For most of the past two decades, the Washington Wizards have been bad. During that 20-year span, they’ve managed an above .500 record just six times. Their cumulative regular season winning percentage was 40.2% — second worst in the league. Only the Sacramento Kings (39.6%) were worse.

And the Kings had to play in the tougher Western Conference.

To be that bad for that long is difficult. The draft was designed to help losing teams obtain the best new players. Unfortunately, the worst teams are typically bad because the people in charge of choosing the players do a poor job of evaluating the relative merits of available players.

Which is a kinda convoluted way of saying bad teams stay bad because they keep picking the wrong guy. A look back through the past 20 years of Wizards’ draft history underscores the point. No every draft year, of course. There were some years and selections where Washington either got the best guy, or the guy they picked turned out no worse than anyone chosen later.

And there were some gobstopping, future-ruining, scream-into-the-void blunders. The kind of mistakes that inspired the #SoWizards hashtag and locked in a small but devoted band of weirdo fans wh0 knew to expect the worst and revel in it.

The newest executive team led by Michael Winger, Travis Schlenck, and Will Dawkins are trying to change all that. The tear-down portion is over. With five youngsters added to the draft over the past three years, the rebuild is underway. FanDuel odds suggest they’ll kick things into high gear by picking high-scoring BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the number one overall pick.

Here at Bullets Forever, we’ve published some work looking at this year’s talent-loaded draft pool, and more is on the way. Today, let’s take a look back at bests and worsts of the past 20 years of Wizards drafts.

2006

At 18, Ernie Grunfeld selected Ukrainian forward/center Oleksiy Pecherov. The theory wasn’t bad — sweet-shooting 7-footer. In reality, he wasn’t really an NBA player. What made this a bad pick: Washington could have had Rajon Rondo (21st) or Kyle Lowry (24th). In the second round, the Wizards chose Vladimir Veremeenko, who never played in the NBA. They could have taken Leon Powe (bad knees and all), who went with the next pick, or Ryan Hollins (the pick after Powe).

Grade: D

2007

The pick was Nick Young, who a) was kinda almost not bad some of the time, and b) could not reasonably be considered a miss, even though he went 16th overall. It’s pretty stunning that no one picked in his vicinity performed any better. The closest “shoulda picked that guy” I could see was Tiago Splitter, who went 12 picks later. In this draft, Grunfeld saved his whiff for the second round. He picked Dominic McGuire 47th. Marc Gasol went 48th.

Grade: C-

2008

The pick was JaVale McGee 18th overall. McGee was a unique pairing of immense talent and cartoonish personality. He was absolutely robbed of a dunk contest win when judges chose Blake Griffin despite McGee pulling off three dunks that maybe five people on the planet could have done. Guys taken a little later who would have been better picks: Ryan Anderson (21), Nicolas Batum (25), George Hill (26). They sold the 47th overall pick, which annoyed me in 2008 but in retrospect was inconsequential. They missed on no one.

Grade: C+

2009

When I mentioned gobstopping, franchise changing blunders, I had 2009 in mind. With an alleged goal of assembling a championship contender, Grunfeld traded the fifth overall pick for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Each departed the team after one season. By trading the pick, they missed the chance to select Ricky Rubio (Minnesota took him fifth), or Stephen Curry (7th), or even DeMar DeRozan (9th). Ouch. The blundering continued in the second round. They sold the 32nd overall pick for cash when they could have picked DeJuan Blair (37th), Pat Beverly (42), Danny Green (46), or Patty Mills (55).

Grade: F-

2010

Washington won the draft lottery and made John Wall the number one pick. Wall turned into a mutli-time All-Star and one of the better players in franchise history. I could kinda-sorta see arguments that the Wizards should have chosen Demarcus Cousins (5th) or Paul George (10th) instead of Wall, but I wouldn’t make those arguments myself.

Due to some trades, the Wizards also had picks 17 and 23. They chose French big Kevin Seraphin 17th and Trevor Booker 23rd. Booker was pretty good — no one picked later was any better. Seraphin was terrible (except for those hook shots), but the theory was pretty good, and he wasn’t much of a miss. The only guys who were good who went after him were Eric Bledsoe (18) and Booker. Bledsoe should have been the pick, and a Wall-Bledsoe backcourt could have been interesting.

Grade: A-

2011

This was a disastrous draft. With the sixth overall pick, Washington took Jan Vesely when they could have had Kemba Walker (9th), Klay Thompson (11th), Kawhi Leonard (15th), or Nikola Vucevic (16). With the 18th pick, they took Chris Singleton (who had a don’t draft grade in YODA) when they could have selected Tobias Harris (19th), Kenneth Faried (22nd), Reggie Jackson (24th), or Jimmy Butler (30th).

In the second round, they chose Shelvin Mack, who was the team’s most productive selection from this draft…and who they kept cutting to keep less productive players. Instead of selecting someone they kept deciding they didn’t want, they could have picked Chandler Parsons (38), Jon Leuer (40), Davis Bertans (42), or Isaiah Thomas (60). Thomas, by the way, had a first round grade in YODA.

Grade: F-

2012

With the third pick, the Wizards took Bradley Beal, who started as a standard-issue shooting guard and developed into a high-level offensive weapon. I’d accept arguments that they maybe should have taken Damian Lillard in that spot, though I would not have made that pick myself. In the second round, they picked Tomas Satoransky 32nd, who wasn’t bad…but they could have had Jae Crowder (34th), Draymond Green (35th), Khris Middleton (39th), or Will Barton (40th). Not an egregious miss, but still a miss.

Grade: B+

2013

For a second straight year, the Wizards had the third overall selection. This time, they picked Georgetown forward Otto Porter. While there were some (including Wall) who seemed more interested in chronicling things Porter could have theoretically done better, what he did was actually pretty damn good. The big miss: Giannis Antetokounmpo, who went 15th and became an all-time great. Ouch.

They traded their second round pick for Glen Rice Jr., who had a nice summer league. They didn’t miss a whole lot — Nate Wolters was chosen in that spot and didn’t do much in the NBA. They could have taken Mike Muscala, who was a decent backup big, or Raul Neto, who came to Washington later and had his best season.

Grade: C

2014

This draft rankled me. First, just before the 2013-14 season, they traded their first rounder plus an injured Emeka Okafor for Marcin Gortat. As a pure trade, it was fine. That they needed to make it was galling because they’d used every player acquisition resource available to them that summer to not address the glaring need for another big man — absurd because Okafor was 30-years-old. That’s an age when most players can be relied upon to get injured and get worse. Had they kept the pick, they could have had T.J. Warren, Jusuf Nurkic, Clint Capela, or a chubby, ground-bound Serbian kid who’d go on to be a three-time league MVP (Nikola Jokic, who went 40th!).

They had the 46th pick, which they sold to the Lakers for cash. They picked Jordan Clarkson. Something of a miss for Washington, though not a bad one.

Grade: C-

2015

In this draft, Grunfeld traded up to 15 so he could select Kelly Oubre Jr. I supported the move at the time — Oubre was long, athletic, and played hard. Some players picked later arguably had better careers, like Terry Rozier (16), Delon Wright (20), Bobby Portis (22), and Tyus Jones (24). I wouldn’t consider Oubre a miss, though. He was about as good as any of those guys and no one was significantly better. In round two, they chose Aaron White, who never played in the NBA, and still was no worse a pick than anyone who went later.

Grade: B+

2016

Once again, Grunfeld traded the team’s first round selection for a veteran — this time acquiring Markieff Morris. While Morris never was any better than average, he still proved to be a good value for the pick. First, because a “typical” 13th overall pick is going to produce over time at about the level Morris did, and second because they didn’t really miss out on anyone. The draft in that 13-17 range was blah. The “misses” came later — Malik Beasley (19), Caris LeVert (20), Pascal Siakam (27), or DeJounte Murray (29).

Grade: C

2017

For two seasons, Washington had been avoiding adding payroll in this offseason so they could have lots of cap room to chase free agent prizes like Kevin Durant or Al Horford. For some reason, no one in the front office — including the team’s owner, who was on the league’s ownership committee negotiating a new national TV deal — seemed to consider how that new TV deal would change the league’s financial landscape. That offseason, half the league had max cap room. The Wizards couldn’t get a meeting with Durant, and Horford chose Boston. They turned to a Plan C, which involved heaping large contracts on…lesser…players — Ian Mahinmi, Andrew Nicholson, and Jason Smith.

Nicholson was so bad, the Wizards paid the Nets their first round pick to absorb Nicholson’s contract and rent Bojan Bogdanovic for a few lackluster months. That pick became Jarrett Allen. It could have been OG Anunoby (23), Kyle Kuzma (27), Derrick White (29), or Josh Hart (30).

In round two, they traded the 52nd overall pick for backup guard Tim Frazier, which was fine. They didn’t miss anyone by trading the pick.

Grade: F

2018

With the 15th pick, the Wizards chose Troy Brown Jr., who seemed pretty interesting for a couple seasons. Then he lost confidence and retreated and ended up out of the league in short order. They could have taken Donte DiVincenzo (17), Kevin Huerter (19), Grayson Allen (21), or Anfernee Simons (24).

In round two, they inexplicably chose Issuf Sanon with the 44th pick. It’s not so much that better players went later (though they could have drafted De’Anthony Melton or Shake Milton), it’s that Sanon had shown nothing in his professional career overseas to suggest he would ever be an NBA player.

Grade: D-

2019

With the 9th pick, Tommy Sheppard and the Wizards chose Rui Hachimura, who had some good moments in Washington but got less productive the longer he stayed. Sheppard finally traded him to the Lakers for a bushel of second round picks, where Hachimura has been better playing in the space created by LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves. The Wizards dodged a bullet by not picking Cam Reddish (10). They could have selected Cameron Johnson (11), PJ Washington (13), Tyler Herro (13), or Brandon Clarke (21).

With the benefit of hindsight, Herro should have been the pick. At the time, everyone was looking at the short arms and average height and wondering how successful he could be. Johnson or Washington could have been better choices, especially Johnson. While I had Clarke rated high in YODA, I fully understand not picking him that early in the draft — he was a weird combination of wing size, elite athleticism, and a big’s game. And he was older for a prospect. Overall, Hachimura was an okay pick.

In round two, they chose Admiral Schofield 42nd overall. Schofield had wing height and a football player’s build. The theory was he could become a three-and-D type. The reality was that he was too stiff and lacking in lateral agility or vertical pop to be strong at the D part, and his shot wasn’t good enough for the threes part. They could have taken Talen Horton-Tucker or Terance Mann, but I wouldn’t call the Schofield selection a whiff even though he failed.

Grade: C+

2020

Reportedly, the Wizards promised Tyrese Haliburton they would pick him 8th overall. On draft night, Deni Avdija, who they thought would go earlier, was still available, so they broke the promise and chose Avdija. While Avdija has grown into a very good player, the Wizards would have been better off keeping the promise and picking Haliburton — who in five seasons was All-NBA twice, All-Star twice, and was the best player on team that reached game seven of the NBA Finals.

In the second round, Washington for some reason traded the 37th overall pick in a deal that netted them Cassius Winston, who’d been a good college player but was not a serious NBA prospect. It’s tough to be good in the NBA when you’re small and slow and don’t jump well. The Wizards could have taken Tre Jones (41), Nick Richards (42), Isaiah Joe (49), or Sam Merrill (60).

Grade: D

2021

Once again, the Wizards picked a decent player. Once again, they left better players on the board. In this draft, they chose Corey Kispert 15th overall. Alperen Sengun went next. Sengun was followed by Trey Murphy III. Jalen Johnson went 20th. Ugh.

The Wizards had another first round pick, which for some reason they traded to get Isaiah Todd and Aaron Holiday (a replacement level guard). Todd never came close to being an NBA player. The pick they dealt became Isaiah Jackson. They could have drafted Quentin Grimes, Cam Thomas, Santi Aldama, Herb Jones, or Miles McBride.

Grade: D-

2022

This one might have been the worst draft in franchise history other than Kenny Green (who didn’t even make the team) over Karl Malone. With pick No. 10, the Wizards chose Johnny Davis. They bypassed Jalen Williams (the terrific one who played great in the NBA Finals for OKC), Jalen Duren, Mark Williams, Tari Eason, Christian Braun, and Walker Kessler. Wow. Many — MANY armchair draft analysts were screaming for Jalen Williams at that spot. The professionals picked a guy who could not compete at the NBA level.

In round two, they chose Yannick Nzosa 54th, and though Nzosa never played in the NBA, they missed on no one.

Grade: F-

2023

In his first draft with the team, general manager Will Dawkins traded up a spot to select French wing Bilal Coulibaly. While Coulibaly has had his ups and downs, as well as injuries and “injuries,” it’s difficult to argue anyone selected after him has been significantly better.

In round two, the team shuffled some picks and ultimately chose Tristan Vukcevic, a decent shooting big man with leaden feet and inattentive defensive presence. They could have taken GG Jackson (eh), Toumani Camara, or Trayce Jackson-Davis. Fun fact: I was pleased when I thought the Wizards had picked Jackson-Davis 57th overall. Alas, they’d traded the selection to the Golden State Warriors.

Grade: B+

2024

The Wizards used three first rounders:

• 2nd overall: Alex Sarr — potential franchise player and likely to be the best player from this draft
• 14th overall: Bub Carrington — competitive gamer, though not very effective overall. They could have picked Kel’el Ware, Jared McCain, or Yves Missi instead.
• 23rd overall: Kyshawn George — competitive gamer who mixes commendable effort and positive plays with ambitious mistakes and ill-tempered fouls. No one picked later is any better.

The Wizards traded out of the second round. They had sufficient resources to have landed Ajay Mitchell or Jaylen Wells.

Grade: A

2025

Two first rounders in this one:

• 6th overall: Tre Johnson — good shooter who lacks dimension to his game. It’s too soon to say for sure, but it’s arguable that Jeremiah Fears or Cedric Coward would have been better choices.
• 21st overall: Will Riley — My assessment of Riley’s rookie year wasn’t as positive as others thought, but he has promise. While it’s too soon to say for sure, I didn’t see anyone picked after him who was better.

In round two, Washington traded out of the 32nd pick where they could have drafted Noah Penda or Micah Peavy, and they chose Jamir Watkins at 43. Watkins was an older prospect, who plays hard, works on defense, and needs to improve his shooting to earn a role. Still, no one picked later has been any better.

Grade: C+

A few observations:

1. The impact of major blunders is profound. It would have been one thing to say pick Rubio at five instead of Curry. It was something else entirely to spend the fifth pick and gain no long-term value. Getting nothing from Vesely at six was crippling.
2. The quality of Washington’s drafting dropped when the team replaced Grunfeld with Sheppard and improved markedly when Ted Leonsis hired Winger, Dawkins, and Schlenck.
3. This year’s draft is LOADED at the top. In Ye Olde Draft Analyzer (YODA for short), my stat-based draft prospect evaluation tool, I have four players with scores consistent with being the number one pick in most drafts, and 12 players with scores that would put them in the top five in most drafts. For context, Sarr, who went second overall in 2024 and had the top score in YODA that year, would rank fifth in this year’s draft. Tre Johnson would rank 17th. Coulibaly: 12th. And so on.

There’s a reality in which the Golden State Warriors’ future doesn’t hinge on the No. 11 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Sure, they could trade the selection for a superstar.

But that’s not what we’re talking about.

It’s whether they could go back and redo their previous lottery picks.

A run of savvy selections in the early 2010s built the foundation of a dynasty, delivering Steph Curry (seventh overall, 2009), Klay Thompson (11th, 2011) and Draymond Green (35th, 2012) among other key contributors.

But the well has dried up, taking with it any hope of executing owner Joe Lacob’s bold “two-timeline” plan. That hope disappeared when the franchise used two of its highest selections this millennium on James Wiseman (second overall, 2020) and Jonathan Kuminga (seventh, 2021).

As far as the draft goes, the Warriors have been light-years behind.

There have been 44 players taken since Green who have gone on to earn All-Star selections, but none have been among the 21 prospects drafted by Golden State.

The good news is that this year’s draft is considered so deep it will be almost impossible to go wrong with the 11th pick. The Warriors will also have a different man in charge of the draft room from the last time they held a lottery pick.

Mike Dunleavy Jr. has proven to be adept at identifying role players late in the draft since assuming the general manager’s post from Bob Myers weeks before the 2022 draft.

But this will be Dunleavy’s first lottery selection.

“We’ll just draft who we think is going to be the best player for us with our franchise moving forward,” Dunleavy said last month. “That’s what we’ve always done. Particularly the last few years we were pretty good about it whether it’s first or second round, whatever.

“We’re a little higher this year, but we’ll take the same approach.”

A report card on the Warriors’ recent history in the NBA draft, dating back to 2020:

A’s

None

The crux of the Warriors’ problems: While they have been able to find role players in the first round and value deeper in the draft, they’ve been bereft of top-line talent.

A selection of players taken after the Warriors’ past three lottery picks: Tyrese Haliburton, Deni Avdija, Tyrese Maxey, Franz Wagner, Alperen Sengun, Trey Murphy III.

You get the picture.

B’s

Moses Moody — 14th overall, 2021

Gui Santos — 55th overall, 2022

Brandin Podziemski — 19th overall, 2023

All three players will be part of the Warriors’ rotation for years to come.

Santos looks to be the steal of the 2022 draft — a credit to the Warriors’ international scouting operation and their player development. The Brazilian played an entire season in the G League before making his NBA debut and saw the court sparingly the past two seasons but broke out in a big way this year, starting 26 of the Warriors’ final 32 games while averaging 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and four assists per game.

Moody, the Warriors’ last lottery selection, isn’t a star but had developed into a quality 3-and-D player before tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee in March.

It would be difficult to do better at No. 19 than Podziemski, who played all 82 games this past season and looks to be in line to join Moody and Santos with a contract extension this summer.

C’s

Ryan Rollins — 44th overall, 2022

Quinten Post — 52nd overall, 2024

Will Richard — 56th overall, 2025

The jury is still out on Richard, who looked far better than a late second-round pick before hitting a wall toward the end of his rookie season. Likewise, Post has contributed more than can be expected from the seventh-to-last selection the previous year.

Rollins is a big win — for the Bucks.

The undersized guard didn’t get much of a chance with Golden State, appearing in only 12 games as a rookie before being traded for Chris Paul. But three years and two teams later, Rollins averaged 17.3 points and 5.6 assists as Milwaukee’s starting point guard.

D’s

Nico Mannion — 48th overall, 2020

Jonathan Kuminga — 7th overall, 2021

Trayce Jackson-Davis — 57th overall, 2023

According to assistant GM Larry Harris, “If I were to tell you that Joe [Lacob] likes the draft, that would be the understatement of the world.”

By all accounts, the Warriors owner loved Kuminga and viewed the raw-but-tantalizing teenager as their ticket into the post-Curry era. In one of the more regrettable sagas of Lacob’s otherwise sterling stewardship, that is not how it played out.

Coach Steve Kerr and Kuminga never saw eye-to-eye on the court, contentious contract negotiations played out in the public eye and the Warriors ended up trading him for pennies on the dollar once it became clear the situation was irreconcilable.

Kuminga could still become a great NBA player — he is still only 23 and is in a better situation with the Hawks — but it was never going to happen in Golden State.

F’s

James Wiseman — 2nd overall, 2020

Justinian Jessup — 51st overall, 2020

Patrick Baldwin — 28th overall, 2022

Wiseman has some competition among the Warriors’ biggest draft busts — including their present GM, taken No. 3 overall in 2002 — but there’s no doubt the oft-injured and ineffective big man was their most misguided selection of the current era.

A free agent since being released in December by the Pacers — his third NBA team — Wiseman has logged just 152 games in five seasons since Golden State made him its highest draft pick since Joe Smith in 1995.

The Hornets took LaMelo Ball with the next pick, and Haliburton went 12th overall, leaving the Warriors and their fans wondering: What if?

Hey, at least they didn’t pass on Luka Doncic for Marvin Bagley.

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The NBA and New York Knicks are warning fans to arrive to Madison Square Garden at least two hours before the tipoff of Game 3 as security measures have been added now that President Donald Trump is planning on attending the game.

There is a “no bag” policy, no storage spaces available, and enhanced “TSA-style screening procedures” for fans when they enter Madison Square Garden for the game scheduled to tip off just after 8:30 p.m. EST.

Trump’s visit has also blocked a watch party scheduled outside of MSG. New York fans have taken to social media to complain about everything from the limitations on street access to ticket prices. Trump has touted his Knicks fandom, but his presence will alter how attendees approach their evening. There is a website provided by Secret Service that lists prohibited items for those attending the game.

Media also received notification that certain areas would be off limits throughout the day and night as the added security measures limit access throughout the arena. Luckily, media are allowed into MSG hours before the doors even open, so hopefully there will be less issues for those bringing laptops and recording devices for the press conferences.

As you read this I am either on a plane, a train, a bus, a cab, or already at Madison Square Garden. For the next three days I will do my best to post about the experience. Feel free to hit me up with questions, things you’d like to see covered, and/or restaurant recommendations.

Go Spurs Go!

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Australia’s relationship with the NBA has been a passionate and long-standing one, and its own domestic league, the NBL, has an enormous following. The NBL has contributed to the NBA Draft across the decades, but ever since LaMelo Ball plied his trade as an emerging guard with the Illawarra Hawks as part of the 2020 NBA Draft class, there has been an increase in not only prospects who have attempted to replicate a similar path but young players who have emerged within the NBL.

Draft selections from the NBL in recent years include Ball, Alex Sarr, Rayan Rupert, Bobi Klintman, and AJ Johnson to name a few prospects in the last few years. Varying levels of talent and NBA-sticking power in that small collection of names, but what is certain is that the NBL has been more recently solidified as an absolutely viable entry route for the NBA.

19-year-old Mexican forward Karim Lopez will be the latest NBL prospect hoping to hear his name called on NBA Draft Day. A 6-foot-9 forward for the New Zealand Breakers, Lopez averaged 11.9 points per game on 49.4% shooting on 8.9 field goal attempts, 32% from three in three attempts per game, 73.9% from the line on 2.9 free throw attempts, six rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and one block in an average of 25 minutes per game in 30 games played, per RealGM.

Considering that Lopez just turned 19 in April (his last game of the season taking place in February, meaning he did all that we’re about to see in a professional league at 18 years old), these are productive numbers from Lopez. Let’s take a look at the film and see what’s what with Karim Lopez, who wears the number one.

Offense/scoring

Lopez’s best work offensively comes on the move, on drives, in the paint. He’s very efficient there, and considering he shoots 49% from the field despite shooting 32% from three suggests that he is more efficient than his percentage indicates. I think the most impressive aspect of Lopez’s offensive game is his poise; many players at this age play with one speed, often too quick than they are capable of.

Lopez plays a little slower, but he also plays as if the game has already slowed down for him. In the NBA, you can see when a player has matured and plays with poise. Jalen Johnson is a great example: his offensive game comes a lot more naturally to him now, and while he could — and can — go above players and finish with authority, more often than not in the halfcourt, he’s more patient now, and you see it as it happens. Lopez, similarly, plays with a poise beyond his years, and you’ll see that as we look at his scoring inside the arc.

Grabbing a rebound off of a miss, Lopez takes the ball up the floor at a leisurely pace, uses the screen, drives inside, creates contact, and finishes at the rim despite a late change of hands from right-to-left and back to right again:

Lopez loves to initiate contact; you’re just going to see it consistently as we move through these clips.

Lopez is able to utilize hesitation dribbles/drives to great effect, which he uses to a smaller degree on this play before being quite aggressive in creating contact, not once but twice, and while he carves out space against his own defender, the help arrives to contest Lopez, who is still able to hit and draw a foul for the ‘and-1’:

On the perimeter, Lopez sizes up his man, and he uses his combination of hesitation and stutter steps before driving, finding the space and finishes at the rim:

Coming off of the pick-and-roll, Lopez is really good at controlling his pace, hesitating before accelerating, creating contact and finishing in the lane:

Coming off of a pin-down, Lopez receives the ball heading to the paint and uses his physicality to clear out space from the defender and hits the runner over the defense:

Lopez can demonstrate good patience, and again, he plays at his own speed and doesn’t really allow others to speed him up. On the catch inside the paint, he waits for the defense to commit, before laying the ball in from close range:

Lopez can be described as a crafty player, picking up the loose ball here on this play, spins, swivels and ducks back to his left and lifts the left-handed layup for the basket:

Some of these swivels really look like travels at times, Lopez is certainly able to use his footwork to get himself into advantageous situation, as he does on this play where he swivels — probably gets away with a travel — before dunking at the rim:

Other methods that can see Lopez score efficiently inside can include offensive rebounds (of which he secured two a game):

Catches in the paint/post where he can finish over defenders:

This play was a particularly heads up play — Lopez recognizing when he has the defender at his back and able to establish superior position inside for an entry pass.

On the catch inside the paint, Lopez bangs, and hits the shot over the defender in the lane:

Lopez also has underrated athletic abilities in his arsenal, and he can certainly use this to punish defenses in transition when he runs the floor:

Lopez can also provide an option close to the rim on an out-of-bounds scenario:

Lopez was excellent at not just initiating contact but as we’ve looked at so far he’s been able to finish plays where he’s fouled, and he’s able to get himself consistently to the free throw line.

On the drive from the corner, Lopez hesitates before driving, getting away with a hook in the process, and draws the foul and free throws:

Coming off of a screen this time, hesitates before shifting gears to get to the baseline under the rim where he draws the contact on the layup attempt and is sent to the free throw line:

After intercepting the lob attempt, Lopez brings the ball up the floor, recovers on the stumble and rises into an attempt at the rim, drawing contact and free throws:

This next play highlights Lopez’s activity off the ball: a mix of a cut, attempting to establish post position, and finally retreating to three-point line, where he receives the ball and drives, splitting the defenders and drawing a foul:

Lopez can also draw fouls and free throws on the offensive glass:

Lopez also does well to draw fouls in the post, as he establishes deep position inside against former Hawk John Jenkins, before bumping and creating contact, drawing a foul and more free throws:

Again, Lopez gets into the paint and gets his man at his back in the post, and when he receives the entry pass he swings and rises, initiating the contact and drawing the foul and free throws:

On this action, Lopez ends up almost using a little slip into the defender into an opportunity to back him further down into the paint before receiving the ball, where Lopez drifts inside for a shot attempt, drawing contact and free throws:

The only major criticism I have of Lopez’s game is a lack of consistency with his three-point shot right now, but 32% is certainly workable at just 19 years old. Let’s take a look at a couple of makes and misses just for reference.

Here, Lopez hits a deep catch-and-shoot three above the break:

Coming off of the pin-down, Lopez gets a look at an open three and he sinks a deep three:

In transition, Lopez receives the outlet pass before jab stepping and stepping back, and rising into the three-pointer:

On the catch on the wing, Lopez misses the catch-and-shoot three-pointer:

In the corner, Lopez takes a few exploratory jab steps before rising into a missed three:

On a give-and-get back possession with his teammate — followed by a screen to free up space — Lopez misses a three above the break:

Passing/playmaking

Lopez has some playmaking ability as part of his game too, averaging 1.9 assists per game. These arrived in a few differing scenarios, let’s take a look at them.

In the pick-and-roll, Lopez loops a pass over the top of the defense for the assist on the roll:

On the slipped screen this time, Lopez delivers another pass over the defense for another assist at the rim:

This theme of Lopez being able to pass over the defense continues, this time in transition as he delivers a satisfying touch pass for a shot opportunity which is blocked:

When a teammate cuts to the rim, Lopez delivers another pass over the defense for another assist:

Operating in the pick-and-roll, Lopez comes off the screen and drives into the paint before kicking to the corner for the three-point attempt:

A dribble so slow that it looks like a carry.

In another pick-and-roll, Lopez finds the shooter away from the screen for a three-point attempt. When this is missed, Lopez grabs the offensive rebound and kicks out to the three-point line for an assist on the three:

Defense

Lopez’s defensive stats certainly suggest that he is a hive of activity capable of mixing it up in both steals and blocks, averaging 1.1 steals and one block per game.

Near the end of the shotclock — and with the dribble of the offensive player spent — a fadeaway attempt is blocked by Lopez, who has the reach to block the fadeaway:

After the spin move appears to free up on the offensive player, Lopez is able to recover to block the shot at the rim:

This time as the help defender, Lopez rotates to contest and block the shot at the rim:

Again as the help defender, Lopez rotates and blocks the shot from behind at the rim:

At the end of a third quarter, Lopez sprints over from the weakside to block another shot at the rim:

Initially, Lopez is beaten on the drive but is in place to collect the steal on the alley-oop:

As the help defender on the drive, Lopez reaches in down low and he knocks the ball away for the steal:

On an out-of-bounds play, Lopez is able to reach down low to disrupt the inbounds pass and collect the steal:

Looking outside of blocks and steals, Lopez can offer some good defensive moments.

On this possession, he does well to prevent penetration after initially looking as though he was beaten, and demonstrates some good defensive activity which prompts a pass elsewhere:

However, I didn’t always enjoy some of Lopez’s defensive work, which I think can be inconsistent.

On the drive from the three-point line, the defensive effort from Lopez is poor and the basket is scored:

In transition, Lopez trails the play, and while it’s understandable when he’s run off the three-point line, he falls for a fake at the free throw line, and it leads to a more open shot, which he is fortunate is missed:

Lopez can be quite foul prone, averaging just under three fouls a game with a five foul limit.

On this play, Lopez commits to the steal attempt, and in trying to get back in front of the play he commits the foul on the drive:

On this play, Lopez picks up the drive from halfcourt, doesn’t keep his man in front of him, and ends up committing the foul at the rim on the block attempt as the basket is scored:

When the catch inside is made, Lopez initially maintains his verticality but is called for the bump as the basket is scored at the rim, plus the foul:

On the beginning of a drive attempt, Lopez is called for the foul as he cannot keep his man in front:

In closing…

Karim Lopez is a player who is offensively mature beyond his age. He plays as though the game has already slowed down, almost like an old man game — very few things are going to rush Lopez offensively. He has his own rhythm offensively and he utilizes his drives/dribbles/stutter steps really well to get inside as frequently as he does despite not having an elite burst.

What speed he does have, Lopez does a good job of shifting gears. Now, this isn’t a massive third gear to top gear kind of shift. Lopez is really effective in the third to fourth gear shift, if that makes sense. It’s not fast, but Lopez is able to make this small shift in pace work to his advantage to work an opening on a drive. He just has a really good feel for the game offensively and plays with a maturity and pace you just don’t see in 18-year-olds (he was 18 for the entirety of this last season). To add to this young age, Lopez is an underrated athlete on the court — he doesn’t jump out the gym, but you see the moments where he can certainly rise high, and he posted very impressive figures at the NBA Draft Combine (which we’ll touch on soon).

Elsewhere, Lopez is comfortable working from the post or in entry-pass scenarios where he’s able to do a good job finishing over defenses. Lopez is a crafty offensive player, and has this knack for getting away with hooks, travels, and drawing free throws. He’s crafty, and he’s able to create his own offense and his own shots, and that should hold some value. However, the three-point shooting isn’t quite there yet, but having just turned 19 years, old age is on Lopez’s side — there’s plenty of time to further develop Lopez’s already refined and efficient offensive game. There is also playmaking potential to expand on with Lopez too, particularly in the pick-and-roll — nothing elite, but enough that he can create off the bounce and spot a pass or make connecting plays that may not lead to assists but would be considered secondary assists.

Defensively, there’s no doubt that Lopez can make plays. He has this knack of contributing multiple blocks and steals in a game, particularly blocking shots which he can do in one-on-one situations and as a help defender. He has great physical tools, measuring at 6 foot, 8.75 inches without shoes, and a wingspan of 6 foot, 11 inches, all to go along with a 38-inch vertical jump at the NBA Draft Combine. However, Lopez’s defensive effort can be inconsistent, and he can struggle to stay in front of his man, and he can be quite foul prone on these drives, or on block attempts.

Overall, there’s a lot to like when it comes to Lopez. His offensive skillset partnered with his physical tools and his age means that there’s high upside here, especially if the shooting comes along. Now, with all that said, let’s look at how other outlets view Lopez’s stock ahead of the draft.

ESPN rank Lopez 13th overall among their ‘Best Available’, and Jeremy Woo, similarly, mocks Lopez at 13th overall with this to add on Lopez as a prospect:

Lopez is drawing interest from a number of teams in the lottery, including the Clippers, Nets, Bucks and Warriors, with rival teams viewing him as more of a trade-back candidate later on in the case of the Clippers and Nets.

He was helped by his combine measurements, affirming his size to play both forward positions capably and massive hands. He continues to improve and has positioned himself as an intriguing development bet coming off a strong second season in the NBL

Many teams are intrigued by Lopez’s mix of size, skill and toughness but want to see him improve as a shooter and get a better sense of how well he can create offense for himself. These are things he can display in workouts as he gets in front of teams in the coming weeks to help firm up his position.

A playoff team in need of retooling would benefit from the maturity Lopez brings, but would they have the patience needed to play him in order him to develop? Woo notes that the combine has helped Lopez’s draft stock, which is worth noting as his posted well physically at the combine.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie mocks Lopez 20th overall with this to say of Lopez:

Lopez’s numbers look in line with past lottery picks coming out of Australia’s NBL Next Stars program, as he’s averaging 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block per game. He has excellent hands, is very skilled with the ball and often operates as essentially a mismatch hybrid forward for the Breakers. He’s a physical bowling ball who can play in screens and short rolls. He can attack in a straight line from the perimeter, and he is a solid finisher.

The 3-point shooting has been up and down in his two years in New Zealand (32 percent), but he looks to have good touch and should work through any concerns there at some point. The bigger questions come on defense, as his lateral speed isn’t particularly good. He doesn’t have much shake on the ball offensively; on defense, his hips don’t flip quickly enough, and he can be beaten by faster guards. If he improves in those two areas as he ages, he’ll be an excellent rotation player.

Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports mocks Lopez as high as 12th overall, outlining Lopez’s strengths and weaknesses:

STRENGTHS

Physical tools: López is already built like a veteran at 6-foot-8 and 222 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan. He isn’t a twitchy athlete and he doesn’t sky over opponents, but his broad shoulders and functional strength let him hold his ground against grown men in a professional league as a teenager.

Interior finishing: López is a bowling ball on his drives to the basket. He bodies opponents with his shoulder and invites contact once he elevates. He draws a ton of fouls as well. But there’s a finesse to him as well with the way he can extend his arm and hand for touch finishes from unusual angles.

Role player skills: He runs the floor on the break, he cuts, he screens, he does all the little things you want from a non-star. He’s a super aware cutter who’s always looking for cracks in the defense. He’ll bully smaller defenders under the rim as well to make himself available for finishes in the paint. Even if a simple layup or dunk isn’t available, he has the skill to hit some turnaround jumpers while fading away. With his ability to handle, he could ideally be paired with a perimeter-shooting guard that can free up López to eat on short rolls to the basket.

Connective playmaking: He’s not a primary initiator, but he can keep an offense flowing by making smart reads out of pick-and-rolls, handoffs, and short roll situations. He has a flair to his game. He’ll toss wrap-around passes when a big man commits to him to find cutters, he’ll throw bullseye lobs to cutting bigs, and he rewards guys who run the floor when he brings it up himself.

Defense: With his size, length, and strength, López has the traits to become a highly versatile defender who can switch across positions and make an impact as a help defender. He slides his feet well on-ball, whether defending players at his size or quicker guards. And off-ball, when he’s locked in, he’s a useful weakside rim protector who can fly in for blocks.

Just to chime in at this point of O’Connor’s assessment, there appears to be a consensus that Lopez is more likely to carve out a role on the fringes than as a starter. I would push-back somewhat on Lopez’s effectiveness as an on-ball defender, but would agree that he is impactful as a help shot-blocker. The rest of Lopez’s strengths we’ve examined previously. Let’s continue:

CONCERNS

Shooting: López made 33% of his catch-and-shoot 3s and 73% of his free throws in two NBL seasons, which isn’t a disaster, but he hasn’t shown an ability to be a knockdown shooter yet. He rarely takes 3s off movement. But his shooting has progressed. He was closer to a non-shooter when he was younger, and he went from having zero bag off the dribble to hitting six dribble-jumper 3s this past year. With his soft touch near the rim, he might just need time and the right coaching to unlock a reliable jump shot.

Shot creation: Most of his unassisted shots come as a result of bumping off defenders and using pump fakes to generate space. He doesn’t have a quick first step or burst in the lane, and he doesn’t have a dynamic handle either. He rarely ever uses his left hand when finishing at the rim. It doesn’t impact his ability to score in the NBL, but certainly could in the NBA. His handle is also notably looser with his left than his dominant right hand. Against NBA athletes, that physicality might be more neutralized than it has been at lower levels.

Off-ball defense: He gets a bit spacey when defending away from the ball. He’ll be late on rotations. Sometimes it seems like his effort comes and goes, which can’t happen for a player that projects as more of a role player than a superstar.

I’d argue that it is a testament to Lopez’s offensive skill that he can be efficient and effective despite not having an elite first step or burst — he makes it work for his game. It is a fair concern that things would look very different against NBA athletes, and it’s fair to take that into account in assessing Lopez as an NBA prospect.

Kyle Mann of The Ringer is significantly lower on Lopez than we’ve seen so far, projecting Lopez 28th overall with this to add:

I’ve had more of a “pumped brakes” mentality when it comes to López, because I think where he lands will be really important. The ability to pinpoint useful skills and maximize them is an advantage that some organizations have and some don’t. We’ve seen what Boston has done with Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Sam Hauser, and I think that López—a power wing whose rim pressure makes him an intriguing prospect—would similarly benefit from the time and structure that the Celtics could give him. If they tidied up the details surrounding his downhill strength and helped his percentage from 3 climb a few points, López could become an asset.

I completely agree that ‘where’ Lopez is selected is really important. Were he to land on a playoff team with a G League affiliation, it could prove a great selection and infusion of talent in a few years. Lopez would likely be too high for the Hawks to consider at eight, but in a trade back situation, Lopez could be helpful off the bench. Karim Lopez is an intriguing prospect whose ceiling I think can be a productive starter, a solid rotation player off the bench in a less-than-ideal scenario.

Time will soon tell…

Remember those long breaks between the second and third rounds, then the Conference Finals and the Finals?

Having an extra day of rest between Games 2 and 3 felt like twice as long to me. Thank God we’re back at it.

Here’s another humongous Bulletin ahead of Game 3, covering everything that went down on practice day at MSG on Sunday.

Mike Brown

On adjusting to Karl-Anthony Towns and finding common ground:

“It is supposed to be like this. I came (to New York) with a great plan. Maybe the plan doesn’t work. Who adjusts: Him or me? Me. I adjust. (But) the adjustment’s not enough. Every once in a while, we’re not on the same page. We talk about it. We talk about it. I adjust again. A little bit better. He’s feeling good. We talk about it. We talk — maybe we take a couple of steps backwards because what I did, he doesn’t like, which is fine. It’s my job as a coach to fit whatever scheme we have on both sides of the floor to all of our players. And if you’re a great player, I’ve got to make a little bit more adjustments, or I’ve got to give a little bit more than you do. We finally got to a point where he was comfortable, (where) I was comfortable, Jalen (Brunson) was comfortable, OG (Anunoby) was comfortable, Mikal (Bridges) was comfortable. And to me, that’s what the regular season is about. The regular season is about finding your way so you can prepare for this time of the year … So, when we get here, anything we run into, we’ve already conquered during the regular season, and we’ll know how to handle it.”

On Gregg Popovich’s influence on his career:

“It was huge. Pop — I talk about MSG being iconic, New York City being iconic — Pop is iconic, especially here in San Antonio. When you talk about the game of basketball, he’s iconic to everybody that enjoys the game of basketball.”

On what he learned from Popovich beyond basketball:

“The neat part about him is it’s not just about the X’s and O’s that you learn. You know you can never be him, but you learn people skills. You learn how to connect, not just the 15 or 18 players, you learn how to connect an entire city, maybe even an entire state.”

On Popovich’s personal support during difficult times:

“He’s second to none how [in] he treats people off the floor in their personal lives. I grew a lot personally. Everybody goes through good times and bad times off the floor in their personal life. When I was here, I went through good times and bad times. He helped me tremendously with those. He’s a special human being.”

On facing Mavs’ Jalen Brunson as a defensive coordinator at Golden State:

“As a defensive coordinator, this is just me, going into that series, my concern wasn’t Luka, my concern was Jalen. We put Draymond Green on Jalen. That’s how concerned we were. Because we needed a bigger, stronger, tougher guy to try to do it or to try to slow him down at that time.”

On meeting Ben Stiller and seeing Fat Joe at practice on Sunday:

“A great day for me today. For the first time I got a chance to meet Ben Stiller. … I actually gave him a handshake and a hug. I got my man Fat Joe sitting in the back. This is a great day for Mike Brown.”

Jalen Brunson

On whether or not he’s stopped to reflect on the Knicks’ Finals run:

“Not until it’s over.”

On the need for finishing games better after losing a 14-point lead in Game 2:

“I think playing better with the lead that we had, the 14-point lead. The way they fought back and took the lead is just a credit to how good they are.”

On his mentality and upbringing with relation to Kobe Bryant:

“I think the way I carry myself, the way I do things, is a credit to how I was raised by my parents. But also part of their philosophy, I think, seeps into the Mamba Mentality, as well. So, there’s a connectivity there. I do my best to stay present in the moment, to do the things I can to make sure my mind is right. Being mentally and physically ready every day. Trusting my work. That’s what’s gotten me here.”

On what scouts missed about him when he fell to the second round of the NBA draft:

“Everything.”

On the love he’s received from New York:

“I’ve always said this and felt the amount of love I’ve gotten from this fanbase and from this city since Day 1. I’m so thankful, I’m so honored to be able to put ‘New York’ across my chest. I wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything in the world.”

On the magnitude of the Finals returning to MSG:

“I think it’s really cool — 27 years since the last Finals here in this building. I know the fan base is really excited, as they should be, but as a team, us inside the locker room, we have more work to do.”

On the team’s daily improvement mindset:

“Things take time. We knew that we just had to get better every single day — every single day. In the world we live in now, everyone wants things instantly. So from our perspective, it’s all about just getting better every single day, keep chipping away, keep chipping away, being one percent better. When you take steps back, how can you improve? It’s always about, ‘How can you improve? How can you improve?’ Having that mentality and focus and approach, I think, allows us to still be students of the game and still find ways to learn, even through wins. And I think we need to continue to do that.”

On his perspective on pressure given his father’s pro career in the NBA:

“I view pressure… my dad, he was in the league on 10-day contracts and non-guaranteed deals. Being able to see that, and getting older and seeing what he had to do (for his family to live), I have it easy.”

On his thoughts about failure and giving everything:

“It’s all about being able to say you gave it everything you got. Knowing that sometimes you might not get the end result you want, but you know you gave it everything you got. Just control what you can control. If you go out there, put all the preparation and the work in, do everything you can, and you live with the results.”

On the Knicks’ steady search for “sprays”:

“I mean, they were just reading and reacting. We were playing off each other. We saw the same thing you did.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the need to pay back Knicks fans:

“We got to be desperate for these fans. Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see Finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden. For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen Finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give ’em something to cheer for, give ‘em something to get loud for and also give ‘em something to believe in. I talked about the word ‘hope.’ Hope has been brought back to the city. We’ve revitalized that word. But the word ‘success’ hasn’t been seen in this city for a long time. So we have to continue to fight to bring that word back to fruition.”

On restoring success to New York:

“Hope has been brought back to the city. But the word ‘success’ hasn’t been seen. We have to fight to bring that word back to fruition.”

On playing for the fans at MSG:

“To be able to lace the shoes up, be able to put the jersey on and be able to see our fans, to see Finals basketball after all this time is going to be really, really special.”

On not taking the Spurs lightly after going up 2-0:

“Every single game, you expect their best. That’s how you don’t get caught, in a way, lacking. You go out there and you expect their best, so you want to bring your best. This is the NBA Finals. There’s no time to take any game easy or to take any game lightly.”

On the team leaning on each other during adversity:

“This team leans on each other. I think that’s why we’ve gotten here. That’s why we had the success we had during the regular season even when things weren’t going great, because at the end of the day, when things do get tough and the trials and tribulations do present themselves, this team doesn’t disband. They don’t go away from each other. We lean into each other even more. We trust each other even more to get out of the rut. That’s what special teams do. Jalen knows. He has a national championship, and you’ve seen the camaraderie and unity they have.”

On adjusting his role throughout the season:

“It’s about impacting winning. Especially this year, throughout the year, I’ve always had to change my role for the betterment of the team. I’ve always had to change the way I play so it could be most beneficial for the team. Taking all that experience this year, I’ve had to do it on the fly. It wasn’t like game by game. It’s been quarter by quarter. That comes with experience and just knowledge of the game and just time. Time playing the game, time putting shots up, time reading defenses, seeing defenses, offenses. So like I said, one game Jalen got hurt, that’s when I have to be a primary scorer. Other games when he’s cooking, I’ve got to be a facilitator, a hub, assist-maker, aggressive in playmaking. Then there’s games when I need to do both when he’s in and I’m in and be able to do both when his shot is warming up. There’s also days where I got to be a decoy, I got to be the best screener, I got to be the best spacer for our offense. So I think that right now, whatever it takes to win, especially when you’re in the NBA Finals, I’m willing to do.”

On finding the right balance in the playoffs:

“I’ve been in playoff series where I’ve done too much, and it was to the detriment to the team. And I’ve been in playoff series where I’ve done too little, and it was a detriment to the team. It’s a fine line. It comes with experience where you learn what truly is best for the team and being able to find that balance of being aggressive and impacting the game with your skill set, but also utilizing that skill set to make others better. Something that experience has taught me. I think right now, I’m doing the best I’ve done at it.”

On being recognized as a great shooting big:

“It’s an honor. I worked on my game. When I was younger, that wasn’t something that was supposed to happen. You’re laughed at. You’re told, What are you doing? You’re wasting your time. People come back to me and give me all the congrats and congratulations and all this love for something they didn’t help with; they told me to do the opposite. So that’s how life always goes.”

Mikal Bridges

On what he remembers from the 2021 Finals collapse:

“I just remember losing four straight. That’s what I remember out of that. They all understand as well, knowing the series is far from over. We’ve got to keep playing desperate and be the more desperate team.”

On the need for fixing the Game 2 fourth-quarter mistakes:

“Got to be better the whole fourth: turnovers, shot selection, a lot of transition defense in that fourth quarter itself. Keep going. Can’t get too comfortable. We had a good lead, but we know how the league works. Being this far, playing against a really good team, no lead’s ever safe.”

On resiliency despite a poor fourth quarter:

“I think a poor fourth by us, obviously with all that happening, the resiliency to stay together and stay mentally locked in and still find a way to win. You can’t do that to the team that is that good, give chances like that. We got to be way better.”

On ignoring the 13-game winning streak:

“Personally, I think we really don’t care too much about the winning streak or anything like that because all that’s in the past. I think we do a great job as a team of always knowing that it’s 0-0 after every win, staying locked in on the next game.”

On how he’s able to keep up with his ironman streak:

“I just want to be out there … just want to grow every day, be better. It’s kind of how I was raised, kind of how when I was in high school, college, my coaches always preached playing every game even if you’re banged up a little bit. They make you play. I think subconsciously knowing how the league goes … the more I think about it, never ever, leave a window open for someone to take your spot. I think that’s kind of been subconsciously staying on my mind ever since I first got in the league. I always play no matter what, but I think that’s just another aspect that kind of got to me was always just you never know. You never know how you might go out for a week or two and maybe the next guy steps up and maybe the team plays better … the organization might look at you a little bit different.”

On maintaining urgency despite a 2-0 lead:

“0-0 man, f**k. Keep playing, desperate. That’s it, man. Take this rest. We got two days, take a break, do whatever you gotta do to get ready for this next game, but keep going out there and don’t stop. We got nothing but the offseason, man. Keep pushing. Leave everything on that court.”

On fighting through adversity in Game 2:

“Just gut. Just fight. A lot of integrity, poise, staying together. We’re gonna fight to the end. They made a run. They’re a really good team, but we’re gonna fight to the end. I wish we had a better fourth quarter. They’re a really good team. They pushed it, but we’ve gotta be better.”

On his prior Finals experience helping him and the Knicks now:

“I think just being here before, knowing how it’s going to be. Just a lot of experience knowing how much effort you need to give every single moment. Same situation, up 2-0, and I’ve got to be able to talk to these guys and just keep level-headed and just keep playing desperate. Being here before, knowing how it was gonna be and how much effort you need to give at every single moment.”

On his playoff mindset:

“Just that desperation. You know, that desperation of trying to be the last team standing and trying to do whatever it takes to help my team win. There’s nothing after June. You don’t play again until October. So just try to give it all that I got and do whatever it takes for this team.”

On the urgency of the moment:

“It’s just go time. It’s winning time. It’s that season. I’m trying to go out there and give it all I’ve got for this team, my teammates, the coaches, for the organization, fans.”

Josh Hart

On the need for better late-game execution after Game 2:

“In terms of that play, you never know because you could go down and get a stop. So you never know what play can change a game. But for us, we know that we have to do better. We were up like 14, and I think we’re the best fourth-quarter team in the league, so we got to make sure that we’re locked in and executing in that regard.”

On fourth-quarter issues in Game 2:

“[Poor] execution, for sure, in the fourth quarter. I feel like we played a little bit slower. Transition defense wasn’t as crisp as it was in the first three quarters. I think if we focus on that and rebounding, we’ll be good.”

On the high ticket prices at MSG for Game 3:

“I kind of wish the ticket prices weren’t as crazy as they are. I feel like a lot of people who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time unfortunately aren’t able to get into the building. The cheapest ticket is $7,000, $8,000. That’s ridiculous.”

On the expected atmosphere at Madison Square Garden:

“The Garden is going to be rocking. Obviously in this city we love our Knicks. So we’re going to come out, show love, support. The energy is going to be electric.”

On tuning out the outside noise in Game 3:

“For me personally, especially in college, [Villanova] Coach [Jay] Wright always talked about [how] we play for the guys in the locker room, and we don’t really play to the crowd. So for me, I feel like I’m able to kind of tune that out pretty well, just because that guy instilled that in me [during my] four years in college.”

On Mikal Bridges’ impact:

“You can’t say enough about him. I’m not surprised about it. I don’t think anyone else is surprised or should be surprised. That’s what he does. He’s a winning basketball player. He makes big-time shots, big-time stops. He takes the challenge and he’s a hell of a basketball player.”

Jose Alvarado

On the high resale ticket prices for Games 3 and 4:

“I see it’s $11,000 each, I say no. They know the love. They know what it is. But it’s a lot of money … I ain’t doing that. I tell you that much. It’s a good thing and a bad thing. That means we got a fanbase that’s willing to do anything to come out and see us and we’re grateful for that. … We’re just seeing what we can do because not a lot of people can afford that. … I’m gonna throw a watch party for my neighborhood in Williamsburg. Just improvise and be grateful for the situation we’re in. That’s what New York is all about.”

On celebrating with fans if they win the title:

“If we win the championship, I don’t know what I would do, but that’s probably one thing that’s gonna go through my head to see how I can go out there and celebrate with everybody. If that happens, it definitely will be something I’ll think about.”

Deuce McBride

On Landry Shamet stepping up:

“It’s no surprise to us about whenever any of us step up. But especially Landry, for a guy that’s dealt with so much throughout his career, and to be here … it’s a testament to how he works, how he trusts in himself and his confidence.”

Landry Shamet

On the 13-game winning streak:

“The games in the past don’t matter. Not 13 games ago, not one game ago. It’s one game at a time, and that’s the only way through this thing. So we’re worried about Game 3, and the series is 0-0 in our mind in that respect.”

On whether this is the best he’s played throughout his career:

“I don’t know. I’ll let you guys figure that out.”

On staying present during the run and not thinking too much about it:

“No. And that’s OK. I’ve had moments, but actively, I don’t want to do that until it’s all said and done. I want to be here, be present, soak this up, compete, stay locked in and just try to help my team. Getting four wins is the goal. Right now, we’ve got to get another one.”

On ball movement and looking for “sprays”:

“Drive and kick, make the right read, share the ball. That’s our team. You know, if there’s a guy open, we’re gonna make that pass, make that play, trust each other and do that.”

On embracing sacrifice during this run:

“We’re here for a reason, we want to compete and contribute. At the end of the day, wins speak much louder than any of that other stuff. That’s what we all ultimately want.”

OG Anunoby

On staying focused with the added Game 3 distractions:

“I think he will just be there watching the game. We’re just going to go as usual and play our game and try to win the game.”

Mitch Johnson

On the need for capitalizing:

“We have to be better at taking advantage of when we put ourselves in good starting spots to take advantage of the things that we are doing well. I think that’s probably been — if there’s a thematic thing, the biggest thing is we’ve put in some good, hard work at times, and have not taken advantage of that hard work. That’s been partially some undisciplined things of us, partially also New York has stepped up and made some plays at the end of the clock and finished out possessions.”

On returning to their standard to try and bounce back:

“If there’s a thematic thing, the biggest thing is we’ve put in some good, hard work at times, and have not taken advantage of that hard work. That’s been partially some undisciplined things for us. Also, New York has stepped up and made some plays at the end of the clock and finished out possessions.”

On the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden:

“I think there will obviously be a ton of excitement around the game. This arena’s like no other. The added circumstances will be on top of that. We’ve been fortunate to play some games in this arena recently that have been, again, not Finals, but [the] Christmas game [in 2024]. Again, I just think added attention around Victor and being in this arena a few times, we’ve experienced that. I would expect tomorrow will be more than that. It will be a fun environment.”

On simply focusing on Game 3 down 2-0:

“We’ve got one game [Monday] night at 8:30 in Madison Square Garden. It’s the only game that matters. We’ve got to come in here ready to win it.”

Stephon Castle

On the late turnover in Game 2:

“I don’t know what we could have done differently at the end of that game to pull it out. It didn’t happen, so on to the next.”

On the added urgency being down 0-2:

“It’s human nature to come out with a certain sense of urgency after a loss. It probably shouldn’t go that way; you should come out with the same urgency whether you win or lose. Now being down 2-0, our sense of urgency is the highest it’s been.”

On Gregg Popovich’s message after going down 0-2:

“Pretty much his message was, ‘Just let the last two games go.’ It happened. They were very winnable games. We feel like we gave them those games. We’ve got to let those go and focus on the next one. The next game is the most important game of the series. Try to come into that and win it.”

On the challenge of coming back from a 2-0 deficit:

“At the end of the day, it’s first to four [wins]. I mean, at this point in the season, it doesn’t really matter whether you’re playing at home or away. Teams are playing their best brand of basketball. Trying to figure out how to win basketball games is the most important thing. I mean, yeah, going down 0-2 at home is something we definitely didn’t want to do. Going back and watching it, those were very winnable games. I think the next two are very winnable games, too.”

On his ankle after the Game 2 scare while foul-baiting:

“It’s been feeling good. Yeah, I’ve been feeling good. It feels a lot better than I thought it would initially. Obviously, I had some adrenaline running, [and] kind of once I settled down, I started to feel it. Waking up the next day, actually felt really good.”

Victor Wembanyama

On the Spurs’ mistakes in Game 2:

“There were many things we could have done better. From simply not turning the ball over to being smarter about fouls, or even fouling earlier sometimes in the possession. It could have went a thousand ways.”

On blocking out distractions at MSG in Game 3:

“I think the key is acceptance a lot of times, taking a step back, realizing all the journey that’s behind this and what’s ahead of this. Just being okay with who I am, where I am, what I’m doing. I think this is everything that I wished for. There’s really no reason to overthink it. I mean, this is what I’m built for. I think it could be [more difficult given all the attention], but isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years. I think I’m good at it. So it’s not a problem. This is similar to something media-wise like the Olympics.”

On capitalizing in Game 3:

“We need to capitalize, actually use all the efforts we did. We did a lot of things wrong, but we also were relentless and kept pushing, but kind of, like, wasted that effort. Even though I know it’s not wasted because our lessons are learned — I know we’re not going to make the mistakes of the past again — but in a moment like this, we need to make these things matter.”

On De’Aaron Fox’s leadership within the Spurs locker room:

“He’s an experienced guy that we’ve always been able to turn to when we need it. Especially I think it’s easy to forget that our guards are really young, how precious he’s been for them.”

Harrison Barnes

On De’Aaron Fox’s impact on the Spurs:

“It’s huge. It can’t be stated enough the things he’s done. When he came here last year, I think he had in the same week 50 and 60 points, you know what I mean? I think those things aren’t talked about enough. You talk about the youth of this team. This is his second playoff run.”

Dylan Harper

On what’s the most important thing for him heading into Game 3:

“Desperation. I think for me, I feel like I’m at my best when I play with that type of desperation, and I think that’s what’s kind of needed for this occasion. I feel like I’m going to go out there and no matter what the circumstances, I think if I’m not playing with that type of fire or grit, I’m doing a disservice to everyone.”

On the atmosphere at MSG for Game 3:

“I mean, I feel like we kind of got a taste of [what it will feel like] a little bit in San Antonio. I think that next game tomorrow is going to be electric. I think it’s going to be through the roof. I think it’s going to be everything that I’ve kind of seen or dreamed of times 10.”

De’Aaron Fox

On believing the Spurs can recover from the two-game hole:

“We’ve lost a Game 1 at home and we’ve been able to fight back. We’ve played well on the road throughout the course of the playoffs. I don’t think any of us in the locker room are thinking we can’t do it.”

On his approach for Game 3:

“It could go downhill quickly or we could fight back. So, for me, you want to come out and just be aggressive and just allow our team to follow suit.”

On the Spurs’ belief in themselves:

“There’s a reason why we’re so good. We have a talented group. We have a group that is willing to share, willing to play together and we want to continue to do that. But we need to play better.”

Amar’e Stoudemire

On No. 47 attending Game 3:

“Oh, man, he’s going to get a standing ovation. That’s the United States president. He deserves all the respect that we can give him. So I think the Knicks fans will show respect Monday night to the president if he does come to the game.”

Mike Sweetney

On being welcomed back by the Knicks for Games 3 and 4:

“I didn’t have the career I could have had. But for them to have me back and welcome me with open arms, that means the world to me.”

On how different the current environment feels to his Knicks days:

“It was a zoo when I was there as a player. So it’s one of those things where I look at it like, ‘Whoa, that’s kind of crazy.’ But now it’s one of those things where you’re happy for the team for where they are now, what they’re doing. There was a lot of pressure on me. But I’m going to be honest with you, I didn’t know it was like this. I knew it was crazy but … you can see it, wow, Knicks fans are everywhere.”

Walt Frazier

On the Knicks being destined for the NBA title:

“It’s destiny. At the end of the season, we feared Detroit and Boston and they fell out. We didn’t want OKC and they fell out. We got the guys we wanted because of their lack of experience. You saw that tonight. They had us on the ropes, but they didn’t know how to finish it.”

On the team’s togetherness compared to his era:

“Frazier, Bradley, DeBusschere, Reed. It’s the same thing. That togetherness is really core. This year, we’ve been a 10-man team. Guys are stepping up . . . All these guys have been very productive.”

Zohran Mamdani

On attending Game 3 at MSG:

“I will be in a very different section of the stadium. And I think we look forward to welcoming any New Yorker who is excited for the Knicks to have that chance to win that championship.”

On what this Knicks run means to the New York City:

“This moment means everything for so many across the city. It feels like the transformation of the world’s greatest city into the world greatest small town, where not only are we all thinking about the same thing, but we’re all praying for the same thing.”

On the need for keeping watch parties safe and joyful:

“I think thus far the focus is on the question of watch parties and ensuring the safety and the security and also that they’re places of joy where New Yorkers can gather.”

On balancing safety and celebration:

“This is the constant bounce in any time of immense excitement and joy is that we want to make sure that it is safe, it is secure, and also that we are not stifling a moment that New Yorkers are going to remember for a long time. And I think in the World Cup we’ll see a similar thing where, yes, we are focused on making sure it’s a safe and secure World Cup, and also one where that is not stifling the excitement of the experience. And, I can tell you that as a fan, yes, you build your entire day for the game. But the memories you have are before, they’re after, they’re at the fan zone, they are across the city, and that’s something we want to make sure that others get to have here.”

On James Dolan providing tickets to underprivileged families:

“I’m appreciative of the fact that Mr. Dolan has provided a number of hundreds of tickets for these finals for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it. I think this is a moment where everyone is thinking about the Knicks … (While campaigning), I remember speaking about the fact that we’re going to fight for affordable tickets and there are many who rolled their eyes. And now there will be a thousand New Yorkers who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to go to the game for whom this will mean everything and that’s an incredible opportunity.”

Dwyane Wade

On challenging Victor Wembanyama to elevate his game:

“What Wemby’s done has been incredible. I need to see more. If you’re gonna win this championship, we’re gonna have to see Wemby go to the level that we think Wemby can go to. He’s shown us he can. I knew the opportunity that was in front of me and I didn’t want the opportunity to pass me by, and so I end up discovering a player that I never had seen before. That guy who averaged 34.7 in the Finals, I never seen him before.”

Edie Falco

On her overwhelming positivity about the Knicks:

“I’m a little embarrassed at my positivity and joie de vivre. Not being the winning team is kind of built into the Knicks’ sauce. You say you’re a Knicks fan, and people are like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ It’s like a joke. But it’s never really mattered to me ’cause I just love ’em. I love the Knicks, and I love being at the Garden, even though the individuals are different every year. So, this is some whole other place. This is some whole other thing. It’s intense.”

On feeling possessive about the team:

“I don’t know where to put this. It’s a little bit like everybody is focused now on my guys. But they’re my guys! I’m feeling sort of very possessive about my team. Like, the whole freaking world is focused on them right now, and I’m like, ‘Back off, everybody. These are my guys.’”

Fat Joe

On the Knicks unifying New York:

“I seen Hasidic Jews break dancing with Black kids. This is the greatest unification of the city since 9/11.”

On James Dolan’s ownership:

“Shoutout to Mr. Dolan. Greatest team owner in the game. Very misunderstood. They villainize Mr. Dolan almost like a Bruce Wayne, like Batman in Gotham City because he’s an elite. But this man: All these watch parties. That man’s taking care of us. What do you want me to say? The guy lives a great life. It’s a lot of pressure. New York City, man, they want answers and they want it now. So they kept trying to get it right and now finally you’ve got this team-ball mentality.”

On the Knicks’ team-first mentality:

“[In New York], we like big names, and we always went for the big names, but those were more like individual achievers. It wasn’t team basketball. So we got it right.”

On fearing the firing of Tom Thibodeau and the hiring of Mike Brown:

“I was a little nervous with coach cause I’m not gonna lie to you: I loved Thibs. So when he came, I said, ‘Dog, what did we do?’ But [Mike Brown] proved to me that he’s an incredible, incredible coach. This is all a team. They’ve got that mentality. They’re not celebrating. I might be celebrating more than these guys.”

Ben Stiller

On sharing courtside footage with fans on X:

“If you’re lucky enough to have that access and have that point of view, I feel like it’s great to be able to share that. I think that’s the biggest part of it, is to be able to share that point of view because I feel so grateful to have that. And then it’s fun to be just witnessing it.”

On combining filmmaking and his Knicks fandom:

“It’s just incredible. It’s so exciting. Obviously, to do what I love doing, and then my favorite thing to do is to go see the Knicks play, it’s special to have that come together.”

On appreciating the moment as a fan:

“It’s that thing of just trying to appreciate the moment. It’s actually hard, even when I’m filming, because I want to enjoy it as a fan, too. So, it’s kind of that balance. So, half the time I’ll drop the phone and just go jump up and down. For me, I’m much more interested in seeing what’s going on out there instead of myself.”

On accepting the Knicks’ struggles over the years:

“My whole life I’ve lived with this idea that, ‘Oh, the Knicks aren’t going to make it, the Knicks have never been good, the Knicks have been a joke for a long time back in the day.’ It almost became something you accept.”

On how surreal this Knicks run feels:

“It’s kind of surreal. I think it would be one of the biggest things to happen to the city in terms of unifying [us]. I think it’s stuff inside of people that they don’t even know is there, the feelings that are coming up where you’re used to just having to live with, ‘OK, this is what it is’ to the reality of we’re in the Finals and we’re two games up.”

On being in denial about the moment:

“It’s still, I feel like I’m in denial about it. But I think for the city it’s going to be incredible. You can already feel it.”

The opening acts have already been electric.

But Monday could be historic.

This playoff run — in which the Knicks have won 13 straight, including five at home — has shown the absolute mania that is possible inside Madison Square Garden.

But even that is likely just a warmup for what the Mecca and Knicks fans are capable of at their full potential.

Everything has lined up for Monday’s Game 3 of the Finals to be one of those moments that cements itself in New York City lore.

The Knicks return home leading the series 2-0, having won both road games to begin the Finals.

“I expect our fans to come out and do what they do every game, which is come and support us at the highest level,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after practice Sunday. “I’m really excited to play. It’s always great when you get to play the game of basketball at its highest level. To be able to lace the shoes up, be able to put the jersey on and be able to see our fans, to see Finals basketball after all this time is going to be really, really special.”

The wait only adds to the anticipation.

For 27 years, The World’s Most Famous Arena has been a pressure cooker just waiting to explode — a sleeping giant just waiting to be woken up.

The last Finals game in the building was June 25, 1999 — when the Knicks lost Game 5 to the Spurs to end the series.

“I think it’s really cool — 27 years since the last Finals here in this building,” Jalen Brunson said. “I know the fan base is really excited, as they should be.”

This century has not seen the Finals version of MSG and New York City.

And really, even in ’99, the Knicks trailed 2-0 in the series by the time they came home, dulling some of the energy.

You have to go back even further, to Game 5 of the ’94 Finals, to find a game the Knicks began at the Garden at least tied in the Finals.

“We got to be desperate for these fans,” Towns said. “Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see Finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden. For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen Finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give ’em something to cheer for, give ’em something to get loud for and also give ’em something to believe in.

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“I talked about the word ‘hope.’ Hope has been brought back to the city. We’ve revitalized that word. But the word ‘success’ hasn’t been seen in this city for a long time. So we have to continue to fight to bring that word back to fruition.”

This young Spurs team, which has already shown it is susceptible to capitulating in high-intensity moments, is about to walk into a cauldron unlike anything it has experienced before.

“I think there will obviously be a ton of excitement around the game,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “This arena’s like no other. The added circumstances will be on top of that.”

Victor Wembanyama is confident he’s ready for the atmosphere.

“Isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years,” he said. “I think I’m good at it. So it’s not a problem.”

The uniqueness of MSG can be felt before Game 3 even tips off.

It felt like there was double the number of media members at practices Sunday than there were in San Antonio.

Fat Joe and Jadakiss crashed coach Mike Brown’s news conference and then held their own impromptu media availability.

Ben Stiller was roaming the grounds filming the scene.

A special building has been waiting for this special moment.

“It makes it feel different,” Brown said, “than almost any other building you’ve been in.”

Bryant Park has been added as an extra Knicks watch party location for Monday night’s NBA Finals Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs, it was announced early Monday.

The addition was made after the NYPD and Secret Service axed the planned watch party outside of Madison Square Garden due to heightened security requirements for President Trump’s planned attendance.

“These watch parties have become a celebration of New York City itself,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“From every borough and every neighborhood, this city has come together to cheer on the Knicks and share in a moment that belongs to all of us. That’s why we’re adding Bryant Park as an additional watch party location, so even more fans can be part of this incredible Knicks Finals run.”

The watch party will be free and open to the public, with a maximum capacity of 5,000 attendees. Registration in advance is required.

Knicks watch parties will also be held at Central Park and Brooklyn Bowl so fans across the Big Apple can watch the team make their first run at an NBA championship since 1973.

The NBA Finals head to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will have a chance to close out the series at their home arena after winning the first two games on the road at the Frost Bank Center.

The Knicks' last NBA finals appearance was in 1999 against the Spurs, who went on to beat New York 4-1. The Knicks won their only two NBA titles in 1970 and 1973.

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will have to crawl back into the series, in search of the franchise's first title since 2014.

Here’s what NBA experts think will happen in Game 3 of the series:

Knicks vs. Spurs Game 3 predictions

USA TODAY Staff: Knicks will continue to pull away

Most of the USA TODAY Sports staff believes the Knicks will continue to run away with the series in Madison Square Garden.

Lorenzo Reyes: Knicks 110, Spurs 101

Mark Giannotto: Knicks 108, Spurs 105

Scooby Axson: Knicks 115, Spurs 111

Victoria Hernandez: Knicks 112, Spurs 108

Jon Hoefling: Knicks 111, Spurs 109

Andres Soto: Spurs 111, Knicks 108

James H. Williams: Spurs 115, Knicks 108

Sports Betting Dime: Spurs 116.5, Knicks 115.1

The website predicts that San Antonio will win Game 3 against New York, taking the Spurs with the points. It has the point total going over.

ESPN: Knicks given best chance to win in Game 3

The website gives New York a 58.2% chance of beating San Antonio in Game 3 and being within one game of winning the championship.

How to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals

• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Madison Square Garden (New York)
• TV: ESPN
• Stream:Fubo, YouTube TV

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Finals Game 3 predictions: Will Spurs or Knicks win?