Category: Sports News

Onyeka Okongwu enters his seventh NBA season with his perimeter game taking shape and his long-term future in Atlanta approaching an important checkpoint.

Coming off the best three-point shooting season of his career, Okongwu gives the Hawks something valuable at center: a player who can stretch the floor without sacrificing the mobility that makes him useful defensively. After starting 63 games last season, the challenge now is building on that progress and strengthening his case as Atlanta’s long-term answer at the position.

Okongwu shot 37.6 percent from three on 5.2 attempts per game last season. The volume matters almost as much as the percentage. Taking those shots consistently forces opposing centers to account for him outside the paint, creating more room for Atlanta’s perimeter players to attack.

That spacing makes him a natural fit in Quin Snyder’s five-out offense. When Okongwu pulls a defender away from the basket, Jalen Johnson has more space to drive and create. It also gives the Hawks flexibility to move their center between screening, rolling and spotting up rather than keeping him stationed near the rim.

His next step is making that shooting a dependable part of Atlanta’s offense again. Another productive season from beyond the arc would reinforce that his development can hold up as opponents adjust their coverage.

However, his evaluation cannot begin and end with three-pointers. Atlanta still needs its starting center to finish defensive possessions, protect the basket and compete against physical frontcourts. Okongwu’s mobility gives Snyder options when defending ball screens, but pairing that versatility with consistent interior play remains essential.

Those responsibilities carry additional significance because of his contract situation. According to Brad Rowland, Okongwu is eligible for an extension worth up to three years and $76.6 million, with an October 19 deadline to reach an agreement.

An extension would represent another investment in his place alongside Atlanta’s young core. The absence of one would leave questions about how the organization values him, particularly after its reported offseason interest in Isaiah Hartenstein and Jarrett Allen. Those pursuits suggest the Hawks have continued evaluating their options at center.

Still, missing the deadline would not automatically mean Okongwu’s departure is approaching. He has two seasons remaining on his current contract, and negotiations can stall over price or timing. His performance would remain a significant part of any future decision.

For Okongwu, this season is an opportunity to make his importance clear. His shooting already helps unlock Snyder’s offense. Sustaining that production while delivering more consistently inside would strengthen his argument that the Hawks’ search for their long-term starting center should end with the player already in their lineup.

Internal monologue:

Ok, time to write the annual preview article for the season. This is important, try not to mess it up. I mean, I know growing up that one of my favorite things to do was to open up the Sports Illustrated NBA preview issue and find the Celtics section. Then I would devour the previews from the Boston Globe. I want the new generation to feel that with this blog and look up to me like I looked up to Jack McCallum, Bob Ryan, and Jackie MacMullan. I should really make an effort to be objective, informative, fair, and balanced.

Then again, I’ll never have the kind of talent and drive those legends did. Why do I need people looking up to me? Maybe don’t take yourself so seriously. What, do you think you’re going to get your big break at age 51? Why don’t you just write from your heart and see if people connect with it?

Ok, you convinced me. Or maybe I convinced me. Whatever.

Sometimes I try to approach these things by establishing the bookend of “best case” and “worst case” and go from there. But let’s be honest, we all know that the worst case involves injuries and failures and sad times; and really who needs that in their preseason preview article? So we’re going with good vibes only in this one.

Jayson Tatum is back

Everything starts with the star of the show. The MVP candidate who returned in record time from Achilles surgery to look (mostly) like his old self at the end of last season. He has had a full offseason to recover and train and should (by all accounts) be up to full speed for the season.

It is a joy to watch Jayson Tatum play basketball. Full stop. He’s so talented in so many different ways. In fact, his versatility is one of his greatest and sometimes most underrated talents. He can score at all 3 levels (and even in the creases between those levels). He’s a willing and talented playmaker. He can be the hub of the offense but he can also get off the ball and still be effective. He’s a monster on the boards. He’s a disruptive help defender and generally an extension of the coaching staff on the court.

He’s so buttoned up and politically correct that it is almost boring. But he’s also so genuine with it that it comes across as endearing rather than eye rolling. He actually does just love basketball with all his heart and wants to play it the right way. He wants to be a leader and an inspiration to the next generation.

The spotlight tends to gravitate toward more edgy personalities, but I want to show some appreciation to a man that I’m proud to have my kids root for. I can’t wait to see what he does with the year ahead and beyond.

Brad Stevens has a plan

We can’t have a preview without addressing the departure of Jaylen Brown. That one hurt a lot of hearts and we each processed the news in our own ways. I was confused and angry and full of several other emotions at the time. The following months provided a little more context and perspective. Call it cope if you like, but I think I can see the vague outline of the vision.

In the back of our minds we knew something like this was probably coming sooner or later. Smart cap people were warning us about it for years. Nearly every other decision this front office has made has looked extremely smart over time. Why would this one be any different? In short, I’d trust Brad Stevens and his judgement long before I’d trust my own heart. He’s not without flaw, but he’s very good at his job.

As it stands, the roster is built around Jayson Tatum and a “replace Giambi in the aggregate” collection of Moneyball support players. Derrick White is poised to shake off his shaky shooting and remind everyone why he’s a plus-minus god. Payton Pritchard might be the best bargain contract in the league (not counting rookie deals).

At this time last year the big rotation was universally cited as the team’s most glaring weakness. Stealing Mitchell Robinson from the defending champs gives the Celtics one of the better center rotations in the league, with Luka Garza a luxury as the 3rd string big.

Then there’s the PG13 sized signature shoe waiting to drop. At some point the front office will have to decide if they want to move Paul George (and possibly draft picks) in exchange for a player or multiple players that better fit into the team’s short and long term plans. But there’s no need to rush that decision until we understand exactly what the needs are for this team.

Of course there’s also a world in which the team decides to keep George. Why would they keep the guy that just a year ago was listed among the worst contracts in the league? Well, what if everything goes right with the young players and several of them end up as high level rotation players? If there are no holes on the roster then there’s no need to move George (or those valuable draft picks) to fill roles. You could either extend George on a more reasonable number or let his contract eventually expire as extensions are starting to kick in.

The kids are more than alright

As hard as it was to move on from the core of a championship roster, the front office has replaced aging veterans with developing talent. While most (myself included) assumed last year would be a big step back (gap year), the team barely missed a step and gave guys valuable reps in a winning system (something a tanking team just can’t replicate).

Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and even Ron Harper Jr. each took turns proving they belong in this league. Each has had a season to build off the confidence those reps gave them and shore up shortcomings in their games. Neemias Queta went from major question mark to a tremendous success story.

Through the draft the team added Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell. Both of whom may see more time in Maine than Boston, but each of whom as real translatable talents for the NBA. They may have even uncovered a hidden gem in Devin Carter (when in doubt, take a flyer on a Kings cast-off, right Neemy?)

This isn’t a “two timelines” thing either. These are young players that have proven they can contribute to winning and they will have opportunities to show their stuff. The veterans are all willing teachers and “old heads” that can provide guidance and direction when needed. From Tatum to White to Paul George to Mike Conley, there are enough adults in the room to keep everyone focused. And of course when those guys need an extra few days of rest, the young guys will happily step into bigger roles.

Speaking of keeping everyone focused, I am a Joe Mazzulla believer. The biggest long-term challenge a coach has is getting the same guys to buy in year after year without the message turning stale. Joe seems to inherently understand this and he’s continually looking for new ways to get his message across. It helps that the roster turnover has given him new ears to bend and the veterans remaining (Tatum, White) are notoriously coachable.

Why not us?

Prediction time. There are a lot of very good teams in the East. I have a lot of respect for the defending champion Knicks. The Sixers have assembled a lot of on-paper talent. The Cavs have a track record of regular season success and are coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The Pistons had a dominant regular season. The Heat added Giannis to their “culture.” The Raptors brought back Kawhi Leonard and didn’t have to plant a single tree. The Pacers are bringing back Tyrese Hilburton and adding Ivaca Zubac. There’s going to be a lot of competition for the East title.

However, I keep coming back to the subtitle question. Why not us?

The Celtics have the talent and the system and enough young try-hards to finish in the top 3 of the Eastern Conference standings. Maybe even the top 2 (again). As I’m sure you’ve heard 100 times already, it is notable that fewer teams will be tanking, so the win totals might be harder to replicate from last year. But I could see the Celtics easily clearing the 5o.5 to 51.5 wins that Vegas is setting their over/under at (kids, don’t gamble, the house always wins).

My official prediction is 55 wins, if anyone cares. In the spirit of good vibes only, who’s to say that this team can’t win it all? Sure, it would take some good matchup luck, reasonably good health, and perhaps a few fortunate bounces, but what title team hasn’t had all those things in their favor? They key will be translating all that “try hard” execution from the regular season into consistent execution in the playoffs when everyone else is trying hard too.

Sure, there are plenty of things that could go sideways this season. There will be plenty of time to react to those things in real time. For the moment, however, anything is possible and the vibes are fresh and new. I’m excited to start this journey and see where it leads us again. This feeling of giddy anticipation is what got me hooked on basketball in the first place (all those decades ag0). Why not embrace it a little bit longer? Let’s go Celtics!

During the run-up to the NBA Draft, Arizona’s Tobe Awaka and Duke’s Cameron Boozer faced a similar issue: neither was thought to have much of a vertical leap.

Awaka – 6-8 and 261 – registered a standing leap of 32.5 inches. For his part, Boozer – 6-9 and 253 – got 28.5 inches, which was better than expected. He also proved to be far more agile than scouts thought, with an 11.060-second pro lane drill time. That tied for first overall, and, incidentally, topped Cooper Flagg’s mark from the year before.

Anyway, Awaka and Boozer met in Sunday’s preseason match between the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies. Boozer shook loose and drove the lane, which resulted in a slam that Awaka started to contest but ultimately allowed in order to avoid a foul.

It didn’t matter; in the end Memphis won 104-100. Boozer played 12 minutes, scoring 8 more points besides that dunk. He also had 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

It’s still exhibition season, which means teams are looking at players and lineups, so to an extent, you can’t take too much of it seriously. Still, Boozer is probably making Memphis execs and coaches pretty pleased that he’s on their team.

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When I think of the Mavericks’ impactful players in their 2024 Finals run, one of the first names that comes to mind is Derrick Jones Jr. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, do the little things, make a big defensive impact, and be an athletic sparkplug. Mavericks rookie forward Tobi Lawal brings those same exact qualities, but he’s two inches taller at 6’8, and six years younger.

The Dallas Mavericks have plenty of new faces heading into the 2026-27 season, but few are more intriguing as developmental projects than Lawal. He was selected 48th overall in the draft this summer and enters this year on a two-way contract after two seasons at Virginia Tech.

Lawal’s college numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page. The senior averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, while shooting 54.2% from the field. He also recorded six double-doubles in just 23 games. What DOES jump off the page is his athleticism. Lawal’s 45.5-inch maximum vertical at the NBA Combine was one of the best marks in combine history. He is a legitimate above-the-rim athlete who can run the floor, attack the offensive glass, and finish plays that most players simply can’t. Hello again, Derrick Jones Jr.

For a Mavericks team emphasizing youth and development under new head coach Dusty May, Lawal is exactly the type of player worth keeping an eye on.

The big question

The big question for Lawal is whether he can turn his physical gifts into a consistent NBA skill set. This isn’t as easy as it sounds for athletic and bouncy NBA prospects. Jones Jr. has been on six teams entering his 11th season. Lawal will need to add some finesse to his art while developing other offensive skill sets. Today’s NBA is all about scoring.

There is no question about the athletic ability. The questions are about everything that comes with it. Lawal is still developing as a shooter and ball handler, and he has primarily been a play finisher rather than someone who creates offense for himself or others. He shot just 25% from three as a senior at Virginia Tech. His offensive game will need to expand if he’s going to become more than an energy big who plays in short stretches. Dallas has several other athletic forwards who will take minutes and have so far proven they can score consistently.

The good news is that he doesn’t need to become a star to have an NBA career. The athleticism, rebounding, and defensive versatility give him a foundation. The next step is figuring out how many different ways he can impact a game.

Best case scenario

The best-case scenario for Lawal is that he earns consistent legitimate NBA minutes before the season is over. It’s challenging for two-way players to get consistent minutes, particularly early in the season, unless the injury bug strikes. So Lawal will need to make the most of every second he’s on the floor.

But there’s big upside. Think of a player who can run the floor, set good screens, dive toward the rim, clean up misses, and make life miserable for opposing wings and forwards defensively. A best-case scenario for Lawal won’t be about stats; it will be about impact. Catch and finish some lobs, knock down an occasional outside jumper, grab rebounds, and defend like your role depends on it (because it does).

If the jumper develops enough to make defenses respect him outside the paint, Lawal’s game will reach a whole new level. He has already shown flashes of being more than just a dunker. He shot 76.3% from the free-throw line as a senior and has shown flashes of being a decent catch-and-shoot player.

If those pieces come together, Dallas could have a legitimate rotation-caliber forward on its hands rather than simply a two-way developmental player.

Worst case scenario

The worst-case scenario is that Lawal’s athleticism doesn’t translate consistently enough to overcome the weaknesses in his offensive game. NBA defenses are much faster and more disciplined than what he saw in college. Simply being able to jump higher and run faster won’t guarantee playing time in the NBA.

His shooting could keep him off the floor if defenders don’t have to respect him away from the basket, while his ball-handling skills in traffic limit his ability to attack closeouts or create offense. Dallas also has a crowded forward gang, with players like Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Santi Aldama, Morez Johnson Jr., and Zaccharie Risacher, all of whom will get meaningful minutes on a nightly basis.

That makes Lawal’s margin for error fairly small. If he can’t consistently defend without fouling, rebound at an NBA level, or provide enough offensive value, he could spend most of the season developing in the G League.

Season Goal

Lawal’s goal should be simple: become a serviceable NBA-level role player. This would be a good starting point. The athleticism is already there. He doesn’t need to prove that he can jump out of the gym. He needs to prove that he can use those physical gifts the right way. Defense and rebounding should be his tickets onto the floor. Doing the dirty work on offense, like running the floor, screening, and finishing around the rim, will make a major impact on the Mavericks’ offense, particularly one that Dusty May has said will have a fast pace.

And then comes the jumper. Lawal doesn’t need to suddenly become a 40% three-point shooter. If he can develop into a respectable catch-and-shoot threat, it would force defenders to make a decision when he is standing outside the paint. That small improvement could dramatically open up the rest of his game.

The Mavericks don’t need Lawal to do everything. They need him to become really good at a few things.

Overall

Lawal is one of the more interesting developmental players on the Mavericks’ roster because of his unique physical attributes. He’s 6’8, 215 pounds, with excellent length and explosiveness. The question is whether Dallas can help him turn all of that into a reliable NBA skill set.

For now, Lawal probably shouldn’t be expected to walk into the Mavericks’ rotation and play 20 minutes a night. His two-way contract gives him something much more valuable: time. If he can use that time to improve his shooting, tighten his handle, and become a more consistent defender, the Mavericks may have found a legitimate rotation piece with the 48th pick.

At his best, Lawal could become the kind of player coaches love to have on the floor: explosive, relentless, switchable, and constantly making things happen. Things that don’t jump out of the stat sheet but undoubtedly impact the game. Plus, at the end of the day, the kid has a 45.5-inch vertical. There aren’t many players on the Mavericks’ roster more capable of making something happen above the rim than him.

Through two preseason games, the 2026-2027 Celtics look like the 2020-2021 bull market. It didn’t matter what you bought — it was going to the moon. Bitcoin, Dogecoin, gold, Tesla, it didn’t matter; everyone thought they had found the infinite money glitch. That’s what the Boston Celtics feel like two preseason games in. Jayson Tatum, Baylor Scheierman, Dillon Mitchell…everyone is playing wonderful basketball. 

Now bear with me as I keep making barely sensical financial metaphors about this season’s Boston Celtics. 

The Bitcoin Bros:

Celtics fans know these names. The chaos wing contingent of Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, and Dillon Mitchell are foundational to how this era of the Celtics wants to play basketball. Mash people on the offensive glass, move the ball, play with pace, and make life for opposing offenses a living hell. Celtics fans are like Bitcoin investors in the early 2010s: no one thinks internet gold is anything but a scam, or, in this case, the rest of the league is dubious that a tsunami of late-round draft picks is coming to terrorize the league. 

They showed last season that they can impact winning and over two preseason games, these chaos agents appear to have levelled up. It shouldn’t surprise anyone, given their work ethic, age and tenure in the league.

This is before we mention rookies Dillon Mitchell and Chris Cenac Jr. It’s hard to envision a path for Mitchell to earn playing time with the glut of aforementioned chaos agents of Baylor, Hugo and Walsh (and Ron Harper Jr.), but Mitchell is a special athlete. He combines his explosiveness with IQ and feel for the game that has been evident through two preseason games. Cenac’s ability to play the power forward of center position provide more pathways to playing time. I would expect the rangy big man to spend most of his rookie season with Maine, but it wouldn’t shock me to see Cenac flash a few times in the regular season. 

Blue Chippers:

Jayson Tatum is like Apple stock. It doesn’t seem like his stock can get any higher, but it does. I was already bullish on Tatum coming into this season and his 27 minutes of preseason action did not dissuade me. By Tatum’s own admission, he was around 80% when he returned mid-playoff push last year. He quickly reestablished himself as an All-NBA caliber player. With the rust already shaken off and a full offseason to build confidence in his body, I expect Tatum to regain his place on First Team All-NBA. In Tatum’s first preseason action, he was effortlessly dominant. An MVP award for Tatum is on the table. 

After last season, Derrick White’s ticker was in danger of falling out of the S&P 500. Despite one of the best shot-blocking regular seasons of all time for a guard, his dreadful playoff shooting has investors feeling uncomfortable. White’s preseason debut was rocky; early in the game, he clanked a few threes and turned the ball over a couple of times. The smooth-headed guard (I can say that because I am also smooth-headed), was able to rally as the game went on, impacting the game on both sides of the ball. It would really ease the concerns of fans to see him go on a hot shooting run to start this season. 

Backing Payton Pritchard’s NBA journey has felt like investing in a sleeper tech stock that sceptics wrote off as incapable of scaling. Only to watch it grow every year until it makes everyone who believed in it rich. While I’m not as bullish as some who think Payton Pritchard can become Jalen Brunson, I believe Pritchard will continue to develop into one of the league’s most potent weapons. Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard have been a lethal combination since entering the league. In over 4,000 minutes sharing the court together, Tatum and Pritchard have a net rating of +8.1. Pritchard is the perfect perimeter teammate for Tatum; he spaces the court out to the logo, and their screening actions are lethal, as the opponent who is tasked with guarding Pritchard typically has no prayer in guarding Tatum, so when they are in action together, it creates difficult choices for opposing defenses. In Pritchard’s limited preseason action, he looks ready to handle an even larger offensive burden. 

Precious Metals:

Apologies to Mike Conley and Paul George, but gold, silver, and all precious metals are clearly the NBA vets of the investment landscape. Gold is one of humanity’s oldest commodities. Reliable and necessary. NBA Champions require precious veterans. Al Horford, Alex Caruso, Andre Iguodala, the list is endless. Paul George and Mike Conley are here to steady the locker room and, in George’s case, perfectly complement Jayson Tatum. The theoretical fit of George, an elite shooter and defender who should seamlessly amplify Tatum’s scoring and playmaking, came to life instantly in their preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers. George’s willingness to buy into his new role as an ageing superstar will pay dividends this season. 

Reading too much into preseason can be dangerous. However, by my calculations, the 2026-2027 Boston Celtics are going to the moon.