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At Madison Square Garden last night, the Knicks unveiled their 2025-26 NBA Champions banner, gave out some very fancy rings, and they even threw in an NBA Cup banner as well because hell, why not? It was a season for the ages. Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice were in attendance. Remember when the Yankees had events like these? Granted, the most recent ones phased out a championship flag going up a flagpole and just stuck to the rings, which I thought was unfortunate. That was fun! Oh well. Maybe we’ll see another one someday.

It’s a shorter day for us on the site today, but don’t miss Kevin running through the disappointment of Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s 2026 season (which was not a 50-50 season) and Kento wishing a happy birthday to a fella named Eddie Ford. Whitey would have turned 98 today, and it feels fitting that he and his pal Mickey Mantle had birthdays within one day of each other, albeit with Mantle three years younger. What a twosome they made for opposing teams to have to deal with in the 1950s.

Today’s Playoff Matchup:

Offday.

Questions/Prompts:

1. Did you watch any of the Knicks’ championship ceremony last night?

2. Here’s an Immaculate Grid-esque question: Who is the first player that comes to mind who played for both the Brewers and Rays?

Duke fans were understandably dazzled by the precocious and highly athletic play of freshman Deron Rippey, as he led Duke to a dominant win over Tennessee. You have to be mindful of the hype this early, but it’s inevitable that he’s going to get a lot of comparisons. We talked about his game having elements of Johnny Dawkins, Jason Williams, and Allen Iverson.

Rippey’s not really built like Dawkins or Williams. Dawkins was, and is, incredibly lean. Williams was explosive and muscular.

He’s somewhat closer to Iverson. Like Iverson, Rippey is deceptively strong. He debuted a much shorter hairstyle against Tennessee, which made his lean, muscular build much more apparent, and you saw an ability to maneuver in very tight spaces like Iverson. AI’s been retired since 2013, so a lot of people have forgotten how great he was in his prime. Here’s a reminder.

We don’t know if Rippey will ever get close to this, much less consistently, but on Tuesday night, we got a pretty good idea of his potential, and it’s considerable.

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Who's next? It's a question that lingers over every NBA season, but perhaps never more so than at the dawn of a new one.

The 2026-27 campaign begins this week after the NBA crowned a ninth different champion in nine years when the New York Knicks captured the 2026 NBA Finals. Despite the spotlight on New York, Victor Wembanyama remains at the forefront of the league conversation entering the season as the San Antonio Spurs star continues his ascent toward becoming the NBA's next dominant force.

Older superstars such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry are still among the league's biggest attractions, while established stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Jalen Brunson are squarely in their primes. But the NBA's next generation continues to gain ground, a trend reflected in USA TODAY Sports' Top 100 player rankings entering the season.

Twenty-five players under the age of 25 made the list, led by Wembanyama. The rankings also feature three teenagers, two members of the 2026 draft class and multiple young stars expected to shape the NBA's future for years to come.

Here's a look at the top 25 NBA players under 25, according to USA TODAY Sports.

The arena was amped, the fans were in their seats early, but the San Antonio Spurs laid a dud in the first half and could never recover as they suffered a 116-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday night.

San Antonio shot just 29 percent in the first half, including a dismal 31 percent from three-point range in the opening 12 minutes. The Spurs began the second half on a 14-3 run to cut a 26-point deficit to just seven points, but turnovers and mistakes would halt their momentum as Oklahoma City built up their lead back to 15 points later in the period.

Victor Wembanyama suffered his worst shooting performance of his young career, finishing with 12 points on 1-13 shooting (7%) and 13 rebounds. After the game, Head Coach Mitch Johnson declined to cast blame solely on his star player. 

“I think everybody struggled pretty equally,” Johnson said when asked about Wembanyama’s performance. “I know his field goal [percentage] will stand out, but we all participated in that one.”

Johnson said his team did not come out firing as expected, saying the Spurs may have been a bit excited and could not properly channel that energy when needed.

“It didn’t feel very connected,” he said. “Execution wasn’t very good, and I thought we competed and played hard, just didn’t feel like we put our energy in the right places.

Stephon Castle, who led the Spurs with 24 points on 9-for-20 shooting, agreed with his coach’s assessment of the game.

“I think that we got excited with shots,” Castle said of the offensive struggles. “We were taking the first one instead of making them work on defense and finding a better shot.”

Despite Johnson not wanting it to stick, Wembanyama’s poor night was the highlight of the evening. Last season, he averaged 18.4 points per game during the regular season against the Thunder. After the game, the Spurs’ big man admitted he did not feel like himself for most of the night.

“I need to go back to playing the basketball I like,” Wembanyama said. “This is not the sport I like right here. I’ve got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself. I’m good when I have fun. I missed a lot of shots I usually don’t miss. But after that, I didn’t go back to these shots, and I wasn’t decisive. I might be overthinking it. I don’t need to do more. I need to think less probably.”

Wemby added that he did not feel like himself, and when asked he said “for many reasons” but did not go into it.

Oklahoma City’s defense was a tough nut to crack for the Spurs, but their offense was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32 points on 48 percent shooting from the floor. Jared McCain added 20 points, including going 6-for-8 from deep. Chet Holmgren rebounded from a poor Western Conference Finals to score 14 points and pull down seven boards.

With Wembanyama struggling, the Spurs’ three-guard lineup trio of Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper combined for 56 of San Antonio’s 104 points on the night. Devin Vassell had a poor night with seven points on 25 percent shooting.

“We can’t get away with these type of mistakes against a team like this,” Wembanyama said.

With one game down and 81 left to play, the Spurs will hope that their clunker will be behind them early, and they can learn and move on. Who waits for them next? Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in Austin on Friday night.

“It’s good to get the first one (bad game) out of the way,” Johnson said. “Got a lot of tape to look at and learn from.”

Game Notes

• Despite the loss, the Spurs fans made the Frost Bank Center feel like Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals all over again. It was loud from the opening tip and when the Spurs made their second half comeback attempt. Nice job, Spurs faithful!
• Dylan Harper hobbled over to the bench in the second half after grimacing, but was only out for a few moments before returning to finish the game.
• Carter Bryant had a few moments where he shined and others where he still is showing some growing pains. This will be a big season for the second year player and he’s one I am keeping my eye on as the season goes on.
• I know fans may overreact to this game, but breathe. Let’s see how the team responds to the loss in Austin on Friday.
  

Brandin Podziemski outlines his goals for fourth NBA season with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors are betting on Brandin Podziemski to take a big jump in his fourth NBA season, signing the 23-year-old guard to a five-year, $110 million contract extension in the preseason. 

Podziemski discussed his goals for the pivotal season with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Bonta Hill and Dalton Johnson. 

“I think, first and foremost, win as many games as we can before Jimmy [Butler] and Moses [Moody] come back,” Podziemski stated. “I think getting off to a really good start is super important, the same way the ’22 championship team did.” 

Wins were hard to come by for the Warriors last season. They finished under .500 for the first time since their abysmal 2019-20 NBA season and missed the playoffs for the second time in four years. 

In particular, a sluggish start to the season was only made worse when Butler’s season ended due to injury in mid-January.  

Podziemski says coach Steve Kerr got the team to focus on stacking wins early heading into the new season. 

“Steve emphasized it the first two days in camp, like how good of a start we can get off to?” Podziemski recalled. “And not put ourselves behind the eight ball and try to play catch up in February and March.” 

Podziemski’s availability while the team managed other injuries helped the Warriors stay somewhat afloat. He was the only Warrior to play all 82 games last season. That streak comes to an end Wednesday, however, after Podziemski was ruled out of the Warriors’ season opener.

But last season, Podziemski found his best form late in the campaign. 

“I know if I, at minimum, play the same way I played the last six weeks of the season, I’ll be a pretty good player,” Podziemski stated. “But doing that combined with the things I worked on this summer, I think I’ll be able to play even better, which is exciting for me.” 

In the final six weeks of the season, Podziemski averaged 18.1 points per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from 3-point range. 

His final 11 games were even better, averaging 20.1 points per game with an incredible 52.2 field goal percentage and 42.4 percent on 3-pointers. 

Kerr told reporters Monday that he is “leaning towards” a starting lineup which includes Podziemski, who started 43 games last season.  

If Podziemski can produce close to his late-season performance, it would be huge for the Warriors as they wait for the return of their second-leading scorer in Butler. 

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‘If not the fastest': How Maxey's speed drove Sixers when shots didn't fall originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid had something to tell Tyrese Maxey after the Sixers walked off the Madison Square Garden floor victorious Tuesday night.

“I told Tyrese after the game, I was like, ‘We’ve been going against these guys for the last couple of years, and tonight felt a lot different than in the past,’” Embiid said.

In one important way, it was.

The Sixers scored 24 fast-break points, their most against the Knicks since Feb. 4, 2011, when they scored 26. Only that 2011 total was higher across the 63 Sixers-Knicks meetings covered by Sportradar’s game logs dating to the start of the 2010-11 season.

Maxey accounted for half of the 24.

That production carried the Sixers through a difficult shooting night in their 106-100 season-opening win. Philadelphia shot 41.6 percent from the field and went 11 for 40 from three-point range. Embiid went 5 for 15. LeBron James went 5 for 13. Jaylen Brown missed 11 of his 18 shots.

The Sixers made up for it by forcing 14 turnovers and converting them into 22 points. Maxey scored nine of those points and finished with 12 on the fast break. He led Philadelphia with 28 points in a team-high 39 minutes and 34 seconds.

“He doesn’t seem like he gets tired,” James said.

Brown wants Maxey applying that pressure throughout those minutes.

“I want him to continue to do that for the whole game if he can,” Brown said.

“They’ve all been on me about being aggressive,” Maxey said. “Every last one of them.”

The Sixers spent the offseason talking about playing faster. Maxey was always going to be central to that plan. It took less than a minute for him to show why.

With 11:04 remaining in the first quarter, Maxey stole a Karl-Anthony Towns pass. Three seconds later, he pulled up from 26 feet and gave the Sixers a 6-0 lead.

The play showed why Maxey can be so damaging before a defense gets set. Rather than drive toward a retreating defender, he stopped behind the three-point line and took the open shot New York’s turnover created.

“Speed. Speed,” Brown said when asked what stood out about playing alongside Maxey. “His ability to just take off and put a defense in a tough spot, the pressure he puts on.”

Maxey’s impact in transition went beyond his 12 points.

With 7:15 remaining in the third quarter, he collected a Jalen Brunson miss and found James for a layup four seconds later. Early in the fourth, Embiid blocked an Andre Drummond dunk attempt and James grabbed the rebound. Five seconds after Embiid’s block, Maxey was finishing through contact at the other end.

The three-point play stretched Philadelphia’s lead to nine.

The Sixers’ best transition possessions did not all start with steals. Some began with rim protection or a defensive rebound, which made their second-half improvement on defense important to how they generated offense.

“If we can find spaces for him to get out and run, he’s going to create offense for everybody when he does that,” Brown said. “So just continue to use his speed, continue to use his skill to get downhill, and that’s going to be great for us.”

The Knicks felt every bit of that pressure.

“All throughout the game, it looked like we were running in mud,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said, according to the New York Post.

The Sixers scored seven fast-break points in the first half, then added 17 in the second.

“That’s where the game was won and lost, especially in the third quarter when our starters were out there,” Brown said.

The Sixers outscored New York 29-18 in the third, turning a four-point halftime deficit into a seven-point advantage. Their half-court offense remained uneven, but their defense kept creating chances to score before the Knicks could organize.

“Defense kept us afloat,” Embiid said. “We couldn’t make shots.”

Maxey has steadily become more productive in those situations.

Excluding his rookie season, when he made eight starts, his fast-break scoring average has increased every year. It rose from 3.3 points per game in 2021-22 to 3.9, 4.0, 4.7 and then 5.5 last season.

Maxey led the NBA with 382 total fast-break points in 2025-26 and tied for second in per-game production. The only player ahead of him was James at 5.7.

Now they are teammates.

Playing beside James, Brown and Embiid could reduce the number of possessions Maxey needs to create from a standstill. It could also produce more of the opportunities that suit him best.

James can grab a rebound and throw an outlet pass. Brown and VJ Edgecombe can force turnovers or fill a lane. Embiid can protect the rim and begin a possession before Maxey races in the opposite direction.

Tuesday was Maxey’s 23rd regular-season game with at least 10 fast-break points. Before the opener, he had averaged 3.9 fast-break points across 18 regular-season meetings with New York. His previous high against the Knicks was nine, a mark he had reached three times before scoring 12 Tuesday.

Philadelphia reached 24 fast-break points only nine times during the entire 2025-26 regular season. In those games, the Sixers averaged 21.9 points off turnovers. They landed almost exactly on that combination Tuesday.

Maxey’s final basket provided the clearest example.

With New York within four points, Maxey intercepted OG Anunoby’s pass and immediately accelerated in the opposite direction. Three seconds after the steal, he dunked and forced the Knicks to call timeout.

“Tyrese was keeping us afloat offensively while me, I didn’t have it going and some of the other guys,” Embiid said. “And then defensively, he’s taken a step being better.”

The Sixers still have considerable work ahead. Their spacing, timing and lineup combinations remain unfinished. Brown said the group is “not even at the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to building chemistry.

But their first game showed how they can survive when their shots are not falling. Their defense can create openings, and Maxey can turn those openings into points before the opposition gets settled.

James has played with hundreds of teammates over 24 seasons. When asked for a player whose speed resembled Maxey’s, he named Dennis Schröder, his teammate during two separate stints with the Lakers.

Otherwise, James struggled to find an equal.

“He’s one of the fastest guys in the league, if not the fastest, with or without the ball,” James said. “That’s just going to be key for our team, to continue to put pressure on the defense. Obviously, he consistently can do that.”