Editor’s Note: Today is a perfect day to announce the debut of another one of Canis’ very own, JetAllen! Jet Helmbrecht is introducing a series of articles called the “What If” Wolves, beginning all the way back with the beginning. You are in for a treat!

You can also say hello to Jet on BlueSky @coachjet!

Volume One: Let’s Begin

$32.5 million dollars.

That was the purchase price of an NBA expansion team in 1987.

Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson put some dough together to bring a pro basketball team back to Minnesota. We all know the story of the Minneapolis Lakers leaving town for greener pastures in Los Angeles way back in 1960. Some people even know about the Muskies and Pipers that played in the ABA. But finally, thanks to “Harv and Marv”, the NBA would be coming back to Minnesota.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were born.

For those of you who don’t know, the Minnesota Timberwolves, or the Wolves, or the T-Wolves (please don’t use this one) have not always been the cream of the NBA crop. They’ve been teams that were not that talented, with poor decision-making, and flat-out illegal transactions by the front office that have kept the Wolves near the bottom of the standings for most of the team’s history.

I am going to break some of these issues down and offer an alternative history. Basically, this is what I would have done instead. Obviously, almost every instance of me changing history would have led to a championship… Who are you to doubt me?

This series is purely for entertainment purposes. Try not to take things too seriously, and we should have some fun. With that being said, let’s get started with the creation of the team and the first season.

Franchise Creation

Like I stated before, Harv and Marv, the original owners of the Timberwolves, put up $32.5 million dollars to purchase an expansion team. Considering what the NBA expansion fee is today ($7-10 billion), this was a bargain.

Harv and Marv would still need to find a permanent place to play, hire front office staff, and field a team. But there were more pressing items that needed to be dealt with, namely, finding a team name.

The “Minnesota NBA Team” decided that they would leave the naming up to the great people of Minnesota. I’m sure you can guess how that went. A “Name the Team” contest was sent out to the masses. 6,076 entries came back with 1,284 different names. There was a group of current NBA team names submitted. The Cavaliers (Cleveland), Kings (Sacramento), Hawks (Atlanta), Mavericks (Dallas), Pacers (Indiana), Warriors (Golden State), Nets (New Jersey at the time), Bucks (Milwaukee), and of course the Lakers (Los Angeles).

None of these names would be selected or approved by the NBA, even though the Lakers should be in Minnesota. I’ve never even heard of a lake in Los Angeles, outside of an Andrew Garfield movie.

Anyways, a slew of cold-weather nicknames were submitted, like the Frost, the Chill, Tornadoes, the Blizzard, the Snowdrift, and the Abominable Snowmen. I’ve never been a fan of the non-plural nicknames or team names that, to me, are nonsense. Team names like the Miami HEAT, Orlando Magic, and especially (I know I will get hate for this) the Minnesota Wild.

What the hell is a “a Wild”?

There were Minnesota state-specific mascot names like the Loons (which would become the name of the Minnesota Major League Soccer team), Mallards, Mosquitoes (of course), Gnats, Bullheads, Walleyes, Minnows, Oofdahs (or Uffdas depending on your Scandinavian heritage), and my favorite, the Mississippi Mud Monsters (now a minor league baseball team).

All the entries were cut down to the two most popular, the Timberwolves and Polars. These names were then sent to the 842 city councils throughout Minnesota for their votes. The Timberwolves were the runaway winner (again, what is “a Polar”?).

With the name selected, a logo and uniforms would be next. Mark Thompson designed the first logo: a majestic wolf looking off into the distance, which we now refer to as “Old Shep”. What is he looking at? Maybe prey of some kind. Maybe he is looking at a Wild or a Polar. It’s really not important; this logo is classic and still my preferred logo out of all that the team has had.

The Timberwolves made a deal to play their inaugural season at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. 10-year-old me thought this was the most magical place in the entire world (I didn’t get out much back then). This was a smart choice for many reasons.

First, the dome was awesome. I remember the first time I went to the dome to see a Minnesota Vikings game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The atmosphere was electric; the Vikings won, Boomer Esiason got booed, and when we left, I got expelled from the building by a huge gust of wind that always happened when exiting the Metrodome (Factor in that I was maybe 50 pounds at the time… I flew).

No matter if you were prepared for the wind or not, it always took you by surprise.

The dome was huge as well. Somehow, the Timberwolves set an NBA record for single-season attendance in their first year. 1,072,572 people attended Wolves games that year. The only negative of holding games at the dome was the men’s bathroom trough. If you don’t know what that is, basically a giant urinal that a bunch of guys use at the same time.

Think of what a horse drinks water from. Now, instead of horses, imagine dudes expelling all the beer that they drank while cheering on their favorite team. Even worse, now picture me standing maybe at 3 feet tall, and where my eye line would have been while trying to go to the bathroom. Get rid of those troughs, and we are good to go.

I read once that those troughs were auctioned off. One of the troughs was sold for $375! What are you going to do with that thing?

Former University of Minnesota Coach Bill Musselman was named the first Head Coach for the Timberwolves. Musselman may have seemed to some as a hometown discount type of pick, but he had some recent success that made him a decent candidate. He left the University of Minnesota with a .683 winning percentage, including a Big Ten Championship in 1972.

The 1972 team included future NBA players Jim Brewer and Ron Behagen, and, most bafflingly, Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, who averaged 7.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Before being named Head Coach of the Timberwolves, Musselman won four straight titles in the Continental Basketball Association (Tampa Bay Thrillers twice, Rapid City Thrillers, and the Albany Patroons).

The Wolves’ new coach shared personnel decisions with Director of Player Personnel Bill McKinney and CEO Bob Stein.

So, it is no coincidence that several of the Albany Patroons players, including Tony Campbell, Sidney Lowe, Tod Murphy, and Scott Brooks, played for the early Timberwolves teams. We’ll keep them in place, why not?

The First Drafts and Free Agency

Because the Timberwolves were/are an expansion team, they have zero players at this point in time. The Wolves and the Orlando Magic, being the other expansion team in 1989, would take turns selecting up to 12 players from an existing pool of NBA players.

Only one player could be selected from an existing team, and each team had several players that were “protected” and could not be selected.

So, no Michael Jordan on the Wolves.

There was a coin toss to see which team would select first in the expansion draft or have the higher pick in the regular NBA Draft. The Magic won the coin toss and elected to have the first pick in the Expansion Draft, allowing the Timberwolves to have the higher draft pick in the NBA Draft (#10 overall).

Orlando chose power forward Sidney Green from the New York Knicks. The Timberwolves, with their first selection, made their first front office blunder.

The Wolves drafted power forward Rick Mahorn from the Detroit Pistons. Great pick, right? Mahorn was a quality role player with trade value and on-court strengths. Wrong! Mahorn refused to go to the Timberwolves.

There are no take-backs in the draft, so the Wolves end up trading Mahorn to the Philadelphia 76ers for a first-round draft pick (Don’t get excited. The pick was used on Gerald Glass.) and two second-round picks. A whole lot of nothing. The rest of the draft wasn’t much better. Here are the Timberwolves selections:

1. Rick Mahorn PF Detroit Pistons
2. Tyrone Corbin SF Phoenix Suns
3. Steve Johnson C Portland Trailblazers
4. Brad Lohaus PF/C Sacramento Kings
5. David Rivers PG LA Lakers
6. Mark Davis SF Milwaukee Bucks
7. Scott Roth SF San Antonio Spurs
8. Shelton Jones PF Philadelphia 76ers
9. Eric White SF LA Clippers
10. Maurice Martin SG Denver Nuggets
11. Gunther Behnke C Cleveland Cavaliers

Any names ring a bell? Maybe three? Yeah, it’s not good. Mahorn refused to play for an expansion team. Mark Davis was selected only because the Bucks gave the Wolves a second-round pick to take him off their books. Only four of the players selected played for the Wolves that first year, and only Ty Corbin played for more than one season for the team. Hell, Gunther Behnke never even played for one second in the NBA!

There were a bunch of players who were left unprotected who could have been drafted. Now I know that contract/salary concerns may have kept these players from being selected, but these are the picks I would have made for the “What If” Wolves:

1. Tyrone Corbin SF Phoenix Suns
2. Terry Catledge PF Washington Bullets
3. Scott Skiles PG Indiana Pacers
4. Tony Campbell SG/SF LA Lakers
5. Jerome Lane PF Denver Nuggets
6. Brad Lohaus PF/C Sacramento Kings
7. Larry Krystkowiak PF/C Milwaukee Bucks
8. Dennis Johnson PG Boston Celtics
9. Vinnie Johnson SG/PG Detroit Pistons
10. David Wingate SF/SG Philadelphia 76ers
11. Caldwell Jones C/PF Portland Trailblazers
12. No pick. This guy wasn’t going to play anyways.

So here is my thinking: try to at least draft players that may want to play for the team (thanks for nothing, Mahorn), milk as much talent out of the older players as possible, and draft players that can maybe play a bit.

The toughest decision was drafting Tyrone Corbin instead of Spud Webb. Spud Webb was my favorite player growing up because I was always the shortest kid in my class. I thought that if Spud could dunk at his height (5’7”), I should be able to as well when I grew up (5’8”).

I did manage to dunk (Twice!), but I had to catch the ball off the bounce and kind of smoosh it into the hoop. It wasn’t pretty, but I say it counts. Expansion draft complete! We have 80% of our roster set.

For the NBA Draft, the Timberwolves started a long tradition of messing up royally with their first pick at 10th overall.

Minnesota also had two picks in the second round, the 34^th and 38^th overall picks. When this draft took place, I was 12 years old. Not really the basketball nerd that I would become. But even in my early fandom, I knew who I wanted the Timberwolves to draft: Tim Hardaway.

The only reason why I wanted them to draft Hardaway was due to a short clip that discussed his signature move, the “UTEP Two-Step”. The UTEPTS (acronyms were long back then) was a simple but very effective crossover move that allowed Hardaway easy access to the bucket. That was the only reason I wanted the Wolves to draft him.

Seriously, the only reason.

When Minnesota instead selected Pooh Richardson out of UCLA, this 12-year-old GM was ticked. How could the Timberwolves betray me already? At the time, it really wasn’t that big of a deal, but I do remember a local paper headline that read “Who is Pooh?” or something along those lines.

Tim Hardaway even thought that he would go to the Wolves at 10. Hardaway started to fall a bit and was eventually selected by the Golden State Warriors. But why the slip in the draft? Well, Golden State Head Coach Don Nelson was telling the other teams ahead of the Warriors that Hardaway had bum knees and would most likely be out of the league in four years.

Sneaky coach.

Tim Hardaway would go on to be a multiple-time NBA All-Star, Olympic medalist, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. I should have been named the GM at 12.

After Pooh Richardson at 10, the Wolves drafted center Gary Leonard from Missouri at pick 34 and wing Doug West from Villanova at pick 38. Leonard would only play a total of 31 games in the NBA. However, Doug West was one of the fan-favorite players on the early Timberwolves teams. He played 12 seasons in the NBA, nine of them with the Wolves.

West was a hard worker, a decent dunker, and didn’t have much of a jump shot. Fun guy to watch. I hope this won’t sound like slander.

So, who did the Timberwolves miss out on? Well, All-Stars like Shawn Kemp, Mookie Blaylock, Dana Barros, Cliff Robinson (RIP), B.J. Armstrong, and Vlade Divac were all selected later on.

The “What if” Wolves should have drafted Tim Hardaway at #10. Easy choice for me. The second round is where we get a bit tricky. I would try to package picks 34 and 38 to try to move up for pick 26 from the Lakers. I think that would have been good enough value for the Los Angeles to accept that trade.

Besides, they stole our team back in 1960; they owe us.

With the 26^th pick, I would take Vlade Divac, same as what the Lakers did. The real reason to draft Divac is to trade him down the line to the Charlotte Hornets for the first-round draft pick that became Kobe Bryant, but he’ll be a decent center in the meantime.

The rest of the roster was filled out by adding some key players through free agency. The Wolves were able to agree to contracts with forwards Sam Mitchell, Tony Campbell, Tod Murphy, and Donald Royal, with point guard Sidney Lowe.

Here was the first roster for the Minnesota T-IF-berwolves:

Tony Campbell led the team by scoring 23.2 points per game. Forward Tyrone Corbin led in rebounds at 7.4 per game, and the rookie Pooh Richardson led the team with 6.8 assists per game.

Overall, the team finished dead last in points per game with 95.2, second worst defense in the league, giving up 99.4 points per game. Not exactly world beaters. A decent start? Maybe, but most likely not.

Based on my alternate timeline, the Timberwolves would have drafted a future Hall of Fame player and a solid piece we can trade later. Plus, the fans would have been able to watch Vinnie Johnson cook off the bench, watch the last games of Dennis Johnson’s great career, and witness the team miss a lot of threes (The real Wolves shot 73 for 294 on 3-point shots, 24.8%!).

The actual Timberwolves finished with a record of 22-60. My “What If” Wolves could have been 40-42, at least I think so.

Maybe it’s ridiculous to use my one pass to go back in time to fix the least consequential era in Wolves history, but that’s not important. Everyone has something they want to change in this franchise’s history, from the Steph Curry draft in 2009, to the idiotic abandonment of Chauncey Billups in 2002.

Me? I just think this whole expansion business was a missed opportunity.

After being drafted and stashed, then going on to win MVP and, for the second year in a row, the Top Prospect Award in Serbia’s Adriatic League, the Milwaukee Bucks committed to Bogoljub Markovic early this offseason, signing him to a four-year, $9.3m rookie contract. 

The timing was both right and wrong. Markovic does have talent (more on that in a moment), plays a position of need, and, at just 21 years old, fits the Bucks’ current timeline. So, if he’s ever going to become an NBA player, now, while the Bucks have no pressure to win, is the time to find out. On the other hand, signing Markovic so early in the offseason undoubtedly contributed to the Bucks’ roster logjam, leaving them in the position they are now, needing to trim two players without many appealing pathways to do so. In hindsight, waiting until after his Summer League evaluation would’ve retained at least some roster flexibility. But I digress; Markovic is here—at least for now. 

In Summer League, Markovic put up decent counting stats: 8.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG, and 1.2 TPG, to go along with .381/.364/.667 shooting splits. He had some moments too, including a 16-point, eight-rebound showing against the Phoenix Suns. But he also went MIA for stretches—or even entire games, like the 1/9 stinker against the Philadelphia 76ers to wrap up SL play. In the end, his play earned him a C- on our official Summer League report card.

Offensively, Markovic has some chops. He’s a gifted passer who can create from the high and low post and, under the right circumstances, even off the dribble. He’s more explosive than you’d think too—no, I’m not going to call his athleticism “sneaky”—able to quickly flush home dunks. He’s also a capable shooter, though he needs to improve his consistency to become a legitimate floor-spacing big in the NBA. This, it seems, is his most likely avenue to a real NBA role. 

On the defensive end, it’s a different story. If Markovic was a cricket bat, he’d be applauded for his defensive stroke play—how vertical he is. Unfortunately, he’s a basketballer and he’s just far too upright as a defender to make much of an impact. Like a cricket bat, he’s also still far too thin and narrow, meaning he’s too easily pushed around. He’ll get some boards and blocks by nature of his length, but he’s no deterrent at the rim and gives up far too many second chance opportunities. Put it this way, Markovic is strictly a four and should only ever see minutes at the five in blowouts. 

Looking ahead, a successful season for Markovic would be one in which he hits the gym, hard, and polishes the stroke enough to earn semi-consistent court time; 40 games at about 10 minutes per would mean he’s made significant strides. Anything more would be a bonus. 

With Markovic snicking one to slips and on his way back to the changerooms, which Buck will be next to join him?

When the Washington Wizards started their rebuild in 2023, rotation debates centered around Deni Avdija versus Corey Kispert for a starting spot and whether Mike Muscala or Danilo Gallinari would back up Daniel Gafford. 

Three years later, Bilal Coulibaly is the lone holdover from a roster that’s undergone a complete overhaul. Washington’s new-look squad of talented veterans and ascending young players presents head coach Brian Keefe with several questions surrounding his starting lineup and rotation.

But considering the team’s 50-196 record since the start of the 2023-24 season, Keefe’s dilemma is one Washington appreciates the ability to solve.

While Keefe hasn’t formally spoken on his 2026-27 rotation, an educated guess would tab Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr as likely starters when Washington opens against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 21.

AJ Dybantsa, the team’s No. 1 selection in June’s draft who general manager Will Dawkins hinted could play both shooting guard and small forward, likely slots into one of the openings. That leaves three players — Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and Tre Johnson — vying for one starting spot.

Each player boasts a compelling case. The decision comes down to what Keefe values most: elite defense, knockdown shooting, or the best combination of both.

Bilal Coulibaly

Over the last two seasons, Coulibaly has started all 115 games he’s played in.

The French wing is the team’s best perimeter defender. His 86.5-inch wingspan, which ranks in the 99th percentile among NBA guards, allows him to disrupt passing lanes and deny shots. His 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 3.1 deflections per game all ranked in the 90th percentile or better at his position last season.

Coulibaly’s ability to defend the opponent’s top offensive threat could best complement Young, whose elite offensive production often overshadows his lackluster defense.

As the primary defender, Coulibaly held Giannis Antetokounmpo to just seven points on 2-for-7 shooting in Washington’s 129-126 win over the Milwaukee Bucks last December. For reference, Antetokounmpo scored 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting against all other defenders.

(Video via Youtube.com/Byvarunshankar)

Coulibaly’s 41.4% 3-point clip in five games alongside Young provides some additional promise.

But the sample size next to Young — just 29 3-point attempts — is small compared to a relatively poor body of work. Coulibaly is a career 31% 3-point shooter whose inconsistent jumper presents potential spacing issues when paired with other non-shooters like Davis (27% 3PT), Sarr (33.3% 3PT) and Dybantsa (33.1% 3PT).

If Coulibaly outduels George and Johnson, Washington’s starters wouldn’t include a single player who shot over 34% 3PT last season.

Does Coulibaly’s defense outweigh his offensive limitations and the spacing issues those might bring? That’s a question for Keefe to assess and eventually answer.

Tre Johnson

Johnson is a lethal outside jumpshooter who struggles on defense. He’s essentially the opposite of Coulibaly.

The 6-foot-5 guard shot nearly 40% from three before a hip injury sidelined him in November. His percentage dipped after that setback and further dropped following a January ankle injury. He finished his rookie season at 35.8% 3PT.

Johnson’s jumper would solve Washington’s spacing issues. But his 125.7 defensive rating, which would’ve ranked dead last in the NBA if he played enough games to qualify, suggests a vulnerable defensive backcourt between him and Young.

Alex Sarr defended the most rim attempts per game last season in part because Washington’s poor perimeter defense funneled many drives into their 7-foot center. A starting backcourt of Young and Johnson wouldn’t necessarily solve that problem — if anything, it could worsen it.

While starting Johnson remains possible, it wouldn’t align with the franchise’s goal of overhauling one of the league’s worst defensive units. Starting Coulibaly or George better supports that objective.

Kyshawn George

George is the perfect middle ground.

The third-year wing offers the best combination of size (6-foot-8), shooting (38.1% 3PT), offensive creation (4.5 assists per game), and defensive ability (1.9 stocks per game) among this trio. And unlike the other candidates, George’s game doesn’t include a major deficiency.

After an offseason of growth — in both strength and skills — George’s physical defense holds up against guards, forwards and possibly some smaller centers. He offers the defensive versatility that Wizards general manager Will Dawkins preaches.

His 42.8% clip on catch-and-shoot threes last season showed he can space the floor. In a lineup with Young, one of the league’s prolific passers, that percentage could solve potential spacing issues.

The argument against starting George centers around a few things, none of which are indictments of his game. One of those arguments: George’s on-ball play was so promising last season that bringing him off the bench to run the second unit makes more sense.

According to databallr.com, George created 25.4 points per game last season. While impressive, his 2.6 turnovers per contest showcased room for growth in both court vision and decision-making.

Washington’s lack of a true backup point guard has opened the door for George to assume similar offensive creation responsibilities, which might overlap with Young if deployed in the same lineups.

But after acquiring Tre Mann to presumably compete with Bub Carrington for the backup point guard role, George’s on-ball duties no longer appear as vital to the second unit’s success as some previously imagined.

The decision

Keefe’s philosophy will show through this choice.

Are Washington’s spacing or defense concerns so great that it warrants leaving the team vulnerable on one of those ends? Or are those holes so vast that a partial fix to both is better than completely solving one?

The former favors Coulibaly and Johnson. The latter sides with George.

Keefe’s decision looms as training camp approaches.

Take a quick look at FanDuel’s listed odds for the Eastern Conference Champion and you’ll see the defending-champion New York Knicks there at +340. After them, you have the Philadelphia 76ers (+400), Boston Celtics (+500), Detroit Pistons (+850), and Cleveland Cavaliers (+900) rounding out the top five. 

However, there is one team missing from that top five that may just be better than all of those championship hopefuls, and that is the Toronto Raptors, who currently sit at sixth-place in the Eastern Conference title race at +950 (an implied probability of 9.5%). If you ask me, this is a gross underestimation of their abilities, and the basketball world is going to rue the day they counted out the Raptors.

There’s a reason SB Nation considers Toronto a top-5 championship contender in the entire league entering the season. Now that they have finally officially landed Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors all the pieces necessary to be a darkhorse for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Why the Raptors are so good 

I may be as bullish as anyone I know on the Raptors, but it’s hard not to be after seeing the unique way they were able to improve their team this offseason.

Let me explain. The Raptors and Pistons are not too dissimilar in the sense that they were both elite defensive teams (Raptors were 5th in defensive rating, Pistons were second), lead by their top five picks from the 2021 NBA Draft (Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham), who were using this offseason to find ways to get over the hump offensively (15th in offensive rating, 10th). 

For the Pistons, they had to go about this in a very orthodox way. Additions like Isaiah Joe, John Collins, and Ebuka Okorie helped improve their offense. But to get these guys they got rid of Isaiah Stewart (arguably the team’s second-best per minute defender), Tobias Harris (a metronomic veteran presence), and Caris LeVert (67th percentile Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, per Dunks & Threes). Simply put, they improved their offense, but had to take a hit on defense to do so.

The Raptors’ big offseason acquisition (which looks like it won’t be getting rescinded by the league front office) involved trading Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and first/second round draft capital in exchange for two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard. 

Dick, while still a promising player in my opinion, hardly factored into head coach Darko Rajakovic’s rotation last season (averaging just 14 minutes per game), so his loss won’t really be felt. That means that from an on-court perspective, the Raptors swapped Ingram for Leonard – a player who is not only a far superior offensive player, but a marginally better defender as well. 

Not only is Leonard an upgrade on both ends of the floor, but he is also an easier fit alongside other high-usage players. Last season, the Raptors were better with Scottie Barnes on the floor on his own than they were when he shared the floor with Ingram. Meanwhile, the 2018-19 Raptors were better with Leonard and Pascal Siakam (a player with similar offensive shortcomings to Barnes) on the floor together than they were when just one of them was on the court. 

The Raptors’ other marquee edition was Allen Graves, who they took with the 19th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. I’m not going to pretend to be some draft aficionado, but everything I’ve seen from Graves thus far screams immediate two-way impact player. At the very least, he certainly doesn’t tilt their team one way or the other.

Unlike the Pistons, the Raptors were able to build upon their weakness while also avoiding diminishing from their strength. This is without noting that, even with the 35-year-old Leonard, the Raptors are still fairly young. If Rajakovic’s head is in the same place as mine, it’ll mean that the other four players in Toronto’s starting lineup (Barnes, Collin-Murray Boyles, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett) will all be 27 years old or younger. Then, off the bench they’ll have Graves, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter (all of whom are under 24); plus Jakob Poeltl and Kyle Anderson there to provide some much-needed veteran experience. Tons of room for in-house improvement, but also enough steadiness to survive the rigors of the NBA season.

Yes, all of this hinges on Leonard’s health, which, before last season, was as reliable as a restroom soap dispenser. Prior to 2025-26, Leonard had only played over 60 games once since the last time he called Air Canada home. But is that any more risky than the Celtics relying on Jayson Tatum and Paul George, or a playstyle that keeps leading to upsets in the playoffs? Is it more risky than the 76ers starting a lineup with a 42-year-old, the basketball analytics equivalent of a flat Earther, and Joel Embiid (who has an even more checkered availability history than Leonard)? What about a Cavaliers team with three non-shooters in their opening five and two guards with durability concerns and a huge target hovering over them on defense? Is it riskier than that? I don’t think so. 

All the teams favored over the Raptors have some glaring holes (heck, even the Knicks have to overcome the loss of Mitchell Robinson). On paper, the Raptors have the fewest flaws of any Eastern Conference team. And in the playoffs, the team that comes out alive is usually the one with the least amount of weaknesses. 

This one just made me happy.

These guys just love hanging out together. In that picture are five young men, still early in their careers and yet in such a great place. Am I right in thinking that this is the most we’ve seen Spurs players hanging out since the Coffee Club?

Don’t get me wrong, one luxury of being a Spurs fan is appreciating how drama free the team can be for extremely long sessions. When a player doesn’t fit the team, they seem to mutually separate. Not every single time, and as time goes on some players may throw more shade on the past, but overall, the parting is amicable.

And those who are the longest tenured and most beloved? Well, those guys were always respectful of each other, but many had families and didn’t socialize in the same way.

From left to right you have Dylan Harper, age 20 who just wrapped his premiere on a tear as one of the best rookies of the season. he threw some crazy numbers in the postseason and handles the spotlight like it was built for him. Julian Champagnie just inked a three-year deal and bought himself one heck of a home. His move to San Antonio was a great pairing, one of those moments where the Spurs get credited for a “steal,” which is saying a lot for their impressive recording of finding hidden gems who were right in front of everyone’s eyes.

Standing center (which feels like exactly the right place for him to be standing) is Keldon Johnson, the elder statesman of the Spurs draftees and the longest tenured member of the squad. He had some postseason challenges, but we know Keldon, and he’s going to come back hard this season. He has motivation from within and now’s he’s got a sense of the weight created through series after series of best of sevens.

Devin Vassell, coming into his seventh season, just twenty-six years-old, and like Keldon, was ready for a taste of the postseason. You know he’s got the itch already to get into the next season. Hitting at 38% from beyond the arc last season, he’s bound to get more open looks when on the floor with Victor Wembanyama on the floor. Tell me he isn’t ready to get back on the hardwood.

And what is there not to love about Carter Bryant? He saw some minutes in the Finals as a rookie. That is etched in his mind for the rest of his life. His smile and charm make him look young and innocent, and then he’ll dunk on you like you tried to steal his lunch money. Close you eyes. Think about what he looked like in season. And thin about what he’s going to look like next season. Yeah, that’s about to happen.

Five amazing young men, in the prime of their lives, taking it all in, and loving every moment. Together.

Like I said, “This one just made me happy.”

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The Atlanta Hawks are still trying to recreate that glory they found during a 2021 playoff run.

Only one player, Onyeka Okongwu, remains from that Eastern Conference finalist team. Coaches and executives have come and gone, and yet every season the Hawks seem locked in a battle against .500 — not against the elite of the NBA.

Many pointed to the difficulties of building around a small, defensively challenged guard like Trae Young for this, but as the New York Knicks showed, the right team building execution can navigate those challenges (although not a perfect comparison for Jalen Brunson’s brilliance, of course).

As they head into the next season, there doesn’t appear to be much of a path leading to the 2027 NBA Finals for them. The team opted for continuity and long-term flexibility in their moves this offseason — which I believe was the mature and prudent path forward in fairness.

So why is it that the Hawks continue to be stuck in the middle?

They’ve replaced one homegrown, foundational All-Star (Young) with another (Jalen Johnson). Both guys have proven to be elite NBA players as first rounders and former five-star high school players.

But that same first round of the NBA Draft is exactly where the Hawks are otherwise snakebitten, and the main reason why their stuck in mediocrity.

Let’s take a brief stroll down memory lane (focused on first-round draft picks because second round picks are a pure crapshoot):

2018

This one will be quick: the Hawks hit both of their top 29 first round picks out of the park (the less that’s said about Omari Spellman at 30, the better). Kevin Huerter has proved to be a quality pick at 19 even as his career has stalled out after a torrid start to his Sacramento Kings career.

Still, this draft will likely be about who the Hawks didn’t come away with than who they did. What does the franchise look like if they had opted for the player with six (!) First Team All-NBA selections before the age of 28 instead of Young — provided they didn’t later trade him to the Lakers for pocket lint.

2019

Here’s where things really began to go off the rails. The Hawks — coming off a 29-53 season — held three first-round picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, no. 8, no. 10 (from the 2018 draft night trade), and no. 17 (fun fact: the pick that became reigning Most Improved Player Nickeil Alexander-Walker).

Instead of bringing in three rookies, the Hawks decided to use no. 8, no. 17, and second round assets to move up for De’Andre Hunter at fourth overall. They rounded out their first round with Cam Reddish at 10. The thought was both guys would bring length, athleticism, two-way impact and position versality to better round the roster around Young and emerging forward John Collins.

With the current Knicks as a parallel, strong wing defense is the best way to cover for a small guard defensively. Between Hunter (6’8” with a 7’2” wingspan) and Reddish (6’8” with a 7’0.5” wingspan), Wingstop should have proven to a great fit around Young.

Hunter was on his way to just maybe living up to that billing, until a knee injury shortened his sophomore season in 2020-21. Multiple setbacks ultimately sapped his athleticism, and he now looks to be on the back end of his NBA career.

To be completely frank, Reddish never even set foot down that path. He didn’t seem likely to accept a complementary role on offense, and his defensively attentiveness and motor waxed and waned like the phases of the moon.

Reddish (just turned 27) is currently set to play in Lithuania for the upcoming season.

2020

Onyeka Okongwu was the pick here at sixth overall. While it’s not ideal to draft a backup center this high in the draft, in the years since grabbing a starting spot, he’s transformed into one of the league’s best stretch centers.

Although he has his critics when it comes to measuring up with other starting centers on traditional contributions like rim protection and rebounding, coming away with a serviceable player is fine, I guess.

2021

Jalen Johnson at 20th overall. Great pick, no notes.

2022

Here’s where things really begin to get wicked.

AJ Griffin slipped from being a lottery selection down into the Hawks’ lap at 16 this draft. Playing time was sparce to begin his career, but he ended his rookie season on a solid note, showcasing his easy shooting motion and clearly NBA-ready body.

His sophomore season didn’t go to plan, however. After a trade and brief stint with the Houston Rockets’ summer league team, Griffin retired from basketball altogether in 2024. He is currently pursuing a career in ministry.

2023

Maybe there’s a comeback in store for Kobe Bufkin yet, but this one is already another wasted draft pick for the Hawks.

After being selected 15th overall, Bufkin suffered a thumb injury and a labrum tear in his first couple of seasons in Atlanta. He has since been traded, waived, and is currently signed to the New Orleans Pelicans after some time with the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

2024

It’s rare when the number one overall pick is on a different team than the one that drafted him just two years into his career (non-Andrew Wiggins or Markelle Fultz division). Number one overall pick Zaccharie Risacher is now trying to establish himself with the Dallas Mavericks after his playing time dwindled to zero with the Hawks last season.

Not every one of those picks would or should have produced high-level, franchise foundation types of players. Unearthing Jalen Johnson at 20 was a stroke of luck to be sure.

But to not come away with even long-term contributors out of the 2019, 2022, 2023 or 2024 drafts (including no. 1, no. 4 and no. 10 overall picks) has done real damage to a program trying to draft and develop their way into contention.

As a result, the Hawks have had to turn towards free agency and the trade market to find depth in the form of Dyson Daniels, Nickel Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum. And maybe the team can continue the form they found after the All-Star break last season and carry it into the upcoming season.

Teams like the Thunder used their assets to stockpile and develop young and exciting talent that helped lead them to the 2025 title. A team like Knicks instead decided to send their first-round picks elsewhere to bring in Karl Anthony-Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges and others.

But in either scenario, those firsts were used and not flushed down the toilet.

The Hawks have essentially lit a handful of first-round picks on fire, and partly as a result they sit here for another season outside the inner circle of contenders.

President of basketball operations Onsi Saleh has repeated that the Hawks still are not “one player away” and reiterated his intent to continue building his development program. But one thing is clear: the Hawks will remain more than one player away if they can’t quickly turn around their poor first-round draft record.