Training camp is here, and the Minnesota Timberwolves have reported. The starting lineup looks to be locked up with Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, and Jonathan Kuminga.

Level of play, injuries, and selective rest will shift that lineup as the season goes on, but those starters are more vital than ever. In past seasons, Coach Chris Finch has been near dogmatic about sticking with his rotation and playing sparingly with players on the far end of it. With 14 players rostered and 3 players signed to two-way contracts, there are over 6,000 potential combinations for Finch and the coaching staff to play with.

(Side note: how many players on two-way contracts would be considered two-way players, as in productive on both sides of the ball?)

With that in mind, I wanted to play with some lineups that, while unlikely, we could potentially see.

The Jaden Show

• Jaden McDaniels
• Isaiah Evans (Donte DiVincenzo if/when he comes back)
• Ayo Dosunmu
• Trey Lyles
• Rudy Gobert

The Vision: I want to see Jaden run the show. In this lineup, McDaniels is the primary dude in half-court sets with some additional ball-handling from Ayo as needed. I see him getting the action going, driving off a Rudy pick to the hoop for a pull-up middy or finding Rudy with a lob or a bounce pass. If the defense collapses, the ball springs out to Evans, Ayo, or Lyles on the wings for an open three.

Some Data: McDaniels USG% has risen each of the past three seasons from 15.7% in 2024, to 16.4% in 2025 and finishing last season with 18.5%. His points per game have increased roughly 40% in that time, and his assists per game have nearly doubled from 1.4 to 2.7 per contest.

In his “They’re All Bad Defenders” two-game stretch against the Denver Nuggets, we got a glimpse of what he can do with a small uptick in touches.

• ​Game 4: 19.1% 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
• Game 4: 26.1% 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
• ​Game 5: 26.3% 32 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists

Reality of the Situation: So long as Jaden shares his court time with either Ant or LaMelo, the ball will not be in his hands as much. For this lineup, or any lineup where Jaden is the straw that stirs the drink, an injury or foul trouble will be the triggering event. The only other reason I could see Finch turn to on-ball Jaden is if he looks across the court at the opponent and sees nothing but bad defenders.

Track Meet

• Bones Hyland
• Ayo Dosunmu
• Anthony Edwards
• TJ Shannon
• Jaden McDaniels

The Vision:

But really though, that lineup is full of speedy dudes looking to get to the rim. There isn’t much size. Defensive rebounds would be hard-won, but if any semblance of a fast break sparks… Boom goes the dynamite.

Some Data: In their pre-draft workouts:

• Bones Hyland ran a 3.15 3/4 Court Sprint (baseline-to-opposite-free-throw-line sprint) and was the fastest guard at the 2021 combine in the lane agility drill.
• Edwards ran a 2.75-second 3/4 Court Sprint. Per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, “The team didn’t believe the stopwatch and made him do it twice more; he followed it up with times of 2.75 and 2.80 seconds.“
• TJ Shannon ran a 3.06 seconds 3/4 Court Sprint. (Top time in the 2023 combine class)
• Ayo Dosunmu ran a 3.23 seconds 3/4 Court Sprint.
• Jaden McDaniels did not post a 3/4 Court Sprint in any public workouts (someone on this unit needs to defend the point of attack)

Reality of the Situation: The only way this lineup sees the floor is if the Wolves bring back a Dunks After Dark showcase during pre-season.

Lob City 2.0: Lobo City

• LaMelo Ball
• TJ Shannon
• Jaden McDaniels
• Jonathan Kuminga
• Joan Beringer

The Vision: The freedom of movement rules were made to allow for the Steph Currys of the world (there are very few of these) to run literal circles in the half-court. Desperate defenders chased after him or asked, while breathing out mist like in some horror film, “Where’s Steph?” Curry would then appear, the ball suddenly in his hands and out in the same instant, splashing through the net.

This era has largely seen players ground-bound, hunting for shots on the perimeter. In this lineup, LaMelo Ball would look to the heavens to find a squadron of Wolves ready for pinpoint passes to cascade down on defenders unable to prevent the sudden liftoff.

Some Data: I have none. I just have NBA.com’s Advanced Stats/LaMelo Ball/Assists and then scrolling the feed for alley oops.

Let me tell you, every single one of them had my imagination running wild. I just superimposed the faces of Shannon, McDaniels, Kuminga, or Beringer over Brandon Miller, Moussa Diabate, and LaMelo’s other former teammates.

I dreamt of them snatching the ball from the air in one motion and yamming it through the cylinder the next as the Target Center collective leapt to their feet in euphoric wonder.

Reality of the Situation: Maybe this lineup can get some burn. All five players figure to be in Finch’s top eight. A lineup like this could get burn in the second half for a few minutes of a Wolves blowout victory. Just after the opponent has sent in the garbage-time lineup but before Finch matches with his own.

Ant Highway

• Bones Hyland (Donte if/when he returns)
• Anthony Edwards
• Ayo Dosunmu
• Trey Lyles
• Rudy Gobert

The Vision: Ant with a familiar pick-and-roll partner and shooters. Make the simple read: if doubled, get to the rack or kick out for a catch-and-shoot three if not. This is Finch letting Ant play heliocentric Luka Dončić or James Harden ball.

I don’t want the Wolves to go to a look like this often. It is not fun to watch, but I do concede that on many a night in the regular season, this is a winning formula.

SomeData: There is no easily available (free) tracking data on the frequency with which a player sees a double team. All we have is the eye test and our memory of Ant crossing half-court and suddenly having double vision. With reliable release valves like Bones/Donte, Ayo, and Lyles, and a center who waits for the body to hit on the pick before rolling, Ant’s life gets a lot easier.

Reality of the Situation: If LaMelo has any extended period of injury, then this lineup, or one very much like it, will see some run. Edwards is one of the most lethal scorers in the league, and his combination of burst and outside shooting creates difficulties for the best defenders. Forcing the opponent to weigh the risk of leaving a shooter open to help on Ant is just the analysis paralysis he needs to make them pay.

Blow Out Brigade

• Bones Hyland
• Isaiah Evans
• Jaylen Clark
• Trey Lyles
• Rocco Zikarsky

The Vision: Hopefully this lineup gets a lot of fourth-quarter burn after the Wolves have built a sizable lead. There is enough manic energy here to power the greater Twin Cities metro. Every player has at least one thing they do well in theory. Every player knows they have to prove something to stick in the league.

Some Data: You want data on this? I’m as much a Wolves sicko as the next but even that is beyond the mid-January, has not gone outside except to shovel in the bleak morning or bitter night, pale.

Let’s just hope that if the Wolves use this lineup, it is with victory cigars and not a recipe game (though I’ve got plenty of these that could be celebratory in nature)

Reality of the Situation: If the Wolves really show up this season and put away the teams they view as lesser, a lineup like this could see some burn.

So Canis: What lineups, strange or otherwise, do you want to see this season?

Kasparas Jakučionis—still just 20 years old—arrives in the Cream City via the Giannis trade as a young, intriguing guard prospect. Jakučionis is a 6’5” second-year guard who averaged 6.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.6 APG in just under 18 minutes per contest for Miami. Except for his three-point percentage (42%), most of his stats don’t jump off the page. That said, in games where KJ played over 25 minutes, he averaged 12.5 PPG and 4.5 APG. I hope that the (presumed) increase in usage and minutes with Milwaukee will allow him to flourish.

We saw Jakučionis debut for the Lithuanian senior national team before Summer League; he looked great, with 16 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Jakučionis dominated in the pick-and-roll and showed some great potential as a lead guard. However, he struggled in Vegas, having major issues controlling the ball and getting quality looks at the rim.

Still, I think the Bucks have found something in Jakučionis; he has a solid baseline and a high ceiling. Unfortunately, considering the logjam at the guard positions, I don’t think we’ll see as much of him as we should early on. Hopefully he gets into the 15-20 minute range each game, and that can grow throughout the season as he proves his worth. There will be plenty of opportunities as the roster changes throughout the season, and if Jakučionis proves himself as a spark off the bench and a good point guard option, his role should expand from there.

Overall, I don’t see KJ playing a major role in Milwaukee immediately; young guys need time to grow and learn. I reckon we’ll see some of his best games in matchups where the main guards are out. We also need to be prepared for the highs and lows, and even the high moments won’t necessarily translate into immediate success and wins, but they are a key part of building for the future.

With Jakučionis now gone, who’s next?

The Toronto Raptors have had a history of success with European centres: Jonas Valanciunas, Marc Gasol, and now, Jakob Poeltl. But, can the Austrian big man reach the same heights as those that came before him, or will his inability to stay on the floor condemn the Raptors to another season of mediocrity?

Big man in the middle

Starting with the positives: Yak is a very capable low post scorer, and acts as an imposing presence in the paint on both sides of the floor. In his best years, he’s giving you more than two stocks a game while averaging a near double double with points and rebounds. He’s got a nice touch around the basket, boasting a good floater game. He’s a very solid screener, and all together, contributes those fundamental things that a traditional centre does that impact the game in a big way.

In the 2024-25 campaign, arguably his best season, Poeltl averaged 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds, shooting 62.7% on more than ten shots a night. He played 57 games that year, and had a big role on a team that was going through a lot of growing pains and injury difficulties. Standing at seven feet tall, Poeltl is one of two players on the team taller than 6’11”, and with Nate Bittle still a rookie and 6’10” Trey Jemison on a two-way contract, he’s the player who ideally would be absorbing heavy minutes at centre for a wing-heavy roster. But, unfortunately, that might be easier said than done.

On the court, off the court

Poeltl will be making north of 25 million dollars a year starting next season, and currently has the third-highest amount of guaranteed money coming to him on the team. This is less than ideal for a player who had struggled with a back injury throughout all of the last season, had a down year scoring and rebounding, and played less than 20 minutes per game in the playoffs.

It’s the last one that is especially concerning for the team, as this year, it’s all but guaranteed the Raptors are playoff bound after acquiring Kawhi Leonard. Playoff performance is what the Raptors really need now, and if Poeltl is still being hampered by back injuries into next spring, the Raptors will be much weaker than they should be stepping into the postseason. What raises some eyebrows, in particular, is the lack of communication from either Poeltl or the Raptors in regards to his health. While the adage might be that no news is good news, some reassurance as to what be can expected from Yak going into the next season would go a long way.

There are good reasons for the team to keep their cards close to their chest, ranging from wanting to preserve Poeltl’s privacy, to maintaining his trade value. Regardless, as the season inches closer, it will become clearer the state that Poeltl is in, and both the team and the fans will be able to get a clearer approximation of what the Austrian Hammer will bring to the team this year.

Is it fair for the Raptors to put so much weight on Poeltl’s shoulders? In some ways, yes. The man is being paid handsomely to perform well, and was unable to do so last year. At the same time, the Raptors haven’t prioritized putting together a ready-to-go lineup of backup big men, and are choosing to test the waters this year, rather than immediately address size concerns. History will tell us if that was a mistake.

Wants and needs

The folks over at Raptors Rapture raise an excellent point, citing reporter Sam Quinn, who said that “there are maybe like 16 or 17 centers in the entire NBA that are really reliably playoff-viable.” It’s true that the NBA is in an era where big men are once again prized, but relatively few and far in between when needed to perform at the highest level. Whether in the Eastern or Western Conference, you’re not getting far without a good centre (or two) and for all of the Raptors’ strengths, reliability at the 5 is not one of them.

Jakob Poeltl doesn’t need to be Nikola Jokic this year for the Raptors to succeed, but he does need to be playable. Availability is the best availability, and hopefully now with Kawhi Leonard bringing Poeltl down to the fifth scoring option, Yak can rest a little easier on offence and save his strength for when it really matters down the line.

Warriors draft pick Lajae Jones signs with Italian team Pallacanestro Trieste originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After filling their final NBA roster spot with forward Graham Ike on a two-way contract, the Warriors have agreed to let their second-round draft selection develop overseas.

Lajae Jones, selected by Golden State with the No. 54 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of Florida State, officially has signed with Italian basketball team Pallacanestro Trieste of Lega Basket Serie A, the team announced on Monday.

The Warriors still retain Jones’ rights in any potential trades.

“His decision to proudly wear our Trieste uniform and pursue his basketball dreams and evolution as a player with us is evidence of his great belief in our team, staff, fans and the potential for a very special season in 2026-27,” Pallacanestro Trieste general manager Michael Arcieri wrote in a statement.

“Our collaboration throughout the season with (the) staff of the Golden State Warriors as regards (to) Lajae’s development is an incredibly exciting development and opportunity for our own staff and organization.”

Jones averaged a decent 12.7 points and 5.7 assists per game as a senior during his only season as a Seminole, but his measurables at 6-foot-7, 215 pounds clearly piqued the Warriors’ interest. In 16.3 minutes of summer league action, Jones scored 8.7 points per game on 48.8-percent shooting as a part of the Warriors’ title-winning roster 

Jones is the latest Golden State second-rounder to begin his career in Italy, following Arizona guard Nico Mannion, who also played in Italy during the 2021-2022 season after the Warriors selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft.

Another Golden State connection, is fan favorite Juan Toscano-Anderson, who also plays for Pallacanestro Trieste and will be teammate with Jones.

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You and a buddy are watching the Knicks game at home when the refs make an egregiously erroneous call. The two of you hurl obscenities and whatever’s handy at the TV. Meanwhile, on the sideline, coach Mike Brown flaps his arms as if trying to fly, but he’s unsure of whether to call a challenge. He cranes his neck toward someone in the second row behind his bench. Your buddy asks, “Who’s the dork with the iPad?”

Dork? No. That’s a hero. 

In Game 2 of the Finals, the eagle eyes of assistant coach Jordan Brink led to a challenge that became three OG Anunoby free throws with 2:37 remaining in the Knicks’ 105-104 victory over San Antonio. One assistant coach watching an iPad helped alter an NBA Finals game. I didn’t spot Brink at the victory parade—frankly, I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup—but he deserved a prominent spot among the celebration. 

Brink’s official title was a lot to fit on a business card: Assistant Coach / Director of Video Services and Player Development. Unfortunately, his contract expired after last season, and he accepted an assistant-coaching position on Tiago Splitter’s Chicago staff. Seems like a nice promotion. 

According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, the Knicks have hired Ed Flynn to fill the job. He was formerly the head video coordinator for New Orleans. Like Brink, Flynn will serve as Brown’s primary “challenge guy,” monitoring replay and advising Brown in real time on whether to challenge officials’ calls.

Before his three seasons with the Pelicans organization, he did video work with Charlotte and a graduate-assistant stint at Miami.

Don’t sleep on these video guys. Many prominent NBA head coaches and assistants began their careers chewing up film in dark backrooms as video coordinators or video interns. Spoelstra, Vogel, Malone, Budenholzer, Clifford all spring to mind. And even Mike Brown started as an unpaid video intern with the Nuggets.

One day you’re eating stale pizza way past midnight to get a series of clips ready for the coach in the morning. A few years later, you’re getting showered with confetti in the Canyon of Heroes.

After the addition of Flynn, the Knicks’ primary assistants otherwise remain intact: Chris Jent, Rick Brunson, Brendan O’Connor, Maurice Cheeks, and Darren Erman are returning, as are development coaches Kwadzo Ahelegbe and Peter Patton.

Welcome Ed! You’ll never be just a dork with an iPad to us.

Go Knicks!

Four years after being drafted, Khalifa Diop is gearing up for his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Diop has spent the last few years as a stashed prospect overseas, but will finally make his debut in the 2026 season.

What should we expect?

Diop is a mobile 6’11” big who can block shots and run the floor. He is a hulking presence with broad shoulders that can clear space for rebounds — while also being agile enough to soar above the rim for highlight plays on either side of the action.

His athletic profile, alone, makes Diop an interesting prospect.

The floor for players like this is much higher than other archetypes. He simply has more to work with than some of his peers. But piecing the full puzzle together has always been key.

Diop’s game is still raw.

He’s limited outside the paint and isn’t a threat to dribble or create for himself. He hasn’t notably improved either part of that overseas.

Diop’s defensive impact isn’t consistent, either. He’s often a step behind the play — and is still working to establish the core fundamentals that separate good athletes from good basketball players.

His averages of 3.5 points and 4.3 rebounds last season reflect this. Diop is too gifted athletically to be scoring fewer than two baskets a game.

There’s an art to running the pick-and-roll, and the details are what’s holding him back.

Finishing a lob pass is great, but there’s just as much reward in catching in the short-roll and nailing a jump-hook. Not as flashy, but worth the same amount of points. Diop can make a big difference by becoming a more well-rounded finisher who can convert in multiple scenarios.

Other aspects of Diop’s game that need polishing include defensive positioning and timing.

He isn’t always great at containing the ball or executing the correct rotation. Again, the simplicity of deterring a shot is just as valuable as rejecting one off the backboard. Diop can benefit from consistently sealing off the paint more so than making the recovery to block shots.

Cleveland won’t expect Diop to achieve this overnight. He’ll spend his rookie season developing behind the scenes, both in practice and potentially with the Charge. This will allow Diop to work on his game without being needlessly thrown into the fire.

When on the court, Diop should keep things simple.

The Cavs won’t ask him to anchor their defense or create for himself. Instead, his job will be to hustle, grab rebounds, and try to be a force in the paint. Those are things Diop can bring on paper. And if he does, he’ll be a fan favorite in Cleveland.

Diop’s raw ability to run the floor and play above the rim could translate well to the NBA. The league thrives on energy guys like him. Diop might be able to exceed expectations if he embraces the junkyard dog mentality that Cleveland originally wanted to mold this team around.

He can learn behind two elite bigs in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Diop should also soak up as much insight from James Harden’s PNR mastery as possible. Even just watching those guys from afar will give Diop the blueprint he needs.

Meanwhile, Diop joins an organization that has numerous developmental success stories under its belt. Prospects like Craig Porter, Sam Merrill, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin are recent examples. Diop will look to join that group this season.

Still, I’d practice patience.

The Cavs can give Diop a quality path towards improvement, but I wouldn’t expect him to play meaningful minutes in his rookie season. Most of his development will happen behind closed doors, where Cleveland will be able to place the building blocks right in front of him.