Kentucky revival, major neutral-site clashes highlight Indiana basketball nonconference schedule
The Hoosiers will open the season with a Nov. 5 visit from Alabama A&M, as a warmup for their neutral-site meeting four days later with Marquette at the United Center in Chicago. A run of five straight home games will follow — highlighted by a visit from Big 12 foe Kansas State — before IU travels to Indianapolis and Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a Dec. 6 meeting with Louisville, which finished second last year in the ACC.
This will mark the third straight year the Hoosiers and Cardinals meet in the regular season.
One week later marks the resumption of the IU-Kentucky rivalry as an annual nonconference game for the first time in 14 years. The Hoosiers and Wildcats have met just twice in the intervening period, both times in the NCAA tournament (2012, 2016).
IU's Dec. 13 game in Lexington will be the Hoosiers' first visit to Rupp Arena since 2010.
Those games against Kentucky and Louisville are likely to coincide with at least some portion of the pre-new year two-game start to Big Ten play.
DeVries' team will wrap up its nonconference schedule with a pair of home games before Christmas, Chicago State on Dec. 20 and Siena on Dec. 22, before a brief holiday break precedes the resumption of conference play.
The full nonconference schedule, with last year's final records and KenPom rankings in parentheses, is as follows:
Nov. 5, Alabama A&M (10-22, KenPom No. 360)
Nov. 9, Marquette* (23-11, KenPom No. 29)
Nov. 12, Milwaukee (21-11, KenPom No. 141)
Nov. 16, Incarnate Word (19-17, KenPom No. 224)
Nov. 20, Lindenwood (16-17, KenPom No. 327)
Nov. 25, Kansas State (16-17, KenPom No. 65)
Nov. 29, Bethune-Cookman (17-16, KenPom No. 286)
Dec. 6, Louisville^ (27-8, KenPom No. 28)
Dec. 13, at Kentucky (24-12, KenPom No. 16)
Dec. 20, Chicago State (4-28, KenPom No. 362)
Dec. 22, Siena (14-18, KenPom No. 253)
*game held at United Center in Chicago
^game held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
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Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics (2021-) Draft picks: .333 OBP • .000 SLG • .333 OPS BB: Baylor Scheierman (30th, 2024) K: Juhann Begarin (45th, 2021) • Jordan Walsh (38th, 2022) Nico Harrison, Dallas Mavericks (2021-) Draft picks: .667 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.667 OPS 2B: Dereck Lively II (12th, 2023) 1B: Jaden Hardy (37th, 2022) K: Olivier-Maxence Prosper (24th, 2023) Joe Cronin, Portland Trail Blazers (2021-) Draft picks (OBP: 1.000 • SLG: 1.000 • OPS: 2.000) 1B: Shaedon Sharpe (7th, 2022) • Scoot Henderson (3rd, 2023) • Donovan Clingan (7th, 2024) BB: Kris Murray (23rd, 2023) • Rayan Rupert (43rd, 2023) Mike Dunleavy, Golden State Warriors (2023-) Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS 1B: Brandin Podziemski (19th, 2023) BB: Trayce Jackson-Davis (57th, 2023) • Quinten Post (52nd, 2024) Michael Winger, Washington Wizards (2023-) Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS 1B: Bilal Coulibaly (7th, 2023) • Alex Sarr (2nd, 2024) • Bub Carrington (14th, 2024) BB: Tristan Vukčević (42nd, 2023) • Kyshawn George (24th, 2024) Have a feel for what you're looking at now? 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Wilson (17th, 2017) • Jordan Nwora (45th, 2020) • MarJon Beauchamp (24th, 2022) • Andre Jackson Jr. (36th, 2023) • AJ Johnson (23rd, 2024) That's just a tough draft history. No way around it. Especially considering the Bucks parted ways with Donte DiVincenzo, Horst's only successful draft pick, in exchange for an aging Serge Ibaka, before the Villanova product even reached his second contract. Milwaukee could sure use a player like that right now — or anyone from the last eight years out of the draft who could assist Giannis Antetokounmpo. 17. Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers (2019-) Draft picks: .833 OBP • .000 SLG • .833 OPS BB: Talen Horton-Tucker (46th, 2019) • Max Christie (35th, 2022) • Maxwell Lewis (40th, 2023) • Dalton Knecht (17th, 2024) • Bronny James (55th, 2024) K: Jalen Hood-Schifino (17th, 2023) Maybe it's a good thing if the Lakers trade away all of their draft picks. Here's rooting for Bronny James. 16. Kevin Pritchard, Indiana Pacers (2017-) Draft picks: .476 OBP • .471 SLG • .947 OPS 2B: Nicolas Batum (25th, 2008) • Andrew Nembhard (31st, 2022) 1B: Rudy Fernandez (24th, 2007) • Dante Cunningham (33rd, 2009) • Bennedict Mathurin (6th, 2022) • Ben Sheppard (26th, 2023) BB: Josh McRoberts (37th, 2007) • Patty Mills (55th, 2009) • Aaron Holiday (23rd, 2018) • Johnny Furphy (35th, 2024) K: Greg Oden (1st, 2007) • Petteri Koponen (30th, 2007) • Victor Claver (22nd, 2009) • Jeff Ayres (31st, 2009) • Luke Babbitt (16th, 2010) • Elliot Williams (22nd, 2010) • Armon Johnson (34th, 2010) • T.J. Leaf (18th, 2017) • Goga Bitadze (18th, 2019) • Chris Duarte (13th, 2021) • Isaiah Jackson (22nd, 2021) (Pritchard served as general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2007-2010.) Man, that Greg Oden pick looms large. A bunch of general managers would have made the same selection, but some — including Ainge — claim they would have drafted Kevin Durant ahead of Oden. At any rate, Pritchard has finally connected on some recent draft picks. No doubt Andrew Nembhard could turn his double into a triple, especially in the absence of an injured Tyrese Haliburton. Same goes for Benn Mathurin and Ben Sheppard, both of whom could turn singles into doubles. Mathurin might even be there already, given his occasionally outstanding impact in the playoffs. Johnny Furphy might be able to leg out a single, too. Good things are happening for the Pacers, despite the Haliburton news. 15. Lawrence Frank, Los Angeles Clippers (2017-) Draft picks: .333 OBP • .625 SLG • .958 OPS HR: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th, 2018) 1B: Terance Mann (18th, 2019) BB: Moussa Diabaté (43rd, 2022) K: Jerome Robinson (13th, 2018) • Mfiondu Kabengele (27th, 2019) • Daniel Oturu (33rd, 2020) • Keon Johnson (21st, 2021) • Jason Preston (33rd, 2021) • Kobe Brown (30th, 2023) Give credit to Lawrence Frank for identifying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the 2018 draft, though he traded the Canadian before he became a superstar in Oklahoma City. We still granted Frank a homer. Other than that, though — and SGA might have been more of a double for L.A. than a home run — Frank's draft history is a rough scene. Then again, he has only twice drafted in the lottery and once took a future MVP. Maybe the draft is more of a coin flip than we even thought. 14. Joe Dumars, Detroit (2000-2014) • New Orleans Pelicans (2025-) Draft picks: .500 OBP • .565 SLG • 1.065 OPS 2B: Tayshaun Prince (23rd, 2002) • Andre Drummond (9th, 2012) 1B: Mehmet Okur (38th, 2001) • Carlos Delfino (25th, 2003) • Amir Johnson (56th, 2005) • Rodney Stuckey (15th, 2007) • Arron Afflalo (27th, 2007) • Jonas Jerebko (39th, 2009) • Greg Monroe (7th, 2010) • Khris Middleton (39th, 2012) • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (8th, 2013) BB: Brian Cardinal (44th, 2000) K: Mateen Cleaves (14th, 2000) • Rodney White (9th, 2001) • Darko Miličić (2nd, 2003) • Jason Maxiell (26th, 2005) • Walter Sharpe (32nd, 2008) • Austin Daye (15th, 2009) • DaJuan Summers (35th, 2009) • Terrico White (36th, 2010) • Brandon Knight (8th, 2011) • Kyle Singler (33rd, 2011) • Kim English (44th, 2012) • Tony Mitchell (37th, 2013) (Dumars served as general manager of the Detroit Pistons from 2000-2014.) Dumars drafted Tayshaun Prince to a championship core and selected Andre Drummond, a two-time All-Star who never meaningfully impacted winning in Detroit. Outside of that, he failed to hit for any power for long stretches of his career, including the 2003 selection of Darko Miličić, a historic strikeout at No. 2 overall. What Detroit might have been with Carmelo Anthony instead is an all-time barroom debate. This does not include Dumars' 2025 selections of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. Queen, in particular, became the subject of much surprise around the league — not because he was taken in the lottery but because New Orleans gave up its unprotected 2026 first-round pick to get him. It may have been the single-most confounding trade of the offseason, but it goes unrecorded in our ledger, as the picks this summer are too fresh to evaluate. The Pelicans have invested this entire season into Queen. No pressure. 13. Artūras Karnišovas, Chicago Bulls (2020-) Draft picks: .500 OBP • .600 SLG • 1.100 OPS 2B: Matas Buzelis (11th, 2024) 1B: Ayo Dosunmu (38th, 2021) K: Patrick Williams (4th, 2020) • Marko Simonovic (44th, 2020) • Dalen Terry (18th, 2022) BB: Julian Philips (35th, 2023) That Patrick Williams pick is not going to help his cause. Matas Buzelis might, and Noa Essengue, this year's lottery pick, is coming, too. This score could get a lot better or a lot worse for Karnišovas soon. 12. Pat Riley, Miami Heat (1995-) Draft picks: .438 OBP • .774 SLG • 1.212 OPS HR: Dwyane Wade (5th, 2003) • Bam Adebayo (14th, 2017) 3B: Caron Butler (10th, 2002) • Tyler Herro (13th, 2019) 2B: Josh Richardson (40th, 2015) 1B: Eddie House (37th, 2000) • Rasual Butler (53rd, 2002) • Dorell Wright (19th, 2004) • Mario Chalmers (34th, 2008) • Nikola Jovic (27th, 2022) • Jaime Jaquez Jr. (18th, 2023) • Kel'el Ware (15th, 2024) • Pelle Larson (44th, 2024) BB: Precious Achiuwa (20th, 2020) K: Martin Müürsepp (25th, 1996) • Charles Smith (26th, 1997) • Mark Smith (31st, 1997) • Tim James (25th, 1999) • Jerome Beasley (33rd, 2003) • Albert Miralles (39th, 2004) • Wayne Simien (29th, 2005) • Daequan Cook (21st, 2007) • Michael Beasley (2nd, 2008) • Patrick Beverley (42nd, 2009) • Dexter Pittman (32nd, 2010) • Jarvis Varnado (41st, 2010), Da'Sean Butler (42nd, 2010) • Norris Cole (28th, 2011) • Justin Hamilton (45th, 2012) • Shabazz Napier (24th, 2014) • Justise Winslow (10th, 2015) • KZ Okpala (32nd, 2019) Riley drafted Dwyane Wade, a franchise icon, which warrants a long career. He extended it with his work on the trade market and in free agency. He also drafted Bam Adebayo, the backbone of two more trips to the NBA Finals. He has hit a couple triples, a double and a bunch of singles. He has a rich draft history. But you would expect a little more success from someone who is 30 years into this gig. There were a lot of whiffs late in the first round and early in the second round. There were some big swings and misses, too, when it came to Michael Beasley and Justise Winslow. If only Riley had taken Ainge up on his offer of a handful of first-round draft picks for Winslow, the two archrivals might be flipped in these rankings. 11. Leon Rose, New York Knicks (2020-) Draft picks: .667 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.333 OPS 2B: Immanuel Quickley (25th, 2020) 1B: Quentin Grimes (25th, 2021) • Miles McBride (36th, 2021) BB: Pacôme Dadiet (25th, 2024) • Tyler Kolek (34th, 2024) • Ariel Hukporti (58th, 2024) K: Obi Toppin (8th, 2020) • Rokas Jokubaitis (34th, 2021) • Trevor Keels (42nd, 2022) If only Rose had held onto Obi Toppin, he might have ended up with another single. As it is, he had to watch as Toppin contributed as a member of the Pacers to his team's defeat in the conference finals. Note, too, that Toppin was the only player taken higher than 25th by Rose, and Rose gave up too early on his best opportunity at success in the draft. It is good to know, though, that it is possible to be successful without much success in the draft, as the Knicks are in decent shape despite their difficult draft history. 10. Jeff Weltman, Orlando Magic (2017-) Draft picks: .500 OBP • .929 SLG • 1.429 OPS HR: Paolo Banchero (1st, 2022) 3B: Franz Wagner (8th, 2021) 2B: Jalen Suggs (5th, 2021) 1B: Jonathan Isaac (6th, 2017) • Cole Anthony (15th, 2020) • Anthony Black (6th, 2023) • Tristan da Silva (18th, 2024) K: Mo Bamba (6th, 2018) • Wes Iwundu (33rd, 2018) • Melvin Frazier (35th, 2018) • Justin Jackson (43rd, 2018) • Chuma Okeke (16th, 2019) • Caleb Houstan (32nd, 2022) • Jett Howard (11th, 2023) The Magic have perennially picked one selection too late in the draft, often just missing elite prospects. But in back-to-back years Weltman dug himself out of a slump, taking Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero in successive drafts, forming the foundation of what should be a 50-win team this year. 9. Koby Altman, Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-) Draft picks: .444 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.444 OPS HR: Evan Mobley (3rd, 2021) 3B: Darius Garland (5th, 2019) 1B: Collin Sexton (8th, 2018) BB: Jaylon Tyson (20th, 2024) K: Dylan Windler (26th, 2019) • Kevin Porter Jr. (30th, 2019) • Isaac Okoro (5th, 2020) • Ochai Agbaji (14th, 2022) • Khalifa Diop (39th, 2022) Altman did not miss on his top-five picks, and the Cavaliers are benefiting from that power, as Evan Mobley and Darius Garland formed a partnership that was worthy of investing into Donovan Mitchell (and vice versa). Together they formed a 64-win team that unfortunately lost in the second round of the playoffs, but the East is shallow, and the Cavs are expected to be the cream of the crop again next season. There is hope in Cleveland again, as the Cavaliers will go as far as Mobley and Garland take them. 8. Sean Marks, Brooklyn Nets (2016-) Draft picks: .636 OBP • .875 SLG • 1.511 OPS 3B: Jarrett Allen (22nd, 2017) 2B: Nic Claxton (31st, 2019) 1B: Caris LeVert (20th, 2016) • Cam Thomas (27th, 2021) BB: Isaiah Whitehead (42nd, 2016) • Rodion Kurucs (40th, 2018) • Kessler Edwards (44th, 2021) K: Džanan Musa (29th, 2018) • Day'Ron Sharpe (29th, 2021) • Noah Clowney (21st, 2023) • Dariq Whitehead (22nd, 2023) Marks has done a decent job in the draft despite never having a pick higher than No. 20. That changed this year, when the Nets picked eighth (Egor Demin) before also selecting 19th (Nolan Traore), 22nd (Drake Powell), 26th (Ben Saraf) and 27th (Danny Wolf). That is a lot of at-bats for one summer. 7. Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-) Draft picks: .514 OBP • 1.065 SLG • 1.579 OPS HR: Kevin Durant (2nd, 2007) • Russell Westbrook (4th, 2008) • James Harden (3rd, 2009) • Jalen Williams (12th, 2022) 3B: Serge Ibaka (24th, 2008) • Chet Holmgren (2nd, 2022) 2B: Reggie Jackson (24th, 2011) • Steven Adams (12th, 2013) • Cason Wallace (10th, 2023) 1B: Andre Roberson (26th, 2013) • Cameron Payne (14th, 2015) • Josh Giddey (6th, 2021) • Aaron Wiggins (55th, 2021) • Jaylin Williams (34th, 2022) BB: Hamidou Diallo (45th, 2018) • Ousmane Dieng (11th, 2022) • Nikola Topic (12th, 2024) • Ajay Mitchell (38th, 2024) K: D.J. White (29th, 2008) • Kyle Weaver (38th, 2008) • B.J. Mullens (24th, 2009) • Cole Aldrich (11th, 2010) • Tibor Pleiß (31st, 2010) • Perry Jones (28th, 2012) • Álex Abrines (32nd, 2013) • Grant Jerrett (40th, 2013) • Mitch McGary (21st, 2014) • Josh Huestis (29th, 2014) • Terrance Ferguson (21st, 2017) • Darius Bazley (23rd, 2019) • Aleksej Pokusevski (17th, 2020) • Vit Krejci (37th, 2020) • Tre Mann (18th, 2021) • Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (32nd, 2021) • Dillon Jones (26th, 2024) It is a thing of beauty looking at this stat sheet. Four home runs, including Jalen Williams, who, as the second-best player on a championship team, deserves that status. That run of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden will never be matched. But it just goes to show you: When you are in this business a long enough time, there are bound to be a lot of swings and misses, especially when you are so often selecting late in the first round. 6. Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers (2020-) Draft picks: .682 OBP • .952 SLG • 1.634 OPS 3B: Tyrese Maxey (21st, 2020) 2B: Chandler Parsons (38th, 2011) • Clint Capela (25th, 2014) • Montrezl Harrell (32nd, 2015) • Jared McCain (16th, 2024) 1B: Aaron Brooks (26th, 2007) • Chase Budinger (44th, 2009) • Patrick Patterson (14th, 2010) • Marcus Morris (14th, 2011) • Donatas Motiejunas (20th, 2011) • Terrence Jones (18th, 2012) • Jeremy Lamb (12th, 2012) • Isaiah Hartenstein (43rd, 2017) • Paul Reed (58th, 2020) BB: Adem Bona (41st, 2024) K: Jermaine Taylor (32nd, 2009) • Sergio Llull (34th, 2009) • Royce White (16th, 2012) • Isaiah Canaan (34th, 2013) • Sam Dekker (18th, 2015) • Chinanu Onuaku (37th, 2016) • Jaden Springer (28th, 2021) (Morey served as general manager of the Houston Rockets from 2007-2020.) Morey does not get enough credit for his success in the draft, where, among others, he identified Tyrese Maxey, arguably the team's best player now (unfortunately). There's just not a lot of whiffs over a career as long as his. Even on the misses you can see the talent he was chasing. Smart guy, that Daryl Morey. 5. Tim Connelly, Minnesota Timberwolves (2022-) Draft picks: .652 OBP • 1.056 SLG • 1.708 OPS HR: Nikola Jokić (41st, 2014) • Jamal Murray (7th, 2016) 2B: Gary Harris (19th, 2014) • Jusuf Nurkić (16th, 2014) • Michael Porter Jr. (14th, 2018) 1B: Malik Beasley (19th, 2016) • Monte Morris (51st, 2017) • Jarred Vanderbilt (41st, 2018) • Rob Dillingham (8th, 2024) • Terrence Shannon Jr. (27th, 2024) BB: Juan Hernangómez (15th, 2016) • Vlatko Čančar (49th, 2017) • Bol Bol (44th, 2019) • Zeke Nnaji (22nd, 2020) • Jaylen Clark (53rd, 2023) K: Erick Green (46th, 2013) • Emmanuel Mudiay (7th, 2015) • Tyler Lydon (24th, 2017) • R.J. Hampton (24th, 2020) • Bones Hyland (26th, 2021) • Wendell Moore Jr. (26th, 2022) • Josh Minott (45th, 2022) • Leonard Miller (33rd, 2023) (Connelly served as general manager of the Denver Nuggets from 2013-2022.) That Jokić pick was so much of a grand slam, I think it's still going. Connelly identified a ton of talent in the draft for the Nuggets, including Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., or most of the core of Denver's 2023 championship team. Minnesota is hoping he can do the same for the Timberwolves, who could use some affordable talent on their books. Both Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon showed promise last season, and rookie Joan Beringer joins them this summer. The sooner any of them develops, the more we can accept the Wolves as legitimate title contenders. 4. Danny Ainge, Utah Jazz (2021-) Draft picks: .674 OBP • .1.147 SLG • 1.821 OPS HR: Rajon Rondo (21st, 2006) • Jaylen Brown (3rd, 2016) • Jayson Tatum (3rd, 2017) 3B: Al Jefferson (15th, 2004) • Marcus Smart (6th, 2014) 2B: Kendrick Perkins (27th, 2003) • Tony Allen (25th, 2004) • Avery Bradley (19th, 2010) • Terry Rozier (16th, 2015) • Robert Williams III (27th, 2018) • Walker Kessler (22nd, 2022) 1B: Delonte West (24th, 2004) • Ryan Gomes (50th, 2005) • Leon Powe (49th, 2006) • Glen Davis (35th, 2007) • Jared Sullinger (21st, 2012) • Kelly Olynyk (13th, 2013) • Semi Ojeleye (37th, 2017) • Grant Williams (22nd, 2019) • Payton Pritchard (26th, 2020) BB: Gerald Green (18th, 2005) • Guerschon Yabusele (16th, 2016) • Aaron Nesmith (14th, 2020) • Taylor Hendricks (9th, 2023) • Keyonte George (16th, 2023) • Brice Sensabaugh (28th, 2023) • Cody Williams (10th, 2024) • Isaiah Collier (29th, 2024) • Kyle Filipowski (32nd, 2024) K: Marcus Banks (13th, 2003) • Justin Reed (40th, 2004) • Gabe Pruitt (32nd, 2007) • J.R. Giddens (30th, 2008) • JaJuan Johnson (27th, 2011) • Fab Melo (22nd, 2012) • James Young (17th, 2014) • R.J. Hunter (28th, 2015) • Jordan Mickey (33rd, 2015) • Marcus Thornton (45th, 2015) • Ante Zizic (23rd, 2016) • Demetrius Jackson (45th, 2016) • Romeo Langford (14th, 2019) • Carsen Edwards (33rd, 2019) (Ainge served as general manager of the Boston Celtics from 2003-2021.) Another thing of beauty. Man, look at all that action. No wonder we called this The Danny Ainge System. He drafted players to two different championship teams in Boston and consistently raked for 20 seasons. There are a lot of recent draft picks hanging in the balance here as walks — from 2023 (Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh) to 2024 (Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski) — and that does not include this year's selections, Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. Two years from now, Ainge could have a very different score here — or an even better one, as he attempts to build a legacy in Utah. 3. Zach Kleiman, Memphis Grizzlies (2019-) Draft picks: .692 OBP • 1.154 SLG • 1.846 OPS HR: Ja Morant (2nd, 2019) 3B: Desmond Bane (30th, 2020) 2B: Santi Aldama (30th, 2021) 1B: Brandon Clarke (21st, 2019) • Xavier Tillman (35th, 2020) • Vince Williams Jr. (47th, 2022) • GG Jackson (45th, 2023) • Zach Edey (9th, 2024) • Jaylen Wells (39th, 2024) K: Ziaire Williams (10th, 2021) • Jake LaRavia (19th, 2022) • David Roddy (23rd, 2022) • Kennedy Chandler (38th, 2022) Ja Morant has come with ups and downs, but when he is healthy and engaged, he is the face of a 50-win team and an absolute superstar. He is a home run, even if anyone would have taken him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2019. You can only make the picks that are in front of you, and Morant was a good one. Kleiman has proven to be one of the league's best talent evaluators. Which is why it should have given Grizzlies fans great confidence when he proactively traded up for Cedric Coward at this year's No. 11 pick. If The Danny Ainge System has taught us anything, it's that there's a high likelihood Coward will be good. 2. Brian Wright, San Antonio Spurs (2019-) Draft picks: .636 OBP • .1.250 SLG • 1.886 OPS HR: Victor Wembanyama (1st, 2023) 3B: Stephon Castle (4th, 2024) 2B: Devin Vassell (11th, 2020) 1B: Jeremy Sochan (9th, 2022) BB: Tre Jones (41st, 2020) • Sidy Cissoko (44th, 2023) • Juan Núñez (36th, 2024) K: Joshua Primo (12th, 2021) • Joe Wieskamp (41st, 2021) • Malaki Branham (20th, 2022) • Blake Wesley (25th, 2022) It helps, of course, to luck into a generational superstar, and Victor Wembanyama is that. A No. 1 pick can make a general manager's career, as it can a coach. Just ask Gregg Popovich, who drafted Tim Duncan to the Spurs and reaped the rewards for a couple of decades. Wright's legacy will be written by Wembanyama. Popovich had to identify Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the draft, too, in order to build a dynasty. The Spurs will hope Wright found similar complementary stars from a rebuild, whether Stephon Castle builds on his Rookie of the Year campaign or one of this year's lottery picks, Dylan Harper or Carter Bryant, develops into a star. Wright has set San Antonio up for success. Bet on the Spurs in the coming years. 1. Rafael Stone, Houston Rockets (2020-) Draft picks: .700 OBP • 1.222 SLG • 1.922 OPS 3B: Alperen Şengün (16th, 2021) • Amen Thompson (4th, 2023) 2B: Jalen Green (2nd, 2021) 1B: KJ Martin (52nd, 2020) • Jabari Smith Jr. (3rd, 2022) • Tari Eason (17th, 2022) BB: Reed Sheppard (3rd, 2024) K: Usman Garuba (23rd, 2021) • Josh Christopher (24th, 2021) • Cam Whitmore (20th, 2023) There is a reason the Rockets were ready for Kevin Durant. Stone has drafted so well the Rockets have developed from what was a 17-win team when he took over to a 52-win No. 2 seed this past season — all on the backs of a handful of high-end draft picks, including All-Star center Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson, who at age 22 may be as likely to develop into a home run as anyone in the league right now. The Rockets were so good last season they decided they were one piece away from more serious title contention. They believed Jalen Green, their No. 2 overall pick in 2021, was not that one piece, so they flipped him for Durant, who could be the guy. It was a bet against Green's potential as a home run. Stone's draft record has benefited from four consecutive selections in the top five of the first round, though one of those picks, Reed Sheppard, remains a mystery. If Sheppard hits, there is a real chance that when we update this list a year or two from now, Stone's score could be even higher. As it is, he is the best around, and the Rockets are among the league's championship favorites as a direct result.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Kansas City Chiefs OL coach Andy Heck recaps Josh Simmons' preseason debut
During Tuesday's training camp press conference, Kansas City Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck shared his thoughts on rookie left tackle Josh Simmons' preseason debut last Saturday. "It's a big job for anybody coming in to learn the details of the offense, assignments (and) techniques. Every play has a thousand little details and so picking those things up, that was job one in the spring where he (Josh Simmons) was doing less physical work with us." said Heck, "Since he has gotten to training camp, he's been able to every day add one or two of these details that are important to each play. So, I've seen him steadily improve, and his understanding - and we're able to have better conversations about what's going on and I think that'swhat we'll see his trajectory do is just go like this (points up)." Simmons played briefly in the starting lineup against the Arizona Cardinals but made a positive impression. Heck was happy with Simmons' performance, but refuses to compare him to anyone he's worked with through his coaching career. "I'd hesitate to compare guys; every guy is different. I'm still in a learning process myself, of what makes him (Josh Simmons) tick, how does he learn best (and) how can I help him get better? There's constant communication there," said Heck, "But I would say he's certainly as talented a player as I've ever been around. He loves the game. So, those are two good things: when you're talented and you love the game, and you want to be the best, you've got a great chance to be a good one." Simmons earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors for the 2024 National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes. Saturday's game was his first since suffering a patellar tendon injury, ending his college career.
