Latest news with #MostImprovedPlayer
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
NBA star set to visit local Perth basketball court
One of the NBA's best defenders is set to make a special appearance in Perth's northern suburbs later this year. Dyson Daniels, the electrifying 22-year-old guard for the Atlanta Hawks who took the NBA by storm this past season, is set to hit the court and greet fans at Ace Ballerz in Wanneroo on Saturday, August 2. Born in Bendigo, Victoria, Daniels is one of the most exciting young Australian talents in the NBA, a rise that saw him crowned the 2024–25 NBA Most Improved Player — the first Australian to receive the award. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Nicknamed The Great Barrier Thief for his defensive skills, Daniels also recently became the youngest player ever to record more than 200 steals in an NBA season, surpassing the great Magic Johnson by 236 days. Daniels, widely considered to be one of the best defenders in the NBA, is set to be in Wanneroo in August. Credit: Supplied His 202 steals in the 2024–25 season were the most recorded by any NBA player in the past 15 years. He also led the league in deflections with 366 and finished as runner-up in the 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting. Daniels' visit to Ace Ballerz in Wanneroo, located at Drovers Marketplace on the corner of Wanneroo Road and Joondalup Drive, is sure to be warmly welcomed by the Perth basketball community. Ace Ballerz was founded by local mother Alaina Habaybeh, who was inspired to give back to the sporting community that supported her family during a recent illness. The family-run sports hub aims to provide kids and teens with a welcoming space to play, socialise, and connect with their community. Early bird tickets are expected to go on sale through Ace Ballerz in mid-June.
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
Pascal Siakam perfect for Pacers: How his NBA journey focused his drive
There has always been more to Pascal Siakam than just his long, graceful strides. Getting out in transition is what stood out about Siakam as a rookie, when an injury to Jared Sullinger made him an unlikely starter for the first half of the season for the Toronto Raptors. It is what stands out about him now, as he finishes so many sublime Tyrese Haliburton-orchestrated fast breaks for the Indiana Pacers. Over his nine-year career, he has been steadfast in meshing that stamina with skill development. Advertisement Crucially, as he improved, the tirelessness remained. In his final two years as Raptors coach, Nick Nurse was Thibodeauian in his reliance on his starters. Deep in the fourth quarter of a late-January 2022 game against the Miami Heat, Siakam was nearing 40 minutes for the night. Jimmy Butler attacked the rim in a close game, with Siakam sliding over as the backline defender to block him with two hands. Butler is strong, and the force of the drive knocked Siakam backward to the baseline. The ball fell back into Butler's hands, who attempted to drop it in the hoop. Siakam lunged forward, and swatted the ball away for possession. Siakam went on to play 17 more minutes that night in a triple-overtime win. He was a block and a steal away from a rare 5×5 game. What jumps out from that night, other than his game-high 56:31 of playing time, is that protecting the rim is way down the list of things Siakam does well. That is Siakam, though: He is better than you think at everything, even if he's not a star in any category besides playing in transition and durability. (Since 2018-19, when Siakam won Most Improved Player and helped the Raptors win the title, only Jayson Tatum and Nikola Jokić have played more than Siakam's 19,807 minutes, playoffs included.) By developing those skills over his nine-year career, Siakam has turned himself into the ideal second star for the uptempo, rollicking Indiana Pacers. He won MVP of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday when the Pacers closed out the New York Knicks. Freed from the need to take the pull-up 3s that were required of him when he was the primary scorer at the end of his Raptors tenure, Siakam is a player without a notable weakness. Tyrese Haliburton powers the Pacers when they are at their high-speed best, with Siakam fitting in well because, after all these years, he still runs the floor better than the majority of players his size. Advertisement When the Pacers aren't humming, though, Siakam sets a sturdy floor for his team, with his ability to hit tough shots keeping the Pacers afloat, most notably evident in Game 2 against the Knicks. He's not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or former teammate Kawhi Leonard from the midrange, but good enough — 45.6 percent accuracy on the 250 shots he took this year from between 10 and 16 feet, including tough turnarounds — to salvage wayward possessions. It was a journey there. In his first All-Star season, the COVID-interrupted 2019-20, he took just 108 shots from that range, shooting 32.4 percent. He mostly used his footwork and spins to get to the rim from the post. Two years later, he had settled into the mid-to-high 40s on much higher volume from midrange. So it has gone for so much of his game. • Siakam attempted just 17 3s in his two years at New Mexico State, and only seven in his rookie season. In his second season in Toronto, the Raptors insisted he take more, even as he had a two-month stretch in which he shot 4 for 58 (including 25 straight misses at one point). A year later, he shot 36.9 percent on 2.7 attempts per game, making the Raptors' offensive system just a little more viable. He plateaued and occasionally dipped when asked to create those looks for himself, but he has hit 38.8 of his 526 attempts in Indiana. • While Siakam's 3 was a problem when he occupied a primary role in Toronto, his playmaking grew exponentially. Siakam entered the league as a play-finisher. He showed some intuitive passing in his second season as part of the Raptors' league-best second unit — Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl and Delon Wright also graduated from that lineup to more substantial careers — but really flourished as his usage grew. In his second All-Star season in 2022-23, he was fifth among all forwards, averaging 5.8 assists per game, with 2.46 assists for every turnover, a pristine number. Siakam doesn't have to carry that load with the Pacers, but he still facilitates or initiates the seemingly random movement on which they thrive. It always felt unfair that Siakam wore so much of Raptors president Masai Ujiri's comments calling that year's team 'selfish.' Advertisement • Siakam's defense has never been a problem, but it has evolved as he has. In his early years, he didn't have the strength to battle with the likes of Blake Griffin, as was the case in a memorable late-season game in the second season. He is not burly, but Siakam has grown a wiry strength. Still, it is that tirelessness which is at the heart of his defensive contributions. Siakam can scramble, contest 3s and recover like few other forwards thanks to his stamina and length. That was key as the Raptors used an unorthodox style to put together the second-best defense in 2019-20 despite the loss of Kawhi Leonard, and it is perhaps the biggest reason the Pacers went from cute early-season story last year to serious contender. While Aaron Nesmith is the team's sturdiest one-on-one defender, likely to get the bulk of the Gilgeous-Alexander assignment, Siakam provides so much of the connective tissue that makes the system work, especially as the Pacers try to keep Myles Turner close to the paint. The Siakam/Raptors relationship ended sourly. Part of that was because Siakam and his co-leader, VanVleet, put in so much work to go from peripheral players to cornerstones, and had trouble abiding those they did not believe were doing the same. It was a messy ending, as most are, but that same maniacal devotion to his craft helped put the Raptors in a position to win and nobly try to defend a title in the first place. It's paying off in Indiana, now. 'I enjoy the process of getting better, knowing that before I couldn't do something and now I can do it,' Siakam said before that ill-fated 2022-23 season, reflecting on 14 post-pandemic months that slowed his developmental ascent. 'That process of the game is so important to me. And having the opportunity to do that while healthy, it was amazing. I just get lost in it.' That mindset never propelled him to MVP contention, as he desired. It never put him in a position to earn a supermax, which stopped him from being a potential career centerpiece for one franchise. Now he will get to see Haliburton try to do that in Indiana. It did, however, turn him from a role player to a central figure on several great teams. Draymond Green, not one for self-flagellation, recently said on TNT that his effort against Siakam in the 2019 NBA Finals was one of only two times he felt he lost his individual matchup. (He cited his performance against Minnesota's Julius Randle this year as the other.) Siakam's efficiency wavered in that series, but he bookended it with 32 points on 14-for-17 shooting in the opener and 26 on 10-for-17 shooting in the clincher. He scored the most important basket in that game, beating Green with a quick change of direction. As he enters the finals six years later against a historically great defensive team and excellent individual defenders, remember that he has been in this precise role, in this approximate situation, and succeeded before. When the Pacers traded for Siakam two Januarys ago and later re-signed him, he was seen as the type of star for whom the Pacers had to settle. Indianapolis, being a non-glamour market, would never get a superstar to pair with Haliburton, so they had to search elsewhere. Siakam would have to be good enough. Across the board, he has been.
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
What do Pacers, Thunder have in common? Trading Paul George helped build their rosters
Who is most responsible for the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder reaching the 2025 NBA Finals? There are All-Star and All-NBA players, of course. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are the Pacers' anchors, while the Thunder have league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Williams. Coaches Rick Carlisle of Indiana and Mark Daignault of OKC have made the right moves, as have roster builders Kevin Pritchard of the Pacers and Sam Presti of the Thunder. But both teams owe a sliver of thanks to the same person: Paul George. The 35-year-old nine-time All-Star helped both franchises — by being traded away. "I don't mean this facetiously or in a mean way: A very large part of Paul George's NBA legacy is going to be all the great teams that were created in his wake," NBA reporter Zach Lowe said this week on Bill Simmons' podcast. The Pacers selected George 10th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. He became a full-time starter in his second season, and earned Most Improved Player honors in his third. He made the All-Star team four times in Indiana, was voted third-team All-NBA three times and earned All-Defense honors three times. Indiana traded him to the Thunder in 2017, getting Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis in return. The Pacers sent Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 8, 2022, and the key piece coming to Indiana was Tyrese Haliburton, who has two All-Star nods and two third-team All-NBA teams since. He has often been spectacular in these playoffs. Also, draft picks that became Andrew Nembhard (31st overall, 2022) and Ben Sheppard (26th overall, 2023) came to the Pacers in deals related to Indiana's 2021 trade of Oladipo to the Houston Rockets. George played two seasons in Oklahoma City, making the All-Star team both years, All-NBA third team in his first and All-NBA first team in his second. In the summer of 2019, OKC sent George to the Los Angeles Clippers for a two-player, seven-draft pick package that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had just finished his rookie season. One of those draft picks, a 2022 first-rounder, yielded Jalen Williams. SGA has led the Thunder for six years, earning All-Star berths and first-team All-NBA honors the past three. In 2024-25, he led the league in field-goal attempts (21.8), made free throws (7.9) and points (32.7) per game and was named league MVP. In his third season, Williams was an All-Star and third-team All-NBA selection, averaging 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Little-used Dillon Jones also came in the George deal, along with two 2025 first-round picks and a 2026 first rounder. The nod goes to OKC. The Thunder's move brought in their best player directly, and one indirectly with a draft pick. The Pacers needed more moves post-George to complete their Finals roster.
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Entering NBA offseason, Rockets focused on both talent and chemistry
Entering NBA offseason, Rockets focused on both talent and chemistry 'A winning basketball team not only takes a lot of talent, it takes a lot of chemistry,' Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta says, via PaperCity. 'You can't just look at it from a numbers standpoint.' The Houston Rockets clearly aren't ruling out superstar trade pursuits this offseason, but it's far from a given that any will reach the finish line. After leading the league in roster continuity prior to the 2024-25 season, the Rockets rose from 41-41 and No. 11 in the Western Conference in 2023-24 to 52-30 and No. 2 in the West in 2024-25. As owner Tilman Fertitta sees it, that's no coincidence. And a further leap might happen in 2025-26, should Houston simply stay the course. 'A winning basketball team not only takes a lot of talent, it takes a lot of chemistry,' Fertitta said during the recently completed 2025 playoffs, as captured by Chris Baldwin of PaperCity Magazine. 'You can't just take players, move them in and out, and change out half the team and not worry about the chemistry of the team. You can't just look at it from a numbers standpoint.' 'You have to play together as a team. And I think one of the positives about this team is they all really like each other and they all know their place (on the team). And they all respect each other.' 'The continuity is definitely a competitive advantage,' added Patrick Fertitta, Tilman's son and ownership's day-to-day representative in basketball operations. The Rockets also have in-depth knowledge of their young prospects, since each was selected after an extensive pre-draft scouting and interviewing process in recent years. 'We studied all these players that are on this team,' the elder Fertitta said, via PaperCity. 'We know everything about every player on this team. Their whole life.' In the same article, general manager Rafael Stone credited continuity as at least part of the reason for the leaps taken by some of Houston's young players last season. Alperen Sengun became a first-time NBA All-Star and drew All-NBA votes for the first time, while Amen Thompson earned Most Improved Player votes. 'Especially with a young team, we thought that continuity would be helpful for the younger players,' Stone told PaperCity. 'The more you know people, the more secure you feel. The easier it is to be yourself and grow.' As things stand, Houston has a 'young core' comprised of seven players selected in the first round of the 2021 through 2024 draft cycles: Jalen Green, Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Thompson, Cam Whitmore, and Reed Sheppard. All were 23 years old or younger last season. Should the Rockets stay the course, that's probably the group from which further developmental leaps can be found. More: 2024-25 NBA awards ballots: Who voted for members of the Rockets?
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ivica Zubac reflects on breakout year, Jokic battles, and more in Basketball Network exclusive
Ivica Zubac just wrapped up the best season of his NBA career — one where he broke personal records, logged heavy minutes, and held his own against the league's elite bigs. The Los Angeles Clippers' center finished second in Most Improved Player voting, came in sixth in Defensive Player of the Year and quietly led the entire NBA in both total offensive and defensive rebounds, all while averaging career-best 16.8 points on an elite efficiency. In an exclusive conversation with Basketball Network, "Big Zu" opened up about the team's underdog mentality coming into the season, playing alongside James Harden and going toe-to-toe with Nikola Jokic, whom he believes is the best player in the Association. Advertisement Oh, and he let us in on a not-so-secret truth — Lakers fans still haven't forgiven their front office for letting him go so easily. Q: At the start of the season, many people had the Clippers as a play-in team at best. Paul George was gone in the offseason, Kawhi Leonard's availability was uncertain, and James Harden's MVP days seemed behind him. From the inside, how did you guys experience that perception? Did you feel underrated? Absolutely. I mean, come on, everyone sees social media, everyone knows the narrative around us. We saw how many projected wins they gave us. We were aware of it. People overlooked us, no doubt about that. It was definitely a motivation for us. We knew we could be a good team based on our roster and the players we had. However, we didn't expect Kawhi to miss that many games early on — we thought he'd be back sooner. Advertisement But from day one of training camp, we built a defense-first mentality. We knew we had to be aggressive on defense and become one of the best defensive teams if we wanted a shot at the playoffs. That mindset carried us. On top of that, we had the extra motivation of being underestimated by pretty much everyone. And deep down, we knew we had more talent and quality than people gave us credit for. Everything clicked, and in the end, the regular season turned out to be a success — 50 wins. Not many people saw that coming, especially considering Kawhi missed around 40 games. So yeah, I'd say the regular season was a success. Q: It was indeed a success, both for the team and for you personally. This is now your second season playing alongside Harden — what's it like playing with a player of that caliber, and how has he made your job on the court easier? Especially with those pick-and-rolls that you worked to perfection. A lot. I've never had a point guard who's so pass-first. I mean, Harden is more known as a scorer, but at this stage of his career, he's really focused on being a playmaker — getting everyone involved and making things easier for the whole team. Advertisement From day one, when he joined us, he'd pull me aside and say, "Come on, let's go do 20 minutes of pick-and-roll against the coaches, just 2-on-2." They'd switch up coverages — sometimes trap, sometimes hedge, drop, or switch. We'd read the defense and play against it. And we did that every day for 15–20 minutes. You could see the results in the games — we had answers for any kind of defense thrown at us. We were ready for everything. Beyond just the pick-and-roll, he knows exactly where I like to get the ball — which side of the post, that pocket pass — he finds me there. He watches a lot of film, and he knows every guy's preferences: where they like to get the ball, what kinds of shots they're comfortable with, which defenses they excel against. That's what he brings us more than anything. That might be his most valuable trait. He's incredibly smart, understands what works for each player, and tries to simplify the game for everyone around him. Q: At first glance, he might come off as nonchalant, but whenever someone talks about Harden, it's nothing but flowers for the former MVP. Yeah, yeah, before he joined us, there was a lot of talk that he wasn't a hard worker, that he was a bad teammate — but it's actually the complete opposite. I can't believe that's what people were saying. He's the total opposite. A hard worker, one of the best teammates I've ever had, and it's a joy to play with him and share a locker room. Advertisement Q: This season was the first time you played over 30 minutes per game (32.8). Was that mainly due to injuries and a lack of available players, or did Ty Lue and his coaching staff let you know before the season that it was going to be that way? They had already signaled that back in last year's playoffs, when I started playing over 30 minutes and the offense began running through me more. For the first time, they really went to me in the post, and that's when it became clear my role would grow. After the season ended, the GM, the team president, and Ty Lue all told me the same thing — that I'd have a bigger role, that I should prepare for it and be ready. And when we didn't re-sign Paul George, it really opened up opportunities for other guys to step up. I mean, you have to make up for the 25 points he was putting up, and that gave the rest of us more shots, more responsibility. I knew going into the summer that the situation would be like that. So I prepared accordingly — I worked all summer on my post game, knowing I'd be getting a lot of touches down low, and I focused a lot on conditioning and strength training because I knew I'd be playing a lot more minutes than in previous years. Q: At what point, when you entered this season with the expectation of stepping into somewhat of a leadership role, did you realize you were having the best season of your career — not just a very good stretch — but that you were actually one of the most consistent and best centers in the league? From the very first game, I could feel things were going to be different — that I'd be getting more touches. I opened the season with three straight 20-point games, and that was the first time in my life I started a season like that. That's when I realized things had shifted, that I was going to have more opportunities. Advertisement I understood that with those minutes and that many low-post touches, plus more shot attempts, I had to fully commit to recovery and strength to survive the entire season. I really focused on that. You go through stretches where you're so exhausted you don't even care who you're playing against or what's going on—you just want to finish the game. So, I felt early on that it was going to be different after those first three games, and from that point, I completely changed my mentality and some of my habits to adapt and handle the pace. Q: It was clear from the start, and by the end, in a way, that recognition came too. You finished second in the Most Improved Player race, sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and there was even talk about your first All-Star nod. Yeah, I hoped I would win it (MIP). After the All-Star break, when I got that week off, I caught a bit of a second wind. I felt better physically, and that's when I was able to take another step and elevate my game to a new level. Q: Just like the entire Clippers team, it felt like you guys shifted into a higher gear after the All-Star break and started building momentum for the playoffs. Yeah, in those last 20 to 25 games, we really looked good. It could've ended better, but hey... that's how it goes sometimes. Advertisement Q: At the trade deadline Bogdan Bogdanovic came in — one of the guys from the same region as you, from the Balkans. On social media, it looked like you two really clicked. What was the dynamic like when he arrived? Bogi was great for us. As soon as the trade happened, he messaged me on Instagram, like, "Send me your number." He reached out right away. When he got to L.A., we went out for a drink immediately… We didn't really know each other that well before; we weren't close or anything, but we slowly became really good friends. We hang out every day — sometimes at his place, sometimes at mine. On the road, we were always together, going to restaurants, spending time — we really did spend a lot of time together. And we had good chemistry on the court, too, even though we had never played together before. We understood each other's game well. The Clippers didn't just use him as a shooter — he handled the ball a lot in pick-and-rolls, and that's where we really clicked. It felt like we had been playing together forever. He gave me a lot of confidence, and I think I did the same for him. It's tough when you're the only guy from your part of the world, surrounded by all foreigners, without someone who speaks your language. It's just different when you can sit on the bench with someone, vent in your own language, and get real feedback from someone who gets it. He helped me a lot, and I'm sure it was good for him too. I'd really love for that to continue. Advertisement He's a great guy, and the vibe around the team really lifted when he arrived — he was truly great for us. I hope we can keep that going next year as well. Q: He definitely brought a lot to the team, and for you personally… I mean, he "gave you" your first career triple-double against Houston. What was that feeling like? Was it planned for him to finish the play with that shot? We were up by a lot, I already had nine assists, and there were about two minutes left when Ty Lue wanted to sub me out. And that's when I told him, me and whole bench stood up, "Let him get the triple-double." Normally, he doesn't like doing that. Earlier this season, against the Lakers, he benched me when I had 21 points and 19 rebounds. I asked him if I could stay to get one more rebound, but he didn't want to, so he gave me this one as a reward. Advertisement We ran a play for me to post up because they were double-teaming me, so I could kick the ball out to someone and get an assist. But the Rockets threw the ball away, it went out of bounds, and I told Bogi, "Bogi, I'll give you the ball, just shoot it no matter what, try to score, but just shoot it..." We had players on the court who don't usually play. They were cold since they just came in. I said, "I'm giving you the ball, just shoot and see what happens." He set a screen for me so I could grab the ball out of bounds and then came back. I handed him the ball, he rose up over the defense, everyone knew he was going to shoot — it was a really tough shot. The ball spun around the rim and somehow went in. I was really happy. I never expected to get a triple-double, but I'm really glad I did, and that last assist was for him. He made that shot. I even have the game ball engraved... One of the best moments of this season for sure. Q: There's one player who normalized the triple-double from the center position. Let's touch on that bitter part of the season — what was it like playing a seven-game series against Nikola Jokic? Knowing everything would go through him, how hard was that night after night? It's tough. Especially when you're playing 35-40 minutes in the playoffs, when the game slows down, and most of the game is half-court basketball instead of transition. You know everything's going to go through him even more than usual, and that's seven games. Honestly, it was really hard. In my opinion, he's the best player in the league, and every possession, every defensive play, you have to give 100%. Advertisement He's very strong, so it's physically demanding. You go through defensive challenges that no other center usually faces. He handles the ball in pick-and-rolls, they set pindowns for him, flare screens, he plays in the post, works from the elbow, and even 1-on-1 from the free-throw line. You really face a million things that centers normally don't have to deal with. You have to completely change your mindset and philosophy about how you defend as a center, just to try to contain him. So it's both physically and mentally very demanding. You can't relax for a second, you always have to think ahead. You know every play, you know what's coming, and you have to be ready for everything. It's really tough. Q: So, he's definitely the hardest player for you to guard? Yeah, definitely... As a center, yes. I don't count guards because I don't usually switch onto them — that's a different story — but as a center, he's definitely the hardest to defend. Because he really puts you through things you don't face against anyone else. The defensive rules against him are completely different. Q: That series against the Nuggets was a war. What do you feel was the deciding factor in those series? Was it the Aaron Gordon's put back dunk? Well, I think that's it. We were up 2-1, and I think that game was the turning point because we really started that game poorly. After the third game, there was a lot in the media, their players said they were injured and having problems, and that's when we saw we had to come out strong because they looked ready to give up... Advertisement They took a 22-point lead, but we came back. If the game had lasted maybe a minute longer, I think we would have definitely won, but unfortunately, a fraction of a second kept us from overtime. When they won that game, it gave them confidence, a boost of momentum, and everything changed. It's a shame — that was our best chance in Game 4 to break the series. Q: Where do you place Jokic on the all-time list of players and centers? Hmm, it's hard to say. I've never played against those other guys we usually count among the top 5 centers — like Shaq, Hakeem, Kareem... Considering everything Jokic has achieved — a championship, three MVPs, Finals MVP, so many All-Star appearances, First Team, All-NBA selections — I think he's definitely in the top 5 centers, maybe even higher. Advertisement I wouldn't dare rank him among the greatest players ever just yet, because he's still in his prime, has a lot of basketball left to play, and will win many more awards and honors. So maybe I'll be ready to do that at the end of his career. But for sure, he's already top 5 among centers. Q: Since we're on the topic of individual awards, who do you think will win the MVP — Shai or Jokic? I think Shai will take it this year, but I'd vote for Jokic. I believe Jokic had the better individual season, though Shai is really an excellent player. I played with him during his first year with the Clippers, so I'd be happy for him if he wins, but individually, I think Jokic had the stronger season. Who votes, I don't know how that will go… The whole season, there's been talk about Shai. It wouldn't be wrong if either of them wins — both deserve it. I'd definitely give my vote to Jokic. We'll see, but I think in the end it'll be Shai. Advertisement Q: Since we're talking about those first years with the Clippers, do you think the Lakers regret giving up a center like you? Because it seems like you are exactly the type of player they're missing right now. I know the fans definitely regret it... Every day when I go out, at least once a day, I hear about that trade and Mike Muscala... This is Lakers city and most people here are Lakers fans, so I hear about that trade every day. How they wish I was still on the team, how I'd be perfect for them now since they don't have a center. But for me, it worked out well. Back then, I didn't play much there, I didn't have much of a role, and then I got a much bigger role — I was a starter from the start with the Clippers. So in the end, it turned out great for me. Whether the club regrets it now, I don't know, but I do know the fans do. Q: Hardly anyone predicted this kind of playoff scenario in the NBA, but now that only four teams remain, who do you see as the winner? From the regular season, I really liked Indiana. The way they played, and they actually beat us both times we played this year — they're a really good team and well put together. I'm not sure if it's enough to win it all though... Advertisement The Knicks are good, too. They're a typical playoff team that relies on 6-7 key players — veteran playoff guys with experience. Then you have Oklahoma, which dominated most of the regular season, but Denver pushed them to seven games, so they're not unbeatable. Minnesota — I'd give them the least chance. But I don't know, I think this is the year everything has opened up for Oklahoma. They were like Boston or Cleveland during the season, out of the playoffs, and now their path to the title seems open. We'll see how they hold up after that seven-game series against the Nuggets. They're in rhythm, and that matters. If I had to pick, I'd put my money on Oklahoma. But I wouldn't be surprised if any of these teams won, and there's a reason for that. There really isn't a clear favorite. We will keep an eye on "Zu" Zubac's growth—both as a player and a leader—was one of the brightest storylines in a Clippers season full of twists and overachievement, but unfortunately, it ended in heartbreak. While individual accolades came just so close, it's clear his eyes are still locked on bigger goals. And if he keeps trending this way, there's no doubt he'll get there — we'll be watching.
