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The Nets have a staggering seven rookies — a record five of them first-round picks — and must develop every one they can to spur their rebuild.

For injured Danny Wolf, the work doesn’t end just because he’s been shut down for the season. If anything it gets more intense.

“Obviously losing sucks, and every time you ask anyone, they’re going to give you the same answer that losing is no fun.” Wolf said. “Everyone in the locker room from top to bottom thinks we could’ve had a much better season. But within that, you have to find things you can learn from, that you can gain from.”

After suffering a season-ending left ankle sprain March 22, Wolf will end his debut campaign averaging 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.

And from the moment the tanking Nets started leaning into their rookies on Feb. 5, the big man bumped those figures up to 10.8 points, 5.6 boards and 2.7 assists.

Wolf fell to 27th in the draft due to questions about his defense and shooting. He played defense at an NBA level, but his shooting is still very much in question, at a streaky 32.2 percent from deep.

What’s beyond question is that Wolf must learn to finish better at the rim.

“Defensively, there were definitely a lot of people questioning who I’d be able to guard. I took that as a chip on my shoulder to more than prove, but be a good defender,” said Wolf.

“The shooting and the offense, it was nowhere near what I know I’m capable of doing and that upsets me. I was able to shoot well at times, and there’d be times where I felt I couldn’t make a shot. That’s a rookie season; there’s going to be ups and downs.”

Nowhere near enough ups at the rim, figuratively and literally.

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While Wolf is sizable at 6-foot-11, 255 pounds, his lack of vertical explosion has limited him. His 24-inch standing vertical was tied for third worst at the NBA Draft Combine, and has led to poor finishing against more athletic foes.

“Everyone’s bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic [at this level],” said Wolf. “What is it that you need to do to be able to match that, but also be better than that?”

Where Wolf has to be better is at the rim, where he shot just 54 percent. That’s just 12th percentile among forwards, per Cleaning The Glass. It’s an Achilles’ heel he needs to fix, offseason work that’s already begun.

“Obviously the numbers speak for themselves; I was nowhere near where I wanted to be or could have been. And finishing, I did an OK job at times getting in my spots,” Wolf said. “A lot of it is getting stronger. And the positive outlook of an injury [is] I’ve been able to really hone in on the weight room more than I would’ve been able to if I was playing.

“I have a good four or five months of weight room ahead of me and just being able to fill out my frame better. That’ll really help me, just getting stronger; and with that, more explosive. And I know my rim finishing next year, I’ll be able to look back on this year and see that it was something that really, really helped me.”

While Wolf is focused on his body, coach Jordi Fernández is counting on growth through reps and technique.

“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” said Fernández. “One is experience, right? The reps, the game slowing down. A lot of times you just rush. We tell guys, ‘Hey, just play off two feet and don’t leave your feet.’

“But he’s done a great job and he’s been able to implement a lot of stuff, power through, because you have better balance, finding a body first. This all comes with a lot of work, watching film and through the summer and then the real reps. So the process [has] already started. He’s already gotten better. We’re not concerned about his finishing. We know it has to get better, but we also know it will get better.”

DALLAS — Lakers star Luka Doncic will seek special medical treatment in Europe for his left hamstring strain with the hopes he’ll be able to return to the court quicker, his agency shared on Sunday night.

Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, who’s Doncic’s agent, first told ESPN the news after the Lakers’ 134-128 loss to the Mavericks, which was the Lakers’ first game since Doncic and fellow star guard Austin Reaves suffered their regular season-ending injuries during the team’s blowout loss to the Thunder on Thursday. 

Doncic suffered the hamstring injury during the third quarter of the loss, with an MRI on Friday revealing a Grade 2 strain,  which typically comes with a recovery timeline of 3-6 weeks. 

InStreetClothes, which is an NBA injury database run by certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, stated that the average time lost for the type of injury Doncic suffered is about 35 days. 

The Lakers didn’t provide a timeline for Doncic’s expected return to the court. 

Three weeks from when Doncic suffered the hamstring injury was April 23, which would be around Games 3 or 4 of the Lakers’ first-round playoff matchup.

A timeline closer to 35 days, let alone six weeks, would likely take Doncic out of the Lakers’ entire first-round playoff series, even if it lasted seven games.

“I just know that he’s gonna do everything he can to try to be back,” coach JJ Redick said. “I talked to him Friday, I talked to him again [on Saturday], I talked to him again [Sunday] morning. He’s going to go through all the necessary things to be back at some point, and it’s our job again to extend the season so both those guys can get back.”

Redick said internal medical data didn’t show any signs of overuse for Doncic or Reaves, who’s sidelined with a Grade 2 left oblique strain, before their injuries. 

Both grabbed at their respective injured areas during the first quarter of Thursday’s game but played through the third quarter before Doncic left the matchup with his hamstring injury and Reaves was subbed out. 

“As a coach, you go on the information you have,” Redick said.

“[Reaves] was medically cleared. When Austin came back, I asked directly, I thought he was hurt. [I was told], ‘No, he’s medically cleared.’ The group wanted to go for it in the second half. Talked about it at halftime. And I think for both those guys, the nature of playing heavy minutes, that’s certainly a part of any equation when you’re trying to manage workloads.

“We also rely on the tracking data, and we’re looking at that after every game. And there have been a few times this year where it’s gone away from the standard deviation of whatever their baseline is, and we make the proper adjustments. There was nothing leading into that game that would suggest either those guys were ‘running hot’ as we call it.”

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There’s nothing quite as embarrassing as getting yelled at by your parents in public. 

Try being Bronny James on Sunday night in Dallas. 

Late in the third quarter of the Lakers’ loss to the Mavericks, Bronny went to send a high chest pass to his teammate, and dad, LeBron James but had the attempt knocked out of bounds by a Dallas defender.

LeBron immediately signaled to his son that he should have given him a bounce pass, and then gave him a stern look that only a dad would give to his kid. 

“Kind of looks at his son and says, ‘give me a bounce pass,’ Mike Tirico said on the NBC broadcast. “I love that look because that look was not just LeBron the veteran. That was also LeBron the dad.” 

LeBron was mad at Bronny for not throwing a bounce pass pic.twitter.com/94SbCs1yFe

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 6, 2026

Bronny is in his second season and played nine minutes off the bench for the Lakers in the 134-128 loss to the Mavericks in the Lone Star State. 

Bronny finished the game with five points on 2-of-3 shooting and was 1-for-2 from 3-point range, and also registered an assist. 

LeBron ended the night with a team-high 30 points on 12-for-22 shooting. 

The Lakers have been reeling from injuries lately with the loss of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart. 

Dončić will be out indefinitely with a left hamstring strain and then on Saturday, the Lakers announced that Reaves was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and would be out the rest of the season. 

“It was a shot to the heart and the chest and the mainframe with Luka,” LeBron told reporters after the game regarding the injury news about Dončić and Reaves. “I woke up from my nap and saw that [Reaves] news and was like, ‘s–t’”

The injuries will allow Bronny to get some extended playing time and make a case for a bigger role on the Lakers.

The Dallas Mavericks (25-53) beat the Los Angeles Lakers 134-128 on Sunday in a nationally televised game that saw Cooper Flagg continue his scorched earth campaign on the NBA to close out the 2025-26 season.

The Mavericks came out with real pace in the first quarter, but more than anything, it was Cooper Flagg that set the tone early on. He was everywhere, knocking down a pull-up 3-pointer, pushing in transition and creating easy looks for others, including kickouts to shooters. Flagg dictated possessions, made the right reads and impacted the game defensively. By the end of the quarter, the Mavericks had pushed it to a 41-30 lead, and it felt like a direct result of Flagg setting the tone as the best player on the floor.

The second quarter was when the game started to shift, even though Dallas held on to a 67-61 halftime lead. The Mavericks opened the period with great flow. Cooper Flagg knocked down another pull-up 3-ball and created for teammates to push the lead as high as 58-36. But from there, the Lakers chipped away, as LeBron James got downhill and to the free throw line, while Dallas started missing shots and turning it over. A quick stretch of scoring from James cut deep into the lead, and even when Dallas had small responses, they couldn’t fully stabilize.

The second half turned into the Cooper Flagg show, as he completely took control of the game across the third and fourth quarters and led Dallas to the finish. In the third, Flagg dictated everything offensively, creating for teammates like P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and Marvin Bagley while also scoring with floaters, pull-ups, and cuts to the rim. Every time Los Angeles made a push through LeBron James or DeAndre Ayton, Dallas had an answer, and more often than not, it came from Flagg either as a scorer or playmaker.

In the fourth, he elevated even further, opening the quarter with a three-point play and controlling possessions with patience, getting to his spots and consistently drawing fouls. The Lakers never fully went away, but Flagg kept them at arm’s length with a mix of midrange scoring and steady trips to the line, preventing any real comeback run. Down the stretch, it became about execution, and Flagg delivered, closing the game at the free-throw line and pushing his total to 45 points. Dallas never lost control in the final minutes, and what started as a competitive game ended with a composed finish and a 134-128 win.

75: Combined scoring from Flagg and James

This game gave us one of those stats that doesn’t even feel real at first. A teenager and a 40-year-old were both on pace to score 20+ points in the same game, something that has never happened in NBA history, and it was already developing in the first half. Flagg scored a game-high 45 points for the Mavs in the win, and James answered with 30 of his own for the Lakers in the loss.

That alone tells you how strange and fascinating this game was. On one side, James is still able to control stretches of the game at 41 years old, bully his way to the rim, orchestrate offense and put up numbers like it’s routine. On the other side, you have Flagg, a teenager, matching that production possession for possession, scoring in multiple ways, and dictating the flow of the game.

What makes it even more impressive is how natural it looked. This wasn’t a “young player having a hot quarter” moment. Flagg was operating like a primary option, making reads, creating shots and carrying real offensive responsibility. To see that level of control from someone that young, in the same game where LeBron is doing LeBron things, is just wild. It’s the kind of moment that sticks with you, because you just don’t see two completely different eras collide like that very often.

1: Home win since January 22nd

Lost in everything else is just how telling this win actually is about where the Mavericks are as a team right now. This was their first home win since January 22nd, which is honestly staggering when you think about it. This isn’t a team that has been fully bottoming out with a stripped roster or sitting every capable player every night. They’ve still had real rotation guys available and enough talent to compete, yet the results have been consistently this bad. That says more about the overall level of play than anything else.

A win like this feels good in the moment, especially with how it happened, but it also comes with real implications. The Mavericks are clearly in the mix for top lottery positioning, and games like this can directly impact those odds. When you’re in that tier, every win matters in the wrong way. Sliding even a few spots in the lottery standings can significantly hurt your chances at landing the number one pick, especially in a class where that top selection carries serious value.

So while this was one of the more enjoyable nights of the season, it also highlights the balancing act Dallas is dealing with. They’ve been bad enough for long enough to be in the lottery conversation without fully committing to a complete shutdown, and that leaves them in this middle ground. Wins like this are great for development and confidence, but they also introduce risk. And as the season winds down, that tension between short-term success and long-term positioning is only going to get tighter.

2: Consecutive 45-point games for Flagg

At this point, the Rookie of the Year conversation should absolutely be a debate, but Cooper Flagg still feels like the clear choice. What he’s doing right now is on another level, especially when you factor in the responsibility he’s carrying. Back-to-back 45-plus point games and 96 points across two games aren’t just impressive for a rookie; they’re rare for anyone in the league. And it’s not coming out of nowhere — it’s the continuation of a season where he’s consistently been asked to be the engine of the offense.

Kon Knueppel has been great and deserves real consideration. He’s been efficient, steady, and impactful in his role, and there’s a strong case to be made for what he’s done over the course of the season. This shouldn’t be a one-name conversation, and his production absolutely warrants being in the discussion.

But when you zoom out, Flagg’s overall impact separates him. He’s putting up around 21 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while taking on primary creator duties, defending multiple positions, and consistently facing top defensive attention. That level of usage combined with that level of production is hard to ignore. He’s not just contributing, he’s driving everything Dallas does.

That’s what ultimately gives him the edge. Knueppel has been excellent, but Flagg has been asked to do more, and he’s delivered at a higher ceiling. When you combine the volume, the role, and now stretches like this, it’s hard to argue against him. The debate is real, but the answer still points to Cooper Flagg.

It was a good job and good effort from the Lakers, but they came up short in their first game since learning that Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves would be out for the rest of the regular season.

With three starters unavailable against Dallas, LA struggled early on defensively. Cooper Flagg made another strong case to be the Rookie of the Year by scoring with ease. He had the Mavs in front by as many as 22 in this game. Dallas had control from the beginning and never let it go.

Still, LeBron James gave a valiant effort and kept LA in this one. He attacked aggressively and delivered a complete performance, finishing the night with 30 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists.

Thanks to his drive, this game remained competitive throughout.

However, it wasn’t enough to win, and considering that the Mavs are one of the weaker teams in the league, it appears that winning any games for the Lakers the rest of the way will be a tough task.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

39 minutes, 30 points, 9 rebounds, 15 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 12-22 FG, 1-6 3PT, 5-9 FT, +1

LeBron was not just the No. 1 option for the Lakers, but he pushed the pace and was the clear leader of this team. It’s a shame the Lakers couldn’t win because this was one of his best performances of the season.

Grade: A

Rui Hachimura

39 minutes, 21 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 foul, 9-13 FG, 3-5 3PT, +5

Hachimura is now back in the starting lineup, and he made the most of his increased minutes. He shot well from the field and was a solid rebounder.

Unfortunately, the Lakers needed even more than what Hachiura provided to win. Still, if he can produce like this, it should position the Lakers to at least remain competitive with what’s left of the season.

Grade: B+

Jake LaRavia

36 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 6 fouls, 3-11 FG, 1-5 3PT, 7-8 FT, -3

The microphones near the rims at the American Airlines Center must be amplified because LaRavia’s bricks were very loud on the broadcast. The Lakers can’t afford for him to play this poorly.

Grade: D

Deandre Ayton

19 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 fouls, 5-9 FG, 3-4 FT, 0

With Luka and Reaves out, this is an opportunity for Ayton to prove to everyone he deserves a bigger role. He responded by having a lackadaisical game and ended up playing less than his backup, Jaxson Hayes

Grade: F

Luke Kennard

41 minutes, 15 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 5-17 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-4 FT, +8

Luke struggled at first, going 3-10 from the field in the opening half. He bounced back as the game progressed and ended the night with his first-ever triple-double.

Credit to Luke for going above and beyond and stepping up for this shorthanded team. His 16 rebounds as a guard were utterly impressive.

Grade: A+

Maxi Kleber

13 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, +4

Kleber was on the floor for just a handful of minutes and gave the Lakers some two big looks with Hayes also in the game. It was okay, I guess.

Grade: C-

Jarred Vanderbilt

12 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, -19

Vando’s 3-pointer was nice, but his play overall was pretty forgettable in this game.

Grade: C-

Jaxson Hayes

27 minutes, 23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls, 8-10 FG, 7-8 FT, -5

Hayes was easily the best Lakers big against the Mavs. He scored with authority and converted at a very high rate, despite taking more shots. This has been a good year for Hayes, and if he keeps this up, he might get some starts coming up.

Grade: A+

Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James, Nick Smith Jr.

This trio all played under 10 minutes, so they will not be given a grade.

JJ Redick

Redick is shorthanded and trying to figure out new lineups that can work. He put Bufkin and Smith Jr. out there in the first half to try and get something going. It didn’t do much, and the Lakers are now tied with the Nuggets for the third seed. It’s hard to blame Redick for this loss. The team is just in a very tough spot right now.

Grade: C+

Sunday’s DNPs: Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero

Sunday’s inactives: Marcus Smart, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Drew Timme, Chris Mañon

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.