The NBA is ready to roll out their schedule featuring 25 national TV broadcasts throughout the season including opening week and the ever popular Christmas matchups. If the basketball gods are pumping on all cylinders, the yuletide will showcase Miami facing off against Milwaukee, the 76ers playing the Celtics, and the Spurs returning to Madison Square Garden.

There’s just one problem. LeBron James has yet to announce where he will play next season.

Adam Silver on LeBron’s free agency decision:

“I would like him to make his announcement already, so he can finish the schedule. Because as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule. But it will influence how we set the schedule, how we set opening week, Christmas Day, etc.”

It sounds strange that the oldest player is the hold up until one hears that player is LeBron. If/when he does sign with a team, James enters his twenty-fourth season. Truth be told, it wouldn’t be Christmas without King James. He’s played a record 20 Christmases, and currently 19 seasons straight.

That said, one option is for the league plan as if LeBron was retiring. It isn’t befitting of of one of the greatest to ever play the game, but then again, is it appropriate for the league to hold up for one player?

Make no mistake, his signing is a major event for the league, but perhaps James is milking it a little too long. He has to have an idea of where he wants to go, and any team is prepared to graciously roll out the red carpet. While understanding that this is most likely his laster hurrah, he could be more expedient with his plans.

What do you think, Pounders? Share in the comments below.

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How Kings' Darius Acuff Jr. fared vs. other top rookies at NBA summer league originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

You would think Darius Acuff Jr. hurt a puppy the way people were talking about him after his NBA summer league showing.

The expectations are higher as the No. 7 overall pick, sure, but some feedback has been extremely exaggerated regarding the young Kings point guard.

Before Acuff even put a Kings jersey on, several critics scrutinized his defense and lack of effort on that end of the floor. So it seemed like every defensive mistake he would make from there on was magnified and blasted on social media.

The clips went viral and, while they didn’t make Acuff’s case look great, they didn’t paint the whole picture.

Acuff did have a lot of bad defensive lapses, but he also had some pretty impressive plays on that side of the ball. Of course, those didn’t go viral.

Acuff isn’t and likely won’t ever be a lockdown defender, but that’s not why the Kings drafted him. In that same breath, yes, he does have areas to improve defensively, but it’s not anything he doesn’t already know.

He is his own biggest critic, and those around him, including his teammates, Scott Perry, and even his father, believe he’s fully capable of making a leap defensively.

Now let’s dive into the things that don’t matter and won’t show up anywhere in the future: his summer league stats. Acuff played five of the eight games, averaging 20.8 points on 35-percent shooting from the field and 27.8 percent from 3-point range, with 1.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.8 turnovers.

Now let’s compare them to those players taken before him in the 2026 NBA Draft: AJ Dybantsa (No. 1), Darryn Peterson (No. 2), Cameron Boozer (No. 3), Caleb Wilson (No. 4), Keaton Wagler (No. 5) and Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 6).

Dybantsa showcased his top-pick talent in just two games, including one against the Kings, averaging 25 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. If there was something to nitpick at, it’s that he shot just 39.4 percent from the field and made just one of his 11 3-point attempts.

The former BYU star also demonstrated potential on defense, recording three blocks in his two summer league appearances.

Peterson has made the Wizards contemplate their decision, but the Utah Jazz surely are grateful. Peterson has shone, from the Salt Lake City Summer League to NBA Summer League in Vegas, the Kansas standout has looked like the best player in the draft.

He had an efficient 28-point performance in his Jazz debut, followed by dropping 25, 24, 23 and 15 in the games following, respectively. Excluding one game, Peterson has shot very efficiently.

Boozer had a standout showing for the Grizzlies, leading his team to the Las Vegas Semifinals and posting averages of 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting around 58 percent from the field and 38 percent from distance.

The conversation around his game has been that he has the most translatable NBA skillset that should instantly help Memphis.

Wilson was one of the biggest breakout stars of summer league in Las Vegas. Wilson turned heads after averaging 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks over four games.

Wagler slightly struggled to begin summer league, but he capped off his Vegas run with a game-high 26 points in an overtime win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Clippers guard averaged 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game but struggled with efficiency, shooting 34.2 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from 3-point range.

In his matchup against the Kings, Wagler couldn’t get much going offensively through 27 minutes, finishing with seven points on 1-of-7 shooting and 1 of 5 from 3-point range but making three of his four free-throw attempts. He also had two rebounds, one assist and one turnover, and was a minus-23 in plus/minus rating.

Acuff’s showing was much more promising after taking 13 more shot attempts than Wagler. Acuff finished with 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting from the field and 3 of 9 from long range, with three rebounds, seven assists, two steals, one block and four turnovers in 28 minutes.

Finally, Brown Jr. had a highly impressive summer league debut with the Nets. Across his Las Vegas Summer League appearances, he averaged 18 points, 4.7 assists, and stellar shooting splits, shooting nearly 52.2 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from 3-point range.

Does any of this matter? Probably not.

But it still is fun to dissect, as this draft class was viewed as one of the best in recent NBA history.

These future matchups will be fun to watch.

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It’s official. No more Knicks basketball till October.

As that tune says, wake me up when September ends.

Here’s (likely, but who knows) the last Bulletin of the season.

Jalen Brunson

On refusing to sign a Giants helmet:

“Wait, wait, I am not signing that. That’s against my religion. Are you gonna make me sign a Giants helmet? Can I write ‘Go Birds’ on it? I’m gonna write ‘Go Birds’ on it.”

On signing a discount extension rather than waiting for a max deal:

“Everyone looks at it as leaving money on the table. And to a certain degree, it is, the most I could sign for at the time was like $156 million. If I had waited a year, it would’ve been about $100 million more… But the average NBA career is about four years. Having that uncertainty of betting on yourself, you don’t really know.

“So just having that in my back pocket, knowing I’m good, my family’s good, I can just play free. I don’t have to worry about anything. It definitely had to do with my decision.”

On his spending habits and preserving his wealth:

“But no matter what, my lifestyle wouldn’t change. Like, it wasn’t like I bought a bunch of things. Everything that I, even to this day I know it’s crazy. Like, if I feel like I’m making a big purchase, I’m going to call my parents. I’m going to call, like, ‘What do you think about this?’ And they’re like, ‘You’re a grown-a– man. You can do what you want.’

“I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I just want to make sure I’m doing the right [thing].’ I still, like, give myself like those checks to make sure I’m doing everything right [thing], because it’s just it’s important for me to have this [wealth] for obviously as long as I can and for my future generations.”

Jose Alvarado

On his partnership with AND1:

“It’s been amazing, because it’s about more than just a shoe. It’s about family, community, and being part of a basketball legacy that I grew up on! And also… I’m rocking a custom AND1 fit for the ESPYs.”

On when AND1 first approached him about a sneaker deal:

“Dex Gordon approached me while I was still with the Pelicans. The interest was there, but the timing wasn’t quite right.”

On his favorite AND1 sneakers:

“I love the Attack 4 Lo that I’ve been rocking and, of course, the Tai Chi….but the Mad Game Pros are my favorite!”

On future AND1 sneakers he may wear:

“I’ve been working closely with the design team, so I have to be careful not to give away too much. But there will be more colorways of the Mad Games and Attack 4s coming…”

On his goals for the AND1 partnership:

“I want to see everybody wearing AND1s, both on and off the court. And I want a chance to update basketball courts in the communities where kids who look like me play every day. That’s just part of AND1’s DNA.”

On the athletes or celebrities he wants to see wearing his shoes:

“Fat Joe, J.Lo— and Wemby!”

On his favorite AND1 Mixtape Tour players:

“I have to say Steph Marbury AND Rafer ‘Skip to My Lou’ Alston.”

Anthony Edwards

On Jalen Brunson deserving consideration as the face of the NBA:

“The face of the league comes with a lot of responsibilities, and I think one of those is winning the championship. And I haven’t did that yet so, maybe Jalen Brunson or one of those guys.”

On speaking with Karl-Anthony Towns during the NBA Finals:

“I was turned up. It may have been like 3 in the morning when he FaceTimed me after the game.

“But yeah, I was talking to him before every game because we played San Antonio. So just, you know, give him the little tips and stuff on which players like to go which way and, you know, stuff about Wemby.”

On helping Towns prepare for Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs:

“So yeah, I gave a little cheat code, and he passed the test. So shout out KAT.”

Fred VanVleet

On drawing inspiration from the Knicks’ championship run:

“The lead up to the moment doesn’t matter. We just watched the Knicks do it. Nobody thought they would win. Then they got there, dominated, and they were the best team ever. It’s just how the outside narrative works. But we got a lot of work to do.”

John Calipari

On Karl-Anthony Towns’ response to criticism:

“He was a pro through everything. I would get mad and if I talked to him, he’d be like, ‘Hey, it is what it is.’”

On advising Towns to stop trying to draw fouls:

“Karl was taking some heat and I was so mad. He didn’t deserve that. But the only thing I did tell him — ‘They’re not calling fouls so quit flopping.’

“If you’re going to shoot it, they’re going to foul you. And they’re not calling it. I’m watching the Spurs and OKC beat the s–t out of each other [in the Western Conference finals]. No calls. And I said, ‘Look man, go for and-ones, and if they don’t foul you, at least you’ll make the basket. Flopping ain’t helping.’”

On the benefits of running the Knicks’ offense through Towns:

“Playing through Karl did two things — it opened the court for all those other guys. So now they were all All-Stars. It did not take away from what Jalen [Brunson] is going to do at the end of games. He’s maybe the best ever [in the clutch]. I want to say the best ever but you have Michael [Jordan]. But in this era, late in the game, when you need a basket [he’s the best].

“But you can’t play that way 48 minutes. So playing through Karl earlier in the games, it’s spacing the court, he’s helluva passer, can make a couple 3s. And you know what else it got him to do? He started defending better because he was engaged.

“Think about if it’s you, you’re down there bumping and grinding, and you’re touching the ball every seventh trip down. Now you’re touching it way more. You’re gonna try harder on defense.”

On how the Knicks can continue improving:

“They have to get a little bit better. That’s all. All of them get a little bit better.

“And what they have is a rhythm now and how they play and each guy can be a star in what he does. Josh [Hart] is a star at what he does. [Mikal] Bridges is a star at what he does. OG [Anunoby]? Star at what he does. And they all have different roles. Jalen is that centerpiece. Karl is the guy you play through. And when the s–t is on the line, Jalen shoots the ball. It is what it is.”

On NBA stars accepting less money to help their teams:

“People are getting pissed. But there is a second apron for a reason — to discourage that from happening.

“But it makes me feel good — what’s the difference between $400 million and $502 million? I don’t begrudge somebody saying, ‘No, I earned it.’ I don’t begrudge. But I’m saying it’s kinda neat. Because I’m about team. And that means — I care about myself and my family, but I also care about this team. What’s the common ground? What’s the middle ground? I got to give up a little bit.”

With the Summer League winding down, allow yourself to dream a little bit. We’re heading into a stretch of the summer where actual basketball is few and far between. We’ll get glimpses of offseason workouts, maybe a Pro-Am here and there, but for the most part, sneaker-squealing and rock-pounding will be mirages in this basketball desert from late-July to mid-September.

But after a relatively successful stint out in Sin City, we’ve got enough actual tape to do some prognosticating with our young players. Sure, the Summer Cs didn’t make the Summer League playoffs, but we can dream a little and maybe, just maybe, project a more meaningful championship in their future.

In addition to Hugo Gonzalez’s strong showing in three games, it’s been rookie Chris Cenac Jr.’s game that has really opened the eyes of Celtics fans. The numbers don’t exactly jump off the page — 10.5 points and 8 rebounds per game — but you can see how given a little more time to develop, his physical skills and talent will translate quickly to the NBA game.

Already, he’s an excellent rim protector (2.8 blocks per game) and he’s tried to catch a body on several dunk attempts over the last week. He feels like a mix of Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Shawn Kemp. What will make him a consistent contributor in the modern NBA is moving his mid-range game past the three-point line and being able to defend quicker players on the switch.

If you want to catch Cenac Jr. and our boys of summer in their last game on The Strip, our friends at FanDuel have the Celtics as +1.5 underdogs against the Orlando Magic later today at 4:30 pm EST.

The Utah Jazz won their final summer league game against the Portland Trail Blazers 83-79. It was a fun game that came down to the wire, with a few Jazz players showing promise that could help the team.

The player who surprisingly didn’t help as much as you’d hope was Blake Hinson, who shot just 1/9 from three. Hinson was a sharpshooter for the Jazz last season, and it’s too bad that he couldn’t show that shooting stroke in the summer league. It’s likely not a big deal, but it would have been nice to see that shooting continue in the summer league. It does make you wonder why all the players who played for Utah last season, or will be getting regular minutes next year, didn’t shoot well in Las Vegas. Is that a trend? Or is it just a coincidence? It makes you wonder if the Jazz have been running hard practices, or if the players are tired from enjoying their time in Las Vegas? There’s no way to really know, but it’s interesting.

Utah’s strongest performer, in terms of plus-minus, was Bez Mbeng. He was a team-leading +14 and, even though he didn’t shoot the ball well either, his defense and intensity really shows on the floor. In this one, Mbeng had 4 steals and handled the ball for a lot of the game. He was also one of the top players in minutes with 20 in this one. I personally really like Mbeng and I’m rooting for him to make the team. I do think he can be a defensive-focused do-it-all player who could really contribute if he keeps improving.

Justin Harmon scored the ball well, leading the team in scoring with a team-leading 21 points. He had 6 free throws in this one and was a positive contributor overall. Harmon could be a nice addition to the training camp roster and, if he can show out, maybe he can earn himself a roster spot. He’s worth watching going forward at the very least.

And with that, the summer league is now over, and we now enter a long summer that will lead into one of the most exciting eras of Jazz basketball I can remember. It will be led by the best prospect in Jazz history to actually suit up for the Utah Jazz, and I can’t wait to see him develop into a superstar wearing the purple and blue.