Category: Sports News

On Christmas Day the Lakers dropped their third straight game, an ugly 23-point loss to the Houston Rockets. That comes on the heels of a 24-point loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers are 2-4 in their last six with the worst defense in the NBA in that stretch with a -10.9 net rating in that stretch.

After the game, a frustrated JJ Redick vented at his team, with quotes via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

"We don't care enough right now," Redick said. "And that's the part that bothers you a lot. We don't care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don't care enough to be a professional...

"Saturday's practice — I told the guys — it's going to be uncomfortable," Redick said. "The meeting is going to be uncomfortable. I'm not doing another 53 games like this."

Redick made similar comments after the loss to the Suns days earlier, saying of his team's defense, "It comes down to just making the choice. It's making the choice."

Three quick thoughts.

1) It's understandable that Redick is frustrated with the losing and the play of his team lately. Lakers fans are, too. He's understandably frustrated with the athleticism gap between his team and some of the other top six teams in the West — such as Houston, San Antonio and Oklahoma City — but that is less about effort and more about the roster's construction. This is a team that waived Jordan Goodwin to clear roster space for veteran Marcus Smart, and Goodwin goes to Phoenix and thrives on an athletic roster.

2) The idea that the Lakers' biggest issue is just needing to play harder — "We don't care enough" or "it's making a choice" — both feels slightly outdated in today's high-paced NBA and is not going to play well in the locker room long-term. The "we just have to play harder" card is one a coach can only pull out once or twice a season, and Redick has pulled it out twice in the last week.

3) The Lakers roster was clearly going to struggle defensively even before the season tipped off — playing Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves (who is expected to miss time with calf soreness) and about-to-turn 41 LeBron James together was always going to be an issue. Dallas, a couple of years ago, showed the model for winning and reaching the NBA Finals with Luka Doncic — surrounding him with shooting, athleticism and defense — and the Lakers have not built to that model.

Redick isn't wrong trying to push his players, but the Lakers are what they are built to be. Redick can shift things around, but at the end of the game these are the cards he's been dealt. Welcome to coaching in the NBA.

The NBA's MVP race has a new leader in the clubhouse, and it's a familiar face, Nikola Jokic. After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City lost to San Antonio on Christmas Day, marking a third-straight loss to the Spurs, and Denver's epic OT win on the back of Jokic's record-breaking Christmas performance — it's quite easy to see why the odds have shifted.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Vaughn Dalzell‘s Week 10 MVP Rankings

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (+120)

Points Per Game: 29.8 (5th)
Rebounds Per Game: 12.1 (1st)
Assists Per Game: 11.0 (1st)

We have a new No. 1 in the building and no surprise, it's Nikola Jokic! His stock has been trending alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's as the No. 2 option all season long and it will likely go back-and-forth a few more times. However, this is Jokic's time to be the leader.

The Joker went bananas with 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists in a 142-138 OT win versus Minnesota on Christmas Day. Denver won that game despite being down three starters and what's more impressive was Jokic scoring 18 points in OT! Those 18 OT points broke Steph Curry's record of 17 points in 2016.

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (+125)

Points Per Game: 32.1 (2nd)
Assists Per Game: 6.5 (17th)
Rebounds Per Game: 4.9 RPG (89th)

The Thunder have dropped back-to-back games for the first time all season, plus lost three of the past four, and are 2-4 over the previous six. Nothing has gone right for the Thunder, especially if it includes the Spurs who beat them three times over the last six games.

It's hard to defend the Thunder as the best team right now or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the rightful MVP favorite. SGA is still playing at an extremely high level, scoring 30 points in four of the past five, shooting at ridiculous clips, but the winning hasn't come lately, so the door is open for Nikola Jokic and Denver.

3. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+700)

Points Per Game: 33.7 (1st)
Assists Per Game: 8.7 (4th)
Rebounds Per Game: 8.5 (20th)

Luka Doncic has missed three games in December, but balled out in the other seven. Doncic is averaging 30.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.6 assists in December. but scored 12 and 25 points in the past two.

Los Angeles has lost the past two with Doncic and three games overall. The offense has suffered one of its worst stretches of the season, ranking 27th in offensive rating over the last three and 15th in all of December.

4. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (+8000)

Points Per Game: 26.4 (12th)
Rebounds Per Game: 6.4 (T-46th)
Assists Per Game: 9.4 (2nd)

Over the last two weeks, Cade Cunningham's odds shifted negatively from +5500 to +8000 due to his low scoring output. Cunningham averaged 22.2 points in December, which is a monthly-low on the season, but did post 9.4 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game. Through those 10 games, Detroit has gone 8-2 in that span and still leads the Eastern Conference with a 24-6 record.

5. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks (+15000)

Points Per Game: 29.3 (8th)
Rebounds Per Game: 3.3 (150th+)
Assists Per Game: 6.5 (16th)

Jalen Brunson is about to close off a strong December. The Knicks star has averaged 30.7 points, 6.9 assists and shot 47.9% from the field and 39.8% from deep through 11 games. New York's December will be remembered for their cup win over San Antonio, who beat Oklahoma City to get there. The Knicks have solidified themselves as a top two team in the East (No. 1 for me).

Stock Up

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (+120)

Points Per Game: 29.8 (5th)
Rebounds Per Game: 12.1 (1st)
Assists Per Game: 11.0 (1st)

Nikola Jokic did everything he could to boost his stock on Christmas Day and it worked. Jokic has overtaken Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the first time at all sports books, and while it's only a $5 difference between a $100 bet — a lead is a lead.

Starting on Dec. 27, Denver goes on a seven-game road trip that ends on Jan. 7. The Nuggets start in Orlando and finish the trip in Boston. Success on their longest road trip of the season is either a trampoline for Jokic's odds or a worst case scenario if they end up with a losing record or close to it through seven games.

Stock Down

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (+15000)

Points Per Game: 26.2 (14th)
Rebounds Per Game: 12.9 (2nd)
Blocks Per Game: 3.6 (1st)

Despite beating the Thunder three times and winning on Christmas, Victor Wembanyama's MVP odds have faded toward 150-to-1. With Wembanyama coming off the bench, his case isn't as strong since no MVP has likely ever done that for a part of the season, but the Spurs are 6-1 since he's returned and won five straight.

Follow my plays for the season on X @VmoneySports, Instagram @VmoneySports_ and Action App @vaughndalzell.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule

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Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes, who maintains a deep database of NBA injuries, had the scariest stat of the day: This is the 13th groin injury of Anthony Davis' career.

Davis has suffered a minor groin strain and is expected to miss a few games, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. Stotts said Davis' average time missed for a minor groin strain is about eight days, meaning two or three games.

Davis left the Mavericks' Christmas Day game against the Warriors in the second quarter with the injury and did not return.

"Leg got tight, like a little spasm…" Davis said after the game. "Obviously, dealing with the ab strain still, so just tried to get it loose, it wouldn't really loosen up, let go, but it's nothing serious. I'm fine."

Davis has played in half of the Mavericks' games this season, but has been fantastic when healthy, averaging 20.5 points on 52.1% shooting, plus grabbing 10.9 rebounds a game.

Davis' name comes up in trade rumors, and while the Mavericks are listening to offers, the market for Davis — who is making $54.1 million this season, and is guaranteed $58.5 million next season, and wants an extension beyond next season — is limited.

Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will review each team's updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I'll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.

The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three, five, and ten games, and for the entire season, to see which trends stand out to you.

All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also extremely generous. Be sure to follow him to check out all of his baseball data as well.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Is the time ‘now’ for Kel’el Ware?

Ware had an outstanding Week 9, culminating with a 28-point, 19-rebound effort against the Knicks.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young is back, but has that actually been a good thing for this team? The Hawks' offense was kind of flowing without him, and the defense has taken a real step back with Young on the court. Fantasy managers don't care about that, but Nickeil Alexander-Walker has seen his usage take a big hit, and this team isn't playing as well of late.

Boston Celtics

As we've seen all season, the fringes of the Celtics' rotation (apart from White, Brown, and Pritchard) continue to change, with Hugo Gonzalez and Luka Garza getting increased minutes. Jordan Walsh has been battling an illness recently, but over the last two weeks, Gonzalez and Garza have been the two biggest contributors on the fringe of the rotation as the Celtics have looked to play a little bigger. Neemias Queta is still seeing some minutes, but Sam Hauser and Josh Minott are seeing their minutes decline.

Brooklyn Nets

Don't look now, but the Nets are playing some feisty basketball. They've won three of their last four games and six of their last nine, and their defense has been tremendous. Offensively, this team is still basically driven by Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, but Egor Dëmin is emerging as a little bit more of a consistent threat, averaging 14 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals over his last five games, which is a top-150 player. This still isn't a really good team, but they're playing hard.

Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball continues to be in and out of the lineup, and both Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kalkbrenner have been battling day-to-day injuries, which has meant extra minutes for Moussa Diabaté. Diabaté hasn't done a ton with the minutes, but he is averaging 11.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals over the last three games with Kalkbrenner out, so the defensive value has been great. It won't help fantasy managers too much, but it makes him a valuable player in the Hornets' rotation. Collin Sexton also missed seven games with a quad injury and returned earlier this week to play 20 minutes against the Wizards, so we should expect those minutes to tick up soon.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls are finally healthy with only one player on their entire injury report. Of course, that has led to a confusing rotation behind Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Nikola Vučević. Matas Buzelis continues to be the most intriguing player of the rest of the roster, and he has looked good in his last three games, but he needs to find more consistency. Kevin Huerter is also averaging 13 points and 4.3 rebounds in his last three games and has taken a lot of minutes from Ayo Dosunmu, who also continues to play through multiple hand injuries.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Evan Mobley made his return after only missing five games with a calf injury that was allegedly supposed to have sidelined him for up to four weeks. Jarrett Allen went back to playing 23 minutes with Mobley back and scored seven points with eight rebounds. Thomas Bryant basically fell out of the rotation with only three minutes played. It's back to the status quo for the Cavs.

Dallas Mavericks

Anthony Davis continues to battle injuries and just left Thursday's game with a groin injury. As we've come to see, a Davis injury will mean more minutes and usage for P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall and would likely also mean more run for Daniel Gafford, who hasn't played over 17 minutes in any of the six games since being back from injury. Ryan Nembhard's play has also really fallen off of late, and we saw Brandon Williams play 30 minutes and score 26 points on Thursday, so this might be an ugly hot hand situation for a while.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets could be getting Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun back as early as next week, and they need them because Cameron Johnson is now going to be sidelined for a month with a knee injury. Without him, Bruce Brown figures to take on a big of a bigger role, and Tim Hardaway Jr. should see his usage continue to increase. He's averaging 17.8 points and 2.8 rebounds over the last four games, but he doesn't contribute much else

Detroit Pistons

There are too many players in this rotation. Yes, it's great to have a deep team, and the Pistons remain at the top of the Eastern Conference, but this is a ship driven by Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren and then a rotation of guys who step up in different games. That might change if Ausar Thompson could develop some consistency, but this feels like a team that could make a consolidation trade to move on from somebody like Jaden Ivey, who barely plays, and some other pieces to add a bigger offensive force that can help them win a title.

Golden State Warriors

Draymond Green's minutes are down because he stormed off the court in the third quarter on Monday. I mean, not really, but also kind of. Green simply isn't the player that he used to be, and he's not impacting the game in as meaningful a way. You have to wonder if the team would be better off if some of his minutes went to Brandin Podziemski or Al Horford, who just came back from injury.

Houston Rockets

Can we just take a minute to acknowledge that Clint Capela has somehow become a player who plays just seven minutes a game? Jabari Smith Jr. is back to being a top-100 player in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks, averaging 16.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Tari Eason also returned from injury and has seen his minutes tick up due to his strong defensive value. He played 26 minutes on Christmas against the Lakers, and that has relegated Josh Okogie to a much smaller role.

Indiana Pacers

This Pacers rotation has been pretty consistent for the last few weeks. They are working around injuries to Ben Sheppard and Isaiah Jackson, but neither player was playing huge minutes. T.J. McConnell has gone on one of his runs where he's playing really solid basketball, and is a top-100 player in fantasy leagues over the last two weeks, but he's still seeing under 20 minutes per game, which makes it hard to trust him too much.

Fantasy Basketball Week 2 Injury Report: Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards headline the list of sidelined stars

The Pacers, Lakers and Thunder are among the teams with lengthy injury reports at the halfway point of Week 2.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Los Angeles Clippers

Ivica Zubac went down with an injury this week, and the Clippers will be without him until the middle of January. I covered the fallout in a video this week, but I think John Collins figures to benefit the most.

Los Angeles Lakers

Austin Reaves is hurt again, leaving the Lakers' Christmas game with a calf injury. We don't know how many games, if any, he'll miss, but his absence previously has (obviously) led to more usage for LeBron James and Luka Dončić, who is back from his own brief absence with a leg injury. Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia would also likely benefit a little with increased playing time if Reaves were to miss games.

Memphis Grizzlies

With Ja Morant sidelined again, Cam Spencer is enjoying a bit of a breakout, which I covered in a video this week, so check that out. Brandon Clarke also returned and then got hurt again, which led to an opportunity for GG Jackson, who returned from his own injury on Monday and then played 30 minutes on Tuesday, scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds. He's a name to keep an eye on.

Miami Heat

Tyler Herro is still out with his toe injury and is still trying to fit into this new-look Miami offense. I covered all of that in a video this week. In that time, Jaime Jaquez Jr. has stepped back into his larger role, but Kel'el Ware has also seen his role increase in a two-big-man look with Bam Adebayo. Ware has been a top-70 player in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks and deserves a bit more attention for how well he's played.

Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo remains out, and Gary Trent Jr. has played just 23 total minutes in the last two games as he battles a calf injury. In their stead, Kevin Porter Jr's has been a top-15 player in fantasy basketball, and Ryan Rollins and Bobby Portis Jr. have both continued to play well in their expanded roles. They're both top-100 players in fantasy basketball, but Myles Turner doesn't seem to be doing much more with the bigger role, averaging just 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists over his last 5 games.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota has a pretty consolidated eight-man rotation, and little has changed. Bones Hyland has stepped into a slightly bigger role as a ball-handling scorer off the bench, and he might be better suited in that role than Mike Conley right now.

New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans reportedly don't want to trade Herbert Jones, but his ankle injury has kept him off the court and sapped some of his effectiveness. Derik Queen continues to be effective, even playing alongside Zion Williamson, and both have been top-80 players in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks. I would like to see more minutes for Jeremiah Fears, but Jordan Poole has seemed to cut into those.

New York Knicks

Tyler Kolek season is here, and I'm not sure it's going anywhere. Deuce McBride is still managing an ankle injury, and Landry Shamet is out with a shoulder injury, so Kolek has stepped up and is averaging 10.7 points, 6.2 assists, and 4.8 rebounds over the last two weeks while playing crucial minutes at the end of games for the Knicks. At this point, the Knicks can't take Kolek out of the rotation, so even when Deuce returns, it might be somebody like Jordan Clarkson who needs to lose more minutes.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Isaiah Hartenstein came back from his calf injury last week, so we've actually seen the full Thunder roster for the first time all season. Turns out, it's a roster that can't beat the Spurs. I'm kidding, but the Spurs are playing tremendously well against the Thunder. The rotation has become pretty consistent, but it's a matter of who emerges. Chet Holmgren has not been as effective in recent games, but Ajay Mitchell has stepped up and been a top 100 player in fantasy leagues over his last four games.

Orlando Magic

Orlando's rotation has become consolidated thanks to injuries to Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Tristan Da Silva. In that time, Desmond Bane has taken on a much larger role, averaging 198 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks, which makes him a top 40 player. Anthony Black has also stepped into a much larger role and has been highly efficient for the Magic as well. We've also seen Noah Penda take on a bigger role now that he's up from the G-League. I don't expect that to last too long, but it's been fun to see.

Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid survived a bit of an injury scare earlier this week, but seems ot have survived it. Quentin Grimes has seen his minutes decrease in the last two games, but he has also been battling an illness, so it might be connected to that. The 76ers continue to hum because of their young guards and a resurgent season from Paul George, who is averaging 16.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in 12 games. Also, it's pretty fun that Dominick Barlow is playing such a big role on a two-way deal.

Phoenix Suns

Grayson Allen is battling a knee injury, but it doesn't sound too serious. Jalen Green is also expected back in the first week of January, so this Suns team could be getting healthy soon. Collin Gillespie has also remained tremendously valuable even with Devin Booker back, but it remains to be seen if that would continue with both Allen and Green back too.

Portland Trail Blazers

Jrue Holiday is still out, and now Jerami Grant has missed the last three games with an Achilles injury. In those three games, Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe have taken on larger usage roles. Those two guys, along with Deni Avdija, have all been top-60 players in that span, but Grant doesn't figure to be out for too much longer.

Sacramento Kings

Zach LaVine remains out with an ankle injury but could return early next week. Keegan Murray also suffered a calf injury earlier this week, so we're still awaiting news on how long he will be out. Russell Westbrook continues to take on a large usage role with LaVine out and will do so for the foreseeable future. We have also seen Maxime Raynaud emerge of late, averaging 14.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists over the last two weeks, which has made him a top 100 player in fantasy leagues.

San Antonio Spurs

Victor Wembanyama is back but still on a bit of a minutes restriction. Nevertheless, the Spurs have been on a run of strong play lately, and this is a true contender. That being said, Dylan Harper has taken a bit of a backseat with the full crew back, and I'm a little surprised that Devin Vassell has been getting more playing time and being more productive than Harper. That said, he does fit what the team needs a little better, so he will likely remain impactful, and he's been a top 110 player in fantasy leagues over the last two weeks.

Toronto Raptors

Not much has changed for the Raptors in recent weeks. They're still managing Jakob Poeltl's minutes, and he's missed three of the last four games. No other big man is really stepping up in his absence, so there's no real corresponding move. RJ Barrett should also return as early as next week, which would be welcome for the Raptors.

Utah Jazz

Things have remained pretty status quo for the Jazz over the last few weeks. The minutes and usage are dominated by Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George, with Jusuf Nurkić and Isaiah Collier also continuing to give meaningful production in their minutes as well. Sadly, even though Ace Bailey is getting plenty of run, he's averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and little else.

Washington Wizards

Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and Khris Middleton are all back. Coulibaly played 23 minutes in his first game back, and Bub Carrington was down to 15 minutes. However, Carrington also had a foot injury in that game, so we may not know until Friday just how the Wizards are splitting up these minutes after Carrington emerged when everybody else was out. Marvin Bagley III has also played well in his limited minutes, and he could be useful on another squad if he gets traded.