Category: Basketball

Los Angeles Lakers' NBA Cup court deemed ‘unplayable' for Friday's game: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Los Angeles Lakers’ court for the NBA Cup is a late scratch for Friday’s game.

The alternative court, with its bright yellow color scheme and NBA Cup trophy decals, will not be used when the Lakers host the Dallas Mavericks during the in-season tournament matchup at Crypto.com Arena after being deemed “unplayable,” according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Technicians from the league’s court vendor determined the floor is in need of repair because of safety concerns, The Athletic reported.

Friday’s game will instead be played on the Lakers’ regular home court.

Lakers star Luka Doncic had complaints about the NBA Cup court after the team played on it for the first time Tuesday in a win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

“It’s just slippery. It’s dangerous,” Doncic told reporters after the game. “I slipped. I slipped a lot of times, and you could see a lot of players slipped. And that’s dangerous, man.”

Despite the slippery surface, Doncic managed to score 43 points while leading the Lakers to a 135-118 victory over the Clippers.

With the win, the Lakers improved to 3-0 in NBA Cup play and won Group B in the Western Conference to secure a spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals. With a win over the Mavericks on Friday, the Lakers will clinch a home game for their quarterfinal matchup the week of Dec. 8.

The ensuing semifinal matchup will be hosted by the higher seed of the two advancing teams. The championship game will be played in Las Vegas.

The Lakers’ NBA Cup court will be returned to the vendor for repairs and is expected to be ready in two weeks, per The Athletic.

“That was bad,” Lakers forward Rui Hachimura told reporters Friday about the court. “I felt it right away when I was warming up. It just felt weird. Just like oily, slippery. Everybody was on the floor, literally, every second…I don’t know if they fixed it or they changed it…We’re going to do the normal court, so it will be fine.”

Warriors' 20-game report card to begin 2025-26 NBA season: Very average originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Getting through 82 games before the playoffs even begin always is a marathon for every team in the NBA. The first 20 games of the 2025-26 season for the Warriors, though, were a full-on sprint. 

The Warriors, in their first 17 games as they ended a six-game road trip, already had gone through five back-to-backs before anybody else played three. The Rockets hadn’t been hit with any back-to-backs yet. On the day the Warriors played their 12th road game, the Rockets played their 13th game overall. 

Houston also served as Golden State’s 20th game of the season Wednesday night. For the Rockets, it was just their 16th game. 

Context is required to grade what the first 20 games have been for the Warriors. There also is no point in sugar-coating the product. The Warriors now are 10-10 after a bad loss against a Kevin Durant-less Rockets, making them the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. 

“I’ll tell ya after tonight,” Steve Kerr said Wednesday during his pregame press conference when asked about assessing his team.

His answer after the loss was much more revealing. 

Offense

In the Warriors’ three combined wins against the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs, Steph Curry averaged 45.7 points per game. He totaled 137 points. Those are more examples of what Curry still is capable of.

And they also are more examples of how reliant the Warriors’ offense remains on Curry. But Curry only scored 25 total points in the Warriors’ losses against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Rockets. 

Jimmy Butler continues to show what a great complement to Curry he is. Butler ranks second on the Warriors in points per game (20.0), assists per game (4.9) and field goal percentage (53.1 percent), and leads in 3-point percentage (45.9) and offensive rebounds per game (2.2).

As a whole, though, the Warriors’ offense has been littered with issues. They rank first in 3-pointers made per game (16.1) and are eighth in assists per game (27.4). Everything else is average or below after that. That includes a 113.2 offensive rating that ranks 22nd in the league while being 21st in points per game at 115.1. 

Shooting hasn’t been good enough. The Warriors rank 23rd in field goal percentage (45.3 percent), 13th in 3-point percentage (36.4 percent) and 13th in true shooting percentage (58.8 percent) as Buddy Hield shoots a career-worst 31 percent on threes. It’s not like the Warriors own the paint either (29th, 41.1 points in the paint per game) and are 20th in offensive rebound percentage (29.3 percent). 

A team that clearly has way too many leaks and cracks offensively has committed the most turnovers in the game, ranking 25th in turnovers per game (16.6).

*All stats are through Nov. 26 and current as of Thanksgiving morning.

Grade: D+

Defense

More often than not, players are salivating at taking the Warriors’ defense to work. Here’s a list of players who already have scored career highs against the Warriors this season: Ryan Rollins (32 points), Reed Sheppard (31 points), Aaron Nesmith (31 points), Caleb Love (26 points) and Quenton Jackson (25 points). 

The numbers have the Warriors with the 10th-best defensive rating (112.2), and rank 12th in opponents points per game (114.5). Opponents are shooting 46.7 percent against them (15th) and 34.7 percent beyond the arc (seventh). Watching the game and how disconnected the Warriors’ defense feels tells us something different.

“Our defense is s–t,” Draymond Green said Wednesday night. “Because it’s not necessarily the numbers. How do you feel when you’re out there? And if it’s just letdown after letdown, it’s bigger than numbers.”

His comments came right after Butler let the Warriors’ defense have it, too.

“We don’t box out. We don’t go with the scouting report. We let anybody do whatever they want. Drives, get into the paint, free throws – it’s just sad,” Butler said.

*All stats are through Nov. 26 and current as of Thanksgiving morning.

Grade: C-

Stars

The numbers and eye test tell the same story. 

Curry is playing 31.1 minutes per game, which would be a career low for a full season, and he’s still averaging 27.9 points per game with a 64.1 true shooting percentage. He has played 16 games and scored 30 or more points in seven of them, including three 40-plus games. Curry isn’t the problem.

Butler is back to averaging 20 points per game and is doing so incredibly efficiently. From all three levels – 2-pointers, 3-pointers and free throws – Butler has been methodically picking apart defense. He is making 54.7 percent of his twos while shooting the best he ever has from deep, and Butler is shooting a career-best 87.1 percent at the free-throw line on 7.7 attempts per game. 

He also isn’t the problem, and neither is Green. The Warriors have a 107.2 defensive rating with Green, and a 118.3 defensive rating without him. Their offensive rating is 117.3 when he’s on the floor, and it’s just 111.2 when he’s off it.

Grade: A-

Additions

Let’s first run through who the additions to this season’s Warriors team are. 

Gary Payton II was re-signed, so he can’t be considered one. Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency eventually ended with him remaining a Warrior, so he isn’t part of the list. Neither is Alex Toohey, the Warriors’ top draft pick who hasn’t played any games because of an ankle injury and likely will spend the entire season in the G League anyway. 

That essentially leaves three players: Al Horford, Will Richard and De’Anthony Melton. Yes, Melton played for the Warriors last season, but only for six games and he technically was traded to add Dennis Schroder last December. We’re adding him to the list, but he still hasn’t played a game this season while continuing to rehab from ACL surgery. 

As a late second-round draft pick, Richard already has been better than expected. Richard has started eight games and is playing 18.3 minutes per game, which ranks eighth on the Warriors. Seventh is Horford, who mostly has been bad all season. Horford has looked his age, 39, and is only shooting 32 percent from 3-point range. 

Adding a healthy Melton should be huge for the Warriors. Seth Curry’s eventual signing will help with shooting as well. But Horford’s disappointing start has hurt the Warriors, and this grade would be even lower if it weren’t for Richard.

Grade: C-

Youth

Can Kuminga and Moses Moody still be here in Year 5? Since the Warriors are so dependent on three players that are 35, 36 and 37 years old, and because Kuminga and Moody still are only 23, this will be their last as part of the category.

The start to the season was about as perfect as could be for Kuminga after what was a tough offseason in restricted free agency. Kuminga showed improvements in all the areas the Warriors wanted and averaged 16.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game during the Warriors’ 4-1 start. But as the Warriors started to slide and Kuminga reverted to some old habits, he was back on the bench by the 13th game.

There have been signs of Moody taking the leap. A big game can be followed by a handful of inconsistent performances, which is what other young players like Brandin Podziemski and Quinten Post have been. Trayce Jackson-Davis is at the bottom of the rotation, and Richard might be the most trusted of the bunch. 

To keep it blunt, the youth of the Warriors haven’t shown they can propel the veterans enough to be taken seriously as a threat around the league.

Grade: C-

Health

Everything changes when Curry limps down the tunnel and to the Warriors’ locker room. That was the scene Wednesday night, and Curry officially has been diagnosed with a quad contusion and muscle strain. He’ll be re-evaluated in one week and will miss at least three games.

Payton in the same game exited in the first half because of a sprained ankle. Kuminga has missed seven straight games because of knee tendonitis, and Horford is shelved right now with right sciatic nerve irritation.

The bumps and bruises haven’t been big enough to threaten an entire season. However, they’re starting to pile up already and Rick Celebrini is guaranteed to be a busy man all season long.

Grade: C+

Overall

Now it’s time for Ker’s honest answer when I asked him about the identity of the team as it currently stands. 

“The identity? Well, what did Bill Parcells say? You are what your record says you are. We’re 10-10, we’re an average team,” Kerr said. “I think we have the potential for much more, and it’s my job as coach to help these guys find that rhythm that can give us some juice, some separation, some confidence. I believe in them. 

“I believe in our guys. I believe in our continuity that we’ve got from not only last year, but with Steph and Dray for 14 years. So I believe in the guys. We’ve just got to keep working and we’ll get there.”

The Warriors through 20 games have two two-game win streaks and one three-game win streak. Simultaneously, they have two two-game losing streaks and one three-game losing streak. They’ve also pulled out more worrisome losses than impressive wins. 

“When we’re making shots, oh man, we’re celebrating, we’re cheering, we’re doing all those things. When we’re not, and when the game’s not going our way, we put our head down and we mope,” Butler said. “And then we don’t box out, we don’t get back and we foul. … Some people call it frontrunning.” 

It has been an average product, and that shouldn’t be the case with who Curry, Butler and Green still have been. This is who the Warriors are, for now. But first, they’ll have to overcome at least a couple games without Curry.

Grade: C

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Despite the season still being relatively young, we are deep enough into things for managers to have an idea of where they sit in comparison to other teams. Taking a look at your depth and whether there are any expendable pieces, could open up opportunities for you to narrow your focus. As always, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the fantasy basketball rankings.

Identifying players who are benefiting from expanded roles—whether it's an offensive threat delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player boosting your blocks and steals—is vital as you navigate the season.

Let's dive into nine key NBA sleepers whose current stats suggest they are poised for significant value and are currently rostered in fewer than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

Yahoo High Score Leagues

Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns (31% rostered)

Thrust into a sizeable role this season, Gillespie has taken advantage of the fact that Jalen Green has been mostly absent due to an ongoing hamstring injury. He had been coming off the bench prior to Wednesday's game, during which he made his first start of the season, tallying 48 fantasy points. He has scored double-digit points in seven straight games, amassing at least 30 fantasy points in six of those seven appearances. Whether he continues to start or is moved back to the bench, Gillespie has been a big part of what Phoenix has been able to do and should be rostered in all formats, including High Score Leagues.

Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets (24% rostered)

Another player who is playing the best basketball of his career, Clowney finally appears to have carved out a consistent role in Brooklyn. He has played at least 30 minutes in five of the past seven games, tallying double-digit points in all seven. He has averaged 37.3 fantasy points per game over the past three games, providing the Nets with a secondary scoring option behind Michael Porter Jr. If his defensive contributions can stick, we could be looking at a player who has rest-of-season value.

Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs (19% rostered)

Johnson continues to step up in the absence of Victor Wembanyama, having scored in double digits in five straight appearances, while also adding 42 total rebounds. Although he is still coming off the bench, he has closed a number of games recently. He has at least 28 fantasy points in four of those five games, and while his value likely has a shelf life, he is certainly worth adding until Wembanyama is back in the fold.

Standard 9-Category Leagues

Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs (23% rostered)

Harper returned to action Wednesday, back in the lineup after suffering a calf strain earlier in the season. While his playing time was clearly limited in his return, we saw enough from Harper to begin his rookie campaign to know that he is going to have fantasy value at some point. While De'Aaron Fox has also returned to the lineup in recent times, Stephon Castle has replaced him on the sideline after succumbing to a hip injury. There is obviously an element of risk associated with Harper, given the very small sample size we have. However, if you can absorb some risk, he makes sense as an add, just to see if he can push back to 26 minutes per game.

Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks (22% rostered)

It's been far from smooth sailing for Gafford this season, with an ankle injury costing him five games to begin the campaign. However, he has since missed just one game, starting in 12 of his 13 games. He has logged at least 25 minutes in seven straight and should be able to maintain his recent momentum after it was announced that Dereck Lively would miss 7-10 days due to a foot issue. Anthony Davis appears to be edging closer to a return, but as we know, he would prefer to play at the forward spot, alongside Gafford. A top-60 player over the past two weeks, averaging 10.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks, Gafford simply needs to be rostered everywhere right now.

Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets (25% rostered)

It's been a roller coaster ride for Watson this season, playing a much larger role than anticipated following injuries to both Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun. In six games over the past two weeks, Watson has been a top-60 player, averaging 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 three-pointers and 2.0 combined steals and blocks in 34.0 minutes per game. Gordon and Braun are likely to be sidelined for at least a month, meaning the starting spot is Watson's to lose. Although the scoring could fluctuate, his defensive floor and ability to rebound at a high rate make him a clear must-roster player.

Standard Points Leagues

Anthony Black, Orlando Magic (21% rostered)

Black has seemingly been able to add an element of consistency to his game, scoring double digits in six straight games. In fact, in seven appearances over the past two weeks, he has averaged 15.6 points, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 three-pointers in 28.4 minutes per game. The imminent return of Paolo Banchero is obviously going to have an impact, although there will likely be some sort of ramp-up period. However, Black was flirting with value even before Banchero went down, making him a viable, yet slightly risky pickup, even in points formats. 

Brandon Williams, Dallas Mavericks (14% rostered)

Williams has been playing through what appears to be a minor back issue, potentially limiting his overall production. With that said, he has still been able to contribute on both ends of the floor and appears to have the starting point guard role locked down. The return of Anthony Davis could actually help Williams, with Davis drawing a lot of attention on the offensive end. This could, in turn, see Williams' assist numbers go up, while his shot selection could improve. The back issue is something we need to monitor, but until we hear otherwise, he makes for a viable points league target.

Vince Williams Jr., Memphis Grizzlies (24% rostered)

Memphis continues to deal with multiple injuries to its backcourt, affording Williams an unexpected opportunity to start at the point guard position. His scoring has been wildly inconsistent and figures to be less of a priority for him moving forward. However, in five games since assuming the starting role, Williams has averaged 6.5 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.4 steals. His ceiling is somewhat capped due to his lack of scoring upside, but he remains an elite source of assists and out-of-position rebounds, making him a sneaky asset, at least until Ja Morant returns to the lineup.