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The New York Knicks were considered the favorites in the Eastern Conference entering the season, but their inspired run to the 2026 NBA Finals has still proven a lot of people wrong along the way. Those who believed the Knicks made a mistake by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and replacing him Mike Brown before the season are eating crow now. Long-time critics of Karl-Anthony Towns’ toughness and defensive ability currently look like fools. Trading five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges won’t seem like the worst deal in NBA history if the Knicks raise a championship banner for the first time since 1973.

There are a long list of skeptics who need to sign an apology form after the Knicks’ dominating run through the East, but maybe it’s no surprise that the top target of “I told you so” blowback from Knicks fans is a woman.

Back in 2023, WNBA head coach Becky Hammon went on ESPN and said the Knicks didn’t have a “1A dude” to lead them to a championship. When co-panelist Kendrick Perkins brought up Jalen Brunson, she said “He’s too small. If your best player is small, you’re not winning,” while noting Steph Curry is an exception. Watch the old clip here:

Knicks fans are raking Hammon through the coals for this take after the 6’2 Brunson won Eastern Conference Finals MVP. There’s nothing wrong with a victory lap for a fanbase that has been starved for success for decades, but if anything Hammon’s criticism of Brunson shows how much of an outlier he truly is.

Go back through every NBA champion of the last 40 years. How many of them have had their best player be under 6’6? I’m only seeing a couple:

• Isiah Thomas for the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990. Thomas was listed at 6’1.
• Stephen Curry for the Golden State Warriors in 2015 and 2022 (and I’d argue 2017 and 2018 even with Kevin Durant on the roster). Curry was listed at 6’3.

The only other player you can argue for is Chauncey Billups with the 2004 Pistons, but that team was much more a collection of five very good players without any obvious lead dog. Billups wasn’t an All-Star or an All-NBA selection in 2004, though he was named Finals MVP. The only Piston on the All-Star or All-NBA teams was their big man Ben Wallace.

Becky Hammon was right historically speaking, and it only makes Brunson’s run more impressive

Brunson has been carrying his teams to championships on big stages since he was back at Stevenson High School in north suburban Chicago. Brunson led a non-traditional power to three Final Four appearances and one state championship in Illinois, and then committed to Villanova as the No. 19 overall recruit in the RSCI.

Brunson started 39 of 40 games for Villanova as a true freshman as the team won the 2016 national championship on Kris Jenkins’ iconic buzzer-beater. He was mostly a role player on that team behind future Knicks teammate Josh Hart, but his ball handling and timely scoring made him a key cog in a national champion.

Villanova earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament the next season as Brunson significantly raised both his scoring and efficiency as a sophomore. The Wildcats lost to Wisconsin in the Sweet 16, setting the stage for Brunson to fully take over the team as a junior.

Brunson was the best player in college basketball in his junior season, and will Villanova to its second national championship in three years. The 2018 Wildcats were an all-time great college team, but it was Brunson was won national player of the year honors while consistently executing in crunch-time to win another ring.

NBA teams still doubted that Brunson’s game could translate to the NBA. Most thought he’d top out as a nice backup point guard. The Dallas Mavericks drafted him at No. 33 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, but on-ball reps were limited after the team also came away with Luka Doncic with the No. 3 overall pick.

Brunson emerged as one of the league’s best sixth men in his third season, and took another step forward as a starter in his fourth season. The Mavs famously balked at locking him up to a long-term contract the previous summer, reportedly refusing to offer $55 million over four years. After a fantastic run in the Western Conference Playoffs for Dallas that season — including a 41-point explosion against the Utah Jazz in the first round — Brunson accepted a $105 million deal to join the Knicks in free agency.

Plenty of people thought Brunson was a tad overpaid on that contract at the time. It turned out to be one of the biggest bargains in the NBA, and set the stage for the Knicks’ first NBA Finals run since 1999.

Brunson hasn’t proven Hammon wrong yet

“If you’re best player is small, you’re not winning.”

The Knicks won the East this season, but that’s not enough to prove Hammon wrong. Whether New York plays the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks are going to be the underdog in the series either way. The Western Conference Finals have felt like the real NBA Finals up to this point. The Knicks are pushing back on that with a ridiculous +19.8 net-rating in the playoffs so far. After going down 2-1 in the first round against the Hawks, New York has won 11 straight games — and they’re not just winning, they’re blowing teams out in every game.

I really think the Knicks can win the NBA Finals, especially with the way both OKC and San Antonio are beat up right now. New York is rooting for a long and physical series in the West before a winner is determined. They will be resting the entire time until Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals kicks off on June 3.

The Knicks have four fantastic starters that all feel like All-Star caliber players — even if OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have never received that honor. Josh Hart is one of the best role players in the NBA as their fifth starter, and Mike Brown has done well to tap into the bench, led by Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson, and Miles McBride. As a wise woman once said, though, you need a dude to win it all.

Brunson is showing why he’s been that dude all along.

With the NBA Draft less than a month away, we continue looking at potential prospects the Suns could have their eye on, especially if they opt to trade into the first round. Today, we turn our attention to the 26^th overall pick, a draft slot currently owned by the Denver Nuggets.

Why 26? Because we’ve explored before what a trade could look like if the Suns decided to do the Nuggets a favor and acquire the Cameron Johnson pick. It’s also a good opportunity to get a feel for who lives at the back end of the first round.

So here are some prospects to be aware of.

Prospects at 26

I struggled a bit trying to figure out who should go in this group. Ultimately, I settled on players who were clearly not worth taking at 17 because better options were almost certain to be available: I calculated that there was a 97% chance that one of Steinbach, Morez Jr, or Stirtz would still be available at 17.

The players in this group have a reasonable chance of still being available at 26, but will almost certainly be gone by the 29^th or higher. Previous player summaries I wrote included Ebuka Okorie, who is projected to go between 19 and 35, and might be a target for the Suns with the 26^th or 29^th pick. Henri Veesaar (whom I also profiled) is also projected to go around 26. If the Suns are set on acquiring an athletic PF, and Morez Jr is off the board,

Christian Anderson (Texas Tech, Sophomore, PG)

Christian Anderson (Texas Tech) is a 6’1” 180-pound point guard. He is evaluated as an elite, high-volume three-point shooter and dynamic playmaker. Projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, he has drawn stylistic comparisons to NBA lead guards like Tyrese Haliburton for his offensive brilliance as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and deadly shooting versatility.

Key Statistics

38.3 MPG, 18.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.5 steals, 47.2 FG%, 41.5 3PT%, 80.5 FT%

Strengths

• Elite Shooting: Blistering deep-range shooter who connects from well beyond the college line. He maintains fantastic shooting splits (over 40% from 3 on high volume), efficiently transitioning between catch-and-shoot and pull-up jumpers.
• Floor Vision & Playmaking: Possesses a high basketball IQ, operating beautifully as a primary pick-and-roll playmaker. He posted over 7.0 assists per game with a strong assist-to-turnover ratio, often generating “attack-and-kick” sequences that collapse opposing defenses.
• Shiftiness: Uses excellent change-of-pace dribbling and a quick release to create separation against larger defenders

Weaknesses

• Physical Profile: Lacks ideal NBA size and weight, making him inherently undersized for NBA lead guard duties. His slender frame limits his ability to absorb contact at the rim and can be a liability against heavier, stronger guards.
• Defensive Liabilities: His size and strength profile negatively impact his defensive metrics. He is mostly limited to guarding opposing point guards (the 1s) and can be targeted on switches.
• Shot Selection: Because of his elite shooting capability, he occasionally settles into difficult, self-created iso-shots instead of keeping the ball moving.

Draft Range

Between 16 and 39, with an average of 21.6 and a median of 21. There is a 30.4% chance he will still be available at 26 if the Suns pick there.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Anderson is one of those love him or hate him prospects. He’s a bit on the small side in a time where the NBA meta has moved away from small point guards: they tend to be a defensive liability and Anderson’s statistics bear out that trend. He’s an average athlete for the NBA as well. However, he’s a pure PG who can shoot, and the Suns need that in the worst way next to Booker (if they can get it through their heads that the Jalen Green experiment is doomed to failure so long as Booker is the cornerstone of the franchise).

The Suns are going to have to break the bank to re-sign Colin Gillespie, and drafting Christian Anderson might be a far cheaper long-term solution. Anderson’s NBA comparisons (Haliburton) are ones that Suns fans have kicked themselves over for half a decade, and this would be a second chance.

If the Suns aren’t high on Stirtz, and they’re determined to pick a PG, he could go at 17. However, there’s a 30% chance (right now) that he will still be on the board at 26, but very little at 29 or above. That said, a PG doesn’t make sense unless Jalen Green is exiled to the stamp-licking colonies.

NBA Comparisons

Tyrese Haliburton, Darius Garland, and Reed Sheppard

Koa Peat (Arizona, Freshman, PF)

A strong, physically mature 6’7” 235 lbs combo-forward with broad shoulders. He is an agile and fluid athlete who moves well off the ball but relies more on functional strength and timing than elite vertical explosiveness.

Key Statistics

27.8 MPG, 14.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.3 stocks, 52.8 FG%, 35.0 3PT%, 62.3 FT%

Strengths

• Paint Scoring: Highly efficient around the rim. He uses his physicality and body control to carve out space and finish through contact.
• Playmaking & IQ: Possesses a high-level passing feel, often serving as a connective playmaker out of the high post.
• Effort: Displays a strong motor and rebounds well for a small forward.

Weaknesses

• Shooting Mechanics: His perimeter shooting is the biggest swing skill. He struggles with inconsistent release points and mechanics, which were scrutinized during the NBA Draft Combine.
• Spacing Fit: Without a reliable three-point shot, teams will have to weigh whether he is better suited as a small-ball five rather than a traditional modern power forward.

Draft Range

Between 12 and 32, with an average of 22.4 and a median of 22. There is a 26.6% chance he will still be available at 26 if the Suns pick there, but that number is increasing by the day.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Peat’s draft stock has been crashing after a disastrous NBA draft combine, where his shooting mechanics and physical limitations couldn’t be hidden any longer. During his time at Arizona, his funky-awkward shooting mechanics were noted, and some observers at the combine believed he was in the middle of retooling them there.

He has average at best size for a small forward, and is undersized at PF. He has good vertical and did well in agility drills, but surprisingly did very poorly in the shuttle run. He was miserable in the 3-point shooting drills at the combine as well, and as a result, I could see him falling all the way to the second round as Noah Penda did in 2025.

Peat’s biggest pluses are his age, motor, agility, and overall feel for the game. If he figures out his shooting mechanics, I could see him carving out a niche as a modern Rodney Rogers sort of tweener forward who is a reasonable threat from three. However, that’s a big “if”, and it’s hard to see how he addresses the Suns’ need for frontcourt size and rebounding. If I were Peat, I’d go back to the UofA and work on my three-point shot and try to make the 2027 lottery.

NBA Comparisons

Rui Hachimura

Allen Graves (Santa Clara, Freshman, PF)

Allen Graves is a versatile 6’8”, 226-pound power forward out of Santa Clara who has emerged as one of the most polarizing, analytics-friendly prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft. After redshirting his first college year, Graves put together a historic freshman campaign in the 2025–26 season, capturing both the WCC Freshman of the Year and WCC Sixth Man of the Year honors. A former high school point guard who underwent a late growth spurt, Graves plays as a modern “connector” piece. He blends high-level passing, defensive awareness, and efficient perimeter shooting into a unique statistical profile that heavily appeals to front offices utilizing advanced modeling.

Key Statistics

22.6 MPG, 11.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.8APG, 2.8 stocks, 51.2 FG%, 41.3 3PT%, 75.0 FT%

Strengths

• Advanced Feel & Playmaking: Because of his background as a guard, Graves processes the floor remarkably fast. He functions beautifully as a short-roll processor or an extension piece, consistently mapping out standard 4-on-3 advantages and delivering pinpoint skip passes.
• Elite Statistical Instincts (“Stocks”): Graves possesses an incredibly rare defensive footprint for his position. He tied for the most total steals by a freshman in the country (67), boasting a Steals Percentage of 5.3% and a Block Percentage of 5.8%, indicating a high defensive IQ and lightning-quick hands.
• Perimeter Spacing: He is a highly efficient floor-spacer, sinking 41.3% of his three-pointers during his freshman year. His catch-and-shoot capability makes him a lethal option out of pick-and-pop actions.
• Low-Mistake Value: For a young forward handling the ball, his asset management is elite. He averaged just 0.7 turnovers per game despite acting as an offensive hub off the bench. [1, 3, 4, 5]
• Paint Scoring: Highly efficient around the rim. He uses his physicality and body control to carve out space and finish through contact.

Weaknesses

• Functional Athleticism & Burst: Graves lacks true explosion and vertical pop. He requires a clear runway to finish around the rim, rarely finishing vertical lob threats cleanly and struggling with below-the-rim athletic limitations in dense traffic.
• Lateral Quickness in Space: There are sharp concerns regarding whether Graves can consistently guard NBA-level power forwards out on the perimeter. His lack of foot speed leaves him vulnerable to quick counter-moves when caught on an island.
• Volume and Scaling Concerns: While his efficiency numbers are spectacular, they came in a limited 22.4 minutes per game off the bench. Scouts question whether his 3-point efficiency will sustain if his offensive volume scales upward against tighter defenses.
• Competition: Graves played at Santa Clara against lesser competition than most of the big-name Division I prospects in the draft. It is unclear how well he will perform at a much higher level.

Draft Range

Between 20 and 39, with an average of 26.5 and a median of 27. There is a 53.8% chance he will still be available at 26 if the Suns pick there, but that number is increasing after measuring poorly at the draft combine.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Graves has a lot to like, and a bunch of big question marks next to him, especially after the draft combine. On the plus side, he’s only a freshman and about to turn 20 years old. He has a great feel for the game, great handles for a power forward, and shoots a ridiculously high percentage on threes at a high volume of 2.6 per game.

Per Tankathon, he has three skills that grade out as “elite”: steals, assist-to-turnover ratio, and offensive rating. He also has three more where he grades out as “very good”. He has great footwork, positioning, body control, balance, and generally looks “fluid”. Fundamentally, he’s a high skill, low athleticism guy.

And there’s one of the two big red flags on him. Graves did poorly at the combine. He measured only 6’7.75” in socks. Wingspan was below average. So was reach, and wingspan minus height. Average at best vertical, and below average agility scores. He was also only average in the 3-point shooting drills. That said, I think the combine is somewhat overrated: Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, David West, Caron Butler, Kyle Korver, Gordon Hayward, and DeMarcus Cousins all had miserable combines and went on to long, successful, often Hall of Fame careers.

The final big question is how much his stats are inflated because so many of his games were against the Division I equivalents of Little Sisters of the Poor College for the Deaf and Blind? The answer seems to be “some”. In his five games against ranked opponents (UK, Gonzaga x3, and Saint Mary’s), he averaged 26.2 MPG, 13.8 PPG, 7 RPG, on 42/32/88 splits. Still, those are impressive numbers for a freshman, where he was clearly the best player on the team. He’s likely to have more looks on an NBA team where he’s a 4th or 5th option. And, despite middling size and athleticism, he still grades out as a defensive net plus due to his basketball IQ and footwork.

If the Suns draft 26^th, I’d be hard-pressed to choose between Zuby Ejiofor, Joshua Jefferson, Henri Veesaar, and Allen Graves: it’s possible none of them will be left by 29.

NBA Comparisons

Kyle Anderson and Boris Diaw

Coming tomorrow, prospects available between picks 29 and 31, if the Suns opt to trade up into the backend of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced that they will unveil their all-new uniforms in less than two weeks. On Sunday, June 7th, the Wolves will showcase the new-look jerseys in front of fans at an event at Target Center. Fans can purchase tickets for $1 to attend the event.

The Timberwolves teased the upcoming rebrand on their social media accounts.

The last time the Timberwolves rebranded was during the 2017 offseason, when they released their new logo in April and, in August, the updated jerseys to go along with it. They traded for Jimmy Butler in June of that same offseason.

The Wolves have desperately needed an updated look since then. Their current set of jerseys has grown stale, while their 90s throwback, Prince, and classic black tree jerseys have been incredibly popular.

It has long been rumored that the Timberwolves would soon be going through a rebrand of both their jerseys and logo. With More Lore and Alex Rodriguez taking full control of the franchise last July, it appears now is the time for them to mold the image and iconography of the franchise as it heads into a new era under their leadership.

“We’ve done a lot of work in the background. think our fan base is gonna be very, very excited,” Rodriguez said last July after he and Lore officially took control of the team. “As far as rebranding, we have good thoughts, and bringing back some of the history of the KG days is something that we’re both very aware that’s important to our fan base.”

“We really want to listen to fans,” Lore added. “That’s how we’re going to build the value system here.”

The new jerseys will not be the first major change that Lore and Rodriguez have made. This last season, they debuted their new ticket platform, Jump, and significantly upgraded the lighting inside Target Center. Lore and Rodriguez also hired Matthew Caldwell away from the Florida Panthers to be their new CEO.

The Wolves as a franchise have already experienced a lot of change since the ownership transfer last July. Next Sunday’s jersey reveal is another step in this journey of the new era of Timberwolves basketball.

Widely regarded as the best prospect and top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa is one of the most NBA-ready college freshmen ever. He is a rare breed, a perfect blend of size, athleticism, and skill that should translate well to the NBA. He’s good at just about everything and is one of the most highly touted prospects in the past 30 years. At just 19, he’ll enter the NBA as a matchup nightmare for the other 29 teams. Congrats, Washington, you don’t have to be the laughingstock of the NBA anymore.

The basics

Born on January 29, 2007, in Boston, Massachusetts, Dybantsa grew up in nearby Brockton (and yes, he’s a Celtics fan). He is of Congolese and Jamaican descent. He originally attended Saint Sebastian High School, where he was named Massachusetts Boys’ Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year following a prolific freshman season – averaging 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game. At just 14, Dybantsa led Saint Sebastian’s to the NEPSAC Class A state championship, but lost to Milton Academy by a single point, 77-76.

He then transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, for his sophomore year. In July 2023, he led the Nike Peach Jam in scoring at 25.8 points per game as a member of Expressions Elite, an Amateur Athletic Union team from Boston. Dybantsa ended his high school career at Utah Prep Academy in Hurricane, Utah.

Dybantsa was named the top overall prospect by ESPN as a high school freshman in the 2026 class and later re-classified into the 2025 class. He officially committed to Brigham Young University (BYU) in December 2024, electing to stay in Utah. He is the highest-ranked basketball recruit to ever attend BYU.

Following a nearly impeccable season at BYU, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points (first in the NCAA), 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He added to his accolades, earning first team All-American, the Julius Irving Award, NCAA Scoring Champion, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He has also been named a McDonald’s All-American (2025) and FIBA Under-19 World Cup MVP (2025). Dybantsa’s accomplishments and incredible freshman season have him primed for the NBA level.

The good

Dybantsa is about as good as they get. If it weren’t for an otherworldly talented draft class, he would stick out ahead of the rest like Cooper Flagg did last season. And also similar to Flagg, the 6’9, 210-pound forward is positionless and can play one through four.

There are several positives to Dybantsa’s game, but the first thing that jumps out is his scoring ability. He led the NCAA in scoring in the 2025-2026 season, with 25.5 points per game – on 51% from the floor. While his outside shooting could use some work – 33.1%, that number showed significant growth over the season, as he became more comfortable shooting from the outside. By season’s end, he was averaging shooting 4.2 threes per game and making 1.4. What makes the BYU prodigy so special is his ability to score in the midrange and inside.  He is particularly dangerous in face-up situations, where he can attack downhill, get to his spots in the mid-range, or create space for pull-ups. In the paint, Dybantsa shot 56.8% (259-456), well above average for forwards and guards. His quick twitch explosiveness and ability to change directions allow him to break down defenders, while his strength lets him overpower smaller matchups and finish through contact. He has an uncanny ability to recognize mismatches and get to his spots on the floor.

Another unique part of Dybantsa’s game is his ability to facilitate. While 3.7 assists per game doesn’t jump off the page, his ability to make the right basketball play and find teammates propels Dybantsa’s game to an entirely new level. He’s the definition of a true triple-threat with the ball in his hands and doesn’t just showcase his game but elevates his teammates’ as well. He’s exceptionally good at live dribble reads like pick-and-roll and double teams. He often commands a lot of attention on the floor, a heliocentric type of player, but is witty and crafty enough to make the right decisions.

The room to improve

There aren’t many true weaknesses to Dybantsa’s game, but one is his outside shooting. With his ability to score at all three levels (three-point, mid-range, inside), it’s not a major problem that he only shot 33.1% from three last season. But the NBA is a more position-less league than the NCAA and many of the NBA’s elite teams have efficient three-point shooting forwards. If Dybantsa wants to be an elite player in the NBA, he’ll need that number to creep northward to that 36-38% mark. Initially, teams will probably leave him with space to shoot, since he’s such a mobile threat getting into the paint. He’ll need to take, and make, those.

While he does have the ball in his hands quite a bit, his 3.1 turnovers per game are high, especially for a forward. Dybantsa does tend to force his shot from time to time, rather than pass out and re-post or make another play. He’s also heavily reliant on his right hand. Mavs fans had the spectacle of watching Cooper Flagg look more ambidextrous than right-handed dominant as he attacked defenses from both sides, often favoring the left. Dybantsa will need to continue to develop his ability to attack with both hands.

Player comparison

Dybantsa is most often compared to two players: Tracy McGrady and DeMar DeRozan. He draws comparisons to McGrady because of his quickness and explosiveness off the dribble, as well as his ability to score from anywhere on the court. At his peak in the 2002-2003 season, McGrady averaged 32.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. The other comparison is DeMar DeRozan, with Dybantsa’s heavy reliance on his midrange game. At his peak, DeRozan was one of the NBA’s high fliers, showcasing his ability to finish at the rim as well as on the perimeter. His best season in 2021-2022 had him putting up 27.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.

Fit with Wizards and looking ahead

Dybantsa is a seamless fit for an up-and-coming Washington Wizards team. DC went all in at the trade deadline acquiring all-stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Plugging in an elite talent like AJ Dybantsa will create matchup nightmares for teams. Not to mention, the Wizards also have Alex Sarr, the second overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, who averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. They also have the sixth pick from the 2025 draft in Tre Johnson (12.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists), the seventh pick from the 2023 draft in Bilal Coulibaly (11.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists), and the 24th pick from the 2024 NBA draft in Kyshawn George (14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists).

The Wizards have a great mix of young, raw talent and veterans to not just get out of the basement in the Eastern Conference next year, but make a serious run for a top-six seed.

Rookie WR Denzel Boston has a lot to learn at the NFL level, but has gotten a great first impression of the city of Cleveland. One of the first things Boston needs to learn is that Cedar Point is in Sandusky (this writer’s hometown) and not Cleveland, after a visit to America’s Roller Coast.

Along with TE Harold Fannin Jr. and fellow rookie WR KC Concepcion, Boston is being counted on to help elevate the Cleveland Browns offense. While questions continue around the quarterback position, Boston provides whoever is throwing the football a big target with sure hands.

In speaking to The NFL Network, Boston talked about his first impressions of the City of Cleveland, going to Cedar Point, learning HC Todd Monken’s playbook, and more:

Highlights from Denzel Boston on The Insiders

• On Cleveland

“The city is live, the fans are live. The fans are here to support… A couple of us guys were at the theme park… great first impression.”

• Learning curve

“The biggest learning curve is the playbook… a whole bunch of motions and movements.”

• On QBs

“I’m not really paying attention to what reps are with who… That decision has nothing to do with me; I just go out and ball to make plays for them. For me… I haven’t really had a stable quarterback. It doesn’t affect me too much. Different ball spins, different touches on the ball…”

• On partnership with KC Concepcion

“Our relationship has now gone to a brother kind of thing. We are always hanging out outside of the facility. Learning from each other, pushing each other every day… Make plays off of each other… We are matching each other’s energy all the time.”

• Things he’s working on

“Working on, basically, I’m a rookie. I have a lot to work on. Working on my releases, working on snapping down my hips… Always can work on the hands all the time. Working on knowing that playbook like the back of my hand…”

What stood out to you about Boston’s interview with The NFL Network?

Looking for more offense against the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault decided to insert Jared McCain into the starting lineup, and it paid off, as McCain scored 20 points.

He scored 18 after halftime, and hit a pair of backbreaker threes in the fourth for a very impressive showing.

Overall, OKC’s performance was even more impressive since Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams are both out currently, and Thomas Sorber is out for the season.

For the Spurs, Mason Plumlee got in for the last two minutes. He had one rebound and burned two fouls, one of which was a hard foul against McCain. Most of us just watch games on TV and forget that getting hit by a 6-11/240 lb. guy is potentially quite dangerous.

Fortunately, McCain wasn’t hurt.

By the way, while Victor Wembanyama is the future of the league, OKC has been dealing with him pretty well. He did score 20 in Game 5, but shot just 4-15, and 12 of his points came from the line. He also had just 6 rebounds.

The series moves back to San Antonio for Game 6 on Thursday. It won’t be easy to close the series on the road, but OKC is playing very well.

• Jalen Williams downgraded to out, Jared McCain comes up big for Thunder in Game 5
• Jalen Williams downgraded to out, Jared McCain comes up big for Thunder in Game 5
• Jared McCain scores and draws the foul
• Philadelphia 76ers Get Jared McCain Reality Check After Breakout Game
• Former Sixers guard Jared McCain performs well as Thunder beat Spurs
• How Social Media Reacted to the OKC Thunder Beating Spurs in Game 5
• Jared Mccain Trade looks worse as Thunder roll toward another title
• OKC Thunder Make Massive Change to Game 5 Starting Lineup vs. Spurs
• Thunder fans hyped as pair of Jared McCain triples force Spurs timeouts
• 5 Reasons Why The Thunder Ensured A Game Win 5 Against Spurs
• 3 Takeaways From OKC Thunder Massive Game 5 Win vs. Spurs
• 2026 NBA playoff bracket: Thunder one win from Finals showdown vs. Knicks

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The NBA’s end-of-season awards voting is just as divisive of a time within the league’s calendar as any other.

And not just because of the actual outcomes, but the voting results for each award create arguments within themselves.

Lakers fans passionately defended franchise Luka Doncic, believing that he should’ve placed higher than fourth in the voting for league MVP that was awarded to Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the second consecutive season. 

Or that Doncic should’ve unanimously been an All-NBA first team selection instead of receiving 91 first-team votes and nine second-team votes.

Voters defend why they made certain choices, such as Justin Termine of SiriusXM explaining why he was the lone voter to leave Victor Wembanyama off his All-NBA first team, voting him second. 

The debates about “snubs” are part of the NBA awards’s annual cycle. 

But when the voting results for Coach of the Year was announced on Tuesday, revealing that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla received the honor, it also showed that Lakers coach JJ Redick finished seventh in voting after receiving three third-places votes. 

And was a completely fair spot for Redick to finish at. 

Redick finishing seventh wasn’t a snub.

While arguments could be made that he should’ve received more votes, Redick finished with the proper range in the voting.

Oftentimes, Coach of the Year goes to the coach who led the highest overachivers of the season. 

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And the Lakers were certainly one of the league’s biggest overachievers in context with their preseason expectations.

But the finalist for Coach of the Year – Muzzulla, Pistons’ J.B. Bickerstaff and Spurs’ Mitch Johnson – led each of their teams to even more overachieving seasons than Redick did for the Lakers.

Externally, the Celtics were expected to treat 2025-26 as a “gap” year after the Achilles tear Jayson Tatum suffered last 2025. The Celtics responded with a 56-win season for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and fourth-best record in the league despite Boston’s roster turnover and Tatum only playing 16 regular season games.

The Pistons were expected to be a playoff team, but not the No. 1 seed in the East they finished the regular season at, winning 13 more games than their preseason over/under. 

The Spurs went from being viewed as a potential play-in team in the preseason to the second-best team in the league during the regular season, winning 18 more games than their preseason over/under. 

Similar cases exist for Hornets coach Charles Lee and Suns coach Jordon Ott, who finished fourth and fifth in the voting, respectively. They both led their teams to postseason play after not being expected to be a factor in those conversations during the preseason.

This doesn’t take away from the season Redick and his coaching staff had. 

Redick led the Lakers to a 53-win season despite his best players in Luka Doncic (18), LeBron James (22) and Austin Reaves (31) all missing a significant amount of regular season games.

Despite the depth of the roster lacking compared to the team’s around the West. 

Redick was just as big of a part in the Lakers’ success, which included winning seven more games than their preseason over/under, as any other party. 

But the finalists for the award had clear cut cases for being above Redick based on their teams’ overachieving seasons. 

Finishing in the No. 4-7 range felt like the best-case scenario for Redick.

And that doesn’t take away from what he’s achieved in his short time as a coach. 

He’s shown through back-to-back 50-win seasons that he’s one of the best coaches at scheming defensively, helping the Lakers outperform expectations on that end two seasons in a row. 

Redick has mostly maximized the roster in back-to-back seasons, getting the most as reasonably expected. 

He should be in consideration for Coach of the Year for years to come. 

There were just other coaches who had better cases.