Category: Sports News

BOSTON — For years, before every game, Neemias Queta has gotten up three-pointer after three-pointer after three-pointer.

Sometimes, he’ll make five in a row.

On good days, he’ll make ten.

But since he arrived in Boston three years ago, Queta’s three-point practice has been just that: practice. The 27-year-old has attempted just 11 threes in his three seasons with the Celtics, saving the shot for Auerbach Center afternoons and TD Garden pregames.

But on Friday night, in a 107-103 win over the New York Knicks, Queta pulled up for a corner three-pointer as though it had long been in his toolkit.

Swish.

The shot marked Queta’s second made career NBA three-pointer and validated tireless behind-the-scenes work. It also came at a crucial time — late in the third quarter, with the Celtics nursing a 4-point lead.

“It just felt great,” Queta told CelticsBlog after the game. “My whole life I’ve been shooting and just getting better at the shot, and finally just to get one in, the first one of the season, no hesitation, shoot it with confidence; that was great. So, happy for that – and hopefully a lot more will come.”

Since Queta arrived in Boston in 2023, he’s worked with a long list of player development coaches, a list that includes DaSean Butler, Amile Jefferson, Steve Tchiengang, Tony Dobbins, and Ross McMains. 

“It’s pretty much the whole staff,” Queta said. “We work on shooting in general, so all the pinpointing stuff that we can learn from each guy. It’s something I really appreciate; having different insights from different guys and leaning on those guys over the years has been really helpful.”

Several of the Celtics player development coaches even traveled to Portugal this past summer to help Queta coach his youth basketball camp — Queta named Nana Foulland and McMains as two examples.

When they weren’t coaching the kids, the Celtics’ player development staff worked out with Queta and helped him refine his three-pointer.

“They instilled a lot of confidence in the shot,” he said.

For Jayson Tatum, the decision to find Queta came from pure instinct

The play began with Jayson Tatum driving to the basket. Knicks forward OG Anunoby stepped in front of him, hoping to slow Tatum’s third-quarter onslaught (the Celtics superstar poured in a game-high 16 points in the period, and shot 8-for-10 in the paint on the night).

So Tatum instinctively dished it to the corner, and said he realized that it was Queta who was standing there a half second too late.

“I knew somebody was in the corner,” Tatum said with a smile.

Just not the Portuguese big man who rarely ever shoots from outside.

But he noted how much work Queta has put into his three-point shot, especially with McMains’s help.

“Neem has worked on being a threat around the three-point line,” he said. “He works on that every single day.”

Tatum hit three clutch jump shots in the final two minutes of the win over the Knicks, capped by a three-pointer that effectively put the game away.

But no shot brought him as much joy as watching Queta’s three-pointer drop.

“To me, that was my favorite part of the game, right?” Tatum said. “Kicking it out to him in a big moment, seeing him shoot it with confidence — I was so fucking happy that he made that shot. Cause now Joe can’t be on his ass. He made one, and it gives him leeway to shoot another one. But my reaction, the bench’s reaction, I know everybody was super, super excited to see him shoot that with confidence and make it, especially in that moment of the game.”

Queta’s big three came on the heels of some elite defense

Queta’s shot came just moments after one of his best defensive sequences of the night: a big-time block against Josh Hart.

He ended up on the floor, and Joe Mazzulla ran from the sideline emphatically to pick him up.

“Neemi showed what he was capable of,” Mazzulla said. “So, just had to let them know — that’s the standard that we have to play to.”

In his 22 minutes, Queta racked up 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. None was louder than his late-third-quarter swat.

“It was one of those turning points in the game where those types of plays got us energy, the crowd got going,” Queta said. “Moments like that can help you win big-time games when your team needs it.”

Queta felt good about the defensive sequence, and it felt fitting that he hit a big three on the next possession.

“When you go out there, and you get a deflection, a block — sometimes those things help,” he said. “The basketball gods, they even things out, and I think that’s what happened.”

Expect more three-pointers from the 7-footer this season.

“No doubt,” Queta said. “Just off the spacing that we have, I’ll be on the perimeter more. If nobody comes up to me and I stay wide open, I’ll just shoot it with confidence, like in the workouts. And I think that’s gonna be something that we can rely on in the season.”

I’ll admit it. When I saw Paul George on that ESPN graphic next to Jaylen Brown when Shams Charania broke the blockbuster deal this summer, I wanted to spike my phone.

Sure, he’d just had a nice playoff run for the Philadelphia 76ers. But George’s $110 million owed over two years (player option next season) was widely viewed as one of, if not the worst, contracts in the NBA. At 36 years old, there’s no way he was going to get better.

Right?

Wrong.

Through two games, not only has George shattered the expectations of every non-team-employee in the Celtics community, but he’s earned himself at least one stan in me.

George’s record-breaking 38-point debut in Tuesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons got plenty of shine. As it should’ve. He was absolutely dialed in from deep, created shots for himself off the dribble, and got to the line consistently.

More than anything, it felt like a statement. All of the “washed” labeling had been premature according to George’s game after he let his play do the talking.

Friday’s 15-point performance in Boston’s 107-103 over the New York Knicks did just as much for me, to be honest. Was it as cool as watching the nine-time All-Star drilling heat check after heat check?

No.

But, it gave a more realistic scope of what we can all expect from the veteran forward on a regular basis, and how he can impact winning in ways that don’t necessarily come up in the stat sheet. George’s defensive game delivers in a similar fashion to how Jrue Holiday’s did a few years ago.

There’s this added connectivity when he’s on the floor. It feels like the rotations are quicker. The passing lanes are smaller. Teams simply have a harder time running their offense. Opponents have looked like they’re wearing straightjackets in the halfcourt throughout this first month of both preseason and regular-season hoops.

Oh, and the stats are there, too. George is tied for the second most steals the first two games of a season with seven. He swiped just as many in two preseason appearances. PG13’s eight deflections thus far are tied with Dyson Daniels for the most in the NBA. It’s clear that he has both defensive quarterback and cornerback written all over him.

Brad Stevens clearly had a vision for George’s fit when he decided to sign off on trading Brown last summer. He knew that his team’s team defense would be dialed up to 100 and PG would give the Cs some important offensive support.

Even Friday — an average feeling offensive night — George still knocked down three of his seven attempts from distance. His consistency as a catch-and-shoot guy dominated the copium-infused analytics arguments of the late summer months for good reason.

Per Databallr, his spacing true-shooting percentage (which accounts for offball opportunities) was nearly 3% above league average and ranked in the 75th percentile. In years where he’s played on more talented teams than the 7th-seeded 76ers of last season, George consistently ranked in the league’s top-tier.

There’s plenty of reason to believe that he should return to that elite level playing alongside Jayson Tatum on this deep Celtics squad.

George hasn’t hid from the fact that he’s past his prime. He’s embraced it. It’s not hard to see how leaning into his role with the Cs can maximize his success in it. Plus, you’ll still get the occassional game like Tuesday, where he looks like prime Paul George.

And for that… we stan.

Coming off a rough season-opening loss to the Pistons, Jayson Tatum faced a uniquely high level of scrutiny after just one game. But i n a second straight primetime matchup against the reigning champion New York Knicks, Tatum flipped the script. 

In the span of the game’s final 84 seconds, Tatum hit Boston’s last three field goals, each a little crazier than the last, and all perfectly defended. 

It’s what everyone will remember about this 107-103 win: the jumpers on both corners, the “Good Night, Safe Travels” pump-and-fire three, the unstoppable, unguardable, unyielding force of a star simply playing on another level from those unfortunate enough to guard him. 

The Anomaly was anomalous. 

And yet, there’s so much more to this performance than three clutch shots. Jayson Tatum did everything on offense: 36 points on 54% efficiency, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, with just 2 turnovers and 2 fouls. That is a superstar-level performance. 

Three aspects of Tatum’s offensive game stood out about this primetime masterclass: his patience attacking the Knicks, his passing vision exploiting their attention toward him, and the final chef’s kiss of his elite shot-making to close the game. 

Patient Scoring

The most noticeable thing about Tatum’s scoring in this game was how effectively Boston’s early actions got him into his preferred spaces, and how methodical he was in attacking New York’s help defenders. 

In the first minute of the game, this play got Tatum on the board, with Jordan Walsh setting a backscreen that allows JT to cut to the low block. Tatum has a great view of the rest of the floor, and he takes a beat to see if help’s on the way. It doesn’t come, and he attacks, hitting a fallaway over Josh Hart. 

This third quarter play was an excellent example of JT’s quick decision-making working to counteract New York’s defensive attention geared toward him as a slasher. 

As Tatum gets into his drive from the right slot, the Knicks cut him off by building a wall. Tatum quickly retreats, gets the ball to Derrick White, and works into a pick-and-roll.

This decision was, effectively, a relocation in the form of a short roll. Credit to Mitchell Robinson for pulling Karl Anthony-Towns to the paint and Paul George for floating to the corner, breaking up the wall and allowing Tatum to operate in the mid-range against a single defender. 

Two minutes later, Tatum has this excellent baseline drive, and his awareness and quick reaction to the strongside help goes a long way to clearing the lane. 

As Miles McBride closes in, Tatum quickly kicks to the corner. McBride recovers to get up a contest as White fakes and drives, and Tatum fills in his space in the corner at the perfect time. It both gets him a switch onto a more favorable matchup in McBride and clears the lane for a baseline drive. Tatum gets a step on McBride, maneuvers around Karl Anthony-Towns, and finishes an impressive reverse layup. 

Tatum would later take over in a different fashion, but a majority of his scoring success came from a patient approach that broke down defensive barriers and created space for him to attack from all over the floor. 

Gravitational Playmaking

For a second straight game, Tatum led the Celtics in assists. 

Like in the previous section, it was Tatum’s problem-solving against a high-pressure defense that created easy opportunities for his teammates. 

This early pick-and-roll to Mitchell Robinson shows a Knicks trap. It’s a gamble, especially with the 7-foot Robinson rolling toward a stranded OG Anunoby, but the Knicks are banking on him going to the roller. This is an opportunity for a deflection, and KAT nearly gets it, but Tatum hits Robinson in stride and it leads to a putback finish. 

Tatum faced another double just before halftime on a play that ends in a Paul George buzzer-beater. 

This one doesn’t come immediately though. It’s a switch onto Jalen Brunson at first, but when the clock hits four seconds, Hart fully commits to the trap, and it’s like Tatum was just waiting for it the whole time. Tatum holds his dribble just for a second when Hart comes into frame, hooking a pass to Sam Hauser, who forces a Knicks rotation that’s just a little too late to George. 

Going back to the first quarter, this was Tatum’s most impressive pass of the night. 

We see the Knicks build another wall, this time surrounding Tatum with three defenders in the corner. 

It forces Tatum to pick up his dribble, usually a bad sign for the offense, but Tatum processes the floor so quickly once he puts two hands on the ball. Jose Alvarado is left to defend two shooters on the opposite end of the court, and Tatum gives Payton Pritchard the quickest look on the left slot. Alvarado cheats to that spot ever so slightly, and then Tatum fires a pass all the way to the opposite corner to Baylor Scheierman, who sends Alvarado flying on the way to a one-dribble jumper. 

Tatum’s passing out of traffic or heavy pressure was his biggest positive out of the Detroit loss, and it remains a positive here. 

Holy Shotmaking 

There are two reasons I saved JT’s late-game scoring for last: First, it’s the best and therefore has to be last. Second, there’s not really a way to analyze this kind of shot-making. At least not in a way that’s just amounting to me saying “oh wow.” 

It’s like asking Jackson Pollock to describe every squiggle and splatter on the canvas. Great shot-making just is. It exists not to be broken down but to be admired. So let’s admire it. 

Before even getting to that fourth quarter show, there’s one play late in the third quarter just before Tatum took a breather that we should look at. In retrospect, it feels like the moment that foreshadowed the finish Jayson would ultimately deliver.

Spin-Cut back-Stepback. Cash. 

And then there’s the fourth quarter. 

After an ill-timed Knicks run cut into what was a 12-point lead, Tatum scored four buckets in the game’s final three and a half minutes. 

It’s the final two that sort of boggle the mind. Hart really couldn’t have defended the second baseline jumper any better. He has his hands involved the whole time, yet never gets too deep into Tatum’s space. Great defense, better offense. 

The same goes for the 3-pointer. KAT bites on the fake, but Tatum releases the ball so quickly after he pumps that it ends up being a contest on the shot anyway. It doesn’t matter. 

The Knicks spent the night trying to solve Tatum. In the end, he solved them.

1. Jayson Tatum is Back

To quote Mark Twain: “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Jayson Tatum, who after a tough performance against the Detroit Pistons where he finished with 13 points and 11 assists on 6-27 shooting from the field and 0-7 from three, was getting lit up across social media. In this game against the defending champion New York Knicks, Tatum responded to all of the scrutiny with 36 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals on 14-26 shooting from the field and 3-10 from three.

Early in the game, Tatum’s three point shot wasn’t falling, so he decided to attack the basket. In the Detroit game, we saw Tatum not look as aggressive to get to the paint and when he did get there, he missed a few point-blank layups. That was not the case for him against New York; he was able to get to the paint with ease and end with some impressive finishes. Tatum put on a clinic in the second half, finishing with 25 points on 9-15 shooting including his own personal 7-0 run at the end of the fourth quarter that sealed the win for Boston.

Maybe, Jayson Tatum isn’t the worst person to ever pick up a basketball after a subpar performance in the first game of the season. That’s just a thought I’d like to throw out there. This was a vintage Jayson Tatum put on display for the world to see tonight and I can’t wait to see what else he can do this season.

2. Paul George’s Defense

In the preseason, we saw Paul George’s defense on full display, picking up seven steals in the two games he played in. Through two regular season games, George has matched that number after he had 5 in Detroit and 2 against the New York Knicks in this game. The best part about watching George play defense is that it feels like he knows where the ball is going before it gets there.

Much like Spider-Man and his Spidey Sense, Paul George is able to break up plays by putting his body in passing lanes that result in either a steal or a turnover. We saw those instincts come into play against the Knicks on this play when Brunson ran around Towns at the top of the key, George stood right where he would be receiving the ball, resulting in a steal for the Celtics.

George was also a nice complementary piece to the Celtics offense, finishing with 15 points on 6-15 shooting, but his defense is where I find the most joy watching him. This is the thing that will make Paul George a fan favorite in Boston. The defense, hustle plays, and willingness to do the dirty work is what makes a perfect Celtic and so far, George has shown that he is going to put in the effort.

3. N33mias Qu3ta

Coming into this game, Neemias Queta was 1-11 in his career when it came to taking three pointers. It wasn’t a part of his game at all. On the offensive end, he was known for being a back to the basket, pick and roll finisher with the occasional midrange push shot. But we are getting a brand new Neemias Queta in the 2026-27 season, as he has shown a willingness to put up a three when put in the situation to do so.

In this game against the Knicks, Queta had his first opportunity to to put his offseason training to work with under two minutes to go in the third quarter. Tatum found him in the corner for a wide open look at the basket and with no hesitation, Queta put up the shot and swished it home. TD Garden erupted, the Celtics bench was loving it, and Queta was able to pull out his new three-point celebration.

This was such a cool moment for Queta and Tatum said it was his favorite play of the game. “I knew somebody was in the corner, but to his credit, him and Ross, one of the coaches, like Neemi’s worked on being a threat around the three-point line, like he works on that every single day, and to me that was that was my favorite part of the game.”

4. Jordan Walsh is a Starter

There was a lot of speculation around the Celtics starting lineup going into this season and there were a lot of questions about it going into this matchup. Jordan Walsh was the fifth starter over Payton Pritchard and there were a lot of skeptics after he didn’t have a noteworthy performance against Pistons. However, this game might have cracked the code to Joe Mazzulla’s thought process of putting Walsh into the starting lineup and it had to do with defending Jalen Brunson.

For most of the game, it felt like Walsh was the primary defender on Brunson and he made the reigning Finals MVP feel like a non-factor. Brunson finished with 19 points on 7-17 shooting and most of the time he was getting hounded up the court by a guy like Walsh or Scheierman. That would lead to Brunson just passing it or taking a bad shot that would lead to a Celtics fast break opportunity.

On offense, Walsh was also solid with his opportunities, finishing with 5 points on 2-5 shooting. Although he missed out on a career highlight when he broke Jordan Clarkson ankles and smoked a reverse layup, Walsh hit a three and finished a fast break at the beginning of the third quarter to start a Celtics rally. It might be an unorthodox fit at times, but it feels like Walsh being in the starting lineup to guard the opposing team’s best player to start is a smart move and I think he will continue to thrive in that role.

5. Derrick White Shooting

There was a lot made about Derrick White’s shooting coming into this season coming off career worst percentages last year. White said at Media Day that he feels like he fixed his shooting and we saw a little bit of it on display against the Knicks. White finished with 12 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds on 5-11 shooting from the field and 2-6 from three.

On the court, it felt like he was the offensive connector for Boston. When the ball was in his hands, good things happened. White was 3-3 shooting in the first half with a myriad of floaters including a tough bucket with Jordan Clarkson in his face. The second half saw him be more aggressive from beyond the arc, nailing two threes. The stat sheet won’t show it, but White had a great offensive night, and I will be happy if we continue to get his version of him throughout the season.

6. Mitchell Robinson Revenge Game

Mitchell Robinson spent the first 8 seasons of his career with the New York Knicks and was a key player in their championship run last season. In this game, he faced his former team for the first time as a member of the Celtics and was primed for a revenge game. Due to foul trouble, he didn’t get to play a lot of minutes, but he still made his presence known, finishing with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block on 2-4 shooting.

Robinson made his mark in the fourth quarter of this game with a sequence I’m sure the Knicks have seen plenty of times. Midway through the quarter, Karl-Anthony Towns tried to drive past Robinson and put up an off balanced shot. Robinson denied that request by spiking it into the first row for a block. On the next Celtics offensive possession, Derrick White found him on the pick and roll for a monster slam that resulted in New York calling a timeout.

These are the types of plays I love seeing from Mitchell Robinson and it was the exact reason why Boston signed him in the first place. His rolling and finishing ability at his size is special and we have seen throughout the first two games that it feels like he is developing a lot of chemistry with Derrick White. On defense we know he is a vicious paint protector and even when he was on the perimeter against Towns he was able to hold his own. I feel like if he didn’t get into foul trouble early we could have seen a big time performance but I still think he did a great job showing the Knicks what they are missing out on.

7. Luka Garza Impact

Luka Garza had an incredible preseason for the Celtics this year and it made me think that Joe Mazzulla was going to find him a spot in this rotation. He struggled a bit in the first game of the season against the Pistons but got another opportunity early in the second quarter. With Queta and Robinson picking up 2 fouls in the first quarter, Garza came in to sure up the five position for the Celtics to finish up the quarter and start the second. In his first three minutes on the court, we saw him hit 2 threes, a put-back layup, get a steal, and draw a charge.

It was an incredible to witness as the crowd applauded Garza’s performance. He didn’t play the rest of the game after his short burst of energy but it shows how deep this Celtics team really is. Luka Garza could be a legitimate backup center for a good amount of teams in the NBA and Boston has the luxury of having him as their third center. Garza came up huge when his number was called and really kept the Celtics in the game when there was a chance it could get away from them early.

8. Sam Hauser Solid Contributor

Coming into this season it felt like there wasn’t a lot of talk around Sam Hauser. After a bad playoff shooting performance, it felt like he could possibly be traded away from the Celtics this offseason. However, he is still here and Boston is lucky to have him. Hauser finished with 6 points on 2-5 shooting from three in this game but it felt like he was incredibly import to the Celtics offense.

With Hauser on the floor, Boston has a 40% three point shooter that can be lurking anywhere on the perimeter. That is a lingering fear in the back of the mind of the defense when you also have to deal with guys like Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Mitchell Robinson, and Neemias Queta as well. Hauser just always feels like the sure hand that you know will be automatic from three. Last season was the first time he shot under 40% from three and it was still 39.3%. We could be in store for another great shooting season by Sam Hauser this season and it might not show in the box score, but his importance to this team will not go unnoticed.

9. Three-Point Shooting Returned

One of the biggest reasons why the Celtics lost their first game of the season to the Pistons was because of their three point shooting in the fourth quarter as they finished going 3-11 from deep. The first quarter of this game saw Boston continue their icy shooting, shooting 3-11 again. But when Jayson Tatum hit a pull-up three at the end of the first quarter, it felt like Boston might have gotten their groove back, and spoiler alert, they did.

The Celtics finished shooting 15-39 (38.5%) from beyond the arc against the Knicks and 12-28 (43%) in the final three quarters. Boston found the most success with the corner three tonight as New York decided to just give the Celtics the shot and they converted, shooting 8-13. The biggest part about their three-point resurgence was that they stopped forcing up bad shots just because it was a three. Those are the kind of shots that drive Celtics fans crazy at times but Boston did a good job of pulling back and focusing on getting to the basket where the found success with 38 points in the paint. We know by now that the Celtics can win or lose games solely based on how well they shoot the three ball, but it was cool to see a different philosophy find success tonight.

10. Stopped the bleeding

It’s hard to say that the second game of the season was a “must-win” game for the but after the loss in Detroit, this game felt like a big one for sure. A marquee game against a hated rival and the defending champs in your home opener, there aren’t a lot of bigger moments than that this early in the season. Boston looked a lot more comfortable in this game when New York was mounting a comeback in the fourth quarter.

Jalen Brunson cut the Celtics lead to one point with 1:41 left in the game and the doubts started to creep in. However, Boston was able to stay composed, with Jayson Tatum taking over on offense and the defense forcing a big offensive foul on Karl-Anthony Towns with 1:11 left in the game, setting the Celtics up for success. This is the execution that Boston didn’t have in their last game.

When Joe Mazzulla was asked in his pregame press conference about holding leads, he said it was a very complex question but answered with, “Can you be great at the transitions and the momentum of it, as opposed to just thinking that you have to quote unquote put in the win, right? Can you be the master of the momentum? Can you be the master of returning points?” This is all I could think about when watching the end of this game. The Celtics were the masters of momentum and returned the necessary points needed to win. This was a great response by Boston as this was the team I thought we were going to get coming into the season.

Do you think the Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz are having second thoughts about their respective 2026 NBA Draft decisions? They might.

In his first regular-season NBA game, Boozer didn’t shoot well – just 2-15 -but look what his coach, Tuomas Iisalo, said about him after that:

“Typical Cam Boozer night, shot 2-for-15 and plus-32, I know it’s like the plus-minus for one game and without adjusting it in any way is very much a non-stat. But I thought he did a great job with the rebounding. He had 11 rebounds. He had 5 assists…The kid is 19. The kid is 19, and he’s making big-time plays offensively and defensively that takes other guys 10 years in the league to figure those out…And he is a player that epitomizes that because he doesn’t need to make shots in order to help the team win.”

He did a lot more against Golden State on Friday night.

Boozer finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 6-13/4-7, and hit 9-9 from the line.

And he also led a 17-0 run at the end of the game, and hit the game winner. All in all that’s a hell of a second game for a rookie.

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• Cameron Boozer hits go-ahead jumper with 20 seconds left, Grizzlies rally to beat Warriors 111-108
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• Cameron Boozer posts 25/13/6/2 line vs. Warriors

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There’s a saying I use quite often, and that is, “Champions adjust.” You don’t become a champion by doing the same thing over and over. You become a champion by adjusting to the opposition, rethinking your approach, and executing a new game plan.

It’s a saying I turned into a poster years ago, one that still hangs in my office. Someday, I’ll edit it, adding a member of the Phoenix Suns to it when the team finally raises Larry.

Being a champion doesn’t necessarily mean winning a league championship. There are moments in life, challenges you face, and decisions you have to make, where you can become a champion simply by being willing to adjust.

I’m not going to sit here and suggest that the Phoenix Suns’ change in two-way contract strategy suddenly makes them champions. But I do think their willingness to adjust is something worth recognizing and keeping in mind.

The Suns adjusted their strategy earlier this week when they waived both Koby Brea and CJ Huntley, two players who spent the majority of last season on two-way contracts. Brea was a mid-second-round pick, while Huntley went undrafted. But it was clear that Phoenix’s strategy last season was to use those two-way contracts on young prospects, hoping to develop them into players who could eventually earn guaranteed NBA deals.

That’s the goal of the G League, isn’t it? It’s a proving ground for players, an opportunity for prospects to showcase their development and growth while working toward a permanent place on an NBA roster. But that strategy began to change when the Suns acquired Jamaree Bouyea.

Bouyea was 26 years old when Phoenix brought him in. He wasn’t some young prospect fresh off his collegiate career. He was more seasoned, with professional experience already under his belt. And when the opportunity presented itself, he shined. He appeared in two games with the Valley Suns, averaging 24 points per contest. The organization brought him up, gave him opportunities to prove himself, and eventually converted him to a two-way contract player.

We should’ve recognized this as a sign that the Suns were adjusting their strategy in real time, and that they ultimately liked what they saw and how it worked out for them. Because that’s exactly what we’ve witnessed this offseason.

They signed Pat Spencer to a two-way contract. Then, after Mark Williams suffered an injury and the team found itself needing additional depth at the center position, Phoenix brought in Duop Reath on a training camp invitation. Rather than retain a younger developmental prospect in CJ Huntley, the Suns converted Reath’s deal to a two-way contract, despite him being 30 years old.

The moment Drew Timme became available following the Minnesota Timberwolves waiving his Exhibit 10 contract, Phoenix claimed him off waivers, adding another experienced player who recently turned 26.

Again, nobody is suggesting these transactions are going to result in a championship. We’re talking about two-way contract players, guys who should primarily serve as break glass in case of emergency options. But at least you’re bringing in players who can fulfill specific needs, placing less emphasis on their long-term development and more on refining the skill sets they already possess so they can contribute when called upon.

And I think that says something about this organization’s mindset. There’s a willingness to remain nimble, to stay agile, and to adjust when circumstances call for it. Rather than remaining committed to a particular philosophy simply because that’s how things have always been done, the Suns are demonstrating that they’re willing to reevaluate their approach. Ultimately, that mindset could bring a championship to the Valley one day.

In a game they should have won, the Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Chicago Bulls, 132-125. Turnovers and missed free throws doomed the Bucks against one of the few teams they entered the season with a legit chance to beat. A major blow, for sure, and now the team hits a long stretch of opponents with realistic playoff aspirations. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Ryan Rollins

33 minutes, 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 turnovers, 4 PF, 3/9 FG, 2/8 3P, -1

Well, Rollins did at least have a better floor game than against Washington, but he just couldn’t get the offence going like we know he can. Rollins started slow, going 1/5 in the first half, and never got the engine started. Crucially, three of his four turnovers came in the final frame. Not to put it all on him, but if Rollins plays like Rollins, the Bucks probably have two wins right now.

Grade: D

Tyler Herro

31 minutes, 34 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 12/24 FG, 5/10 3P, +1

The lone bright spot throughout both games, Herro continues to fill it up. Sure, this was another team with plenty of bad defenders to pick at, but you can only play who’s in front of you. What I’ve liked most about Herro is the methodical pace he’s playing at; many of the Bucks’ sets are run for him, but he treats each possession with purpose and precision, using great cadence to catch the ball in the right spots, change pace off screens, etc. Of course, the confidence to step up and lead the fourth-quarter charge was awesome to watch on a bunch of levels. Herro’s efficent scoring, solid floor game, and lack of turnovers put him in the A-band for me. Great game.

Grade: A-

Jaime Jaquez Jr.

35 minutes, 19 points, 5 assists, 11 rebounds, 6 turnovers, 7/11 FG, 2/3 3P , 3/6 FT, +4

I mean, if you excuse the turnovers, Jaquez had another really solid game. He definitely tried to do too much at times, though; one no-pass possession in the fourth really got on my nerves. That said, Jaquez made some really nifty passes in traffic, including a nice slip pass to Kuzma and a nifty lob to Ware. The man also shot efficiently from deep, which obviously meant he would go 50% from the charity stripe. Ugh.

Grade: B

Kyle Kuzma

29 minutes, 14 points, 4 assists, 9 rebounds, 0 turnovers, 6/12 FG, 2/5 3P, +1

Kuzma was absolutely better in this one (low bar, I know). I liked the shots he took from the perimeter; they were the right shots to take within the offence. However, Kuz still had a few transition attempts where once he’d decided he was attacking, there was no talking him out of it. He’s going to lower that shoulder and euro-step every time; whatever happens from there, happens, LOL.

Grade: B-

Myles Turner

30 minutes, 12 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5/12 FG, 2/7 3P, -13

Have not been impressed with Turner through two games. At seven feet tall, his inability to wall up and deter shots at the rim has been even more jarring without Giannis; Turner started with a nice transition block on Josh Giddey, but as the contest wore on, he became less and less effective. Heck, there was a possession where the 6’10”, 220-pound Leonard Miller pushed Turner out of the way under the basket to lay it in easily. This is to say nothing about his ability, or lack thereof, to defend in space nowadays. Oh, and Myles, when you catch it in the paint with a bunch of smaller guys nipping at your ankles, hold the ball high and put it in! Man, he’s just played so small to start the year.

Grade: D

Kel’el Ware

15 minutes, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 5/7 FG, 1/1 3P, +10

I did think Ware played with more vigour in this one, so kudos to him. Needed more urgency closing out to shooting bigs like Jalen Smith, though; a hand up isn’t enough; you need to make them put the ball on the floor.

Grade: C-

Kasparas Jakucionis

22 minutes, 7 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 2/4 FG, 1/2 3P, -4

Another very solid game from Jakucionis. I love the rhythm and pace he played with, taking what the defence gave him once he created an advantage, whether that was a layup, a lob, or a kickout. Crucially, as a big guard, he’s using his size to get downhill way more than he did last year in Miami. I also thought he was solid on defence yet again.

Grade: B+

Brayden Burries

8 minutes, 3 points, 3 assists, 4 PF, 1/3 FG, 1/3 3P, 0/2 FT, -6

Tough night for Burries, as will happen a lot this season—he is a rookie, after all. I do think the rook needs to be more aware of his closeouts on three-point shooters; that’s been a theme through the first two games, and he picked up a flagrant on Norman Powell in this one. All the little things add up.

Grade: D+

Ousmane Dieng

16 minutes, 3 points, 1 assist, 5 PF, 1/3 FG, -10

As I keep saying, Ous needs to take and make shots for this to work, and he didn’t. I also thought he went up soft on some crucial rebounding possessions in the fourth, not pursuing the ball as hard as the player below. Too many fouls as well.

Grade: D-

AJ Green

16 minutes, 11 points, 4/7 FG, 3/6 3P, -17

Green felt more involved in the offence. He hunted his shot—though I could have done without the near-half-court bomb in the fourth—and even ventured inside the line for a pull-up two off the roll-replace action. Most importantly, Green felt like one of the few players willing to get scrappy and fight for loose balls.

Grade: B-

Taylor Jenkins

Like the Washington game, if the Bucks did just one or two things at an average level, they probably would have won. Jenkins can’t do anything about guys turning the ball over and missing free throws. I will say, however, that rolling with Dieng for a fair stretch in the fourth quarter, given how he’d played up to that point, was puzzling. There was also a jarring possession where a Buck shot the ball, two guys competed for the offensive rebound, and two guys kinda just stood meandering around the basket, leading to a leak-out and dunk down the other end. We know Jenkins wants to send guys to the O-boards, but there needs to be a balance where, if you’re not in the play, you need to get back. I’m sure Jenkins relays a similar message, but if it’s not getting through, that’s ultimately on him.

Grade: C-

DNP-CD: Gary Trent Jr., Nate Ament, Bogoljub Markovic, Caris LeVert, Jericho Sims

Inactive: Kam Jones, Cormac Ryan, Pete Nance

What We Learnt

The Bucks are banging on the door of a victory and doing a lot right. However, this is a game of inches, and the little mistakes are adding up by the end of games.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Herro said his first official home game felt great. “Obviously we wanted to get a win… but my first time being back, playing in this uniform, on that court, in front of those fans—it was just a great moment. I was able to soak it in. I had a lot of family and friends here, so I was excited to be able to get that opportunity.”

• Despite the Bulls’ smaller front line, the Bucks got killed in the paint yet again, and handily so (62-44). Also, Chicago’s bench got the better of Milwaukee’s by a mile (59-35).
• Some more jarring stats from friend-of-the-site Camille Davis:

Up Next

The Bucks are back in action tonight in Philly against the star-studded 76ers. Watch at 6:30 p.m. CDT on MY24.

In the second game of the season, the Washington Wizards’ offense staggered, wheezed, and stalled, and they lost to the Toronto Raptors, 112-102.

This was Washington’s first real test of the season. The Raptors were good last season, and added Kawhi Leonard. That should be enough to elevate them into Eastern Conference contention, at least if Leonard can stay healthy.

The difference in quality was evident early and often, despite Toronto shooting just 20.6% from three-point range. Despite making five fewer threes than the Wizards, the Raptors had the higher effective field goal percentage. They also won the battle on the glass and committed fewer turnovers. What kept Washington as close as they were was 35 free throw attempts to Toronto’s 21.

Credit Trae Young and some wordclass grifting for that free throw differential. He drew three fouls pulling up for jumpers when being closely followed by a chase defender. He got another by intentionally bumping into a defender and falling down.

Washington’s offensive struggles were pervasive. More than a little credit goes to the Raptors, which is well stocked with long, athletic players who play hard, smart, and tough. Washington had multiple possessions in which they could not even get their primary action initiated because of strong ball pressure by guys like Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, and Scottie Barnes, as well as effective denial one pass away.

In a potentially worrisome development, a few of those stalled, stagnant possessions involved Young and Anthony Davis trying to get into a pick-and-roll set. They’re supposed to be the veteran duo that knows how to attack a stout defense. Last night, they missed shots and committed turnovers.

Kyshawn George had a very bad game — 2-9 from the floor plus 8 turnovers and 5 fouls. One word kept showing up in my notes about George’s miscues: “sloppy.” In a particularly destructive two-minute stretch of the third quarter, George had three turnovers. He needs a crash course in post entry passes — at least two of his turnovers were attempts to feed Davis inside. In both cases in my notes, Davis was being fronted and George made terrible passes directly to Raptors.

Notes & Observations

• Barnes is really, really good. He shot well from the midrange, and despite eight turnovers, made what felt like every important play throughout the game.
• Young is a bad defender. He’s short, slender, and…not strong. This season, he pledged to work on that end, and at least in the early going, he was true to his word. I liked one possession where Toronto ran a pick-and-roll. Young switched onto Barrett aggressively and forced him to pick up his dribble. It hobbled the possession. On another, Young got screened, and Immanuel Quickley popped free for what looked like a wide open three-point attempt. Young sprinted back into the play and contested from the side. Quickley missed.
• Young’s defense was far from perfect. Later in the first quarter, his attention drifted, and Quickley backcut him for a layup. The play was eerily similar to one from Washington’s opening night win against the Milwaukee Bucks.
• The Wizards opened the second half with a well-designed set play. Young started in the left corner and came up for a dribble hand off from Davis. He then turned the corner and drew the attention of both his defender and Davis’ — forcing the defense to make decisions on the move. Davis rolled, and Young threw a perfect lob for a slam.
• One nice offensive sequence from the kids. Bilal Coulibaly made a perfect post feed to Alex Sarr, who then made a strong move into the middle. That move drew weakside help, and Sarr recognized it and passed to the open man: George on the wing. George missed the shot, but it was good basketball that resulted in a wide open look.
• Young grifted two fouls by RJ Barrett in just six seconds on the game clock.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.