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New York Times
24-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Does Cooper Flagg need a deep March Madness run to stay atop 2025 NBA Draft?
The Bounce Newsletter | This is The Athletic's daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. Everybody talks about the New Year's resolution. These resolutions should start after March Madness, because the volume of concentrated wings in my bloodstream right now … Clippers have righted ship. That's a boat pun! Not even a blowout win over the mighty Jazz (16-56) could keep the Cavaliers off the wrong side of the NBA Stock Report. Not even losing to the Thunder (59-12) could keep the Clippers (40-31) off the right side of it! These are the best and worst trends with everything in between: 📈 Clippers (40-31): They (barely) dropped their showdown with OKC yesterday, but have been great lately. They've won eight of their last 10 games — that included some serious wins, and LA was close to beating Cleveland and OKC in the past week. The Clippers' recent success isn't just from them making games ugly with their defense and slogging through the muck. They have been excellent on offense. They're scoring as well as anybody in the league. Norman Powell is back, and Ivica Zubac has been a monster in the paint. The Clippers are making a massive push to the No. 6 seed to avoid the Play-In. Advertisement 📉 Cavaliers (57-14): Cleveland snapped its season-high four-game losing streak thanks to the Jazz yesterday, but the Cavs have still been trending in a troubling way. It's not alarming to the point of no longer believing in them or thinking they could actually lose the No. 1 seed in the East. But you want to be playing your best basketball leading up to the postseason, and the Cavs are currently playing their worst basketball. 📈 Pacers (41-29): Once again, here come the Pacers as we get closer to the postseason. Even when this team was missing key starters and its best players, the Pacers found ways to win. The role players have stepped up, and this bodes well for another surprising run. They're in the driver's seat for the No. 4 seed, winning six of their last seven games. 📉 Kings (35-35): Most of this stretch has happened without Domantas Sabonis, so it's understandable. But the Kings have lost six of their last eight games. They suddenly might be in a little bit of trouble with retaining ninth in the West, as Phoenix looks a lot more competent trying to secure a Play-In Tournament spot. Sacramento is now just 1 1/2 games ahead of Phoenix (34-37). 📈 The Bulls (31-40) have won seven of their last nine. During this stretch of basketball, Chicago has the ninth-best offense in the NBA. They have this surprising way of dropping a lot of points on you out of nowhere. Coby White is averaging 29.9 points in this stretch while making 50.8 percent of his shots. The Bulls might challenge the Magic for eighth in the East. They're just two games back and own the tiebreaker. 📉 The Nuggets (45-27) are in the hunt for the No. 2 seed, but not having Nikola Jokić over the last week hurt them. Even after snapping Houston's win streak yesterday without Jokić, they need Big Honey back on the court. This stretch may be helping his MVP case, but it's not helping the Nuggets get ready for the postseason. They're running out of time to get moving toward their best basketball for the playoffs. Will NBA ever fix its issue in March? 🏀 A bad stretch. The NBA has a real problem when it comes to this month. Welcome to March Badness. 👀 Feeling at home. Jimmy Butler is adjusting well to life with the Warriors and doesn't mind being the bad guy. 🏀 Bigger than basketball. Here is a must-read about the Wolves starting Joe Ingles so his autistic son, in attendance, could see him play. 🌞 Finally sunrise? The Suns are winning, and it's time to forget their big three. This is about their active three. Advertisement ⛹️ Unmatched impact. God Shammgod is one of the most unique influences in basketball history. Christian Clark explains why. 📈 Rising rookie. Mata Buzelis is finding his stride and confidence of late. 📺 Don't miss this game tonight. Bucks (40-30) at Suns, 10 p.m. ET on NBA TV or Fubo (try it free!). The winner gets the 2021 NBA championship. 📺 League Pass gem. Timberwolves (41-31) at Pacers (41-29), 7 p.m. ET on League Pass (get it here!). Minnesota is seeking the No. 6 seed in the West; Indiana is seeking the 4 out East. Philly's Quentin Grimes situation is complicated The Quentin Grimes story this season has been super interesting. He was a nice offseason pickup by the Mavericks, hopeful to help Luka Dončić and the franchise improve upon their NBA Finals appearance. Then … the trade deadline happened and everything changed. The Mavs sent Dončić to the Lakers, and Grimes was dealt to the 76ers in a separate trade for Caleb Martin on deadline day. Ending up in Philly eventually meant Grimes got a shot to show that he's more than just a quality 3-and-D wing for a team. Why? Because this team has been ravaged by injuries to its stars. The Sixers need someone to go score the ball, even though this organization is not interested in winning games the rest of this season. It's interested in improving its draft spot so its top-six protected pick doesn't head to OKC. He has been shockingly awesome. I've always been a fan of his, and never could figure out why he wasn't more prominent in New York, Detroit and Dallas. I didn't think he could do this, though: He's averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.6 steals with 50.7/39.3/71.8 shooting splits. Not even on a per-minute or per-possession rate has Grimes ever shown anything like this. The Sixers are still losing games, but he is entertaining the masses. And it looks like president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has found another gem, right? Not so fast. Advertisement As John Hollinger explained on Friday, the 24-year-old Grimes will be a restricted free agent this summer. I know what you're thinking. What's the big deal? That means the 76ers can match any offer sheet he signs and retain him. That's correct! Except what do we hear off in the distance? Large looming footsteps of the luxury tax and a giant legal document saying, 'Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the threat of the second apron!' That's right. The Sixers could be in danger if they have to match a large enough offer sheet. Hollinger believes a salary around $20 million for Grimes could push them up against the projected second apron if Kelly Oubre, Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon pick up their player options. Also, the Sixers having a high pick they retain would add significant enough salary to further complicate their cap. The sixth pick this season makes $7.4 million. A team could get very aggressive in trying to sign Grimes to an offer sheet to steal him away, and there might not be much the Sixers can fiscally or feasibly do about it. Did March Madness cool off some lottery picks? We've moved through the first weekend of March Madness, and even though it's been more mild than mad, we've still had plenty of fun. I wrote that before Derik Queen did this to Colorado State, but I still stand by some of that sentiment! As we approach the Sweet Sixteen next weekend, I thought it was the perfect time to fire off some draft takes based on a brief glimpse at some of the projected picks. As always, get your real expertise from Sam Vecenie. My biggest concern Kasparas Jakučionis, Illinois: It's not quite as dramatic as watching Reed Sheppard get housed by Oakland last year, but I was a little alarmed at the way Jakučionis was taken out of Sunday's game against Kentucky. He was the easy target on defense and didn't even have the ball much down the stretch on offense. I wanted to see more out of a top-10 projected pick. Tourney status: eliminated. I'm a little tepid here V.J. Edgecombe, Baylor: I like a lot of what I see from Edgecombe. His athleticism is ridiculous, and his jump shot form is definitely workable. My biggest issue with him is how stagnant he is on offense when he doesn't have the ball. I would love to see him on the move as a threat in the pros. This is likely dependent on where he ends up. Tourney status: eliminated. Advertisement Egor Demin, BYU: He impressed quite a bit in both games. He's a great initiator at his size and has fantastic vision and play-making capabilities. That will all translate to the next level. That shot just isn't there, even after a good shooting performance in the first round. He needs a summer with the shot-doctor big-time, a la Kawhi Leonard out of San Diego State. Tourney status: still dancing. Yeah, this guy is legitimate Cooper Flagg, Duke: I mean, of course he is. He's been stamped since even before his great showing against Team USA last summer. Flagg is the guaranteed No. 1 pick, as long as he declares for the draft. I loved the way he moved the ball against Baylor, and he just causes a lot of problems on both ends of the floor. Tourney status: still dancing. Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma: Didn't have a great shooting night in the loss to Connecticut in the opening round, but he still played a great game. Do remember he reclassified, so he won't turn 19 until October. He has a great feel for the game and could be a fantastic guard off the bench right away at the pro level. I wanted to watch more of him, but sadly, his season is done. Tourney status: eliminated. If I were a braver man … Khaman Maluach, Duke: He's my favorite prospect, including Flagg. I'm not saying he's better than Flagg, but if I weren't a coward, I'd fire off a take that Maluach will end up the top player from this draft. I'd even risk going for him at No. 2, depending on how the lottery shakes out. He has great defensive instincts, a solid offensive touch and he's barely played basketball. He has some Joel Embiid vibes in that way. I'm all in on the Maluach experience. Tourney status: still dancing. 📬 Love The Bounce? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
New York Times
17-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Where the NBA playoff (and tanking) races stand with less than a month to go
What better time to update you on all postseason races than right now? Plus an extended NBA Stock Report? Here's your latest NBA Rewind! 📈 Minnesota Timberwolves (40-29): With the Cleveland Cavaliers losing on Sunday, the Wolves are officially the hottest team in basketball. They've run off eight wins in a row and are battling the Golden State Warriors to get out of the Play-In Tournament. The thing about this particular run for the Wolves is it's happening with the defense just being fine, especially by their standards. They are lighting up teams with an offensive rating over 125 and a true shooting that has been flirting with 65 percent the entire time. Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels are playing their best basketball of the season. It's not exactly a murderers' row of opponents during this streak, but the Wolves are hammering the teams in front of them. Advertisement 📉 Miami Heat (29-38): The Heat are in a bad place right now. They've lost seven straight games, and they're falling down the Play-In standings in the East. They're now just a game ahead of the Chicago Bulls, and they can't score. During the last two weeks, they have a 105.0 offensive rating. That's the worst offensive rating by a lot. The defense has not been bad, but they can't hit shots. The trio of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins just isn't enough. They're very close to having a road game for the 9-10 matchup in the Play-In. 📈 Houston Rockets (43-25): The Rockets are once again one of the hottest teams in basketball! They're on a six-game winning streak and have vaulted up the West standings to the current No. 2 seed. Granted, the schedule has been pretty light for them during this streak, but you can only play the teams in front of you. And they're taking care of business. The Rockets have beaten the New Orleans Pelicans (twice), Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Bulls during this streak. They have a chance of pushing this pretty far, though. Their next seven games are against the Philadelphia 76ers, Magic (road), Heat (road), Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz (road) and Suns (road). There are a couple of tough ones in there, but the Rockets' defense is suffocating, and their offense has been excellent. 📉 Utah Jazz (15-53): I wouldn't say the Jazz are playing great basketball. Now, it's not an outright disaster, which is weird to say considering they've lost nine straight games and just lost to Minnesota by 26. For the most part, the Jazz are putting up a good fight during this stretch. Seven of those nine losses have been by single digits. They lost to Toronto twice, Washington and whatever's left of Philadelphia … so Quentin Grimes. The Jazz are trying to develop the young guys, and they're getting good minutes, but this team can't win. 📈 Golden State Warriors (39-28): The Warriors are the second-hottest team in basketball, having won seven straight games. The Jimmy Butler trade has been entirely transformative for them. For the NBA fans who don't like Butler, their response on social media has been, 'Just you wait until he becomes a team cancer!' Well … he only disrupts the harmony when a team won't pay him, and the Warriors already paid him. The Warriors are 14-1 with Butler in the lineup, and he's not even scoring lately. He has 32 total points in the last three games combined. The Warriors look like they're back. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. 📉 Southwest Defense: Over the last two weeks, the three worst defensive teams in the NBA reside in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. One of the teams is tanking because of injuries. Another team is starting to tank because of injuries. And the third team is going through one of the most unbelievable midseason Q Rating 180s we've ever seen. If you guessed the first team is the Pelicans, you're correct. They have the third-worst defense over the last two weeks, with a 124.6 defensive rating and a 1-6 record. If you guessed the second team is the San Antonio Spurs, then you nailed it. Victor Wembanyama has been out, and De'Aaron Fox's season just ended. They're giving up a league-worst 128.8 defensive rating during their last seven games, but surprisingly are 4-3. If you knew the third team was the Mavericks, then you must have read The Misery Index last week. They have the 29th-ranked defensive rating at 126.4 over the last two weeks and a 1-7 record. Just to put that in perspective, the Pelicans' 118.6 defensive rating for the season is the worst in the NBA. GO DEEPER NBA Misery Index: Suns, Mavs, 76ers fans have had it bad. But who's had it worse? We've got less than a month left in the regular season! We've never felt more alive! Until the playoffs begin and progress. Then, we'd have really never felt more alive. There's no better time to check in on the postseason races we've got going on than right now. Here's every race you should know about when it comes to seeding in the East and West, including the Play-In Tournament campaigns. Advertisement The race for the No. 1 seed in the East is all but over. Mathematically, the Boston Celtics (49-19) are still in the mix for the top spot, but they're 7.5 games behind the Cavaliers (56-11) with 15 games left for Cleveland and 14 games left for Boston. We can call that one, just like we can lock in the Celtics for the No. 2 seed. The New York Knicks (42-24) are six games behind the Celtics with 16 games left, so we can call that one too. I'm going to assume the Knicks can tread water until Jalen Brunson is back and if Karl-Anthony Towns doesn't get injured. New York has a four-game lead on Milwaukee. Also, it owns the season-series tiebreaker, so that four-game lead is really like five games. We have the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons all battling it out for the No. 4 seed in the East, and none of these teams is in danger of falling into the pit of despair — otherwise known as the East Play-In pool. Here's where the Bucks, Pacers and Pistons stand. We should probably feel pretty comfortable with the Bucks here because they have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, but I think I'm leaning toward expecting the Pacers to move up to fourth. Their remaining schedule is easy, they have a favorable number of home games and they're the healthiest/most available of the three teams. Milwaukee is the most balanced of the three in terms of offense and defense, but the Pacers might be in the best place for success. The final two games between the Bucks and Pistons to end the season could ultimately be the deciders. We've got just four teams currently in the Play-In Tournament shuffle vying for positioning with the 7-10 spots. No offense to Toronto, Brooklyn and Philadelphia, but nobody believes you want in on this. The Raptors are the closest to Chicago, and they're 4.5 games back. We can focus on only the teams currently in the mix. So, let's break down what that looks like the rest of the season. The only team that is a potential threat to either Cleveland or Boston is the Orlando Magic. And even then, we're stretching the definition of threat because of their season-ending injuries and inability to score. They would, however, be a real pain to deal with because of how hard they play and how good they are at defense. I expect them to end up seventh in the East and hosting the Play-In matchup against Atlanta. Or maybe it'll stay how it is with Atlanta hosting. But it will be those two in that 7-8 game. Advertisement Miami and Chicago just aren't serious as a threat. Neither of them is likely to make the actual playoffs, and the Heat are so bad right now they might not even be able to host that 9-10 game against Chicago. We knew all season the Washington Wizards (15-51) and Charlotte Hornets (17-50) would be in the hunt for Cooper Flagg, and they have not disappointed. They're a few games away from being mathematically eliminated from the Play-In Tournament. These two teams are jostling with Utah and New Orleans for the top odds to land the No. 1 pick. The other tanking battle right now is happening between the Raptors (24-44), 76ers (23-44) and Nets (23-45). These teams aren't going to charge toward the Play-In Tournament and try to challenge Chicago. They're looking to lose games and fall down the standings, which means falling up It's even more dire for the Sixers to lose these games because, if they don't land a top-six selection in the draft, their pick goes to Oklahoma City for taking on Al Horford's salary in 2020. Let's go through the West races, and let me tell you: It's going to be an absolute mess. I mean that in the best way possible. If you like chaos on the court and in the standings, you East Coasters will want to stay up for some late-night hoops. The Oklahoma City Thunder (56-12) are 13 games ahead of Houston, Denver and Memphis with 14 games left to play. As long as they get to 58 wins, they're the top seed. I feel pretty confident the most dominant regular-season team in league history can find a way to go at least 2-12 the rest of the way. The race for the No. 2 seed is going to be madness. We have three teams currently with the same record, and the Los Angeles Lakers are right behind that group by one game and tied with them in the loss column. On top of that, everybody has a tough schedule the rest of the way. Let's break down where each team is. I don't even know how to guess at how this might go. I guess I'll ride with Houston because it has the potential to hold all three tiebreakers. That's going to be the big deal here, and you're only going to be able to follow that by bookmarking this page. Denver seems to be losing a bit of steam, but getting beat by the Wizards will have that kind of effect on you. Memphis just got back Jaren Jackson Jr., so it should be healthy enough to make another push. And if the Lakers can continue to stay afloat until LeBron is back, they've played some of the best basketball in the league over the last month and a half. Advertisement Denver and Memphis are both starting road trips this week, and those will likely set the tone for how much they can keep pace. Even though these teams are within shouting distance of the Lakers in the standings, they're going to have to figure out how to make the top six in the West before they can think about moving up to fifth. Avoiding the Play-In is huge, but it also means you might be getting Nikola Jokić in the first round. Let's check out 6-8 in the West. Unfortunately for the Clippers, they have a gauntlet in front of them the rest of the season, and it feels like they'll probably settle right into eighth in the West —barring injuries elsewhere. Even though Golden State looks like the best team of these three, I'd pick the Wolves to end up sixth in the West. They have only six more games against playoff teams. They do have a five-game road trip to start April. The Warriors have a six-game road trip in the middle of this run, but only two of the games will be tough. Aside from Sacramento, I can't believe we're getting a 'by default' entry into the West Play-In Tournament. You expect to get one or three of those in the East, but the West? That's absurd. Two of these teams have to make it, and lumping Sacramento in with these other three feels like lumping Orlando in with its group in the Eastern Conference. Sacramento is fine and should be safe. I can't imagine the Kings have to worry about any of these teams charging up the standings to challenge them for ninth. As for the rest, maybe Anthony Davis getting back to health, along with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, will bring some good life to the Mavericks and make them interesting for good reasons. Phoenix looks like it actively loathes playing together. If there were basketball karma or gods, Portland would get the 10th spot. The Trail Blazers seem to want it the most. My guess is Phoenix gets in there with the tiebreaker, but I don't how it's possible to feel confident about the Suns with anything positive. Advertisement The Jazz (15-53) and Pelicans (18-50) are officially eliminated from the Play-In mix. We knew the Jazz would likely be in this position by season's end, but maybe not this severely. The Pelicans have been a huge shock compared to how we felt about them at the end of last season. Injuries were just too much for them. As mentioned above, they're in the mix with Charlotte and Washington to end up with top-three lottery odds for the No. 1 pick. The Spurs (28-38) are being thrown in here too. With Wembanyama and Fox out for the season, it's only a matter of time before they start sliding down the standings. We'll see if Chris Paul or any of the young, good wings end up joining them, or if the Spurs go back to running Jeremy Sochan at the point. The best San Antonio can do is end up with the eighth-best lottery odds, which would give it a 6 percent chance at the top pick and 26.3 percent for a top-four selection. (Top photo of Julius Randle: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
New York Times
10-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NBA Rewind: Sorry, Charles Barkley. The Lakers demand our full attention
There's so much going on in the NBA right now! Really, there's so much going on in the basketball world with the stretch run in the NBA, the men's and women's NCAA tournaments in college basketball firing up soon, and even the final week of action in the inaugural season for Unrivaled. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers can't lose. Teams are making their push for the final few weeks, and some teams are strategically tanking more and more with every Cooper Flagg highlight. At the same time, the Los Angeles Lakers have once again become hyper-compelling. We've got it all here for you. Advertisement Here's your latest NBA Rewind! Every Sunday, our research team powered by millions of expert analytical workers my dog and me pore over every bit of data imaginable in the NBA. We do that so every Monday we can bring you the highest and lowest trends in the NBA world. Here is this week's NBA Stock Report. 📈 OKC Thunder (53-11): This will shock you, but the Thunder are on a long winning streak again and winning a lot of games by double digits. It's not quite as impressive as the Cleveland Cavaliers being on another double-digit win streak (third time this season), but we can't have the Cavs in here every week. Wait, can we? Should we? Regardless, this is about the Thunder! The Thunder have won seven in a row, and five of those seven have been by double digits. The closest game they've finished during this streak is an eight-point win over Atlanta. They just took down Denver with a dominant fourth quarter to bolster Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP case. They're up to 42 double-digit wins on the season. The NBA record is 50, by the 1971-72 Lakers. 📉 New York Knicks (40-23): Tough week for the Knicks, and they've just started a West Coast road trip. New York has lost three straight games, including two in Los Angeles. You can deal with losing to the Lakers and Clippers in their respective arenas. But the game against the Lakers also cost them Jalen Brunson for a couple of weeks. Now they have three more games at Sacramento, Portland and Golden State before they go home to face Miami. The Knicks have done well without him on the floor this season, but not having him at all could put that to the ultimate test. Good news is they have a 3.5-game lead on Milwaukee for third. 📈 Sacramento Kings (33-29): Right around the trade deadline, the Kings fell below .500 with a loss in Portland. Since then, they've gotten their act together and figured out how to win those close games again. The Kings have won eight of their last 11. Their last five wins have been by double digits, including a 42-point win over Charlotte, 24-point win over what's left of Dallas, and ruining the De'Aaron Fox revenge game by beating San Antonio by 18. During this stretch, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are combining for over 50 points per game on better than 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from deep. Advertisement 📉 Dallas Mavericks (32-33): Kyrie Irving (out for the season), Anthony Davis (adductor injury, missed 12 straight), Dereck Lively II (ankle injury, hasn't played since Jan. 14), Daniel Gafford (knee injury, missed 11 straight), Caleb Martin (hip injury, hasn't played since the trade), O-Max Prosper (out for the season), Jaden Hardy (missed three straight and out for some time with an ankle injury), and PJ Washington (missed four straight with an ankle injury). This is nearly their entire rotation. They've lost seven of their last eight games and don't have enough good players left right now. Maybe they get some big guys back soon and can protect the 1.5-game hold they have on 10th in the West. 📈 Phoenix Suns (30-34): The Suns have won three of their last five games, so it's not exactly a Cavs-esque streak happening right now. But wins are wins for the Suns, and that's what they need to avoid the historic embarrassment of a $152 million luxury tax bill and not even making the Play-In Tournament. They're 11th in the West right now, but only 1.5 games behind the Mavs after beating Dallas' remaining healthy roster on Sunday. It was big because it gave Phoenix the season series against Dallas. The Suns still have the toughest remaining schedule, with their final 18 opponents winning at nearly a 60 percent clip (59.6). However, Dallas might not have a choice but to slide out. 📉 Brooklyn Nets (21-42): Everybody has been wondering what the Nets actually want to do this season. We all assumed they'd tank heavily to grab their next franchise player from this loaded 2025 draft class. Then the Nets were kind of good, or at least solid, for a good chunk of the season. And with the Philadelphia 76ers dealing with big injuries and the Chicago Bulls trading away LaVine, the Nets found themselves within shouting distance of making the Play-In Tournament about two and a half weeks ago. Since then, the Nets have cratered. Brooklyn has lost seven straight games, including to the Wizards and Hornets. They're 4.5 games behind Chicago for 10th, and still a half game behind Philly. That hurts the Sixers. Without any lottery help, Philly would currently lose its top-six protected pick to OKC because the Nets have edged them out. The Los Angeles Lakers are always a topic of discussion in the NBA. I mean … ALWAYS. It just is that way. The Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in sports history, and they exist in one of the biggest media markets. They also have employed LeBron James since 2018, and that's going to garner extra attention. There are four different topics of discussion with the Lakers this week, so let's quickly dive into each one. Starting with the amount of attention they're receiving. During TNT's coverage on Thursday night, Charles Barkley decided to go on a rant. It seemed to be directed at ESPN and its NBA coverage, but at a certain point, Ernie Johnson tried to clarify that Barkley was talking about the entire industry. Barkley took exception with so much coverage about the Lakers and the Warriors, rather than the two teams in first place in each conference. This is part of his rant: 'Let me tell y'all something. And first of all, I want all the smoke. I don't whistle when I walk by the graveyard or anything like that. The Lakers are doing great. Got a long way to go. But the season's been going great for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Y'all just wanna talk about the Warriors and the Lakers. They're both doing great, don't get me wrong. If I turn out to be wrong, I got no problem with that. But y'all are idiots because y'all talk about the Warriors and the Lakers all the time.' Barkley went on to talk about the Cavs' winning streak (which they pushed to 14 in a row on Sunday). He mentioned OKC has Gilgeous-Alexander, calling him the MVP. He said they're also on fire, which they are! Seven in a row! He said he gets mad because everybody is talking about who is in second place (referencing the current No. 2 seed Lakers). He also called the LeBron-Michael Jordan debate 'lame a–,' which I think the majority of us can agree with at this point. It's been talked about for 15 years. We can shelve that for a while. But back to the Lakers as a focus of coverage. Advertisement In the past, I would agree with Barkley. Even about six weeks ago, I would have agreed with Chuck. The Lakers talk on so many platforms can feel quite forced, outside of general beat coverage and the occasional discussion of what's the latest with a very popular team. You see it in social media coverage. You see it on national television quite often. There is so much focus on an extremely popular team because everybody has bills to pay, and that topic tends to cover those bills. I understand when people get tired of it. It's why I recommend checking out the fantastic coverage of the entire league we have here! It's why I encourage everybody to subscribe to The Bounce, our free basketball newsletter! It's why I encourage people to find the people talking about the parts of the league they want covered, which is an easy internet search away. Where I would push back in Chuck's rant is two-fold: 1) He kept saying the Lakers and Warriors have had two good weeks. The Warriors? Yes. The Lakers? We're looking at two months of this. 2) The Lakers traded for Luka Dončić a little over five weeks ago. If ever there was a time in which this coverage and attention were warranted, it's now. While the Cavs and Thunder are great stories and should be celebrated and covered, the Lakers have become the most interesting story right now with the Luka dynamic. It also ropes in the fall of the Dallas Mavericks to their story. I think there is plenty of coverage to go around, but acquiring a 25-year old supernova, who just took his team to the NBA Finals and is, at worst, one of the four or five best players in the world, makes the coverage legitimate. Why? When the trade happened, I was with the majority of everybody else. Great deal for the Lakers, but it doesn't make them contenders this season. Then the defense kept getting better, and they ran off a bunch of games in a row to grab the No. 2 seed. They've had the best defense in the NBA since the Dončić trade, and it was trending that way before the deal. JJ Redick having to swap out Anthony Davis for Dončić and improving the team defense is more than noteworthy. It's an incredible coaching job that has thrust him onto the top three of the ballot for Coach of the Year. Keeping this defensive level and having Luka acclimate to LeBron and what the Lakers want to do offensively is more than noteworthy. Doncic's presence on offense has allowed LeBron to repurpose some of his energy and effort back toward the defensive end of the floor, which makes the defense feel more real for what could be in the postseason. They have plenty of holes they have to figure out how to fill or hide when it comes to the playoffs, but the Lakers are as dangerous as anybody else in the West as currently constructed. There's still plenty of season left, and maybe the Lakers will cool off in a way that no longer makes it seem feasible they could win the West and compete for a title. As long as they stay healthy … During the Lakers' loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night, James injured his groin. It's going to cause him to miss one-to-two weeks as he tries to make sure he's good to go for the postseason. This matters because it could affect the Lakers' position in the West. The Lakers aren't in danger of falling into the Play-In. They have a five-game cushion there. But the Lakers are neck-and-neck with Denver for the No. 2 seed, and they're only two games ahead of fifth-place Houston. They have to figure out how to survive this stretch without LeBron. That gets easier with Dončić running the show, but they are also missing Rui Hachimura out with a knee injury. Advertisement LeBron is going to miss a three-game road trip to Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Denver. He'll likely miss the home game on Sunday against Phoenix. If this stretches into two weeks of absence, the Lakers play San Antonio, Denver, Milwaukee and Chicago at home. That's a tough stretch to be without James for part or all of it. I'm with Barkley. We should absolutely talk about the Thunder and Cavs. Other good/successful teams, too. The defending champion Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, the Memphis Grizzlies, and Rockets have all been big success stories. Even Minnesota, Indiana, and Milwaukee have looked dangerous at times as of late. But for the first time in years, the Lakers aren't a forced conversation. They're legitimately compelling. (Photo of LeBron James: Elsa / Getty Images)
New York Times
03-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NBA Rewind: How can the Sixers and Suns salvage their uncertain futures?
We had yet another great weekend of basketball. We had big showdowns between some of the best teams in the NBA. We had dramatic games. And even more drama off the court. The theme of this week can't even be outright celebrating the good, surging teams right now. We leave that for the NBA Stock Report. For everything else, we're keeping an eye on where Philadelphia and Phoenix go next. Advertisement Here's your latest NBA Rewind! 📈 Cleveland Cavaliers (50-10): For the third time this season, the Cavs have won at least 10 games in a row. They won their first 15 games of this season. Then after going 'just' 6-4 over their next 10 games, they won 12 straight. After that streak, they went 7-6. Now they've won 10 straight games again, and it's still going. This time, we can pick apart the competition and downgrade the run they're on. Until … we get to them blowing out the New York Knicks, taking down the Memphis Grizzlies, beating the Orlando Magic by 40, and coming back from a 25-3 deficit to beat the Boston Celtics. The Cavs can't be stopped on offense. Their defense is destructive. They could easily push this to 15 or 20 straight. 📉 Charlotte Hornets (14-45): First-time head coach Charles Lee tried really hard early on to get this team to establish a more serious culture. This is just a team full of unserious players. There is so little accountability within this roster, and you rarely see them string possessions together that bring a glint of hope for the future. Not even the long-term future, and it's not like this team doesn't have talent. They do. After winning three straight games in January, the Hornets have gone 3-17. On the season, they got swept by the Wizards. Four games against Washington. Four losses. Three of them by nine points or more. I don't care what the records are; the Hornets are the worst team this season. 📈 LA Lakers (38-21): Don't look now, but the Lakers are on fire. They're still trying to figure out everything with Luka Dončić on the court, and they're trying to get him back into the rhythm on offense we're used to seeing. Dončić hasn't really been all that good at making shots in a Lakers uniform. But it's not stopping the Lakers from winning. Their current successful stretch goes back before the Dončić era shockingly began. They've won 18 of their last 22 games, and they're up to second in the West. The Lakers went from being in a Play-In battle a month and a half ago to now trying to get home-court advantage against anybody not named the Oklahoma City Thunder. GO DEEPER Luka Dončić's 'inner demon' helps Lakers ascend to No. 2 seed in the West 📉 LA Clippers (32-28): The Clippers are in danger of sliding into the Play-In Tournament. They're down to being tied with the Golden State Warriors in the standings, but their tiebreaker has them above the fray for now. The Clippers are just 1-5 since the All-Star break. Their offense is still atrocious, but now their defense isn't performing well either. All of this has been on the road, even the two games against the Lakers at their old arena when the two teams were roommates. Aside from a three-game road stretch against New Orleans, Miami and Atlanta in a week or so, their schedule isn't going to get much easier during March. They really need Norman Powell healthy right now. Advertisement 📈 Milwaukee Bucks (34-25): The Bucks have won five of their six games since the All-Star break, and it's six of their last seven if we include the game before the break. Even with Bobby Portis suspended for 25 games, the Bucks are finding ways to win these games. Most of those ways are happening on the defensive end of the floor. Milwaukee has the third-best defense since All-Star Weekend. They've taken down the Minnesota Timberwolves, Clippers, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks during this seven-game stretch. Their offense has been middle of the road, but Doc Rivers continues to have them establish their defensive identity. I don't know if it'll work in the playoffs, but maybe staunch defense with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard saving the day on offense can create a deep playoff run. 📉 Minnesota Timberwolves (32-29): The Wolves picked up an important win against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, but it only brought them to 3-6 in their last nine games. A lot of this has come with injuries throughout the rotation. Donte DiVincenzo missed a bunch of time but finally got back. Rudy Gobert hasn't played since Feb. 12 with a back injury. Remember he dealt with a back injury two seasons ago that limited his play and what the Wolves could do. Julius Randle finally got back to the court, which is just hit or miss in general. And the Wolves had a game without Anthony Edwards because he got suspended for getting his 16th technical foul of the season. They lost that game to Utah. A healthy Minnesota squad looks a lot better, and we are seeing the young guys on the roster inject some life. The Wolves just aren't out of the woods yet. The Philadelphia 76ers are at a crossroads right now. We're not even talking about this season. The Sixers (21-38) would miss the playoffs if the postseason started today, although either the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets still have to accept the 10th spot in the East. There is a lot going on with the Sixers. • Joel Embiid is done for the season, and he's exploring options to repair his injured left knee. He could have roughly six months to get it right before the start of training camp at the end of September. • Paul George announced he's pausing his podcasting efforts so that he can focus on 'trying to get this team together.' Yes, all of the jokes have been made about this. No, you don't have to stop yourself from making them further. I'm not sure why George waited until the end of February to turn his focus away from podcasting either. It's fair to wonder if that's his decision or the urging of the Philly front office or maybe a combination. Advertisement • Reminder that the team's biggest bright spot this season, rookie Jared McCain, is out for the season. • The Sixers lose their draft pick if it's outside the top six. It's currently seventh, which would send the pick to OKC. That's if Philly stays in this position and doesn't get some lottery luck, of course. The Sixers were hoping to bring George in, overhaul a good amount of the role players available on the roster, and compete for a title. Instead, it's a lost season for them, and their superstar looks as bad physically as his first two seasons, when he didn't even play a second of basketball. The Sixers should be tanking to protect their pick. They should be trying to get the No. 1 pick via some lottery luck. Realistically, the Sixers could get to the fifth-best odds in the lottery in May. That would drop them in the standings below Brooklyn (half-game) and Toronto (three games). It would give them a 10.5-percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick and a 42.1-percent chance of landing in the top four. Let's say this happens and the Sixers do land a top-four pick in the draft. Or let's get wild here. What if they land the top pick? What if they end up with Cooper Flagg to add to this group? What does that mean moving forward? What would they be adding Flagg to in this hypothetical? The Sixers can't possibly know what their future is. We know Tyrese Maxey is a really good player. Maybe even the second-best player on a playoff team. We know George is a good player, and we've seen him have both great and terrible postseason moments. What we don't know is whether Embiid is going to be available moving forward. Or how available he might be. The Sixers find themselves in the same situation the Clippers have with Kawhi Leonard. The plan is always to manage his injured knee, pray for the best, and hope he's healthy enough during a playoff run. So far, it hasn't worked for either organization. And the Sixers don't even know what the operation will be for Embiid, let alone if it will work. The internet started kicking around the idea of a forced retirement exception the Sixers could file if Embiid's knee is deemed career-ending. In that scenario, the NBA and the union would have a physician assess whether this is career-ending. Remember Embiid still has $248 million coming his way after this season. If this ends up being career-ending, the Sixers could apply for this retirement exception one year after his last game (as of right now, that would be Feb. 22, 2026). If granted, that would wipe away the remaining years from their salary cap, and he'd have to be waived from the roster. That's an extreme scenario, though. The greater reality is trying to maintain Embiid's knee health, make sure his body is right, and salvage whatever future is there for him and his team. I would imagine you can't trade him at any point in the near future. It's too much money for too many games missed. The Sixers have to hope this next operation is what finally cures the knee that has failed him over the past year (and before that too, but so did a bunch of injuries). Advertisement The Sixers appear to be looking to maintain their draft pick in 2025, no matter what PG's podcasting plans are. They look to be building around Maxey, George and Embiid, even if that feels entirely murky. They'll have to decide if Nick Nurse is the right coach or their role players are the right role players for them moving forward. We know Daryl Morey loves to tinker with a roster. This is just wholly disappointing that Embiid was winning an MVP award two years ago, and now we're wondering how the Sixers even exist with him on the roster. Let's keep an eye on the Phoenix Suns this coming week, shall we? The Suns are in a really bad place right now. Their 9-2 start feels like it happened during the Charles Barkley era. The Suns have been battling injuries and the concept of defense all season long. Once Kevin Durant went down with an injury early in the season, this team has struggled to keep its head above water. Recently, things have become dramatic in a way that doesn't feel necessary in the slightest. Add that newfound public drama to their 28-33 record, which puts them four games out of 10th in the West, and this team is running out of time to even get to the Play-In Tournament. Let alone find any success in the postseason. GO DEEPER The Phoenix Suns lack defense, not drama, as a strange season gets stranger Chris Haynes reported on Friday that weeks ago, Suns coach Mike Budenholzer asked Devin Booker to tone it down vocally. He felt Booker was too vocal during timeouts and even on the court. He wanted to make sure his voice was being heard by the players, and Booker needed to give space for that to happen. Haynes also reported Booker was shocked by this. On Thursday, the Suns lost to the New Orleans Pelicans. Booker spoke at the postgame news conference about how to correct what's going on out there. 'It can be fixed with just a little bit more talking, I'll say. Things get tough, we get quiet as a team. From my experience and what I've seen, you know, that's not the way to get through it.' He also said he'd prefer that two people say the wrong thing to each other on the court than to not say anything at all. He said he looks at himself first in these situations but also talks a lot. The timing of this report and what Booker said the night before definitely seemed like a leaked shot at Coach Bud. The Suns coach was asked about it, and he didn't deny any of the reports. He talked about how everybody has different ways of communicating and said Booker's high volume is a good thing. Everything with the Suns is headed in the wrong direction, though. They are often listless out there, and they no longer strike fear into their opponents. I'm not sure if that happened last spring when Minnesota swept them in a first-round series the Suns were favored to win. Or maybe early on in this season, opponents realized the hiring of Budenholzer hadn't actually fixed any defensive issues. This team is cooked defensively. Only the Wizards, Pelicans, and Utah Jazz are worse defensively this season. Since Feb. 1, nobody is worse than the Suns at defense. On top of that, the Durant trade deadline rumors appear to have brought out the vultures around this franchise. Just circling above, waiting for Durant to want out. He could be moved this summer, if the Suns try to restock some of their picks and grab some young talent to put around Booker. But that's not what the fate of this Durant-Booker-Bradley Beal trio was supposed to be. The Suns have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA. Nothing is lining up in their favor to connote potential success on the horizon. Their next seven games are against the Clippers, a four-game road trip to Denver, Dallas, Memphis and Houston, and then a home game against the Sacramento Kings before heading to LA to face the Lakers. Mat Ishbia bought the franchise a little over two years ago and got super aggressive with big changes. This team now looks on the verge of a complete organizational breakdown. With a luxury tax bill over $150 million, the Suns are on pace to be the most expensive failure in NBA history. (Top photo of Paul George: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
New York Times
10-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Lakers got Luka Dončić by the NBA trade deadline, but what about the deal they undid?
The Bounce Newsletter | This is The Athletic's daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. The most compelling part of the Super Bowl was whether or not Kendrick Lamar would perform that song. He did, and it was great. But the game was a dud for non-Eagles fans. This is why I'm proposing a seven-game series for future Super Bowls! 💡 Yes, the Thunder somehow got scarier Once again, we've got an NBA Stock Report in which some of the selections for the teams trending in the right direction might feel a little obvious. This isn't a list of surprisingly good teams. When the best squads in the NBA are trending positively, you can't just ignore it because we already knew these teams are great. Sometimes, you need to acknowledge the run they're on, even if it seems overt. This is your latest NBA Stock Report! Advertisement 📈 The Thunder (42-9) have won five straight games, as they continue to push themselves to the top of the league standings. The most dominant team in the NBA also just got Chet Holmgren back into the mix. His return comes at a time in which the Thunder almost don't seem fair. Of their last 15 wins, only one of them has been by single digits. 📉 The Bucks (28-23) have lost six of their last 10 games. It's not a massive drop-off, but Milwaukee did also receive some frustrating news. Giannis Antetokounmpo has a calf injury that will cost him a week, including the All-Star Game. The Bucks have also been abysmal on defense lately. If they can just get through this week and get Antetokounmpo's' calf to heal, they should be fine. 📈 Timberwolves (30-23): Minnesota has won three in a row and eight of its last 10 games. The Wolves' offense has been stellar in recent weeks, and it's fueled by Anthony Edwards going on a big run. This is who the Wolves had hoped to be this season. 📉 Spurs (22-28): We have all these good feelings about the Spurs right now because of the De'Aaron Fox acquisition. But the preferred results aren't there yet. The Spurs have been slipping lately, going 4-12 in their last 16 games. They also lost back-to-back one-point outings against Charlotte (13-37) and Orlando (26-28). The Spurs are closer to being passed by Portland (23-30, 13th in West) than they are to charging toward the Play-In. 📈 Cavaliers (42-10): After a brief three-game losing streak to knock them off a 70-win pace, the Cavs are back to positive streaking. They've won six of their last seven games, with the only loss coming against the Celtics (37-16). They just upgraded their wing position by trading for De'Andre Hunter. This Cavs team is getting better. 📉 Pelicans (12-40): I don't want to pile on to a Pelicans season that has been brutal, but New Orleans has lost eight straight games. Zion Williamson has played in six of those matchups. The Pelicans just traded away Brandon Ingram and lost Dejounte Murray to a torn Achilles' tendon. Trey Murphy III has been scoring at a high level with great efficiency. None of it has mattered, though. Dallas will be without its new acquisition for weeks 🩼 Anthony Davis out. The new Mavs star could miss a month with an adductor strain. The moments in between: AD's debut 🎥 #MFFL — Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 9, 2025 🏀 See you next year. John Hollinger wrote about the 2025 NBA trade deadline being all about 2026. Also, Victor Wembanyama looms! 🏀 Ben Simmons' new team. After a buyout with the Nets, it looks like the three-time All-Star will sign with the Clippers. Is this a good move? ✍️ Hoops history. Are you really familiar with the Harlem Globetrotters? Check out this deep dive on their 99-year impact on basketball and society. Advertisement 📺 Don't miss this game tonight. Timberwolves at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. ET on League Pass. Two of the hottest teams in basketball face off. 📺 Late-night League Pass. Jazz (12-39) at Lakers (31-19), 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and Fubo (try for free). Here's hoping we get Luka Dončić's Lakers debut! Why did the Lakers rescind their trade with the Hornets? It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while, a trade gets agreed upon by a couple of teams, but the deal gets rescinded before it can go through. When this happens before the deadline buzzer has sounded, the trade can be reworked to potentially offer extra compensation (cash, picks, player, full box set of The Sopranos, etc.). When concerns over a trade happen after the deadline has passed, it's take it or leave it. Nothing else can be done to amend the deal. That's what happened with the Lakers and the Hornets over the weekend. The Lakers decided to repeal the trade that would've sent 23-year-old rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick to the Hornets for 23-year-old big man Mark Williams. Los Angeles had concerns about Williams' medicals and didn't feel comfortable completing the trade. This is a rare occurrence, but there is an interesting history with overturned trades. Maybe you have questions about this! Maybe I have answers! Let's talk about this: Why did the Lakers annul this? Either Williams didn't pass a physical or there was something in the scans the Lakers didn't like. Team executive Rob Pelinka had previously stated things seemed fine with Williams, but the team still needed to do a full physical. Whether the concerns are about Williams' previously injured back or his knees, the Lakers chose not to go through with the trade that would have filled their glaring need at the center position. Williams has played in only 85 games in two-plus seasons. Advertisement Have voided trades happened before? Three deals come to mind. The most famous one is the Tyson Chandler trade that got nixed because of an apparent toe injury. In 2009, he was traded by the Hornets to the Thunder for Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox and the rights to DeVon Hardin. Chandler would've joined Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka. Instead, he ended up getting traded to the Bobcats months later before eventually ending up in Dallas, where he won a title in 2011. We also had a Donatas Motiejūnas trade in 2016 get rescinded due to back issues. The Rockets traded him to Detroit, but the Pistons voided the deal. It was the second time these two teams were involved in a voided trade. The Pistons traded Sean Elliot to the Rockets for Robert Horry and Matt Bullard in 1994, but Elliot failed his physical. What can the Lakers do about this? Nothing now. The Lakers can only add to their roster with some buyout options or G-League players. They could have had Bismack Biyombo, but he signed a 10-day deal with San Antonio. So, what are they left with in the meantime? Jaxson Hayes, so they really need to find another option. Are the Hornets happy about this? I can't imagine they are! They're saying the right things. But it's fair to wonder if this front office is going to want to deal with the Lakers on anything in the future. What went down behind the scenes in Miami Until Dončić was inexplicably traded away from Dallas, the biggest drama we had in the NBA was Jimmy Butler wanting out from Heat employment. They wouldn't give him the extension he wanted, so he decided to make things uncomfortable until they traded him where he wanted to go — or at least deal him to a place that would give him the two-year, $112 million extension so he could find his joy again. In some stellar reporting from my colleagues at The Athletic, we have a fantastic accounting of what led to all of this, including the drama leading up to Butler's trade to the Warriors (26-26). There's a lot to unpack from the article, but this was the part that caught my attention the most: Butler and Riley met in person on the afternoon of Jan. 7 to establish some ground rules for how this messy situation would proceed. What followed, according to sources on both sides, was instead an emotional, two-hour sit-down that left Butler bewildered by his 79-year-old boss' behavior and Riley at a loss for how to reach the mercurial 35-year-old star. Advertisement From Butler's vantage point, Riley was 'unhinged and disturbing,' as a league source close to him described it. More specifically, Butler told those close to him that the longtime team president referenced Butler's recently deceased father several times during the meeting, offered 'unsolicited and unwanted' parenting advice and even shed tears before ending the meeting by telling Butler he loved him. My goodness! That is one big ball of awkwardness right there! Riley says he was calm during the meeting and let Butler guide the discussion. But he did get emotional when thinking of his own father as the topic of Butler's recently deceased father came up in the meeting. None of this ends up being fair when you start dissecting someone's emotions, but I know the fallout I've received in texts and messages following this article is about whether or not Riley has lost a step or two when it comes to running the Heat. It's a fair question. The Heat have not been able to capitalize on pursuing big names. In the last few years, they were supposed to pair Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal with Butler and Bam Adebayo. Riley couldn't land any of those names, and it eventually cost him Butler in an indirect way. When your greatest strength is bringing in the disgruntled or wayward star, you have to deliver on that. Riley hasn't been able to do that recently. The Heat still have a good team and maintain some flexibility moving forward. But they don't have anything close to a contender. Eventually, they have to figure out how to get this franchise to its next fruitful era – with or without Riley calling the shots. 📫 Love The Bounce? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
