Worldwide Sports News

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mavericks fans and fans across the country.

I have to be honest, I’ve not seen a single live game minute of NBA pre-season so far and that includes of the Dallas Mavericks. I have a good reason, I was in California with the family on vacation and the games started at 5am and 3am and I don’t think my hotel had NBA TV anyway.

Vote for who surprised you in those two games, surpassing your expectations from before the games started.

The Rockets have the sour taste of disappointment still lingering from last season’s playoff exit. They lost to a Lakers team without Luka Doncic, in a series where Kevin Durant played just one game. This, compounded by the fact that they lost Fred VanVleet before even playing a game, makes Houston hungry to play basketball and show the league what they should have been a season ago.

This is a veteran team complemented by young talent. But when you have two groups on different timelines, there is sometimes a conflict of interest when it comes to deciding what is best for winning. Alperen Sengun is making $35 million this season, but Steven Adams makes more sense at center. Reed Sheppard was the third overall pick in the draft, but has not panned out quite yet. There are tough decisions the Rockets have to make if they want to maximize the rest of Kevin Durant’s career. And those decisions could prove fatal if made incorrectly. 

Houston Rockets: Over/Under 48.5 wins (-110/-115)

To win the NBA Finals: +2700

Last Season: 52-30, lost W. Conference first round

Key Additions: Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic

Key Losses: Dorian Finney-Smith

The Rockets’ lack of offense in the playoffs six months ago is what sunk them. Without Durant and VanVleet, they simply could not score enough points. Now that those guys are back, their offense should theoretically be better, but they are still going to force minutes on Sengun and Sheppard because of the capital they used on them. Ideally, the Rockets are able to trade one or both of those guys for a dynamic guard who provides shooting and move Adams into the permanent center spot. Kyrie Irving, for example, is a name that both makes sense and has been floated around. Until then, however, they are juggling too many things. Finding the right guys to play nightly without completely disregarding their younger pieces will be challenging. Houston is going to regress in the win column as they find their way forward. 

Prediction: Under 48.5 wins (-110)

LAS VEGAS — Lakers coach JJ Redick’s challenge for Walker Kessler is simple: Be “relentless”.

Relentless with his motor on both ends of the floor. With his running and changing ends in between possessions. With his screening and rolling towards the rim. With his rebounding.

The Lakers got that in abundance during their marquee acquisition’s preseason debut, which came in a 101-89 loss to the Warriors on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena in the team’s penultimate exhibition.

The 7-foot-2 center finished with 11 points, nine rebounds (two offensive boards), one block and one steal in 16 first-half minutes before sitting out of the second half. 

Kessler, who the Lakers acquired from the Jazz as part of a sign-and-trade with the Jazz that included a four-year, $130 million contract for the big man, missed the first three preseason games after injuring his left pinky finger.

“He’s a great fit for our team,” Redick said of Kessler. “He did a nice job of running the floor, crashing, had some terrific rebounds in traffic [and] protected the rim. Just [a] really good first half from him. 

“Overall really good for someone who didn’t play for, whatever it is, 10 days.”

Kessler’s impact on the Lakers was as massive as his 270-pound frame. 

The Lakers won the 16 minutes he was on the floor by 15 points in what was Kessler’s first NBA game in nearly a full calendar year after he played just five regular season games in 2025-26 because of a season-ending left shoulder surgery. 

“It was a lot of fun being out there again,” Kessler said. “It’s been so long. Before the game, I was actually pretty nervous, to be honest. But, getting out there and just playing with the guys, it was a blast.”

The No. 22 pick in the 2022 draft made his presence felt in the Lakers’ first possession without recording a statistic in the box score.

After Austin Reaves missed a pull-up 13-foot jumper out of the pick and roll with Kessler, the big man fought for the offensive rebound, with the ball bouncing off of Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg’s hands and going out of rebounds, resulting in a team offensive rebound for the Lakers.

“JJ and I talked, and that’s kind of what we came up with this year: ‘Relentless,’ ” Kessler said. “And for me, that means just crashing every time, trying to be a presence in the paint, inside, outside, play hard, don’t take plays off, on the offensive end and defensive end. That’s going to be my goal for this year.”

After the Lakers inbounded the ball, Reaves ran another pick and roll with his new starting center, with the big man out of Auburn rolling hard to the basket and bringing in the Warriors low man (Gui Santos) into the paint, leading to Reaves making the drive-and-kick pass to Quentin Grimes for an open corner 3-pointer.

The Lakers created several open looks from beyond the arc because of Kessler’s roll gravity. 

“He created probably four or five really good looks for us from 3 just rolling hard,” Reaves said. “Nobody’s gonna give him credit for it, but him putting pressure on the rim and roll opportunities gonna make the big guy sink, and we’re gonna get wide open 3s. We had quite a bit of them.”

With one more preseason game on Friday against the Nuggets in Los Angeles, and one week before the Lakers open the regular season against the Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, Kessler is looking to build off Tuesday’s showing. 

“Just game feel, honestly,” he responded when asked what he’s looking to improve on. “That will come with time and just playing with the guys now that I’m cleared. Conditioning-wise, I actually felt good out there. First wind was a little tough, but after I got past that, my legs kind of got under me and I felt good.”

Adem Bona’s possible outlook for the 2026-27 season has changed before we’ve even reached the start of the regular season. Just days after the Sixers held their media day and hype for the new year really started to ramp up, one of their few centers, Ariel Hukporti, was ruled out for the season with an Achilles tear.

Yet again, the Sixers find themselves with shallow depth at center. What’s new?

There isn’t an easy way to replace Hukporti, as our Bryan Toporek has already explained. The Sixers already didn’t have much in the way of traditional center size or skillset off the bench behind Joel Embiid, and now that’s even more apparent. Getting experimental and downsizing more often is one option to help. There’s clearly merit to using someone like Dominick Barlow (if healthy) in spells at the 5, to give the team a boost of athleticism and defensive switchability. Jabari Walker is another smaller option, who’s off to a strong start in preseason play so far. LeBron James could find himself spending a little time at center. Even Dean Wade could be an option right now, Nick Nurse has said.

But apart from how the Sixers can experiment and potentially bring in someone using their open two-way spot, one player that you have to immediately look to is the other big man who, at least in theory, could tick several of the boxes you need from a typical backup center: Adem Bona.

Lately, Bona has been getting over an injury himself. He suffered a foot sprain last month while playing for Türkiye in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. As Bona said himself at media day, recovery and treatment has been going very well. He’s got back to some work on the court. The Sixers set themselves a timeline to get Bona back in action by two weeks into training camp, and that’s still what they’re on track for.

Bona clearly has his strengths, and has looked like a legit NBA backup in his finest games. He has a great motor, stellar speed and agility at 6-foot-10, the lateral quickness to switch onto smaller players, solid offensive rebounding, explosive play finishing and dunking at times, and clear shot-blocking talent. His 1.2 blocks in only 17.4 minutes per game last season (and a ranking of ninth in the NBA in blocks per 100 possessions at 3.2) is impressive. But the flaws have remained obvious. He doesn’t have great hands when operating in the paint on offense (despite being a thunderous finisher when he’s at his best), bizarrely struggles as a defensive rebounder, and he still makes some blatant errors from positioning to his high rate of silly fouls.

Now, the challenge for Bona in his third NBA season is to prove he can be consistent. And the Sixers sure could use it now with Hukporti sidelined.

When speaking to reporters at media day, Bona talked about how his FIBA experience helped this summer. He’s keen to build on what he’s been learning through playing with different teammates and embracing different styles of play:

“Playing all summer helps with staying in shape, staying in game-ready shape. Also, sharing the floor with guys like [Alperen] Sengun, Furkan [Korkmaz], it just gives you a different perspective of the game. We get to play a different style of game being coached by coach [Ergin] Ataman. It’s just different, you get a different perspective, play a different style, and it just keeps giving you an understanding and you get to learn to play a different style.”

Bona also touched on what he worked on this summer in his own training:

“For me, just getting better as a basketball player all around. There’s been a couple of focuses, though, on like helping the team spread the floor, even in the post, in the dunker, around the rim, and extending outside of there. Always being a presence defensively, and yeah, just those two little things: being around the rim and spreading the floor.”

Clearly Bona won’t suddenly become a shooter and floor spacer. But if he can actually improve his hands, touch, and offering on offense to be any more than just a dunker — like showing a little more as a roll man and finisher in the paint, and making basic passes reliably — that would go a long way to earning him more minutes.

Now with Hukporti out of the picture, Bona should have more opportunities to get onto the floor and prove whether he can be the Sixers’ backup center option with real size and rim protection. They could clearly use a player with Bona’s build, athleticism and ideal skillset even more now. If he can cut down on mistakes and fouls and stay on the floor longer, he’ll have more easy opportunities to score as a play-finisher than ever before, too. Playing off LeBron’s passing and the gravity of so many talented offensive players will open up more lanes for Bona to run the floor and dive to the basket.

Can Bona actually improve on those weaknesses that have held him back in the NBA so far, though? That’s the question. Once he returns and Nurse starts experimenting with different lineups and center options, we’ll see if Bona can put this summer of training and FIBA experience into practice and rise to the occasion.

Who: Phoenix Suns (1-2) @ San Antonio Spurs (0-3)

When: 5:00pm Arizona Time

Where: Frost Bank Center — San Antonio, Texas

Watch: Suns+, KTVK, KPHE, AZFS App

Listen: ESPN Phoenix 620 AM, SiriusXM

We’re hitting the homestretch of the preseason, with the regular season set to tip off in one week. Their opponent on Wednesday night, the San Antonio Spurs, opens its season next Tuesday, October 20, against the Oklahoma City Thunder. So you have to wonder how much we’re actually going to see from San Antonio in this final stretch of preseason basketball. The Spurs last played on Monday, resting all of their starters while their young, exciting core took the floor and earned a 119–109 victory over the Utah Jazz.

From a Phoenix perspective, knowing their season tips off in Portland on October 21, you have to wonder how much we’re going to see from them as well. Miles Bridges tweaked his ankle in the second preseason game, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he receives some additional rest, along with several other players on the roster. So while I’ve included projected starting lineups below, understand that the likelihood of those projections being accurate is probably pretty low. Such is life in the preseason.

With an 82-game schedule ahead, one that is both arduous and physically demanding, teams aren’t particularly interested in wasting bullets during games that ultimately don’t count. And for a Suns team that possesses a fair amount of continuity, there’s already an understanding of who they are and how they want to play.

Of course, integrating Miles Bridges remains an integral part of the team’s success this upcoming season, as does the development of Jalen Green’s responsibilities as a facilitator and distributor. But the reality is that much of that chemistry and understanding will likely continue developing throughout the regular season rather than being completely ironed out during the preseason.

Tale of the Tape

All of the statistics listed below are from last season.

Probable Starters

You never know it in the preseason. So I’ll go with some guys who could start, but not likely.

Injury Report

Suns

• Miles Bridges — Game Time Decision (Ankle)
• Mark Williams — OUT (Torn Left Labrum)

Spurs

• None

What to Watch For

If this is a situation where we see very little playing time from the starters and the majority of the game is handled by the depth pieces, it actually becomes a pretty exciting opportunity for Suns fans. Of course, you’d like to see the starters continue building chemistry and developing an understanding of the geometry of how each other operate on the floor. But for a team that possesses plenty of youth and players still developing, rather than a roster filled with veterans trying to prove their worth in the NBA, these opportunities become increasingly interesting.

Players like Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat are where my eyes will gravitate tonight. I’m interested in seeing how they look on the court, how they’re moving, and how they respond to additional responsibilities that might not necessarily be part of their roles once the regular season begins. And that’s an important distinction to make when evaluating performances in games like this. Players are often asked to operate in roles they likely won’t occupy when the games begin to count. Peat probably won’t be part of the regular rotation to begin the season, and when he does receive opportunities, he’ll likely be playing off the ball, attacking the glass, and finding ways to contribute without having the offense run through him. That’s a different responsibility than being asked to handle the basketball and initiate offense during a preseason game.

The same applies to Fleming, whose eventual role will likely center around becoming an effective three-and-D player. When he’s part of the rotation, the expectation will be that he provides perimeter defense and knocks down open shots, rather than being somebody the Suns rely upon to generate offense.

So you have to evaluate these performances through that lens, understanding that the responsibilities we’re seeing tonight might not reflect what these players will ultimately be asked to do during the regular season. But that doesn’t make the opportunity any less valuable. It’s another chance to showcase their development, gain meaningful experience, and put together real minutes against a San Antonio organization that’s going to make them earn everything they get.

Key to a Suns Win

I was talking to one of my good buddies the other day, who happens to be a Spurs fan. Yes, I know. Nobody’s perfect. One of his observations from Phoenix’s win over San Antonio last Friday was that he actually had to turn the game off. Why? Because the Suns were playing with so much effort, and the Spurs simply weren’t matching it. And although it was only preseason basketball, that frustrated him as a fan. You always want to see your team competing, bringing energy, and putting forth the effort rather than simply going through the motions.

He also mentioned that one of his concerns heading into this season is that San Antonio’s success last year might have led the players to believe everything the talking heads are saying about them. That they’re going to win the Western Conference, or at least be right there competing for it. And when expectations begin to surround a team, there’s always the concern that players might start believing they’ve accomplished something before the work has actually been done.

But that effort my buddy was talking about? That’s how the Suns win tonight. That’s how the Suns are going to have to win every night. With effort, tenacity, and a willingness to make life miserable for whoever lines up across from them. That’s Phoenix Suns basketball, right? Be relentless. Be annoying. Be disruptive.

Prediction

Again, the final score doesn’t matter in this one. I actually think we’re going to see plenty of opportunities for the younger players, and that could translate into some sloppy basketball and poor shooting. How much weight you put into those performances is ultimately up to you, and if those struggles become a consistent theme, there’s certainly some reason for concern.

But I’m far more interested in the energy with which they play, the pressure they put on the opposition, and how they perform on the glass. Because for players like Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat, those are the areas where they’re ultimately going to make their impact when their numbers are called during the regular season.

Suns 104, Spurs 101

Seeing Kawhi Leonard in a Raptors jersey again is naturally going to bring back memories of 2019. That season, there was no question who Toronto’s best player was. When a possession broke down or a playoff game tightened up, the answer was usually simple: get Kawhi the ball and let him figure it out.

Seven years later, Leonard is back, but Toronto shouldn’t be asking him to recreate 2019 every night. He’s 35 years old and coming off a career-high 27.9 points per game, so the ability to take over clearly hasn’t disappeared. The difference is that these Raptors already have players who need the opportunity to carry them through the regular season. If this reunion is going to work, Leonard doesn’t need to be Toronto’s best player in October, January or March. He needs to be that player when Toronto has nowhere else to turn.

Scottie still needs to be “the guy”

This has become Scottie Barnes’ team, and adding Leonard shouldn’t change that. Barnes averaged 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists last season while Toronto won 46 games and pushed Cleveland to seven games in the first round. More importantly, he has spent the last few seasons growing into the responsibility that comes with being a franchise player. Taking that responsibility away now would make little sense.

Leonard actually gives Toronto a chance to keep pushing Barnes in the other direction. There will be nights Kawhi rests, nights when he doesn’t have it offensively and nights when Barnes simply has the better matchup. Toronto should want Scottie attacking those moments instead of immediately looking toward Leonard.

“I can play off anybody. I can catch and shoot. I’ve played with limited shots before,” Leonard said at Media Day when discussing playing alongside Barnes.

That might be one of the most important things Kawhi said all day. Barnes doesn’t have to step aside because Kawhi Leonard walked through the door. He gets to play alongside him, learn from him and continue figuring out how to be the guy Toronto leans on.

Kawhi makes everyone’s job easier

There is also a difference between being the best player every night and being the player every opponent is worried about most. Leonard doesn’t have to score 30 points to change how a defence approaches Toronto. His presence alone should create opportunities for Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

That is what makes this version of the Raptors interesting. Toronto isn’t dropping Leonard onto a team with nothing around him. The Raptors won 46 games last season, defended at a high level and found ways to survive a playoff series long enough to force a Game 7. Now they’re adding a player who averaged 27.9 points while earning All-NBA Second Team honours last season.

Some nights Kawhi might lead the team in scoring. Other nights it could be Barnes, Barrett or Quickley. That shouldn’t be viewed as Kawhi doing less. It should be viewed as Toronto having the luxury of not asking a 35-year-old superstar to solve every problem.

Let Barnes grow. Let Quickley shoot. Let Barrett attack. Let the young guys carry some weight.

Be the best player when it matters

Of course, there is a reason Toronto brought Leonard back. Regular-season balance sounds great until a playoff defence takes away your first option, the game slows down and there are eight seconds left on the shot clock. That’s where Leonard changes the ceiling of this team.

Toronto already learned this lesson once. During the 2018-19 championship season, Leonard played 60 regular-season games and the Raptors still finished 58-24. They didn’t need the best version of him every night because the goal was having that version available in May and June.

The circumstances are different now, but the idea shouldn’t be.

Let the Raptors around Kawhi carry their share of the load throughout the season. Let Barnes continue becoming the face of the franchise. And when a playoff game gets ugly, the offense stalls and Toronto desperately needs one basket?

That’s when you ask Kawhi Leonard to be the best player on the floor.