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The waiting game? Five takeaways from Stevens' end-of-season debriefing

The waiting game? Five takeaways from Stevens' end-of-season debriefing originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

If you were hoping for hints on how the Boston Celtics might navigate a murky path forward, then Brad Stevens’ end-of-the-season debriefing provided little in the way of guidance.

Stevens opened his podium session by politely asking to table questions about roster construction, noting the team wanted to let things breathe a bit following a disappointing second-round exit. Cost-cutting changes are inevitable as the rent comes due for Banner 18. But Stevens wasn’t about to roll out the blueprint for what comes next.

So what did we actually learn about the team’s future? Here are five takeaways, including some nuggets from our exclusive chat with Stevens after his group session:

1. Celtics won’t rush Tatum’s Achilles rehab

The Celtics did not set a timeline for Jayson Tatum’s return to basketball activity after his Achilles surgery last week, and Stevens suggested that the team will err on the side of caution before Tatum is back on the court for an NBA game. 

“This is about full recovery,” Stevens said. “And helping him get back to feeling like himself ASAP. And ASAP can be as long as it takes.

“There is no timeline. There will be different steps along the way that we’ll then say, ‘OK, you can move on to the next step. You can move on to the next step.’ But, ultimately, I think that’s the most important thing. Let’s let this thing heal. Let’s rehab appropriately and it takes what it takes.”

Stevens offered appreciation for how quickly the team was able to get Tatum into surgery, and how being in New York allowed him to be operated on by Dr. Martin J. O’Malley — the same surgeon who did Kevin Durant’s Achilles repair — at the Hospital for Special Surgery,

Could Durant’s timeline offer a hint on Tatum’s recovery? Durant ruptured his Achilles in June of 2019. He sat out the entire 2019-20 season, including the pandemic Bubble restart. Durant returned to the court in December of 2020. Not rushing the process might have helped Durant come back looking much like his pre-injury self.

When will Tatum return from Achilles injury? How NBA players fared in rehab

If Tatum were to sit out the entire 2025-26 season, his return at the start of the 2026-27 season would essentially be 17 months away from game action.

“We know he’s going to be stir crazy. He just loves basketball,” said Stevens. “He’d be stir crazy even though our season’s over and somebody else is playing. He hasn’t missed a summer of playing for [Team] USA since I can remember. The guy just loves to play. And so, yeah, that’s going to be hard for him and it’s going to be a challenge.

“I’m thankful we’re on the other side of the surgery and we are only up from here.”

2. Focus on apron, tax remains the top storyline

The big summer question as the Celtics chart a path forward is whether Boston will make moves with a goal of simply getting below the second apron, or whether the team might yearn to get out of the luxury tax entirely given the potential for a possible bridge season as Tatum recovers.

The Celtics are already $20 million north of the second apron line for next season, and that’s before deciding the future of free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet. Asked in general how a GM might balance the penalties of the apron versus the tax, Stevens said his immediate focus will be on the apron, given the handcuffs it places on long-term roster building. 

🔊 Celtics Talk podcast: What did we learn from Brad Stevens’ debriefing following Celtics’ early playoff exit? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

“I start with the basketball penalties part, which is the second apron, and then you weigh those against your chances of being a championship contender,” said Stevens, who got ahead of the curve by both acquiring and extending both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the summer of 2023.

Now, staring at not only a gaudy tax bill but limited in ways to tweak this roster, Celtics brass have acknowledged the inability to keep all their talent moving forward. 

But even if this core is overhauled, the Celtics like the potential with what should remain. 

“I think one of the best things that we have going for us is we have a lot of good players on good contracts,” said Stevens. “And guys that everybody knows, if we put all those guys out on the floor, you have a chance to win the next game, even without Jayson.

“It becomes a lot harder to be sustainably good without a guy of Jayson’s caliber, but I do think that we just have a lot of winners in our group. And so we’re lucky in that regard.”

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3. C’s stung by missed opportunity

Stevens admitted there’s been a few restless nights in the aftermath of Boston’s second-round exit against the New York Knicks. The Celtics spent the season as favorites to repeat, and it hasn’t been easy to digest the early exit given the way the team fumbled away big leads in both Games 1 and 2 against New York. 

“Every year that you don’t end up on top it hurts, and especially when you have a great shot,” said Stevens. “Certainly it stings — we are all stung by it. But we’re all thankful for the journey that these guys did take us on. There’s work to do and that’s the way that you look at it when you’re in my shoes.”

Stevens was asked what he’d take from the past two seasons with this championship core, and even then he admitted it’s hard to get past the recent exit. 

“The loss stings way worse than the championship feels good,” said Stevens. “And that’s just the sick and twisted way I live.”

4. Vote of confidence for Mazzulla

Stevens repeatedly offered praise for third-year coach Joe Mazzulla and said the team is fortunate to have him as their coach. What guidance will Stevens given Mazzulla in the offseason?

“He did a good job,” said Stevens. “We love Joe and we’re glad he’s here. My thing with Joe will be the same as it is every year: We’ll see how [the roster] all shakes out, and then you’ll see what you can do to put everybody in the best position to go compete like hell.

“And that’s what we’re always going to try to do. We’ve got so many good players and so many good people that I trust that we’ll be in good shape.”

5. Eyes on NBA Draft, NIL impact

Asked to assess this year’s draft class, Stevens noted that the depth of this year’s available players could be impacted more by NIL money than any other in his tenure.

Stevens noted how the back half of the 2025 NBA Draft could be weakened if players elect to take lucrative NIL money that might be greater than what they can earn as an NBA rookie.

With his team slated to pick at No. 28 and No. 32, Stevens could have some interesting choices depending on which players elect to stay in the draft. If the talent pool is thinned, might the team try to shimmy up, or move out of the draft entirely in order to push those picks into more talent-filled drafts down the road?

Like the roster as a whole, we’ll have to wait for draft night for real answers.

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Giannis remains intriguing, but Warriors seem committed to Butler

Giannis remains intriguing, but Warriors seem committed to Butler originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even as Giannis Antetokounmpo drops what some might consider subliminal hints on social media, logic dictates that the few remaining wishful thinkers dim their fantasies about him coming to the Warriors to join mutual admiration society member Stephen Curry.

Such a partnership was and is a longshot. Hope lingers because the ambition of Golden State’s front office is too infinite to dismiss the possibility.

But coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy both expressed the sentiment that the Warriors have no plans to indulge in star-chasing this summer because they already achieved that on Feb. 6 when they snagged Jimmy Butler III.

“Jimmy Butler is one of the best players in the NBA,” Kerr said. “You put him next to Steph, next to Draymond [Green)], you saw the results.”

In the 32 games beginning with Butler’s Feb. 8 debut until the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Warriors were 24-8. They were No. 1 in the NBA in defensive rating (109.0) and No. 9 in offensive rating at 118.2. Before acquiring Butler, Golden State was 10th in defensive rating (112.2) and 18th in offensive rating (111.8).

The Warriors were 29-21 in what the NBA defines as “clutch games,” those within five points inside the last five minutes. They were 16-16 in such games before Butler arrived, and 13-5 afterward.

Those dramatic improvements launched a late-season surge that convinced the franchise that its investment – giving a two-year contract extension worth $111 million – paid off now and will do so for the future.

“We made a big jump adding Jimmy Butler,” Dunleavy said. “This time last year I was probably concerned about our ability to have like a No. 2 guy. We went out this year, and we got that.”

“Now I feel better going into next season having a guy like Jimmy on our roster. We’ll build around that with him, Steph, Draymond, some of the other players we have.”

Antetokounmpo is on the table and, after another first-round playoff flameout, might be willing to part ways with the Milwaukee Bucks. Bringing him to Golden State, however, would require moving either Butler or Green – for salary purposes – in the process and parting with considerable future draft assets.

The thirst for appreciable improvement is much lower for the Warriors than it was in early February when they were straddling the .500 line. Ever vigilant, they approached the trade deadline expressing interest in Kevin Durant, but the feeling wasn’t mutual. Antetokounmpo was fully committed to keeping the Bucks a force in the Eastern Conference. He might have had an interest in going elsewhere, but the Bucks surely did not.

Please understand, it’s not that the Warriors wouldn’t love to have Antetokounmpo. They would. But the path to reach him, while not completely blocked, has enough barriers and requires enough retooling that Dunleavy and Kerr seem more comfortable with their current plan.

Butler’s name long had been on the big board in Dunleavy’s mind. With Jimmy’s divorce from the Miami Heat going from imminent to necessary for the safety of all parties, the price dropped, and the Warriors swooped in.

Butler was and is the Warriors’ big-game prey. Their finances – even as they contemplate Jonathan Kuminga’s future – make it difficult to make another such pursuit this summer. That is, unless they begin by parting with Green and the $25.9 million due to him next season, as well as his $27.7 million player option in 2026-27.

It’s unlikely despite the curious advice of former Warrior Gilbert Arenas, who on his “Gil’s Arena” podcast last month criticized Butler for not being more aggressive on offense and this week said Golden State should make Green and Butler, both 35, available in exchange for younger stars to join Curry.

“If I’m Golden State,” Arenas said, “I’m looking at, all right, Steph plays young. [I’d have] Steph, Kuminga and then let me throw in some more young boys. And then let Steph have his farewell tour. Then when he leaves, I’d have 23- to 24-year-olds and we’re going to be good.”

In short, blow it up. Never mind that Curry wants no part of a blow up. Never mind that nothing the Warriors are saying publicly indicates they’d even pencil out such a deal. Never mind that privately, it’s a “consider the source” giggler.

Dunleavy and Kerr are circling next season, and a massive offseason makeover would force a restart. They’re considering tweaks that fortify the talent around the three vets, believing that and a training camp with Butler would be enough to make them a contender next season.

“All the data supports that,” Kerr said of Butler’s impact. “The offensive rating, the defensive rating, the impact on other players, what Brandon [Podziemski] and Moses [Moody] did. What [Quinten Post] did after we got Jimmy. The game just made sense again when we got Jimmy.

“He comes back next year, and we get Steph healthy, we feel like we can pick up where we left off. We definitely have to make some improvement both internally just with the way we’re doing things as a staff, and also roster-wise can we find a little more balance? I’m really excited about next year.”

Kerr, Dunleavy as well, would be excited about Antetokounmpo, too. It’s still an appealing thought. Less appealing to them would be a rebuild that like would leave Curry the only holdover from their glory years.

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder Preview: 2025 NBA Playoffs prediction, schedule, who to watch

Oklahoma City was expected to be here before the season even tipped off. Minnesota traded fan favorite Karl-Anthony Towns away for Julius Randle right before the season — in a trade all about saving money — but they are back in the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year. And they may be better this time around.

When does the Timberwolves vs. Thunder begin?

Denver travels to Oklahoma City for Game 1 of the series on Tuesday, May 20, with an 8:30 ET tip-off. The rest of the series goes every other day after that.

Denver vs. Oklahoma City Playoffs Schedule 2025

All times are Eastern (* = if necessary)
Game 1: Timberwolves vs. Thunder; Tues., May 20 (8:30 ET, ESPN)
Game 2: Timberwolves vs. Thunder; Thurs., May 22 (8:30 ET, ESPN)
Game 3: Thunder vs. Timberwolves; Sat., May 24 (8:30 ET, ABC)
Game 4: Thunder vs. Timberwolves; Mon., May 26 (8:30 ET, ESPN)
Game 5: Timberwolves vs. Thunder; Wed., May 28 (8:30 ET, ESPN)*
Game 6: Thunder vs. Timberwolves; Fri., May 30 (8:30 ET, ESPN)*
Game 7: Timberwolves vs. Thunder; Sun., June 1 (8 ET, ESPN)*

Players to watch

Jalen Williams

After scoring 20 points or more in all four of Oklahoma City's games against the Grizzlies in the first round, he struggled against the Nuggets. Shooting 37.5 percent from the field, J-Dub averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers per game. While Williams came through in Sunday's Game 7 victory, scoring 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting, consistent production will be critical against the red-hot Timberwolves. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander likely being occupied with Jaden McDaniels, Williams' productivity will be key if the Thunder are to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.
—Raphielle Johnson, Rotoworld basketball analyst

Rudy Gobert

After spending the first two series matched up with Jaxson Hayes and Trayce Jackson-Davis, Gobert is set to have a much tougher matchup in the conference finals. He’ll have to deal with both Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren while still helping out on drives from OKC’s guards, specifically Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Outside of having 27 points and 24 rebounds in Minnesota’s Game 5 closeout win over the Lakers, Gobert hasn’t had many strong performances during this postseason. However, this series will be a more important matchup for him. SGA is second to Cade Cunningham with 19.5 drives per game during the playoffs, and as a team, OKC leads all teams in passes out of drives during the postseason with 22.4 per game. However, if the defense cracks, those passes will become layups instead. Gobert is going to have to dominate the paint during this series for Minnesota to advance to the Finals for the first time in franchise history.
—Noah Rubin, Rotoworld basketball analyst

Keys to watch for in Minnesota vs. Oklahoma City

Turnovers

Minnesota gets a little loose with the ball and has a propensity for turning it over; they did so on 13% of their possessions in the regular season (10th highest percentage in the league). In the playoffs, that has jumped up slightly to 13.6%. No team has forced more turnovers in the playoffs than the Thunder, doing so on 15.7% of opponent possessions.

Ask Denver what happens when you turn the ball over against the Thunder.

The Timberwolves have to take care of the ball in the face of the most on-ball pressure and steal-happy team in the league. Things will turn quickly and get ugly if they don’t, and Minnesota can’t afford to give away games in this series.

Lu Dort on Anthony Edwards

This is so much fun. Dort is one of (if not THE) best on-ball defenders in the league, he is physical and disruptive. Anthony Edwards is the All-NBA engine of the Timberwolves' offense and a guy who can pull up and knock down the 3 or be physical attacking the rim. This is a matchup for the ages.

Minnesota will make a point of trying to switch Dort off of Ant, but there are two challenges with that: 1) Nobody in the league fights over screens and sticks with his assigned man like Dort; 2) There are no pigeons in the OKC core rotation, there is not some easy target to switch on to and attack. Edwards could try to go after Holmgren, but he has the length and speed to challenge shots at the rim or the arc.

Julius Randle/Chet Holmgren

Which big man gives his lead guard enough support?

Randle has done that this postseason, averaging 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists a game. It took time (most of the season) for Randle to figure out how to play off Ant and next to Rudy Gobert, but when he did, it supercharged the Timberwolves.

This is a much better matchup for Holmgren, with Daigneault likely going with him as the only big for extended stretches (something that he couldn’t do as much against Jokic). Holmgren is averaging 15.7 points and 9.7 rebounds a game, plus 2.2 blocks a night in these playoffs, but the Thunder are hoping to get more out of him in this series.
—Kurt Helin, NBC Sports lead NBA writer

Predictions

Jay Croucher (NBC Sports Lead Betting Analyst): Thunder in 6

This series may be Anthony Edwards' reckoning. Oklahoma City will force Edwards to make sped-up decisions, and Edwards hasn't proved he can problem solve at the highest level (4.5 assists per game to 3.2 turnovers per game this season). Minnesota has a turnover issue and OKC's defense is one of the greatest of all time at creating and punishing turnovers.

Drew Dinsick (NBC Sports Betting Analyst): Thunder in 4

I'm looking at a Thunder sweep as the most likely result in the Western Conference Finals and have them around an 87% to advance to the NBA Finals. This is a perfect matchup for them on both sides of the ball, in my opinion, and I am most interested to see if Daigneault continues to use the double-big lineup or elects to go small to put Gobert in harm's way. The defensive matchups for the Thunder against the Wolves' offense, and Ant in particular, look ideal, and projecting a rating in the 104s for Minnesota this series.

Kurt Helin (NBC Sports lead NBA writer): Thunder in 6

I never would have thought I’d type this sentence, but here we are: Minnesota is better this season with Randle instead of Towns. This is a balanced, athletic, big and physical team. This is also just a bad matchup for them. For me, it comes back to turnovers, the Timberwolves are going to cough the ball up too much under pressure to beat a Thunder team that is hitting its stride.

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Thunder's Jaylen Williams fined $25,000 for profanity on T-shirt he wore to postgame press conference

Jalen Williams went one step beyond. At least as far as the NBA is concerned.

After Williams and the Thunder turned the Paycom Center into their own house of fun in a Game 7 rout of the Nuggets, Williams got a trip to the podium for a postgame press conference after dropping 24 on Denver. However, Williams has been fined $25,000 by the NBA, not because of what he said at the press conference, but for what he wore. It wasn't a pair of baggy trousers, but rather a shirt from the 70s/80s British ska band Madness, which says "F*** art, let's dance."

It didn't matter that the press conference was in his house (in the middle of his street), the league has come down on Williams.

We'll see what he wears to his next press conference. You can't blame Williams for going all out when he dresses for games, he's sitting next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander most of the time.

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New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers Preview: 2025 NBA Playoffs series prediction, schedule, player to watch

This Eastern Conference Finals brings some deep history, going back to Reggie Miller taunting Spike Lee and Patrick Ewing dominating games (but missing a clutch finger roll). But there's also history from a year ago, when the Pacers beat the Knicks in the second round in seven games. Will history repeat itself?

When does the Knicks vs. the Celtics begin?

New York travels to Indianapolis for Game 1 of the series on Wednesday, May 21, at 8 p.m. Eastern. The series goes almost every other day the rest of the way.

New York vs. Boston Playoffs Schedule 2025

All times are Eastern (* = if necessary)
Game 1: Pacers vs. Knicks; Wednesday, May 21 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 2: Pacers vs. Knicks; Friday, May 23 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers; Sunday, May 25 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers; Tuesday, May 27 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 5: Pacers vs. Knicks; Thursday, May 29 (8 p.m., TNT)*
Game 6: Knicks vs. Pacers; Saturday, May 31 (8 p.m., TNT)*
Game 7: Pacers vs. Knicks; Monday, June 2 (8 p.m., TNT)*

Players to watch

Myles Turner

Turner's had a pretty good postseason thus far, averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.8 three-pointers per game, shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the foul line. However, Karl-Anthony Towns will be a more difficult matchup for the Pacers center than Brook Lopez (Milwaukee) or Jarrett Allen (Cleveland) were in the first two rounds. On one hand, it must be acknowledged that Indiana has been one of the NBA's best teams since the calendar turned to 2025. However, they had no answer for Towns in the teams' three meetings, two of which occurred in 2024. In the lone 2025 meeting, Towns went for 40 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three three-pointers, shooting 14-of-23 from the field. If the Pacers are to win this series, Turner will have to hold serve with Towns.
—Raphielle Johnson, Rotoworld basketball analyst

Bennedict Mathurin

In a matchup between two teams with loaded starting lineups, depth should end up being a big factor. Bennedict Mathurin had a lot of success against New York during the regular season, and his instant offense could be the difference for Indiana. In three games against the Knicks this year, Mathurin averaged 25.3 points per game, which led all Pacers players. Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Indiana has shot an absurd (and likely unsustainable) 50.1 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent on three-pointers. Mathurin had some strong performances against Milwaukee and Cleveland, but he also had some games where he didn't provide much. Having him at his best on offense will open things up for Indiana against a tough New York defense that has the fifth-best defensive rating in the playoffs.
—Noah Rubin, Rotoworld basketball analyst

Keys to watch for in New York vs. Indiana

1) Pace

It's simplistic to say the Pacers want to run and the Knicks want to slow the game down — Indiana was top 10 in the league in offense started in transition in the regular season, New York was bottom 10 — but not totally accurate. In the playoffs, especially as teams have geared up to slow the Pacers in transition, the two teams have had about the same amount of offense started on the break.

The Knicks are actually at their best on offense when they force turnovers (or get stops) then get out and run, but they need to be selective with that in this series — if it's a track meet, Indy will win.

Pace, however, is more than running — Indiana is quicker in the halfcourt and uses that to get shots. Haliburton collapses defenses and finds the open man, but Indiana cuts and moves the ball far faster than the Knicks, and that will test New York's defense (both the Celtics and Pistons offenses are more station-to-station, the Pacers are a new kind of test). While New York moves the ball, its offense is more Brunson (and sometimes Towns) based, they can pound the ball a lot. If the Pacers get the ball flying around in the halfcourt and get clean looks because of that, it's a huge advantage.

2) Which team defends the paint better?

Both the Knicks and the Pacers were top-10 in the NBA in chasing teams off the 3-point line this season, but the cost came in allowing points in the paint (both teams were in the bottom half of the league in that stat, but the Pacers were 26th and much worse).

Whichever team does a better job of taking away those easy looks inside on drives (or in transition) will have a considerable advantage.

This is where Mitchel Robinson comes in. He didn't play in any of the meetings between these teams in the regular season and he has been the playoff X-factor for New York and will continue to be so in this series.

Rebounding is a part of the battle in the paint. Indiana has struggled on the glass in the playoffs while the Robinson-led Knicks have been beasts. Indiana has to focus on keeping New York off the glass and getting easy putback buckets.

3) Which team thrives in the clutch?

Comebacks and clutch plays could well decide this series — and both teams have thrived in them these playoffs.

New York was down 20 to Boston on the road in each of the first two games of the last series and came back to win. Indiana has three comebacks of at least 19 points to win this postseason.

Jalen Brunson has done this:

While Tyrese Haliburton has done this:

Multiple games in this series are going to come down to the wire, and it's going to be spectacular.
—Kurt Helin, NBC Sports lead NBA writer

Predictions

Jay Croucher (NBC Sports Lead Betting Analyst): Pacers in 6

From January 1 to regular season end, Indiana had the 5th-best net rating in the NBA, and a +11.5 net rating when Haliburton and Siakam shared the court. The Pacers might be a juggernaut hiding in plain sight. Indiana's pace and ball movement stand in contrast to New York's relative lack of creativity on offense.

Drew Dinsick (NBC Sports Betting Analyst): Pacers in 6

My series price is dead even, and the most likely outcome by my numbers is Pacers 4-2 (at 17%). Pacers plus the points in Game 1 is also a bet for me. Pacers have the best offensive player in the series with Haliburton (narrowly edges Brunson with a 99th percentile oEPM) and they have the two best defensive players with Nembhard and Siakam (95th and 91st percentile dEPM, respectively). I give the coaching edge to Indiana as well.

Brad Thomas (NBC Sports Betting Analyst): Pacers in 7

There's no reason to continue to doubt the Pacers. The Bucks did it, as well as the Cavaliers. Now they have the "overrated" moniker as their motto. Doubt them if you want but this is a crazy talented team.

Their biggest knock all season was their inability to play defense. However, the last month and a half of the season they were one of the best defensive units in the NBA.

They are a lethal offense with a floor general who gets others going and can find his own shot.

That's not a knock on the Knicks. It just feels like a massive let down after knocking off the defending NBA Champs. The price on the Pacers to win the East is too good to pass up.

Kurt Helin (NBC Sports lead NBA writer): Knicks in 7

This series is a coin flip. I came very close to picking the Pacers in 6, and that legitimately could happen — Indiana has more depth and more versatility than New York, and a coach in Rick Carlisle who knows how to exploit that. What is underrated about the Pacers is not Haliburton but their defense.

The Knicks bring size and a little more physicality, and in this postseason, that has generally won out. I think it will here, with Towns and Robinson being the keys that get New York back to the NBA Finals for the first time since Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" topped the charts.

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WNBA What to Watch Week 1: Paige Bueckers returns home, defending champs New York Liberty meet Indiana Fever

Opening weekend in the WNBA has come and gone with eight matchups taking place in the first three days of the regular season.

History was made with the first WNBA regular season game ever being played at the Chase Center for Valkyries vs. Sparks and the Liberty watched their first-ever championship banner hit the Barclays Center rafters.

But history couldn’t occur without also some major drama. All of the talk in WNBA circles right now is the aftermath of the Fever’s home opener against rival the Sky where Caitlin Clark committed a take foul on Angel Reese and as a result the WNBA opened an investigation into hate comments within Indiana’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse toward Reese. This all comes just days after the league announced their new campaign “No Space for Hate” a platform meant to target instances like these.

Once again the WNBA is enduring narratives questioning the league’s physicality following the flagrant foul from Clark and Reese’s subsequent reaction. Former WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike hopped onto ESPN’s First Take to explain that hate shouldn’t be tolerated in basketball and that the flagrant foul was a part of the game.

She explained that she saw tension between the Liberty’s Jonquel Jones and Chelsea Gray of the Aces in New York and then technicals flew in Connecticut after Washington’s Shakira Austin and Connecticut's Kariata Diaby were battling for position.

”This happens in the WNBA,” she said. “The WNBA is what a lot of people celebrate the NBA for embracing right now. It’s a physical league. This had gasoline because it had two megastar players, household names, but my number one theory is if the players are unbothered we should be too.”

In addition to drama, there was some injury news that rocked the league within its first few days of play. Sparks wing Rae Burrell lasted 41 seconds in the Sparks first game of the season before going down with an injury where she couldn’t put a lot of weight on her right knee. The Sparks expect Burrell to miss anywhere from six-to-eight weeks. So she’ll be out for a couple of months. Also, the Phoenix Mercury announced that franchise face Kahleah Copper got a left knee arthroscopy and gave her a four-to-six week timetable to return to basketball activities. Phoenix’s center Natasha Mack injured her back and will also be out for two-to-three weeks.

Anyway, the league's first weekend also produced a ton of impressive rookie performances especially coming from Washington duo in forward KiKi Iriafin and wing Sonia Citron. In two regular season games, Iriafin has established herself as the Mystics’ second option to Brittney Sykes. And Citron has had a slew of welcome to the league moments, but that hasn’t gotten her too rattled. In two games she averaged 17 points, 2.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds, shooting 64.7 % from the field and 40 % from three equating to 25 fantasy points.

Speaking of the Mystics, they shockingly remain 2-0 heading into the first full week of play. Will that continue?

WNBA: Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever
WNBA Player News
Check out Rotoworld’s newly-launched WNBA Player News section, the best place to keep up to date with transactions, injuries, and game results around the W this season!

Here are five matchups to watch in the WNBA’s first full week of regular season play:

Atlanta Dream @ Indiana Fever

(Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV)

This is the first of two games in a home-and-home series between the Dream and the Fever. Atlanta is looking to bounce back after a 94-90 loss to the Washington Mystics where Atlanta struggled to defend and allowed Washington to shoot 50.8 % from the field. Head coach Karl Smesko explained postgame that in training camp his focus was more on the offense and he wasn’t surprised that his team’s defense struggled. I highlight this first matchup because I’ll be really curious to see how Brittney Griner matches up against Aliyah Boston, a matchup Boston has historically struggled with because of Griner’s strength, size and length. While Indiana’s defense was lauded for how it played against the Chicago Sky, it’s worth remembering the backcourt personnel the Fever were defending. A strength of Atlanta’s are their more dynamic guards in Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray who are better one-on-one shot creators than Chicago’s Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot.

Dallas Wings @ Minnesota Lynx

(Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)

Paige Bueckers will return to home state Minnesota to play her first game as a pro in the arena she grew up going to against the team she grew up watching. While the Lynx won this first matchup on Friday handily 99-84 after a competitive three quarters, Bueckers will look to show out against her personal home crowd in Minneapolis. I’ll be curious to see what adjustments first-year head coach Chris Koclanes makes to counter the Lynx’s aggressive ball-pressure which is what Koclanes thought hindered the pace of the Wings’ offense. While the sample size is limited, after two games played, the Lynx are the third worst rebounding team in the league. What does Dallas do to take advantage? But also even if Bueckers comes out with a more dominant stat line, Wednesday night is the Lynx’s home opener. Sure the Minnesota crowd will welcome back Bueckers, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be rooting for her.

Golden State Valkyries @ Los Angeles Sparks

(Friday, May 23 at 10 p.m. ET on ION)

Not only are the Valkyries the first WNBA expansion franchise to play in 17 seasons, but they also give the W its first same state matchup since the Sacramento Monarchs folded in 2009. On opening night these two teams played in San Francisco and the Sparks won 84-67 pretty decisively on the back of new franchise player Kelsey Plum who had a historic night scoring 37 points (11-of-19 shooting), two rebounds, six assists, five steals and four three-pointers in her Sparks debut. How does Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase attempt to neutralize Plum who she coached for years in Las Vegas as an assistant? Nakase, an Anaheim native and UCLA alumna, will return home to LA for her very first game coaching at the helm. To defeat the Sparks in this second matchup, the Valkyries will have to get out more in transition as in game one they only had nine fast break points to the Sparks’ 17.

Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm

(Friday, May 23 at 10 p.m. ET on ION)

While this matchup will be on at the exact same time as Valkyries vs. Sparks, I recommend watching both on multiview. The Storm were smacked 81-59 by the Mercury in the season opener on Saturday. How will Seattle respond to that in their home opener against the same team on Friday? Storm head coach Noelle Quinn explained that she believed her team didn’t get downhill enough in that first game against the Mercury, and didn’t put themselves in position to get shots at the rim. Phoenix appeared fine without Copper as superstars Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally took the brunt of the scoring load. The only other double-digit scorer for Phoenix was undrafted rookie guard Lexie Held who had 11 points (4-of-9 shooting), two rebounds, three assists and a three-pointer in her WNBA debut. Will that be enough for Phoenix in Game 2 against the Storm? We’ll have to watch to find out.

New York Liberty @ Indiana Fever

(Saturday, May 24 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS)

New York and Indiana had strong opening weekend debuts against their natural rivals in Las Vegas and Chicago. With two of the strongest schemers in the league in New York’s Sandy Brondello and Indiana’s Stephanie White going up against each other, this is bound to be a high level basketball game. Brondello has coached both new Fever acquisitions in DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard. And White helped create a scheme that neutralized Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu during multiple WNBA semifinal games during her tenure in Connecticut coaching the Sun. A matchup to watch will be following how Natasha Cloud defends Clark and how the Liberty use their length to their advantage to stop Indiana’s second most reliable option in Kelsey Mitchell. Expect Leonie Fiebich to take on this assignment. Another matchup to pay attention to will be Jonquel Jones vs. Aliyah Boston, two very physical centers who have previously frustrated each other with physicality and frustration over who’s getting calls and who’s not. Expect this game to be physical with a ton of threes taken. That’s how some of the best WNBA games are meant to be.

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Brad Stevens: ‘No timeline' for Tatum's return from injury

Brad Stevens: ‘No timeline' for Tatum's return from injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Boston Celtics’ second-round series against the New York Knicks. Less than 24 hours later, he went under the knife.

Tatum had his procedure at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, where doctors determined the Celtics superstar would benefit from taking swift action. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens spoke about the process in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg.

“I forget what the exact benefits were, because I’m not a doctor,” Stevens told Forsberg. “But whether it was blood supply and different swelling benefits early on in those first 72 hours was the timeframe that we were talking about. We were just fortunate to be there, as far as at HSS, and I thought they did a great job. And our team doc Tony Schena did a great job of helping organize it. … Everybody was quick to make that call, and I think there’s real benefit to that.”

An athlete’s return timeline from a ruptured Achilles can range from nine to 12 months. But by undergoing surgery so soon after the injury occurred, Tatum may have created the opportunity for a faster recovery.

Even so, Stevens made it clear the team will not rush Tatum back onto the court.

🔊 Celtics Talk: What did we learn from Brad Stevens’ debriefing following Celtics’ early playoff exit? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

“This is about full recovery, and helping him get back to feeling like himself ASAP,” he said. “And ASAP can be as long as it takes. There is no timeline.

“There will be different steps along the way that will then say, ‘OK, you can move on to the next step.’ But ultimately, I think that’s the most important thing is let’s let this thing heal, let’s rehab appropriately, and it takes what it takes.”

With Tatum sidelined, the Celtics rallied to win Game 5 against the Knicks at home before their season-ending Game 6 defeat. Now, they will enter a pivotal offseason filled with uncertainty as Stevens navigates a difficult financial situation that could break up the team’s championship core.

Watch Stevens’ full interview with Forsberg below, or on YouTube:

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Forget playoff history, Knicks know Conference Finals matchup with Pacers 'a totally different situation'

Thanks to an exhilarating six-game series win over the Boston Celtics, the Knicks find themselves back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. And the only team standing in their way of a trip to the NBA Finals is a familiar foe.

The Indiana Pacers.

Yes, those same Pacers who have also been the Knicks’ opponent in their previous three trips to the conference finals. Those same Pacers that saw Reggie Miller become persona non grata at Madison Square Garden. And the same team that sent the Knicks home in a seven-game conference semifinals series just a year ago.

But these Pacers are obviously not the exact same team the Knicks have faced in playoff series past, and the Knicks are also a new squad. So when the two teams meet for Game 1 at The Garden on Wednesday night, the Knicks know you can throw past playoff history out the window.

“Half the team didn’t play last year, they were hurt,” Josh Hart said on Monday. “[Julius Randle] and Donte [DiVincenzo] aren’t here anymore. [Isaiah Hartenstein] isn’t here anymore. We’ve got [Karl-Anthony Towns], [Mikal Bridges], OG [Anunoby] was hurt.

“It’s a totally different team, a totally different situation, a totally different round of the playoffs. So we just have to make sure we’re ready. That’s an extremely talented team whose offense is clicking on all cylinders right now. So, it’s nothing about revenge or anything. It’s about the next series.”

The Knicks indeed were very banged up in last year’s seven-game series with the Pacers. Anunoby was not himself, Mitchell Robinson was sidelined, and Brunson fractured his left hand in the third quarter of Game 7.

The disappointment from last season’s ending is not lost on the Knicks, but as Tom Thibodeau explained on Monday, the key to recovering from a tough series like that is to take a good, long look in the mirror in the offseason, and come back better than ever the following season.

“I think you have to study your team. You have to study the strengths and weaknesses of your team,” Thibodeau said. “Each team is different, and I think that’s the challenge that you have every year. Whether it’s draft picks, trades, free agency, whatever it might be, or maybe you get back a player who was injured the previous year, and then the challenge is how do you put it together and you have to get on the same page as quickly as possible.

“Sometimes you fall short, and you have to make sure that you’re making your corrections and moving forward. You always want to be moving forward and you never want to be satisfied with where you are, and you always have to have the belief that you can do something better.”

While there will be plenty of difference for both teams come the start of the series, one thing remains true for the fourth-seeded Pacers: guard Tyrese Haliburton is the star of the show.

A two-time All-Star, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists during the regular season, and his playoff numbers have been about the same. The Iowa State product had a huge Game 5 to eliminate the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 31 points with eight assists and six rebounds, and the challenge of guarding Haliburton will be pivotal for the Knicks.

“Great player. He’s done a lot and quieted a lot of people,” said Brunson. “He’s obviously their engine. They go as he goes and he does a lot for their team, so it’s going to be a tough task. But I think as a team we need to stick together and do what we do and control what we can control. I’m happy, obviously, for his success, but this is a new challenge for us.”

That new challenge begins on Wednesday night, when the Eastern Conference Finals tip off at 8:00 p.m.

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NBA Postseason Players Power Ranking: The 10 best players in conference finals

Welcome to the NBA's changing of the guard.

We're down to four teams, the NBA's conference finals, and the old guard is out. No LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant (his team didn't even make the postseason), or even a Jayson Tatum in sight.

There is still plenty of star power — the next generation is rising. Here are the top 10 players still playing as the NBA conference finals begin.

1) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City)

If he wasn't going to be on top of these power rankings before, he cemented his grip on the top spot Sunday with 35 points to lead the Thunder in a close-out Game 7 — the best performer stepped up on the biggest stage.

" You know who this is? The MVP," Chet Holmgren said, standing next to Gilgeous-Alexander in the team's walk-off interview after the win.

SGA is averaging 29 points, 6.4 assists and 5.9 rebounds a game in the playoffs, all while playing high-level defense and pitching in 1.5 steals a night. This is the best player on the best team remaining, and he is the best player left in the postseason.

2) Jalen Brunson (New York)

Sometimes a player wins one of the NBA's postseason awards, then goes out in the playoffs and shows exactly why — Jalen Brunson was voted the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year and has more than lived up to that in these playoffs.

Brunson is averaging 28.8 points and 7.7 assists a game for the Knicks this postseason, he is the engine of their playoff offense. The Knicks' offense falls off a cliff when Brunson is not on the court (New York has a 97.1 net rating when he is off the court this postseason, 18.7 points less than when he is on). Brunson has secured his Knicks legend status, which will only grow if he can lead New York to the NBA Finals.

3) Anthony Edwards (Minnesota)

We have been able to watch Edwards grow throughout these playoffs, to figure out the mental side of the game and take a step forward with each game. Golden State has a quality defense that threw different looks at him, and you could see him figuring out how to handle and attack them in real time. Edwards continues down the path to becoming one of the true faces of the league.

These playoffs, Edwards is averaging 26.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 5.9 assists a game, shooting 38.5% on 3-pointers (and taking 9.1 a game). Edwards is not done being tested by strong defenses — Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and the Oklahoma City Thunder are on another level, and Edwards being able to take care of the ball will be a key stat in that series.

4) Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana)

The focus coming into the last round was all the stars on the Cleveland Cavaliers, but while they stumbled through the series it was Haliburton who was the best player on the floor. Through the playoffs, he is averaging 17.5 points, 9.3 assists, and 5.5 rebounds a game, but the numbers (especially his 33.8% shooting from 3) don't tell the story — he is the conductor of a high-paced symphony of an offense. Also, he's been as clutch as Brunson this postseason.

And don't forget this one:

5) Julius Randle (Minnesota)

Minnesota is in the Western Conference Finals because Julius Randle outplayed Draymond Green in the last round.

"I lost my matchup," Green said after the Timberwolves eliminated the Warriors. "Julius was incredible. He played great basketball. Honestly, some of the shots he was taking were shots you want him to take, and he made them. He made the shots. At the end of the day, the game comes down to shotmaking and he made the shots. So I got to give Ju a lot of credit."

Randle is averaging 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists a game this postseason. It took most of the regular season for Randle and Rudy Gobert to figure out how to fit next to each other, but they do now and the Timberwolves are a threat because of it.

6) Karl-Anthony Towns (New York)

Towns has already had a strong playoffs, averaging 19.9 points and 11.3 rebounds a game. With Mitchel Robinson healthy, the Knicks have two dominant bigs on the floor, which has been a big part of what has fueled them to this point.

Towns' biggest days may be ahead of him: He averaged 30.3 points and 12 rebounds a game against the Pacers this season, having some of his best nights of the regular season, including a 40-point, 12-rebound game after the All-Star break. He will need to do that again if the Knicks are going to advance.

7) Pascal Siakam (Indiana)

Siakam is arguably the most underrated player in the NBA, and he has experience on this stage that his team needs. Don't forget that he has a ring from Toronto. Siakam knows what is required in order to win at this level, and how to do so next to a red-hot superstar.

Siakam is averaging 18.8 points and 6.2 rebounds a game these playoffs, numbers close to what he did during Toronto's title run (19 points and 7.1 rebounds), plus he is a quality defender who gives Rick Carlisle options in slowing New York's attack.

8) Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City)

Williams has been incredibly inconsistent this postseason, but when the Thunder have needed him most he has stepped up, like his 24 points and +35 performance in Game 7 against Denver. For the playoffs, Williams is averaging 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game. The Thunder need Williams to be more consistent in this series and especially in the NBA Finals (if they advance).

9) Myles Turner (Indiana)

Myles Turner was tough against the Cavaliers. Going up against a physical and impressive front court of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, Turner was the best big on the floor — and often the most physical — in helping spark the Indiana win. Turner is averaging 16.5 points and 6 rebounds a game, but most importantly, 2.5 blocked shots a game. He has been a force in the paint and needs to be again when facing Brunson and friends.

10) Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City)

Much like Jalen Williams, Holmgren has not been consistent or efficient as the Thunder need this postseason (which is why this spot almost went to Andrew Nembhard of the Pacers), but he's done just enough to earn it. Holmgren is averaging 15.7 points and 9.7 rebounds a game, plus 2.2 blocks a night in these playoffs. He's a big presence in the paint who needs to have a big series against the size of Minnesota if OKC is to advance.

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How Brad Stevens is approaching Celtics' pivotal offseason

How Brad Stevens is approaching Celtics' pivotal offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Less than one year after raising Banner 18 into the TD Garden rafters, the Boston Celtics enter an offseason filled with uncertainty.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has several issues to address after watching the New York Knicks upset his team in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Most are related to Boston’s complicated financial situation, as it’s already committed to $228 million in contracts next season and is nearly $20 million over the second apron.

Given those financial constraints, running it back with the championship core will be next to impossible. Stevens must now make a pivotal decision: shed costs and embrace a bumpy 2025-26 campaign, or maintain as much of the group as he can to remain a top title contender.

🔊 Celtics Talk: What did we learn from Brad Stevens’ debriefing following Celtics’ early playoff exit? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

Addressing the media on Monday, Stevens opened his press conference with a brief statement on what lies ahead.

“I think that will all be driven by the same thing that’s always driven us,” he said. “And that is, ‘How do we get ourselves in the mix to compete for championships best?’”

Later in the session, Stevens spoke about the financial challenges he’ll face in the coming months.

“We’ve been talking about this for years,” Stevens said. “The CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) has been well-known for years, and so there are penalties associated with being at certain levels, and we know that. And you just weigh that, you weigh where we are, you weigh everything else, and you make those decisions.

“You have to have the clarity of a full season and the full playoffs and a couple good nights of sleep, and everybody gets in a room and put your heads together and figure out what’s next.”

The $228 million on the Celtics’ payroll doesn’t include big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet, who are about to hit the free-agent market. Jayson Tatum’s maximum-salary extension will kick in next season as he sits out much — if not all — of the campaign with a ruptured Achilles. Jaylen Brown will make $53.1 million in the second year of his max deal. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are set to earn $32.4 million and $30.7 million, respectively. Derrick White’s salary will jump up to $28.1 million.

“The North Star is to have a championship contender,” Stevens continued. “You have to do what’s best to give yourself the best opportunity to do that, when you can do that. We just have to look at it all and decide how feasible that is on any given year, and then make sure we are making the decisions accordingly.

“But the reality is, like I said, we have a lot of good players. We’re in a unique situation. They’re all under contract, and obviously there are several basketball penalties that will come with that amount of salary. So we just have to weigh it all and make those decisions.”

The work will begin the day after the NBA Finals, when teams can start negotiations with their own free agents. Free agency officially begins on July 6.

Watch Stevens’ end-of-season press conference below, or on YouTube: