Deandre Ayton, you want to be a star?

You viewed joining the Lakers as a golden opportunity to resuscitate your career and rewrite your narrative?

Well, you’ve now become a central figure in the Lakers’ hopes of surviving the first round of the playoffs until Luka Doncic (Grade 2 hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 oblique strain) return from their injuries. 

And so far, not so good. 

Ayton finished with 13 points and four rebounds in the Lakers’ 134-128 loss to the Mavericks on Sunday. 

Five of his teammates outscored him. And four of them outrebounded him, including Luke Kennard, who had a team-high 16 rebounds. The 6-foot-5 Kennard had four-times as many rebounds as the 7-footer?

Come on. 

Ayton has gone from being someone who can sway games from time to time, to someone whom the Lakers desperately need for 48 minutes. 

Things have drastically changed for LA after they lost their top two scorers. 

The 41-year-old James has gone from being the team’s third option to needing to play at a superstar level. Of course, he rose to the occasion, scoring 22 points in the first quarter, the most points he has scored in any quarter this season, en route to finishing with 30 points, a season-high 15 assists and 9 rebounds. 

Kennard had his first triple-double of his career with 15 points and 11 assists to accompany those 16 boards. Jaxson Hayes scored 23 points. Rui Hachimura had 21 points and 7 rebounds.

Ayton needs to take his game to another level, too. 

Let’s not forget that Ayton is the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He was picked ahead of Doncic (No. 3) and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 11). 

It’s clear he wants to be a star.  Heck, he made waves in February by exclaiming in the locker room “I’m not no Clint Capela.” But the problem is he’s inconsistent. 

Some nights he’s a ball of energy who uses force on both ends of the court to effortlessly produce double-doubles.  

Other nights? He’s a liability. 

Well, Ayton doesn’t have the luxury of being the latter right now. 

On Sunday, Ayton shot well in the third quarter, scoring 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting, helping the Lakers cut their 22-point hole to two points in that period. But otherwise, he was quiet as a mouse. 

He wants to be known as more than a guy who catches lobs and gets a block or two a game. Well, the Lakers need him to play to his potential right now.

On Sunday, he did that in spurts, which wasn’t enough against the Mavericks, who are in 13th place in the Western Conference with a record of 25-53. 

So, imagine how that would fare against an elite team in the West in the first round of the playoffs?

It’s no secret that Ayton’s effort wavers. 

He’s mercurial. He has struggled with moments of immaturity. Sometimes he’s all in. Other times, he’s somewhere else even though he’s in the building. 

Recently, Ayton has been trending in the right direction. 

During the Lakers’ 16-2 run heading into Thursday’s disastrous game against the Thunder in which both Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries, Ayton was starring in his role.

He had embraced playing winning basketball, which meant doing what the Lakers needed as opposed to what he wanted. 

What changed? 

“Felt like I picked up my energy and my focus,” Ayton said March 12. “And, you know, I finally caught up with the team. That’s about it.”

That’s great and all.

But really, that’s the bare minimum.

He needs to make another transition. The Lakers need him to be DominAyton. 

If he could regularly produce 20-and-10 performances, the Lakers have a chance of treading water until they’re complete again. James needs help. Everyone needs to step up, especially a former No. 1 overall pick. 

Ayton can’t take quarters off. He can’t be someone the Lakers hope shows up. He needs to be a force. 

Over the last month, Ayton has been getting credit for putting in the requisite effort. That no longer moves the needle. He needs to dominate. 

He doesn’t want to be compared to Clint Capela?

It’s now or never for him.

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There was one concern I had heading into Sunday against the Chicago Bulls, and it came straight from the last time these two teams met. You remember it. The Suns could not keep the ball in front, and it turned into a layup line. Guards getting downhill whenever they wanted, no resistance at the point of attack, and everything collapsing from there.

And on Sunday, it showed up again.

Tre Jones lived in the paint. Over and over, he blew by perimeter defenders, got to his spots, and finished clean. He ended with 29 points, 21 of them coming right at the rim. Collin Sexton was not nearly as aggressive this time, and if he had been, this could have looked very different. The Phoenix Suns got the win, but it did not erase the concern.

Because the issue is the same. Containment. Or lack of it.

Jordan Ott rolled with a nine-man rotation, and there was no Rasheer Fleming and no Ryan Dunn. Two players who at least give you a different look defensively. More length, more disruption, more potential resistance either at the point of attack or at the rim.

There was an adjustment early. Jordan Goodwin got the start over Collin Gillespie in an effort to slow things down. But Chicago countered. They screened him out of the action, forced switches, and suddenly it was Devin Booker and Jalen Green trying to contain downhill pressure. That is not a winning formula. Not against guards who are looking to attack every possession. Layer in transition defense, or the lack of it. Phoenix was outscored 28–6 in fast-break points. That is effort, awareness, urgency, all of it. And it turned what should have been manageable into something far more stressful than it needed to be.

They won. That part counts. But the concern does not go away. Because teams are showing you the blueprint. Get downhill, force rotations, live in the paint. And until the Suns prove they can consistently stop it, it is going to keep showing up.

The hope is that the adjustments come. The hope is that the staff sees it, addresses it, and finds a counter. Because if not, these final four games are going to feel the same way, and at some point, you drift into that territory where you mess around and find out.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

Jalen Green was hyper-efficient against the Hornets, which was enough for him to earn Bright Side Baller #6 on the season.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 78 against the Bulls. Here are your nominees:

Devin Booker
30 points (9-of-22, 3-of-7 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 9-of-10 FT, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +3 +/-

Jalen Green
25 points (11-of-21, 2-of-7 3PT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 6 turnovers, +8 +/-

Dillon Brooks
15 points (6-of-15, 1-of-4 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +10 +/-

Mark Williams
14 points (6-of-8), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +7 +/-

Jordan Goodwin
12 points (5-of-5, 2-of-2 3PT), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 0 +/-**

Collin Gillespie
9 points (3-of-11, 3-of-8 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, 1 block, +13 +/-

Where do you end up?

It’s been a little over a month since Jonathan Kuminga made his Atlanta Hawks debut, and while the team has been red-hot since the All-Star break, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag for the former Warrior as he acclimates to his new surroundings. 

In 13 games for Atlanta (25 possible appearances*), Kuminga has put up respectable ‘per game’ averages of 11.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 21 minutes a night on a 59.7% True Shooting clip. Yet, given his sizable $24.3 million team option for next season, it’s far from a guarantee that he’ll be back in Atlanta in 2026-27, and I’m quite fascinated to see the level of production the team gets from him going forwards, particularly as the competition level rises in the postseason.

_{*Kuminga has been dealing with a balky left knee since he injured it against Dallas on January 22nd, and has played in four consecutive games for the Hawks just once since being acquired at the deadline.} 

After a frustrating, enigmatic four-and-a-half-year stint in Golden State largely defined by Kuminga’s dismal relationship with head coach, Steve Kerr, the former seventh overall pick was in need of a fresh start in Atlanta, aiming to make good on the sky-high potential that made him a top-10 draft pick. 

Kuminga took a few weeks to recover from a bone bruise in his left knee after being traded to Atlanta, but once he was cleared for action, it looked like he’d been shot out of a cannon in his first three games in a Hawks uniform, going for 27, 17, and 20 points against Washington (twice) and Portland, shooting a combined 21-for-31 from the field (5-for-9 from three) over that stretch.

However, after missing the following three games with inflammation in his left knee, he’s struggled to make a consistent impact and has failed to reach the double-digit mark in five out of his last ten appearances.

One trend that’s beginning to emerge in Kuminga’s performances with the Hawks is that he’s generally struggled against Play-In/Playoff-caliber opponents relative to his performances against lottery-bound teams. As you can see in the table below, his numbers – particularly his scoring efficiency – drop across the board against higher caliber competition. 

So where does this leave us? Which version of Kuminga can we trust? It’s a difficult question given the miniscule sample size (278 minutes) of him in a Hawks uniform, yet it’s a question Atlanta’s front office is certainly trying to answer as they prepare to decide on his team option for next season. 

So without further ado, let’s go through a few critiques of Kuminga’s performance in Atlanta since the All-Star break. 

Thrives In Transition

I’ll start with an obvious positive: Jonathan Kuminga is an elite athlete, even by NBA standards, and these athletic gifts lend themselves nicely to an Atlanta team that likes to spread its wings on offense, ranking fifth in pace and fourth in transition frequency on the season. Kuminga thrives in early shot clock situations where he can attack the defense with a head of steam – opportunities that came around less frequently when he was in Golden State earlier this season. 

Check out this play from Wednesday’s win over Orlando. ‘JK’ is in attack mode just three seconds into the possession before Franz Wagner can get into his defensive stance, and he capitalizes for an easy two points plus the foul. 

Against Boston, the Hawks force a turnover and are off to the races with a 3-on-2 advantage in transition. Kuminga receives the ball around half-court and a few seconds later he’s at the rim, dropping in a lay-up. 

Against Portland, he muscles the 7’2”, 280-pound (!) Donovan Clingan out of the way, before finishing off the possession with a pretty reverse lay-in. 

Per cleaningtheglass (CTG), the Hawks rank second in transition efficiency this season, scoring 1.34 points per play. With Kuminga shooting an impressive 20-for-32 (62.5%) in the first nine seconds of the shot clock, Atlanta’s transition efficiency improves to 1.39* point-per-play when he is in the game – underscoring his value in these early shot clock situations. 

_{*92nd percentile relative to other five-man lineups this season (min. 100 possessions played)}

The problem is that even for teams like the Hawks who like to run, the majority of the game is played in the halfcourt, where Kuminga has been quite inconsistent thus far. 

Halfcourt Offense Is a Work In Progress

Tasked with providing a scoring punch off the pine for a defensive-minded Atlanta Hawks bench unit, it would have been rather pollyannaish to expect Kuminga to instantly mesh with his new teammates. That said, watching back a few of his misses on film, it’s clear that he needs to do a better job picking when to attack in the halfcourt. 

From their recent game in Boston, Kuminga receives the ball on the wing and keeps his head down on his drive to the basket. There’s more than enough time on the shot-clock for Atlanta to get a cleaner look, and he has opportunities to pass to Zaccharie Risacher, Mo Gueye or the cutting Corey Kispert, but instead Kuminga opts to take it right at three Celtics defenders resulting in an empty possession for Atlanta. 

Against Brooklyn on March 12th, Kuminga goes one-on-one against rookie forward, Danny Wolf, and either doesn’t recognize or doesn’t care that Jalen Johnson’s defender is coming over to help. Instead of kicking it out to the open Johnson, Kuminga tries to finish through contact, leading to a blocked shot and an easy transition bucket for Brooklyn. 

Earlier in the quarter of the same Brooklyn game, Kuminga dominates the entire possession, taking 11 dribbles before failing to convert at the rim. Similar to the play above, he misses a wide-open Alexander-Walker in the corner before going up to shoot. 

The clips above do a good job demonstrating why Kuminga is shooting just 24-for-41 (58.5%) at the rim for the Hawks – well below his career rim field goal percentage of 71%.  He needs to slow down, process the defensive coverage, and do his best not to force things. 

Still, that’s not to say Kuminga is a complete lost cause in these halfcourt situations. There have been signs of improvement lately. 

This was a gorgeous and-one finish on Amari Williams from last week’s game against Boston. 

Against Orlando, he puts his strength on display once again, taking it right at Da Silva before finishing at the rim. 

Here, he recognizes he’s in a crowd, and instead of forcing up a tough mid-range attempt, kicks it out to Alexander-Walker for a triple from the top of the key. Yes! 

Even when he doesn’t convert, the pressure Kuminga puts on the basket can be a positive for Atlanta – especially when he takes an opposing rebounder out of the equation, like on this possession against Detroit. 

Additionally, Kuminga is a big help when it comes to generating free-throws for a Hawks team that ranks 25th in free-throw attempt rate on the season, drawing shooting fouls on 17.6% of his field goal attempts in Atlanta, a mark that ranks in the 94th percentile amongst forwards per cleaningtheglass. 

Something I’d like to see the Hawks do more of is putting Kuminga in ‘obvious attack’ situations where he can use the same gifts in the halfcourt that make him such a lethal transition scorer. 

In the play below, CJ McCollum has his drive walled off by Ausar Thompson and kicks it out to Kuminga on the opposite wing. The left side is completely cleared out for ‘JK’ – just check out how much space he has when he catches the ball – and Javonte Green (my guy!) has no chance sticking with Kuminga’s drive.

I’ve really enjoyed the possessions where Atlanta uses him as a roll-man, like on this play against Memphis. McCollum makes a great pass to the rolling Kuminga and it’s an easy slam for ‘JK’ – with GG Jackson torn between helping on Kuminga and sticking to Corey Kispert in the corner. 

Per cleaningtheglass, Atlanta is scoring 0.96 points-per-play in the halfcourt with Kuminga on the floor – slightly below their halfcourt efficiency on the season and a mark that ranks in just the 42nd percentile relative to other five-man lineups with at least 100 possessions played this season. I’m curious to see whether this number rises as Kuminga and his teammates develop a better understanding of each other’s games. 

Impact On The Defensive Glass Has Been Elite

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about Kuminga’s scoring ability, but another area where he’s made a noticeable impact for Atlanta is on the glass. I discussed the Hawks substantial turnaround on the boards since the All-Star break in my last piece, and when he’s played, Kuminga has been a big part of this improvement – particularly on the defensive end. 

Per pbpstats, Kuminga is personally snagging 18.3% of available defensive boards when he is on the floor for Atlanta – well above his career defensive rebounding percentage (DREB%) of 13% – and it’s encouraging to see that this has translated to the team-level as well, as Atlanta’s 77.9% defensive rebounding percentage with Kuminga on the floor ranks in the 99th percentile (!) relative to other five-man lineups this season per cleaningtheglass. 

While it would be nice to see the Hawks turn more of these defensive rebounds into transition opportunities*, given that the defensive glass was a legitimate problem to start the season, Kuminga’s impact in this area deserves a ton of praise. 

_{*per CTG, the Hawks are turning just 28.3% of their defensive boards into transition possessions with Kuminga on the floor – 44th percentile relative to other five-man lineups this season.}

Is His Defensive Impact Sustainable?

Lastly, we need to talk about Kuminga’s impact on the defensive end – beyond the boards, of course. Per cleaningtheglass, the Hawks are posting an elite, 104.5 defensive rating with Kuminga on the floor, a mark that ranks in the 98th percentile relative to other five-man lineups this season. 

While limiting their opponent’s second chance opportunities has certainly been a factor here, the Hawks are also forcing turnovers on 17% of their defensive possessions* and holding their opponents to an unfathomable 57.8% rim field goal percentage** with Kuminga on the floor – both of which are elite marks. 

_{*92nd percentile relative to other five-man lineups per CTG}

_{**99th percentile relative to other five-man lineups per CTG (for reference, San Antonio Spurs’ opponents are shooting 60.4% at the rim when Victor Wembanyama is in the game – albeit in a much larger sample size)}

Kuminga has been a more active defender since joining the Hawks, posting more steals per 100 possessions in Atlanta (1.9) than he did in any season with the Warriors. 

Against his former team, he picks off Poziemski’s skip pass to the corner, sparking an offensive possession that results in a Risacher triple. 

Kuminga is also a legitimate deterrent around the hoop – as on display in these two plays from Atlanta’s win over Boston on March 30th. 

Below, he does a good job sticking with Pritchard’s drive before forcing a miss.

Here, he and Okongwu cause Jaylen Brown to adjust mid-air on his drive to the hoop, resulting in another Boston miss. 

Now, it has to be said that these defensive numbers are almost certainly inflated by the competition-level Kuminga has faced – with Atlanta playing lottery-bound opponents in six out of the 13 games he’s appeared in – but even so, you only play the teams on your schedule, and it’s been good to see Kuminga and the Hawks taking care of business on the defensive end. 

Kuminga’s next opportunity to impress comes at home tonight against the New York Knicks (7-3 in their last ten games), who currently occupy the 3-seed in the Eastern Conference.

Each game provides another data point and I’ll be keeping an eye on his scoring efficiency against a Playoff-caliber opponent, as well as how the team performs on the glass when he is on the floor – with New York ranking sixth in offensive rebounding rate and third in defensive rebounding rate on the season

Tip-off is at 7:00pm EST on FanDuel Sports!

Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks (45-33) host the Knicks (50*-28) at State Farm Arena. New York sits third in the Eastern Conference, having won two straight to improve to 7-3 in their last 10. The Knicks need to stay sharp in their last road game of the season, especially with the Cleveland Cavaliers on their heels. Atlanta, meanwhile, might be the league’s hottest team, riding a four-game win streak and sitting fifth in the East.

The season series is split 1-1. The teams last met on January 2 in New York, where the Hawks pulled off a 111-99 victory. Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker both scored 23 points for the winners. On the home team’s side, Jalen Brunson racked up 24 points while Ariel Hukporti snared 16 boards.

Things are looking up in Atlanta now that they’ve parted ways with Trae. The Birds have won 18 of their last 20 games and are playing with confidence down the stretch. They score 118.6 points per game while allowing 115.9, mixing a mid-tier offense (14th in the league with a ninth-ranked defense. Quin Snyder’s boys play fast (fifth for pace) and move the ball, dishing a league-best 30.3 dimes per game. From the perimeter they shoot 37%, and they rate sixth for points per game, partially because their defense is sound (9.5 steals per game).

Jalen Johnson leads the team in scoring with 22.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while Alexander-Walker has flourished in Georgia, averaging 20.6 points per game, taking eight three-pointers a game, and making 39% of them. At center, Onyeka Okongwu has averaged 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 71 games this season. Dyson Daniels, The Great Barrier Thief , puts up 11.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and two steals per game, and veteran CJ McCollum is averaging 18.7 points while shooting 37% from beyond the arc.

As of this writing, the only name on the injury report for either team is Jock Landale of the Hawks, out with an ankle issue.

Prediction

ESPN.com seems to think the Knicks will win, giving them a 57% edge. Color us a little less certain. The Knicks took the first meeting of the season, but it was a close 128-125, with the Hawks winning the second half by ten. New York needed a combined 70 points from KAT and Cap to squeeze the Peaches. In their second matchup, the orange and blue managed just 17 points in the second quarter and couldn’t break 52 points in a frustrating second half.

Since those two contests, the Hawks have found consistency and Snyder has this team humming as they fly toward the playoffs. Although the ’Bockers are blessed with more talent, they don’t always blend their assets in a victorious manner. Atlanta, however, has a weird alchemy and momentum that reminds me a little of the 2020-21 Knicks. Fitting, then, that those Knicks lost in the first round to the Hawks; and for as good as the current team out of Georgia is, I’m not convinced they’re ready to break past the first round. But all that starts in about two weeks. For tonight, look for the Knicks to fight hard for three quarters, then falter down the stretch, losing by three.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (50*-28) at Atlanta Hawks (45-33)
Date: Monday, April 6, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Place: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

* Should be one more, but the NBA Cup is too sexy for Milan, New York and Japan.

The Spurs have return home from a short three-game road trip. On Monday night, the Spurs host the Philadelphia 76ers in a game that is promoting Native American Heritage.

Spurs shooting guard Lindy Waters III representing Kiowa and Cherokee-American tribes and Jacob Tobey, Mashpee Wampanoag of Massachusetts, have teamed up with the Spurs to bring awareness through “Sacred Like Me.”

The evening is filled with special events including a land acknowledgement ceremony, grants, and in-game performances.

Spurs play-by-play announcer Jacob Tobey will perform the national anthem.

Tobey, now in his second year with the Spurs, has embraced San Antonio as his home. In addition to his full-time job, the Suffolk University alum enjoys performing as part of the local music scene.

He can often be seen throughout San Antonio with his guitar playing hit songs and fan favorites. Last march, he was asked to perform in Austin on the night off between games when the Spurs hosted two Rodeo Road Trip games in the state capital. The Spurs Jackals who made the trip to Austin cheered him on as part of the audience on that Friday evening.

Tobey’s gigs incorporate a lot of modern top 40 favorites, but it is his original compositions that truly showcase his gift.

He recently penned a song about making Texas his new home.

He has some San Antonio shows in April. On the 11th, he’ll be performing at Elsewhere Too, a venue he’s returned to regularly. Later that week on the 16th he’ll be at Smash’d, another hot spot promoting Tobey’s passion.

I asked him how hard it was to book shows with the Spurs entering the playoffs. He admitted he had to plan strategically now that the postseason was imminent.

Tobey shared that finding the balance for writing and performing can be difficult with the demands of his dream career as play-by-play announcer, but venues work with him as the demand for his music grows within the scene. He plans on recording his original music during the offseason for an upcoming release.

If you are not a local patron, fear not, Tobey often livestreams a portion of his performances through his Instagram page.

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