Memphis Has Become the NBA’s Biggest Surprise

If you had asked NBA fans before the season which team would be sitting undefeated entering November, the Memphis Grizzlies would not have been a popular answer, yet here we are!

Memphis enters November with a perfect 6-0 record, matching the best start in franchise history and is now one of the league’s first true surprise stories. What makes this impressive isn’t the wins themselves, but consistently looking like the better team on the floor, playing disciplined basketball, controlling tempo, and finding contributions throughout the roster.

The challenge becomes maintaining this level of play once opponents begin taking them seriously. For now, though, the Grizzlies have earned every bit of the attention they’re receiving.

Luka Is Putting On a Show

Luka is wasting NO time. He’s already had one of the most explosive weeks of any player in the league, with a 52 point game against Utah before following it with another game with 45 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals, absolutely stuffing the stat page. I’m depressed because in my fantasy league I skipped over Luka to take a risk of Anthony Edwards, and we all know how that turned out. :/

What’s even more impressive is his consistency so far. Entering November, he leads the NBA in scoring at 37.7 points per game while serving as the engine of nearly everything the Lakers do offensively. It’s dangerous to discuss MVP races before Thanksgiving, but we might have ourselves our first runnerup.

Health Is Suddenly the Biggest Story in Oklahoma City

Championship aspirations can change so fast. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, this week’s biggest storyline wasn’t a win or a standout performance, but health.

Injuries involving Jalen Williams immediately raised concern throughout the organization and across the league. Oklahoma City still possesses one of basketball’s deepest rosters, but championship contenders measure success differently. They aren’t trying to survive the regular season. They’re trying to be whole and healthy when April arrives. The Thunder remain one of the NBA’s elite teams. What has changed is the list of questions surrounding them. Just about all of their starting 5 aside from Shai, dealt with an injury or is DTD last week.

The Western Conference is too competitive for any contender to lose key pieces for an extended period, making Williams’ health one of the most important situations to monitor in the coming weeks.

Victor Wembanyama Is Becoming Exactly What Everyone Feared

This week, the San Antonio Spurs star continued an incredible opening stretch that included a 43 point, 6 block performance against Minnesota and several more reminders of why he remains one of the league’s most unique talents. The most impressive part isn’t necessarily the numbers, but how complete his game already looks.

He impacts winning as a scorer, rebounder, rim protector, and playmaker. There are very few players in the league capable of controlling games in so many different ways, and Wembanyama appears to be getting more comfortable every week. Coming into the season, the conversation focused on potential. Entering November, the discussion has shifted toward impact. And he’s got more gravity than anybody else in the league currently.

Current Standings Snapshot

Eastern Conference Leaders

• Philadelphia 76ers sit atop the Eastern Conference at 6-1.

• Detroit Pistons have emerged as one of the league’s biggest surprises at 5-1.

• Cleveland Cavaliers remain firmly in the contender conversation with another strong start.

Western Conference Leaders

• Memphis Grizzlies lead the NBA at 6-0.

• The Houston Rockets are coming out of last week as a true contender

• Oklahoma City Thunder continue to look like one of basketball’s elite teams despite injury concerns.

• San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers have received superstar-level production from Wembanyama and Luka respectively.

Early Concern

The biggest surprise on the opposite end of the standings remains the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and Sacramento Kings, who enter November poorly after an unexpectedly difficult opening stretch

Trends to Watch

Memphis: Can the Grizzlies Sustain the Start?

Every season has a surprise team that races out of the gate, but sustaining that success is an entirely different challenge. The Memphis Grizzlies enter November undefeated at 6-0, matching the best start in franchise history. The biggest question now is whether this is simply an early season hot streak or the beginning of a legitimate run near the top of the Western Conference.

Houston: Ready to Take the Next Step?

The Houston Rockets spent last season proving they belonged in the playoff conversation. This season is about proving they belong among the contenders. With a young core continuing to develop and expectations rising across the league, November should provide a clearer picture of whether Houston is merely a good team or one capable of challenging the West’s established powers

MVP Race: An Early Heavyweight Battle

It’s still far too early to make predictions, but the MVP conversation is already taking shape. Luka is leading the league in scoring, while Victor Wembanyama continues to put together dominant performances that look increasingly MVP caliber. As the calendar turns to November, the race appears loaded with star power and could ultimately become one of the season’s most compelling storylines.

Footnote

One player I’ll be keeping a close eye on this season is Darius Acuff Jr..

Most casual fans probably won’t hear his name much this year, but longtime college basketball followers already know why NBA scouts are intrigued. Acuff arrived at Arkansas as one of the highest-ranked guards in the country after starring at IMG Academy and building a reputation as one of the most creative scorers in his class.

What stands out is the way he plays. Acuff has that old school bucket getter mentality that seems harder and harder to find. He operates comfortably in the midrange, changes pace exceptionally well, and has a knack for creating separation without needing elite explosiveness. Watching him reminds me of the types of guards who tend to outperform their draft projections because they simply understand how to score. He’s still trying to fit into his role on his team, and let’s hope his teammates like him more than it seems right now, but the dust should settle soon.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”

1 Corinthians 9:24 (ESV)

Every NBA season creates a few statistical oddities that make you double take. A team succeeds while ignoring conventional wisdom, a player dominates despite lacking the traits we’re told are necessary and an elite team emerges typically from their own blueprint.

I love digging into that kind of stuff because sometimes the weirdest stats tell us the most about things. Here are five that caught my eye recently.

1. The Pacers Score Like a Transition Team... Even When They’re Not Running

Everyone knows Indiana plays fast. The weird part is how much of their offensive success carries over once the defense is already set. Most teams lose their advantage when transition ends, but not the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton and company push decisions and their actions start immediately. Screens come early and the ball moves before defenses can get comfortable.

They’re processing the game faster than everyone else. What makes Indiana so difficult to guard are those possessions that are chaotic even when not technically in transition. The result is an offense that creates transition advantages inside halfcourt basketball.

Last year for the Pacers:

Pace: 101.0 possessions/game (8th in NBA)

Assists: 27.7 per game

Despite a disastrous season overall, they still generated offense through rapid ball movement rather than isolation-heavy creation. Some things shouldn’t work, but they do.

2. Aaron Gordon Shoots Like Two Different Players

Aaron Gordon is a guy who knows how to embrace a role. Near the basket, he’s one of the most efficient scorers in the league. Dunks, cuts, lobs, putbacks, transition finishes. Everything looks effortless. Away from the rim, the production changes dramatically.

Some Aaron Gordon numbers:

74.4% at the rim

36.6% from midrange

That’s a 37.8 percentage point difference between shot zones.

Shot distribution:

• 32.4% of attempts at rim

• 28.1% from midrange

Normally players become more valuable by expanding their game. Gordon became more valuable by simplifying his. Denver stopped asking him to be a primary creator and leaned fully into what he already did best.

Playing with Nikola Jokic certainly helped, but so did accepting a narrower offensive identity. In a league obsessed with versatility, Gordon is proof that specialization still matters. Sometimes doing less is exactly what unlocks more.

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JDub’s Injury Changes Everything

This one was literally a hard watch. Such a devastating thing for him and his team. Late in OKC’s win over the Clippers, Jalen Williams suffered a serious lower-leg injury and had to be taken off the court on a stretcher. Players from both teams immediately knew something was wrong, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was visibly emotional afterward, and the crowd broke into “JDub” chants as Williams gave fans a thumbs up while being wheeled off the floor. As soon as he looked down at his leg, he gave a shocked reaction and immediately knew it was bad.

As of this morning, there still isn’t a full diagnosis publicly available, but regardless of the outcome, this is terrible news for a Thunder team that entered the season as one of the championship favorites. Williams has already made an All-Star team, won a title in Oklahoma City, and become one of the league’s best two way players.

Luka Is Already Doing Luka Things

Three games into the season and Luka is already bending entire games to his will. His 52 point explosion against Utah wasn’t just the highest scoring performance so far of the season, he’s already getting MVP nods.

One of the more entertaining moments from the week wasn’t even the 52 points itself, it was Luka and Yaxel Lendeborg’s beef throughout their game. The two were chirping at each other for much of the night, exchanging words after baskets, defensive stops, and even a half court shot by Luka. It never crossed the line into anything dirty, but it definitely had that old school competitive edge that’s rare in today’s NBA.

The funny part is that trash talk against Luka rarely seems to work, historically. If anything, it tends to have the opposite effect. Every great player has a switch, and Luka’s talking trash. As fans, that’s exactly the kind of rivalry we should want more of. No fake drama, no social media subtweets, just two competitors talking a little trash and settling it on the court.

A 3-0 start is about as good of an opening argument as they could have made.

Philadelphia’s Superteam Passes Its First Test

There may not have been a bigger offseason swing than Philadelphia bringing together Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey. On paper it sounded ridiculous. In practice, the first week has looked pretty good too. The Sixers walked into Madison Square Garden on opening night, watched the Knicks celebrate their championship banner, and then proceeded to spoil the party with a 106-100 victory. Those are the types of games contenders win. The atmosphere was playoff-level, the pressure was high, and Philadelphia looked comfortable.

What stood out most wasn’t any individual performance. It was the fact that they didn’t look like a newly assembled team. LeBron remains one of the greatest basketball organizers we’ve ever seen, Maxey continues taking steps toward superstardom, and Brown immediately provides another scoring and defensive dimension that this roster lacked. There’s still plenty of basketball left to determine whether this experiment works over 82 games, but the early returns suggest Philadelphia isn’t simply trying to contend. They’re trying to win the whole thing.

Uh... Are the Knicks Okay?

Before anybody accuses me of overreacting, let me make one thing clear: it is way too early to panic. The Knicks are still the defending champions. Their core is still largely intact. Nobody suddenly forgot how to play basketball over the summer. That being said, championship teams don’t get the benefit of patience. Every loss gets analyzed, that’s what comes with wearing the crown.

The bigger issue is that New York doesn’t look as sharp as it did during last year’s title run. Maybe this is simply a champion working through opening-week rust. Maybe they’re conserving energy for the long haul. Or maybe repeating is harder than everyone remembers, which is probably the most true. The next few weeks won’t define their season, but they’ll tell us whether this is just a slow start or something worth monitoring.

Milwaukee’s 0-3 Start

If New York is getting questions because they’re the defending champs, Milwaukee is getting questions because nobody expected them to start 0-3. The Bucks entered the season with playoff expectations and veteran leadership, but the first week has been rough. The losses themselves aren’t necessarily alarming. Good teams lose games. What concerns fans is how quickly things can spiral in today’s NBA when expectations don’t match results.

The Eastern Conference was supposed to be more competitive this year, but Milwaukee can’t afford to spend the opening month digging itself into a hole. The Giannis era has largely insulated the organization from extended stretches of mediocrity, which is exactly why every loss feels louder than it otherwise would. Three games don’t define a season. Five or six disappointing weeks, however, can completely change one.

Trends to Watch

The Thunder Have a New Problem

Coming into the season, Oklahoma City looked almost unfair. They were the defending Western Conference powerhouse, one of the deepest teams in basketball, and arguably the league’s most complete roster from top to bottom. Through three games, they had done nothing to challenge that belief. If anything, they looked even better.

Then Jalen Williams went down, the concern isn’t just replacing his points. It’s replacing everything else. Williams impacts both ends of the floor, serves as a critical secondary creator behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and gives the Thunder lineup flexibility that few teams can match. Every contender eventually faces adversity. What makes this situation unique is that Oklahoma City is being forced to answer major questions before Halloween. Their depth will be tested immediately.

Role Players Keep Winning Games

One of my favorite NBA conversations is how quickly people forget the players who actually decide playoff series. Stars receive the headlines, endorsements, and MVP votes, but championships are often determined by who has the better fourth, fifth, or sixth guy. Watch enough games this week and the same names keep appearing. Josh Hart making winning plays. Cason Wallace defending every position. Payton Pritchard bringing energy off the bench. Aaron Nesmith impacting both ends. Nickeil Alexander-Walker doing a little bit of everything.

These aren’t players most fans rush to buy jerseys for, but coaches love them because they make games easier for everybody else. It’s also why contenders spend years trying to find these types of contributors. The NBA has never been more talented from top to bottom, and the difference between winning 50 games and winning a championship increasingly feels like finding players willing to do the little things.

The Youth Movement Is Real

For years the league has existed in a strange transition period. We know the next generation is coming, but we’ve also watched LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant refuse to relinquish control. Every season has felt like a temporary extension of one era while we wait for the next one to fully arrive.

That waiting period may finally be ending. Victor Wembanyama is evolving into a nightly spectacle. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has established himself as one of basketball’s true superstars. Anthony Edwards looks increasingly comfortable carrying franchise expectations. Luka Dončić continues stacking MVP-caliber performances. I also want to give credit to the Thompson twins, these guys are BALLING. Amen’s block against Wemby to win the game for Houston was like none other. The league still belongs to its veterans in many ways, but the future is no longer theoretical. It’s already happening.

The Footnote

Are We Sure the East Got Better?

Through the first week, the West already feels like the same gauntlet it’s been for years. Entering Monday, these team are starting 3-0 in the West:

• Lakers

• Thunder

• Timberwolves

• Grizzlies

• Rockets

Meanwhile on the other side, only the Pistons are 3-0. While much of the Western playoff picture looks loaded with legitimate contenders. The East, meanwhile, has already seen the defending champion Knicks stumble, Milwaukee open 0-3, and several would-be playoff teams search for consistency.

Maybe things will even out over the next few weeks. Maybe the East really is deeper than it’s been in years. But every October I find myself thinking the conferences look balanced, and every November I start looking at the standings and remembering just how brutal life in the Western Conference can be. If Week 1 taught us anything, it’s that surviving the West remains one of the toughest jobs in sports.

“...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Hebrews 12:1 ESV

But if you listen to coaches, teammates, and front offices, they often talk about entirely different players. The NBA is full of dudes who aren’t stars but are still indispensable. They don’t get talked about on television very often, but if they disappeared tomorrow, everybody inside the organization would immediately notice.

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It’s been months! It’s about time.

Summer League came and went. Free agency came and went. Preseason came and went. The new season tips off TOMORROW.

By next week somebody’s season will already feel doomed, somebody will be overreacting to a 30 point performance, and someone will be planning the championship parade.

We’re so back

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Around the League

Wemby’s Next Step

Every offseason I swear Victor does something insane. He’s always training and working on something, or even in China training with monks to get his mind right. This time around he trained with Rugby teams to make him even more physically capable. He’s still adding muscle and deepening his bag. Meanwhile, his ‘arch nemesis’, Chet Holmgren, put on +2 pounds of weight lol.

Each season for Wemby so far is somehow scarier than the last one. The Spurs open against Oklahoma City, my dream matchup, I love watching Chet get cooked. Easy dub for the Spurs.

New York’s Pressure Cooker

Very few teams enter this season with the type of pressure that New York has. As defending champs, they have a name to make for themselves. Can they repeat? Was it a fluke? Are they going to pay their players and do it again?

All they gotta do now is keep winning. Opening night against Philadelphia won’t define their season, but we’ll get a good first look at what’s to come. They’re super expensive this year and it’s unlikely it’ll last for many more seasons, but hopefully they make the most of the next 82 games.

Cason Wallace Got Paid

There’s something so refreshing about watching Oklahoma City operate. Their front office seems to be doing things the right way. The Thunder identify talent early and take care of their own guys. Cason Wallace getting a solid extension is another example. Every championship team needs players like him. 5 years, $139 million, not bad kid. It’s another reminder that OKC isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Rookie Watch

Darius Acuff Jr. Deserves More Attention

Okay can we talk about Darius Acuff Jr. for a minute, every rookie conversation turns into AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, or Cameron Boozer. Meanwhile Acuff is balling out on probably now the worst team in the league. The Kings got a steal. Maybe I’m early on this take, but I really like what I’ve seen from him so far and think he’ll be more than a role player his first year. He’s playing with confidence, creating for others, and doesn’t look intimidated at all.

AJ Dybantsa Looks Comfortable

AJ isn’t off to some hot flashy start, but I actually think that’s a good thing, teams just want rookies to fit in and being able to contribute anything at all is a plus. He doesn’t look overwhelmed or rushed to get things started. He’s already dealing with an ankle injury which is super bad news in my opinion. You never want to see a #1 pick rookie who has played 0 games already showing signs of age. He’s too young for that.

Caleb Wilson Keeps Turning Heads

On a different note, Caleb Wilson is still one of the most impressive rookies all preseason. The confidence is there, and Chicago might’ve landed themselves something special. It’s still early, but signs are showing of something developing. Bulls’ fans have every right to be excited, but they better hope that they keep him for more than a year or 2 before he goes off and earns more money elsewhere.

The Injury Report

Why Ben Simmons, why…

Unfortunately, we didn’t even make it to opening night before injuries struck again.

The worst was Ben Simmons, who suffered a torn right Achilles during practice. Just a week after I was talking about his comeback and how good he looked physically; he’s now expected to miss the entire season. Brutal. Whether you’re a Simmons fan or not, nobody wants to see a guy battle all the way back only for this to happen.

But it doesn’t stop there. Ariel Hukporti is still expected to miss the whole season after tearing his Achilles and requiring surgery.

Jusuf Nurkić remains out with a foot injury and is expected to be sidelined for at least several more weeks.

There are also a handful of players entering the year with uncertain workloads or availability. Kon Knueppel continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury, Coby White is still ramping up from a calf issue, and several teams are carrying players listed as day to day heading into opening night.

Even Stephen Curry gave Warriors fans a scare this weekend after tweaking an ankle during an open practice. We don’t think it’s serious, but it’s definitely something to monitor with the regular season only days away.

The Footnote

Here’s a random thing I think about every year. Right now, every team in the NBA is undefeated. By the end of the week, that won’t be true. But there’s a good chance it’s true for 1 team, or more. Now what about week 3, week 4? Some team is about to start 3-0. Another is going to start 0-3. How long can it go until every team takes their first loss.

Last season, the Thunder put together an 11-game winning streak, the longest streak in the league all year. They looked unbeatable for stretches. Then the playoffs came around and everybody started back at 0-0 anyway.

We celebrate streaks while they’re happening, and then a few months later we barely remember them. The Warriors won 24 straight to start the 2015-16 season. The Heat won 27 in a row. The Lakers won 33. Those are the streaks everyone remembers. Somewhere around Thanksgiving, one team will still have the league’s best record.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

No player has embraced villain status quite like Trae Young. Prime Trae Young truly was a masterpiece. Back in the 2021 playoffs the origin story of this plotline began.

The rivalry took off before Trae ever took his bow at Madison Square Garden. During the 2021 playoffs, Knicks fans were chanting “F*** Trae Young” before games even started, and Trae responded by averaging nearly 30 points per game in the series while silencing the crowd multiple times. The infamous bow after eliminating New York instantly cemented his place in Knicks villain lore. Knicks fans hate Trae, and he loves being hated by Knicks fans.

2. Dillon Brooks vs LeBron James

Dillon Brooks might be the ragebait goat, no joke. This feud exploded during the 2023 playoffs when Brooks repeatedly poked at LeBron, questioning his age and challenging him after games. Brooks remains one of the most disliked players in the league and is committed to annoying every superstar he encounters. Their matchups always carry extra juice with them. Brooks poured gasoline on this rivalry when he told reporters that he didn’t respect LeBron until he scored 40 points on him. What makes this beef so entertaining is that Brooks has never backed down from anyone.

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Tyrese Haliburton has had to wait for 472 days after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. He finally got back on the floor Wednesday night, and he did it at Iowa State’s Hilton Coliseum, where everyone treated it more like a celebration than a preseason game. He only dropped 7 points but it’s cool because it’s preseason, we just want him healthy. Indy haters can hit the door.

Dame Time, Again

A few hours later, Damian Lillard made his return from an Achilles tear of his own. We got our first look at Lillard and Ja Morant sharing the court. This will be a fascinating experiment. Dame and Giannis didn’t quite work out. And I guarantee that trying Ja next to him will not fix any of the problems. Could be entertaining, because Ja will be Ja. But these guys are not winners.

Kyrie’s Return

For our 3rd comeback we have Kyrie lol. He played his first game since tearing his ACL in March 2025. He might be BACK. He looked like prime Kyrie and I’m excited to see it. Flagg and Coop are the much more promising duo when looking at Portland. It doesn’t feel complete, but at least Dallas is building toward something better after that insane Luka trade.

Don’t Forget Ben Simmons

Man give this guy some CREDIT. What’s with all the hate? We haven’t seen Ben play in 529 days. He didn’t do the best but he is hitting fadeaways jumpers, along with his classic turn over. Who cares, I think he’s improved and looks pretty healthy. Right now, simply being on the floor is the only thing that matters.

Rookie Watch

Caleb Wilson Is Arriving Fast

The early favorite for breakout rookie might be Caleb Wilson. This guy has a killer mentality and is improving crazy fast. Wilson already looks like someone who belongs in Chicago’s starting lineup. To be fair, that isn’t very difficult right now, but credit where credit is due.

Wilson vs. Boozer

Possibly a new rivalry? Cameron Boozer finished with 10 points in 12 minutes as Memphis beat Chicago. It’s still preseason, but seeing Wilson and Boozer share the court could possibly turn into something fun. It feels like all of the rookies are naturally pinned against each other to prove their worth.

AJ Dybantsa Check-In

As expected, AJ Dybantsa is continuing to look comfortable out there. He already seems at ease playing alongside some pretty established players. He’s got some shoes to fill as all #1 picks do, but assuming that he won’t get injured anytime soon, it doesn’t look like he’ll have any problem doing so.

Other Rookie Performances

While the spotlight has mostly landed on Wilson, Boozer, and Dybantsa, a couple other lottery picks had a strong week. Yaxel Lendeborg stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points for Golden State, while Darius Acuff Jr. answered with 25 points and 8 assists for Sacramento, who definitely took the spotlight for this team.

China Games

Game 1: Houston Wins

The NBA is hosting some of their game in China. Game 1 in China was in Macao. It was Houston vs Dallas. Alperen Şengün dropped a triple double and finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Hot start for them and was exciting to see everyone play. I like that the NBA is expanding and trying to market themselves internationally. The NFL is doing the same thing too, with games in Australia and all over the world.

Game 2: Dallas Answers

Two days later, Dallas took game 2. Flagg had another productive night and he’s looking like he’ll have a good season. With games going internationally, team USA at the Olympics in the future has even more significance.

The Injury Report

Bad injury news started arriving before the regular season even got here.

The biggest loss was Ariel Hukporti, who tore his Achilles and will require surgery. Jusuf Nurkić is expected to be re-evaluated in roughly four weeks after a foot injury. Maxime Raynaud is expected to miss about two weeks with a patellar subluxation, while Isaiah Stewart is expected to miss a similar amount of time with an ankle sprain. The preseason injury report is usually boring. This year we started way too early. Seasons and possibly careers are ending before they even started, and this is becoming a bigger trend. (Insert injury article here)

Looking Ahead

October 20th. The regular season tips off October 20 with an opening-night tripleheader. Celtics vs Piston, Knicks vs 76ers, and Thunder vs Spurs. Clear winners for all of them in my opinion. I’m taking the Pistons, Knicks, and Spurs.

We’re just 8 days away. The biggest question isn’t who looks great, It’s who’s healthy enough for the whole year. The 65-game rule was a big deal last year and it’ll likely pose another problem this year, but hopefully not. And after a week filled with Haliburton, Lillard, Kyrie, and Simmons making their way back, that’s probably the biggest win any team can ask for.

The Footnote

The most dangerous sentence in basketball is: “He looks great, but it’s only preseason.” Ask Haliburton, Lillard, Kyrie, and every player who’s spent the last year rehabbing if they care. Being back is enough. Don’t count these guys out. I want to see them do well and perform at high levels. They deserve to be and stay healthy.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Philippians 2:3 ESV

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F Tier

The Least Compelling Stories in the NBA

30. Memphis Grizzlies

A few years ago, this team would’ve been one of the top of the list. But now they lost JJJ, Ja, and have nothing going for them. The expectations are on the floor. They don’t have any star power and there’s nothing that would have me watching them. They may end up being better than expected, but it won’t be fun to watch.

29. New Orleans Pelicans

Same thing as Memphin. This could have been so cool, but it was fumbled. The Pelicans have spent years teasing the possibility of becoming something bigger than they actually are. At this point, I’ve become numb to it. Let’s make this clear, Zion is officially a bust.The roster has talent, but there isn’t a clear direction, absolutely no championship pressure, or superstar drama driving the conversation. They’re one of the hardest teams to get excited about entering the season.

28. Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn feels like a franchise in search of an identity. They’re not rebuilding aggressively enough to be developing anything, and they’re not good enough to enter the playoff conversation, at ALL. Every season needs a few teams that simply exist on the schedule. The Nets unfortunately fit that description entering this year.

27. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls never seem to be bad enough to bottom out or good enough to matter. I’d honestly hate to be a fan of this team. There are some cool pieces, but there isn’t a defining characteristic for this team. That makes them tough to watch and not worth tuning in for.

D Tier

Some Intrigue, But Not Enough

26. Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta has a handful of interesting players, and I used to really love this team. Prime Trae Young in New York was a once in a lifetime thing. Since he’s been going through injuries and left Atlanta, there’s really nothing there engaging me. The team isn’t relevant, and unless something unexpected happens, I don’t see them generating many waves.

25. Phoenix Suns

It’s sad to call my own team kinda boring. They have a fun villain in Dillon Brooks, but that’s really the only drama. Maybe I’m being harsh, but they feel like it’s the same thing every year, even back with KD. Expectations have dropped. The championship window appears significantly smaller than it once did. The intrigue isn’t completely gone, but it isn’t nearly as strong as it was a few seasons ago.

24. Utah Jazz

Utah’s story is straightforward, player development. That’s fine, but it isn’t the same excitement as anywhere else in the league. The Jazz have promising pieces, but most of their biggest questions feel years away from being answered.

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Giannis in a Heat Jersey

Miami showed off their new starting 5 in Quebec City against Toronto as the first NBA game ever played there. Giannis played just over 14 minutes and finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Getting 7 assists at that pace is impressive and unlike him. The Heat dropped 41 in the first quarter, just a taste of what could be to come. It’s preseason so we should probably calm down but we’ll see what this can turn in to.

Jalen Duren Got Paid

This big pouty boy skipped Media Day, sat out the start of camp, and forced the Pistons to give in. But he’s earned himself 5 years, $200 million guaranteed. There was initially going to be a mandatory monthly weight check in but the team pulled that and I think it was a verbal negotiation to still do so. It’s funny because Duren said he wants to be a Piston for life but i can only imagine how awkward the locker room vibes will be. Everyone just needs to learn how to be content with each other and move on.

LeBron’s Helicopter Commute

LeBron now lives outside Philadelphia and said that he’ll split his time between Philly and New York, and the helicopter pics are everywhere. The Sixers now have LeBron, Jaylen Brown, Maxey, and Embiid who showed up way skinnier than we’ve seen him before. The Knicks swept them last postseason, and they get a chance at revenge on opening night. They had scrimmage footage posted online, and all of them are going to want the ball in their hands to carry the team. They should figure out how to make things work though.

The Warriors Lost to the Clippers in Hawaii

The Clippers are easily going to be one of this year’s biggest disappointments. They’re coming off one of the craziest punishments seen in sports, allegedly. Whether or not it’ll turn out to actually be that bad in the end, we’ll see. However, they managed to beat the Warriors in Hawaii for a preseason game. Curry played 13 minutes, hit two threes, and was done by halftime. Rui Hachimura had 21 in 15 minutes. They’re ranked bottom 5 this year in the league so everybody will definitely be hate-watching.

TRENDS TO WATCH

The East Is The Party Now

The Knicks are the defending champs, and the Sixers reloaded with LeBron and Brown. The Heat have Giannis, the Pistons won 60 and kept their center, and Kawhi is back in Toronto. Nobody in this conference gets a night off, and I’m not sure anybody gets 55 wins. There’s no clear winner and there are countless side plot storylines to follow. Personally, the Pacers are my black sheep that I hope wins the conference, we NEED a redemption for Indy.

New Coaches & New Systems

One in five teams changed coaches, and the jobs couldn’t be more different.

Dusty May, Dallas: Won a title at Michigan, now has zero NBA experience and a 26-win roster.

Taylor Jenkins, Milwaukee: Takes over a Bucks team that just traded Giannis.

Sean Sweeney, Orlando: First-time coach, ready-to-win roster, and Franz and Paolo to balance. Very high expectations for this team

Micah Nori, Portland: Four guards (Lillard, Morant, Holiday, Henderson) for two spots. Goodluck lol.

Jamahl Mosley, New Orleans: Brings his Orlando young core playbook to the Pelicans.

Tiago Splitter, Chicago: The interim who got Portland to the playoffs now gets his own team, congrats!

Availability Is the Whole Season

Every contender in this league is one injury away from a terrible story.

Embiid has been a full participant in practice. The former MVP is fourth all time in career points per game, and the whole question is still whether he can stay on the floor. Kawhi wasn’t a full participant in Toronto’s first practice, and the Raptors are going day to day, classic. They managed him carefully in 2018/19 and are running that playbook again, rip. LeBron turns 42 in December and is starting his 24th season. Curry is 38, looked fine on the right knee in Hawaii, and still played just 13 minutes. Giannis got 14 in his debut and sat the entire second half. All typical, but let’s see.

THE FOOTNOTE

Nikola Jokic could have signed a four-year, $276 million extension this summer, but he turned it down. Next summer he can sign for five years and a projected $357 million, with a no trade clause, through age 36. On Media Day he said he’s going to sign next year “if they want me.” Is that confidence, or is it a risk, similar to what we saw with Jalen Duren? Probably both. It’s the safest bet in basketball for a three- time MVP, but a no- trade clause is a big ask (Bradley Beal… smh), and now the whole league has a full season to wonder. He barely cares about basketball as it is already, but everyone has a price.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

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1. The Thunder Take a Real Step Back

Let’s start off with a pretty outlandish take. We saw the Thunder fall apart in the conference finals last season against the Spurs. “Fall apart” is pretty harsh, but for Chet Holmgren in particular, this is literally true. They won their title, and in the last 8 years, we have not seen a repeat team win the championship. Winners come and winners go. I’m not sure what the ‘step back’ will look like, but there’s a strong chance they’re well under 60 wins this season.

They just had extensions kick in for Jalen Williams and for Chet, with a tax bill that forces them to lose some depth on their bench. Hate to say it, but this is a team that is also 1 injury away from catastrophe. This just isn’t the same team that steamrolled its way through the league the last year or 2. If I’m wrong, I’ll write the full “I was wrong about the Thunder too” piece, no complaints.

2. De’Aaron Fox’s Decline

This second take is about The Knicks’ starting point guard, oops, I mean the Spurs. With Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle taking really big leaps forward, there’s a bit of a competition going on for who will get that spot. Fox is still a good player, hopefully. He’s extremely overpaid regardless and fell apart last year, and I think when this happens to players, it snowballs fast.

Here’s how San Antonio’s run last season went, the ceiling that team showed us in the playoffs looked super bright. Wembanyama’s the one who ran the floor defensively and offensively. We have to understand whether or not Fox’s contributions either helped or took away from the team’s productivity. Fox was seen as an established star who should come in and help a young team reach a higher potential, I just don’t think the Spurs got that from Fox quite yet.

I think this is the season that people will notice. This player is coming to have too many diminishing returns which is getting harder to ignore. I think by the All-Star break, the starting PG will be someone other than Fox.

3. The Washington Wizards Make Real Noise

I know how this sounds. I might be a little crazy but let’s have some fun. Washington’s been straight up ignored for a while now, rightfully so. But we can’t ignore how so many wild trades and players suddenly just appeared in DC out of basically nowhere.

Let’s look at who’s on that roster this season: a healthy Trae Young paired with Anthony Davis. These are 2 players that aren’t new to the league and have already experienced playoff success at high levels. Plus, they have a rookie AJ Dybantsa as the #1 overall pick that has a real chance to be a franchise player.

This team is officially not a team that’s tanking anymore. That’s a solid roster honestly, or at least a huge improvement from before. I think they’ll have a very similar vibe to how the Hornets had a unique breakout season last year. The expectation is not to “make the Finals.” The expectation is really to just stop being a team nobody has to think about. I hope they turn into one of the teams people hope to make it past the play-in just because they’re fun to watch but not expect them to go past round 1.

4. MVP Gets New Recognition

I feel like this one has been a debate for decades, obviously. But it wasn’t until recently that it was more of a ‘what’ or ‘why’ question rather than a ‘who.’ As voters, media, and the overall league continue to develop, I think it’s becoming more obvious that the MVP is an all encompassing award. To me, it’s a lot less about winning, stats, or the team you’re on. It’s more about gravity, impact, and overall value.

Wemby honestly made a really good point last season about what he thinks an MVP is. Back in March he said “My first one would be that defense is 50 percent of the game and that is undervalued, so far, in the MVP race,” Wembanyama said. “I believe I’m the most impactful player defensively in the league. Second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in the season and we dominated them three times with their real team and four times with the, you know, more rotation players. My third argument would be that offense impact is not just points.” This year, it feels so fitting and well deserved for it to go to Victor. Something just felt weird when it went to Shai last year. And then to immediately get knocked out by the Spurs in the playoffs, I watched justice get served. Sometimes, the MVP award doesn’t need to be all about deep advanced stats and metrics, it can be a lot simpler than what the nerds make it out to be. Sorry not sorry.

5. The East Will Be More Entertaining Than The West

As long as I’ve been watching the NBA, all the action happens in the West. Bigger teams, better players, more excitement. But this year seems to be the first time that more of the fun stuff happens in the East. The closer playoff races never happen in the East, but I think this time around, we’ll be paying more attention to teams like the 76ers, Wizards, Celtics, Knicks, Pacers, Magic, or the Heat than ever before.

The West almost feels too predictable right now. We already know the conversation is going to revolve around San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Luka, and a handful of other contenders. The teams are great, but the storylines feel established. A lot of the biggest questions already have answers. I think uncertainty is entertaining. It’s the curveballs that make switching things up more fun. That might be the hottest take in this whole thing.

And that’s the beauty of preseason predictions. Half of these will age terribly, but one or two might actually pan out. Until then, enjoy the uncertainty. Maybe we’ll be back in May or June and see how wrong I was.

Dear New York Knicks, I’m sorry for doubting you. I spent the entire 2025-26 season on record calling this team a fraud. I’ve had them as pretenders in pretty much all of my newsletters to close last season. Whoops, I sold on my predictions. They went and won the whole thing, and I honestly felt pretty dumb. First time since 1973. Well done.

The Receipts

“Knicks: Every year. Every year we have this conversation. They have the pieces, they have the seeding, they have the offense and the defense. Just show me.” - Me, 5 months ago

“Knicks: Still third in the East, still haven’t proven anything yet. The roster is good enough. I need to see it when the lights are brightest.” - Me, 6 months ago

“Knicks: Six straight wins and a top defense since January. But they’ve been here before and they know what the pressure of the playoffs feels like. Prove it when it counts. I’ve had them as pretenders every single week. I might just be hating.” - Me, 6 months ago

And so forth, you get the point. My fault. Here’s what I actually believed, and why it wasn’t a completely insane position at the time: this team had never proven it could get out of its own way in a playoff environment. Big regular season numbers, sure, but a roster that felt more like just a collection of good players rather than a team, and a history of exactly the kind of collapse I was betting on. I wasn’t hating for the sake of hating.

I also genuinely believed the Spurs would go all the way. I am an avid Wemby supporter, but I did fail to fully understand that teams’ lack of experience. As a side note, I think the Spurs are also much more capable this year than last year, and that’s saying something.

This is not to say that the Knicks didn’t deserve their win, but it’s an explanation to why I thought they didn’t have it like that compared to the Spurs.

Where I Missed

If I’m being specific, I also didn’t give enough credit to how the roster’s identity actually sharpened once we got to the games that mattered. They didn’t just get hot, they got better in ways that showed up specifically when it counted. I definitely underestimated them. Playoffs always have so many unpredictable things, and I just didn’t expect so many, including things like OG’s game winner, Brunson’s game 5, and the teams’ overall chemistry. So that’s on me.

The Flowers

So here they are, the championship team. Beating San Antonio to do it means beating a team that also is going for the “team of the future.” With New York coming out the other side with the win, it wasn’t a fluke bracket, especially considering how the Spurs really cooked the Thunder. For a while, I was telling people that the Western Conference Finals was the real finals. I was wrong about that. This makes it all the more impressive how the Knicks overcame that.

Now What?

Here’s the thing about winning it all, it doesn’t end the conversation for the Knicks, it just asks a new question. Last year the question was “can they get out of their own way.” This year the question is “can they do it again?” and “Is there another team that won’t let them go back to back?” They don’t even get a soft landing to find out. Opening night, banner freshly raised, the Knicks’ first team lined up to try and take it down is a brand new Sixers squad. If this team really is what last season proved it can be, that’s exactly the kind of night they should want.

I was wrong about them once. I’m not eager to make the same mistake twice, but I’m also not ready to just hand them next season for free. We cannot forget about the Thunder, Spurs, or the 76ers. Redemption arcs are nice, so let’s see if things will get shaken up. Let’s not fail to realize that the last 8 seasons have all concluded with a new winning champion. Let’s see if next year is any different.

The New Rule

If this season taught me anything, it’s that I need a new rule for how I write this newsletter. Conviction is fine, certainty is not. I can still tell you who I think is a fraud, who I think is overrated, who I think folds when it matters, that’s the job, and I’m not going soft on it. Turns out “just show me” cuts both ways. There’s a high chance I’ll be wrong again, how exciting.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” - Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

BIGGEST STORIES OF THE WEEK

The 76ers Did It

Philadelphia came back from down 3-1 against the Celtics. Absolute cinema. Jayson Tatum didn’t play game 7 so who knows, but he also could be in serious health danger again. Tyrese Maxey was the closer, hitting clutch buckets in crunch time when it mattered, and Joel Embiid, when half healthy, is a beast. The Sixers might get rolling. But they don’t get to celebrate for long now that they head into Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks

The Hawks Let Me Down

The Knicks took a 47 point lead into halftime against the Hawks, the biggest halftime lead in NBA playoff history. The 51 point victory is a franchise record. At one point they were up by 61 points. What in the world kind of way to go out is this? Knicks now got the Sixers coming to town after a six game elimination of Atlanta.

The Thunder Swept the Suns and Nobody Cares

Oklahoma City closed out Phoenix 131-122 to complete their third straight first round sweep. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, the Thunder were efficient from everywhere, and the Suns went home early for yet another year. This is what defending champs look like when they’re not even trying. They wait for LeBron and the Lakers now.

The Spurs Figured Out How to Win

San Antonio beat Portland 114-95 in Game 5 to advance 4-1. Victor Wembanyama came back from a concussion, didn’t miss a step, and made his concussion look like it never affected him. What’s up with the drama around how he thought it was handled? The Spurs are young, talented, and they’re playing the most complete basketball of any team left standing. They’re waiting for the Timberwolves in the second round.

The Lakers Survived

The real story here is how BAD the rockets sucked. KD, please retire and stop terrorizing the league, nobody likes you. After the Rockets forced a Game 6 by winning Games 4 and 5, LA beat Houston 98-78 in an absolute smackdown that wasn’t close for a second half. The fourth seeded Lakers, missing Luka and Austin Reaves for most of the series, advanced on the strength of role guys executing and LeBron doing LeBron things. They’re heading to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder.

The Nuggets Couldn’t Survive

The Wolves won, but at what cost? Minnesota is SO beat up, missing Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, yet still winning somehow. Actually, we do know how, JADEN MCDANIELS They’re not ready for San Antonio though.

The Pistons Came Back

Detroit trailed the Magic by 24 points on the road in an elimination game. They came back, won that game, and then beat Orlando 116-94 in Game 7 with Cade Cunningham dropping 32 points and 12 assists. The Pistons are headed to face the Cavaliers in the East semifinals. This was the most insane first round on the road you could imagine, and it flew under the radar.

The Cavaliers Beat the Raptors

Cleveland was down 3-2 and came back. Toronto had a moment, RJ Barrett hit an insane game winner in Game 6 that mimicked Kawhi’s and Haliburton’s game winners, but Jarrett Allen wouldn’t let it end there. Game 7 belonged to Allen with 22 points and 19 rebounds. The Cavs are going to Detroit. This was playoff basketball at its most compressed and chaotic.

TRENDS TO WATCH

The East is Wide Open and Nobody Is Comfortable

With Celtics exiting early, and the Pistons ALMOST exiting early, what are we left with? You’ve got Knicks-76ers in one series where New York looks like the favorite but Philly just proved they can win anywhere. You’ve got Pistons-Cavaliers where two young teams are a coin flip. Neither matchup has a clear consensus favorite. The Finals representative is still completely up in the air, I think I got the Pistons though.

The West’s Path Is Crystal Clear and Scary

It’s Thunder vs. Lakers in one series and Spurs vs. Timberwolves in the other. OKC looks genuinely unbeatable. San Antonio looks like the team that can match that pace and competition. If the Thunder and Spurs meet in the West Finals, you’re looking at one of the most talented playoff series in years. The Finals could be Thunder-Knicks if that’s how this plays out, or it could be something totally different.

Health Is Everything

Luka’s still out for the Lakers. The Timberwolves are limping without their best perimeter defender and their best wing scorer. Joel Embiid limped off in Game 7 against Boston. This second round is going to be decided by who can stay standing.

THE FOOTNOTE

The Detroit Pistons faced elimination on the road down 24 points in Game 6 and didn’t quit. Cade Cunningham (32 points, 10 rebounds in that game alone), Jalen Duren (15 points, 15 rebounds in Game 7), and Tobias Harris (30 points in Game 7) orchestrated the greatest comeback by a team facing elimination on the road in playoff history. They’re the first Pistons team to win a playoff series since 2008. That locker room just learned something about themselves. There was so much drama between Jalen Duren and his ex girlfriend’s (Angel Reese) new team (Magic). Paired with a collapsed lung from Cade, this team could have such a cool story if they win it all.

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Exodus 14:14 ESV

BIGGEST STORIES OF THE WEEK

The Lakers Are Still Alive and Nobody Knows Why

LeBron and the role guys carried the Lakers to a commanding 3-0 lead, but Game 4 is when Houston showed who they actually are. The Rockets put up their best performance of the series to beat the Lakers 115-96, with better shooting and fewer mistakes. The Rockets have identity and pace, they’re switching everything, playing faster than the Lakers want, and it started working. KD is nowhere to be found though.

LeBron James had his worst game of the series and sat on the bench for the final 7:25 of the fourth. Game 5 is Wednesday night in LA. If the Rockets win and steal momentum heading into Game 6 in Houston, this flips. But right now, the Lakers is the team that looks like they belong in the second round which is nuts without Luka AND AR. We’ll have a legit problem when they get back, and they’re coming sooner than we think.

Minnesota Is Sweeping Denver and Nobody Wants to Talk About It

The Wolves beat Denver 112-96 on Game 4 Sunday night. They’re up 3-1. Jokic is elite and it doesn’t matter because the Wolves have size, athleticism, and a coach who’s figured out how to make Denver’s offense play defense. This wasn’t supposed to be the upset nobody saw coming. Denver has an MVP. And the Wolves are 1 win away from moving on, and one of those wins might come in Denver. That’s frightening for the West. The worst part is that Donte DiVincenzo is done for the season and Ant is going through a bad injury too. They might limp into the second round, but at least they’ll make it.

San Antonio’s Not Losing

Portland took Game 2 at home, and for one moment, the series was interesting. Victor got a concussion and missed game 3. We might have something going on here. But Victor Wembanyama doesn’t lose playoff games at the pace he’s playing. Nobody can compete against him. 100% chance they move on, as predicted, even with a couple hiccups.

OKC Is Still OKC

Three games, three blowouts. SGA isn’t being tested. The Thunder are just better, faster, and deeper than Phoenix, and it’s been that way all week. This is the Finals contender everyone thought it was. That matters because it means one bracket is still alive: if Wemby runs into OKC in the second round, we’ve got the Spurs winning. That’s your next rivalry.

TRENDS TO WATCH

The Knicks Are Sleepwalking into a Problem

New York’s tied 2-2 with Atlanta. My prediction my hit in the first round, Knicks are not going to make it far. Embarrassing for the 3rd seed. Atlanta’s got something brewing, they’re forcing New York into slow-paced, defensive half-court battles where the Knicks aren’t comfortable. If the Hawks steal Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, suddenly New York’s the team that needs to go to Atlanta with their season on the line. Go KUMINGA GO.

The Raptors-Cavaliers Series Is Being Played in Parallel Universes

Both teams won both of their home games in games 1-4. Tied up at 2-2 but it feels like two totally different teams are playing depending on which city they’re in. This series has no rhythm, no narrative, and no clear favorite anymore. Whoever wins Game 5 Wednesday night is probably going to the second round, I’ve still got Cleveland going through.

Rest is officially overrated.

The Lakers got theirs, they rested and came back to lose Game 4 to Houston. The Thunder got theirs, and they’re demolishing Phoenix. San Antonio got theirs, and they’re rolling, even without Wemby for a bit. None of it matters lol. Someone’s going to face reality next week. The first round is finishing fast, and the real contenders are going to look very different on the back end of this.

BRACKET SCOREBOARD

Last week I said:

• West Finals: San Antonio over OKC ✓ (Spurs rolling, OKC not tested yet)

• East Finals: Boston over Detroit ✓ (Celtics look like the best team in the East and the Pistons might be fumbling)

• Finals: San Antonio over Boston ✓ (Too early but the path is clear)

Midpoint analysis: I still believe the Spurs. But Denver likely being out changes everything. If Minnesota keeps playing like this, the Spurs’ path gets harder. And if Boston keeps playing like they did last night, nobody’s catching them in the East. That means San Antonio-Boston happens, and I still take the Spurs because I’ve never seen Wembanyama lose twice in a row.

THE FOOTNOTE

While everyone watches the obvious storylines, Ausar Thompson is becoming a problem for everyone in the East. In Game 3, he had 17 points and 21 minutes. He’s a great defender like his brother who can protect five positions and run. He scored 17 on 70% shooting. He’s also 22 years old and playing playoff basketball like he’s been here before. The Pistons’ depth is real. It’s just that Orlando’s is better, and that’s why they’re winning.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”

Colossians 3:23 ESV

BIGGEST STORIES OF THE WEEK

The Play-In Theater Was Actually Theater

For the first time this season, the narrative stopped being about regular season dominance and started being about who wants it right now. Golden State almost beat the Suns after they pushed the Clippers to the edge. These weren’t necessarily upsets, but the games were definitely intense.

But here’s what matters: All play-in seeds are done. Denver, Houston, the Lakers, and Minnesota are heading into the first round exactly where they need to be ready to go and hungry. The Clippers are out. The Warriors are out. The narrative is reset.

In the East, it was cleaner but equally informative. The 76ers punched their ticket. The Magic made the jump. Orlando and Philadelphia are about to find out if their regular season magic translates, so far it hasn’t for the 76ers, but the magic are looking great with a 1-0 lead over Detroit.

SGA’s MVP Campaign Is Officially Over (In the Best Way)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t have to play a play-in. OKC is locked in as the one seed against the Suns and SGA got a week off before the first round.

The MVP voting will happen deep in the playoffs (which is absurd, by the way), but the ending happened April 10. The finalists are officially SGA, Jokic, and Wemby.

In all realness, it’s up in the air for all 3 but it’s 70% SGA’s.

Cade Cunningham Is More Than One Man

We already knew Detroit was deep. We already knew they were the East’s most complete team, which is debatable after game 1 of round 1 finishing. But Cade coming back from a collapsed lung and playing good ball is great news.

Cade is also officially eligible for all end of season awards. His and Luka’s appeal got approved. So after 63 games, he was qualified for MVP, All-NBA teams, etc. In round 1, losing the first game to the Magic is concerning, especially after being called the most dominant East team for so long. They need to figure it out and stop losing home games as a #1 seed. This will be a problem if it doesn’t get better.

The Spurs Are Peaking at the Exact Right Moment

San Antonio hasn’t lost since March 1. That’s two months at the highest level of flawlessness. Wembanyama is healthy, locked in on both ends, and playing the best basketball of his life. Devin Vassell is thriving, definitely game 1’s underdog, came in clutch when it mattered most and changed the pace. The role players know their assignments and the team has this quiet and predatory confidence that scares everyone, especially the Thunder.

The Spurs are 60-22. They’re the 2nd seed. Everyone is sleeping on them because it’s San Antonio in a league that loves flashy, star-dependent teams. But this isn’t the old Spurs playing conservative basketball, this is a team that can match pace with anyone, defend everything, and execute in the clutch like they have a cheat code.

WHEN they get past the first round, we might be having very different conversations about the West finalist.

Boston’s Injury Luck Just Ran Out (Except It Didn’t)

Going into the season, Boston was written off. Jrue Holiday traded away. Kristaps Porzingis gone. Al Horford out the door. Jayson Tatum missed nearly half the season with an Achilles issue. The narrative was tank adjacent. The reality? They clinched the two seed in the East, and they’re looking healthy.

Jaylen Brown played at an MVP level all year. Payton Pritchard had one of the best seasons of his career quietly, elite defense, three-point shooting is wet. And they’re headed into the playoffs with maximum health and a chip on their shoulder the size of TD Garden, with game 1 locked as a win.

Everyone’s focusing on Detroit and New York. Nobody’s respecting Boston. That’s by design, and Boston’s going to make the East regret it.

TRENDS TO WATCH

First round is going to surprise you. Denver looks unstoppable until they face a Wolves team that bullies them. The Pistons might be too confident. The Rockets have something brewing that feels dangerous, although the Lakers might scrape by until they get their 2 white boys back. The Spurs are arguably the best in the league and have the best fans. And the Thunder? They’re just better than everyone else.

Rest is underrated. OKC and San Antonio got a full week, that’s huge. Detroit gets Cade back healthy. That matters more. Meanwhile, the four teams that just battled through the play-in are looking at first-round opponents who had zero rust. This could flip matchups nobody’s thinking about right now.

Someone’s getting upset and it’s going to hurt. Boston’s too good to slip. OKC’s too good to slip. But between the Rockets, Lakers, Wolves, and Pistons, one of those narratives is about to get flipped on its head. That’s what the first round does.

MY BRACKET: PREDICTIONS

WEST FINALS: SAN ANTONIO OVER OKC

This is the call. This is the one everyone’s going to question. The Thunder are 64-18. They’re bigger, faster, and deeper than anyone in the West. But San Antonio hasn’t lost since March 1 and they’re going to catch OKC in the West Finals when it matters most. There’s nobody in the world Wemby hates more than Chet. This is the next rivalry of the NBA, and the Spurs are 4-1 against the Thunder this whole season.

Why? Because Wembanyama is a cyborg. Because the Spurs defense is suffocating. Because when you haven’t lost in two months, you don’t start losing in May. OKC gets past their first-round matchup, San Antonio grinds through Denver or Minnesota, and then the two-seed reminds everyone why this organization owns five rings.

EAST FINALS: BOSTON OVER DETROIT

I love Detroit. Cade’s ascension is real. The depth is elite. But Boston’s 12-year playoff streak, Jaylen Brown’s MVP season, and the fact that nobody respects them means they’re sneaking through the East with quiet efficiency, they always have, they’re just boring and good.

First round, they handle the 76ers, so far so good. Second round, New York or Atlanta gets exposed. Conference Finals? That’s where Detroit runs into a Celtics team that’s been disrespected all season long, if the Pistons even make it that far.

FINALS: SAN ANTONIO OVER BOSTON

Take my word, the Spurs are winning the championship. Not because they’re the most talented. Not because they’re the flashiest. But because they’re the hungriest, most complete team in the league when the lights are brightest. They have the most hustle and a NEED to win.

Wembanyama gets Finals MVP. San Antonio gets ring number six. And everyone spends the offseason asking why they kept saying the Thunder would win.

THE FOOTNOTE

While everyone was watching the play-in and the MVP voting, something else happened, the Lakers are making a comeback and might upset the whole bracket. Everyone is saying Luka and AR being out will make them be a first round exit. While this might be true, Luka and Austin went to Europe to get some crazy and loosely regulated injection healing therapy. Kobe did it too. This feels illegal but it isn’t. If LeBron can buy enough time to sneak them past the first round against the bum Rockets, a fully healthy Lakers being brought back together might be enough for a championship.

Play-In is done and most of game 1s of round 1 are finished. The playoffs are HERE. LFG.

‘The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 ESV

The Regular Season Is Over & The Bracket Is Set.

What a finish, the Denver Nuggets secured the three seed over the Lakers on the last day. The Thunder and Spurs had already locked in one and two, and the Rockets and Wolves locked in five and six in the West. The Suns, Blazers, Clippers, and Warriors will battle it out in the play-in. In the East, Toronto snagged the final guaranteed playoff spot. The 76ers, Magic, Hornets, and Heat head to the play-in tournament.

First round matchups as currently drawn:

West:

OKC vs. play-in

San Antonio vs. play-in

Denver vs. Minnesota

Lakers vs. Rockets.

East:

Detroit vs. play-in

Boston vs. play-in

New York vs. Atlanta

Cleveland vs. Toronto.

The one that stands out to me is Denver vs Minnesota. Jokic is averaging a triple double going against Anthony Edwards who is ineligible for awards but has zero care for them. Just about everybody else notable in the league is also ineligible for awards too anyway but that can be a different article. That series is going to be physical and intense. Also, the Lakers vs Rockets first round is exactly the kind of matchup where a crippled Lakers team will get exposed early. KD leads the league in scoring consistency, and the Rockets have bullied their way to being one of the better offenses in the league this year. Let’s see who holds up. Both of the 1 and 2 seeds of both conferences will fly by their round 1 matchups.

Cade Cunningham Returns From the Dead

First off, I really hope he’s okay and stays healthy. A collapsed lung is not a typical injury. When Cade went down on March 17 after diving for a loose ball and colliding with Tre Johnson, the vibe kinda shifted. That diagnosis is no joke, but I’m encouraged to see him back so soon.

But he’s so back. Cunningham put up 13 points and 10 assists in 26 minutes as Detroit blew out Milwaukee 137-111. He looked confident and like himself. “I felt really good,” he said afterward. “I felt like all the training and stuff I’ve been doing had me in a great place.”

The catch is that Cunningham ended the regular season at 62 games played, three short of the 65 game threshold for award eligibility, joining the club with countless other high caliber players. His agent has publicly argued he should receive an exception. The NBPA has called for the rule to be reformed. All of that is fair, but none of it is going to change the outcome. The man averaged 24.5 points and almost 10 assists, led his team to the 1st seed, and will get nothing to show for it on the individual awards front. The 65 game rule is going to be the defining controversy of this era of basketball, and I don’t think enough people are talking about how broken it could turn out to be.

The good news: during the 12 games without Cunningham, the Pistons went 9-3. The depth is real, pretty impressive. Now they go into the playoffs with their guy back.

The Celtics Are Pretty Good

At the start of this season, Boston lost Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford in the offseason, generational sell, or was it? Then Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the playoffs last spring and played in all but 16 games this season. The consensus was gap year, lottery adjacent, rebuild in progress, sikeeee.

Instead, they clinched the 2nd seed in the East. This is Boston’s 12th consecutive playoff appearance, the league’s longest active streak. Jaylen Brown has been playing at an MVP level all year. Payton Pritchard quietly had a monster season. Nobody respects this team and I think they’re going to shock some people in the East.

TRENDS TO WATCH

SGA is going to win back-to-back MVPs and it’s not really close. This has been the drama of the season. Victor has been giving his 2 cents on what MVP means, and the rest of the debate is up to you to decide. SGA is averaging 31.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 55/38/88. He did it while Jalen Williams missed over half the season, and he led OKC to back to back 60 win seasons. Wemby made his case, and it was a compelling one, but SGA played nearly 400 more minutes than Wembanyama due to the minutes restriction. This is for sure SGA’s award. The official announcement won’t come until deep in the playoffs, which feels like a weird way to do things, but the result isn’t in doubt.

Wemby is going to be fine. He’ll win Defensive Player of the Year. He’ll win MVP eventually, probably next season. The DPOY, All-NBA First Team, and All-Defensive First Team awards should all be his, and he’s still only 22. I think it’s impressive enough that he’s staying healthy, that was everyone’s biggest concern for him 2-3 years ago, now what can they say? There is no silver medal in sports but Wemby’s second place finish here is one of the least embarrassing second place finishes in award history.

The 65 game rule debate is reaching a breaking point. There are 3 stars, Cade, Luka, and Anthony Edwards, who are ineligible for awards this season due to the rule. Golden State coach Steve Kerr has publicly said the rule “needs to be revamped.” The NBPA is pushing for changes. The league cannot keep watching their best players fall one or two games short of an arbitrary number due to legitimate injuries and pretend the rule is working as intended. Something will change. I just hope it happens before another all time season gets wasted.

FINAL STANDINGS SNAPSHOT

Eastern Conference

Detroit Pistons: 60-22

Boston Celtics: 56-26

New York Knicks: 53-29

Cleveland Cavaliers: 52-30

Toronto Raptors: 46-36

Atlanta Hawks: 46-36

Philadelphia 76ers: 45-37 (Play-in)

Orlando Magic: 45-37 (Play-in)

Charlotte Hornets: 44-38 (Play-in)

Miami Heat: 43-39 (Play-in)

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder: 64-18

San Antonio Spurs: 60-22

Denver Nuggets: 54-28

Los Angeles Lakers: 53-29 (No Luka, no Reaves)

Houston Rockets: 52-30

Minnesota Timberwolves: 49-33

Phoenix Suns: 45-37 (Play-in)

Portland Trail Blazers: 42-40 (Play-in)

LA Clippers: 42-40 (Play-in)

Golden State Warriors: 37-45 (Play-in)

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: WHO’S ACTUALLY WINNING THIS THING

Contenders

Spurs: Still my pick. Wemby is healthy, the team has not lost since March 1, and they are peaking at exactly the right time. If they get through Houston or Minnesota and then face OKC in the West Finals, that’s the series of the decade.

Thunder: 64-18. Their tournament to lose and they know it.

Pistons: Cade is back. If he looks like himself by the second round, nobody in the East can stop them. The question is just how many games it takes to shake the rust.

Celtics: Don’t sleep on them. Jaylen Brown is locked in, the role players are confident, and they just tied an NBA record in a regular season game because they felt like it.

Pretenders

Lakers: No Luka, no Reaves, and they drew the Rockets in the first round. LeBron is not a winner right now. Houston smells blood.

Rockets: Doesn’t matter who wins the first series. Both will be a second round exit, no question.

Nuggets: The Jokic triple double average is absurd and the 8 game win streak is real. But they drew Minnesota in the first round and that is a brutal matchup. If they survive, great, but it won’t be easy.

Knicks: Every year. Every year we have this conversation. They have the pieces, they have the seeding, they have the offense and the defense. Just show me.

THE FOOTNOTE

There’s a quiet story that got buried in the last week of the regular season and it deserves more attention: the Celtics reached 55 wins this season without Jayson Tatum for all but 16 games, after losing three starters in the offseason, and Jaylen Brown spent the entire year building an MVP case that probably won’t be rewarded because the top of this ballot is just too loaded. Brown is averaging close to 30 points a night on elite efficiency, carrying a team everyone counted out, and he’ll probably finish fifth on some ballots. It’s also a testament to how good this era of basketball is. Jaylen Brown’s season would have won MVP in about six of the last ten years. This year it might not crack the top three.

Play-in starts Tuesday. First round starts April 18. Let’s go.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV

BIGGEST STORIES OF THE WEEK

The Lakers are Cooked

This story is honestly kinda sad. On Thursday night in Oklahoma, the Lakers got blasted by the Thunder. Midway through the third quarter, Luka pulled up near the free-throw line, grabbed his left hamstring, and went down.

An MRI on Friday confirmed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. Luka will miss the rest of the regular season and his playoff status is uncertain, even if he plays it won’t be the same, he won’t be able to just roll back into himself as he just was playing the last month. The Lakers have five regular season games left before the playoffs begin April 18.

To make the situation worse, Austin Reaves also suffered a Grade 2 oblique strain in the same game. Reaves is expected to miss four to six weeks, projecting to sideline him through the first round of the playoffs and possibly beyond that if the Lakers advance.

Luka scored 600 points in March, becoming only the 10th player in NBA history to hit that mark in one month. He either scored or assisted on 58% of the Lakers’ total points during that stretch. He finished the regular season with 33.5 points per game, leading the league in 64 games.

Not sure if you noticed, but that 64 games played is exactly 1 game short of the 65 game rule. He barely missed the threshold needed to be eligible for the MVP award. His agent Bill Duffy announced they will apply for an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge” to excuse the two games Luka missed in December for the birth of his daughter in Slovenia. The NBA will decide whether those absences count. The financial stakes are real, the principle is real, and honestly the whole situation is just sad.

In the 20 minutes after the injury news broke, the Lakers’ title odds dropped from 30-1 to 100-1 on DraftKings.

Cooper Flagg Scores 51 Points

On Friday night against the Orlando Magic, Cooper Flagg scored 51 points, a career high and became the first teenager in NBA history to reach 50. He was 19/30 from the field, hit a career best six 3 pointers, and made all seven of his free throws in 34 minutes. The Mavericks lost 138-127, rip.

Then on Sunday against the Lakers, who were without Luka or Reaves, Flagg dropped ANOTHER 45 and the Mavericks ended their longest home losing streak in 32 years.

Coop is averaging 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 47.2% on the season. I like this kid. He’s going to be a problem for the league for the next 15 years and we are witnessing the very beginning of it. When Luka was traded to the Lakers, a lot of Mavericks fans felt like the franchise was gutted, let’s see if Flagg is the answer to that.

Wemby vs SGA

Monday was a night that crystallized the entire MVP debate into a single evening of basketball.

Victor Wembanyama posted 41 points with 16 rebounds, and three blocks as San Antonio overwhelmed the Chicago Bulls 129-114. It was his second consecutive 40 point, 15 plus rebound game, extending the most dominant personal stretch of his young career. A couple hours later, and roughly 500 miles north, Shai scored 47 points in Oklahoma City’s 114-110 overtime win over the Pistons. After the game, someone asked him about the MVP race and he said: “No, I’m good. Thanks for asking, though. I let my game do the talking.” Aura.

ESPN’s final MVP straw poll of 100 media members has SGA as the runaway favorite, with Wemby pushing him harder than anyone else. Shai is averaging 31.6 points on 55.3% shooting while Wembanyama is averaging 24.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, and a league leading 3.1 blocks.

Wemby himself hasn’t been shy: “I think right now there is a debate. There should be, even though I think I should lead the race. I’m trying to make sure that at the end of the season, there’s no debate.”

OKC Reaches 60 Wins. LeBron Hits Another Record. Denver Keeps Surging.

Monday was packed. While Wemby and SGA were doing their thing, LeBron recorded the 125th triple double of his career, breaking his own record for the oldest player to record a triple-double at 41 years and 90 days. This man is running out of records to break and somehow keeps finding new ones.

OKC’s win over Detroit gave them back to back 60 win seasons, only the third franchise in the last decade to accomplish that. The Thunder are definitely building a dynasty. With SGA, Holmgren, Jalen Williams all locked in long term, this is a team that will be relevant for the next decade.

Denver continued their surge with a 8 game win streak this week, with Jokic averaging 24.7 points, 15 rebounds and 13.2 assists during the run. Averaging a triple double just feels wacky. The Nuggets went from a middle of the pack team in early February to a top 4 playoff contender. Murray and Jokic are operating at a level that should terrify whoever they face in the first round.

TRENDS TO WATCH

The MVP race is down to 3 guys now. With Luka and Cade both officially ineligible for awards consideration due to injuries, the final ballot is shaping up as a 3 man race now. The order per ESPN’s straw poll: SGA first, Wemby second, Jokic third, and Luka fourth, though his eligibility is now in question pending the extraordinary circumstances appeal.

The Joker’s case is genuinely incredible. He’s on pace to become only the third player in NBA history to average a triple double for a full season, joining Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook, goats. He leads the league in triple doubles by more than any three other players combined. Wemby hasn’t lost a game since March 1st, his only defeat since January, this is more impressive than most other story lines. And SGA just put up 47 in overtime against the best record in the East. These are not normal human beings.

The Lakers are in serious trouble. Without Luka and Reaves, they’re a team going into the playoffs missing effectively 80% of their offense. I mean, LeBron is still LeBron, but their third seed might slide, their first round matchup will be harder, and nobody is picking them to go far in this condition. The team holds the tiebreaker over Denver for the third seed, but currently only leads by one game.

The Spurs are closing strong. San Antonio has not lost a game since March 1 and is on a 9 game win streak heading into the final week. The gap between them and OKC for the top seed is down to 3.5 games with a week left. They won’t catch them, but this team is peaking at exactly the right time.

The Wemby-Jokic matchup is the subplot of the postseason. They’re projected to meet in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs if seedings hold. Both are MVP candidates and are playing at historic levels. That series would be the best basketball anyone has watched since the Warriors dynasty years, until they play the Thunder…

STANDINGS SNAPSHOT

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons: 57-21 (Cade status unknown for playoffs)

2. Boston Celtics: 53-25

3. New York Knicks: 50-28

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: 49-29

5. Atlanta Hawks: 45-33

6. Philadelphia 76ers: 43-35 (Embiid, George, Maxey all healthy)

7. Toronto Raptors: 43-35

8. Charlotte Hornets: 43-36

The East’s top 4 are locked in. Let the games begin. Really only 2 of these teams will make it to the finals.

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 62-16 (60-win season. Dynasty era)

2. San Antonio Spurs: 59-19

3. Los Angeles Lakers: 50-28 (No Luka, no Reaves)

4. Denver Nuggets: 50-28 (8 game win streak)

5. Houston Rockets: 49-29

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: 46-32 (Edwards ineligible for awards)

7. Phoenix Suns: 43-35

8. LA Clippers: 40-38

The Lakers are barely holding their third seed over Denver by one game. Without Luka, these final games are gonna cause them to slip. The Nuggets are HOT and will 100% pass them. The first round West matchups as projected: OKC vs. play-in winner, San Antonio vs. play-in winner, Lakers vs. Rockets, Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, but these 2 will swap.

FINAL WEEK PLAYOFF COUNTDOWN: 1 WEEK OUT

Contenders

1. Spurs: Still my favorite to win it all, how fun would that be. Wemby is cooking something up. They are the scariest team in my opinion.

2. Thunder: 62-16. Back to back 60 win seasons. SGA is likely the MVP. This is their tournament to lose.

3. Pistons: Still the East’s top seed, still 8-2 without Cade. If Cunningham comes back healthy for the playoffs, nobody in the East can stop them.

4. Celtics: Tatum and Brown are in playoff mode. 50 wins. The second seed in the East means they avoid Detroit until the conference finals.

5. Nuggets: 8 game win streak. The Joker is averaging 24.7/15/13.2 during the run. Denver is ready.

Pretenders

1. Lakers: No Luka. No Reaves. All they have is old LeBron and hopes and prayers. I want to believe in them, but this is a different team than the one that won nine straight.

2. Knicks: Third seed in the East, top 5 offense and defense. They have all the pieces. They just need to finally prove it when it matters.

3. 76ers: Technically a playoff seed right now, but the healthiest version of Embiid, George and Maxey is a legitimate contender.

4. Cavaliers: Mitchell and Harden are clicking. But they’re the 4 seed and have questions in every series after the first round.

5. Rockets: KD leads the league in scoring consistency. But they’re facing the Lakers first round: even a wounded Lakers team: and that is a difficult task.

THE FOOTNOTE

The 65 game rule is destroying player incentive. This year we’re REALLY seeing the effect of this rule demolishing eligibility for awards. It’s actually kinda sad. I’m not rooting for any player in particular, and it’s a cutthroat league out there, but there are some super good players that might not get the credit they deserve. At the end of the day, health and longevity are equally as important as every other category that makes a good player, if not the most important. Take Luka for example, what good is a #3 seed if you’re there all season, but not at the very end in the playoffs to win the finals? (Or even the first round?)

Last week of the regular season! Playoffs start April 14 with the play in games. This has been the most entertaining NBA season in recent memory. See you on the other side!

Because once you understand these four things, the NBA can be for everybody. Things will start to make sense. Here’s your cheat code.

1. Stars

Every sport has stars, this is really what brings in numbers, Tom Brady, Ronaldo & Messi, LeBron James, or Michael Jordan. Nobody tunes in for “Denver vs. Miami.” They tune in for whoever the next guy is that makes the casual fan engaged.

The NBA has always been a player’s league, and it’s built around stars. Ratings move with star power. Social media runs on stars. The entire narrative infrastructure of the sport, the GOAT debates, the drama, the player trends, it’s all built around individuals, not franchises.

2. Storylines

At its best, the NBA is a reality show with a scoreboard. Just being honest here.

Think about what actually gets people talking. Trade rumors, feuds, free agency decisions, locker room drama, legacy debates, even fights lol. The actual game of basketball is secondary most times to the masses. This is why the offseason sometimes generates more engagement than January games, because the offseason has better storylines.

Fans follow narratives, always have, always will.

3. Stakes

Everything is monetization. Gambling is at an all time high.

People talk more about how THEY can benefit and profit from basketball. There is a HUGE market out there of people that watch games literally just to see how their bets are doing. This actually isn’t the worst thing for the league, but that’s up for debate.

I am 100% not supporting gambling, but whether we like it or not, it’s a part of sports and it’s deeply rooted in the sports culture. Just about everything can be bet on. This attracts a large portion of viewership. Gambling has changed who watches and why, and the league knows it.

4. Accessibility

This one is usually not talked about, but it’s becoming an issue. The problem of how to even watch games is genuinely holding the league back. A new deal was signed by the NBA for $77 billion for media rights before this most recent season. The deal split games up amongst Prime Video, Peacock, ESPN, etc.

The rules are confusing, the platforms are fragmented, and the price adds up fast! Even when a real fan wants to watch, they face a ton of serious friction. And friction kills viewership, most people just won’t pay for the league pass or most of the subscriptions needed.

The easier it is to find the game and watch it, the bigger the league gets. The harder it is, the more people just check the score in the morning and move on. Adam Silver, the league commissioner even admitted himself that content nowadays is just short form and vertical content. He lowkey just told everybody to check the highlights later instead of watching the actual games live. The NBA’s accessibility problem isn’t a basketball problem, it’s a distribution problem.

If this was your introduction to the NBA, welcome. If you've been watching for years and this just put words to what you already felt, also welcome. Either way, you're in the right place.

The Box Score is here every week, subscribe so you don’t have to go looking for it. And share this one. It’s a rare NBA piece you can actually send to a non basketball person without losing them.

NBA Expansion Is Happening

The NBA took a major step toward expansion this week, with owners unanimously approving the exploration of adding teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. It’s not final yet, but this is the most definitive time that the league is heading toward having 32 teams.

The main factor here is money of course. Expansion fees could reach $7 - 10 billion per team, creating a massive payday for current owners.

Seattle is the obvious nostalgia play with the Sonics, while Vegas represents the league’s future as a booming sports hub.

If approved, expansion would bring real changes with conference realignments, an expansion draft, and ripple effects across every roster rosters.

At this point, it’s just a matter of when and who owns the teams, not an “IF” the league expands.

Jamal Murray’s 53 Points and Jokic’s 21-21-19

The Nuggets are looking VINTAGE again. 6 game win streak. Nothing fancy but maybe it shows that Jokic can save the league from the OKC vs Spurs feud we’re going to witness. Jamal Murray scored a season high 53 points and Jokic posted yet ANOTHER triple double on Wednesday. Denver is the first team in NBA history to have one player with 50 points and another with at least 15 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in the same game.

It feels like everybody is just scoring out the wazoo recently, record after record. Is it wrong of me to say that I’m not impressed by 53 anymore? Like c’mon bro everybody is doing it now.

Jokic is on a 4 game triple double streak this week, please chill bro. He’s averaging 25.3 points, 16.8 rebounds, and 15.5 assists.

Luka’s 12 Game Streak Continues

After losing Monday in Detroit, Luka went right back to work. On Friday against the Nets, he dropped 41 points and his 12th straight 30+ game marks the longest Lakers streak since Kobe’s 16 straight in 2005-06.

The 76ers’ Big Three Is Back. Watch Out.

On Saturday in Charlotte, Tyrese Maxey made his triumphant return after nursing a pinky fracture, joining Joel Embiid and Paul George in the starting lineup for the first time in a long time. PG was suspended a while ago for his PED scandal, so he’s been back for a couple games now too.

The big three combined for 81 points, Embiid with 29, George with 26, and Maxey with 26. For two months this team played without Maxey, without George (suspended), and without Embiid (injured). They held a playoff position through all of it. The East is about to get a very uncomfortable reminder of what Philadelphia looks like when it’s healthy with 9 games left. Is this a threat to the East? Probably not.

TRENDS TO WATCH

The teams that clinched Play Ins are set. There are officially 10 team eliminated from playoffs. The top 20 remain! The Kings, Jazz, Mavs, Pelicans, & Grizzlies are all eliminated in the West. The Paces, Wizards, Nets, Bulls, & Bucks are all our in the East. The remaining teams have either locked in at least a play in spot, or a playoff spot! I’m so pumped.

The Pistons are proving they don’t need Cade. 8-2 without him. Daniss Jenkins, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, and Tobias Harris are a deep team with real defensive identity. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives Detroit a 32.3% chance of reaching the Finals, second only to OKC’s 57.4%. Cade is on track to return for the playoffs too, imagine what this team looks like then.

Philadelphia is a dangerous late arriving team. Embiid, George, and Maxey together for nine games to close the regular season, then into the playoffs. The version of the Sixers that opponents have game planned for all year is not what they’re about to see. Their ceiling, fully healthy, might be Finals level.

Luka’s suspension Monday. The Lakers, without Luka, will try to solidify their No. 3 seed Monday night. They’re still comfortably in third but this is the wrong time to lose him for any stretch. From here on out, every 2 technicals will result in 1 additional suspended game.

STANDINGS SNAPSHOT

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons: 54-20 (Cade out, still rolling)

2. Boston Celtics: 50-24

3. New York Knicks: 48-27

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: 46-28

5. Toronto Raptors: 42-32

6. Atlanta Hawks: 42-33 (How??)

7. Philadelphia 76ers: 41-33 (Big Three reunited)

8. Orlando Magic: 39-35 (Meh lol)

Toronto in 5th and Atlanta in 6th is wild. Philly and Orlando fighting for 7th and 8th (bums). The play in picture right now has the 76ers hosting the Magic, and the Heat hosting the Hornets. That play in is going to be some good stuff.

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 59-16

2. San Antonio Spurs: 56-18

3. Los Angeles Lakers: 48-26

4. Denver Nuggets: 48-28 (6 game win streak)

5. Minnesota Timberwolves: 45-29

6. Houston Rockets: 45-29

7. Phoenix Suns: 41-33

8. LA Clippers: 39-36

The play in out West has Phoenix vs. the Clippers and Portland vs. Golden State currently, more fun matchups. The Western Conference bracket top to bottom is the most competitive it’s been in a decade. There is not a single first-round series that’s an easy out.

PLAYOFF COUNTDOWN: 3 WEEKS OUT

Contenders

1. Spurs: Wemby is just too good. They scare me more than anyone in the West.

2. Thunder: Best record in the NBA. SGA is the MVP. The bracket is fully in their favor. Definitely lose to the Spurs in a best of 7.

3. Lakers: Luka is an animal. They’ve been fantastic but they have real questions about depth in a playoff series.

4. Celtics: Tatum at 32 points Sunday, fully healthy, playing with Brown at his side. Locked in and dangerous.

5. Nuggets: Jokic just had the greatest 4 game stretch in NBA history. Murray dropped 53. This team is back. Respect them.

Pretenders

1. 76ers: Technically a play in team right now. But Embiid, George, and Maxey being healthy at the same time changes every calculation. Keep them right here until they prove otherwise.

2. Pistons: Even without Cade they’re 8-2. When he comes back for the playoffs, this team becomes a genuine Finals threat. The problem is whether or not he’ll make it to the playoffs in time, and it full swing like before.

3. Knicks: Still third in the East, still haven’t proven anything yet. The roster is good enough. I need to see it when the lights are brightest.

4. Cavaliers: Mitchell is healthy. Harden has been a perfect fit. They’re 4th in the East and hovering. I just can’t fully trust them yet.

5. Rockets: KD is doing his thing. But they’re a 6 seed facing the Lakers in round one, and that is a nightmare matchup for them.

THE FOOTNOTE

Daniss Jenkins: Nobody to Somebody in 72 Hours. Daniss appeared in seven games his entire rookie season. This week he started three straight in place of Cade Cunningham, scored a career high 30 against the hottest team in basketball, hit the dagger shots to end a nine game win streak, and then went out and posted 22 points and 8 assists against Golden State two days later. Jenkins shot 11/18 from the floor and 4/5 from three in the Lakers game. Who is this guy and where did he come from?

Three weeks until the play-in. Two weeks of regular season left. Every game from here on out matters. See you next week.

“Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14 ESV

Luka’s 60

Doncic cranked out a 60-point game against the Miami Heat this week. His 60 points were the most ever scored against the Heat, and this game pushed the Lakers’ winning streak to eight games. Luka became the first Laker to score 60 points in a game since Kobe’s 81. It was also only the fifth 60-point, 5 steal game in NBA history.

Over his nine game stretch, Luka has averaged 40, 8.4, and 7.4 in 37.7 minutes per game, that’s actually crazy. However, he also picked up his 16th technical foul of the season, which would have triggered an automatic suspension lol. The NBA rescinded it Sunday after the Lakers filed an appeal, clearing him to play Monday in Detroit.

LeBron Breaks Robert Parish’s All-Time Games Played Record

LeBron James played in the 1,612th regular season game of his career against the Orlando Magic on Saturday, breaking a tie with Robert Parish for the most in NBA history. He sported special footwear to mark the occasion, with 1,612 stitched into his sneakers.

Entering Saturday, James was already the NBA’s all-time leader in points, field goals, All-Star selections, All-NBA selections, seasons played, and playoff games. Parish, who held the record for nearly 30 years, was gracious about the whole thing. “If anyone is deserving of breaking the iron man record, I would say LeBron James is, because he takes such good care of himself.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra put it perfectly: “He’s competing against not only the entire league, but he’s also competing against Father Time, and he’s giving Father Time hell.” Nine straight wins for the Lakers. LeBron and Luka, what a pair, maybe they’ll be able to do something with it this season.

Kevin Durant Passes Michael Jordan All-Time in Scoring

Durant scored 27 points to move past Jordan. He had 21 points entering the fourth quarter and after another 3, it gave him 32,294 points, two more than Jordan. He briefly lifted his arms in triumph after draining the shot as the home crowd went wild.

Durant missed a shot that would have won the game in the final seconds, but Amen Thompson tipped in the miss to give the Rockets the 123-122 victory. A walk off tip-in doesn’t sound normal, but it works.

“MJ is in a world of his own,” Durant said. “He’s on a planet, a galaxy of his own as somebody that I looked up to and respect and basically shaped the game for me.” Durant accomplished the feat while attempting 2,177 fewer shots than Jordan. Lowkey impressive, different era though.

Next up on the list is Kobe Bryant, who is 1,349 points ahead of Durant. Durant likely won’t pass Bryant this season with only 12 games left, but if he carries this level of production into next season, he could pass Kobe by midseason 2026-27.

Cade Cunningham’s Collapsed Lung

The biggest off court story of the week hit Tuesday when Cade Cunningham dove for a loose ball in Washington and collided with Wizards rookie Tre Johnson. He played for about a minute before leaving the game in the first quarter. What was initially called back spasms turned out to be something much more serious once the Pistons announced it was a left lung pneumothorax and will be reevaluated in two weeks, meaning he will miss at least eight games. It’s considered mild, and the team is reportedly optimistic he will be back in time for the start of playoffs by April 18.

The bigger problem beyond the court is the 65 game rule to qualify for regular season awards, including MVP and All-NBA. Cade had the fourth best MVP odds before the injury, and is now off the board completely, RIP.

As of right now, the Celtics trail the Pistons by 3½ games in the standings for the top seed. The Pistons haven’t won a playoff series since 2008. They’ve come too far to let this derail them. But this is a real problem.

Win Streaks

The Hawks have won 11 consecutive games and the Thunder is currently on another 11 game streak too.

These are both looking like complete teams. Trae Young is in Washington, Dejounte Murray is in New Orleans, yet Atlanta is still doing well. Jalen Johnson is becoming a star right in front of us. It likely won’t flourish into much, but it’s cool! The Thunder are still doing typical Thunder things, not much of a change there.

TRENDS TO WATCH

This Lakers run is kind of scary. Nine straight wins, Luka scoring 60 on zero sleep, 40 in Houston the night before, 33 in Orlando on Saturday. LeBron posted a triple double on the night he tied the games played record. Luka has now had six straight 30-point games and 11 straight 25-point games. If they get the ball in Luka’s hands in April, it doesn’t matter who they’re playing.

Injuries continue to define the league. When an injury comes this late in the year, it throws a curveball into the entire rest of the season. The Pistons were an Eastern Conference favorite and it changed literally in one day. The future is unclear, and everyone is muddled. The Cavs are hurt, the Warriors are hurt, the Suns are hurt, and there are only counting possible teams to make any sort of run soon that have DEEP injury lists.

The Spurs are not going away. They’re 3.5 games behind OKC and have the NBA’s best point differential over their last 21 games. The conversation about who the best team in the West is should still be happening.

Tanking is so obvious. What happened to the game we love??? Both the Pacers and the Wizards are on a SIXTEEN game losing streak. Bro what. This is sad. That’s all

STANDINGS SNAPSHOT

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons: 51-19 (Cade out, watch this closely)

2. Boston Celtics: 47-24

3. New York Knicks: 47-25

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: 44-27

5. Toronto Raptors: 39-31

6. Atlanta Hawks: 39-32

7. Philadelphia 76ers: 39-32

8. Orlando Magic: 38-32

The Pistons’ lead over Boston is shrinking. With Cade out, this first seed is now genuinely up for grabs. Boston has Tatum back and healthy. The Knicks have won six in a row. The East is alive in every direction right now.

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 56-15

2. San Antonio Spurs: 53-18

3. Los Angeles Lakers: 46-25 (9 game win streak)

4. Houston Rockets: 43-27

5. Denver Nuggets: 44-28

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: 44-28

7. Phoenix Suns: 40-32

8. LA Clippers: 35-36

The Lakers climbed to 3rd in the West on the back of their nine game run. OKC and San Antonio are still the teams of the conference. The Clippers are trying to become the first team in NBA history to finish above .500 after starting 6-21 or worse and Kawhi Leonard is having a career year.

PLAYOFF COUNTDOWN: 4 WEEKS OUT

Contenders

1. Thunder: SGA is the MVP. Jalen Williams just returned from his hamstring injury. Let’s move on

2. Spurs: Best point differential in basketball over the last month. Wemby is doing things that have never been done. Don’t let the gap to OKC fool you.

3. Lakers: Nine straight wins. Luka is playing the best basketball of anyone alive right now. They’re the hottest team in the league.

4. Celtics: Tatum is rounding into form. Brown has been carrying this team for months. They are a threat to anyone in the East.

5. Pistons: Still the 1 seed. Still the most talented team in the East. But Cade is gone and nobody knows for how long. This is the most important injury story of the playoffs race.

Pretenders

1. Nuggets: Jokic is still Jokic. But this team has had injury drama all season long and is not built to keep up with the top two in the West.

2. Knicks: Six straight wins and a top defense since January. But they’ve been here before and they know what the pressure of the playoffs feels like. Prove it when it counts. I’ve had them as pretenders every single week. I might just be hating

3. Heat: Hot for a stretch but just gave up 60 to Luka on their own floor. Their ceiling might not be high enough.

4. Rockets: KD passed MJ on Saturday and they have a legitimate squad around him. But they haven’t beaten anyone at the top level yet.

5. Warriors: Stephen Curry has missed 19 consecutive games due to an ongoing knee injury. The window might be closed. :(

THE FOOTNOTE

New section I’m introducing! I’ll be finding smaller and lesser known stories, drama, or trends that are worth noting, but don’t typically make the big headlines. Let me know what you think!

Deandre Ayton might NOT be that guy.

As crazy as it sounds, this would be a good thing. For YEARS, this guy has sucked. Fans hate having him on their team. He gives zero effort, gives up mid play (literally) and doesn’t take accountability.

Although recently, he might be realizing he is, in fact, NOT ‘that guy’ anymore. Ayton is admitting this online which might mean he’s going to stop making excuses for himself and just play basketball, finally. With as much star power there is in LA, Ayton just needs to play defense, get reboards, and hustle more. And this might make the Lakers better, duh.

Bam Adebayo Scores 83 Points

The greatest yet most controversial moment of the season so far. On Tuesday Bam Adebayo scored 83 points against the Wizards. He had 31 points in the first quarter, 43 by halftime, and 62 by the end of the third quarter. His career high going into the game was 41 points, more than doubled his high in a single night. This puts him at the second highest game in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100. This moved past Kobe Bryant’s 81.

Unfortunately, this is a super messy event (for some). He shot 20/43 on FGs and had 36 free throws out of 43, which was also a record set for most FTAs in a game. This was also all done against the Wizards, so how impressive is it actually?

Here’s my take, 83 points is 83 points. No record this high will ever look pretty to get there. Wilt’s 100 was essentially identical to Bam’s game. The 4th quarter in both games is just people trying to get you to score. Teammates fouling to save time on defense, every possession goes to you, triple teaming and drawing fouls, etc. You don’t get to decide what counts and what doesn’t after the fact. The Wizards being terrible isn’t Bam’s fault lol.

SGA Passes Wilt Chamberlain

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke Chamberlain’s record of scoring at least 20 points in 127 consecutive games. He finished with 35 points against Boston on Thursday.

During his streak, SGA has averaged 32.5 points per game on 53.5% shooting. OKC’s record during the streak is 103-24, impressive. Chamberlain averaged 49.2 a game during his 126, it almost feels fake. It really was a different era; SGA is just doing it against better defenses.

“We’ve won throughout the streak, most importantly,” SGA said after the game. That’s what makes the difference. It’s a winner’s mentality who just wants to keep winning.

Luka Drops 51. Kawhi drops 45

Matas Buzelis made the mistake of talking trash to Luka in the second quarter. Luka was candid about it after the game, saying Buzelis’s trash talk “woke him up.” He dropped 51 and the Lakers are starting to feel like they’re figuring it out. Luka plus Bron and AR15 might actually become something cool.

Kawhi also dropped a banger game with 45 points last week. He’s continuing arguably his best season of his career and it’s definitely not getting enough credit. These 2 games also got overshadowed by Bam’s 83 lol. Who knew The Klaw hasn’t even hit his prime yet.

Tatum Is Getting Better Every Game

Jayson Tatum debuted last week and looked rusty. This week he looked like himself. Against Cleveland on Wednesday, he had 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists. He hit a dagger three with 1:59 left in a 109-98 Boston win. Then on Saturday against Washington, he went for another 20 and 14 in a 111-100 win.

Jaylen Brown had 34 points in the Thursday game against OKC, a losing effort, but a reminder of how good he’s been carrying this team all year. The Celtics are 44-23 and surging at the right time. With the loss to OKC, Boston fell to 4.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons for the top mark in the East. Nobody in the East wants to see this team fully healthy in the playoffs.

TRENDS TO WATCH

Victor Wembanyama might be the MVP. If the Spurs keep winning, he might actually pass the vote for SGA in the next couple months. Nobody’s case in the race is safe because one injury removed Shai from eligibility. Same goes for Wemby, but his odds keep climbing, and the Spurs are still hot.

The Lakers are figured out. LeBron has accepted a reduced role and it’s working. LeBron said about Luka and Reaves: “Offensively, they have been magical and dynamic.” When LeBron is playing support and Luka is unleashed, Los Angeles is terrifying.

Hawks are on a 9 game win streak. We really aren’t worried about this. They’re winning, but it doesn’t mean anything. Speculation will start, but trust me, IGNORE IT. Kuminga won’t turn this into anything, but good for them!

Eliminations! RIP to fallen soldiers. Nets, Wizards, Pacers, & Kings are out. This is a big deal! Sike, did you think I was serious? They’ve been fined for tanking weeks ago, but it’s officially official now. Maybe next decade. Except for the Pacers, I love you Hali.

The East’s second seed is still unsettled. Boston is 44-23 and New York is 44-25. Detroit continues to lead at 48-19. The Knicks and Celtics are neck and neck and both know that the 2 seed avoids Detroit until the conference finals. Every game counts.

STANDINGS SNAPSHOT

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons: 48-19

2. Boston Celtics: 44-23

3. New York Knicks: 44-25

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: 41-27

5. Orlando Magic: 38-28

6. Toronto Raptors: 38-29

7. Miami Heat: 38-30

8. Philadelphia 76ers: 37-31

Miami just went on a six-game winning streak that included Bam’s historic performance. The Heat are alive. Will this turn into something bigger? Probably not if they’re still sitting players.

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 53-15

2. San Antonio Spurs: 49-18

3. Los Angeles Lakers: 42-25

4. Houston Rockets: 41-25

5. Denver Nuggets: 41-27

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: 41-27

7. Phoenix Suns: 39-28

8. LA Clippers: 34-33

OKC and San Antonio continue to operate in a different stratosphere from everyone else. The 3 through 6 seeds in the West are separated by 1 game. Dallas has dropped to 23-45 after losing to Cleveland on Sunday. Considering they were in the Western Conference Finals last season, it’s the saddest storyline in the last 2 years, welcome to the NBA.

PLAYOFF COUNTDOWN: 6 WEEKS OUT

Contenders

1. Spurs: The first time I have them above the Thunder. Victor Wembanyama is playing the best two way basketball on the planet. 49-18. They are not flukes. They’re 3-1 against OKC, that’s their biggest competition.

2. Thunder: SGA just broke a scoring record, and they have the best record in basketball. They won seven straight this week. No weaknesses, OTHER THAN the Spurs and Victor’s grudge against Chet.

3. Pistons: Cade is in the MVP conversation. Their clutch record is the best in the league. Built for the playoffs.

4. Celtics: Tatum is back and looked healthy this week. Brown is playing at an almost MVP level. No one in the East wants this matchup.

5. Lakers: Luka dropped 51 this week and then 35 two days later. They’re in form. They’re dangerous. They might’ve figured out their dynamic sooner than anyone expected.

Pretenders

1. Cavaliers: They keep losing when they shouldn’t. No excuses. Maybe next year.

2. Knicks: Been saying this for months, not happening. Thank you, next.

3. Heat: The hottest team in the East right now at six straight wins. Bam just had the second greatest game in NBA history. BUT, we’re gonna sleep on Miami, not worried.

4. Hawks: On a 9 game winning streak, but does it even matter lol. Kuminga won’t do anything. Not worried.

5. Rockets: KD is doing KD things. But they haven’t proven they can match OKC or San Antonio. Show me something in the playoffs.

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