The Toronto Raptors are entering yet another offseason at the center of superstar trade rumors.  ...

The Toronto Raptors are entering yet another offseason at the center of superstar trade rumors.Three years ago, it was Kevin Durant. Two years ago, Damian Lillard. This summer, it's Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Raptors - specifically team president Masai Ujiri - have kept their eyes on Antetokounmpo since he was a raw but tantalizing draft prospect more than a decade ago. Now, the entire league awaits word on the two-time MVP's desires.If Antetokounmpo decides it's time for a change after 12 years in Milwaukee, the Raptors figure to get themselves in the mix. Ujiri's history with Antetokounmpo runs deep, tracing back to when the executive helped the NBA star's family secure Greek citizenship (Antetokounmpo was born in Greece, but his parents were born in Nigeria). Toronto also offers the type of large market and cosmopolitan city (plus a sizable Greek community) that Antetokounmpo reportedly prefers if he leaves Wisconsin.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The potential partnership has gone from a total fantasy to slightly more plausible this week, with reports the Raptors might be in the market for a "<a href="https://youtu.be/O0pe4YsI8qY?si=qdlVZQACF5ajX2TA&amp;t=1323">big fish</a>" and that there could be <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3294767" href="https://thescore.com/news/3294767">mutual interest</a> between the two parties. It all makes sense when you factor in Ujiri's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/aoye9gqJmmg?si=2ZRcWYMp8UU856qi&amp;t=965">comments</a> about the NBA's international boom creating a unique opportunity for Toronto in the coming years and his long-standing commitment to pursue <a href="https://x.com/OwnedByToronto/status/1929382793512886356">top-five</a> talents.Among fans, there seem to be two distinct groups. On one side, there are those so jaded by Toronto's failed superstar pursuits of the <a href="https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/3150734">past</a> that they don't believe the Raptors have any business in these discussions. On the other side, those so blindly loyal to their favorite players that they think the Raptors can acquire Antetokounmpo without trading Scottie Barnes.The chances Antetokounmpo lands in Toronto are slim because only one team can acquire him, and that's if he even hits the market. Still, it's no more of a pipe dream for the Raptors than for any other interested franchise.That brings us to the cost of doing such seismic business. Raptors fans can fantasize about trading for Antetokounmpo, but if they're going to dare to dream, they must also be realistic about the price Toronto would have to pay.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752626/cropped_GettyImages-2181017739.jpg?ts=1749143286" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752626/w220xh124_GettyImages-2181017739.jpg?ts=1749143286 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752626/w320xh180_GettyImages-2181017739.jpg?ts=1749143286 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752626/w640xh360_GettyImages-2181017739.jpg?ts=1749143286 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752626/w768xh432_GettyImages-2181017739.jpg?ts=1749143286 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/752626/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2181017739.jpg?ts=1749143286 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Mark Blinch / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Whether they want to hear it or not, the discussion likely begins with Barnes.We're not talking about 36-year-old Kevin Durant with a history of Achilles and knee injuries (though Durant is still a tremendous player when healthy). The Bucks don't need to lower the price on Antetokounmpo the way the Suns <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3295238" href="https://thescore.com/news/3295238">reportedly</a> have on Durant. The Greek Freak is a top-three player on the planet, a perennial MVP candidate still in his prime at age 30, and under team control for multiple years.Over the NBA's 79-year history, there have been <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=year_id&amp;qual=pts_per_g_req&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=30&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=pts_per_g&amp;ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B2%5D=10&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=trb_per_g&amp;ccomp%5B3%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B3%5D=5&amp;cstat%5B3%5D=ast_per_g">10 instances</a> in which a player has averaged at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Antetokounmpo accounts for three of those seasons over the last three years, during which time he's also averaged a steal and a block per game. He's a rim-rampaging offensive force and a versatile defensive terror - a point-center whose defensive impact may have slipped slightly, but who now boasts a legitimate midrange game.Barnes is an impressive 23-year-old with an All-Star selection already under his belt and All-Defensive team potential. But to put things in perspective, his absolute ceiling would be something like a poor man's Giannis. That's less of a knock on Barnes than it is a testament to Antetokounmpo's greatness.Employing The Greek Freak means enjoying the benefits that come with having the best player on the court 95% of the time. Even with Damian Lillard recovering from a torn Achilles and an aging roster full of question marks, the Bucks can still sniff the fringes of title contention in the wide-open Eastern Conference with Antetokounmpo in the fold. Plus, Milwaukee doesn't control its own first-round draft pick until 2031, so tanking appears to be off the table. The Bucks won't trade Antetokounmpo just for the sake of it - they'll demand an incredibly high asking price that meets his elite status.From a salary-matching perspective, consider Toronto's big-money contracts outside of Barnes and ask yourself, would a deal built around one of Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, or RJ Barrett, along with a couple of young players and multiple picks, really be enough? If it somehow is, the Raptors should attach whatever draft equity is necessary and run off like bandits.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="The pipe dream" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-XUM5l" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/XUM5l/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="374" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>Put some shooting and capable guard play around Antetokounmpo and Barnes (Quickley might be the ideal candidate), and you could be looking at the East favorites.The more realistic scenario likely involves Barnes heading to Milwaukee. However, this is also where Bucks fans need a reality check, and where Toronto's front office must stay disciplined.If Barnes is the deal's centerpiece, the Raptors can't send too many picks to Milwaukee with him. Doing so would leave Toronto in virtually the same position the Bucks are now, without the asset capital required to surround Antetokounmpo with a sustainable championship-caliber supporting cast.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="The real deal" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-AII9S" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/AII9S/4/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="293" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>The reason teams that trade superstars hoard picks (and tank) is to increase their chances of landing another player worth building around. In Barnes, a two-way star under contract through 2030, the Raptors would already be giving Milwaukee that blue-chip pillar. Some salary filler and a pick or two would still be required, but it shouldn't take much more.If the Bucks still aren't satisfied, Toronto should walk away, as hard as that would be for Ujiri to do.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

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Toronto can land Giannis, but Raptors fans must be realistic about the price

Tom Thibodeau's reward for leading the New York Knicks to their deepest playoff run in a quarter-...

Tom Thibodeau's reward for leading the New York Knicks to their deepest playoff run in a quarter-century came in the form of his walking papers.Thibodeau re-established a winning culture in The Mecca, but like many coaches before him, he was ultimately undone by the expectations he helped create. The Knicks averaged 46.3 wins per 82 games in Thibodeau's five seasons, making four playoff appearances and winning four postseason series. In the 19 years before Thibodeau's arrival, New York averaged 32 wins (per 82 contests) and made four playoff trips, winning one series.Naturally, then, many will feel that New York did Thibs wrong. Critics will call this an overreaction to the team's six-game loss in the Eastern Conference finals, a classic Knicks move, and a sign the club is headed back to its worst impulses. After all, the organization still <a href="https://x.com/IanBegley/status/1929974500529189169">reportedly</a> owes Thibodeau $30 million. But I'd argue the opposite. This was the action of a title-starved franchise so close to the mountaintop that it can almost touch it - an all-in contender fully aware that even the smallest of boosts along the margins can be the difference between agony and euphoria.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>It's fair to point out that improving along those margins - or on the sidelines - might've been New York's only option, given the assets already spent constructing a flawed roster. Thibodeau can't make up for the challenges that come when a team's two best players (Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns) are porous defenders, nor can a head coach recoup all of the draft picks spent on Mikal Bridges. However, Thibodeau wasn't without fault for the Knicks running into a third-round wall.As the deep playoff run unfolded - <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6395011/2025/05/31/knicks-loss-pacers-nba-playoffs-brunson-towns/">reportedly</a> marked by multiple players-only meetings - it became painfully clear New York needed a more creative and modern offensive approach, in addition to requiring more depth. For all of Thibodeau's defensive strengths, no one would ever confuse him with the type of coach who will address those two core issues.He likely wouldn't have trusted the depth pieces the Knicks add this summer anyway. Thibodeau's insistence on playing his starters heavy minutes has been a trademark throughout his career. Even Bridges, the NBA's ultimate ironman, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3240580" href="https://thescore.com/news/3240580">thought</a> Thibs went too far. As for the offense, the Knicks should've maximized every ounce of Towns' offensive potential and his two-man game with Brunson to negate the duo's defensive flaws. They didn't. Instead, New York ranked 28th in 3-point attempt rate (38.2% of total shots), while Towns, the self-proclaimed greatest shooting big man of all time, posted his lowest 3-point attempt rate in six years.If one thing did Thibodeau in, it was that rigidity. Look at the head coaches left standing in the NBA Finals. Pacers bench boss Rick Carlisle has adapted his coaching style and offensive philosophies over the years to suit the talent at his disposal. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault threw everything and the kitchen sink at Nikola Jokic on both ends of the floor in a second-round series win. The Knicks don't have the personnel to replicate what Oklahoma City did against Jokic or what Indiana does with Tyrese Haliburton leading the break. But you can bet the team's front office watched Carlisle, Daigneault, and other coaches this spring and were left wanting more from an adaptability standpoint.The Knicks still have things to figure out before taking that last and toughest leap up the NBA mountain. Among them now, they need to find a head coach who can live up to the standard Thibodeau left behind and then some.It feels unfair to a tirelessly working basketball lifer, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was wrong. These are the tough, sometimes cold decisions contenders need to make when their eyes are on the prize and nothing else. The Knicks are finally in that space. No one said it'd be easy.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

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Knicks firing Thibodeau feels cold, but that doesn't mean it was wrong

Every year, 29 teams fall short of the ultimate goal, and every year, those 29 teams ask themselv...

Every year, 29 teams fall short of the ultimate goal, and every year, those 29 teams ask themselves how they can take the next step.We previously looked at how the first-round outs in the <a href="https://thescore.com/news/3279346">East</a> and <a href="https://thescore.com/news/3281141">West</a> might go about answering that question, and then we examined the decisions on the horizon for the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3286936" href="https://thescore.com/news/3286936">four</a> <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3288433" href="https://thescore.com/news/3288433">teams</a> who lost in the conference semis. Now that the conference finals are complete, here's a look at how New York and Minnesota can move forward after being eliminated.<h3>New York Knicks</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788549/cropped_GettyImages-2213356237.jpg?ts=1748882654" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788549/w220xh124_GettyImages-2213356237.jpg?ts=1748882654 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788549/w320xh180_GettyImages-2213356237.jpg?ts=1748882654 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788549/w640xh360_GettyImages-2213356237.jpg?ts=1748882654 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788549/w768xh432_GettyImages-2213356237.jpg?ts=1748882654 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788549/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2213356237.jpg?ts=1748882654 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> David L. Nemec / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>However you feel about the long-term cost of all the moves Leon Rose and Co. made to put this roster together, and however dismayed fans might be about how the series against Indiana played out, it's hard to call the 2024-25 season anything but a smashing success for New York. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Great expectations came along with the pricey offseason transactions, but dethroning the defending champs en route to the franchise's first conference finals appearance in 25 years should qualify as exceeding those expectations. Until this year, no team had ever authored multiple 20-point comebacks in the same postseason. The Knicks did it three times. This was a very good and exceptionally resilient team. They also were clearly flawed, in ways that led to serious struggles against elite competition during the regular season (they lost all 10 games they played against the league's top three teams by record) and ultimately prevented them from capitalizing on a golden opportunity to make the Finals. For as great as they were offensively, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns represented two defensive liabilities that the Pacers picked apart in the East finals. And their at-times dominant two-man game couldn't reach its full potential, in part because opposing defenses frequently cross-matched their centers onto the poor-shooting Josh Hart and put big, switchable wings on Towns.Hart contributed in myriad other ways, and OG Anunoby slotted in perfectly as a defensive destroyer who could insulate Brunson and Towns on one end and capitalize on their gravity at the other by drilling spot-up threes and attacking ferociously off the catch. But the team's triple-wing vision didn't fully come to fruition, in large part because Mikal Bridges struggled to find consistency at either end of the floor after the front office forked over five first-round picks for him in the summer. So, what should the Knicks do with all that information? What can they even do if they decide to shake things up? They have the security of their top seven rotation players (the starters, plus Mitchell Robinson and Deuce McBride) being under contract for next season. They also have approximately $189 million committed to those seven guys, which already puts them slightly over the luxury tax and only gives them about $7 million of wiggle room beneath the first apron to backfill the roster. And that's before considering potential extensions for Bridges or Robinson, whose team-friendly contracts expire next summer. Towns, who's owed $110 million over the next two years and has a $61-million player option for 2027-28, is extension-eligible as well.On the one hand, it's fair to wonder whether it makes sense to double down on a starting lineup that didn't entirely work. That quintet (the most used fivesome in the league) won its minutes by a modest 3.3 points per 100 possessions during the regular season, then got outscored by 6.2 points per 100 during the playoffs. Tom Thibodeau swapped Hart for Robinson after the Knicks dropped their first two games against Indiana, but that lineup didn't fare much better, getting outscored by 3.7 points per 100 despite sporting a monstrous 43% offensive rebound rate.On the other hand, it's hard to imagine New York cutting bait on Bridges or Towns just a year after acquiring them, especially considering the success those guys helped engender and the fact that the team would surely be accepting a huge net asset loss in any Bridges deal. It's also hard to picture a scenario in which trading one or both of those guys makes the Knicks better. It might make them deeper or more financially flexible, but the front office will probably be wary of taking any kind of short-term step back when the Eastern Conference figures to be wide-open in 2025-26.Bottom line: Even without a ton of upward mobility, New York's in a good spot. Each of the top seven players is 30 or younger, and this group has a chance to be better next season simply with a full campaign and lengthy playoff run under its belt. Even if no such gains are made, the Knicks will have a decent shot at coming out of the East. They might well have done so this year if not for the Pacers <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3289691" href="https://thescore.com/news/3289691">pulling off the impossible</a> in Game 1.There's a real chance for sustained success here. The Knicks obviously have to be open-minded if the right opportunity comes along, but I'm not sure aggressively rocking the boat would be the right approach. - Joe Wolfond<h3>Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787179/cropped_GettyImages-2216904297.jpg?ts=1748882757" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787179/w220xh124_GettyImages-2216904297.jpg?ts=1748882757 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787179/w320xh180_GettyImages-2216904297.jpg?ts=1748882757 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787179/w640xh360_GettyImages-2216904297.jpg?ts=1748882757 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787179/w768xh432_GettyImages-2216904297.jpg?ts=1748882757 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787179/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2216904297.jpg?ts=1748882757 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> David Berding / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>It's tough to get a read on which direction Minnesota is headed. On the one hand, the Timberwolves made back-to-back Western Conference finals after winning just two playoff series over their first 34 years of existence. On the other hand, they appear to have stalled out, while teams like Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Houston look poised to lead the conference into the second half of the decade.Complicating matters further, Julius Randle, who represents half of the return from trading Karl-Anthony Towns, and key reserves Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker could all hit free agency. Retaining the trio would make Minnesota a second-apron team for the second straight year, which seems unfathomable under new ownership (or any ownership, for that matter). Trading Rudy Gobert would clear the team's currently blurry financial picture, but finding a team willing to take on the three years and $109.5 million owed to the big man isn't easy. Replacing one of the game's great defensive anchors would be even harder.The good news is that in Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves already employ the type of game-changing young star who can serve as the backbone of a contender for the foreseeable future. He's a special player with an awesome presence about him, and he's already shown tremendous <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3293326" href="https://thescore.com/news/3293326">growth</a> beyond his (23) years.Defensive stalwart Jaden McDaniels, plus young guards Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., are all promising players on Edwards' timeline, which gives Minnesota some options. The Wolves could look to clear their cap sheet by trading veterans like Gobert and Mike Conley for younger players who can grow with Edwards, which would result in something of a gap year next season.Or, Minnesota could stay aggressive and look to turn some of its excess salary and promising youngsters into an established star like Kevin Durant, giving Edwards the type of help he needs to win now (though a lead guard might help more than another wing scorer). Given that the Wolves only control their own first-round pick once (2028) in the next seven drafts, the latter, more aggressive strategy seems more sensible. The only thing we can say for certain is that whatever the Wolves do this summer, optimizing Edwards will be at the center of it all. That's a starting point most teams would die for. - Joseph Casciaro

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What's next: Where Knicks and Timberwolves go from here

This year's NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers will bring discussion...

This year's NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers will bring discussions about the rise of small markets, unprecedented <a href="https://thescore.com/news/3288372">parity</a>, and roster construction in the new age. There will be hand-wringing over how few household names are featured and how that might impact TV ratings. All the while, a top-five point guard matchup in Finals history is staring us right in the face.When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton meet in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, it will be the 17th time in 79 years that each Finals team boasts an All-Star and/or All-NBA point guard (and only the 10th time both are All-NBA). According to Basketball Reference's Win Shares metric, this year's matchup ranks third among those 17 clashes.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Point guard power plays" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-RUlwb" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/RUlwb/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="400" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>What makes this generational matchup so fascinating is that the star guards go about their on-court business in such different ways. Although Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, is a plus defender for one of the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3293223" href="https://thescore.com/news/3293223">best</a> defensive teams in the modern era, this discussion focuses on both players' otherworldly offensive contributions.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>SGA is no free-throw merchant</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788384/cropped_GettyImages-2217097777.jpg?ts=1748880898" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788384/w220xh124_GettyImages-2217097777.jpg?ts=1748880898 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788384/w320xh180_GettyImages-2217097777.jpg?ts=1748880898 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788384/w640xh360_GettyImages-2217097777.jpg?ts=1748880898 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788384/w768xh432_GettyImages-2217097777.jpg?ts=1748880898 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788384/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2217097777.jpg?ts=1748880898 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Zach Beeker / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Gilgeous-Alexander won the 2025 scoring title with a funky, herky-jerky game that's become his trademark. With the ball in his hands, he is somehow both frenetic and in complete control. His methods of attack are predictable, yet he flummoxes opponents with his change of speed and general movements. He's a relentless driver and an all-time killer from the mid-range.It's nearly impossible for defenders to keep Gilgeous-Alexander in front of them or off the free-throw line because he's one of the craftiest scorers we've ever seen - not because he's the foul-baiting "free-throw merchant" his detractors suggest.SGA isn't racking up free throws at an unfair rate. He ranked second in free-throw attempts this season (behind Giannis Antetokounmpo) and <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=fta_per_fga_pct&amp;year_min=2025&amp;year_max=2025&amp;qual=pts_per_g_req&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=20&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=usg_pct">fifth</a> in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt among high-usage players (behind Deni Avdija). Among point guards, Luka Doncic, James Harden, and Ja Morant all drew fouls on a higher percentage of their shot attempts, and five guards drew a higher percentage of non-shooting fouls, per Cleaning the Glass.Gilgeous-Alexander has led the league in <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives?Season=2024-25&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=DRIVES">drives per game</a> five years running (and is the playoff drives leader for the second straight year). The gap between his league-leading 20.6 drives per game this season and second-ranked Jalen Brunson (17.8) was bigger than the gap between Brunson and ninth-ranked LaMelo Ball (15.1).That constant rim pressure collapses defenses, creating a gravitational pull that feeds Gilgeous-Alexander's underrated playmaking and opens the floor for his teammates. SGA is still a point guard, after all. The most impressive aspect of Gilgeous-Alexander's playmaking is his ability to take care of the ball, especially considering how much he dominates it. Across NBA history, there have been <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by_asc=1&amp;order_by=tov_pct&amp;year_min=1968&amp;qual=pts_per_g_req&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=30&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=usg_pct&amp;ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B2%5D=29&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=ast_pct">93</a> instances of a player posting a usage rate of at least 30% and an assist rate of at least 29%. Among those 93, Gilgeous-Alexander's last two seasons rank first and third in turnover rate.All the defensive attention doesn't seem to make a difference when he decides to keep it for himself, either. Gilgeous-Alexander just put together one of the greatest mid-range-shooting seasons of all time and shot 37.5% on nearly six 3-point attempts per game, including a respectable 35.4% on pull-up threes (placing him just ahead of Kyrie Irving). That's how you end up owning three of the 13 most efficient <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=ts_pct&amp;qual=pts_per_g_req&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=30&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=pts_per_g">30-point-per-game seasons</a> in NBA history.While the concept of a star as a "cheat code" can be overused in modern sports, it's totally appropriate for Gilgeous-Alexander's offensive presence. Opponents can never be sure what type of punch SGA is about to throw or where it's going to come from, but they can be certain it will be a haymaker.<h3>Haliburton is the new Point God</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787964/cropped_GettyImages-2217020271.jpg?ts=1748873873" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787964/w220xh124_GettyImages-2217020271.jpg?ts=1748873873 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787964/w320xh180_GettyImages-2217020271.jpg?ts=1748873873 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787964/w640xh360_GettyImages-2217020271.jpg?ts=1748873873 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787964/w768xh432_GettyImages-2217020271.jpg?ts=1748873873 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/787964/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2217020271.jpg?ts=1748873873 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Although Haliburton isn't nearly as forceful as Gilgeous-Alexander, he's equally devastating. He's not as fast, yet he pushes his Pacers to play at breakneck speed with his consistent and unfathomably accurate hit-ahead passes.Haliburton is the ultimate conductor, and the Pacers' offense is his orchestra. He leads it by playing nearly mistake-free basketball every night, perfectly balancing his own scoring with the needs of his teammates while demonstrating a flair for the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3289563" href="https://thescore.com/news/3289563">dramatic</a>.His league-leading assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.5 doesn't do him justice. Haliburton became the first player <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=year_id&amp;qual=ast_per_g_req&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=9&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=ast_per_g&amp;ccomp%5B2%5D=lt&amp;cval%5B2%5D=2&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=tov_per_g">since</a> Muggsy Bogues 33 years ago - and just the second player ever - to average nine or more assists per game while committing fewer than two turnovers. It's not like he's playing a conservative, risk-free brand of basketball, either; Haliburton makes what would be a high-wire act for most guards look rather pedestrian.Though he's taking the "Point God" moniker from Chris Paul, Haliburton's game harkens back to another Hall of Fame guard. We haven't seen a combination of playmaking, teammate optimization, and marksmanship like this since Steve Nash, as Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault recently <a href="https://x.com/Rylan_Stiles/status/1929255656449605635">noted</a>. The difference is that Haliburton is a more willing shooter than the two-time MVP was.Longtime NBA executive David Griffin once <a href="https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/1973544">told me</a> that the difference between Nash and rival point guards like Jason Kidd was that Kidd could create any shot he wanted for someone else, but opponents could make Kidd take shots he couldn't make. On the other hand: "You couldn't make Steve Nash take a shot he couldn't make." The same can be said of Haliburton, who also happens to play in the most audacious shooting era in league history.Haliburton's a legitimate three-level scorer with limitless range, striking fear into the hearts of opponents in ways his scoring average (18.6 points per game) can't convey.He's as valuable to the Pacers as any bigger-name star is to their respective franchise. After a surprising, injury-aided run to the Eastern Conference final last year, Haliburton and the Pacers limped out of the gates this season. With lingering back and hamstring issues clearly limiting the star guard, Indiana owned a 10-15 record in mid-December, good for 10th in the East.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Pacers improvement" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-8Agrf" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/8Agrf/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="400" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>As Haliburton found his legs (despite refusing to take time off) and began to look more like his All-NBA self, the Pacers - not coincidentally - found another gear.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Pacers improvement (Copy)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-yyq9P" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/yyq9P/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="400" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>They're rarely on anyone's radar, but as long as they have a healthy Haliburton, the Pacers will be in the mix. As Pacers forward Obi Toppin <a href="https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2765998">said</a> a year-and-a-half ago, "We got Tyrese ... we good."<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

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SGA vs. Haliburton is a dream Finals matchup

The NBA's conference finals have produced some fantastic high-stakes basketball, perhaps none mor...

The NBA's conference finals have produced some fantastic high-stakes basketball, perhaps none more so than Game 4 of the West final between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves. That was until the final minute, when a thrilling affair devolved into a free-throw shooting contest.The trailing Timberwolves hacked Thunder players in an attempt to extend the game at the charity stripe, while OKC is among the many teams that intentionally foul opponents when leading by three points in the dying seconds. That strategy <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3281423" href="https://thescore.com/news/3281423">burned the Thunder</a> in a Game 1 loss to Denver a couple of weeks ago - mostly because they deployed the gambit too early - but it's mathematically sound. The trailing team is less likely to make enough free throws to tie or win than it is to make a 3-pointer.The final 35 seconds of Game 4 featured seven intentional fouls and 10 free throws. OKC committed three of those fouls, including one on Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards with 3.1 seconds remaining that prevented Minnesota from attempting a potential game-tying three. Instead, the take foul put Edwards on the free-throw line for two shots (the second of which he had to intentionally miss to keep the Wolves alive).<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>For years, I sat idly by while others bemoaned this late-game tactic. It didn't make for great TV, but I didn't like the idea of policing good strategy either. We've seen NFL teams allow opponents to score just to get the ball back late in games. We've watched soccer stars show off their core strength and ball-shielding skills by keeping the ball in the corners to kill time. Such gamesmanship exists in every sport on some level. If an NBA team earned a lead through 47-plus minutes, who was I to tell them how to protect it just for my entertainment?However, watching a classic playoff game lose all of its steam was the final nudge I needed to join the chorus calling for an end to this scourge. The NBA should institute a new rule where an intentional foul by the leading team in the final 24 seconds results in free throws and possession. That will put an end to the practice.Some will contend that such a rule rewards losers, since the trailing team is still free to hack away. The difference is that fouling while behind already carries risk, potentially allowing the leading team to pull further ahead by making its free throws.Plus, eliminating intentional fouls from both sides would do more harm than good, as it would rob us of the type of late-game comebacks this year's Indiana Pacers are now <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3289563" href="https://thescore.com/news/3289563">famous for</a>. It can be exciting when trailing teams have to sell out on their ball pressure and defensive traps in an effort to turn their opponent over rather than relying on fouls, but there would also be plenty of occasions when the leading team could simply run out the clock knowing that a foul isn't coming.If the only way to push through anti-take-foul legislation is policing it on both sides, that's a concession I'd be willing to make. It would also aid the league in its quest for two-hour games. But the best compromise for pace of play and entertainment would be to disincentivize teams leading by three from doing it.The NBA has made TV-friendly business decisions before, like when the league penalized away-from-the-ball fouls in the last 2 minutes and transition take fouls (at any time). Eliminating the fouls that rob us of potential game-tying 3-point attempts needs to be the next change - just in time to guarantee the league's $76-billion media partners a purer product.Make teams play basketball until the end. Give your stars a chance to make more plays with the game on the line, not just from the line.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

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It's time for the NBA to outlaw fouling while up 3

There are certain fundamental truths about playoff basketball. For example: Any matchup between t...

There are certain fundamental truths about playoff basketball. For example: Any matchup between the Knicks and Pacers is sure to produce an extraordinary moment or improbable finish worth revisiting for generations.If they're standing in each other's way come May, the Knicks and Pacers somehow always find a way to deliver. The same was true Wednesday in Manhattan, though Knicks fans will tell you whatever their team did down the stretch of Game 1 sure as hell wasn't "delivering."New York was cruising to a 1-0 series lead in its first conference finals appearance in 25 years. The Knicks extended their lead to 17 midway through the fourth quarter, held a 14-point advantage with 2:40 remaining, and were still comfortably nursing a three-possession lead with 35 seconds left. The Knicks were the 1,435th team to hold a lead of nine-plus points entering the final minute of a playoff game and none of the previous 1,434 managed to lose.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>But this is Knicks-Pacers, so of course the clock couldn't run out like a run-of-the-mill playoff game. After a handful of Pacers 3-pointers and a couple of Knicks turnovers, Tyrese Haliburton had a chance to tie or win the game for Indiana. We should've known what was coming, as Haliburton's become as inevitable as this iconic postseason rivalry itself.The fact Haliburton's <a href="https://x.com/Pacers/status/1925385100197241328">prayer</a> merely sent the game to overtime rather than resulting in a walk-off win dulled the excitement somewhat, but not before the Pacers superstar did his best Reggie Miller impression (with Miller a few feet away at the TNT broadcast table):<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THE INDIANA PACERS TAKE GAME 1!!!!! 😱😱😱 <a href="https://t.co/ZylfaBcZRx">pic.twitter.com/ZylfaBcZRx</a>— theScore (@theScore) <a href="https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1925389700073721950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>For the uninitiated, Haliburton's choke sign was a nod to Miller directing the <a href="https://youtu.be/yJerW4qe3HI?si=8dKv4R-EINeOZRzY&amp;t=104">same gesture</a> to the Madison Square Garden faithful (and Knicks superfan Spike Lee) during the 1994 East finals. Miller's Pacers overcame a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit - and constant heckling from Lee - to steal Game 5 of that series. However, New York got the last laugh with wins in Game 6 and 7, with Knicks legend Patrick Ewing recording the series-winning dunk with 26.9 seconds left in the do-or-die game.That was the second of three straight playoff matchups between Ewing's Knicks and Miller's Pacers, with New York and Indiana meeting six times in eight postseasons between 1993 and 2000. The 1995 East semis saw Miller famously score eight points in nine seconds to stun the Garden again in Game 1, with Ewing <a href="https://youtu.be/w9hujyZyK7w?si=YnVElBXJmPjNTC1w">blowing</a> the potential game-tying layup in the final moments of Game 7.There was Miller's <a href="https://youtu.be/ms9J2etJbDQ?si=PuPjdEpBMEaVg6oq&amp;t=705">shot</a> to force OT in Game 4 of the 1998 East semis (which the Pacers won) and Larry Johnson's unforgettable <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0CGK1MGI4E">four-point play</a> to help the Ewing-less Knicks past the heavily favored Pacers in the 1999 conference finals.After briefly renewing hostilities in the second round of the 2013 playoffs, the rivalry entered the modern era last year, when Haliburton's Pacers got the best of Jalen Brunson's banged up squad. The lingering animosity from that matchup even led to flirtations with a professional <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3055093" href="https://thescore.com/news/3055093">wrestling feud</a>.Though most of the combatants in this year's series weren't born yet when the rivalry took root, all of that baggage served as the backdrop for this year's Eastern Conference finals, which tipped off 30 years to the day after Ewing's blown layup.Unfortunately for Knicks fans, a new generation is now all too familiar with the drama, angst, and heartbreak this matchup often provides. The Pacers outscored the Knicks 20-6 over the final 2:39 of regulation, with Indiana's 23 points over the final 3:14 the most scored by a playoff team in the play-by-play era (since 1997). Haliburton's pop-up buzzer-beater will headline highlight reels for years, but it was forward Aaron Nesmith who exploded for 20 points over the final 4:45 of regulation.History will also forget that the Knicks scored the first four points of overtime, with Indiana ultimately recording one of the most unfathomable victories in postseason history for the <a href="https://x.com/keerthikau/status/1925401197449511223">third time</a> in the last three weeks.New York had a 99.7% chance of winning Game 1 with under three minutes to play, according to ESPN's win probability meter. That fact and many others will leave Knicks fans absolutely gutted, but this series is far from over. The Thunder let Game 1 <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3281423" href="https://thescore.com/news/3281423">slip away</a> in their second-round series against Nikola Jokic's Nuggets, only for Oklahoma City to now find itself three wins from the Finals. Back in 1994, the Knicks rebounded after Miller labeled them chokers.Whether the 2025 Knicks are made of the same mettle remains to be seen, but don't put anything past this matchup. There's something about these two teams coming together at this time of year that makes anything feel possible.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/31358594/related

The most dramatic rivalry: Knicks-Pacers always delivers

Every year, 29 teams fall short of the ultimate goal, and every year, those 29 teams ask themselves how they can take the next step.We previously looked at how the first-round outs in the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3279346" href="https://thescore.com/news/3279346">East</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3281141" href="https://thescore.com/news/3281141">West</a> might go about answering that question and examined the decisions on the horizon for the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3286936" href="https://thescore.com/news/3286936">East's top two seeds</a> after their seasons ended in the second round. Now that the West semis are complete, here's a look at how two of the conference's last three champions can move forward after being eliminated.<h3>Golden State Warriors </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/774471/cropped_GettyImages-2201403240.jpg?ts=1747692294" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/774471/w220xh124_GettyImages-2201403240.jpg?ts=1747692294 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/774471/w320xh180_GettyImages-2201403240.jpg?ts=1747692294 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/774471/w640xh360_GettyImages-2201403240.jpg?ts=1747692294 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/774471/w768xh432_GettyImages-2201403240.jpg?ts=1747692294 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/774471/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2201403240.jpg?ts=1747692294 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Noah Graham / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>The Warriors were bitterly disappointed by their five-game elimination at the Minnesota Timberwolves' hands, but few teams have as clear a vision as Golden State does right now. The mandate: Win another championship during the two-year window in which Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green are all under contract for a combined average of $143.4 million per season.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The three future Hall of Famers are all 35-37 years old with justifiable questions about their durability. Curry's absence did the team in against the Timberwolves, Butler hasn't suited up for 65 games in a season since 2018-19, and Green has reached the 70-game mark once in the last seven years. Still, even with those age-related concerns and Butler's diminishing offensive game, I'd take a healthy Steph, Jimmy, and Draymond against most teams' top three. Golden State went 23-7 (a 62-win pace) with Curry and Butler in the lineup down the stretch.If the Warriors can just get those legends to the spring in one piece, they'll have a legitimate chance to raise another banner before Curry retires. Accomplishing that starts with shoring up the rest of the rotation, preferably by adding some size and athleticism.The biggest question is what to do with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, who has a big fan in team owner Joe Lacob but has often fallen out of favor with head coach Steve Kerr (though Kuminga did play well when he returned to the rotation during the second round). If he's retained at a reasonable price and can find some consistency, Kuminga can energize the aging core. But the best result for both parties seems to be Kuminga landing elsewhere in a sign-and-trade that delivers something of value for the Warriors too.Golden State just doesn't have enough dependable rotation pieces, let alone game-changers. Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield provide spacing; the former is younger, more defensively capable, and a better playmaker, but not necessarily more consistent. Moses Moody is probably the most underrated youngster on the roster, which leaves me wondering if the Warriors would be better served putting Podziemski on the trade market and Moody on the court.Trayce Jackson-Davis is a decent depth piece further down the bench and Gui Santos and Quinten Post were nice finds, but none of those three will alter Golden State's trajectory.If the Warriors can find a way to turn some of that middling talent into even a couple more playoff-proof rotation players, they'll be in good shape. They also have up to four first-round draft picks (plus swaps) to package with those players if they want to make a bigger splash. That seems unlikely, but never count the Warriors out of such discussions - they've got about $17.4 million worth of wiggle room under the luxury-tax threshold and roughly $25 million worth of space under the first apron. - Joseph Casciaro <h3>Denver Nuggets </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786356/cropped_GettyImages-2215278228.jpg?ts=1747692490" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786356/w220xh124_GettyImages-2215278228.jpg?ts=1747692490 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786356/w320xh180_GettyImages-2215278228.jpg?ts=1747692490 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786356/w640xh360_GettyImages-2215278228.jpg?ts=1747692490 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786356/w768xh432_GettyImages-2215278228.jpg?ts=1747692490 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786356/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2215278228.jpg?ts=1747692490 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> AAron Ontiveroz / Denver Post / Getty</figcaption></figure>This is a hugely consequential offseason in Denver with a ton of important decisions to make at every level of the organization. First: Finding the person who will make the rest of the decisions. Whoever steps into Calvin Booth's vacant role as general manager will quickly have to figure out how to make the necessary personnel adjustments while also deciding whether to conduct an external coaching search or make David Adelman's interim position permanent. (Adelman's performance after taking over with a week remaining in the regular season was a pretty persuasive job application.)In overcoming a very good LA Clippers team and then pushing the 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder to the brink, the Nuggets proved they're still a threat to win any series with a Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray-Aaron Gordon nucleus. Jokic is a one-man offense who somehow got even better this year. Murray shook off a tough start to have a strong second half and a sporadically brilliant postseason. Gordon patched every defensive hole, bludgeoned his way to copious offensive rebounds and paint buckets, and hit some of the clutchest shots of the playoffs.But it also became abundantly clear, if it wasn't already, that the Nuggets need to make changes around that core trio if their championship window is to remain open while the 30-year-old Jokic is still in his prime.Outside of Gordon and Christian Braun, the roster distinctly lacks two-way players. This year's Nuggets had the best offense of the Jokic era teams despite ranking last in 3-point attempt rate, but that limiting factor became harder to overcome against playoff defenses that ignored about half the members of their eight-man rotation. Their bench was once again a complete disaster, with no reliable backup center or 3-and-D wing. That eight-man rotation was basically a 5.5-man rotation by postseason's end.What's less clear is how feasible the necessary changes are. If Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric pick up their player options (the former would likely be fine with Denver, the latter will be as damaging as it is inevitable), the Nuggets will be about $15 million over the tax line, $7 million over the first apron, and $5 million below the second apron with 13 of 15 roster spots filled. As things stand, they won't have access to the mid-level or bi-annual exception, nor will they be able to take back more salary than they send out in a trade. Plus, the only first-rounder they can currently include in a deal is their 2031 pick.Whether Michael Porter Jr. remains part of the aforementioned core might be the most pressing roster question. Porter's been a key piece of the Nuggets for the last six years. He played a vital role in the team's championship two years ago and brings the specific skill (shooting) that's in shortest supply in Denver. But his precarious health, shaky defense, and near-$40-million-a-year salary make him the most natural starter to trade. The problem is that those same factors would also depress his market. He might still be more valuable to the Nuggets than he is to anyone else.Braun made a strong case in his third season (and especially these playoffs) to be part of the team's long-term plans. He's extension-eligible this summer, and the Nuggets will surely try hard to come to an agreement with him. You can say everyone else should be on the table, but guys like Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther are about as likely to develop into the players Denver needs as they are to bring back those players in trades. The Nuggets would probably have to attach an asset to get off Zeke Nnaji's deal, which is worth doing if they can get any kind of competent rotation player in return (and possibly even if they can't). Maybe DaRon Holmes II can finally provide some stability at the backup five spot.For the Nuggets' next GM, the opportunity to retool around Jokic is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you can explore some unconventional possibilities knowing Jokic will find a way to elevate everyone around him and keep the team competitive. On the other hand, you'll be under immense pressure to meaningfully improve the roster while Jokic is still playing at this level, but you'll have limited pathways to do so.Nothing less than the legacy of one of the greatest players of this or any generation may depend on how that incoming GM navigates these next few months. - Joe Wolfond

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What's next: Where the Warriors and Nuggets go from here

After 79 years, the NBA is experiencing a level of championship parity never before seen in its h...

After 79 years, the NBA is experiencing a level of championship parity never before seen in its history.The new benchmark was set when the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal, ensuring that the 2025 postseason will crown a seventh different champion in as many years. To put that in perspective, seven franchises won <a href="https://x.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1924266450400993526">77%</a> of the previous 70 titles. In fact, the league had only seen six different champions in a six-year span just once before (1975-1980).<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBA final four teams and their last championship: New York Knicks: 1973 Indiana Pacers: Never Minnesota Timberwolves: Never Oklahoma City Thunder: Never* * won in 1979 as Seattle SuperSonics but Thunder do not hang a banner nor claim this title as their own.— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1924219979269873926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>There will always be a standard of excellence that championship teams <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3267849" href="https://thescore.com/news/3267849">must measure</a> up to. Last year's Celtics were a 64-win buzz saw, while this year's odds-on favorite, the Thunder, won 68 games, posted the best point differential ever, and are only <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3272746" href="https://thescore.com/news/3272746">getting started</a>. But beyond just the variety of champions, what's setting the modern Association apart from any time in recent memory is that it now feels like good teams, not just historically great ones, have a chance come playoff time.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>For the first time in many fans' lives, there's a genuine belief that a well-built squad just needs to get into the dance to have a shot at immortality. We've long come to accept that as a rite of spring in the NHL (and a rite of autumn in Major League Baseball), but it's a healthy change for the NBA, even if it devalues the regular season (and postseason seeding) on some level.To truly appreciate how the playoffs have evolved in recent years, consider how our expectations of conference finalists have changed. Over the last five seasons (2021-2025), the 20 conference finalists have recorded win totals ranging from 43 to 68, averaging 52.6 victories per 82 games (with win total prorated for the shortened 2020-21 campaign). During this half-decade, all eight postseason seeds have been represented in a conference final at least once, with five conference finalists - a quarter of the sample - registering less than 50 wins.Compare that to the previous five years (2016-2020). Those 20 conference finalists ranged from 49-win clubs to 73-win record-breakers, averaging 57 wins per 82 outings. During that stretch, only top-five teams from their respective conferences made it to the final four, with 18 of the 20 finishing in the top three.<figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Conf. finalists</th>
<th>2016-2020</th>
<th>2021-2025</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Win range</td>
<td>49-73</td>
<td>43-68</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Avg W/82</td>
<td>57</td>
<td>52.6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sub-50 W teams</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Seeds</td>
<td>1-5</td>
<td>1-8</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>There's a worthy debate about whether this is a good development. The last time the NBA went this long without a seemingly unbeatable juggernaut or two, the Finals were broadcast on tape delay. It took a decade-long rivalry between Magic Johnson's Lakers and Larry Bird's Celtics, followed by years of dominance by Michael Jordan's Bulls, to "save" the Association. The 21st century then gave way to more mini dynasties and superteams to slay in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Miami, and Golden State.While there's no proof of concept for parity helping the NBA thrive, that doesn't mean it won't. For one, the league, the media, and the sports world have changed drastically in the half century since the last time the championship picture was this wide open. The NBA is just months away from beginning to reap the benefits of a new 11-year, $76-billion media rights deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon.Plus, the league's most successful periods of one- or two-team dominance were as much about the stars leading those dynasties as they were about the teams' perennial success. And there are plenty of worthy characters ready to carry the baton into this next leg of league history, whether it be Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, or the two superstars who will square off in the Western Conference final, MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Timberwolves savior Anthony Edwards.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786417/cropped_GettyImages-2034212623.jpg?ts=1747676703" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786417/w220xh124_GettyImages-2034212623.jpg?ts=1747676703 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786417/w320xh180_GettyImages-2034212623.jpg?ts=1747676703 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786417/w640xh360_GettyImages-2034212623.jpg?ts=1747676703 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786417/w768xh432_GettyImages-2034212623.jpg?ts=1747676703 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786417/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2034212623.jpg?ts=1747676703 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> David Berding / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>There are fresh faces contesting the title race each year, more teams and fan bases who can dream of hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy when a new season tips off, and unfathomable sums of money rolling in. It's an exciting, refreshing time that fans and the league should embrace.However, the one thing I'll continue to push back on, and something to monitor going forward, is any notion that the league's new collective bargaining agreement brought us here. The path to parity was laid before the NBA put the more punitive tax penalties and restrictive aprons in place. What's new and exciting right now could quickly grow stale if some teams enjoying newfound success have to tear down carefully constructed rosters to avoid those penalties and skirt those restrictions.As <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2940429" href="https://thescore.com/news/2940429">I asked</a> nearly a year ago: Does a more balanced NBA, where teams rise and quickly fall before dealing with the penalties of getting too expensive, lead to more league-wide interest? Or does more frequent roster turnover and no dynastic superteams leave the league and its clubs without an identity?How teams manage the new CBA will go a long way toward answering that question. For now, let's just enjoy what's become a truly unprecedented time in championship parity.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/31335927/related

Welcome to the NBA's age of parity

Every year, 29 teams fall short of the ultimate goal. And every year, those 29 teams ask themselv...

Every year, 29 teams fall short of the ultimate goal. And every year, those 29 teams ask themselves how they take that next step.Here's a look at how the East's top two seeds might go about answering that question after both got bounced ahead of the conference finals.<h3>Boston Celtics </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786002/cropped_GettyImages-2213149460.jpg?ts=1747432975" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786002/w220xh124_GettyImages-2213149460.jpg?ts=1747432975 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786002/w320xh180_GettyImages-2213149460.jpg?ts=1747432975 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786002/w640xh360_GettyImages-2213149460.jpg?ts=1747432975 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786002/w768xh432_GettyImages-2213149460.jpg?ts=1747432975 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786002/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2213149460.jpg?ts=1747432975 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Boston Globe / Getty</figcaption></figure>Boston's title defense ended earlier than anyone expected, but the real story of the Celtics' second-round loss to the Knicks was Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury. The Eastern Conference semifinal didn't just see a champion dethroned - it immediately threw the franchise's future into doubt and shifted the league's balance of power.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>First and foremost, it's a shame for Tatum, a 27-year-old ironman who's never missed more than 10 games in a season and has logged 1,500 more minutes than any other player since his NBA debut (regular season and playoffs). As the best player on the defending champions and a two-way force who's been the backbone of this decade's most consistent contender, the Celtics will fall off without him. There were already questions about how long Boston's new owners would stomach massive luxury tax payments and second-apron penalties. By the time Tatum returns, the roster might look a lot different.However, Tatum's injury could change the calculus regarding his long-term partnership with Jaylen Brown. Trading Brown to maintain a financially feasible contender around Tatum would've made some sense before the latter's Achilles gave out. Boston should now look to take a step back in 2025-26, shedding salary in the short term to again build around Tatum and Brown in 2026-27 and beyond.Letting Al Horford walk as a free agent will be tough, but ultimately necessary. Ditto for trading Jrue Holiday, who's owed up to $104.4 million over the next three years and will likely be 36 years old when Tatum returns. If the Celtics can extract any value from Holiday's contract and Kristaps Porzingis' expiring ($30.7-million) deal, they should, no matter how many wins it costs them next season.If Boston can do that without taking on any long-term money, it could drastically improve its financial flexibility. Instead of sitting roughly $20 million above the second apron in 2025-26, the Celtics could position themselves with over $45 million worth of wiggle room under the first apron in 2026-27. And they'd still have Tatum, Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser (plus Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh) under contract. Boston also controls five of its seven first-round picks between 2026 and 2032.Tatum's injury was a <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3285701" href="https://thescore.com/news/3285701">disheartening reminder</a> of how fleeting success and windows of contention can be, but it doesn't have to be the last chapter for the Two Jays era in Boston. The Celtics just have to make a few shrewd decisions today to restart their course tomorrow. - Joseph Casciaro <h3>Cleveland Cavaliers </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786003/cropped_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1747433257" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786003/w220xh124_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1747433257 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786003/w320xh180_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1747433257 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786003/w640xh360_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1747433257 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786003/w768xh432_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1747433257 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786003/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1747433257 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Brian Sevald / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>The 2024-25 Cavaliers won 64 games and produced the 16th-best relative offensive rating in NBA history. Kenny Atkinson won Coach of the Year in his first season on the sidelines. Evan Mobley made a major offensive leap and became the fifth-youngest player ever to take home Defensive Player of the Year honors. Darius Garland had a massive bounce-back campaign and earned his second All-Star nod. Donovan Mitchell will probably make the All-NBA first team. And every member of Cleveland's regular rotation besides Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill is under contract for next season. That's the good news.The bad news is that all those regular-season accomplishments didn't save the Cavs from a familiar fate in the spring. Their second-round faceplant against a fast, physical, relentless Indiana Pacers squad marked the third straight year their core four has experienced some degree of playoff disappointment. In light of those recurring letdowns, there will naturally be calls for the front office to break this thing up.The counterargument would be that serious mitigating factors contributed to Cleveland's demise, namely the injuries that sidelined and/or significantly hampered four of its five most important players in the series. Garland missed the first two games (both home losses) due to a toe injury and never looked right after returning. Mobley sat out Game 2 with a sprained ankle and didn't resemble himself again until Game 5. De'Andre Hunter dislocated the thumb on his shooting hand in Game 1 and was a disaster from that point on. Mitchell carried the offense with some heroic performances before succumbing to calf and ankle injuries and running out of gas.It was a particularly exasperating way for the Cavs' campaign to end considering how much they prioritized depth and managing their stars' workloads throughout the year. No one on the team averaged more than 31.4 minutes per game, which contributed to them being one of the healthiest squads in the league ... right up until they weren't. After injuries prevented it from taking a legitimate run at the Celtics in the second round last postseason, this was supposed to be the chance for Cleveland's core to prove its growth since an embarrassing first-round showing against the Knicks in 2023. Instead, the front office is again left to sift through a mess of conflicting information as it tries to determine what these guys are actually capable of.Some troubling issues cropped up in the series that Cleveland can't entirely overlook. The Cavs' beautiful offensive system broke down into a muddy puddle of isolations when things got tough. At the other end, Indiana gashed a defense that was supposed to be one of Cleveland's chief strengths, doing particularly vicious damage against switches and eventually solving the team's fail-safe zone. The lights again seemed a bit brighter than expected for Jarrett Allen, as he managed just 11 points and six rebounds combined over the final two games and was soundly outplayed by Myles Turner. And Jerome, who played a huge role in the team's regular-season success and finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting, was exposed for his defensive limitations and reliance on tough pull-ups and long floaters.The Cavs can spend the summer thinking about how things might've been different if they'd stayed healthy or held onto huge leads in Games 2 and 5. But all that matters now is what Koby Altman and Co. decide to take away from all this, and how their interpretation of events shapes the club's course of action this summer. That could mean marginal moves like letting Jerome walk and handing over backup point guard duties to Craig Porter Jr., or trying to trade someone like Isaac Okoro to trim down their luxury-tax bill. Or it could result in something more significant, like moving out one of the core four.Cleveland can also just run it all back and enter next season as one of the clear favorites in a destabilized Eastern Conference. Mitchell is a proven superstar and a playoff riser, Garland and Mobley are still getting better, Allen is a top-10 two-way center in the league, and the wing corps is stronger than it's been at any point in this era. Last summer, the front office resisted the urge to make changes for the sake of changes, and the team <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3129495" href="https://thescore.com/news/3129495">wound up organically changing quite a bit</a>.Sometimes, the most courageous thing an organization can do after a disappointing result is ... nothing. No overreactions, no rash personnel moves - just a show of faith in the infrastructure that engendered enough success to establish expectations in the first place. We're about to find out how much or how little that faith has been shaken in Cleveland. - Joe Wolfond

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/31324005/related

What's next: Where the Celtics and Cavs go from here

The Toronto Raptors can console themselves with any number of facts after landing the ninth overa...

The Toronto Raptors can console themselves with any number of facts after landing the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.For one, the lottery odds that came with the seventh-worst record always meant they were more likely to land somewhere between seventh and 10th (68.01%) than they were to jump into the draft's top four (31.96%). The ninth pick was their third-most likely landing spot after eighth and seventh, respectively.Furthermore, with three previous opportunities to select ninth overall, the franchise drafted Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, six-time All-Star (and future Hall of Famer) DeMar DeRozan, and current starting center Jakob Poeltl.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>That's all fine and true, but it's no comfort on this night. There's no sugarcoating the fact the lottery was a total gut punch.There's no one to blame. Toronto's lack of lottery luck had nothing to do with a half-measured tank or the fact the rebuilding Raptors won too often. The Dallas Mavericks won nine more games than the Raptors and won a play-in contest before winning the lottery despite only a 1.8% chance to do so (Dallas also won a coin toss with Chicago to earn an extra 0.1% worth of lottery odds after the two teams finished tied in the standings).It's yet another reminder that, while the league's worst teams are rewarded with the best odds, it's still a lottery at the end of the day. The fates of multibillion-dollar franchises hinge on the whims of pingpong balls bouncing around inside a plastic bubble. The last-place team has gone 0-for-7 since the NBA flattened its lottery odds in 2019, with 2025 marking the third consecutive year the league's worst team fell a maximum of four spots (and will pick fifth).Let that be a warning to teams that are already looking past the 2025-26 campaign and drooling over another stacked draft class in 2026. I'd say the sting of Monday's proceedings might inform how the Raptors approach next season, but the truth is they never appeared to have the stomach for a multi-year tank.Though the Raptors went out of their way to label the 2024-25 campaign Year 1 of a rebuild, they also accelerated that rebuild when they traded for (and extended) Brandon Ingram. The move was surprising, but <a href="https://youtu.be/OXRy9FAe9lY?si=GPQdkmduMB-p1clA">defensible</a> from the standpoint that Toronto isn't in a position to thumb its nose when star talent becomes available. Still, some lottery luck - specifically a top-two pick such as Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper - would've helped complete the picture and springboarded the team back to relevance.The Raptors must now confront the fact this year's draft is unlikely to deliver a franchise-changing talent after months of clinging to the hope that their first-round pick was their best chance to find one. So, what now?<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765619/cropped_GettyImages-2193527991.jpg?ts=1747104081" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765619/w220xh124_GettyImages-2193527991.jpg?ts=1747104081 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765619/w320xh180_GettyImages-2193527991.jpg?ts=1747104081 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765619/w640xh360_GettyImages-2193527991.jpg?ts=1747104081 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765619/w768xh432_GettyImages-2193527991.jpg?ts=1747104081 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765619/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2193527991.jpg?ts=1747104081 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Vaughn Ridley / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The safest option would be to simply run it back, allowing Scottie Barnes, Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and an impressive collection of solid-yet-unspectacular youngsters to prove what they can (or can't) be together. This conservative approach would see the Raptors add the ninth pick to that unproven core, with options in that range likely to include South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles, Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis, and Maryland center Derik Queen, among others.Keeping the band together could pay immediate dividends. Toronto's Barnes-led defense was genuinely <a href="http://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?DateFrom=01/13/2025&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING">elite</a> for half a season, and Ingram's shotmaking, secondary playmaking, and foul-drawing should greatly improve what was a woeful half-court offense. The playoffs are well within reach if the Raptors stay healthy. Detroit's stunning rise from worst to sixth serves as a reminder of the opportunities the Eastern Conference provides.However, for a team already butting up against the luxury tax, the path from postseason breakthrough to legitimate contention is murky. With no Flagg- or Harper-level prospect to pair beside Barnes, the Raptors' short-term risk tolerance might have just shot up.The East already looked wide-open before Jayson Tatum <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3285027" href="https://thescore.com/news/3285027">crumpled</a> to the court in New York. Everyone up to, and perhaps even including Barnes, should be on the table if that gets Toronto in the mix for veteran superstars who could shake free - like <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3284641" href="https://thescore.com/news/3284641">Giannis Antetokounmpo</a> or Devin Booker (Kevin Durant is too old for Toronto to abandon its rebuild for him). The Raptors also control all of their first-round picks.They have options. The only thing we learned Monday is that Cooper Flagg - and salvation via the draft - is no longer one of them. For now, at least, that's a bummer.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's senior Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/31274196/related

No lottery luck for the Raptors, so what now?

Wow, do things ever change quickly in the playoffs.  The league-best Thunder were cruising to a G...

Wow, do things ever change quickly in the playoffs.The league-best Thunder were cruising to a Game 1 win over the Nuggets on Monday night, leading by 11 points with a little more than four minutes remaining. A victory would've moved Oklahoma City to 5-0 in the postseason. But rather than celebrating what would have been their 73rd win of the campaign, the Thunder are reeling from a stunning collapse and preparing for what's suddenly become a must-win Game 2.The biggest story of Denver's 121-119 victory was Nikola Jokic, who feasted on a Thunder team (and specifically Chet Holmgren) unequipped to guard him. But after helplessly watching Jokic pile up 42 points and 22 rebounds, the Thunder had a chance to ice the game while Jokic watched helplessly from the bench. Instead, a mathematically sound strategy led to OKC's demise.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>It's generally accepted that the best course of action is to foul when leading by three with the shot clock turned off, as the opposing team is less likely to win a free-throw shooting contest by three-plus points than it is to make a 3-pointer. If the team in front simply makes its free throws and avoids turnovers, the game is over. The Thunder subscribe to this school of thought, so it was no surprise to see Alex Caruso intentionally foul Jokic with OKC up 117-114 and 13 seconds remaining.Jokic made both free throws, but the Nuggets kept him on the bench following a subsequent Thunder timeout, as the three-time MVP had five fouls and Denver was going to be looking to intentionally foul. However, a well-executed play out of the timeout - and a defensive breakdown by the Nuggets - allowed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score a basket before Denver could foul. That dunk left OKC up 119-116 with 11 seconds to play, Jokic on the bench, and the Nuggets out of timeouts. In other words, had the Thunder just defended naturally and let the Nuggets play the next possession out, it's possible Oklahoma City could've escaped with the win while Jokic had to watch Denver's final possession from the sidelines.Unwilling to deviate from their original plan, the Thunder still elected to foul immediately rather than risk a Nuggets 3-point attempt. Aaron Gordon's free throws cut the lead to one, and the stoppage allowed Jokic to re-enter the contest. After a couple of missed free throws from Holmgren, Russell Westbrook rushed the ball up the court and found Gordon for the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds on the clock.To be fair, Jokic didn't have a hand in the game-winning possession, but consider the result karmic justice for playing with fire.It's possible the Nuggets might have cashed a triple on the play in question if the Thunder had let them play it out, but I'd rather trust my league-best defense to get a stop than take my chances with the best player on the planet back on the floor. Remember, too, that Joker-less Denver would've had to take it the length of the floor after Gilgeous-Alexander's dunk.Jokic's brilliance demands a real-time recalibration of best practices, like Barry Bonds <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr7vPDNG3q0">drawing</a> an intentional walk with the bases loaded. The Thunder refused to budge. Jokic didn't make them pay, but they still got what they deserved. Now let's see how the championship favorites - and the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3272746" href="https://thescore.com/news/3272746">youngest</a> team in the playoffs - punch back.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/31206910/related

Thunder played with fire and got burned in Game 1 loss to Nuggets

Every year, 29 teams fall short of the ultimate goal, and every year, those 29 teams ask themselves how they can take the next step.We've already looked at how the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3279346" href="https://thescore.com/news/3279346">Eastern Conference's four eliminated teams</a> may go about answering that question. Here's what's on tap for the first-round outs from the West.<h3>Houston Rockets </h3>The Rockets should feel as good as possible for a 2-seed that was bounced in the first round. They were a 22-win tire fire just two years ago. This season, they won 52 games in a loaded Western Conference, had the league's fourth-ranked defense, and pushed a pedigreed Warriors team led by three future Hall of Famers to a Game 7. While veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Steven Adams had huge hands in Houston's success, the team was also powered by a talented youth brigade for whom the future looks very bright.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Big man Alperen Sengun was an All-Star at 22 and had a strong playoff showing despite struggling with his touch all year. Sophomore Amen Thompson, the most explosive athlete in the league outside of his twin brother Ausar, broke out as a two-way stud with legitimate superstar potential. Jabari Smith Jr., a versatile third-year forward who's even younger than Thompson, continued to establish himself as an ideal gap-filling role player. Tari Eason kept growing into one of the best defensive playmakers in the league. <figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/784175/cropped_GettyImages-2212190173.jpg?ts=1746471280" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/784175/w220xh124_GettyImages-2212190173.jpg?ts=1746471280 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/784175/w320xh180_GettyImages-2212190173.jpg?ts=1746471280 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/784175/w640xh360_GettyImages-2212190173.jpg?ts=1746471280 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/784175/w768xh432_GettyImages-2212190173.jpg?ts=1746471280 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/784175/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2212190173.jpg?ts=1746471280 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Logan Riely / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>That said, the Rockets' loss to Golden State - and their season as a whole - provided some obvious lessons they'll carry into a fascinating offseason. Above all, the offense needs to improve dramatically. They finished bottom 10 in shooting percentage from every quadrant on the floor: 21st from 3-point range, 23rd from long mid-range, 26th from floater range, and 22nd at the rim. And though their 22nd-ranked half-court offense was buoyed by the league's best offensive rebound rate and a top-10 transition attack, that wasn't enough to overcome a 92.4 offensive rating on first-shot possessions against a set Warriors defense.The front office's big decision comes down to whether it believes the necessary improvements can come from within or whether the team has to look externally. Houston's biggest need is upgrading its off-the-dribble shot creation, and as good as Sengun and Thompson are - and can eventually become - the internal options seem unlikely to address that deficiency.Jalen Green's place in the team's future feels particularly hazy as he enters the first year of a three-year extension. While he's innately talented and has made strides in the last couple years, his shot selection and overall decision-making remain far too erratic for him to be relied upon by a contending team. The Rockets wouldn't be wrong to exercise patience with the 23-year-old, but they'd also be justified in cutting bait if there's a market for his services.This team looks ripe for a consolidation trade: Houston's got more intriguing young players than its rotation can currently accommodate (looking at you, Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore) and a bundle of surplus draft picks including three unprotected first-rounders from the beleaguered Suns and one from the even more beleaguered Mavericks. The possibility of trading those picks back to Phoenix makes the Rockets a sensible landing spot for Kevin Durant or (in a more ideal scenario) Devin Booker. Giannis Antetokounmpo could also be available this summer, and while he wouldn't fix their shooting woes, he'd still launch them into a different stratum of contention because he's Giannis Antetokounmpo.The front office also has to decide whether to pick up VanVleet's $45-million team option after a regular season in which he shot under 38% from the field followed by a playoff series in which he was Houston's most important offensive player. The Rockets are already dangerously light on ball-handling and pull-up shooting, and they wouldn't be able to replace VanVleet's value via this barren free-agent class. But opening up cap space by renouncing him could allow them to absorb a star in a trade without having to send back matching salary. They could also just try to re-sign VanVleet to a longer-term deal with a lower average annual value.Adams, who was instrumental in pushing the Warriors to seven and had the best individual net rating (plus-14.1) in the series, is a free agent as well. Smith and Eason are eligible for extensions. That's a lot of consequential decisions to make in a short amount of time, and while there aren't many bad choices for a team in Houston's position, this feels like a potential fork-in-the-road summer that could lead the team in any number of directions. - Joe Wolfond <h3>Los Angeles Lakers </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780153/cropped_GettyImages-2208313373.jpg?ts=1746471314" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780153/w220xh124_GettyImages-2208313373.jpg?ts=1746471314 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780153/w320xh180_GettyImages-2208313373.jpg?ts=1746471314 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780153/w640xh360_GettyImages-2208313373.jpg?ts=1746471314 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780153/w768xh432_GettyImages-2208313373.jpg?ts=1746471314 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780153/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2208313373.jpg?ts=1746471314 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Joe Murphy / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>Although it can be hard to see the forest for the trees in the immediate, emotional aftermath of a disappointing postseason elimination, the Lakers are in great shape. Turning Anthony Davis into Luka Doncic brought immediate promise, but this team was always going to be incomplete in the short term, especially when Los Angeles' deadline-day deal for fragile Hornets center Mark Williams fell through.The real work to build a genuine contender around Doncic and LeBron James begins now. Assuming James is back (the 40-year-old has a $52.6-million player option for next season), there are a couple ways the Lakers can go about this. First, they could run it back with a trio of Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves while filling their glaring hole at center and adding some quality depth. That's the more conservative path. Some might argue the Lakers should be more aggressive to maximize what could be James' last year or two, but they've also got a Doncic-led future to plan for. Plus, a team featuring Doncic, James, and Reaves with a more balanced supporting cast would enter next season as a fringe contender at worst.The more aggressive option would be to dangle Reaves, salary filler, and draft picks on the trade market. In addition to swap rights in 2026, 2028, and 2030, the Lakers still have their 2031 first-rounder and will get access to their 2032 first-rounder once this year's draft is complete. That might not be enough to land another superstar, but the Lakers don't need one. It surely is enough to land an impact player - perhaps one who's a better fit between Doncic and James than Reaves. - Joseph Casciaro <h3>LA Clippers</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783634/cropped_GettyImages-2212092486.jpg?ts=1746471526" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783634/w220xh124_GettyImages-2212092486.jpg?ts=1746471526 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783634/w320xh180_GettyImages-2212092486.jpg?ts=1746471526 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783634/w640xh360_GettyImages-2212092486.jpg?ts=1746471526 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783634/w768xh432_GettyImages-2212092486.jpg?ts=1746471526 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783634/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2212092486.jpg?ts=1746471526 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Juan Ocampo / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>For the first time since Kawhi Leonard tore his ACL partway through the second round in 2021, things seemed to be lined up for the Clippers to make noise in the postseason. Leonard was healthy and operating near the peak of his powers, James Harden still had gas in the tank, and the surrounding roster was deep and versatile. They finished the regular season as the hottest team in the league, and their first-round opponent was a comparatively thin outfit that had fired its head coach two weeks earlier. There's a reason the Clippers were one of the teams <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3256715" href="https://thescore.com/news/3256715">under the most pressure</a> entering the playoffs. Because if not now, when? That's the question the Clippers and their fans have to ask themselves after a seven-game loss to the Denver Nuggets marked another early exit for a team that's won just three series since signing Leonard six years ago. For this, they stripped themselves of every shred of prospect capital and relinquished control of all their own first-round picks between now and 2030. That's going to make executing any kind of pivot very challenging. And it takes a measure of blind faith to believe this same team can come back and produce a better result next year.Leonard will turn 34 this summer, and it's hard to imagine he has many kicks at the can left given his injury history. Harden will turn 36 with the ability to become a free agent by declining a $36-million player option. Another rough Game 7 notwithstanding, he produced an awesome season in which he played all but three games and kept the team's offense afloat with Leonard on the shelf for three months. Considering L.A. can ill afford to let another star walk for nothing, odds are he'll be able to negotiate another one-plus-one or two-plus-one type of deal. But at his age, can we expect even one more season like the one he just had?It's a good thing Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell are locked up on team-friendly deals (it'll be interesting to see whether Powell's willing to extend his), because any upward mobility is contingent on those guys continuing to build on their late-career breakthroughs. Even then, L.A. will probably need youngish guys like Amir Coffey (if he re-signs), Jordan Miller, and Kobe Brown to make strides. And startlingly important 36-year-old Nic Batum to return for one last hurrah. But none of that even matters unless Leonard can stay healthy and Harden can sustain an All-Star level.I've been <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2934216" href="https://thescore.com/news/2934216">wrong about the Clippers</a> before, and this is a creative front office, but it really does feel like they've run out of cards to play. Let's see if they have one more up their sleeve. - Wolfond<h3>Memphis Grizzlies </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760330/cropped_GettyImages-2188847815.jpg?ts=1746471407" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760330/w220xh124_GettyImages-2188847815.jpg?ts=1746471407 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760330/w320xh180_GettyImages-2188847815.jpg?ts=1746471407 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760330/w640xh360_GettyImages-2188847815.jpg?ts=1746471407 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760330/w768xh432_GettyImages-2188847815.jpg?ts=1746471407 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760330/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2188847815.jpg?ts=1746471407 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Joe Murphy / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>The Grizzlies are one of the toughest teams to get a read on.On one hand, Memphis is still one of the league's youngest teams, already has some valuable postseason experience, and boasts an enviable trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., the latter of whom is extension eligible this summer (Morant and Bane are under contract through 2028 and 2029, respectively). The Grizzlies also have an intriguing mix of youngsters that includes Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, Scotty Pippen Jr., restricted free agent Santi Aldama, Vince Williams Jr., and GG Jackson. It's easy to argue that teams in this position should either ride the wave or make a consolidation trade to boost their immediate title hopes.On the other hand, the Grizzlies feel more like a fading contender than a young team on the rise. Morant has gone from future face of the league to one of the league's most unreliable stars. A reported disconnect over offensive philosophies led general manager Zach Kleiman to fire head coach Taylor Jenkins mere weeks before the playoffs despite Memphis sitting fifth in the tough Western Conference. Is it possible new coach Tuomas Iisalo and some better injury luck create a resurgence that propels the Grizzlies back up the West hierarchy? Sure, but it feels like something has to give.Don't be surprised if the Grizzlies shop Morant - or any member of the team's Big Three - more heavily than they shop the youngsters and picks. - Casciaro

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What's next: Where the West's 1st-round outs go from here

Luka Doncic's place among the modern game's top superstars is undeniable. Only 26 years old and s...

Luka Doncic's place among the modern game's top superstars is undeniable. Only 26 years old and seven years into his career, Doncic's five All-NBA first-team selections match the career output of legends Charles Barkley and Julius Erving, while he's already one-upped Hall of Famers like Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki.This year, Doncic became the first international player to top the NBA in jersey sales. He also owns the highest career scoring average (28.6 points per game) among active players, and his playoff average (30.9 PPG) ranks second all time behind only Michael Jordan.But there's no denying Doncic is coming off the most turbulent season of his decorated career. The newly minted Los Angeles Lakers star has far more doubters today than he did after leading the Dallas Mavericks to the Finals a year ago. With that, let's dig into what's real and what's not when it comes to the criticisms levied Doncic's way.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Defensive concerns are real</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783703/cropped_GettyImages-2209460134.jpg?ts=1746211070" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783703/w220xh124_GettyImages-2209460134.jpg?ts=1746211070 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783703/w320xh180_GettyImages-2209460134.jpg?ts=1746211070 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783703/w640xh360_GettyImages-2209460134.jpg?ts=1746211070 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783703/w768xh432_GettyImages-2209460134.jpg?ts=1746211070 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783703/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2209460134.jpg?ts=1746211070 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Sam Hodde / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Two things can be true: Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison made calamitous errors - not only did he trade Doncic, but he also negotiated with just one team to turn Doncic into an older, lesser star - and Harrison's concerns about Doncic's defense are valid.Harrison has dug his hole in Dallas deeper with some out-of-touch <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3272129" href="https://thescore.com/news/3272129">comments</a> since making the franchise-crippling trade. But when the point of contention is Doncic's defense, Harrison's essentially <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbreaking:_The_Worst_Person_You_Know_Just_Made_A_Great_Point">this classic meme</a>.Doncic is a massive defensive liability more often than not, with his uninspiring mobility and effort on that end negating any advantages his sheer strength would otherwise provide in one-on-one situations. It says something that despite being hobbled by a bad back in the second half of L.A.'s Game 5 loss to Minnesota, Doncic's defensive movement looked barely worse than it had over the first four and a half contests.Few stars are perfect, even among the MVP tier. While Doncic's generational offensive talent gives his team a head start in chasing a championship, his defensive shortcomings make it clear that success isn't as simple as plugging him in and figuring out the rest later. Those limitations must be considered when building a supporting cast around him. The lack of a competent center behind Doncic didn't help matters in L.A. However, barring offseason catastrophe, that won't be the case <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3278881" href="https://thescore.com/news/3278881">next year</a>.With better defensive infrastructure around him, I'd bet a motivated and refreshed Doncic will be closer to average defensively next season (as he was during Dallas' 2024 Finals run). Given how he tilts the floor offensively, that would be more than enough for the Lakers.<h3>Conditioning concerns are overblown</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783458/cropped_GettyImages-2212828285.jpg?ts=1746211134" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783458/w220xh124_GettyImages-2212828285.jpg?ts=1746211134 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783458/w320xh180_GettyImages-2212828285.jpg?ts=1746211134 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783458/w640xh360_GettyImages-2212828285.jpg?ts=1746211134 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783458/w768xh432_GettyImages-2212828285.jpg?ts=1746211134 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783458/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2212828285.jpg?ts=1746211134 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Harry How / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>I won't sit here and argue that Doncic is in tip-top shape. He can certainly improve his body and conditioning, but it's not the issue Harrison and other detractors would have you believe.Doncic has played over 80% of games since his 2018 debut, averaging 66.2 appearances per 82 contests. He's logged between 35 and 38 minutes per game in each of the last four seasons, has appeared in 55 of his teams' 58 playoff games, and has often spent summers shouldering an even greater burden for the Slovenian national team (as he's expected to do at EuroBasket again this year).You don't need a medical degree to understand that staying in shape and maintaining healthy habits helps protect the body against wear and tear. But there's also a decent amount of luck baked into some of the more serious injuries an athlete may incur, and there's no real evidence that Doncic's durability is a red flag other than the reported musings of the incompetent executive who traded him. After the most emotionally draining year of his career, an extended offseason should help rejuvenate Doncic. I expect him to be physically sharper come October.Having said that, the five-time All-Star will likely never look like an elite athlete. Get over the visual component of this topic.<h3>Time to stop whining</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/776738/cropped_GettyImages-2206449787.jpg?ts=1746211976" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/776738/w220xh124_GettyImages-2206449787.jpg?ts=1746211976 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/776738/w320xh180_GettyImages-2206449787.jpg?ts=1746211976 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/776738/w640xh360_GettyImages-2206449787.jpg?ts=1746211976 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/776738/w768xh432_GettyImages-2206449787.jpg?ts=1746211976 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/776738/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2206449787.jpg?ts=1746211976 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Luke Hales / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>It hasn't received quite as much attention as the defensive and conditioning concerns, but I find Doncic's in-game petulance the most frustrating part about him.While every athlete complains about officiating on some level, Doncic takes it to an unbearable extreme. Watching him whine after every whistle, flail his arms in disbelief, and yell at refs as his team tries to get back on defense is exhausting even for neutral observers following the action on TV. Imagine how grating it must be for his teammates in the trenches with him and the refs who must continue officiating him unbiasedly. For what it's worth, Doncic ranks <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;match=player_season_combined&amp;order_by=fta_per_g&amp;year_min=2019">third</a> in free throws per game - and first among non-bigs - since 2018. He's also ranked between the 85th and 98th percentile among wings and guards when it comes to drawing shooting fouls in each season of his career, per <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4432#tab-foul_drawing">Cleaning The Glass</a>. His 'Woe is me' act with the refs grew tired long ago.Every ounce of physical and mental energy is precious over the eight-month journey to a championship. Doncic must stop wasting it on literally every officiating decision made over his 2,000-plus minutes per season.<h3>Few players you'd rather have</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780218/cropped_GettyImages-2209830876.jpg?ts=1746212982" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780218/w220xh124_GettyImages-2209830876.jpg?ts=1746212982 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780218/w320xh180_GettyImages-2209830876.jpg?ts=1746212982 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780218/w640xh360_GettyImages-2209830876.jpg?ts=1746212982 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780218/w768xh432_GettyImages-2209830876.jpg?ts=1746212982 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780218/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2209830876.jpg?ts=1746212982 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Despite these criticisms, and much to Harrison's chagrin (or disbelief), Doncic remains one of the three to five most valuable players on the planet. If you were starting a team from scratch right now, who would you prioritize before Doncic? Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the easy two, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and perhaps Anthony Edwards or Jayson Tatum rounding out your list. I'd argue that's even a few names too many.Doncic's combination of scoring, playmaking, pace control, pick-and-roll mastery, and teammate optimization - let alone his big-game resume - makes him the kind of talent teams spend years tripping over themselves to find. He's the foundational piece of perennial contention. If LeBron James returns and the Lakers find a big man, they'll have a chance to win a title as soon as next season, especially since Harrison somehow allowed L.A. to keep its best assets in Austin Reaves and draft picks.If the Lakers handle their offseason accordingly, Doncic's 2026 MVP odds will look pretty juicy to me.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/31177484/related

An honest conversation about Luka Doncic

Every year, 29 teams fall short of the ultimate goal, and every year those 29 teams ask themselve...

Every year, 29 teams fall short of the ultimate goal, and every year those 29 teams ask themselves how they can take the next step.With the Eastern Conference's first round in the books, here's a look at how the four eliminated teams may go about answering that question.<h3>Orlando Magic </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782902/cropped_GettyImages-2211377099.jpg?ts=1746203135" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782902/w220xh124_GettyImages-2211377099.jpg?ts=1746203135 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782902/w320xh180_GettyImages-2211377099.jpg?ts=1746203135 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782902/w640xh360_GettyImages-2211377099.jpg?ts=1746203135 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782902/w768xh432_GettyImages-2211377099.jpg?ts=1746203135 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782902/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2211377099.jpg?ts=1746203135 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Fernando Medina / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>The Magic are in a great spot for a .500 team bounced from the playoffs in five games. They have two tentpole stars in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, archetypal jumbo playmaking wings who are only 22 and 23 years old. They have maybe the NBA's best defensive guard in Jalen Suggs, also only 23. They have an identity built on size and toughness, and they've finished top three in defensive efficiency in each of the last two seasons.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>They dealt with a brutal spate of injuries this year - Wagner missed 22 games, Banchero 36, Suggs missed 47 plus the playoffs, and dynamic backup center Mo Wagner suffered a torn ACL 30 games in - and still had a strong finish to the regular season, a dominant play-in victory, and a respectable first-round showing against the defending champs. The entire rotation is under contract for 2025-26, with extensions set to kick in for Suggs and Franz Wagner and a max extension surely coming Banchero's way this summer.It's also abundantly clear what the Magic need to add in order to take the next step, which makes their path ahead relatively straightforward. They finished 27th in points per possession this season, with the third-worst relative offensive rating in franchise history. And we're talking about a franchise that's finished with a bottom-10 offense for 13 consecutive years. Injuries played a big part, but it's not like the Magic were built to scorch the nets even when fully healthy. Their 31.8% mark from 3-point range was the worst for any team since the 2015-16 Lakers (who won 17 games), and that sunk to 26.3% in the playoffs.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was brought in to help fix that issue but instead had his worst shooting season in nine years. Wagner developed a hitch in his jumper and shot below 30% from deep for a second straight year. The Magic can hope for those guys to figure things out, but they can't bank on it. They must be aggressive in trying to bolster their offense.More than anything, they need a true lead guard. Banchero and Wagner are great playmakers for their positions, but not good enough to be tasked with the level of initiation they're currently carrying. Suggs has made meaningful strides on the other end, but he hasn't demonstrated the ball-handling or pull-up shooting chops to pilot an above-average offense. The Magic own all their own first-round picks, which they can package with some of their frontcourt depth to get the backcourt help they need. Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Wagner, Goga Bitadze, Tristan Da Silva, Jett Howard, and even Anthony Black should all be on the table.They'd obviously love to find a creator/shooter who won't undercut their identity, but if they can't acquire that type of player, they'll still have the defensive infrastructure to absorb a small guard like, say, Trae Young. Or Anfernee Simons. Or Coby White. They should also have some maneuverability under the tax to add another piece using the MLE. Bottom line: The foundation of a contending team is in place. It's time to commit to finishing the house. - Joe Wolfond <h3>Detroit Pistons</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775046/cropped_GettyImages-2196399181.jpg?ts=1741887430" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775046/w220xh124_GettyImages-2196399181.jpg?ts=1741887430 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775046/w320xh180_GettyImages-2196399181.jpg?ts=1741887430 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775046/w640xh360_GettyImages-2196399181.jpg?ts=1741887430 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775046/w768xh432_GettyImages-2196399181.jpg?ts=1741887430 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775046/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2196399181.jpg?ts=1741887430 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Chris Schwegler / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>The Pistons took a monumental step forward this season, going from last-place laughingstock to legitimate playoff team on the rise. The biggest development was the emergence of 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham as a genuine franchise star, giving Detroit the most important building block in constructing a contender.It's possible the Pistons fast-track their ascent with a win-now type of move, but my money's on the team leaning on internal improvement for now. That's not a bad strategy when Cunningham is surrounded by youngsters like Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, defensive big man Isaiah Stewart, and Marcus Sasser. Thompson in particular looks poised for a breakout with a little more seasoning, and I won't be shocked if he makes the kind of leap twin brother Amen did in Houston this year.However, it's worth noting that Cunningham, Duren, and Thompson were the only members of the Pistons' young core who earned valuable postseason rotation minutes during the team's first-round loss to New York (Stewart would have, but sat out Games 2-6 with a knee injury). Detroit relied on the contributions of veterans who won't be around long term, so it's possible the Pistons take a step back at some point rather than enjoying a linear ascent up the East standings.Of the team's three veteran free agents - Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Dennis Schroder - Beasley's the most indispensable. The 28-year-old set a franchise record with 319 made 3-pointers this season, shooting better than 41% from deep for the second straight season while earning only $6 million. Beasley's in line for quite the raise, and priority one for the Pistons this summer is retaining him. Then they can start to think about a consolidation trade. - Joseph Casciaro<h3>Milwaukee Bucks </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782900/cropped_GettyImages-2206954859.jpg?ts=1746203225" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782900/w220xh124_GettyImages-2206954859.jpg?ts=1746203225 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782900/w320xh180_GettyImages-2206954859.jpg?ts=1746203225 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782900/w640xh360_GettyImages-2206954859.jpg?ts=1746203225 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782900/w768xh432_GettyImages-2206954859.jpg?ts=1746203225 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/782900/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2206954859.jpg?ts=1746203225 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jeremy Chen / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>There isn't a muckier team-building quagmire in the NBA than the one Milwaukee is mired in, nor is there a more fraught offseason ahead. The Bucks lost to the Pacers in the first round for the second straight year, but more consequentially, they lost Damian Lillard - not only for all of next season but likely for good as a star-caliber player. That basically leaves Giannis Antetokounmpo gazing at his barren surroundings like a "Fresh Prince" meme come to life.Who's the second-best player on this team now? Kyle Kuzma? AJ Green? Anyone else conceivably in the mix for that backhanded distinction is set to become a free agent. That includes 37-year-old center Brook Lopez, who's been a core piece of the team's identity throughout the Giannis era but just effectively got played out of the Pacers series. The mercurial Bobby Portis has a $13-million player option. Gary Trent Jr. is headed to free agency after nearly shooting the Bucks to a season-saving Game 5 win in Indiana before literally fumbling them out of it.There's no move that can salvage this for Milwaukee; the front office fired every last bullet in an effort to maximize Antetokounmpo's prime. And kudos to them, they won the franchise's first championship in 50 years, but it's over now. The Bucks have almost no young talent, don't control any of their own picks (first or second-rounders) from now until 2031, and owe 35% of their salary cap to a player who won't touch the floor next season. Even if they let Lopez walk, renounce all their other cap holds, have Portis decline his player option, and Jedi mind-trick Pat Connaughton into declining his, they won't have the cap space to bring in meaningful help. All of which is to say: No team's trading anything of substance for anything on this roster ... other than Antetokoumpo. And as depressing as it may be for the Bucks organization and fan base to consider the nuclear option - especially considering they don't have a path to getting their own picks back for tanking purposes - there's no other way out of this corner. Having Giannis fritter away another precious prime season or two in a hopeless situation, while getting closer to free agency and thus diminishing his trade value, won't do anyone any good.It's time for both parties to move on. All that's left to determine is how big a haul Milwaukee can bring back in what should be an insane bidding war, and whether that return will be enough to bridge the franchise to a new era with a shred of hope. - Wolfond<h3>Miami Heat</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/625482/cropped_GettyImages-1758800173.jpg?ts=1746203279" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/625482/w220xh124_GettyImages-1758800173.jpg?ts=1746203279 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/625482/w320xh180_GettyImages-1758800173.jpg?ts=1746203279 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/625482/w640xh360_GettyImages-1758800173.jpg?ts=1746203279 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/625482/w768xh432_GettyImages-1758800173.jpg?ts=1746203279 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/625482/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1758800173.jpg?ts=1746203279 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Issac Baldizon / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>Between the advantage and lure of South Beach, plus team president Pat Riley's superstars-or-bust mantra, the Heat operate in a different stratosphere than most other NBA teams, for better or worse.The average club may look at the pile of mediocrity left amid the rubble of the Jimmy Butler era and decide it's time to hit the reset button, but the Heat aren't your average team. Miami's surely eyeing starry free-agent classes in 2026 and 2027, with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo serving as solid supporting cast members for the next leading man who wants to call Dade County home. But that still leaves the 2025-26 season to figure out.The Heat could get in the mix for the next disgruntled star eyeing a sunnier destination, but they simply don't have the goods to outbid more asset-rich competitors (unless a rival GM gets a case of the Nico Harrisons and decides to negotiate exclusively with them). The likeliest outcome is the Heat mostly run it back next season in what amounts to a bridge year before it's time to hit the gas again.As presently constructed, the Heat once again project as a play-in caliber team (as they've been for the last three years), no matter how much head coach Erik Spoelstra squeezes out of another overmatched squad. - Casciaro

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What's next? Where the East's 1st-round outs go from here

History will show that the No. 3 seed Lakers were eliminated by the 6-seed Timberwolves, but let ...

History will show that the No. 3 seed Lakers were eliminated by the 6-seed Timberwolves, but let the record state this was no upset. The better team won, and did so handily.The T-Wolves were deeper, more balanced, and in the end, proved to have the best - or at least the sharpest - superstar in Anthony Edwards.The Lakers found themselves rejuvenated after the stunning midseason acquisition of Luka Doncic, but Minnesota still outpaced them from the date Doncic made his debut (Feb. 10) through the end of the regular season.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>A Timberwolves team trying to reinvent itself after its own blockbuster trade really found its two-way identity down the stretch. Minnesota was one of four teams to finish with top-10 marks on both ends of the court, joining the 68-win Thunder, 64-win Cavaliers, and defending champion Celtics. Between the regular season and playoffs, the T-Wolves lost twice in all of April.Julius Randle was never going to replace Karl-Anthony Towns' offense, but he settled into a perfect role between Edwards and Rudy Gobert, doing just enough damage as a secondary scorer and interior bully while becoming a more consistent playmaker and defender.The Timberwolves brought an impressive supporting cast to the playoff stage, including Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Lakers entered the series with an ensemble so flimsy, head coach JJ Redick famously elected to play his starters 24 straight minutes in the second half of a crucial Game 4 loss. Between Doncic and Austin Reaves, two of the Lakers' top three players were easy targets for opposing offenses to pick on. The T-Wolves' rotation features no such sieves.Los Angeles' lack of a dependable big man proved too much to overcome against Minnesota's giant frontcourt, so much so that a defensive-minded center with bad hands and no touch put up a Wilt-like stat line to send the Lakers packing.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Players with 25/20 on 75+ FG% in playoff game: Shaq Wilt Moses Horace Unseld and Rudy Gobert. <a href="https://t.co/4yzKABbiQn">pic.twitter.com/4yzKABbiQn</a>— StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1917804968687419553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>The Timberwolves' margin for error was so great that they were able to win a road closeout game despite going 7-of-47 from deep; the <a href="https://x.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1917809038227546589">worst</a> high-volume shooting performance in playoff history.I <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3263652" href="https://thescore.com/news/3263652">picked</a> the Lakers to win despite all the advantages tilting the scale in Minnesota's favor. Quite frankly, I couldn't bring myself to pick against the team with Doncic and LeBron James in a series I thought could go the distance. The fact that neither proved to be the best player in the series (though both had their moments) was the final nail in L.A.'s coffin.That says more about Edwards than it does about the Lakers duo. The 23-year-old picked L.A. apart on the offensive end, put forth a commendable effort on the defensive end, and generally played what felt like mistake-free basketball. Edwards had already shown us time and again that he's the special breed of superstar made for the biggest moments. And that was before he rounded out his game. He returns to the postseason this year with another game-breaking superpower, having turned himself into an elite, high-volume 3-point shooter.If the national audience wasn't already aware, the Timberwolves served notice that despite a franchise-altering trade, last year's Western Conference finalists remain dangerous, just with some new wrinkles. I would lean Minnesota even in a potential second-round series with the Warriors and would definitely like the T-Wolves' chances against the young Rockets.As for the Lakers, the best word to describe them at this point is incomplete. We knew that would be the case once their deadline-day deal for fragile Hornets big man Mark Williams fell through, and they ended up running into a Timberwolves team well-equipped to expose their deficiencies. Doncic, James, and Reaves are a terrific starting point, but Los Angeles has to find a competent big and more depth this summer.The team also needs Doncic to arrive in peak condition, physically and mentally, after the most emotionally taxing year of his career. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison made a calamitous mistake in trading Doncic for Anthony Davis without at least canvassing the league for the best offer, but complaints about Doncic's defense and constant whining to the officials, among other grievances, are warranted. It says something that when he was slowed by an injured back in the second half of Game 5, Doncic's defensive mobility was barely worse than when he's at full strength.Those are the Lakers' problems for the offseason, though. The Timberwolves have unfinished business in the postseason. The better team is still playing.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/31158659/related

The Timberwolves were the better team all along

The first-round series between Oklahoma City and Memphis has been fairly routine, with the league...

The first-round series between Oklahoma City and Memphis has been fairly routine, with the league-leading Thunder taking a 3-0 lead over the Western Conference's No. 8 seed. But this matchup's been a particularly deflating reminder of all the Grizzlies have lost.Memphis is getting a close-up look at a team that is everything the Grizzlies were supposed to be but never will.Before we dive into a premature postmortem, it should be noted that Ja Morant's Game 3 hip injury obviously changed the tenor of that contest. But the ultimate result of this series was inevitable, and the fact Memphis blew a 29-point lead at home - with or without Morant - only reinforces that.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="NBA biggest playoff deficits" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-RlVOM" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/RlVOM/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="211" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>That says as much about the juggernaut facing the Grizzlies as it does about Memphis. This Thunder squad became the seventh team ever to win 68 games in a season and racked up the best point differential in NBA history. The club's methodical rebuild has seen it rise, step by step, from a 58-loss club in 2022 to a play-in contestant in 2023, to the youngest No. 1 seed and series winner in league history in 2024, to championship favorite in 2025, all while hoarding a treasure trove of draft capital.The Grizzlies were the toast of the NBA during OKC's 24-58 campaign three years ago. Memphis won 56 games with the league's fourth-youngest roster in 2021-22. Morant was tabbed as a future face of the league, and who could argue? He was an audacious, relentless, fearless high-flyer who was already driving the type of team success even superstars often wait years to enjoy. "I'm fine in the West," Morant famously <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wgSIz2AEzck">proclaimed</a> later in 2022, confidently projecting conference dominance.His two costars, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, gave the Grizzlies the Association's most promising big three of the time, while then-head coach Taylor Jenkins was making a habit of overachieving.Much has unfolded in the three years since, but the short version goes something like this: Morant spent too much time on the shelf due to injuries and suspensions related to social media gun play. The Grizzlies as a whole have been derailed by an almost unfathomable number of injuries. Former glue guy and habitual line-stepper Dillon Brooks was scapegoated and eventually bolted to a division rival (Houston, which has since leapfrogged Memphis). Tone-setting veterans like Steven Adams are long gone. Philosophical differences between Jenkins and general manager Zach Kleiman led to Jenkins' <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3252646" href="https://thescore.com/news/3252646">dismissal</a> a few weeks before the 2025 playoffs began, with assistant Tuomas Iisalo taking over despite the fact Jenkins had the banged-up squad sitting fifth in the unforgiving West.And just like that, a prodigious team that appeared destined for years of progress and triumphs now looks to be fading out, having peaked with a hard-fought second-round series in 2022 against the eventual champion Warriors.You could argue the Grizzlies are a cautionary tale for the Thunder, especially in the apron era, when many contenders will rise and fall <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2940429" href="https://thescore.com/news/2940429">faster</a> than before. But that's not the story of this matchup, which was so perfectly encapsulated in Memphis' Game 3 collapse.Oklahoma City's secondary stars, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, overwhelmed the Grizzlies in the second half while Bane and Jackson struggled to make their presence felt. Veteran addition Alex Caruso wreaked havoc on the defensive end, flummoxing a team without its best player or an identity. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - the MVP front-runner who'd yet to make an All-Star team when Morant was spearheading the 56-win Grizzlies - logged a game-high 40 minutes. Morant, forced to leave in the second quarter after a scary fall, logged 15. In a parallel universe, this meeting of the postseason's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3272746" href="https://thescore.com/news/3272746">two youngest</a> squads could've been a preview of many playoff battles to come for Western Conference supremacy. Instead, we're seeing two teams headed in opposite directions.The Thunder's star trio and an incredibly impressive supporting cast will continue their quest to become the youngest champions in NBA history. The Grizzlies will dissect all the ways they've fallen short over the last three years, and consider the possibility of breaking up their own trio.If Iisalo is the right man for the job in Memphis, he'll likely have to prove it with a different version of the Grizzlies. Whatever that team looks like, Memphis can only hope it's half as good or as promising as the team that's usurped its destiny atop the West.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/31089474/related

The Thunder are everything the Grizzlies were supposed to be

We've come to accept certain fundamental truths about NBA champions. For example, title hopefuls ...

We've come to accept certain fundamental truths about NBA champions. For example, title hopefuls must be two-way teams led by All-NBA caliber superstars.Every spring, we evaluate the NBA playoff field by reviewing the championship prerequisites and finding which clubs meet the standard in our annual <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3267849" href="https://thescore.com/news/3267849">Anatomy of a Champion</a> feature. But this year's analysis generated some interesting results.The conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers were the only teams to measure up, which shouldn't surprise anyone. However, either club winning the 2025 title would be breaking the mold. If history is any indication, the Thunder and Cavs are too young and too inexperienced to survive the NBA's two-month, four-round playoff gauntlet. A level of maturity and steeliness is required to win it all, and that's something a team can only acquire through years of paying its postseason dues.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Thunder are already an extreme outlier. The six previous teams to win 68 games in a season had average ages ranging from 27 to 30.7, with a collective average of 28.8. Likewise, the squads that own the second- through sixth-best point differentials in NBA history - all of whom won championships - had average ages between 26.1 and 29.5, with a collective average of 28.4. The 2024-25 Thunder, who went 68-14 with the best point differential ever, have an average age of 24.8.With all that in mind and prompted by a reader's <a href="https://x.com/BrandNewLions23/status/1912890357421097434">question</a> on X, I wanted to see just how unprecedented it would be for a team that young to win the title. In fact, the 2025 Thunder could become the youngest champions since the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers, who had an average age of 24.5.However, Oklahoma City's regular rotation skews even younger. On a quest to tell the whole story, I dug into the eight-man playoff rotations of the last 20 champions (the span used for our Anatomy of a Champion feature). We'll use eight players because it seems to be the most consistent cutoff between true rotation players and those on the fringes. For example, Norman Powell was the eighth man for the 2019 Raptors. Jodie Meeks was the ninth.After identifying the eight players in each champion's playoff rotation, I calculated the average age of the groups (using Basketball Reference's ages) and the total number of postseason games played by that rotation entering the playoffs in question.Without further ado, let's dig into the numbers.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="NBA Champions rotation age and playoff experience (games)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-DNFpv" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/DNFpv/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="677" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>And here's that same data for the 2025 playoff field, listed in order of their championship odds (via <a href="https://thescore.bet/sport/basketball/organization/united-states/competition/nba/section/futures">theScore Bet</a> and <a href="https://espnbet.com/sport/basketball/organization/united-states/competition/nba/section/futures?_branch_match_id=1425915068327217175&amp;_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTy0uyEtKLdFLLCjQy8nMy9Y3MK90NM%2F09%2FfzTLKvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2ydc4oys9NBQCdY1fJPgAAAA%3D%3D">ESPNBet</a>):<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="NBA 2025 playoff teams rotation age and playoff experience (games)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-BKbgC" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/BKbgC/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="560" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>Some takeaways:<ul><li>The Thunder are younger than any champion in NBA history and would be the least experienced title team since the 1981 Celtics, whose eight-man playoff rotation (which included a sophomore Larry Bird) entered the spring with only 90 combined postseason games under its belt. Oklahoma City checks every box of a historically dominant champion. However, winning a title without taking their playoff lumps or experiencing years of postseason heartbreak would cement the Thunder as a generational outlier. This is only the second postseason appearance for half of OKC's rotation.</li></ul><div> </div><ul><li>The first-round matchup between Oklahoma City and Memphis features the two youngest and least experienced playoff teams in the field. It's a surprising reminder of how young the Grizzlies' core was when Memphis broke through a few years ago and how much credit the since-fired Taylor Jenkins <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3252646" href="https://thescore.com/news/3252646">deserved</a> for guiding that early success.</li></ul><div> </div><ul><li>With a whopping 700 playoff contests on the rotation's resume, the defending champion Celtics boast more postseason experience than all but one (2014 Spurs) of the last 20 champions. It's hard to believe Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are now the faces of the league's most grizzled playoff team. That's what happens when you reach six conference finals in eight seasons and supplement your young stars with postseason vets like Al Horford and Jrue Holiday over the years.</li></ul><div> </div><ul><li>The East-leading Cavs aren't quite as young as Oklahoma City, but Cleveland is still younger than every champion since the 1980 Lakers, who won the title in Magic Johnson's rookie season. The Cavs are also less experienced than your typical 64-win juggernaut; even the sixth-seeded Pistons' rotation features more playoff experience. That's a testament to the veterans (Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schroder) Detroit brought in to aid franchise star Cade Cunningham this year. It's also a reminder of how green this Cavs team still is outside of Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus.</li></ul><div> </div><ul><li>On the opposite end of the spectrum, history tells us that the surging Clippers are too old to get the job done. With an average (playoff rotation) age of 31.4, the 2025 Clippers are older than any champion since the 1998 Bulls (31.6), Chicago's last title team of the Michael Jordan era. The hope in L.A. is that Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup at just the right time - early enough to ramp up for the playoffs but late enough in the season to avoid fatigue. If Leonard's Game 2 performance in Denver was any indication, that might be the case. Still, as great as Leonard looks and as complete a squad as the Clippers have been since his return, expecting Leonard and a 35-year-old James Harden to go the distance this spring seems like it's asking too much.</li></ul><div> </div><ul><li>The Knicks come up just short in the playoff experience department compared to the last 20 champions. But I'm going to go out on a limb and say four fewer playoff games than the 2015 Warriors spread across an entire rotation hardly disqualifies New York as a serious contender.</li></ul><div> </div><ul><li>In the shadow of Oklahoma City's unprecedented combination of youth and performance, the young Rockets put together quite a season in their own right. Houston finished second in the unforgiving Western Conference and fourth overall despite relying on a rotation mostly comprised of players aged 23 and younger. The veteran trio of Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Steven Adams brings all 140 contests of this rotation's playoff experience, with none of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., or Tari Eason having logged a single postseason minute before Game 1 against the battle-tested Warriors.</li></ul><div><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.</div>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/31062782/related

Will youth be served? History says Thunder, Cavs too young to win it all

NBA players and teams all come into each season with their own set of internal and external expec...

NBA players and teams all come into each season with their own set of internal and external expectations. Everyone is chasing the same goal, but different circumstances produce drastically different stakes. Playoff runs and championship chases aren't created equal.Here are the players and teams who are under the greatest pressure to deliver - the ones who stand to gain or lose the most - this postseason. <h3>Oklahoma City Thunder </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754274/cropped_GettyImages-2176977444.jpg?ts=1744909335" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754274/w220xh124_GettyImages-2176977444.jpg?ts=1744909335 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754274/w320xh180_GettyImages-2176977444.jpg?ts=1744909335 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754274/w640xh360_GettyImages-2176977444.jpg?ts=1744909335 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754274/w768xh432_GettyImages-2176977444.jpg?ts=1744909335 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754274/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2176977444.jpg?ts=1744909335 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Zach Beeker / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>Some Thunder players are under more pressure than others this spring. For example, while MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already proven his worth on some of the game's biggest stages, secondary stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren must show they're ready to serve as championship-level No. 2s. But I went with the team as a whole because franchises don't get better chances to win a title than the opportunity staring Oklahoma City in the face.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Sure, the Thunder are seemingly built to last, with a perfectly fitting young star trio and one of the league's most enviable collections of draft capital. But OKC doesn't need to be <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/OKC/2012.html">reminded</a> that sometimes a team's first real chance at a title ends up being its best chance - or its only chance.The Thunder finished 16 games ahead of the second-place Rockets in the Western Conference standings, becoming just the seventh team in the NBA's 79-year history to win at least 68 games. The last three to do so all made the Finals. No team has ever posted a better point differential, and the historic teams that own the second- through fifth-best point differentials all won championships. They have a top-tier superstar in his absolute prime and own the best league-adjusted defense of the last five years. They have home-court advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs. The time is now.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="High achievers" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-mdgje" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/mdgje/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="386" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>That point is magnified by the fact that the small-market Thunder will soon get mighty expensive in an <a href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2940429">apron</a> world, with Williams and Holmgren eligible for extensions this summer. - Joseph Casciaro <h3>Cavaliers' core 4</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781077/cropped_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1744909497" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781077/w220xh124_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1744909497 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781077/w320xh180_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1744909497 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781077/w640xh360_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1744909497 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781077/w768xh432_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1744909497 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781077/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2206765602.jpg?ts=1744909497 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Brian Sevald / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>Individually, every member of the Cavs' main quartet has had nice playoff moments. Darius Garland was a bright spot in an otherwise ugly first-round loss to the Knicks in 2023. Donovan Mitchell has produced some monster series over the years, and he almost single-handedly dragged Cleveland through a first-round war against Orlando last year. The lights didn't prove too bright for Jarrett Allen in that Magic series, though he was sidelined with a rib injury after four games. Evan Mobley showed out in the ensuing second-round series against Boston, especially after Mitchell joined Allen on the shelf.Collectively, though, this group has been a major postseason disappointment. Cleveland's core four has been tentative, skittish, and physically overwhelmed on this stage. That Celtics series turned out to be a write-off, but the Cavs should've been more competitive against the Knicks and should've had a much easier time dispatching the Magic. You can blame inexperience for what happened two years ago and injuries for what happened last year, but there are no excuses this time around.The Cavs just won 64 games and cruised to the East's No. 1 seed with a top-20 net rating in NBA history. Offense was their big playoff bugaboo the last two years, but they led the league on that side of the ball this season and ranked 16th all time when adjusting for era. Mobley made a big offensive leap and might win Defensive Player of the Year. Garland has clearly put last year's jaw injury behind him and is back to playing like an All-Star. Mitchell has a shot to make All-NBA first team. Allen has been rock-solid in the middle and played in all 82 games after being questioned by teammates for sitting out last spring. And they finally have an ideal big wing to slot between them, De'Andre Hunter.They have an easy first-round matchup against Atlanta/Miami that they should take care of in five games or fewer. Then they'll face a tougher but still winnable series against Indiana or Milwaukee. Anything less than a competitive conference finals loss to the Celtics will feel like a letdown for a team that <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3267849" href="https://thescore.com/news/3267849">ticks every box</a> as a championship contender. If the Cavs fall short of that, after the regular season they just had, the noise surrounding this core's playoff viability will get extremely loud. - Joe Wolfond <h3>Karl-Anthony Towns </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777425/cropped_GettyImages-2206500013.jpg?ts=1744910800" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777425/w220xh124_GettyImages-2206500013.jpg?ts=1744910800 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777425/w320xh180_GettyImages-2206500013.jpg?ts=1744910800 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777425/w640xh360_GettyImages-2206500013.jpg?ts=1744910800 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777425/w768xh432_GettyImages-2206500013.jpg?ts=1744910800 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777425/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2206500013.jpg?ts=1744910800 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> David L. Nemec / NBA / Getty</figcaption></figure>Few roles come with more pressure than that of Knicks savior. You could argue Jalen Brunson actually shoulders that responsibility, or point out that New York surrendered more to acquire Mikal Bridges. But Towns - a tri-state area native - was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle, the finishing touch on a contender years in the making.Towns delivered in his first season with the Knicks, averaging 24.4 points and a career-high 12.8 rebounds on 63% true shooting, putting him in contention for a third career All-NBA selection. But the regular season (and offensive production) has never been an issue for Towns. The postseason is where his demons reveal themselves, and this time, they'll be waiting for him next to the many ghosts that have haunted the Knicks over the decades since their last championship in 1973.For New York to end its 52-year title drought and for Towns to silence his critics - which it appeared he'd done in leading Minnesota over Denver last year before unraveling in the West final - he'll have to avoid the rushed offense, sketchy decision-making, and jittery, foul-happy defense that's plagued his postseason career.The Knicks' defense has been better since center Mitchell Robinson returned to the lineup, but he's unlikely to start, meaning there'll still be plenty of minutes for New York to survive with Towns at the five. That could be a problem, as The Big Bodega has neither the footwork to defend in space nor the track record of a rim-protector. - Casciaro<h3>Julius Randle </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781082/cropped_GettyImages-2179617980.jpg?ts=1744910960" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781082/w220xh124_GettyImages-2179617980.jpg?ts=1744910960 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781082/w320xh180_GettyImages-2179617980.jpg?ts=1744910960 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781082/w640xh360_GettyImages-2179617980.jpg?ts=1744910960 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781082/w768xh432_GettyImages-2179617980.jpg?ts=1744910960 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781082/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2179617980.jpg?ts=1744910960 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Icon Sportswire / Getty</figcaption></figure>There are a lot of reasons why the Timberwolves haven't performed as well this season as they did last, and why they might not go as deep in the playoffs. But considering how little else about their roster has changed, here's the one people are most likely to glom onto if things go poorly: Last year, the Wolves started Towns at power forward and reached the conference finals; this year, they start Randle at the four and might get bounced in the first round.That's obviously unfair to Randle, who's been adaptable and mostly very good in Minnesota. But it's the reality of the position he was put in when he got traded for Towns, a pillar of Minnesota's best team in 20 years. I'd argue Randle has even more to prove; Towns at least has two gold stars on his postseason resume after how he played in series wins over Phoenix and Denver last year. There's no way to sugarcoat Randle's two playoff appearances with the Knicks. He shot 39% from 2-point range and 28% from deep across 15 games, with more turnovers than assists. It was an abject disaster for a guy named All-NBA in both seasons.The Wolves badly need regular-season Randle to show up to have a hope of knocking off the Lakers in the first round. They need the guy who committed to moving the ball, making quick decisions, and defending with focus <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3242001" href="https://thescore.com/news/3242001">in the second half of the season</a>, not the one who holds the ball and jab-steps and loses track of his defensive assignment. If they get the former, they can beat L.A. and put themselves in position to return to the West finals.The Lakers' interior defense is vulnerable, and Randle is the type of driver and finisher who can exploit that vulnerability - if he's intentional about it. JJ Redick's defensive scheme will bend heavily toward Anthony Edwards, and more than anyone else, Randle will be relied upon to capitalize. Oh yeah, he'll also start out as the primary defender on LeBron James. No pressure. - Wolfond<h3>Jimmy Butler </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780755/cropped_GettyImages-2201633035.jpg?ts=1744911033" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780755/w220xh124_GettyImages-2201633035.jpg?ts=1744911033 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780755/w320xh180_GettyImages-2201633035.jpg?ts=1744911033 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780755/w640xh360_GettyImages-2201633035.jpg?ts=1744911033 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780755/w768xh432_GettyImages-2201633035.jpg?ts=1744911033 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780755/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2201633035.jpg?ts=1744911033 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Butler has nothing left to prove as a playoff performer. He's the ultimate big-game player, with multiple Finals runs in Miami where he dragged inferior teams to the brink of championships to prove it. But he hasn't won the whole darn thing yet, and he's burned bridges at every stop along the way of his Hall of Fame career, using chaos as leverage in plotting each departure. Butler once again got his way in landing with the Warriors, and he got paid, with Golden State tethering his contract to those of franchise pillars Steph Curry and Draymond Green.Butler appears on this list because of what he represents for the Warriors. He was brought to The Bay to extend Golden State's championship window and maximize what's left of Curry's career. Butler's in-between game, off-ball activity, playmaking, and general basketball IQ are precisely what the Warriors needed in their quest for a secondary star. And the way he elevated the Warriors during the regular season - plus his impressive performance in Tuesday's play-in victory - indicates he's up to the task. But he's 35 years old, can sometimes be too passive offensively, and not quite what he once was defensively.The Warriors need Butler fully engaged and at his best just to get out of the first round, let alone to win a fifth title in 11 years. It's time for Butler to write a new ending - to prove once and for all that he's been worth every headache over the last decade, and every dollar of his new $113-million extension. - Casciaro <h3>LA Clippers </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/610436/cropped_GettyImages-1851382594.jpg?ts=1744911253" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/610436/w220xh124_GettyImages-1851382594.jpg?ts=1744911253 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/610436/w320xh180_GettyImages-1851382594.jpg?ts=1744911253 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/610436/w640xh360_GettyImages-1851382594.jpg?ts=1744911253 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/610436/w768xh432_GettyImages-1851382594.jpg?ts=1744911253 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/610436/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1851382594.jpg?ts=1744911253 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Harry How / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The Clippers have already exceeded expectations by winning 50 games and nabbing a top-five seed, so they're arguably under less pressure now than they were in previous postseasons during the Kawhi Leonard era. In many people's minds, their window had already closed. That said, these guys aren't exactly playing with house money. This is still a win-now team with aging stars, major injury risks, and limited long-term upside.As gracefully as the Clippers pivoted from letting Paul George walk (and boy, was I <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2934216" href="https://thescore.com/news/2934216">wrong about that decision</a>), there are no moral victories for a franchise that's relinquished control of all its own first-round picks between now and 2030. And while the mid-career leaps from 28-year-old Ivica Zubac and 31-year-old Norm Powell have been heartening, it's not like the pipeline is bursting with exciting young talent. This may be the last best chance for the current iteration of the team to make a real run.Leonard is healthy and peaking at the right time, James Harden has put forth one more (perhaps final) great season at age 35, and the Clippers are entering the playoffs as one of the league's hottest teams, having won eight straight and 18 of their last 21. There'd be no shame in losing a second-round series to the Thunder, but L.A. should be favored in its first-round matchup against a Denver Nuggets team in disarray. The Nuggets have home-court advantage and the best player in the world, but the Clippers are deeper and have much better two-way balance.Adding to the sense of stakes is the fact that Denver's been something of a boogeyman for L.A. in recent years. The last time the Clippers got a healthy playoff run from Leonard, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led a comeback from 3-1 down to bounce them from the bubble. Kawhi and Co. now have a chance to exorcise those demons and shed some serious psychic baggage. They can't afford to squander it. - Wolfond

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The Toronto Raptors opened the season with five rookies on the roster, four of whom will finish the year in the top 10 on the team in minutes played. That's not exactly out of the ordinary for a rebuilding club, but the play of those debutants and the general promise of Toronto's rookie class is unique.The Raptors appear to have found four future rotation players in Jamal Shead, Ja'Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, and Jamison Battle (plus G-League big man Ulrich Chomche, who might have the highest ceiling of them all) despite entering a weak 2024 draft without control of their own picks.That could prove hugely beneficial as Toronto looks to build a contending team in the coming years, with a stable of good players on cheap contracts vital in the age of <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2940429" href="https://thescore.com/news/2940429">aprons</a>. The presence of the most impressive of those rookies is what should give Raptors fans hope that their once celebrated front office got its groove back.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The story begins with the 2024 draft-day transaction that landed Shead, with Toronto leveraging Sacramento's desire to dodge the luxury tax. The Kings wanted to get off of Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov's contracts, and the Raptors were happy to help. For their efforts, the Raptors received the 45th pick in the 2024 draft (Shead) and a 2025 second-round pick (via Portland) in addition to Mitchell and Vezenkov. Meanwhile, Toronto merely shipped out Jalen McDaniels, a below-replacement-level player who had no place in the team's rebuild.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777827/cropped_GettyImages-2206771362.jpg?ts=1744305960" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777827/w220xh124_GettyImages-2206771362.jpg?ts=1744305960 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777827/w320xh180_GettyImages-2206771362.jpg?ts=1744305960 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777827/w640xh360_GettyImages-2206771362.jpg?ts=1744305960 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777827/w768xh432_GettyImages-2206771362.jpg?ts=1744305960 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/777827/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2206771362.jpg?ts=1744305960 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Vaughn Ridley / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>For what it's worth, that 2025 Blazers pick is on track to land 39th in this June's draft, meaning the Raptors acquired Shead and an even better pick (in a superior draft) than the one used to select him.Vezenkov was waived (allowing the Bulgarian to head back to Europe), while Mitchell was flipped to Miami ahead of this year's trade deadline in a deal that netted Toronto a 2026 second-rounder (via the Lakers). Essentially, over the span of eight months, the Raptors turned Jalen McDaniels into Jamal Shead, two second-rounders, and cash.It's the type of fleecing and subsequent development story that had become so familiar to the Raptors' front office a decade ago. Back then, the Raptors were in the midst of a seven-year playoff run that ultimately culminated in a 2019 championship, all while the team churned out young talent and consistently found diamonds in the rough.It's reminiscent of the 2015 trade that sent Greivis Vasquez to Milwaukee while landing Toronto second-rounder Norman Powell and a 2017 first-rounder that turned into OG Anunoby. However, Shead's undersized stature, valiant compete level, No. 23 jersey, and general character have Raptors fans thinking of another developmental gem from that era, Fred VanVleet.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779911/cropped_GettyImages-2190535702.jpg?ts=1744310855" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779911/w220xh124_GettyImages-2190535702.jpg?ts=1744310855 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779911/w320xh180_GettyImages-2190535702.jpg?ts=1744310855 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779911/w640xh360_GettyImages-2190535702.jpg?ts=1744310855 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779911/w768xh432_GettyImages-2190535702.jpg?ts=1744310855 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779911/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2190535702.jpg?ts=1744310855 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Vaughn Ridley / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>The chances Shead turns into an All-Star or the type of player who earns a Finals MVP vote, as VanVleet did, are slim. But he has the makings of a solid two-way guard and key contributor for years to come, which would be an incredible result for both Shead and the organization given his draft position.Shead's a sneaky great athlete, and he plays with a force on both ends that betrays his 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame. He's a high-IQ guard who ranks fourth league-wide in <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional?PerMode=Totals&amp;StarterBench=Bench&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=AST">bench assists</a>, and he's averaged 10.2 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals since the beginning of March. That quarter-season sample coincided with a soft schedule that often saw Toronto battling fellow tankers, but head coach Darko Rajakovic saw enough from Shead to determine it wasn't just the product of a <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3263557" href="https://thescore.com/news/3263557">Mickey Mouse March</a>."I've seen a lot of growth and a lot of leadership potential from him," Rajakovic told reporters before the Raptors' final home game of the season.What does that leadership look like? "He can sing really well, so he keeps the atmosphere light," Rajakovic joked about a player who's becoming a fan favorite on and off the court. (One recurring pregame gag sees Shead pretending to be <a href="https://x.com/JamalSheadMuse/status/1907948404107338134/photo/1">surprised</a> and confused when the camera cuts to him during the Canadian anthem)."All jokes aside, the way he competes sets the tone for everybody," Rajakovic said. "The way he goes about his business, always showing up on time, putting in extra work - all those qualities of a leader, he's got them already at a young age."<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779931/cropped_GettyImages-2186890512.jpg?ts=1744316404" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779931/w220xh124_GettyImages-2186890512.jpg?ts=1744316404 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779931/w320xh180_GettyImages-2186890512.jpg?ts=1744316404 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779931/w640xh360_GettyImages-2186890512.jpg?ts=1744316404 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779931/w768xh432_GettyImages-2186890512.jpg?ts=1744316404 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779931/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2186890512.jpg?ts=1744316404 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Issac Baldizon / NBA / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Leadership alone won't help the Raptors win games, and Shead will have to improve as a shooter before he can even dream about reaching the heights VanVleet did in Toronto, but his combination of steady two-way play and professionalism have already made the move to acquire him a home run.Critics will fairly point out that the difference between acquiring Shead and the scouting-and-development run the Raptors went on last decade is that Toronto used to pull such rabbits out of its hat while winning 50 games, not losing 50. In addition, the team's current roster-building <a href="https://youtu.be/OXRy9FAe9lY?si=puT1HXOdoxTeTHVc">strategy</a> is far from a sure bet to return the Raptors to relevance.But for a front office that had seemingly <a href="https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2824403">lost its mojo</a>, Shead represents so much more than just a promising rookie or reserve guard of the future. He represents the type of shrewd decision-making and asset management that can restore the Raptors to glory. The type this franchise used to hang its hat on.<a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.

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