Category: Sports News

Joe Mazzulla is never one to accept praise, often deflecting it toward his staff and players. He famously told Derrick White “nobody cares” after being congratulated for winning Coach of the Month. He’d probably even call this piece a waste of time, but I’m here to say it’s time for him to get his credit. 

Fans and award voters have discredited Mazzulla’s success as a product of loaded rosters, ignoring his part in elevating those units. Sure, he inherited a contender. But it was days before training camp, and he was stuck with another coach’s staff. Managing 57 wins as a rookie under those circumstances was a massive success, but still only good for a 3rd place finish in Coach of the Year voting.

A dominant 64-win Championship season somehow moved him back a spot, and a 61-win follow-up through injury and fatigue took him out of the race altogether.

The narrative was that they should be that good, so he can’t be rewarded for meeting expectations. Sustained success isn’t as cool as the shiny new playoff team, or the overachiever. But now, Boston is on the other side of that spectrum, and his group is doing far more than anyone expected.

Mazzulla had his championship roster completely gutted at the top. In a flash, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and his top three centers were all out of the picture. They went from the top of the league to a projected Play-In team, or worse.

There weren’t many believers. Their preseason win total was set at 41.5. 

Boston is currently 33-18. They would have to go 9-22 the rest of the way to beat that total.

They are the 2nd seed in the East and finding answers every single night. Mazzulla has pushed all the right buttons in terms of lineup combinations and game-planning. The roster has carryover from previous years, but he’s getting the absolute most while toggling through a variety of unproven bench pieces.

They have the highest Offensive Rating in the league, and their 8.0 Net Rating is down just -1.4 from last season despite the considerable changes. You can see that sustainability most clearly when Jaylen Brown is off the floor, as those lineups are still steamrolling teams with a +12.8 net rating and a 121.6 offensive rating.

Their defense, which could’ve fallen off a cliff, is quickly climbing and sits just outside the top-10.

Losing Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet was supposed to be catastrophic for this team. Mazzulla has empowered Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, and played to their strengths so effectively that you’re not left each night thinking about what they lost.

There are other coaches doing great work this season, but nobody is crushing expectations at a level this extreme. No team has faced this much roster turnover, and hardly missed a beat.

The sportsbooks are telling a different story, with J.B. Bickerstaff sitting as a heavy favorite to take home the Red Auerbach Trophy. And look, the Pistons’ breakout is great and Bickerstaff is a worthy contender, but there was an expectation they could take a step forward. Boston was supposed to take several steps back, yet Mazzulla’s group has the better Net Rating.

He is not solely responsible for the Celtics’ success, though it should be unmistakably clear how effective his principles and system are.

Their latest win in Houston is one of the finest examples. Without Jaylen Brown, they still absolutely squashed the Rockets. Mazzulla went an unconventional route and gave Ron Harper Jr. his first career start. Few would think to call on a two-way player, let alone throw them at Kevin Durant, but it turned out to be a stroke of brilliance. His defense combined with their efforts to shrink the floor, held Durant and their #5 offense to 93 points.

It’s moments like these, where he’s tweaking the rotation, and building players confidence, while still maintaining their style that you can see how effective he is. 

Managing great teams is not easy — we’ve seen enough implode to know that’s true. But this season has revealed without a doubt that he adapts to his group, and knows how to extract the most value from them.

With massively talented teams of the past, he understood that they’d benefit from the freedom to make plays without frequent intervention. For a squad like this current one, his fingerprints are all over the game. This is something that was mistaken as a dependency, when it’s far more about awareness.

For the critics who thought he was only as good as his roster, this season is a big green slap in the face. For award voters, the evidence is undeniable. It’s time to leave the goalposts where they belong, and award Coach of the Year to Joe Mazzulla.

The trade deadline has officially passed, and the Dallas Mavericks have a new look after the departure of Anthony Davis. With him went D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum and Jaden Hardy. Coming to Dallas is Khris Middleton (likely to be bought out), A.J. Johnson, Malaki Branham (who was quickly flipped for Tyus Jones), Marvin Bagley III, two first round picks and three second round picks.

Of course, it took approximately ten seconds for some to equate the incoming haul to the sum total of what Dallas received in exchange for Luka Doncic. In other words, those wanting to throw shade Dallas’ way had an easy time stating that superstar Luka Doncic was ultimately swapped for Max Christie, a few first round picks that likely won’t be high in the draft order, a potential buy-out candidate and some “filler.”

While arguments like this have some surface-level merit, they also beg the question as to when the statute of limitations is up. How many “Degrees of Kevin Bacon” do we move through before separate trades are no longer correlated? Hypothetically, if Dallas flips their own 2026 pick along with all their other new picks into a player who becomes a superstar two years from now, does that somehow make the Doncic trade better? The Doncic trade was an epic fail, full stop. It is, however, a sunk cost at this point and does not necessarily mean the Mavs weren’t winners relative to their baseline before the Trade Deadline passed. Here we will consider two areas in which the Mavs not only won, but won big.

Who got shipped out… and who didn’t

The Mavericks facilitated their future by shipping off four players. Anthony Davis played 29 regular season games and two play-in tournament games in just over a year, and is currently nursing a hand ligament injury for at least the next few weeks. Dante Exum is in the midst of a season-ending injury. D’Angelo Russell was so far in Jason Kidd’s doghouse that he was eating Puppy Chow for each meal. Jaden Hardy was a fine enough rotation piece. With the utmost respect due those players, the Mavericks gave up virtually nothing – three players who don’t play, and a solid eighth or ninth man on the roster who also saw stretches outside the rotation.

By making the deal they made, they did not have to ship off any of their more playable, younger, valuable pieces. Remaining on the team are Naji Marshall, Max Christie, Daniel Gafford and even Klay Thompson (P.J. Washington, too, but he was not trade eligible). All of those solid (and generally very contract-friendly) pieces remain to either help the team long term, or be used in future team-building efforts.

Second apron considerations

The primary, and far too often overlooked (or misunderstood), reason the Mavs won is the dreaded Second Apron. Dallas was dangerously close to the second apron, and essentially would have walked right into it this offseason had they stayed the course.

For those who may not be familiar with the Second Apron, it is the terrifying hellscape that punitively limits a team from doing just about anything to improve their roster. Those quick to call the Mavs’ trade deadline a failure are most likely not considering the severe ramifications of being a second apron team. Here is just a sample of what lies in Pandora’s Box.

Note: All second apron teams suffer both first apron penalties and additional penalties exclusive to the second apron. Those penalties include:

Fist apron

• No sign-and-trade if the incoming player keeps the team above the Apron.
• Unable to sign a player waived during the season if that player’s salary is above the mid-level exception (MLE).
• Any salary match in a trade falls to a 110% threshold instead of a 125% threshold.

Second apron

• All of the above penalties, plus;

• Unable to use the MLE.
• Unable to use trade exceptions.
• Unable to use cash in any trades.
• Unable to trade multiple players in the same deal.
• Any first round pick is automatically moved to the end of the round if the team remains in the second apron for any three years within a five-year span.

What can a second apron team do? Basically re-sign their own players, sign their own draft picks, trade a single player at a time for equal/less incoming salary and use minimum contracts.

I’m not sure you can overstate the severity of being a second apron team. Dallas would have been completely strapped had they done nothing, squandering Cooper Flagg’s early years instead of immediately aiming to build around him properly.

It may not have been sexy or flashy, but given their position, the Mavericks did an incredible job positioning themselves for massive cap flexibility while giving up virtually nothing that was currently helping them, and most importantly outright avoiding the second apron. This was a win, even if an unconventional one.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

The 2026 NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and the Hawks’ roster looks fairly different as compared to earlier in the season. We have yet to see three of the acquired players play for the team, but enough dust has settled by now to judge the totality of the moves.

Let’s get to it by going through each move chronologically (according to when the news broke), and how I grade them based on short-term and long-term impact:

CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert for Trae Young

This one was the blockbuster that kicked off things early in January. Enough time has passed, and so I won’t go through the minutiae of it all.

Trae Young had been seeking an extension since the summer given that he holds just a $49 million player option for next season and nothing beyond that. The Hawks neglected to offer him an extension.

Ultimately Young’s value as a defense-deficient, ball dominant guard outweighed his track record as a productive offensive engine. But the team was still motivated to find a resolution — even as Young was sidelined with injury. And so, he, his agents, and the team quickly found a home for him in the District of Columbia.

Coming the other way was microwave combo scorer (now in a sixth man role) CJ McCollum and big-bodied wing Corey Kispert who is equally comfortable shooting or driving on the offensive end. Both are clearly both useful depth players with the former on an expiring contract and the latter on a deal that extends for two more years at $13.5 million annually (plus a team option in 2028-29).

Given the drama that surrounded his financials for half a season, the Hawks did do well to act early and turn the keys to the franchise over to Jalen Johnson. But frankly, they dealt Young at his lowest value and netted just so little in return (they couldn’t even muster one measly pick?).

Time will truly tell if the Wizards can build a consistent winner around Young. But without the benefit of hindsight, I’d have to say the team just barely passed this test — and certainly without flying colors.

Grade: C-

Duop Reath and two second rounders for Vit Krejci

Duop Reath has since been waived, but he was never the true focal point of this deal.

Vit Krejci was an outstanding development story for the Hawks. From arriving from Oklahoma City for very little, to getting cut, to playing for both the Iowa Wolves and later the College Park Skyhawks on a two-way deal. Along the way, he gained more and more confidence in his three-point shot.

By the time he was sent to Portland at this deadline, he had become one of the league’s deadliest three-point shooters. Dating back to 2023-24, he has shot 42% on 4.1 attempts per game.

In the 2024 offseason, he signed a multi-year minimum value deal to remain with the Hawks. But recent moves may have crowded out his position in the rotation going forward.

Atlanta sent him to Portland this week in a deal that allows him to see minutes for a Blazers team that badly needs shooting. And in return, the Hawks netted two second-round picks: their own pick back in 2027 that they gave up in a deal to land Mouhamed Gueye in the 2023 NBA Draft and New York’s 2030 second rounder.

So, they landed two picks for a player they didn’t see in their plans in more — although admittedly a fan favorite on a great contract. Sentimentalities aside, it’s a minor win and nothing more.

Grade: B

Jock Landale for cash considerations

This is an easy one. When did cash considerations ever grab a rebound? Or block a shot? Or put the ball in the bucket?

I promise I had this take prior to Landale’s explosion in his first game with the Hawks. Landale tied his career high in points (26) and assists (5), grabbed a ton of rebounds (11), swatted shots (4), and he set a new career high with made threes (5) in a narrow home win on Thursday.

The burly center brings a level of physicality as a rebounder and space clearer in the lane that the Hawks desperately need, plus he capably stretches the floor to space the court for Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and others to get downhill.

He even drove from Memphis to Atlanta just to open up a can on the Utah Jazz (who were clearly shorthanded and not particularly interested in winning). Landale was in the middle of a breakout season with the Grizzlies before being sent to Utah in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, so he decided to take out his revenge on a team that saw no use for him.

With the Jazz facing a roster crunch, especially with their glut of bigs, Atlanta had the wherewithal to pounce and grab him for straight cash, homie.

It’s an obvious A from me.

Grade: A+

Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porzingis

This is a weird one that I have yet to wrap my brain around.

It’s clear that from Atlanta’s point of view, Porzingis’ continued absences from the lineups were difficult to chew on. No one is to blame here, of course, as ‘KP’ was very open about his battle with post-viral syndrome and/or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Everyone involved believed he was passed those health struggles, but clearly he was not — not to mention a recent Achilles injury that kept him out of his final games with the Hawks.

On the other side, Golden State has had a very public saga with their former number seven overall pick who has largely seen inconsistent minutes at best for a fading dynasty. Steve Kerr made some very candid comments about where things went wrong on Thursday evening:

So a deal came together along wherein two teams felt like a change of scenery was best for everyone involved.

Jonathan Kuminga gets a chance to show he can use his athleticism for good and be a focal point for an NBA team. It often gets lost that the talented but mercurial forward is just 23 years old. Atlanta is taking a bet that in a different situation, his pre-draft promise can truly shine. I, however, am less than enthused about that prospect:

Also, 33-year-old Buddy Hield is along for the ride because why not? You can never have too many shooters. Unlike Kuminga, who has a $24.3 million team option for next year, Hield does also have a $3 million partial guarantee, so the Hawks did pick up a tad bit of future money here.

I really don’t know how this will go, but the Hawks got something for a player who was perpetually absent from the lineup, so I’m a tad cautiously optimistic — although mostly skeptical at best.

There’s very little commitment from either side beyond this year. But it’s just so strange a move that it may just work.

Grade: C

Gabe Vincent and a second rounder for Luke Kennard

It’s tough to see Kennard go just as he picked up the scoring aggression. At first, it looked as though his passivity in games would be an anchor on his impact despite gaudy shooting efficiency.

But once the light switch flipped telling him to look for his shot more, he was a genuine weapon off the bench. He’ll figure to continue that hot streak in LA as he plays off Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and others.

On the other side, Gabe Vincent has not performed as well as hoped when he signed a three-year, $33,000,000 off the back of a playoff run with the Miami Heat. In the first season after signing his deal, he had arthroscopic knee surgery and only saw the court for 11 games with the Lakers, all off the bench.

He has bounced back somewhat the past two seasons to be a passable contributor off the bench, but even this year he has dealt with a lumbar back strain.

There’s no doubt that the Lakers are getting the better player in the deal, although Vincent still has some utility as a point guard defender, ball handler and decent three-point shooter. But it’s likely he doesn’t play many if any meaningful minutes off the suddenly logjammed Hawks bench.

Cynically, similar to the Krejci deal above, this trade came down to swapping two players with expiring deals (Vincent makes just $500,000 more than Kennard) so that the Hawks could pick up a Lakers 2032 second-round pick. Kennard could have helped the team more down the stretch of this season, but the long-term outlook was prioritized over the short term here.

Another meh win, I suppose.

Grade: B-

What would you grade these deals?

Last night’s game was rough. That almost undersells it. The Suns came in with momentum, and even without Devin Booker or Jalen Green, there was a real opportunity to grab a win against a Pacific Division opponent. Instead, for the third time in four meetings with Golden State this season, they let it slip.

And the hardest part to ignore was this: they were outcoached. Clearly. In the fourth quarter, yes. But also in the first half, where the tone was set and never fully corrected. This was a game that asked for clarity and control, and the Suns never quite found either when it mattered most.

Golden State came out with a clear plan in the first half. Let it fly. They took 37 threes, made 15 of them, and carried a lead into halftime. The Suns answered the way they usually do after the break. The third quarter flipped the game. They outscored the Warriors 27 -17 and pushed the margin to 14 early in the fourth.

And then everything unraveled.

The offense went stagnant. The ball stuck. Dribble, dribble, dribble, then a bailout shot late in the clock. Meanwhile, an undermanned Warriors team, without Stephen Curry, without Jimmy Butler, and fresh off trading away three rotation players, played with freedom. The ball moved. Bodies moved. They scored in transition, scoring 7 fast break points in the fourth alone.

Golden State turned the ball over six times in the fourth. The Suns scored three points off those mistakes. Missed chances. No punishment.

Then came the lineup decisions. Oso Ighodaro played the entire fourth quarter while Mark Williams, who was having a solid game, stayed glued to the bench. It felt like a substitution never came.

Oso brings value as an isolation defender, but offensively, he pulls no gravity. When he stands on the perimeter, defenders sag. Pressure shifts elsewhere. Lanes shrink.

And it showed. Al Horford, of all people, led the Warriors with 7 points in the fourth. Teams are no longer respecting Oso on offense, and more are willing to test him on the other end. That was the breaking point. Control turned into chaos. Structure gave way to isolation. And in a game the Suns had in their hands, they let it slip through their fingers.

The Suns outsmarted themselves and watched the Warriors close the night on a 24-7 run. It is not the worst loss of the season, that still belongs to Atlanta, when a 22-point fourth-quarter lead evaporated. But this one stings in a different way. Because of the timing. Because of the standings. Because of the opportunity sitting right there, waiting to be taken. The Suns had control. Then they gave it back. And losses like that linger longer than most.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

Collin earned #9 after that showing in Rip City!

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 52 against the Warriors. Here are your nominees:

Dillon Brooks
24 points (10-of-24, 2-of-6 3PT), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, -6 +/-

Grayson Allen
21 points (7-of-17, 5-of-13 3PT), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, +4 +/-

Mark Williams
11 points (5-of-6), 10 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover, +6 +/-

Collin Gillespie
11 points (4-of-12, 3-of-10 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, -10 +/-

Royce O’Neale
9 points (3-of-7, 3-of-6 3PT), 1 rebound, 5 assists, 1 turnover, -5 +/-

Jordan Goodwin
6 points (2-of-6, 2-of-6 3PT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, +7 +/-

Second late game in a week. Who is worthy after last night’s performance?

The Spurs have one more home game at the Frost Bank Center before they head out on the annual Rodeo Road Trip. Nobody wants to go that long without seeing their home team in person, the Silver & Black invite eligible fans to enter to win a trip to see them on the road.

Enter the Rodeo Road Trip Flyaway Sweepstakes presented by H-E-B for a chance to win a trip to New York City as the Knicks host the Spurs on March 1st.

The package includes 2 round-trip flights, a 2 night hotel stay, and 2 tickets to the game. Madison Square Garden is a legendary place to experience a game. And seeing the two NBA Emirates Cup finalists battle it out while simultaneously fighting for seeding in their respective conferences is a must-see.

Click HERE to enter.

Good luck and Go Spurs Go.

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