Category: Basketball

In today’s Dub Hub:

• NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole reports that Steve Kerr is not expected to return to the Warriors “barring renewed faith” in his role.
• Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor reports that the Warriors could consider Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden as a potential replacement for Steve Kerr.
• Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was unanimously named NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.

It’s beginning to look like the Golden State Warriors are heading toward a major change on the sidelines next season.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, Steve Kerr is not expected to return as head coach, barring a “renewed faith” in his role with the franchise.

Via NBC Sports Bay Area:

The general belief among the Warriors – openly expressed by Draymond Green – and around the league since the weekend is that Kerr will be comfortably jobless after meeting with Lacob and Dunleavy. Most expect a decision in a matter of days, not weeks.

Yet Kerr last week left open the possibility – very slight, according to sources – of returning. Multiple sources indicate his decision, however, will not be based on the dollar amount.

“They could offer Steve $25 million a year,” one league source said, “and I doubt that alone would make a difference.”

Two sources insist that any change of heart would require, among other factors, Kerr having renewed faith in his role as the franchise shifts toward the future.

With money not expected to be a factor, the situation appears to hinge on whether Kerr still wants to lead the franchise into its next phase — one that would eventually move beyond Stephen Curry as its centerpiece.

While Kerr has long been vocal about his love for coaching Curry and the Warriors, his contract is set to expire, and this past season served as a reminder that the Warriors’ dynasty is nearing its end. Injuries exposed the reality of an aging roster trying to hold onto contention in a league that continues to get younger, faster, and more skilled. There’s also the added layer of the organization reportedly wanting Kerr to tweak his system moving forward — including placing a greater emphasis on analytics, according to ESPN.

All of that makes it fair to question whether he is still willing to navigate what could be a challenging transition period.

So, with a meeting looming between Kerr, Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob, and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., this decision will define not just next season, but the next era of Warriors basketball.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Tuesday, April 21st:

Warriors News:

The Warriors’ summer of uncertainty starts with Steve Kerr | ESPN

If Kerr returns, they will discuss staffing and what management believes is a need for philosophy tweaks, team sources said, focusing on diversifying the offensive attack and winning the analytically friendly possession battle more often. There has been a feeling internally that they were too reliant this season on 3-point variance.

Those aside, there’s also overarching organizational disappointment about the 13-15 start when the Warriors were healthy, the late-game inconsistencies, the incessant turnover problem and the fact that they won only 37 games in a season in which one-third of the league was tanking.

Is the ride over for Warriors? Golden State’s offseason looks like an off-ramp | Yahoo Sports

If Kerr walks, ESPN reported that the front office would consider external candidates, even exploring the college ranks. I’m told the Warriors love Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden. He’s known the Lacob family for years, and league sources say they’ve long admired his coaching talent ever since he was an assistant coach at the University of San Francisco. But Golden would be no guarantee to leave Florida for a Warriors franchise that is, frankly, a less appealing destination than it used to be. With aging stars and no youthful core to build around, the Warriors may no longer be in a position to get exactly what they want.

Warriors players reflect on disappointing 2025-26 NBA season, preview offseason | NBCS Bay Area

NBA News:

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama named 2025-26 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year

The biggest accomplishment may be this: Wemby got everybody to agree.

Golden State’s Stephen Curry was the unanimous MVP in 2016 and in the 10 seasons that have followed, there have been only two instances of a player collecting 100% of the first-place votes for an award.

Those were Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year in 2024, and now this.

Hawks complete 4th quarter comeback win vs. Knicks to tie series at 1-1

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Warriors reportedly extended Mike Dunleavy Jr. recently

The Warriors are waiting to learn what Steve Kerr’s future will be, but that’s where the leadership questions mostly end. According to a report from ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Ramona Shelburne, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. signed an extension a few months ago, and is now under contract for multiple years. So in a summer of uncertainty, the Dubs know who is going to be calling the shots, and making the decisions.

Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.

You couldn’t have written up a more dispiriting Game 1 performance from the Detroit Pistons than what they delivered against the Orlando Magic on Sunday night. The eighth-seeded Magic, facing a Pistons team that never spent a day below first place in the Eastern Conference all season, never trailed. They had the better game plan, the better players, and the better energy. Even in a game when its star, Cade Cunningham, scored 39 points, it never seemed like Detroit was threatening to take over the game.

For a team and a fan base that dealt with a season of hearing Detroit disrespected as not real contenders, with the likes of the Celtics, Knicks, and Cavs, thrust above them as teams that could win a title, it was a chance to prove the doubters wrong.

Now those same doubters have no reason to do anything other than double down, and many of the believers are in crisis mode.

The Pistons have one game to fix the mess they put themselves in. Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena is a must-win contest, or this series is effectively over.

I have faith in the Pistons, but I also recognize that playoff basketball is not regular-season basketball. There is too much time to game plan and prepare. The Magic were able to effectively close off the paint to call comers, and for a non-shooting team like the Pistons, having zero pathways to the basket completely short-circuited anything they hoped to do on offense. It shouldn’t have been that easy to neutralize Detroit’s attack and take away all their strengths, but here we are.

With zero hyperbole, the Pistons had their worst game scoring inside this season. Their 34 points were a low point. The same team that scored 80 points in the paint against Brooklyn in November, and at least 60 points in the paint 38 times, managed a meager 34.

I have seen some say Jalen Duren was invisible, and, boy, I wish that were the case. Unfortunately, he was extremely noticeable in all the worst ways. Only two players on the Magic roster who played had fewer shot attempts than Duren.

Duren only had one game with a lower usage rate all season than he did on Sunday, and never had a lower percentage of his team’s shot attempts than he did against the Magic. He didn’t make any of this up on defense, where he was constantly letting Magic players have position and getting beaten on back cuts in both man and zone defense.

It was ugly. It is also fixable.

Cade proved he is a playoff performer. He can get his own, but it’s on him and his coaching staff to figure out how to get others involved, chief among them, Duren. They need to embrace Duren’s face-up game and short-roll opportunities instead of only force-feeding entry passes right below the basket.

It’s not that I want Duren suddenly co-running the offense. I just need the Pistons to find opportunities inside to provide any semblance of spacing the floor and creating cracks in Orlando’s defense. Detroit settled on Sunday and made it easy for the Magic defenders. They can’t afford to do that again.

If they do, it is effectively game over on not just the Pistons season, but has to be game over for this version of the franchise’s team-building project. If it’s this easy to shut down how your offense works because you want to put superior defenders on the floor, then you don’t have a winning formula.

Detroit would need to think long and hard about who is part of that title-contending future. It can’t be all three of Duren, Ron Holland, and Ausar Thompson. Not because any of the three can’t get markedly better on offense, but because Detroit has chips they can move around to build an extremely dangerous team that can succeed in both the regular season and the playoffs. Cunningham’s performance is all the proof you need of that fact.

The scheme, the secondary players, the future? Those are all question marks. We are going to get an answer on Wednesday, one way or another.

Observations after Sixers snag gutsy Game 2 win over Celtics, Edgecombe and Maxey star  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

BOSTON — The Sixers emphatically erased the embarrassment of their 32-point Game 1 loss Tuesday night at TD Garden.

They responded by snagging a 111-97 win over the Celtics to even their first-round playoff series at 1-1. 

VJ Edgecombe was simply incredible, posting 30 points and 10 rebounds. Edgecombe scored the most by a Sixers rookie in a playoff game since Andrew Toney against the Celtics in 1981.

Tyrese Maxey had 29 points and nine assists. Paul George scored 19 points. 

Celtics star Jaylen Brown had 36 points. Jayson Tatum tallied 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. 

Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery) remained out. A Sixers official said Monday that Embiid has started a post-surgery strength and conditioning program in Philadelphia. 

The Sixers will head home and face the Celtics in Game 3 on Friday night. Here are observations on their Game 2 victory: 

Three-point disparity the early story  

The Sixers’ defense did not have a promising start. Boston scored six points on its first two possessions with long-range jumpers by Tatum and Sam Hauser.

Offensively, the Sixers did a nice job in the opening minutes of taking available mid-range looks without hesitation. They began 4 for 4 from the floor. George knocked down a couple of mid-post jumpers. Edgecombe hit a shot from the left elbow to give the Sixers their first lead of the series at 9-8. 

The contest then shifted back to a similar dynamic as Game 1. Boston made a 16-0 run and went up 26-13 on a Nikola Vucevic three-pointer. 

The early long-distance gap between the teams was dramatic. The Celtics scored the night’s first 15 points beyond the arc. A game after going 4 for 23, the Sixers missed their first six three-point tries. 

Ultimately, the Sixers plugged away impressively until their shooting fortunes improved.

“I thought they just made tough shots,” George said. “We played good defense and they were making tough shots, contested shots. … I think the biggest thing is we were locked in. We were moving, we were flying around, we were helping one another.

“We can sustain that over a game. I thought it wore on them a little bit that we were there, we were contesting shots and we weren’t making it easy. But they came out hot. We just didn’t lay down. We stayed with it, put our heads down and hung in there.”

Edgecombe bounces right back up 

Edgecombe exited at the 4:47 mark of the first quarter, limping off to the Sixers’ locker room.

The rookie had fallen hard on his back a few plays prior while pursuing a defensive rebound. Fortunately for Edgecombe and the Sixers, he avoided anything close to a worst-case outcome.  

Edgecombe returned to the Sixers’ sideline about two minutes later and hopped on an exercise bike. He checked in with seven seconds left in the first quarter. 

“I just landed on my back, but I’m good,” Edgecombe said with a smile. “I was able to finish the game, so I’m good.

“That’s all I got for you. Ain’t nothing wrong with me; I’m good.”

Maxey and Brown sat to start the second quarter. The Sixers didn’t experience any sort of downward slide with their star guard resting. George and Quentin Grimes sunk three-pointers early in the second. Grimes also swatted away a Payton Pritchard jumper. 

Andre Drummond added a corner three. The veteran big man’s baseline push shot lifted the Sixers to a 41-39 edge and Maxey soon subbed in.

Grimes’ two-way play in the first half was an important boost for the Sixers after his quiet Game 1. When he’s on, Grimes can help keep the Sixers’ offense afloat with tough shotmaking during stagnant stretches. 

Edgecombe’s health sure didn’t appear to be an issue in the second quarter. He played a truly spectacular period. 

The 20-year-old chased down ultra-athletic offensive rebounds, played active defense and made his first three-pointers of the series — four of them, in fact. Late in the second, Edgecombe sliced through the Celtics’ defense and slammed in a fast-break dunk. He swished a jumper from the left wing to put the Sixers up 62-54. Edgecombe’s 20 points and seven rebounds topped both teams at halftime. 

As he showed in the Sixers’ opening-night win over the Celtics and on many subsequent occasions, Edgecombe believes that he belongs on big stages and has the tools to shine. He did just that in his second career playoff game. 

Sixers find tons of timely buckets

George committed his third foul with 6:57 left in the second quarter and had to watch the rest of the first half from the bench.

He drained a three-pointer on the first shot of the third quarter to raise the Sixers’ lead to double digits. Following that 0-for-6 start from three-point territory, the Sixers made 11 of their next 14 long-range jumpers. Meanwhile, the Celtics cooled off considerably and finished 13 for 50 (26 percent).

Edgecombe came out again with a limp at the 10:08 mark of the third quarter. Just like in the first half, he was back on the Sixers’ bench minutes later and good to go. 

The Celtics ate into the Sixers’ lead during much of the third quarter, but Edgecombe nailed a pull-up three to restore a six-point advantage. He continued to play fearless basketball and amped up his offensive aggression with Maxey on the bench. 

Boston trimmed its deficit to 84-82 on a short Pritchard jumper early in the fourth quarter. The Sixers prevented the Celtics from surging ahead and Justin Edwards played a major part.

Edwards, who logged 22 minutes off the bench, beat the shot clock with a timely three. He also blocked a Brown jumper, scrapped for rebounds, and generally did valuable, high-effort work as the Sixers’ lone bench wing.

“He’s a bigger wing defender,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said of Edwards. “And when Tatum and Brown are both in there, we’ve got to watch who’s in the game. So that led to Justin having a couple of stints there.

“Again, Justin for whatever reason seems to be open. The ball seems to find him and he’s not afraid to shoot ‘em. And he’s a good shooter.”

The Celtics were always bound to push the Sixers. With three-balls from Tatum and Brown, the Sixers’ lead dipped to 91-90.

Tatum missed a go-ahead jumper attempt. Maxey was then rewarded for his persistence through inevitable shooting ups and downs as the Sixers’ lead guard. He canned pull-up threes on the team’s next two possessions.

“He just wanted them,” Nurse said after Maxey’s 12-point fourth quarter. “I think you probably all could see that.

“He kind of looked at me for a play call and I looked at him and called, and he was like, ‘Man, I got it.’ He knew. … One of our emphases coming in was to screen better and I thought we did that tonight. Drummond and (Adem) Bona did a good job of getting him more space tonight.”

The Sixers’ foot stayed on the gas and the Celtics couldn’t create any drama down the stretch. Next on the Sixers’ agenda will be trying to grab an unlikely series lead Friday in Philadelphia.

Duke basketball is reloading, per usual.

The Blue Devils gained a commitment from former Wisconsin guard John Blackwell on Tuesday, April 21, adding one of the top-ranked players in the transfer portal. The 6-foot-4 junior averaged 19.1 points with 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season, earning all-Big Ten third-team honors.

REQUIRED READING: Best fits: 10 college basketball transfers who are perfect for new teams

"It just felt right," Blackwell told The Field of 68. "It felt right for me from the jump. When I talked to Coach (Jon) Scheyer and Coach (Emanuel) Dildy ... we chatted and it just felt like the right situation for me. Then when I got on campus, it just confirmed everything I was looking for."

Blackwell is ranked No. 7 in USA TODAY's transfer portal rankings, and was the No. 2 guard in the portal behind former Wake Forest star Juke Harris, who's still uncommitted.

The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native started 72 games in three seasons with the Badgers, and averaged double figures on Wisconsin's back-to-back NCAA Tournament teams. He's 1-3 in his career in March Madness, including two first-round exit upsets to No. 12 seeds High Point and James Madison in 2026 and 2024, respectively.

Blackwell will likely start in the backcourt alongside returning guard Cayden Boozer and potentially Isaiah Evans, who's still mulling a 2026 NBA Draft decision. Dame Sarr and Caleb Foster could also return to Duke, with incoming Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski and returning center Patrick Ngongba likely handling frontcourt duties.

Blackwell was huge down the stretch for Wisconsin, scoring 25 points in the Badgers' regular season finale win over Purdue, before dropping 34 against Washington and 31 against Illinois in back-to-back Big Ten tournament games. He also scored 22 points in Wisconsin's NCAA Tournament loss to High Point.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Blackwell commits to Duke basketball via transfer portal

For years, LeBron James and Marcus Smart have shared the court. However, it’s often been on opposing sides.

Smart, a longtime Celtic, faced off against James when he was a Cavalier for countless regular-season games and in the postseason during the 2010s.

Cleveland got the better of Boston during those battles, winning the Eastern Conference four times in the decade.

During the summer, Smart joined the Lakers, and now the two foes have become teammates. They’ve gotten their first taste of playoff glory as members of the purple and gold as they beat the Rockets to win Game 1 of their opening round series.

After the win, Smart spoke about loving playing alongside LeBron James after years on the other side.

“It’s been great,” Smart said. “Being able to see why he’s considered one of the greatest to do it. The way that he prepares for the playoffs, it’s a whole different mentality for him than the regular season. We see it, you guys see it, but as a teammate, to be able to be there watching him get prepared, watching the things he’s doing to get himself ready, I’m glad I’m on his side this time.”

This isn’t the first time Smart has talked about the joys of playing with LeBron. He mentioned his excitement regarding playing with James in the summer after signing with the Lakers.

As a 12-year veteran, Smart knows what a winning mentality looks like. He exudes it every day, in every way possible, through his on-court play, practice regimen and media appearances.

Obviously, he understood that LeBron has this too, but now he is seeing it up close, in a way only a teammate can. With Luka and Austin Reaves out, the duo has become two of the most important leaders on the team.

Considering that LeBron is an All-Star in his own right, and Smart is a defensive initiator, this is a great pairing to have as the playoffs begin.

They’ve already proven they can have success together at this level by winning Game 1. They’ll look to continue stacking up victories during the rest of the NBA playoffs, and this time, they’ll do it together.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Getting tapped, and then smacked, in the back of the head – even lightly – in the closing seconds of a playoff game isn’t an ordinary experience.

It’s the kind of moment most players would remember, even a couple of days after the moment.

But for Rui Hachimura, that wasn’t the case. 

“When? When was that?,” Hachimura first responded when asked about the moment. 

Because it was Luka Doncic who was the one playfully hitting Hachimura on the back of the head while Hachimura was in the corner closest to the Lakers’ bench as the clock wound down to zero, securing the Lakers’ Game 1 win over the Rockets on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. 

“Hmm…I don’t remember,” Hachimura said. “He always does that stuff. I probably don’t even think about it. I’m used to it, probably. I don’t remember that.”

Doncic (left hamstring), along with fellow star guard Austin Reaves (left oblique), may continue to be sidelined because of their regular season-ending injuries they suffered on April 2.

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But the group is benefitting from both of them being around as they work their way back to a hopeful return to the court. 

“Obviously, helping out guys on the bench, just watching the game from that view, you can see different things you don’t see when you’re necessarily in the game,” Jaxson Hayes said. “And so they’re able to tell guys that stuff and just help out as much as possible.”

#Lakers forward Rui Hachimura said he does not remember this interaction with Luka Doncic at the end of Game 1 in the first round series between the #Rockets and #LakeShow.

He said it’s probably because Luka does this stuff all the time. He noted it’s fun having him back at… pic.twitter.com/FgZUig4JYg

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) April 20, 2026

Reaves has remained with the team since suffering his injury.

Doncic returned to Southern California on Friday after spending the previous two weeks in Europe while receiving special treatment on his hamstring with the hopes it could expedite his healing process and help him return to the court sooner. 

He arrived at the Lakers’ home arena on Saturday about 40 minutes before tipoff and was at the Lakers’ practice on Monday. 

Doncic and Reaves haven’t spoken with reporters since their injuries. 

“It’s been really nice,” coach JJ Redick said on Monday. “[Doncic] definitely rebounded and passed in some shooting drills. Having the group together two out of the last three days has been really nice.”

Doncic was back at it again on Monday afternoon during the Lakers’ practice ahead of Tuesday’s Game 2 in Los Angeles, this time playing “rock, paper, scissors” with Reaves after Reaves shot free throws with Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia.

Reaves won. 

Hayes shared that Doncic has been calling him his Slovenian brother after Hayes received his Slovenian passport, which makes him eligible to play on national team with Doncic.

“I think people don’t know how much impact Luka has, not only on the court, but off the court,” Hachimura said. “He’s a guy that always wants to be around. We love him just being around, just hanging out, talking. We’re happy that he’s back finally. He’s [always] doing funny things. We missed him for sure.”

The juxtaposition of Doncic’s light-hearted nature with his fiery on-court persona (which can also turn jovial in certain moments) is a characteristic the Lakers have seen more of this season.  

“Just messing around with the coaches and the players and just the normal things you guys see on the camera, probably,” Hachimura said of Doncic’s antics. “It’s just a normal thing for him.”

What’ll feel more normal is if/when Doncic is able to get back on the court for the Lakers.

Redick has stated multiple times that their goal is to extend the season long enough for Doncic and Reaves to play at some point during the playoffs.

“We’re gonna try to make this season as long as possible so that we can get those guys back at some point,” Redick said last week. “We don’t know what that is, and that’s just our job. And their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”

But until that happens, the Lakers are just happy to have Doncic and shenanigans back around the group.

With the Suns in the postseason, overcoming expectations many set, discussions about the team’s offseason plans have already sparked social media chatter. This is all related to a recent post from one of the most cryptic NBA superstars, who is suspected to be on the move this offseason. That player would be Giannis Antetokounmpo, the one who dethroned the Suns in their 2021 Finals run. So why would Suns fans want this, and how does this conversation even take off?

Well, from Antetokounmpo’s post, you can see why it has been such a topic of discussion.

A lot of Suns fans have specifically picked out the top part as some signal or message about his preferred destination: “Like a phoenix from the ashes, I’ll rise,” says Antetokounmpo, and this is what has everyone asking whether the Suns should pull the trigger.

To that, I say hold your horses for many reasons. One for the fact that the Suns are still currently in the postseason and have had the year they have had. Let’s appreciate the good things and all the great feelings we have had from this season, and not worry about the next. That happens when the Suns are losing, and in a tough spot, and right now, even if they are slated to lose to OKC in the playoffs, it is not a losing season.

Secondly, we are talking about Giannis Antetokounmpo. The same man who, this season, was annoying with his quotes about his situation in Milwaukee, clearly wanting out and not wanting to be the bad guy, put him in situations that led to some hilarious comments all season long. This is not a charade I want going on around the Suns, especially after all that drama last year.

Why are we going to integrate the fanbase into some more toxicity? Plus, who is to say Giannis wants to go to Phoenix, right? This quote says nothing beyond the fact that Giannis might like it. This is not a set-in-stone thing, so fans should not be planning as if it is already going to happen.

Then you can look at how this would get done for Phoenix. Yes, we all know the Bucks were interested in Jalen Green at the trade deadline, but you had to give up more as well. With Phoenix just escaping the apron hell, are you really willing to go back into that? Do the Suns even have the draft capital to get this done? Do they have to move young guys like Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Maluach to sweeten the deal because of their lack of draft capital?

The Bucks would need Phoenix’s young players. Is that worth it for Giannis’ large contract? Trying to get to $58M in salary is going to be tough for Phoenix unless it includes Jalen Green and two of Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, or Royce O’Neale with the young guys.

For what? The team to have Devin Booker and Giannis Antetokounmpo, with no one around them. Just like the other star-based teams we have had to watch over the last couple of seasons. I am good.

This new identity of everyone playing team basketball and working as a unit is fun, and I am not sacrificing that for a cool two-way duo. Yes, they would be unstoppable, but with both of them having injury histories and not getting younger, are we sure this is the way the Suns should build? Chasing another championship, and if they come up short, then what? Wait for another rebuild?

There are too many questions and possibilities for me to move forward with this, especially when we still have this season to discuss. Let’s appreciate what we have and worry about the offseason and the future with the young guys we have and the pieces we have grown this season.

One of the only good things about watching a tanking team is seeing players develop from definite L’s in the loss column to becoming real assets on a playoff team. The 2025-26 Utah Jazz team had its fair share of young talent improve over the course of 82 games, as well as surprising vets that stepped up big time.

Let’s take a look at the three players that improved the most from last season.

Note: I will only be using players who also played for the Jazz in 2024-25, so while Jusuf Nurkic was somebody that definitely upped his stock, he will not be on this list.

No. 3: Lauri Markkanen

2024-25 stats: 19.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.5 apg, 57.1% TS

2025-26 stats: 26.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 60.1% TS

This might come as a shock to some, but in the thick of the Jazz’s (purposeful) worst season in franchise history, Markkanen had a very bad season. I though this year was massive for him to prove that he can be the player on a Jazz playoff team that everybody thought he could one day be.

When Markkanen arrived in Utah, he was this seven-foot beast that could knock down threes, but would also drive and dunk with incredible efficiency. He was an all star starter in year one and was named the league’s most improved player, but by year three it seemed like that version of Lauri might be gone. He averaged six less points a game, shot five percent worse from deep, took more threes and less twos. His game was reduced to catch-and-shoot, which was frustrating knowing that he could be an efficient paint scorer.

But this season, all my faith in Markkanen has been restored. His shot selection was a lot more diverse, taking five more 2-point attempts per game while still being knockdown from 3-point range. There were times this season before the Jazz went full-fledged tank mode, where I looked at the duo of Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George and thought, “Hey, this is something real.” Combine his play with the fact that Utah kept its first round pick, and the decision to not trade Lauri paid off tenfold.

No. 2: Cody Williams

2024-25 stats: 4.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 41.9% TS

2025-26 stats: 8.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 52.4% TS

We were in dangerous territory with Cody Williams early in the season. Like maybe “worst player in the league” territory. Maybe, dare I say, “worst Jazz draft pick ever” territory. But patience proved powerful, as Williams now seems like he can be a real player in the NBA, which can’t be said for many of his 2024 draft peers.

His overall season stats don’t jump out, but after New Year’s, he became an impact player in Utah. In 21 starts in March and April he averaged 15.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Now, you can chalk that up to garbage, late-season stat inflation, but what fun would that be?

Even NBA insider Zach Lowe made it a point to talk about Williams’ play on his podcast.

“I think Cody Williams — who looked like an epic bust of a top-10 pick… has shown enough in the last couple of months that I think there’s a world in which he’s a functional eighth to tenth guy on a good Utah Jazz team. His defense is really improved. He’s a solid defender. He knows how to close out on guys short, he knows how to run guys off the arc, he’s extremely well balanced,“

So while Williams might not be on the same level as the other two players on this list, his improvement from year one to year two should be seen as a resounding success.

No. 1: Keyonte George

2024-25 stats: 16. 8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 5.6 apg, 53.9% TS

2025-26 stats: 23.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.1 apg, 60.9% TS

Keyonte George was benched for Isaiah Collier last season. Let that sink in.

In the offseason, George was probably the most polarizing player on the Jazz, with (from my perspective) more people being out on the once inefficient point guard from Baylor

In just one year he has made himself a franchise cornerstone, and had it not been for a stacked western conference, he would have made an all star team. No doubt about it. The Jazz do not make the franchise-altering trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. if George had not taken this step in year three.

His shot selection in 2025-26 was drastically better than that of his sophomore campaign. He shot less threes per game, 3.5 more 2-point attempts per game, and got to the line 2.7 more times as well. A big knock on George going into the season was his lack of finishing and his lack of creating contact in the paint, even though he was able to get there with ease. This season, the perceived “fear” he had of the paint greatly diminished.

What I think can best sum up George’s rise in the NBA’s hierarchy this season was his two-game stretch against the Pistons and Spurs in December, a stretch in which the Jazz won both games. In these two games, George averaged 29.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists, and against the Pistons he hit the game-winning floater over the outstretched arms of Jalen Duren. In two games against Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama, it was George who came out on top. It was George who was the best player on the court.

I foresee a Tyrese Maxey level ascension for George in the near future. Maybe it won’t be this very next season, but George is the real deal, and can 100% be an all-NBA guy in his career. That is not something that I thought in September.

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Billy Donovan has resigned as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, ending his six-season tenure, after missing out on the play-offs.

The Bulls wanted to retain Donovan's services despite parting company with vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley on 6 April.

Donovan, 66, held an option in his contract for next season but has decided to step down to allow a new coach to rebuild.

"After a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organisation, I have decided to step away as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, to allow the search process to unfold," Donovan said.

"I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls, to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit."

Donovan took charge of the Bulls in 2020 and reached the play-offs once in 2021-22 - losing against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.

They lost in the play-in tournament over the following three seasons but finished 12th in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26 to miss out altogether.

"We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach - that was never in question," Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf said.

"But through honest conversations, we all agreed that giving our new head of basketball operations the right to build out his staff was the most important thing for the future of this franchise.

"That is the kind of person Billy is - he put the Bulls first. We are deeply grateful for everything he has given to this organisation."

When Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić went down with their injuries, head coach JJ Redick said it was the team’s responsibility to keep winning long enough for them to come back. Saturday’s victory in Game 1 against the Rockets was the first step in doing just that.

The good news is that one of those star players has since returned to the court. The bad news is that the other one likely won’t be returning at all this series.

On Tuesday, Shams Charania of ESPN provided significant updates on the recoveries of the stars, noting that Austin is back on the court while Luka is not.

Here is the full transcript of Charania’s report:

“The sense around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is actually the one that’s further along than Luka Doncic in their respective recovery processes. I am told Austin Reaves has started one-on-one, on-court work. The next step for him is to continue to go through his progressions of 3-on-3, 5-on-5. Remember, early April, he had a 4-6 week timetable so, theoretically, that puts him on track late in this series, potentially early in the next season. The Lakers are not expecting Luka Doncic to be back in this series. He is out indefinitely. But Austin Reaves making some progress on the court.”

Reaves’ return to the court

Obviously, the biggest positive from this is not only that Reaves is back on the court and going through drills. The biggest question will be how quickly he can progress through the drills and get back on the floor.

If you’re looking for a positive, he did play with this injury in the second half of the Thunder game and seemed in good spirits about it postgame. If this is an injury he can play through, it does create a scenario where Reaves may try to get back on the floor if it’s late in the series and he could possibly provide some help.

The question will be how much he and the Lakers are willing to risk things. While they typically err on the side of caution, if there is a time to risk things, it is the playoffs. The situation the Lakers are in could also dictate this as well.

If the Lakers are leading the series 3-2, for example, perhaps they’re comfortable holding him out just a bit longer. But if the Lakers are facing elimination late in the series, then maybe they put him back on the floor.

But winning on Saturday started to open up the possibility even more than he could get on the floor this series.

Luka unlikely to return against Rockets

The flip side to this is that it certainly sounds unlikely Luka is going to be back this series. This is not the first report that the Lakers have doubts about Luka returning this series.

While going to Spain for treatment may have opened the idea that he could get back this series, a hamstring injury is far trickier and riskier than Reaves’ oblique strain. Rushing back from a hamstring strain is much more difficult and can lead to more long-term consequences.

For now, it seems the Lakers are taking the more long-term approach with Luka of not rushing him back onto the court and, instead, making sure he gets healthy.

If they’re going to want Luka back on the floor, it’s seems it’s going to take at least three more wins for that to become a realistic scenario.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

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The Orlando Magic shocked the Detroit Pistons in their series opener, and that has the East’s No. 1 seed ripe for a rebound in Game 2 tonight.

After an extended break, Detroit came out flat against an Orlando squad that has been fighting for its life in the Play-In Tournament.

My Magic vs. Pistons predictions are banking on Detroit to come out swinging in the opening 24 minutes.

Here are my best NBA picks for Wednesday, April 22.

Our best Magic vs Pistons SGP for Game 2

The Detroit Pistons were rusty and not ready for the intensity the Orlando Magic brought into Game 1. The Pistons have been one of the NBA's best first-half teams, ranking No. 4 in 1H net rating and boasting a 45-35-3 ATS record versus the 1H spread this season.

Cade Cunningham dished out 17 potential assists in Game 1, but the Pistons' poor shooting converted only four of those setups. Before his lung injury, Cunningham was routinely racking up 10+ assists, and with Detroit locked in for Game 2, those dimes should start cashing in.

Duncan Robinson continues to make defenses pay from beyond the arc. He made three triples in Game 1 and has knocked down at least three 3-pointers in nine of his last dozen games.

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