponent take a trip to the rim. Definitely not what I’ve grown accustomed to over the year, and I think I have to put my vote in the “he’s exhausted” group. 

Oddly, that doesn’t make me feel less optimistic about Game 6. After the Thunder win in San Antonio, I found myself having issues maintaining my hope, but I don’t feel that right now. Maybe that’s delusion, but it feels like San Antonio will take the next one. I’m definitely concerned about his Game 7 but why should I even be thinking about that when the Spurs are facing elimination for the first time since DeMar DeRozan was a Spur? Maybe I’m exhausted too.

Ok, tell me what concerns you about G6 and how you’re dealing with it. 

Cray

To be clear, I love the Thunder’s chances to win one of two. I’m in the “Wemby’s exhausted” camp with you, and San Antonio hasn’t put together two straight games with the intensity needed to best the champs. The Thunder have thinned, but they’re still deeper and fresher. And I believe in Shai+whoever to land a knockout punch, given two shots at the up and comers.

There’s still plenty of cause for concern. Game 5’s offensive explosion masked some cracks in the defense for OKC, which had kept them in the series through four. An elimination Game 6 should be the boost of all boosts for the Spurs, even if they’re gassed. And if you get to a Game 7, anything can happen. Cold shooting. Foul trouble. Injury. Lemon booty. And if it’s close, the kind of game-deciding bad call we’ve somehow avoided so far. The kind of stuff you can’t get over for 40 years of fandom. And all of that is more likely with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell still unavailable. 

Outside of random, crazy, heartbreaking playoff possibilities, both Wemby and Dylan Harper still scare me. The Spurs hung close for most of Game 5 with both of them struggling. Wemby digging deep to find another gear is something the greats all eventually get around to. Harper could recover more health, or energy, or confidence, whatever combination of those things are holding him back.

Though I do sense a shift in the Spurs’ self-belief, an essential part of what has made them so great this season. I told you I admired you that Wemby practicing against simulation hack-a-defense and Mitch Johnson’s refusal to make excuses after Game 2. I’ll add to the list Devin Vassell’s jovial comments about each team getting away with what the refs allow after Game 4. I’m not going to pile on Stephon Castle for complaining about the whistle, or Wemby for skipping the postgame, or Thunder legend Mason Plumlee for doing goonwork in Game 5’s closing moments (as quoted by NBA media correspondent and TikTok sensation, Jared McCain). But taken together, I don’t think the vibes from the Spurs reek of confidence and composure as they face down elimination.

Feel free to stand up for any of those guys if you think I’m being unfair, or recommend me your favorite Spurs alternate mascot or side story that helps lighten your spirits amid the grind of the playoffs. Are the nuns the most fun? The jackals? A deeper cut? (We disavow Thundor in my household but McCain, the public figure, brings us joy.)

Former 49ers WR Jauan Jennings compares joining Vikings to Durant's Warriors fit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jauan Jennings played a big role for the 49ers as one of the team’s most reliable third-down options over the past several seasons, but when San Francisco added Hall of Fame wideout Mike Evans this past offseason, the writing was on the wall in big bold letters.

Now, with a new one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, the 28-year-old wide receiver has high praise for his new group – and himself.

“I feel like Kevin Durant with the Warriors,” Jennings told reporters on Wednesday when asked how he felt about joining Minnesota.

“Big three, man,” Jennings answered when asked why he compared himself to the 16-time All-Star. “There’s just a lot of talent over here. Top down, head to bottom, a lot of talent.”

#Vikings WR Jauan Jennings on his fit with Minnesota:

"It's awesome! I feel like Kevin Durant with the Warriors. … Big 3, man. You know what I'm saying? Just a lot of talent here." https://t.co/v502Ni2ur4pic.twitter.com/RKsn6kQnOY

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 28, 2026

In addition to Jennings, the Vikings’ wide receivers room boasts one of the NFL’s top pass catchers in Justin Jefferson, as well as Jordan Addison.

Jefferson has begun his NFL career with six-straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and continues to be considered a top wideout in the game, while Addison’s production has dropped year after year in his three seasons amid an array of off-field troubles.

Jennings’ confidence isn’t anything new. The wideout played the 2025 season under a one-year “show-me” type contract and hit every benchmark to earn almost $4 million in incentives before his departure.

As for the comparison, Durant joined a Warriors team that finished their 2015-16 season with a record-breaking 73-9 record, while Jennings joined a Vikings team that went 9-8 in 2025 and failed to reach the postseason.

Same, but different.

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Tyrese Haliburton can’t hear Knicks fans.

The star Pacers guard who earned villain status in New York after eliminating the Knicks in back-to-back postseasons said the Madison Square Garden crowd is too celebrity-centric and not loud enough.

“A place like New York, they have a lot of passionate fans, and people love the Knicks, but there are a lot of celebrities in there who sometimes get too cool to be super loud,” Haliburton said on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday.

Tyrese Haliburton:

"A place like New York they have a lot of passionate fans of course and people love the Knicks, but there's a lot of celebrities in there and there are sometimes they're like too cool to get super loud vs OKC's" pic.twitter.com/tWErCkoB8e

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 27, 2026

Haliburton then made an exasperated face when describing the Oklahoma City environment and how hard it is to play there, with Indiana having lost to the Thunder in seven games in last year’s Finals.

He suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7 that ultimately sidelined him for the entire 2025-26 season.

“I think OKC does a great job with kind of having that like college environment in there,” Haliburton continued. “It’s pretty ridiculously loud, so I would say it’s the best environment.”

McAfee joked with Haliburton about the comments regarding the Knicks fans being too cool for school.

“Well, you’re saying that Ben Stiller is not going crazy?” the former punter said. “(Timothée) Chalamet was losing his mind! You better watch your mouth if you talk about Tracy Morgan like this, OK!”

Haliburton has quite the history with New York and its fans.

He and the Pacers defeated the Knicks in six games in the conference finals last year as the local ran out of gas behind former coach Tom Thibodeau.

The Pacers also eliminated the Knicks in the semifinals in seven games the previous season.

The conference finals began with a heart-wrenching buzzer-beater from Haliburton in Game 1 to send to the contest to overtime, with the guard grabbing his throat to signal a choke, channeling longtime Garden villain and ex-Pacers star Reggie Miller.

While the Knicks have mostly the same roster this season, this team is completely different.

The Knicks employ lineup 11 players deep and get excellent use of their bench under coach Mike Brown, who invested in his bench from the get-go and has seen dividends pay off in the postseason.

Brown has elicited phenomenal performances from Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and more en route to a dominant NBA Finals run.

Knicks fans have rallied behind them, creating one of the loudest home crowds in the NBA and traveling well to Cleveland and Philadelphia during this raucous run.

After the Game 1 comeback win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, Ringer founder and podcaster Bill Simmons said that the Knicks fans were “the best crowd of the year” as they cheered their squad to a 22-point comeback in less than eight minutes.

Do not underestimate the power of cultural awareness and understanding in the international world of basketball. For Masai Ujiri, new Dallas Mavericks president and alternate general manager, navigating in multiple languages, customs, cultures and traditions is nothing new. 

Born in England, raised in Nigeria, an executive in the American National Basketball Association over the last decades, Masai Ujiri is about as international as it gets. 

Back when he was traveling the world as an international scout – at the time he got to know new Dallas Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz – it must have given him an advantage compared to many in that world because of his background and exposure to different cultures early on. 

One of the side effects – or bonuses – of being born into a world of multiple nationalities and cultures, is the fact that you learn how to adapt and adjust quickly. You learn the skill of observation – how do people do things here, what’s the unwritten rules, what is frowned upon – and you learn how to fit in no matter where you go. 

That must have served as a major advantage for Masai Ujiri, as he found his footing in the international world of global basketball and started putting those skills to good use, both when scouting – and when networking. Something he is reportedly very good at. 

Ujiri, who’s described as well-respected and charming, has always been good at making and keeping connections. Acquaintances even call him “very sweet” and “very thoughtful”. And very good at finding talent and creating an atmosphere that allows players to reach their full potential. 

He started out as an unpaid scout with the Orlando Magic back in 2002 and moved to a paid scouting position with the Denver Nuggets in 2003. Seven years later, he was named the team’s general manager.

After winning the NBA’s Executive of the Year award with the Nuggets, he moved to Toronto. The Toronto Raptors then made the playoffs eight times during his 12 years in charge. Oh ya, and won their only championship in franchise history in 2019.

Understanding talent, and not being afraid to look outward and in new places to find hidden gems, Ujiri was part of drafting international players from places most people wouldn’t even have considered. 

There’s Jakob Poeltl, an Austrian center, who the Raptors picked in 2016 with the number nine pick. And that same year, they used their number 27 pick to get a completely unknown wing player from Cameroon, who hadn’t played organized basketball for very long. That was Pascal Siakam, now a four-time NBA All-Star. 

Ujiri’s international background has clearly helped make him a good judge of character. He also earned the reputation of being bold. 

Working in the trenches of the scouting world for years, he met, connected and built relationships with numerous people all over the world. One of them is Mike Schmitz. And as soon as Masai Ujiri was offered the job as Dallas Mavericks president, he knew he wanted to bring Mike Schmitz along.

“You track people along the way, you pin-point those that stand out or those that have the talent you want for particular jobs, and he’s one of them,” Masai Ujiri said of Schmitz right after it became public that he had hired him as general manager earlier this month. 

“I’ve done a lot of scouting internationally,” Schmitz said of Ujiri when he was introduced, “and when I first got in the scouting space and was out and about on the road, we’ve been in the same gyms for years and years.”

“Whether that’s in Africa, in Europe or in the states, I’m really thankful for that relationship and him bringing me on.” 

According to Ujiri, Schmitz has a talent for finding hidden treasures and is not afraid to make bold decisions. Traits Ujiri seems to value highly. 

Mike Schmitz worked as an assistant general manager for the Portland Trail Blazers the last four seasons, and was part of finding talents like Deni Avdija from Israel, who made the All-Star team this season. They also drafted a long list of future NBA talent. Before that, Schmitz worked as a draft analyst for ESPN and DraftExpress.com. 

“I’ve known him (Mike Schmitz) for many, many years,” Ujiri said. “He’s an incredible scout, an incredible leader. He digs deep into work, data, and what you want to know about really scouting a player, team building, all those things.”

“Treating people well, scout organizing, managing people, it’s a whole package you want and it’s very important that we set a tone now for this organization because the fans, the organization, you (media) guys, everybody deserves that.”

And going back years also matters when it comes to something pivotal in business: trust. 

“Obviously, we’ve had a long-standing relationship,” Schmitz said. “And I think just him being able to trust in me, and me being able to lean on him in a variety of different areas, so I think it’s going to work great.”

And hopefully, with this new leadership that doesn’t seem afraid to look outward and to try new things, hidden gems, diamonds in the rough and already successful players from other leagues will be considered in the same way as players who take the traditional route to the best league in the world. 

Since parting ways with the Toronto Raptors last year, Masai Ujiri has spent most of his time working with his nonprofit, Giants of Africa, which puts on basketball camps, builds courts and provides education opportunities to children around Africa and in Nigeria, where he was raised. 

Giants of Africa Unveils 50th Basketball Court at King’s College, Lagos. Giants of Africa, a non-profit organisation co-founded by Dallas Mavericks President, Masai Ujiri, has inaugurated its 50th community basketball court in Africa, reaching the… https://t.co/soljwJ5z80pic.twitter.com/NZRwGsGr1U

— THISDAY LIVE (@THISDAYLIVE) May 27, 2026

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

The biggest news of the day came via a Passan bomb at 6AM yesterday morning. Travis Kelce is now a minority owner of the Cleveland Guardians.

Some news to share.#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/weCWIIURhV

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 27, 2026

Guest contributor, Mike Mahoney, gave his scouting report of the Lake County Captains Position Players.

The Guardians were able to avoid the sweep, taking yesterday’s game behind Gavin Williams. The game recap can be read here. Tonight is a much needed off day for the team with Boston coming to town for a weekend series.

MLB Network listed out their José Ramírez award for most underrated players. There is one current Guardian and one former Cleveland player on the list:

Greg introduces rankings for the "José Ramírez Award", going to the most underrated players in baseball:

1. Otto Lopez
2. Casey Schmitt
3. Liam Hicks
4. Alec Burleson
5. Brayan Rocchio
6. Austin Martin
7. Carlos Cortes
8. Luke Raley
9. Jake Bauers pic.twitter.com/ZasTKJiZFY

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 27, 2026

The MLBPA has made their first proposals for the collective bargaining.

The MLBPA made its first proposal to MLB today in collective bargaining. Among the topline issues:

– A "competitive-integrity tax" for any team that does not spend $150M
– Increase minimum salary from $780,000 to $1.5M
– Increase in base CBT threshold from $244M to $300M

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 27, 2026

The MLBPA’s opening proposal today pic.twitter.com/ZpZ4oabDt9

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 27, 2026

We wrap up our series on first round draft prospects by taking a look at players who could be available if the Suns decide to trade into the 29 to 31 range. Unlikely? Sure. Still worth doing the homework? Absolutely.

That range currently includes the Cavaliers at 29, the Mavericks at 30, and the Knicks at 31, which technically opens the second round as the first pick on day two of the draft. 

The reason for doing the due diligence is simple. It’s not something we did last year until late in the game. We didn’t believe the Suns would trade up into the lottery, so a lot of the focus stayed on picks 29 and 52, which is where Phoenix originally looked slotted to select. Then draft night happened, and suddenly the board changed.

That’s part of this process. Things move. Teams pivot. Opportunities appear out of nowhere. That’s why it helps to take a holistic approach, explore every realistic avenue, and have a feel for all the options on the board. That way, when draft night arrives, and something unexpected happens, you’re ready.

Prospects at 29-31

I’ve previously reviewed Zuby Ejiofor, Ebuka Okorie, Henri Veesaar, and Joshua Jefferson. All of them would be potential targets in this draft range (though Okorie and Veesaar both have an average draft spot of 28, which might make them targets for the Suns at 26). However, there are a couple more prospects here that the Suns might take if they’re looking for a point guard behind Gillespie or expect Mark Williams to leave in free agency.

Tarris Reed (University of Connecticut, Senior, C)

Tarris Reed Jr. is a physically imposing, 6’11” and 270-pound center known for his elite screening, interior dominance, and high-motor rebounding. He offers NBA teams a ready-made “glue guy” profile who does the dirty work, sets heavy picks in the pick-and-roll, and finishes efficiently around the rim.

Key Statistics

27.3 MPG, 14.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.3APG, 2.9 stocks, 60.7 FG%, 0.0 3PT%, 61.7 FT%

Strengths

• Size & Length: Boasts a massive, NBA-ready frame with a rumored 7’4″ wingspan. He uses his strength well to carve out deep post position.
• Mobility: Moves surprisingly well for a player of his bulk. He did very well at the combine in both lane agility and the shuttle run.
• Screening & Rolling: One of his best traits is his ability to set heavy, bruising screens that open up driving lanes for perimeter players. He rolls hard and possesses soft hands to catch and finish.
• Touch & Efficiency: Scores efficiently around the basket, particularly on layups and dunks. He has a soft touch on hook shots and interior finishes.
• Playmaking: Flashes underrated passing vision from the post and short roll, consistently making smart, connective passes to open cutters.
• Interior Presence: Acts as a capable rim protector and a steadying presence in drop coverage. He alters shots and controls the defensive glass well.
• High Motor: Brings constant energy, competing hard on both ends of the floor, which translates to him reliably grabbing contested rebounds.

Weaknesses

• Lack of Floor Spacing: He operates almost entirely in the paint and the dunker spot. He has rarely attempted three-pointers and lacks a face-up scoring bag or perimeter creation.
• Free-Throw Shooting: Struggles from the charity stripe, which can be a limiting factor in late-game situations.
• Foul Trouble & Defensive Versatility: Can occasionally get into foul trouble when defending more agile, face-up bigs. While his drop coverage is solid, he can still improve his timing and switchability when defending pick-and-rolls on the perimeter.

Draft Range

After stellar late-season tournament runs and impressive measurements at the NBA Draft Combine, Reed has risen up draft boards into late first-round or early second-round projections. Reed projects to go anywhere between 21^st and 44^th, with an average of 31.5 and a median of 34.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Bobby Marks at ESPN estimated what the salary value for top free agents was this summer, and he came up with $42 million over 3 years for Mark Williams. Because the Suns are saddled with Jalen Green’s contract and Bradley Beal’s buyout, they’re likely to have to do some penny pinching this offseason. In a lot of cases, Williams failed to pass the advanced metric test this year and missed 22 games plus all of the playoffs. 

Gambo reports that Goodwin and Gillespie are higher priorities for the franchise, which may elect to stand pat with Oso Ighodaro and Kaman Maluach. If they decide to do so, Reed would make a fine replacement for Williams as a defensive-minded center who moves well, plays hard, and has a nose for rebounds. Ryan Kalkbrenner fit a similar profile in 2025, and he had an outstanding rookie campaign.

NBA Comparisons

Andre Drummond, Steven Adams, Isaiah Stewart

Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt, Sophomore, PG)

Tyler Tanner is a highly dynamic, polarizing sophomore point guard out of Vanderbilt who is testing the 2026 NBA Draft process. Following a massive breakout sophomore campaign, he earned First-Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team honors. His evaluation is defined by a battle between elite, modern advanced metrics and traditional height requirements as a 5’11” (in socks) 167-pound point guard.

Key Statistics

27.3 MPG, 19.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 5.1APG, 2.4 steals, 48.5 FG%, 36.8 3PT%, 85.3 FT%

Strengths

• Elite Playmaking & Decision Making: Tanner serves as an exceptional floor general with an airtight 5.1-to-1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. He reads defensive rotations at light speed, utilizing advanced spatial awareness to deliver precise skip-passes or pocket-passes out of the pick-and-roll.
• Deadly First Step & Cadence: He possesses a blistering first step and a tight crossover that allows him to generate paint touches at will. He manipulates defenders beautifully by rapidly switching gears and using deceptive hesitations.
• Skyrocketing Perimeter Efficiency: After a sub-40% field goal percentage as a freshman, his shot mechanics became highly versatile. He developed a hair-trigger, “no-dip” release that translated to a 36.8% clip from deep on 4.5 attempts per game.
• Hellacious Defensive Disruption: Despite his small stature, Tanner was a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist. He led the SEC in steals (2.4 per game) using immaculate anticipation to jump passing lanes and elite footwork at the point of attack.
• Functional Athleticism: He punches far above his weight class vertically, boasting a 39-inch maximum vertical jump that allows him to finish above the rim when given a runway. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Weaknesses

• Severe Size Limitations: Standing under 5’11” barefoot, he faces an uphill battle in a modern NBA dominated by positional length. He is missing the baseline physical frame typical of NBA starters.
• Defensive Targetability: Modern NBA offenses will relentlessly target him in switch-heavy schemes. Bigger guards and wings will easily shoot over his 7’9″ standing reach or back him down into the low post.
• Screen Navigation Physicality: Weighing just 167 pounds, his lack of functional core strength makes it difficult to physically fight over screen actions or hold his ground against downhill driving threats.

Draft Range

Late first, early second round. He may not stay in the draft, and it likely hinges on whether he receives a first-round promise. He projects to go anywhere between the 28^th and 48^th picks, with an average of 34.5 and a median of 33.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Tyler Tanner is going to be one of those ultimate tests of advanced metrics and eye-test versus the current meta of the NBA. Numerous outlets have declared that there is no place left in the modern NBA for a smaller point guard, and they’re generally right.

That said, Tanner has ridiculous verticality, his basketball IQ is off the charts, he’s a fantastic ball thief with 2.4 steals per game, and he has great shot mechanics with a super-quick, high release. He shoots very well, he has great court vision and awareness, and his metrics all say he’s a great player… except for his height. In the end, I think he projects as a great “energy guy” backup point guard.

NBA Comparisons

Patty Mills, Damon Stoudamire, Tre Jones, Jose Alvarado, Fred VanVleet

---

Final Verdict

After multiple articles, I’m now tracking 25 prospects. There’s a plethora of intriguing players if the Suns trade into the first round. If they trade up to the 17^th pick, I like Morez Johnson Jr. and Chris Cenac Jr. as long, hyper-athletic power forwards. However, Hannes Steinbach is also a potential lottery pick steal if he’s still on the board.

If the Suns obtain something in the 26-31 range, my favorite picks are Zuby Ejiofor, Ebuka Okorie, Henri Veesaar as a floor-spacing five, Allen Graves, and Joshua Jefferson. I like Zuby Ejiofor in particular, who I believe is vastly underrated. He absolutely killed it at the combine, and his advanced metrics say he’s going to be an immediate contributor. If the Suns used the 26^th pick on him, I would not be at all disappointed.

Of course, there’s no point in having a power forward on the team if you won’t play them because Jalen Green is jamming up rotations, but that’s a story for another time.

The NBA’s 2025-26 awards were fully revealed after the Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla on Tuesday became the youngest Coach of the Year winner in over 50 years.

Two California Post sports staffers, NBA reporter Melissa Rohlin and Lakers reporter Khobi Price, had two of the 100 ballots that determined the voting for every award — from MVP (Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) and Coach of the Year to All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year (Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama).

Here are insights into their voting process:

1.) What factored into your MVP vote and how did you feel about Luka Doncic’s fourth-place finish?

Price: With respect for transparency, it’s important to note I had Doncic third on my MVP ballot. So his fourth-place finish is more than fair. Gilgeous-Alexander was once again the best player on the league’s best team and had a historic season in his own right when factoring in his productivity, efficiency and ability to lead the Thunder to a league-best 64-win season. He was the clear-cut season-long MVP, evident by him receiving 83 first-place votes. It’s nitpicking when deciding between Doncic, Wembanyama and Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic for spots Nos. 2-4. Wembanyama has an argument for the league’s most impactful two-way player per minute. But the gap between his total minutes played (1,866) compared to Doncic (2,289) and Jokic (2,265), and offensive impact/workload favored Doncic and Jokic even with respect to Wembanyama’s defensive dominance. It was splitting hairs when deciding between Doncic and Jokic for second place, but Jokic’s historic production, efficiency and early-season dominance (he was the MVP favorite before getting injured in late December) gave him the slight edge. 

Rohlin: There was a very strong field, and this was a hard decision. Doncic had a phenomenal season, and his stats were eye-popping, including his unbelievable March in which he averaged 37.5 points and led the Lakers to a 15-2 record. But Shai GIlgeous-Alexander was the best player on the league’s best team, Victor Wembanyama was an absolute force on both ends of the court and Nikola Jokic put up video game numbers. While Doncic had a great season, I think his fourth-place finish was fair. The Lakers had an up-and-down season before their surge in the spring, and the competition for this award was incredibly deep. 

2.) Why wasn’t JJ Redick on your Coach of the Year ballot?

Price: Similar to Doncic, it came down to a very competitive field. Redick is clearly already among the upper echelon of coaches. Leading the Lakers to a 53-win season despite Doncic (18 games), LeBron James (22) and Austin Reaves (31) missing a combined 71 games and the role player overhaul made Redick a worthy candidate for votes. But as noted in my story in the aftermath of the voting results being revealed, oftentimes Coach of the Year voting comes down to which team overachieved the most. And Mazzulla’s Celtics, J.B. Bickerstaff’s Pistons and Mitch Johnson’s Spurs were the biggest overachievers of the season. And that’s before getting into Charles Lee’s Hornets and Jordan Ott’s Suns. But it’s clear Redick is on the path to being a great coach, if not already one, who should receive consideration moving forward. 

Rohlin: This was another tough one. Redick cemented himself as a great coach this season. He got the Big Three of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James to buy into their roles, including getting James, who’s arguably the greatest player of all time, to embrace being the team’s third offensive option. And then after Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries April 2, he convinced a Lakers team that everyone counted out to believe in themselves, which led to them shocking the basketball world by winning their first-round series against the Rockets. Redick deserves a lot of kudos, but the Celtics, Pistons and Spurs also greatly outperformed their expectations. The Celtics had the second-best record in the Eastern Conference despite Jayson Tatum missing 66 games. The Pistons went from missing the playoffs last season to finishing with the East’s top record. And the Spurs finished with the second-best record in the league, becoming a real powerhouse faster than anyone anticipated. I had Joe Mazzulla at the top of my ballot, followed by J.B. Bickerstaff and Mitch Johnson. But that doesn’t take anything away from Redick’s season. 

3.) Were there any Lakers who you felt should’ve been better represented in the voting for any awards besides MVP and Coach of the Year? 

Price: Not really when factoring in the missed time between Reaves and James. It’s less about punishing players for injuries, but more so acknowledging the natural season-long impact suppression compared to some of their peers. 

Rohlin: LeBron James’ streak of 21 straight All-NBA selections was broken this year because of the 65-game rule. That was a bummer. At age 41, he once again defied Father Time in his historic 23rd season. He averaged 20.9 points on 51.5% shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists, and it’s a shame he wasn’t able to be honored for his incredible performance. 

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4.) What was the most challenging award to vote for and why? 

Price: The All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defense teams are always difficult, especially when it comes to the final spots for each team. But Rookie of the Year gave me the most fits this year. I voted for Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, but I went back and forth between him and Hornets wing Kon Knueppel until the end of the regular season. Knueppel had a compelling case because of his historic combination of 3-point shooting, efficiency and impact on a Hornets team that won 44 games and made the play-in tournament. But Flagg got the edge because of his production, workload and overall impact even if it resulted in a 26-win season for the Mavericks. 

Rohlin: Definitely MVP. I understand the frustration that has been widely shared by players that the bar for this award keeps moving. Sometimes the player with the best stats wins this award. Sometimes it goes to the player who led his team to the best record. In some seasons, defense is a big factor. Others it’s not. None of it is fair, per se. This season, with two-way stars Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama on the ballot, defense was a big factor, which hurt Doncic and Jokic. It’s hard to weigh everything in a fair manner and decide what to give weight to when there are no distinct rules or descriptions for this award. Doncic led the league in scoring (33.5 points), was third in assists (8.3) and sixth in steals (1.6). In another season, those numbers could’ve won him the award. But this season, it earned him a fourth-place finish. 

5.) Now that it’s been a few seasons, how do you feel about the 65-game threshold for most major awards?

Price: It’s a step in the right direction, but it needs to be modified. Fifty-eight, or 70% of an 82-game season, is the number of games required to qualify for several statistical league leaders. That should also be the case for the major awards. I never understood why there were different qualifiers. Also add in a minutes-played requirement (1,624, which is equivalent to 28 minutes per game, or 1,740, which is equivalent to 30 minutes per game) for players who may miss the 58-game mark but carried significant workloads for their teams in the games they did play. 

Rohlin: Scrap it. Too many players were disqualified for awards because of legitimate injuries. This rule was meant to prevent load management and encourage player participation, but instead it’s punishing players for things they can’t control and encouraging them to put their bodies at risk to meet an arbitrary eligibility cut-off.

SGA is even trying to play to the refs in the court of law.

The NBA’s reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has sent a legal warning to a fantasy sports company that made a board game mocking the Oklahoma City guard’s notorious flops.

The Thunder star’s lawyers demanded that Underdog Sports stop using SGA’s name and likeness after it created a game called “Unethical Hoops” based on the kids’ classic Operation — in which a buzzer goes off anytime SGA is touched, the Athletic reported.

Underdog Sports recently held a contest giving away 100 copies of the game during the Western Conference Finals — where the Thunder are one game away from eliminating the San Antonio Spurs and facing the Knicks in the finals.

Phoenix Suns forward and NBA villain Dillon Brooks promoted the game in the contest advertisements.

SGA’s lawyers told the company to “permanently cease and desist from any and all use of Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s [name, image and likeness] in any and all media, including but not limited to your website (including the Unethical Hoops Website), apps, social media accounts, digital marketing and advertisements, promotional emails, push notifications, affiliate or influencer placements, and any physical goods including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website.”

All board games must be destroyed, according to the letter from SGA’s reps, ArentFox Schiff LLP — who may or may not have heard of the Streisand Effect.

The game website was still live Thursday and Underdog told The Post it has no intention of ending the promotion, citing previous instances of cracking jokes about other players and teams, including the Knicks and Mets.

“We’ve poked fun at Knicks and Lakers fans, the Red Sox owners, the Mets and more,” a spokesperson told The Post in a statement.

“We like to have some fun with whatever is in the sports fan zeitgeist.” 

When the Mets went on a 10-game losing skid last month after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hugged Mr. Met, Underdog offered $1,000 for a lucky fans’ rent payment every day the team went without a win.

Underdog also hosted an event outside Madison Square Garden in April that allowed fans to throw eggs at a comedian decked out in Atlanta Hawks gear.

SGA been widely mocked during the NBA playoffs for his ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line — with fans accusing him of flopping and questioning his style of play and whether or not it’s “ethical” basketball.

In the last four years, he has attempted 391 more free throws than the next-closest player, according to the Athletic.

In this postseason SGA has made 120 free throws and 114 field goals. 

SGA, who won the league’s Most Valuable Player award this year and last year, shrugged off the criticism.

“It does nothing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after game against the Spurs.

“Doesn’t fuel me, doesn’t discourage me. It’s part of the game. I’ve been dealing with it a long time. I don’t really hear it. I’m focused on what’s going on on the court.”

Watching the Knicks punch their ticket to the NBA Finals has, in my opinion, sucked.

Yes, they’ve waited 27 years to return to this stage, endured truly awful stretches of basketball spanning decades, and maybe deserve it on some level. Still, it’s New York. It’s Knicks fans. It’s “bing bong” and Timothée Chalamet clips that will infiltrate your timelines for the next two weeks.

But spending this much time looking at the Knicks has made me appreciate how different Boston’s story has been.

The Knicks built their team from the outside in. They deserve…credit for it, as physically painful as that sentence is to type. They made trades, found the right veterans, identified the right fits, bet big on a team identity, and kept pushing until they finally broke through.

Boston’s path has looked very different.

The Celtics’ best era since the Big Three started with two draft cards.

Jaylen Brown, third overall in 2016. Jayson Tatum, third overall in 2017. Two swings near the top of the draft, both connected cleanly enough to change the next decade of Celtics basketball.

It’s a story we’re all familiar with, and one that feels simple and obvious in retrospect. It wasn’t. Brown was booed on Draft Night. Tatum arrived after Boston traded out of the No. 1 pick and trusted its board, going as far as to preemptively protect themselves from criticism for doing so. There were years of debates about whether they could play together, whether they liked each other enough, whether one had to go, whether the partnership had a ceiling, whether the Celtics were being too patient or not patient enough.

Then, they won the title.

And somehow, two years later, we’re back to asking whether the Jays era has underachieved.

The standard is still the standard

The Celtics are and should be held to a ridiculous standard. That’s part of the deal here in Boston.

This franchise is strictly focused on banners, not vibes, which is why a first-round exit after blowing a 3-1 lead to Philadelphia was and is awful. It should still bother people. I know it still bothers me.

Noa Dalzell, Senior Writer here at CelticsBlog, put it well on her latest episode of You Got Boston. She said she is “not excusing their loss this past season,” adding, “They should not have blown a 3-1 lead.” That is the correct baseline. The Celtics were too good and too well-positioned to lose that series, even in a season that plenty of people spent months calling a gap year.

The issue is what happens after the disappointment settles in. A bad ending has a way of walking backward through time and staining everything before it. Suddenly a decade of contention becomes a decade of missed chances. A title becomes “only one.” Deep playoff runs become evidence for prosecution.

Noa pushed back on that framing too, saying, “If you say that they underachieved, then everybody has underachieved except for the Golden State Warriors since 2015.”

Have the #Celtics underachieved in the Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown era?

“If you say that they underachieved. Then everybody has underachieved. Except for the Golden State Warriors since 2015. Everybody. Cause nobody else has won more than one title. So, in that case, you are for… pic.twitter.com/aLnlDSM5L1

— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) May 26, 2026

She’s right. Since 2015, the Warriors are the only franchise to win multiple titles.

Granted, not every team should be graded the same way. Some cores are better positioned for sustained excellence, like the modern-day Thunder or the aforementioned Warriors. Some titles feel more like the product of having the right pieces in the right place for one magical run, like the Kawhi-led Raptors or the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks. 

But the larger point holds. Ever since the Warriors dynasty ended, no one has been able to stack chips.

If the argument is that every great player or duo who fails to become a dynasty has failed, then nearly the entire league has spent the last decade failing.

That’s a pretty miserable way to watch basketball.

The résumé grew quickly and quietly

One strange thing about the Tatum-Brown era is how quickly winning became background noise in their larger story.

By the time they broke through in 2024, the Celtics had already been to four conference finals with Tatum and Brown together, plus the 2022 NBA Finals. They had made the playoffs every year of Tatum’s career. They had never finished below .500 with both of them on the roster. Tatum had already made five All-Star teams and four All-NBA teams, while Brown had three All-Star selections, and an All-NBA nod.

Even this season, which started under the shadow of Tatum’s Achilles tear, somehow became another reminder of how high this group’s floor has been. Brown stepped into the heaviest version of his role yet and led the Celtics to a 56-win season. That is not normal. Most teams lose a player like Tatum and spend the season looking like someone unplugged the router. Instead, Boston stayed in the mix to the point where it felt like just another normal season of winning in a very abnormal year.

Boston has gotten so used to deep runs that fans sometimes treat them like table stakes. The conference finals became a place the Celtics were supposed to be every year, like it was some recurring calendar invite. That is an absurd privilege.

There are fanbases that spend decades hoping to draft one player as good as Brown or Tatum. Boston got both in back-to-back years. Then, they both stayed. Then, they improved. Then, they won it all, together.

A lot of Celtics fans are old enough to remember when the present felt bad and the future looked worse.

The late 90s were ugly. The early 2000s had Paul Pierce trying to drag half-built rosters into relevance while the rest of us tried to convince ourselves that maybe this was the year everything finally clicked for Mark Blount. Before Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen arrived, plenty of seasons felt like they were over before Thanksgiving. There’s a different kind of frustration that comes with watching a contender fall short, but at least that frustration comes from proximity to something real.

The Tatum-Brown era has offered a level of annual belief that younger fans may not realize is rare. In the words of Joni Mitchell, you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.

The Celtics nailed the picks that mattered

The draft-history context makes this point even clearer.

Over the last twelve drafts, Boston has had plenty of misses. James Young. Guerschon Yabusele. Romeo Langford. The Desmond Bane trade. Plenty of second-rounders who barely created a ripple in the fabric of Celtics history. Boston has taken a lot of bites at the apple, and some of those bites were just teeth hitting the core.

But they nailed the picks that could end up defining an era of the most storied franchise in NBA history.

Brown at No. 3. Tatum at No. 3. Marcus Smart at No. 6 before them. Payton Pritchard at No. 26. Robert Williams at No. 27. More recently, Boston has been trying to squeeze value out of late picks like Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez.

That’s a different kind of roster-building than what we’re seeing from the Knicks right now. New York’s current Finals team was largely assembled via trades and free agency. Again, credit to them. Building a winner through trades and targeted additions is still hard, even if being based in New York City probably helps more than being based in a place where the free-agent pitch begins with, “Hear me out.” Ask the Suns how easy it is to just put expensive names together and hope the basketball gods carry you to the promised land.

Boston’s identity, though they’ve lost key pillars like Smart and Williams over the years, still runs through the two guys it drafted and developed.

There should be a specific satisfaction in that. How great has it been to watch Brown’s handle tighten over the years, even after it became the internet’s favorite easy joke? What about watching Tatum go from smooth, unassuming scorer to an all-around forward who can defend, rebound, pass and carry like one of the league’s best? Don’t you remember that feeling of people saying the partnership had run its course, then seeing those same two players standing on a parade duck boat together?

The Celtics didn’t rent this era. They raised it.

Maybe that’s why the frustration can hit so hard in seasons like this. Fans remember the whole thing. The early flashes. The blown leads. The Kyrie mess. The bubble. The 2022 Finals. The 2023 faceplant against Miami. The Porzingis and Jrue trades. The breakthrough. The latest playoff collapse. It all lives in the same folder.

But the folder is still mostly full of winning.

Boston drafted the stars everyone wants. Then we got used to them.

If a time traveler had explained this era to Celtics fans the night Pierce and Garnett were traded to Brooklyn, nobody would have complained.

Five conference finals appearances together, two NBA Finals appearances, one championship, no seasons finishing worse than .500? Every Celtics fan would have signed up immediately. Some probably would have asked if the person delivering this prophecy needed a ride to Logan and whether the Harlem Shake was still prospering.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's combined accomplishments:

11 All-Star selections
6 All-NBA selections
2 Olympic gold medals
1 ASG MVP
6 ECF appearances
2 Finals appearances
2024 NBA Champions

Now, No. 9 and No. 10 on the Celtics' all-time leading scorers list

Generational duo pic.twitter.com/Tv0HeXTinL

— SleeperCeltics (@SleeperCeltics) March 19, 2026

Living through success changes how it feels. The wins stop surprising you. The conference finals start feeling like your right versus your reward. The flaws become more irritating because the stakes are higher. The losses feel like theft.

That is what Tatum and Brown have done to us. They made winning feel normal.

The Celtics should keep chasing more because this era deserves that urgency. This season showed how much Brown can shoulder without Tatum, but it also showed how fragile any title path becomes when one of the two pillars is missing. Tatum and Brown are expensive now. The cap is tighter. The roster needs work. The center spot needs clarity. The East is not waiting around for Boston to feel sentimental.

Still, any conversation about what comes next should start from an honest place.

The Jays era has not been perfect. There are fair arguments that more than one banner should have been raised by now. Still, this era has given Celtics fans one of the best homegrown runs in modern franchise history.

Someday down the road, the Celtics will be searching for the next version of this. That’s probably when we’ll understand how much fun this era really was.

Caleb Wilson was the obvious star at North Carolina this past season, but the offense may not have flowed well without Henri Veesaar as well. The 7’0 center is your typical stretch big, but offers more than just his shooting on the perimeter. In Hubert Davis’ offense, Veesaar showed his ability to operate out of the mid-range while also showing solid defensive skills in several areas.

On offense (17 points per game), Veesaar’s 3-point shooting stood out the most, and he connected on 43% of those shots. Most of them came from above the break, which is where he had the most success, but also in the pick-and-pop. There were times when Veesaar was wide open at the top of the key, and he wasn’t afraid of taking the shot. As a stretch big in the NBA, that’s the shot teams will be expecting him to make.

Veesaar also showed the ability to knock down shots in the midrange, but that most likely won’t be a point of emphasis in his game at the next level.

As we get closer to the rim, Veesaar has a nice hook shot that was very effective, and his size allowed him to shoot over most defenders. Efficiency around the rim will be important as well in the NBA, but the one area where Veesaar fell short was his physicality at times. He has sort of a finesse when attacking the basket, which won’t work all the time, especially against bigger bodies than his.

Other areas where Veesaar has shown some promise are his cutting and passing out of the midpost, which are two good qualities to have as a center.

On defense, Veesaar does some good things in drop coverage. He knows how to take up space, what area he needs to be in whether it’s closer or farther back from the ball handler, and he recovers back to his man effectively. It may be a struggle for him to get back if his opponent pops out to the 3-point line, and that’s where his lack of mobility comes into play.

As a help defender, Veesaar is able to use his length as a disruptor, and he’s also good at challenging shots at the rim. Just like most young centers, he’ll have to clean up fouling in certain situations, but for the most part, he knows how to stay disciplined and on his feet when playing defense. His rebounding was another big part of his game, as he averaged 8.7 per game this past season.

For the Hawks, they’ll be looking for ways to improve their frontcourt this offseason, more specifically at the center position. When looking at what Veesaar does on both sides of the ball, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were someone they would target with the No. 23 pick. He has a lot of similarities to what Jock Landale did for the team in the second half of the season, and if they don’t re-sign him, they’ll definitely need to fill a void at backup center.

If the Hawks are looking for more depth at the position later in the first round, Veesaar should be under consideration.

The Spurs and Thunder are still in the midst of the Western Conference Finals, but the East has a Finals participant. While the New York Knicks are awaiting an opponent, there was television time available to air The Pat McAfee Show. Appropriately, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made a visit to talk about the state of the league.

The first order of business was Silver’s mention that the Spurs and Thunder were receiving the highest conference finals ratings in the history of the NBA. Considering that San Antonio and Oklahoma City are small market teams, this is quite a feat. It lends itself to the popularity of the marquee players. Two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama, the face of the NBA, have introduced new legions of fans to the sport. SGA, who is from Canada, and French phenom Wemby draw international interest to the sport which has continued outreach and expanded over the decades.

Silver spoke about the league’s plans for squashing tanking, which are still in development.

“We actually have a board meeting tomorrow to discuss a proposal which will in essence flatten the odds among the non-playoff teams in terms of getting top draft picks, will increase the penalties that the league office has for those teams that may participate in that type of behavior,” Silver stated.

McAfee gave the mention is due before switching gears to flopping.

Silver started the response with, “There’s a difference between selling the car, exaggeration, and a true flop.”

Of course the commissioner of basketball isn’t step into a spotlight at the height of postseason and say there is parity in the way games are called, but he admitted there are some ways to improve.

He was transparent that players are conditioned to “sell calls” and supported the idea that officiating can always get better.

Silver even responded to the missed call in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals when the ball clearly went of Chet Holmgren’s foot, but the Thunder were awarded the ball.

“In terms of replay we’re going to get to the point fairly quickly…we’re going to move to a whole system…calls will be automatic…those calls will be done by AI, automated system with cameras line around the court…it will be instantaneous, automatic.”

With technology as the focus of the future, the pace and accuracy will be enhanced. Silver believes this will also enhance the fan experience.

While most of what Silver spoke of was larval, there’s a lot on the horizon for the NBA.

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Last summer, there wasn’t much to expect from Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens approaching the 2025 NBA Draft. Boston entered the night with three late selections — No. 28, 46, and 57 — yet still managed to reel in a little-known prospect with the potential to impact winning more than most rookies in his class: Hugo González.

Stevens took González at No. 28 in a move that wasn’t regarded as noteworthy at the time, considering the organization had just traded away Kristaps Porziņģis to begin their roster overhaul. But Stevens had a vision for González from day one.

“He’s tough, he’s hard-playing, he cuts, he goes after the ball, he competes,” Stevens told reporters the following day after the first round. “He’s got all the intangibles of a winning basketball player. There’s things he can get better at, just like everybody else at that age, but competitiveness is at a high level.”

González was a unique case, joining the Celtics with more professional experience than most entering the NBA. Coming from Spain, fresh off three seasons with Real Madrid, González had already played alongside former NBA pros, including Serge Ibaka, Facundo Campazzo, Dennis Smith Jr., and Bruno Fernando. During his run in the Liga ACB, he rarely got minutes off the bench, buried behind Real Madrid’s veteran-loaded roster, which nearly slid González’s draft stock down to the second round.

It had nothing to do with his potential and everything to do with his limited sample size in Spain.

Stevens saw González as a spark plug capable of providing the Celtics with valuable minutes off the bench to maintain their intensity while starters rested. Stevens recognized González’s ability to make Real Madrid’s roster as a valuable prerequisite, speaking to the then-19-year-old’s ability to become a major rotation piece down the line if placed in the right development system.

Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla and his staff already checked off that box.

González, like many on the 2025-26 roster, was thrust into the spotlight. No Jayson Tatum for the first 62 games of the regular season meant it was up to everyone else to keep Boston’s ship from sinking. González had only logged 10.2 minutes through 69 games the previous year for Real Madrid, so there was an immediate pressure to perform whenever his open mic opportunities arrived.

On Oct. 24 against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, González made his NBA debut and showed flashes, scoring six points with four rebounds, two steals, and one assist as Boston’s leader in plus-minus (+7). Teammate Jaylen Brown took notice of González’s motor and its ability to flip off and on at any moment, and suggested the Celtics “(needed) more of that.”

It wasn’t long before González earned the fan base’s approval, too.

The upside revealed itself from the start. González, unlike most rookies, didn’t need to score to keep himself on the floor. Mazzulla knew that through his defensive pressure to corner opposing offenses into compromising positions, possession after possession, González was a piece that needed time on the floor to flourish and develop. He earned that.

On Jan. 24 against the Nets, González committed a major defensive miscue, allowing Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. to drain a wide-open 3-pointer. Immediately, Mazzulla sat González on the bench, which the young guard admitted was deserved. Later that same night, with 2.5 seconds left in overtime, González came off the bench in a desperation possession and nailed a clutch, game-tying corner 3-pointer to help secure a road victory in double overtime.

HE'S ONLY 19 pic.twitter.com/WxSL4GnBRK

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 24, 2026

Little by little, González made it known that he wasn’t only a piece for the future, but also a piece ready to make a difference in real-time. He didn’t squander the opportunity to play in over 14 minutes across 74 appearances — including three starts — for the Celtics in his rookie campaign. Instead, González did everything to reward the team every chance he could.

On March 2, he accepted the challenge of guarding 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo in just his third career start.

González rose to the occasion, with Brown and Neemias Queta sidelined, and set career-highs in points (18), rebounds (16), blocks (three), and steals (two). Tasked with the daunting defensive assignment of covering Antetokounmpo, he overcame the size mismatch and held his own — limiting the two-time MVP to just one made basket across five possessions.

Mazzulla recognized the performance as proof positive for both González and Stevens.

“This was them,” Mazzulla told reporters in Milwaukee. “I think Brad does a great job of finding guys with high competitive character. When you come into the locker room, you want to play for the guy next to you. You look for nights to create ownership and responsibility.”

González never obsessed over shot attempts or minutes. Even though the Celtics needed contributions wherever they could find them, he naturally let the game come to him. If a shot needed to be taken, he’d take it — only if necessary. If someone needed to rest, González was ready to carry the load. Everyone in the locker room and throughout the organization saw his potential from the start of Summer League, and watched as González used the regular season to build on that trust and solidify it.

González averaged 3.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and shot 47.6 percent from the field in his rookie season. Defensively, he validated his upside. González averaged 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks, registering a plus-minus that ranked third among rookies behind Kon Knueppel and Dylan Harper, netting González five second-place votes in the NBA’s All-Rookie Team.

In the playoffs, González didn’t get a chance to do anything — and that’s perfectly fine.

Boston is at a point where the coaching staff, locker room, and front office all have an idea of what they have in González. That’s critical. He’s graduated past the evaluation phase, as the Celtics no longer need to gauge his potential moving forward. González has obvious areas to refine this offseason, but his foundation is strong.

That’s more than most rookies can say, especially coming from Spain as a teenager, again rummaging for minutes behind proven professionals.

González belongs, and the C’s now know it.

“The reality is Hugo had a great rookie year and is, I think, a critical part of us moving forward because his athleticism can meet the moment in the big games,” Stevens told reporters during his end-of-season press conference. “That’s a real thing. You can see it. You know it. His strength is off the charts. He’s one of the strongest guys on our team now, pound-for-pound for a 20-year-old, so he’s got a bright future.”

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MIRAMAR BEACH, FL – He’s been David, and he’s been Goliath.

He knows fans remember David more.

They remember Goliath best when he loses to David in March Madness — like when Saint Peter’s toppled John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats.

OPINION: NCAA Tournament expansion won't kill March Madness but will make it worse

REACTION: March Madness gets bigger. Some fear it got weaker

“No one remembers the wins (Goliath gets),” Calipari said during an interview with USA TODAY Sports and a few other media outlets at SEC spring meetings. “If you said, 'Who did we beat in the national championship?' They would not know. You know what they know? Saint Peter’s beat us. That’s what they know.

“That’s what makes this tournament. Don’t take that away.”

Don't take that away, because David and his 3-pointer give March Madness its soul.

It’s here we arrive at why Calipari opposes the recently approved March Madness expansion to a 76-team bracket.

Calipari looks at this from a perspective of, if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. March Madness wasn’t broken. It was beautiful.

But, if you must make an unnecessary expansion from 68 to 76, why couldn’t that expansion uplift power-conference teams and mid-majors in equal proportion? That's what Calipari would like to see.

Alas, “no one listens to me,” said Calipari, now the coach at Arkansas.

John Calipari: March Madness expansion should uplift Cinderellas, too

I sure wish NCAA Tournament powerbrokers would listen to Calipari as a voice of reason.

Because, he’s right: Cinderella gives March Madness its spirit, even as upsets dwindled the past two seasons in the wake of NIL and transfer free agency.

If anyone listened to Calipari, here’s what they’d hear: Take these eight extra bids created by tournament expansion and split them into two groups:

Four bids go to power-conference teams. Four go to Cinderellas.

“I don’t think that’s how it’s going to operate,” Calipari said, “but that’s what I would say.”

NCAA Tournament expansion will add the dregs of power conferences

In the absence of an idea like the one he’s pushing, Calipari worries these eight bonus bids mostly will go to lower-end teams from power conferences.

Who wants that? Not anyone who truly loves the tournament, and not the guy who accelerated his career by taking UMass to the Final Four.

“I just think half of (the extra spots) should go to the non-Power Five. So, four of them. That would have people in our room saying, ‘Speak for yourself,’” Calipari said. “I get that, but I’ve been at UMass, and I’ve been at Memphis, and I know how hard it is to schedule. You can’t schedule your way in.”

To Calipari’s point, Miami (Ohio) encountered difficulty getting power-conference teams to agree to play the RedHawks last season. They slipped into the First Four as one of the last at-large teams selected.

And, guess what? They beat SMU from the ACC in one of the most compelling games in the history of the First Four.

Mid-majors are good theater. Mid-majors beating Goliath are great theater.

But, will anyone other than Calipari take up for the little guy?

You can bet your basketball SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti, his Big Ten counterpart, won't throw their weight behind Calipari's idea. They want these bonus bids going to the dregs of their conferences.

Here's how to spice up the 'First 12'

I’d take Calipari’s suggestion a step further. Don’t just split the final eight bids between high-majors and Cinderellas. Make sure to pit those teams against each other in the "First 12."

Think of it as a miniature Power Conference vs. Mid-major Challenge.

Or, just call it David versus Goliath.

So, Power Four teams won’t schedule the likes of Miami (Ohio) in November? Fine, but you’ll see ‘em in March.

If CBS wants to make the “First 12” a worthwhile product (rather than filler until the real tournament starts on Thursday) that's how you do it — by creating matchups that involve an underdog like the RedHawks against a power-conference brand, rather than matching up two 17-16 teams from power leagues.

It’s as Calipari said, though. Nobody will listen to him. The power conferences run college sports, and the dregs of those conferences will gobble up most of these bonus bids.

An expansion that could otherwise give us more Cinderella stories will instead mostly admit more access to weak and vulnerable Goliaths, with no David to contend with.

Blake Toppmeyer is a sports columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Calipari has March Madness idea you'd love. Sadly, no one listens

The most stunning part about the Knicks snapping their 27-year NBA finals drought isn’t the 22½-point average margin of victory they posted over an 11-game playoff winning streak, or New Yorkers somehow resisting the urge to tear the city apart in celebration, or even the fact that neither the iPhone nor Facebook existed back in 1999.

No, the most surprising aspect when they sealed the Eastern Conference finals on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ home court was the Knicks’ star guard, Jalen Brunson, talking about his pride in a winning culture that “starts with Mr Dolan”.

It’s one thing to shout out the boss when cornered in public, but placing Knicks owner James Dolan at the very top of the list of people responsible for the team’s dramatic turnaround feels like thanking the iceberg for the movie Titanic. The Knicks’ redemption arc doesn’t hit as hard, or quite deliver the same catharsis, without Dolan’s special blend of chaos and dysfunction.

Related: Victor Wembanyama’s half-court buzzer beater showcased a master in complete control

This may come as a shock to fans boarding the Knicks bandwagon, but before Kylie Jenner and the influencer set started turning up courtside, Dolan had spent decades in a race with Dan Snyder (formerly of the NFL’s Washington Commanders) and Bob Nutting (of MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates) for the title of worst owner in US sports.

In 2018, Bleacher Report described him as “masterful at destroying two beloved franchises”, the second being the NHL’s Rangers, who haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1994. In a lengthy interview with ESPN’s Ian O’Connor in 2018, Dolan said Knicks fans who spotted him around town would “shout something horrible and run away. It’s not fun.” In another digression about selling the team, an idea he has long insisted is well off the table, Dolan spoke more urgently about his responsibility to shareholders than to fans.

At the turn of the century, Dolan was a New York nepo baby poster boy – a recovering addict who inherited a multibillion-dollar cable TV and sports empire and ran it with a rumpled authority that carried through even to his personal presentation: he painted himself as the Long Island boy who owns Madison Square Garden and once had his blues-rock band, JD & The Straight Shot, open for the Eagles. For Knicks fans, he was a byword for chronic mismanagement more commonly known as “Jim Fucking Dolan”. He traded away franchise cornerstone Patrick Ewing in 2000 and signed Allan Houston to a $100m extension that prompted a league exemption for teams buried under bad contracts. Under Dolan’s ownership, the Knicks found themselves in salary-cap purgatory time and again, something that left them too constrained to pursue top free agents and too mediocre to rebuild through the draft.

There’s more. Under Dolan, the Knicks traded for middling center Eddy Curry despite his documented heart condition, hired Phil Jackson a decade too late for the wrong job, and reportedly benched the cheerleading squad during a grim loss to Charlotte (a team source later denied the story was true). Rather than attend the 2017 draft, which took place in New York, Dolan chose to play a JD & The Straight Shot gig across town. While we’re on the subject of his music endeavors, in 2018 he wrote a song about not knowing his former friend Harvey Weinstein was a sexual predator.

Then there’s the treatment of the fans themselves. Knicks fans who voice frustration with Dolan – whether on picket lines outside Madison Square Garden or during in-game “sell the team” chants – risk permanent banishment. Famously, MSG security denied Spike Lee entry to the Garden on a whim in 2020 when he arrived through a gate reserved for Garden employees and media – as had been his custom for nearly 30 years.

Beat writers are careful not to be too critical of Dolan or the team, as MSG staff hawkishly manage access. In a recent interview with investigative reporter Pablo Torre, one Knicks beat reporter, speaking on the condition of anonymity, suggested the team’s media workroom may be bugged. Even former players tread lightly: Charles Oakley has been a ghost at MSG since he was hauled out of the arena for heckling Dolan at a 2017 game.

Dolan’s abiding loyalty to Detroit Pistons great Isiah Thomas was another staggering low point. In 2007, Dolan’s Madison Square Garden company was ordered to pay $11.6m to settle a lawsuit brought by a female team executive who had alleged sexual harassment by Thomas; Dolan, who had reportedly fired the woman, personally contributed $3.5m to the settlement. In 2015, Dolan brought Thomas on to the New York Liberty – his WNBA franchise. Former NBA commissioner David Stern, noting both the controversy and the Knicks’ lack of success during Dolan’s tenure, described him as “not a model of intelligent management”. (Dolan sold the Liberty to billionaires Joe and Clara Wu Tsai in 2019).

Only the tools Dolan uses to indulge his worst instincts have become more intelligent. Last month, a damning report in Wired revealed the extent to which Dolan has transformed his vast entertainment empire into a surveillance state, one that uses biometric surveillance technology to track perceived enemies in real time – from Oakley to a graphic designer who sold “Ban Dolan” T-shirts years ago to a fan whom Dolan personally deemed a security risk, monitoring her movements down to drink orders and bathroom trips before banning her from the Garden. MSG dismissed the Wired report, which stemmed from a lawsuit brought by a former member of the company’s security team, as “reckless”.

It is hard to look at Dolan’s digitally driven paranoia without being reminded of another New York nepo baby poster boy. Sure enough, it was only a matter of time before Donald Trump climbed back aboard the Knicks bandwagon, confirming reports that he plans to attend the finals at the Garden next week – another instance of a major sporting event being conscripted for his presidential stagecraft. Of course Trump made sure to add that the Knicks “have really suffered for years”, and that he was “invited by numerous people” including Dolan. Incidentally, Dolan, who married his second wife at Mar-a-Lago, remains a fierce Trump supporter despite the president undercutting his grand plans to redevelop Madison Square Garden.

So how does one of the worst owners in sports wind up not only riding herd on the NBA’s hottest team, but drawing credit for the turnaround? Well, Dolan may have his faults, but cheapskating the Knicks is not one of them. After burning through one basketball executive after another – from Thomas to Jackson to Indiana Pacers architect Donnie Walsh – Dolan turned to Leon Rose, a former agent who had closed a number of client-favorable deals with the Knicks, Curry’s albatross contract among them. Dolan then largely stayed out of the way as Rose reshaped the roster: trading for Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns, drafting the rangy center Mitchell Robinson, and ponying up to bring in Brunson from the Dallas Mavericks in an above-market deal that, in retrospect, looks like one of the NBA’s biggest bargains. Broken clock and all that.

It’s to the point now where any fantasy about this Knicks team winning the NBA title has to reconcile with the jarring reality of the Larry O’Brien trophy being handed to Dolan – a truly strange image to consider. And while some fans now politely applaud Dolan for finally getting the Knicks on the right track and may even endure a JD & The Straight Shot performance to mark the occasion, most are not inclined to excuse the years of emotional punishment it took to get here. After the Knicks came back to beat the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the East finals, Dolan gave away an Anunoby-signed game ball to a young fan waiting for him outside MSG afterward. Lucky kid can hardly fathom the Knicks’ misery Trump speaks of so authoritatively.

In the 2018 ESPN interview, Dolan said he didn’t think he would take part in a parade if the Knicks ever won a championship. Some free advice: stick with that plan. It’s one thing to thank the boss after a game in Cleveland – which, to be fair, coach Mike Brown (another brilliant Rose addition) did as well. But in New York, celebration and grievance can’t help but ride the same subway car. True blue Knicks fans can forgive, but they shouldn’t soon forget.