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New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What's next for Jazz after suffering worst-case scenario in NBA Draft Lottery?
In the weeks and days leading to Monday's NBA Draft Lottery, the Utah Jazz and their fans knew the worst-case scenario for the team with the league's worst record was the most likely possibility. In each of the last two seasons, the Detroit Pistons lost games without mercy, carried the best lottery odds into Chicago, and walked away with the No. 5 pick. In a Victor Wembanyama draft in 2023, the Pistons came away with Ausar Thompson. Advertisement Thompson is one of the best defenders in the NBA and has All-Star potential. But he's not the generational talent the Pistons wanted. It was a devastating day for Detroit's fan base. But two years later, the Pistons are one of the best young teams in the NBA. Monday night was difficult for the Jazz. Yes, they knew, prepared for, and in some ways even expected the worst case to come to fruition. But seeing the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers jump them from way back in the order was hard to deal with. Not getting a shot at Cooper Flagg, this year's generational level talent, or Dylan Harper, a dynamic consolation prize of a point guard and likely No. 2 pick, hurt Jazz fans in ways that haven't been seen since Gordon Hayward defected to the Boston Celtics in free agency. The Jazz, who went 17-65, lost more than 60 games in a season for the first time in franchise history. They went to creative depths to lose games with a roster that was too talented to lose that many games. It was painful for both the franchise and the fan base to sit through. So, that's where the pain comes from on Monday night. The average Jazz fan was asked to sit through a year like this just to miss the chance to cheer for Flagg or Harper. In reality, Utah is going to draft a good player. Rutgers wing Ace Bailey could be available. Tre Johnson, the shooting guard from Texas, may be available. Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, or even someone like Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears, may be available. All are nice talents. In the right system, with the right opportunities, someone from that group is likely to emerge as an All-Star or even an All-NBA-level player. But this Jazz fan base needed someone to galvanize it, especially after watching the Jazz trade away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Mitchell has emerged as one of the best players in the league, and Gobert may have a chance at an elusive NBA title. Utah is in the thick of the rebuild, which is fine. What isn't fine is that the Jazz are still looking for a player to build around. It isn't going to be Keyonte George. Taylor Hendricks, provided he comes back healthy from his broken leg, has a chance to be a great role player. But he won't be a leading guy. Cody Williams is young and has a long way to go in his development. But he had a concerning rookie season. Advertisement Monday was about potentially having the chance to draft the franchise-level player. So, now what? Where do the Jazz go from this point? The best thing, the smart thing, is to use the No. 5 pick and take the best player on the board. Then have the same kind of season again in 2025-26. Then try their luck again in the 2026 lottery. There are a few things that would be different in this scenario. With Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, the 2026 draft has three potential franchise-level talents, while the 2025 draft has two. So, the odds could be more in Utah's favor. Secondly, the 2026 draft is deeper at the top, which means the player at No. 5 in 2026, possibly someone like Karim López, is going to potentially be better than whoever the Jazz walk away with in June. Even if this sounds a bit contradictory, I believe the Jazz will walk away with a good player in June. I like Johnson. I like Edgecombe. But if you lose 65 games, those names don't create significant excitement. I think the Jazz fan base needs some juice. They need to see a level of hope. But that was dashed a bit on Monday night. That's the difficult part of falling to No. 5. The question next season is whether the Jazz decision makers want to go through another 60-loss season. It took a toll on the current roster. NBA players are competitors. They want to win. These are players with a limited professional shelf life and a limited window to make money and leave a legacy. It's hard to go through a single season where the goal is to accrue as many ping pong balls as possible. It would be asking a lot for the players and the fans to go through another season of the same thing. The other option is to fill out a roster to be as competitive as possible. That would almost certainly mean hitting the free agency or trade market in search of a veteran point guard capable of running the team. The downside is this: Utah's first-round pick next season is owed to (you guessed it) the Oklahoma City Thunder, with top-eight protection. Should the Jazz win too many games, that pick would likely be conveyed to the Thunder. Advertisement Does neither option sound particularly appealing? It's the plight of the small-market team in the NBA. The margin for error isn't just small, it's almost non-existent. You need to be as perfect as Denzel Washington told his football team it had to be in the movie 'Remember the Titans.' But you also have to have some luck. The San Antonio Spurs weren't perfect in every move they made over the last five years. But they moved up in the 2023 lottery, which got them Wembanyama. They moved up in the 2024 lottery, which got them Stephon Castle. Their third consecutive move up in this, the 2025 lottery, will give them the flexibility to draft Harper or become a trade team. Utah, so far, hasn't had that kind of lottery luck. The Jazz have never won the lottery. And on Monday night, they dropped four spots. So they have to take matters into their own hands. Maybe that means trying to use assets to move up. Maybe that means making the perfect selection at No. 5, and finding a franchise-level guy who wasn't expected to be one. Whatever it is, the Jazz must find a way to move past Monday's disappointment and make meaningful strides in their current rebuild. They are excited about the pool of players they get to pick from. And they still have a second first-round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 21, which means they will work out a wide range of players. Monday night is over. Utah knows what hand it has been dealt. Now, the real work begins. (Photo of NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum: Melissa Tamez / NBAE via Getty Images)
USA Today
16-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mavericks vs. Kings predictions: Picks, odds for Wednesday NBA Play-In Tournament game
Mavericks vs. Kings predictions: Picks, odds for Wednesday NBA Play-In Tournament game Show Caption Hide Caption Gordon Hayward understands fans criticizing current state of NBA play Gordon Hayward talks about the current state of the NBA and the increased amount of three-point attempts being taken across the league. Sports Seriously Two teams clinging to the faintest of hope in a stacked Western Conference will meet Wednesday night with one of them seeing their season come to a disappointing end. All signs point to the Dallas Mavericks being that team, after they faded to a 39-43 record in the regular season -- one that changed dramatically in February with the trade of star guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, the Mavs have gone 13-20. The key player in that deal for Dallas, center Anthony Davis, has battled injuries and only appeared in nine games for the Mavericks. He's listed as probable to play in tonight's game. The Kings are led by forward DeMar DeRozan, who's averaging 22.2 points and 4.4 assists per game on the season. Sacramento won all three matchups against Dallas this season, including a 129-128 overtime thriller on Feb. 10 and a 122-98 victory on March 3. The winner plays the Golden State Warriors for the No. 8 seed in the West and the right to challenge the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round of the playoffs. Mavericks vs. Kings predictions: Play-In Tournament picks USA TODAY: We see three Kings USA TODAY NBA team leans toward the home team as NBA reporters Jeff Zillgitt and Lorenzo Reyes, plus USA TODAY NBA editor Heather Tucker, favor the Kings to beat the Mavericks. USA TODAY's James Williams plays contrarian in picking the Mavs to pull off the upset. Sportsbook Wire: Kings 111, Mavericks 103 "The Mavericks have dropped 5 of their last 7 games and have failed to cover 6 of their last 7. They are just 3-7 against the spread over their last 10 games and have struggled on the road this season ... With the Mavs banged up -- as they have been most of the season -- back the Kings." Bet For The Win: Kings -4.5 "The Mavericks are likely ready for this disaster of a season to be over already, while Sacramento is veteran-laden with players like DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, who are very familiar with the play-in tournament and plenty hungry to continue playing. The Kings are also playing better ball of late, with four wins in their last six while rocking a top-10 net rating." ESPN: Kings have 60.8% chance to win The Sacramento Kings have a 60.8% chance to beat the Dallas Mavericks in their play-in game on Wednesday, April 16, according to ESPN's matchup predictor. Mavericks vs. Kings odds BetMGM odds as of Wednesday, April 16 Spread : Sacramento (-4.5) : Sacramento (-4.5) Moneyline : Sacramento (-200); Dallas (+165) : Sacramento (-200); Dallas (+165) Over/under: 214.5 How to watch Mavericks vs. Kings: TV channel, live streaming for NBA play-in tournament Date : Wednesday, April 16 : Wednesday, April 16 Time : 10 p.m. ET : 10 p.m. ET Location : Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, Calif. : Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, Calif. TV : ESPN : ESPN Streaming: Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users Watch the NBA on ESPN with Fubo
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jeff Teague on facing fellow Boston Celtics alum Gordon Hayward in the Final Four
For fans of the Boston Celtics, the NCAA tournaments of the past often come to mind as the tourney of the present unfolds. And that also holds true for former Boston players, who can't help but think back to their own play in the big dance and the future (now, past) Celtics teammates they faced off against in it. Such was the case recently for Boston floor general alumnus Jeff Teague, who waxed nostalgic on his battle with fellow Celtics alum Gordon Hayward in the NCAA tournament's Final Four. Teague also touches on a number of other classic college tilts on an episode of his "Club 520" podcast. Advertisement Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about the big dance as this year's is about to wrap up. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," "Celtics Lab," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network. Listen to the "Celtics Lab" podcast on: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jeff Teague on facing fellow Celtics alum Gordon Hayward in the Final Four
USA Today
07-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jeff Teague on facing fellow Boston Celtics alum Gordon Hayward in the Final Four
Jeff Teague on facing fellow Boston Celtics alum Gordon Hayward in the Final Four For fans of the Boston Celtics, the NCAA tournaments of the past often come to mind as the tourney of the present unfolds. And that also holds true for former Boston players, who can't help but think back to their own play in the big dance and the future (now, past) Celtics teammates they faced off against in it. Such was the case recently for Boston floor general alumnus Jeff Teague, who waxed nostalgic on his battle with fellow Celtics alum Gordon Hayward in the NCAA tournament's Final Four. Teague also touches on a number of other classic college tilts on an episode of his "Club 520" podcast. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about the big dance as this year's is about to wrap up. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," "Celtics Lab," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network. Listen to the "Celtics Lab" podcast on: Apple Podcasts: Spotify:
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Timberwolves-Pistons fight: Multiple players, coaches ejected
Timberwolves-Pistons fight: Multiple players, coaches ejected Show Caption Hide Caption Who does Gordon Hayward think will win NBA MVP this season? Former NBA player Gordon Hayward has his choice between Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP, and make it clear who he thinks should win. Sports Seriously The NBA will have some decisions to make in the coming days after a fight took place during Sunday night's game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Detroit Pistons. Multiple players were involved in the scuffle that managed to spill into the crowd. After things had settled down, immediate decisions were made regarding the five players and two coaches who were involved. Who was ejected from Timberwolves vs. Pistons game for fighting? Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo and assistant coach Pablo Prigioni from the Timberwolves were ejected following the altercation on the court. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Ron Holland, Isaiah Stewart and Marcus Sasser of the Pistons were also tossed from the game. Reaction to Timberwolves-Pistons fight With the fight involving the Pistons, multiple social media posts referenced the "Bad Boys" or the infamous 2004 "Malice at the Palace."
