TORONTO — A postgame media crowd gathered around LeBron James' locker for about the 2,000th time....

<p>TORONTO — A postgame media crowd gathered around LeBron James' locker for about the 2,000th time. A veteran of an NBA-record 23 regular seasons, 22 preseasons, and 18 postseasons, James played off Thursday's buzzer-beating road victory over the Raptors as any other contest in his historic career.</p><p>Of course, it wasn't. The Los Angeles Lakers' win in Toronto marked the first time since Jan. 5, 2007 that James failed to score 10 points in a game, ending an unfathomable streak of 1,297 consecutive double-digit performances. To put that number in perspective, only 23 other <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;match=player_season_combined&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=1297&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=games">players</a> have even appeared in that many NBA games.</p><p>It was completely fair to wonder how the league's all-time leading scorer felt about that run ending as part of an eight-point, 4-of-17 performance. James wouldn't entertain the thought.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>"None," James responded tersely when asked if he had any feelings at all about the streak ending. "We won," he added with a laugh of near-disbelief that reporters would think he was focused on something else.</p><p>James was burying the lede.</p><p>The reason the Lakers beat the Raptors (other than Austin Reaves' excellence) was because James <a href="https://x.com/NBA/status/1996777754738688216">found</a> Rui Hachimura in the corner for a wide-open look at the game-winning triple. It was James' 11th assist of the game on a night he didn't turn the ball over. His 11 dimes also accounted for 30 points.</p><p>The most cynical of James' doubters will insist he was being disingenuous - that he would've preferred to keep an individual streak alive rather than record another random win in the 23rd December of his career. But that would be missing the entire point of that career.</p><p>If there's one thing you can't take away from James, it's that he always makes the best basketball decision available.</p><p>On a night James looked as vulnerable as we've ever seen him on an NBA court, he had the ball in his hands and the chance to keep the streak going if he made the game-winner himself. But the basketball supercomputer in James' head refused to process anything other than the highest-percentage outcome.</p><p>"Once they doubled (Reaves) and the ball got swung to me, I knew it was a numbers game. We had a four-on-three advantage," James told reporters. "I looked over at (the Raptors') bench, and I saw their coach telling Scottie Barnes to possibly double, so I wanted to keep Rui on the same side as me to be my payoff spot."</p><p>James hit Hachimura's shooting pocket as perfectly as any playmaker in the game's history could have, and the Lakers handed the Raptors their first home loss in nine games.</p><p>It's ironic that James' streak ended on a team-first play because it's the kind of decision he was once <a href="https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/given-chance-win-nbas-2012-085000951--nba.html">constantly</a> <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/commentary/story/_/page/jackson-120308/lebron-james-passing-last-second-shots-earns-long-lasting-stigma">criticized</a> <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19581496/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-defends-passing-kyle-korver-late-game-3-nba-finals">for</a> making.</p><p>"I remember everything that's been negatively said about me and my game throughout my career," James said. "That aspect was always one of the most foolish things I've ever heard, as far as me making the right pass, making the right play. We are in the business of winning basketball games, and my whole life, I've just played the game that way. I've taught the game that way. And I've won at every single level I've played at by playing the game that way."</p><p>How many more wins, or even games, James has left will remain a hot topic until he clears the air. The pending free agent has looked uncharacteristically weary since returning from a back issue that wiped out his training-camp and preseason availability just months after a knee injury delayed the start of his usual offseason regimen.</p><p>We've always assumed James wouldn't retire without announcing it before his final season so he could get the league-wide retirement tour he deserves. But watching him these last few weeks, it feels like his calculus might've changed.</p><p>On Thursday in Toronto, James was a shell of the inevitable force fans once feared. His burst came and went. He labored to get up for rebounds. He couldn't finish at the rim. He looked gassed and defeated. His jumper was flat. Even the turnaround that once birthed "<a href="https://youtu.be/4umRHTpWLsg?si=OEoZIBtbmIk1e1-A">LeBronto</a>" was easily <a href="https://x.com/OmerOsman200/status/1996776883099447426">stuffed</a> at one point by Barnes, a rising star 17 years James' junior.</p><p>James failed to get to the free-throw line for only the 37th time in 1,568 games, three nights after he failed to record a rebound, steal, or block for the <a href="https://x.com/keerthikau/status/1996733483662929950">first</a> time in his career. James assured us that he's just getting his rhythm and legs back after missing camp, preseason, and the first month of the regular season. But even on a night that ended so triumphantly, the end is clearly closer than James or his fans care to admit.</p><p>And yet, he affected the game in ways no near-41-year-old should be able to. James' body may finally be failing him, but the sharpest basketball mind we've ever come across is still firing. And its message will always be clear: Make the right play. The winning play.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

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A walk-off dime was the perfect way for LeBron's streak to end

Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theSc...

<p><em>Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.</em></p><h3>The Giannis sweepstakes</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812547/cropped_GettyImages-2193244868.jpg?ts=1764876382" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812547/w220xh124_GettyImages-2193244868.jpg?ts=1764876382 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812547/w320xh180_GettyImages-2193244868.jpg?ts=1764876382 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812547/w640xh360_GettyImages-2193244868.jpg?ts=1764876382 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812547/w768xh432_GettyImages-2193244868.jpg?ts=1764876382 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812547/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2193244868.jpg?ts=1764876382 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><em>For more, check out this week's episode of From The Logo on <a href="https://youtu.be/UR-FVNFOexE?si=zArAwkCeHi8SIiOe">YouTube</a>.</em></p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3417789" href="https://thescore.com/news/3417789">future</a> could get complicated. On one hand, the Greek Freak would be one of the best players to ever hit the trade market: an MVP-caliber superstar averaging roughly 29 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block. With all due respect to the 2022 version of Kevin Durant, you'd have to go back to Moses Malone in the early '80s (coming off an MVP award), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the mid-'70s, or Wilt Chamberlain in the mid-'60s to find a comparable player on the trade block (Luka Doncic was never really on the market - thanks, Nico Harrison).</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>On the other hand, Antetokounmpo is about to turn 31 years old, is currently sidelined by a calf injury, and has missed an average of 15 games per season over the last four years, and his next team will likely give him a $275-million extension that covers his age 33-36 seasons.<strong> </strong>Banners hang forever, but gutting your team and mortgaging your future for that player - whose game relies on athleticism and explosiveness - isn't so straightforward.</p><p>Then there's Antetokounmpo's current employer. If the Bucks work with Giannis to find a mutually beneficial resolution, one could talk themselves into a Knicks package of Karl-Anthony Towns, one of OG Anunoby or Mikal Bridges, and whatever draft filler New York has left.</p><p>But Milwaukee, like Antetokounmpo, needs to worry about itself. The Bucks are asset-starved after spending years building teams that successfully convinced him to sign multiple extensions. They can't afford to settle for anything less than top dollar in these negotiations. Doing right by a franchise icon counts for something, but they can't do it at the expense of their own long-term viability. Plus, it's not like Milwaukee is a free-agent destination that might miss out on the next available star by rankling some players and agents.</p><p>Therefore, the trade partners that make the most sense are teams that can afford to send picks and a young star or blue-chip prospect to Milwaukee while still employing a star teammate for Antetokounmpo and preserving additional draft capital.</p><p>The Pistons could offer two of Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, and Jaden Ivey, plus salary filler and multiple draft selections, and still be able to pair Antetokounmpo with Cade Cunningham while keeping a few picks in the holster. Houston could build a deal around one of Alperen Sengun or Amen Thompson and use surplus picks from Brooklyn and Phoenix. That would leave the Rockets with Antetokounmpo, Durant, one of Thompson or Sengun, and most of their own picks.</p><p>The Spurs could move one of Stephon Castle or Dylan Harper, along with salary filler and picks, and still have one dynamic young guard to pair with Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and De'Aaron Fox. Finally, the Hawks own New Orleans' unprotected pick this year, which is actually the most favorable of the Pelicans' or Bucks' selections. Atlanta can afford to flip that pick, along with Trae Young and 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher or Dyson Daniels. Even if the Hawks bit the bullet and moved rising star Jalen Johnson instead of Young, that would leave Atlanta with Antetokounmpo, Young, a solid supporting cast, and picks.</p><p>Right now, I'd lean toward Houston or San Antonio if New York doesn't have enough to get a deal done.</p><h3>Are Thunder the best team ever?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812485/cropped_GettyImages-2248367615.jpg?ts=1764876405" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812485/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248367615.jpg?ts=1764876405 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812485/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248367615.jpg?ts=1764876405 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812485/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248367615.jpg?ts=1764876405 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812485/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248367615.jpg?ts=1764876405 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812485/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248367615.jpg?ts=1764876405 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">William Purnell / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>If we really want to get nuts, I could point out that no team is capable of beating Oklahoma City's best offer in a theoretical Giannis sweepstakes. The Thunder could move Jalen Williams and the Clippers' 2026 first-rounder and add Antetokounmpo, and they'd still have reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, a solid two-way core, and the league's deepest collection of picks.</p><p>It's outrageous how well the defending champions are set up for the present and future. But I wouldn't bet on OKC joining the list of Antetokounmpo suitors. Thunder general manager Sam Presti resisted calls to turn picks into another superstar as the Thunder slowly ascended the NBA mountain. I can't see him pulling the trigger on that kind of deal now that they're at the summit.</p><p>The 2025-26 Thunder might not be the most talented team ever assembled (the 2016-17 Warriors would like a word), but relative to their opposition in a given season, we're watching the most dominant team in league history. Oklahoma City is off to the second-best start of all time and owns the greatest point differential ever despite the fact that Williams - the team's second-best player and an All-NBA superstar - missed 19 of the first 22 games.</p><p>Here's how the Thunder's historic start compares to some of the league's other all-time teams:</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812571/Best_Team_3_00000.jpg?ts=1764885733" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812571/Best_Team_3_00000.jpg?ts=1764885733 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812571/Best_Team_3_00000.jpg?ts=1764885733 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812571/Best_Team_3_00000.jpg?ts=1764885733 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812571/Best_Team_3_00000.jpg?ts=1764885733 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812571/Best_Team_3_00000.jpg?ts=1764885733 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>Seventy-four wins is definitely within reach.</p><h3>Any love for the Trae-less Hawks?</h3><p>Reader Mac Welch wanted my take on the Hawks, who are 13-10 overall and 11-7 without Trae Young (out since late October with a knee injury).</p><p>As <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3332736" href="https://thescore.com/news/3332736">expected</a>, the Hawks have been one of the league's most fascinating teams, due largely to Young's cloudy future. He's a four-time All-Star who could test free agency as soon as this summer, but between his own deficiencies and Atlanta's long-term outlook, the Hawks don't need to panic. Johnson is a bonafide two-way star on one of the league's biggest <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3327852" href="https://thescore.com/news/3327852">bargain</a> contracts, the Hawks control what is currently the most valuable 2026 draft pick (via New Orleans), and the team has looked better with Young sidelined.</p><p>Although Young is an offensive wizard, he doesn't do enough off the ball, and he's one of the league's biggest defensive liabilities. Atlanta's best-case scenario is Young returning as a changed man who's willing to be more effective when the ball isn't in his hands, but that might be wishful thinking. The best long-term play would be to accept the best offer for Young - even if it constitutes selling low on the 27-year-old - and continue building around Johnson.</p><p>Over nearly a quarter of a season without Young, Atlanta has managed an average (15th-ranked) offense to complement a vastly improved (seventh-ranked) defense. The Hawks' ceiling is limited in the short term without Young's scoring and playmaking potential, but their path to sustainable contention might be clearer without him.</p><p>For all of those reasons, Young's potential trade and/or free-agency market would be a fascinating case study. I long felt Wembanyama would be an ideal partner for him, but that ship sailed when the Spurs acquired Fox last season.</p><h3>Inside the locker room</h3><p><em>What I'm hearing from players and people around the Association.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808838/cropped_GettyImages-2244760528.jpg?ts=1764875598" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808838/w220xh124_GettyImages-2244760528.jpg?ts=1764875598 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808838/w320xh180_GettyImages-2244760528.jpg?ts=1764875598 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808838/w640xh360_GettyImages-2244760528.jpg?ts=1764875598 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808838/w768xh432_GettyImages-2244760528.jpg?ts=1764875598 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808838/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2244760528.jpg?ts=1764875598 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Barry Gossage / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>It's not grifting</strong>: Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija is well aware of how he and other so-called free-throw merchants or grifters are perceived, but the Most Improved Player candidate sees foul-drawing - and foul-baiting - as part of the game. "I understand people's frustration, because it slows the game down. But at the end of the day, if I'm aggressive and people foul me, I can't control it," Avdija told me after a recent loss in Toronto. "If people are trying to be over-aggressive with me, they need to get punished. I can't just let people be over-aggressive with me without any punishment. A lot of teams are coming super aggressive trying to defend me, and I'm going to take advantage."</p><p>Avdija, who ranks fourth in free-throw attempts per game and second among non-bigs in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt, has a point. But he's missing the bigger one, and it's that foul-drawing is a basketball skill, whether critics want to accept it or not. That doesn't mean it's entertaining, and you might not think it's ethical, but parading to the line leads to efficient offense, slowly warps opposing defenses, and helps a team set its own defense.</p><p>I've always found it comical that people assume players who rack up free throws must be getting the benefit of the whistle, as if NBA officials got together one day and decided that guys like Avdija, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jimmy Butler, and Austin Reaves randomly deserve more freebies than their peers.</p><p><strong>LeBron will always make the right play</strong>: "I've always made the right play," James <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3419150" href="https://thescore.com/news/3419150">said</a> after dishing out a walk-off assist on the night his double-digit scoring streak came to an end. "That's all that matters. Win, lose, or draw, if you make the right play, the game - the (basketball) gods - will always give back to me."</p><h3>Player of the Week</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812082/cropped_GettyImages-2248689094.jpg?ts=1764919231" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812082/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248689094.jpg?ts=1764919231 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812082/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248689094.jpg?ts=1764919231 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812082/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248689094.jpg?ts=1764919231 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812082/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248689094.jpg?ts=1764919231 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812082/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248689094.jpg?ts=1764919231 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Jalen Johnson</strong>: 33.0 PPG, 63.7% TS, 13.0 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.3 STL + BLK, 2-1 record</p><p>Jaylen Brown, Doncic, Anthony Edwards, and Gilgeous-Alexander were also in contention for the award (which takes into account games played since last Friday), but I had to reward Johnson's stellar two-way play.</p><p>The only thing keeping the 23-year-old from full-blown superstardom is consistent health. Johnson, who missed 72 games over the last two seasons due to shoulder, wrist, and ankle injuries, missed Atlanta's last game due to a calf injury.</p><h3>We want to hear from you!</h3><p>Perhaps you want my opinion or insight on a burning NBA question you've had. Or, let me know if there's something specific you'd like me to ask your favorite player the next time they're in Toronto, where I speak with people from around the league before and after they play against the Raptors.</p><p>Whatever it is, you can submit your questions three ways:</p><ul>
<li>Comment on this story in theScore app</li>
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Giannis sweepstakes, OKC's quest for 74, the Trae-less Hawks

The Los Angeles Clippers' disastrous season took its most unexpected turn Wednesday, when the tea...

<p>The Los Angeles Clippers' disastrous season took its most unexpected turn Wednesday, when the team announced it will part ways with franchise legend Chris Paul.</p><p>Paul, a future Hall of Famer who recently announced that he'll retire at the end of the season, had signed with the Clippers to finish his career playing for the organization he once famously lifted off the mat of irrelevance. His second stint in L.A. lasted 16 games and ended with the 40-year-old point guard being <a href="https://x.com/joeylinn_/status/1996123664643993620">sent home</a> in the middle of the <a href="https://x.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1996269879843000615">night</a>.</p><p>How the situation resolves itself - and where Paul ultimately lands - is partly dictated by the NBA's convoluted <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/3147/breaking-down-chris-paul-and-the-clippers-breakup">salary cap</a>. But that's a story for another day.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Within hours of his departure, reports emerged that Paul had been vocal in holding everyone accountable during L.A.'s 5-16 start. That record has the Clippers sitting 14th in the Western Conference and bottom-five overall in a year in which the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder own their first-round draft pick.</p><p>ESPN's Shams Charania <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1996263220948906403">reported</a> that the team felt Paul's leadership style had become disruptive, while Amazon Prime Video's Chris Haynes <a href="https://x.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1996265474112279007">added</a> that head coach Ty Lue refused to meet with Paul when the point guard requested a sit-down to discuss allegations that he had become a negative presence.</p><p>It's no secret that Paul can be ornery. The 21-year veteran is ruthlessly competitive. He's also one of the sharpest basketball minds the league has ever seen, and he's not afraid to let you know it.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811006/cropped_GettyImages-2247815436.jpg?ts=1763829185" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811006/w220xh124_GettyImages-2247815436.jpg?ts=1763829185 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811006/w320xh180_GettyImages-2247815436.jpg?ts=1763829185 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811006/w640xh360_GettyImages-2247815436.jpg?ts=1763829185 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811006/w768xh432_GettyImages-2247815436.jpg?ts=1763829185 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811006/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2247815436.jpg?ts=1763829185 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic recently relayed a story to me originally told by fellow Serbian Peja Stojakovic, who was reflecting on his time with Paul in New Orleans. Stojakovic was already a three-time All-Star and respected veteran when CP3 arrived on the scene as an overzealous rookie. "Chris Paul came in, and from day one, he was talking and acting like a leader," Rajakovic said. "Stojakovic was like, 'Who the hell is this rookie trying to tell us what to do and what not?' And then (Stojakovic) said that two weeks into training camp, he was like, 'I'm gonna listen to this guy. He knows what he's talking about.'"</p><p>Perhaps Paul's act simply wore thin now that he isn't nearly as effective and couldn't be on the court as often to back his words up. The 12-time All-Star is averaging 2.9 points and 3.3 assists on 32% shooting, while his 14.3 minutes per game are a career low; roughly half of what he averaged in San Antonio last year (28.0).</p><p>Still, he's one of the game's most revered leaders, and the Clippers, of all teams, knew exactly what they were signing up for.</p><p>Paul spent six season in Los Angeles from 2011-17. Current owner Steve Ballmer and team president Lawrence Frank were with the organization for the final three years of Paul's original tenure, while Lue served as an assistant coach during the 2013-14 campaign. James Harden spent two seasons with Paul in Houston, during which they came agonizingly close to toppling the mighty Golden State Warriors (had it not been for a hamstring injury Paul suffered in the 2018 Western Conference finals). Paul and Harden clashed as Houston Rockets teammates, but the point remains. There shouldn't have been any surprises when it came to Paul's direct manner.</p><p>Does this have anything to do with Kawhi Leonard, whom the Clippers have bent over backwards for since acquiring the two-time Finals MVP in 2019? Leonard barely plays and is at the center of an alleged cap-circumvention <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3338055" href="https://thescore.com/news/3338055">scandal</a>, but it wouldn't shock me if we learned that criticism of Leonard played a role in Paul's departure.</p><p>It's also quite possible that the only explanation here is simply the Clippers being the Clippers. Remember, this is the same franchise that traded Blake Griffin six months after calling him a <a href="https://x.com/ByLeeJenkins/status/958127071657644032">lifelong Clipper</a> in a free-agency pitch that included <a href="http://x.com/MarcJSpears/status/881202410907029504">likening</a> the six-time All-Star to Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, Muhammad Ali, Albert Einstein, Barack Obama, and Michael Jackson. This is the franchise whose greatest accomplishment is a Leonard-less conference finals appearance five years ago.</p><p>We may never know the full story of this stunning and bizarre ending to Paul's relationship with L.A., but one part of it is all too familiar: The Clippers come away looking like a joke.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

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Paul's departure is another embarrassing chapter for Clippers

<p><em>Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.</em></p><h3>Ingram and the Raptors look legit</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811704/cropped_GettyImages-2248051718.jpg?ts=1764272582" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811704/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248051718.jpg?ts=1764272582 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811704/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248051718.jpg?ts=1764272582 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811704/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248051718.jpg?ts=1764272582 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811704/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248051718.jpg?ts=1764272582 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811704/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248051718.jpg?ts=1764272582 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steve Russell / Toronto Star / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>There's nothing quite like a plan coming together.</p><p>Toronto drew plenty of criticism for acquiring Brandon Ingram amid last year's rebuilding season, but the Raptors bought low on a former All-Star who still had plenty to offer if the organization could just get him healthy. Well, the 28-year-old looks healthy, and he's complemented this roster in all the ways the front office envisioned.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>First and foremost, Ingram's shot-creation skills, shot-making, and three-level scoring have cured Toronto's half-court woes, which helps in crunch time. The Raptors have rocketed from 25th in half-court efficiency last season to fifth this year, per <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/league/context?season=2025&amp;seasontype=regseason&amp;start=10/1/2025&amp;end=10/15/2026#tab-offense_halfcourt_putbacks">Cleaning The Glass</a>. Not coincidentally, the team has won seven of nine clutch games (contests within five points in the final five minutes) after going 10-22 in the category last year, with Ingram's game-winning jumper against Indiana sealing Toronto's latest victory.</p><p>Ingram might force things occasionally, but he's bought in to the team-first system. In addition to creating open shots for teammates, the defensive attention Ingram commands has created gaps for the Raptors' cutters and movement-heavy system to expose. It's also thrust franchise star Scottie Barnes into his ideal role as an off-ball playmaker who can punish teams inside and in transition without needing to initiate. An offense that has been creating the right shots since head coach Darko Rajakovic's arrival now has the talent to capitalize on those looks. Toronto's overall efficiency has jumped from 26th to seventh year over year.</p><p>Elsewhere, starting point guard Immanuel Quickley has found his groove as a shooter, playmaker, and improved <a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro/status/1993856958407836128">defender</a>. Hometown hero RJ Barrett (currently <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3410641" href="https://thescore.com/news/3410641">sidelined</a>) has turned into an efficient and opportunistic scorer. Starting center Jakob Poeltl - whose screen-setting, defensive positioning, and rebounding are the glue that holds everything together on both ends - has mostly overcome an early-season back issue.</p><p>Off the bench, sophomore Jamal Shead and unheralded big man Sandro Mamukelashvili have formed one of the league's best reserve duos, while Ja'Kobe Walter and Gradey Dick are playing better all-around basketball (though Dick needs to start making shots). Walter is especially intriguing as a 3-and-D guard who possesses off-the-dribble upside. Even rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3409339" href="https://thescore.com/news/3409339">impressed</a> as a rotation piece on a winning club.</p><p>Rajakovic's pressure-packed defense has also struck a better balance since a wretched start to the season. The Raptors are still pressuring the ball, bringing a healthy dose of help, and forcing turnovers, but no longer overexposing themselves.</p><p>After a multi-year teardown that never resulted in a full-scale tank or much lottery luck, Toronto has emerged with a deep two-way core around Barnes. The Raptors aren't quite ready to contend, and they've feasted recently on a cupcake schedule, but you can only beat who's in front of you. Teams don't win 14 of their first 19 games - while boasting top-seven marks on both ends - by accident.</p><p>The Raptors are legit, the Eastern Conference is wide open, and Toronto owns all of its first-round draft picks. The north may rise again.</p><h3>Is Jokic close to GOAT debate?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/cropped_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w220xh124_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w320xh180_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w640xh360_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w768xh432_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><em>For more on this, watch the latest episode of From The Logo on <a href="https://youtu.be/0uRagtpucF8?si=OSH49bxqt_bwLoJX">YouTube</a>.</em></p><p>This question came from app user TheBeat, who wanted to know when Nikola Jokic will enter the conversation for greatest of all time.</p><p>He may already be on the fringes of that debate. Jokic has been the best player on the planet for a good half-decade now. He already owns some of the best statistical seasons ever recorded - by traditional and advanced measures - and his on/off splits remain comical. Yet somehow, the three-time MVP and 2023 Finals MVP is still getting better.</p><p>Jokic is averaging nearly a 30-point triple-double on unfathomable efficiency this season, all while defending at an underrated level. He's shooting 70% inside the arc, 43% from deep, and 85% from the free-throw line. No other player has ever shot the ball so well over a 17-game span while averaging even 20 points, let alone 30 ... <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/basketball/player-span-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=name_display_csk&amp;timeframe=seasons&amp;year_min=1968&amp;span_length=17&amp;single_season=1&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=20&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=pts_per_g&amp;ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B2%5D=0.700&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=fg2_pct&amp;ccomp%5B3%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B3%5D=0.400&amp;cstat%5B3%5D=fg3_pct&amp;ccomp%5B4%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B4%5D=0.850&amp;cstat%5B4%5D=ft_pct">unless</a> you count Jokic himself. He's accomplished the feat nine other times over the last three years.</p><p>The parity-driven era Jokic is dominating won't allow him to stack championships the way past all-time greats did. And the Serbian center's casual demeanor won't inspire the type of obsessive fandom that bigger, more intense personalities received. Jokic faces an uphill battle to convince skeptics he's one of the three or four best ever. But the evidence is undeniable and mounting. Jokic is constantly rewriting what we thought possible, even by superstar standards.</p><p>He needs a few more years of this absurd productivity - and ideally, at least another title - to nudge his way into a conversation with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. But he's already knocking on the door of Tier 2 legends who comprise the rest of the top 10.</p><h3>How 'bout them Suns?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811705/cropped_GettyImages-2248649060.jpg?ts=1764272773" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811705/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248649060.jpg?ts=1764272773 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811705/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248649060.jpg?ts=1764272773 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811705/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248649060.jpg?ts=1764272773 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811705/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248649060.jpg?ts=1764272773 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811705/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248649060.jpg?ts=1764272773 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Chris Coduto / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>App user cstatzer wanted to know if I have any love for the Suns and their newfound grit.</p><p>I have a ton of admiration for Phoenix right now. After years of assembling star-studded but ill-fitting and heartless squads, the Suns have surrounded Devin Booker with a feisty group of overachievers. This team plays hard, defends, cuts, and crashes the offensive glass. The result is a club no one wants to play against, and one that should be a tough out every time it takes the floor. This version of the Suns won't be contending for titles, but in a Western Conference where the bottom has <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3402182" href="https://thescore.com/news/3402182">fallen out</a>, Phoenix can certainly be in the postseason mix. That's no small feat given how bleak things looked a few months ago.</p><p>Plus, the Suns don't control their own first-rounder until 2032, so there's no point in the capped-out club tanking. The best Phoenix can hope for is to remain competitive.</p><p>I'm curious to see how Jalen Green eventually fits in, but head coach Jordan Ott deserves credit for pulling all the right strings so far. Don't discount the impact of Dillon Brooks, either, who's supplementing his usual snarling defense with the best offensive stretch of his career. The combination of Brooks, Grayson Allen, and Royce O'Neale is an absolute nightmare to play against, but they've also combined to shoot 41% from deep.</p><p>That trio, starting center Mark Williams, and unheralded players like Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro have all exceeded expectations, but Booker remains the straw that stirs the drink. The four-time All-Star is averaging 26 points and seven assists on 58% true shooting despite being the only bonafide offensive weapon on the team, which comes with a mammoth amount of defensive pressure. Booker dragging this team to the West playoffs would be a significant achievement.</p><h3>Inside the locker room</h3><p><em>What I'm hearing from players and people around the Association.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811728/cropped_GettyImages-2247965677.jpg?ts=1764285649" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811728/w220xh124_GettyImages-2247965677.jpg?ts=1764285649 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811728/w320xh180_GettyImages-2247965677.jpg?ts=1764285649 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811728/w640xh360_GettyImages-2247965677.jpg?ts=1764285649 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811728/w768xh432_GettyImages-2247965677.jpg?ts=1764285649 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811728/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2247965677.jpg?ts=1764285649 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mark Blinch / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Rajakovic inspires Ingram</strong>: Brandon Ingram recently joked that his favorite part of playing for the Raptors has been Darko Rajakovic's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QfZ_B6QBBgk">locker-room</a> <a href="https://x.com/MrBuckBuckNBA/status/1990704583056695614">outbursts</a> following victories. On a serious note, Ingram explained how much he appreciates his new head coach.</p><p>"He brings the energy every single day," Ingram told reporters after a recent victory. "He's the leader of our team. He makes sure that we bring it to practice, to games, to shootarounds. He makes sure that we have it every single time we step on a basketball floor. For me, the best part about being here is just, our coach is present every single day."</p><p>Ingram isn't the first Raptor to <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3204198" href="https://thescore.com/news/3204198">rave</a> about Rajakovic's coaching style. It's why I argued last season that, at the very least, Toronto's bench boss had earned a shot to coach this team once they were ready to compete. Rajakovic is running with that opportunity now.</p><h3>Player of the week</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811663/cropped_GettyImages-2248051881.jpg?ts=1764272236" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811663/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248051881.jpg?ts=1764272236 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811663/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248051881.jpg?ts=1764272236 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811663/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248051881.jpg?ts=1764272236 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811663/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248051881.jpg?ts=1764272236 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811663/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248051881.jpg?ts=1764272236 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">William Purnell / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</strong>: 36.0 PPG, 79.7 TS%, 4.3 RPG, 7.0 APG, 2.3 STL + BLK, 3-0 record</p><p>I also considered Jokic, Luka Doncic, and De'Aaron Fox for this week's award (which takes into account games played since last Friday), but the reigning MVP earned the honor with a flawless two-way performance. Even Jokic couldn't match SGA's efficiency this week, as the reigning MVP averaged 36 points on 67-75-90 shooting splits to lead the Thunder to another perfect week. Imagine what he could do if the defending champions actually needed him to play fourth quarters.</p><h3>We want to hear from you!</h3><p>Perhaps you want my opinion or insight on a burning NBA question you've had. Or, let me know if there's something specific you'd like me to ask your favorite player the next time they're in Toronto, where I speak with people from around the league before and after they play against the Raptors.</p><p>Whatever it is, you can submit your questions via:</p><ul>
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Raptors are for real, Suns are feisty, Jokic nearing GOAT debate

The first month of the NBA season is in the books. Here's how every 2025 first-round pick has far...

<p><em>The first month of the NBA season is in the books. Here's how every 2025 first-round pick has fared so far.</em></p><h3>1. Cooper Flagg, F, Mavericks</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 33.6 MPG, 15.9 PPG, 52.7 TS%, 6.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.0 STL + BLK</p><p>Flagg hasn't quite set the league ablaze yet. His efficiency has suffered as he's been asked to run Dallas' wretched offense sans Kyrie Irving, but these reps will only help him down the road. It's tough to be too down on an 18-year-old who's still producing at this rate in an impossible situation.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: A-</h3><h3>2. Dylan Harper, G, Spurs</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 23.3 MPG, 14.0 PPG, 58.4 TS%, 4.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.7 STL + BLK</p><p>Before being sidelined by a calf injury, Harper looked every bit the dynamic guard San Antonio was excited to pair with Victor Wembanyama. He was getting to the rim, using his craftiness to finish once there, and nicely balancing his scoring and playmaking. Unfortunately, that aforementioned injury has limited him to just six games, suppressing his grade somewhat.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B+</h3><h3>3. VJ Edgecombe, G, 76ers</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 37.3 MPG, 15.6 PPG, 50.3 TS%, 6.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.8 STL + BLK</p><p>Where would Philly be without Edgecombe? The Baylor product has invigorated the 76ers with an infusion of youth and athleticism they desperately needed on both ends of the court. His efficiency has lagged, but Edgecombe has produced solid two-way stretches while logging the second-most minutes per game league-wide.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: A</h3><h3>4. Kon Knueppel, G/F, Hornets</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 33.6 MPG, 19.4 PPG, 65.4 TS%, 5.8 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.0 STL + BLK</p><p>Knueppel has been the best rookie among a stacked draft class over the first month. Full stop. An NBA freshman has no business scoring as efficiently as the 20-year-old has with limited talent around him in Charlotte. Knueppel is shooting roughly 58% inside the arc, 44% from deep, and 90% from the free-throw line, with his off-ball movement unlocking the Hornets' offense.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: A+</h3><h3>5. Ace Bailey, F, Jazz</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809629/cropped_GettyImages-2246272451.jpg?ts=1764088067" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809629/w220xh124_GettyImages-2246272451.jpg?ts=1764088067 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809629/w320xh180_GettyImages-2246272451.jpg?ts=1764088067 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809629/w640xh360_GettyImages-2246272451.jpg?ts=1764088067 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809629/w768xh432_GettyImages-2246272451.jpg?ts=1764088067 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809629/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2246272451.jpg?ts=1764088067 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Alex Goodlett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 21.5 MPG, 9.9 PPG, 54.8 TS%, 3.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.0 STL + BLK</p><p>A promising preseason gave way to a rough first month for Bailey in which some of his weaknesses popped up. Still, flashes of a future star are there. His combination of size and shot-creation can't be denied, and his defensive effort has improved lately. The results have been a mixed bag thus far, but Bailey's not as one-dimensional a scorer or overall player as I thought.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: C+</h3><h3>6. Tre Johnson, G, Wizards</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 24.3 MPG, 11.5 PPG, 56.5 TS%, 3.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 STL + BLK</p><p>Johnson will miss some time with a strained left hip flexor (which he originally hurt in college), but he's already shown off his clear NBA skill: The kid can score. He's converting multiple 3-pointers per game at a nearly 40% clip and makes scoring inside the arc look effortless. The rest of his game is a work in progress, but his shooting has definitely translated to the pros.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B</h3><h3>7. Jeremiah Fears, G, Pelicans</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 26.8 MPG, 15.4 PPG, 54.1 TS%, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.8 STL + BLK</p><p>The Pelicans are a disaster in more ways than one, but the team's rookies are a glaring reason for optimism, and Fears is the first on our list. The 19-year-old has displayed poise beyond his years in getting to his spots and scoring at a respectable level. His turnovers have been an issue at times, but Fears' defense is ahead of schedule, thanks to his incredibly active hands.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: A-</h3><h3>8. Egor Demin, G, Nets</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 22.2 MPG, 7.6 PPG, 50.7 TS%, 3.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.0 STL + BLK</p><p>Demin's a big guard with range and awesome playmaking vision, but he hadn't shown much scoring versatility until recently when he started getting downhill more. His two-way ceiling is obvious, even if the early returns have been lukewarm.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B-</h3><h3>9. Collin Murray-Boyles, F, Raptors</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811430/cropped_GettyImages-2246698612.jpg?ts=1764091347" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811430/w220xh124_GettyImages-2246698612.jpg?ts=1764091347 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811430/w320xh180_GettyImages-2246698612.jpg?ts=1764091347 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811430/w640xh360_GettyImages-2246698612.jpg?ts=1764091347 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811430/w768xh432_GettyImages-2246698612.jpg?ts=1764091347 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811430/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2246698612.jpg?ts=1764091347 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Andrew Lahodynskyj / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 19.1 MPG, 7.6 PPG, 61.1% TS, 3.2 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 STL + BLK</p><p>Murray-Boyles has earned regular rotation minutes for the second-place Raptors, thanks to his as-advertised defense and general activity around the rim. But the real stunner has been his shooting, albeit in a very small sample. Murray-Boyles has canned 9-of-18 threes in 13 games after going 9-of-39 from deep over two years at South Carolina.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B+</h3><h3>10. Khaman Maluach, C, Suns</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 4.8 MPG, 1.6 PPG, 61.8 TS%, 0.8 RPG, 0.1 APG, 0.5 STL + BLK</p><p>Maluach is a long-term project who's already spent <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns-roster/92785/khaman-maluach-rasheer-fleming-g-league-progress-rookie-development-tempe-valley">time</a> in the G League. As the third- or fourth-string center on a surprisingly competitive Suns team, his limited NBA minutes have mostly come in garbage time, making it tough to evaluate him.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: D</h3><h3>11. Cedric Coward, G/F, Grizzlies</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 26.4 MPG, 13.8 PPG, 60.9 TS%, 5.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.0 STL + BLK</p><p>The losses and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3390200" href="https://thescore.com/news/3390200">drama</a> have mounted in Memphis, but Coward has been an encouraging breath of fresh air. The 22-year-old is an "old" rookie, and he certainly looks more comfortable on an NBA court than most of his peers. He's shown off his three-level scoring ability and defensive upside, emerging as one of the Grizzlies' most important players already.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: A</h3><h3>12. Noa Essengue, F, Bulls</h3><p>The versatile French forward has logged just six minutes across two games, as it <a href="https://x.com/StephNoh/status/1993136882029559865">appears</a> he'll be more of a G League player for the time being.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: D-</h3><h3>13. Derik Queen, C, Pelicans</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811437/cropped_GettyImages-2247787812.jpg?ts=1764093561" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811437/w220xh124_GettyImages-2247787812.jpg?ts=1764093561 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811437/w320xh180_GettyImages-2247787812.jpg?ts=1764093561 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811437/w640xh360_GettyImages-2247787812.jpg?ts=1764093561 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811437/w768xh432_GettyImages-2247787812.jpg?ts=1764093561 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811437/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2247787812.jpg?ts=1764093561 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Haynes / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 23.8 MPG, 12.4 PPG, 54.9 TS%, 6.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.9 STL + BLK</p><p>Queen would have to ascend to superstar status to make New Orleans' reckless bet on him worthwhile, but for the purpose of this report card, he should only be judged relative to his draft position. In that regard, this pick looks like a home run. Queen is an exceptionally talented big man with a soft touch and impressive playmaking skills. His defense remains a concern, and he'll eventually have to share a frontcourt with another big man who can space the floor, but so far, so good.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: A</h3><h3>14. Carter Bryant, F, Spurs</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 6.5 MPG, 2.5 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.3 STL + BLK</p><p>I thought Bryant's 3-and-D abilities would lead to immediate NBA minutes, but regular playing time hasn't been there for him yet. Still, he's had a couple <a href="https://x.com/PerSources/status/1988628254144508073">loud</a> moments that have teased the potential within.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: D+</h3><h3>15. Thomas Sorber, F/C, Thunder</h3><p>Sorber will miss the entire season due to a torn ACL.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: Incomplete</h3><h3>16. Yang Hansen, C, Trail Blazers</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 7.8 MPG, 3.1 PPG, 40.6 TS%, 1.7 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.4 STL + BLK</p><p>Hansen's welcome to the NBA has been a lot ruder than his preseason highlights suggested it would be, but the big man appeared more confident when he returned to the Blazers' lineup following a three-week hiatus and G League stint.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: C-</h3><h3>17. Joan Beringer, F/C, Timberwolves</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 4.1 MPG, 2.0 PPG, 73.1 TS%, 1.3 RPG, 0.3 STL + BLK</p><p>Beringer's sparse minutes have come in garbage time, but he hasn't needed much time to flash his intriguing combination of <a href="https://x.com/Huncho_Jman/status/1986997340507676772">length</a> and <a href="https://x.com/WolvesClips/status/1986267442494976357">athleticism</a>.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: C+</h3><h3>18. Walter Clayton Jr., G, Jazz</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/793976/cropped_GettyImages-2224033290.jpg?ts=1764096832" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/793976/w220xh124_GettyImages-2224033290.jpg?ts=1764096832 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/793976/w320xh180_GettyImages-2224033290.jpg?ts=1764096832 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/793976/w640xh360_GettyImages-2224033290.jpg?ts=1764096832 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/793976/w768xh432_GettyImages-2224033290.jpg?ts=1764096832 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/793976/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2224033290.jpg?ts=1764096832 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Garrett Ellwood / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 15.9 MPG, 5.4 PPG, 52.1 TS%, 2.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.8 STL + BLK</p><p>Clayton started strong but eventually lost his rotation spot once reserve guard Isaiah Collier returned from injury. His all-around game popped in his G League debut, just as it did in his first taste of NBA action.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B-</h3><h3>19. Nolan Traore, G, Nets</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 8.8 MPG, 1.8 PPG, 35.4 TS%, 0.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.5 STL + BLK</p><p>The 19-year-old got some run in the opening week of the season, but he was obviously overmatched and has since bounced between the G League and the big club. Traore's been <a href="https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1642849/">productive</a> for the Long Island Nets and carries obvious <a href="https://x.com/erikslater_/status/1992611765331632510">upside</a>, though he doesn't look like an NBA player yet.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: D+</h3><h3>20. Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Heat</h3><p>Jakucionis has yet to see an NBA floor, as he was limited by a groin injury early and has since been assigned to the G League, where he's been filling the stat sheet and trying to find his jumper still.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: Incomplete</h3><h3>21. Will Riley, F, Wizards</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 6.9 MPG, 2.2 PPG, 46.8 TS%, 1.4 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.3 STL + BLK</p><p>Although Riley hasn't had much time to showcase himself yet, he seems like a crafty player who can put the ball on the floor and create for himself. He fared well in a couple G League games, averaging 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists on 58% shooting.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: C</h3><h3>22. Drake Powell, G, Nets</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811448/cropped_GettyImages-2247778271.jpg?ts=1764098231" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811448/w220xh124_GettyImages-2247778271.jpg?ts=1764098231 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811448/w320xh180_GettyImages-2247778271.jpg?ts=1764098231 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811448/w640xh360_GettyImages-2247778271.jpg?ts=1764098231 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811448/w768xh432_GettyImages-2247778271.jpg?ts=1764098231 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811448/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2247778271.jpg?ts=1764098231 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Nathaniel S. Butler / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 18.9 MPG, 6.9 PPG, 62.6 TS%, 2.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 STL + BLK</p><p>The lowly Nets have provided an opportunity for Powell to play out of the gate, but he's earned it. The 20-year-old has been efficient in his limited offensive role and already looks like a plus-defender on the perimeter, which is no small feat for a rookie.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B+</h3><h3>23. Asa Newell, F/C, Hawks</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 8.1 MPG, 4.3 PPG, 63.6 TS%, 1.6 RPG, 0.1 APG, 0.7 STL + BLK</p><p>Like many players on the latter half of this list, Newell hasn't played enough for his numbers to reveal much. However, during the only two games in which the big man logged more than 10 minutes, he recorded a double-double against the Thunder then had 17 points, five rebounds, and four steals in a win over the Lakers. Newell has the makings of an energetic stretch-big.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B</h3><h3>24. Nique Clifford, G/F, Kings</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 17.2 MPG, 4.3 PPG, 46.9 TS%, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.7 STL + BLK</p><p>Clifford's minutes have tailed off lately after he received regular opportunities early in the season. He's a bouncy player who can defend and moves well off the ball, but things haven't fallen into place for him yet as a pro.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: C+</h3><h3>25. Jase Richardson, G, Magic</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 5.8 MPG, 2.4 PPG, 62.1 TS%, 0.7 RPG, 0.9 APG</p><p>Richardson hasn't played many meaningful minutes for a Magic team that's trying to win now, but he showed Orlando something in his first taste of rotation action Sunday against Boston, scoring 18 points in 21 minutes. The guy can shoot, and his playmaking chops are underrated. Don't be surprised if head coach Jamahl Mosley starts leaning on him more as the campaign progresses.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B</h3><h3>26. Ben Saraf, G, Nets</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 13.9 MPG, 3.3 PPG, 37.7 TS%, 1.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.3 STL + BLK</p><p>Saraf's playmaking vision is obvious, but he looked out of place on an NBA court and turned the ball over too often in the G League. Then, he suffered an ankle injury that's currently sidelining him.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: C-</h3><h3>27. Danny Wolf, F/C, Nets</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811456/cropped_GettyImages-2245732319.jpg?ts=1764100736" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811456/w220xh124_GettyImages-2245732319.jpg?ts=1764100736 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811456/w320xh180_GettyImages-2245732319.jpg?ts=1764100736 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811456/w640xh360_GettyImages-2245732319.jpg?ts=1764100736 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811456/w768xh432_GettyImages-2245732319.jpg?ts=1764100736 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811456/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2245732319.jpg?ts=1764100736 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Stephen Gosling / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Although Wolf has played just eight minutes across three games, he's been absolutely tearing it up in the G League, where he's averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds on 63% true shooting. Wolf's scoring, rebounding, and court vision should be on display sooner than later at the NBA level.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B-</h3><h3>28. Hugo Gonzalez, G/F, Celtics</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 11.6 MPG, 2.6 PPG, 51.0 TS%, 1.8 RPG, 0.7 APG, 1.0 STL + BLK</p><p>It's not easy for an international teenager to make the transition to the NBA, but the Spanish swingman has earned playing time in Boston, where head coach Joe Mazzulla has been impressed by Gonzalez's defensive instincts. That counts for something.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: B-</h3><h3>29. Liam McNeeley, G/F, Hornets</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 13.3 MPG, 4.2 PPG, 50.4 TS%, 2.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.3 STL + BLK</p><p>McNeeley has struggled in nearly every facet of the game thus far and seems like an obvious candidate to benefit from some extended G League run.</p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: D+</h3><h3>30. Yanic Konan Niederhauser, C, Clippers</h3><p><strong>Stats</strong>: 5.0 MPG, 3.1 PPG, 71.3 TS%, 1.5 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.3 STL + BLK</p><p>Niederhauser probably won't factor into the Clippers' rotation this year, but between the preseason and his recent G League stint, the Swiss big man has shown me something. He's a great athlete for a 6-foot-11, 240-pounder. </p><h3>
<strong>Grade</strong>: C</h3><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33466131/related

NBA rookie report card: Grading every 1st-rounder's debut month

<p><em>Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.</em></p><h3>Get serious, LaMelo</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810806/cropped_GettyImages-2247646451.jpg?ts=1763680608" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810806/w220xh124_GettyImages-2247646451.jpg?ts=1763680608 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810806/w320xh180_GettyImages-2247646451.jpg?ts=1763680608 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810806/w640xh360_GettyImages-2247646451.jpg?ts=1763680608 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810806/w768xh432_GettyImages-2247646451.jpg?ts=1763680608 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810806/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2247646451.jpg?ts=1763680608 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Dylan Buell / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The irony of LaMelo Ball <a data-in-app-uri="" href="">reportedly</a> being open to a trade out of Charlotte is that it's the Hornets who should be frustrated with him, not the other way around. It's hilariously fitting that Ball's reported discontent - which he seemed to <a href="https://x.com/MELOD1P/status/1991644767235764597">deny</a> - leaked a day after he shot 5-of-21 from the field and recorded six turnovers in a loss to the reeling Pacers.</p><p>Though the standings don't reflect it, the Hornets have quietly stabilized over the last year or so and seem to have a clear rebuilding vision. Drafting Kon Knueppel (fourth overall) last June was a smart bet, adding to an encouraging crop of youngsters that also includes Brandon Miller, Moussa Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Sion James. If the pingpong balls bounce Charlotte's way ahead of the loaded 2026 draft, the Hornets look well-positioned with a solid core of supporting cast members ready to surround a young franchise star.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>That star could've (and should've) been Ball, a lengthy and supremely talented guard with tantalizing upside. Injuries - mostly to Ball's ankles - have slowed his progression, with the 24-year-old appearing in only <em>44%</em> of Charlotte's games over the last four seasons. That's frustrating enough for a perennial cellar-dweller trying to claw its way to relevance, but Ball can't be faulted for an unfortunate injury history. What he can be faulted for is his immaturity and unseriousness.</p><p>You don't have to be plugged in to see it. Watch Ball go through his pregame routine or walk into the Hornets' locker room after another loss, one likely marked by a handful of questionable decisions from him. You'll come across a care-free young man who's pleasant enough to talk to, but one who doesn't seem to grasp the responsibilities of a franchise star. All vibes, no substance.</p><p>Is it possible Ball might smarten up as he ages and matures with a fresh start in a new environment? I suppose. But the likelier outcome is that he'll continue to frustrate his biggest supporters while failing to take winning, losing, or anything else very seriously. Oh, and he's owed nearly $131 million over the next three seasons.</p><p>At roughly 25% of the salary cap through 2029, that deal could look like a bargain to franchises that squint and still see a superstar waiting to be unleashed. The question becomes, are those teams squinting or just plain blind?</p><p>For what it's worth, I could see a moribund club like Sacramento making the move. The Kings could turn multiple picks and some of their veteran money (Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan, for example) into the upside of Ball, while Charlotte would likely add draft capital, another adult in the room, and perhaps another solid youngster (like Keon Ellis).</p><blockquote><p>For more, watch the latest episode of <strong>From The Logo</strong> on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r4sqAoGxJA&amp;t=2s">YouTube</a></p></blockquote><h3>Shorthanded Pistons rolling</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809057/cropped_GettyImages-2245030497.jpg?ts=1763703378" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809057/w220xh124_GettyImages-2245030497.jpg?ts=1763703378 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809057/w320xh180_GettyImages-2245030497.jpg?ts=1763703378 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809057/w640xh360_GettyImages-2245030497.jpg?ts=1763703378 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809057/w768xh432_GettyImages-2245030497.jpg?ts=1763703378 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809057/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2245030497.jpg?ts=1763703378 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">David L. Nemec / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>One of the most frequent in-app comments and emailed questions I've received has been about how I'd evaluate the surging Pistons. In short, the first-place club is pretty damn impressive. Detroit has lost the sixth-most <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/injured/_/year/2025/view/team">games</a> to injury this campaign, but that hasn't slowed its rapid ascent from being historically bad two years ago to a conference leader this season.</p><p>Cade Cunningham's efficiency has suffered at times with depleted, mishmash lineups around him, but he's done everything necessary to keep the Pistons afloat (even when that meant missing a record 31 shots in an overtime victory over Washington). Fourth-year center Jalen Duren has been a man possessed on both ends of the court, averaging nearly 21 points and 12 rebounds and anchoring the league's second-best defense. Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson have also helped bolster that defense.</p><p>Veteran shooter Duncan Robinson has done his best to make up for the losses of Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr., while lesser-known players like Javonte Green have contributed. Then there's Daniss Jenkins, an undrafted guard on a two-way contract who's averaging 11.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.5 steals and shooting 52% inside the arc and 45% from deep. Although Detroit could use more shooting, perhaps that's coming in the form of speedy shooting guard Jaden Ivey, who's been sidelined most of the last year after suffering a broken left fibula and then a right knee setback.</p><p>No matter who head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has at his disposal on a given night, it's all been coming together for him. And in case you were thinking it's just smoke and mirrors, the 13-2 Pistons have played nine of their 15 games against squads with winning records. They also own the league's fifth-best point differential.</p><p>Since the NBA expanded to 30 teams in 2004, 22 teams have won 13 of their first 15 contests. Those clubs averaged 59 wins at the end of the season, with nine of them reaching the Finals. This Pistons team is for real, especially in what appears to be a wide-open Eastern Conference.</p><h3>Ja for Zion?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/592234/cropped_GettyImages-1453785222.jpg?ts=1763703412" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/592234/w220xh124_GettyImages-1453785222.jpg?ts=1763703412 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/592234/w320xh180_GettyImages-1453785222.jpg?ts=1763703412 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/592234/w640xh360_GettyImages-1453785222.jpg?ts=1763703412 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/592234/w768xh432_GettyImages-1453785222.jpg?ts=1763703412 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/592234/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1453785222.jpg?ts=1763703412 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Justin Ford / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>This trade proposal came from reader Kensun Nguyen, who wants to see a swap of the top two picks from 2019. My take is that the Grizzlies would hang up the phone.</p><p>Though I understand that all parties involved may be looking for a fresh start, my guess is that Memphis would prefer draft capital and a more bankable youngster if it decides to sell low on Morant rather than swapping one headache for another. If that's the best the Grizzlies can do, then they're better off keeping Ja.</p><p>For the Pelicans, such a deal might satisfy their goals. Plus, Morant and Williamson are on identical contracts over the next two and a half years (though Williamson must hit certain benchmarks for his to become fully guaranteed). Still, New Orleans doesn't have the organizational structure needed to bring out the best in Morant.</p><h3>Inside the locker room</h3><p><em>What I'm hearing from players and people around the Association.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810865/cropped_GettyImages-2193549963.jpg?ts=1763703536" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810865/w220xh124_GettyImages-2193549963.jpg?ts=1763703536 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810865/w320xh180_GettyImages-2193549963.jpg?ts=1763703536 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810865/w640xh360_GettyImages-2193549963.jpg?ts=1763703536 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810865/w768xh432_GettyImages-2193549963.jpg?ts=1763703536 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810865/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2193549963.jpg?ts=1763703536 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Melissa Majchrzak / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>All-Star indifference</strong>: I wrote about the new All-Star format last week, but one former All-Star who didn't get the memo was the aforementioned Ball. The Hornets guard seemed genuinely stunned when asked for his thoughts, admitting he wasn't aware of the change to a USA-versus-the-World mini-tournament. As for what could make him care? "Put me in, boy, and I'll care about it. Other than that ... sheeeiit." Unfortunately for Ball, neither his play nor Charlotte's record will help his case.</p><p><strong>How to be a good vet</strong>: A few feet away from Ball, new Hornet Collin Sexton was engaged in a much more thoughtful conversation. Still just 26 years old, Sexton is a young veteran on a very green Charlotte team, and he's taking the job seriously. So, what actually makes an all-important good vet or a great locker-room guy? "It's being someone guys can lean on, not just on the court, but off the court," Sexton told me.</p><p>"Whether it's about life, family, or professional things like how to take care of your money, I would say being a good vet is just being someone guys can come to about anything, no matter the circumstances or situation. And I feel like that's me. I've had so many life experiences that allow me to have perspective I can give to the younger guys. I know what it feels like to have nothing and to have the highest of highs. I know what it's like to have season-ending injuries, to not play, to have teammates not like me. I can share all that and can show them that no matter what's going on around you, you have to continue to fight, push, and believe in yourself."</p><p>As Sexton can attest, being a trusted sounding board on off-court matters makes it easier to have critical, sometimes hard, basketball conversations with teammates on the court.</p><h3>Player of the Week</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810575/cropped_GettyImages-2246843689.jpg?ts=1763704884" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810575/w220xh124_GettyImages-2246843689.jpg?ts=1763704884 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810575/w320xh180_GettyImages-2246843689.jpg?ts=1763704884 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810575/w640xh360_GettyImages-2246843689.jpg?ts=1763704884 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810575/w768xh432_GettyImages-2246843689.jpg?ts=1763704884 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810575/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2246843689.jpg?ts=1763704884 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Adam Pantozzi / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Luka Doncic</strong>: 34 PPG, 64.9 TS%, 7.0 RPG, 9.3 APG, 3.3 STL + BLK, 3-0 record</p><p>I considered Nikola Jokic, Alperen Sengun, Lauri Markkanen, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, and Duren, but Doncic deserves theScore's honor, which takes into account games played since last Friday.</p><p>A slimmer Doncic is moving well and looks no worse for wear after missing time with a finger injury. He's been as dazzling as ever on the offensive end while flashing a defensive energy and activity that we've rarely seen from him before (at least in the regular season). Doncic logged 38 minutes per game in his three contests this week, with the Lakers outscoring the Pelicans, Bucks, and Jazz by 65 points when he was on the court. When he rested, they were outscored by 13.</p><h3>We want to hear from you!</h3><p>Perhaps you want my opinion or insight on a burning NBA question you've had. Or, let me know if there's something specific you'd like me to ask your favorite player the next time they're in Toronto, where I speak with people from around the league before and after they play against the Raptors.</p><p>Whatever it is, you can submit your questions via:</p><ul>
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LaMelo needs to get serious, Pistons are rolling, Ja for Zion?

Death, taxes, and the NBA's Western Conference being vastly superior to the East, or Leastern Con...

<p>Death, taxes, and the NBA's Western Conference being vastly superior to the East, or <em>Leastern</em> Conference: three things that have been certainties for most of the 21st century.</p><p>The divide between the NBA's version of varsity and junior was only expected to grow this season. The West looked poised to have 13 or 14 teams vying for postseason berths, while an already weak East was further depleted by injuries to Tyrese Haliburton (of the defending conference champion Pacers) and Jayson Tatum (of the Celtics, the East's most consistent winner).</p><p>The conference was widely expected to produce just two or three contenders - Cleveland, New York, and perhaps one of Orlando or Atlanta on the fringes - a pile of mediocre squads, and the usual tankers rounding things out at the bottom.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>A month into the 2025-26 campaign, you could easily apply that description to the West.</p><p>Sure, the defending champion Thunder and Nikola Jokic's Nuggets are clearly the league's two best teams, with Houston looking like a worthy No. 3. But there's a significant drop-off after that. And the league's most shambolic franchises are dragging down the West, not the East.</p><p>A slew of injuries to Haliburton's Pacers and the usual tanking efforts in Brooklyn and Washington have buried those three clubs early, as was mostly expected. However, the incompetence of the Pelicans, Kings, Clippers, Mavericks, and Grizzlies has completely hollowed out the supposedly superior West.</p><p>The situation in New Orleans is downright depressing. Zion Williamson has (predictably) missed nine of 15 contests, and the 2-13 Pelicans owe their 2026 first-round draft pick to Atlanta.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808412/cropped_GettyImages-2242690992.jpg?ts=1762190748" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808412/w220xh124_GettyImages-2242690992.jpg?ts=1762190748 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808412/w320xh180_GettyImages-2242690992.jpg?ts=1762190748 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808412/w640xh360_GettyImages-2242690992.jpg?ts=1762190748 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808412/w768xh432_GettyImages-2242690992.jpg?ts=1762190748 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808412/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2242690992.jpg?ts=1762190748 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Justin Ford / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Sacramento employs a bevy of ill-fitting offensive talent that collectively can't guard five pylons. Meanwhile, the Clippers, who owe their 2026 first-rounder to the juggernaut Thunder, are running on fumes with an old, banged-up roster that can't keep up.</p><p>In Dallas, the absence of Kyrie Irving and a lack of competent guard play have the Mavs running the least efficient offense the league has seen in <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/basketball/team-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=year_id&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=lt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=105&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=team_off_rtg">four years</a>. Following the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3395179" href="https://thescore.com/news/3395179">termination</a> of general manager Nico Harrison, Dallas now has every incentive to continue bottoming out, as the organization controls its own first-rounder in 2026 and then not again until 2031.</p><p>Finally, the Grizzlies are "led" by a seemingly disinterested malcontent in Ja Morant, who has lost his emotional spark and athletic burst. I'm not sure which is worse, but Memphis is going nowhere fast.</p><p>The disappointing quintet has left Utah and Portland - the West's most shameless tanker and a plucky yet overmatched Blazers club - occupying play-in spots about one-fifth of the way through the season, despite a combined 11-18 record. Out East, the Tatum-less Celtics have battled their way to an 8-7 mark. Their reward? A three-way tie for ninth. That's right, the East's 11th-place team boasts a winning record.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810597/cropped_GettyImages-2243558873.jpg?ts=1763565572" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810597/w220xh124_GettyImages-2243558873.jpg?ts=1763565572 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810597/w320xh180_GettyImages-2243558873.jpg?ts=1763565572 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810597/w640xh360_GettyImages-2243558873.jpg?ts=1763565572 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810597/w768xh432_GettyImages-2243558873.jpg?ts=1763565572 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810597/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2243558873.jpg?ts=1763565572 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Chris Gardner / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>It's early, but we're officially in NBA bizarro world, with <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/playoff_prob.html">projection</a> <a href="https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/projections/standings/">systems</a> forecasting that East teams will need 40-plus wins to make the play-in tournament, while 32-35 victories could be enough to give West clubs a crack at the playoffs.</p><p>For years, the jokes have written themselves when it comes to East teams backing into the postseason while the West was brutally unforgiving. San Antonio facing a lengthy stretch without superstar Victor Wembanyama would usually spell disaster and potentially end its playoff hopes, even in November. This time around, the Spurs can rest somewhat easy, having already built a six-game cushion on the 11th-place Clippers. Imagine if someone had told you the Spurs would actually be <em>lucky</em> to play in the West.</p><p>Does that mean the East is better? <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/east_vs_west.html">Not</a> necessarily, but it's suddenly deeper and more competitive, which is a fun surprise.</p><p>A 15-game sample doesn't make a season, but don't expect the bottom half of the West to turn it around any time soon, or for pleasantly surprising East teams like Detroit, Toronto, and Atlanta to randomly fall apart.</p><p>The East may not be a murderers' row, but it's no house of cards, either. Go west to find that facade.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33370050/related

The NBA's top-heavy West looks very mediocre

<p><em>Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.</em></p><h3>USA vs. World: Don't blame NBA for trying <em>something</em>
</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804516/cropped_GettyImages-1930880690.jpg?ts=1763143535" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804516/w220xh124_GettyImages-1930880690.jpg?ts=1763143535 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804516/w320xh180_GettyImages-1930880690.jpg?ts=1763143535 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804516/w640xh360_GettyImages-1930880690.jpg?ts=1763143535 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804516/w768xh432_GettyImages-1930880690.jpg?ts=1763143535 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804516/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1930880690.jpg?ts=1763143535 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Andrew D. Bernstein / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>It's no secret that the All-Star Game has lost its juice over the years. As I've written <a href="https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2850730">before</a>, the bulk of the blame falls on the players, who just aren't wired the way legends of the past were when it comes to truly competing in the midseason classic. I've defended modern players in <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3382999" href="https://thescore.com/news/3382999">some</a> debates, but I won't in this argument. Today's stars claim to worship at the altar of Jordan and Kobe while simultaneously admitting they don't want to compete during a week off in February.</p><p>It's pathetic, and it's why the league office has had to find creative ways - albeit unsuccessful ones - to invigorate All-Star Weekend. A USA versus the world tournament is never going to carry the same stakes as hockey's Four Nations Face-Off did last year, but I won't knock commissioner Adam Silver and Co. for trying to find <em>something</em> that touches a competitive nerve.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>On that note, while many this week mocked how convoluted the new All-Star selection process is, I'll actually applaud the league for coming up with a system that will still reward the most deserving players while satisfying the need for a new format. Strictly sticking to a USA vs. World selection process would've left some deserving All-Stars out of the event in order to fill either the American or international quota. Instead, the league's 10 starters and 24 true All-Stars will still be selected in the traditional conference-splitting ways, with Silver then selecting however many additional All-Stars are needed to reach at least 16 Americans and eight international players. Moving to a positionless format is also a great way to get with the times of modern basketball while ensuring the most deserving players are selected (though the league should also move past the West/East split eventually).</p><p>In addition, Silver's selections should remove any need for injury replacement All-Stars this year, which were always selected by the commissioner.</p><p>Is it more complicated than any league's All-Star selection process needs to be? Yes. Is it the league's fault we had to go to these lengths? No. This one's on the players.</p><h3>Coach Spo always finds a way</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809938/cropped_GettyImages-2197648901.jpg?ts=1763143617" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809938/w220xh124_GettyImages-2197648901.jpg?ts=1763143617 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809938/w320xh180_GettyImages-2197648901.jpg?ts=1763143617 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809938/w640xh360_GettyImages-2197648901.jpg?ts=1763143617 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809938/w768xh432_GettyImages-2197648901.jpg?ts=1763143617 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809938/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2197648901.jpg?ts=1763143617 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">David L. Nemec / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The best coaches adapt to the talent at their disposal, maximizing the cards they've been dealt. And few bench bosses have been better in any facet of the game than Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has been for the better part of two decades.</p><p>Miami's new-look offense is a testament to Spoelstra's ingenuity and adaptability. Undoubtedly aided by consultant Noah LaRoche - the former Grizzlies assistant who implemented the free-flowing system Ja Morant reportedly hated - the star-less Heat are playing a beautiful, break-neck brand of basketball with Tyler Herro sidelined.</p><p>It's not just that Miami is playing fast, with the gap between the Heat's possessions per game and second-ranked Portland equivalent to the gap between the Blazers and the 11th-fastest team (they play even faster when Bam Adebayo is off the court). It's that the Heat are moving the ball, moving bodies, and making improvised decisions at a rate defenses can't keep up with.</p><p>Spoelstra has his club playing a motion-style offense that involves very few set play calls or pick-and-rolls. To put it all in perspective, consider that through 12 games, only 6.8% of Miami's possessions had been finished by a pick-and-roll ball-handler or roll-man, per <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/roll-man?dir=A&amp;sort=POSS_PCT">NBA.com</a>. The league's 29 other teams have pick-and-roll frequencies ranging from 15.7% to 27.3%.</p><p>No one has benefited more than reserve swingman Jaime Jaquez Jr., who belongs in early Most Improved Player discussions for virtually doubling his scoring and assist averages while increasing his shooting efficiency and lowering his turnover rate.</p><p>The overall team gains have been modest (from 21st in efficiency last year to 12th this season), but the fact Miami has been better at all with Herro and Adebayo out of the lineup is another feather in Spoelstra's cap. At this rate, he's running out of room for any more feathers.</p><h3>How legit are the Spurs?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809811/cropped_GettyImages-2243702077.jpg?ts=1763143672" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809811/w220xh124_GettyImages-2243702077.jpg?ts=1763143672 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809811/w320xh180_GettyImages-2243702077.jpg?ts=1763143672 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809811/w640xh360_GettyImages-2243702077.jpg?ts=1763143672 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809811/w768xh432_GettyImages-2243702077.jpg?ts=1763143672 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809811/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2243702077.jpg?ts=1763143672 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Gonzales / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>This question came from app user fzohra19, who wanted to know if the Spurs are about to turn back the clock to the franchise's dynastic years.</p><p>The dynasty question is impossible to answer, other than to say the restrictive aprons and other CBA measures intended to encourage parity are going to make it difficult for teams to stack championships the way San Antonio once did. I don't necessarily think that's a good thing, but that's <a href="https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2940429">a topic</a> for another day.</p><p>As for your question about how legit this Spurs team is, the short answer is <em>very</em>. They may prove too green to knock off winners like Oklahoma City and Denver en route to a title, but history suggests employing a superstar of Wembanyama's otherworldly abilities usually leads to some form of contention.</p><p>Even if we just look at the last five years, teams employing the last 25 All-NBA First Team selections have averaged 53 wins, with 22 of the 25 teams finishing at least top-six in their respective conferences. If Wembanyama stays relatively healthy, the Spurs will be a West playoff team. Add the backcourt duo of De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle with the stability of solid vets like Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet, and I don't think this squad would be just happy to be there, either.</p><p>With a playoff spot now the baseline, consider how much higher the Spurs can climb in the coming years as Wembanyama, Castle, Dylan Harper, and Carter Bryant improve. In addition, San Antonio still has more than enough draft capital to swing for the fences if the team wants to chase the next disgruntled star. Whether we're talking 2026 or beyond, the Spurs are built to contend and to last.</p><h3>Player of the Week</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809748/cropped_GettyImages-2245879634.jpg?ts=1763139073" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809748/w220xh124_GettyImages-2245879634.jpg?ts=1763139073 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809748/w320xh180_GettyImages-2245879634.jpg?ts=1763139073 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809748/w640xh360_GettyImages-2245879634.jpg?ts=1763139073 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809748/w768xh432_GettyImages-2245879634.jpg?ts=1763139073 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809748/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2245879634.jpg?ts=1763139073 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Juan Ocampo / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Nikola Jokic</strong>: 37.0 PPG, <em>87.4 TS%</em>, 12.5 RPG, 9.0 APG, 1.5 STL + BLK, 4-0 record</p><p>I considered Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama, Jalen Johnson, and Cade Cunningham, but how could I deny Jokic a repeat?</p><p>Look at that outrageous efficiency from a guy who nearly averaged a 37-point triple-double while leading his team to a perfect week in which they performed 19 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor as opposed to on the bench.</p><p>You should probably get used to finding Jokic's name here throughout the season, with the real suspense simply who qualified as a runner-up.</p><h3>We want to hear from you!</h3><p>Perhaps you want my opinion or insight on a burning NBA question you've had. Or, let me know if there's something specific you'd like me to ask your favorite player the next time they're in Toronto, where I speak with people from around the league before and after they play against the Raptors.</p><p>Whatever it is, you can submit your questions via:</p><ul>
<li>Comment on this story in theScore app</li>
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https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33290832/related

NBA's new All-Star format, Spo's greatness, Spurs for real?

Nico Harrison signed his career death warrant as an NBA executive the moment he decided to trade ...

<p>Nico Harrison signed his career death warrant as an NBA executive the moment he decided to trade Luka Doncic last February.</p><p>For reasons we've discussed ad nauseam, that was an egregious deal at the time, and it only continues to look worse with each passing day. The Mavericks didn't just trade away a superstar in his prime. They moved Doncic - whose conditioning and long-term durability were reportedly a concern - for a more injury-prone player (Anthony Davis) who's six years older, Max Christie, and one measly draft pick. One!</p><p>Harrison and the Mavericks traded a perennial MVP candidate under long-term team control, yet somehow emerged still owing more future first-round picks than they were owed. That's virtually unprecedented when moving a player of Doncic's caliber.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>A few weeks into the new season, Doncic is playing some of the best basketball of his already illustrious career for the 8-3 Lakers, while the Mavs languish near the Western Conference basement with a fittingly reversed 3-8 record. Much of that can be attributed to Kyrie Irving's absence and a glaring lack of competent point guard play. Who could've predicted that injuries would slow the Davis/Irving duo? The answer is everyone ... except Harrison.</p><p>That's why the Mavs finally put him out of his misery and relieved him of his duties Tuesday, a day after Mavs fans again serenaded their team with chants of "Fire Nico!"</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809563/cropped_GettyImages-2197914124.jpg?ts=1762890030" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809563/w220xh124_GettyImages-2197914124.jpg?ts=1762890030 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809563/w320xh180_GettyImages-2197914124.jpg?ts=1762890030 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809563/w640xh360_GettyImages-2197914124.jpg?ts=1762890030 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809563/w768xh432_GettyImages-2197914124.jpg?ts=1762890030 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809563/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2197914124.jpg?ts=1762890030 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Harrison's termination marks the start of a long healing process in Dallas, but there's much work to be done and many questions left to be asked. Chief among them, why did owner Patrick Dumont green-light the Doncic trade, and how can fans ever trust his judgment again? Dumont conveniently left the trade out of <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1988298977553580378">his letter</a> to fans, which was supposed to be about accountability.</p><p>The lottery gods provided one get-out-of-jail-free card when Dallas cashed in on 1.9% odds in the Cooper Flagg lottery last spring, which a tone-deaf Harrison played off as part of his grander vision. The biggest fools always assume the rest of us are as foolish and gullible as they are.</p><p>But the Mavs will need more luck when the 2026 lottery rolls around. The team controls its own first-round pick this season but doesn't do so again until 2031. The best-case scenario for Dallas' long-term future is to bottom out in 2025-26 and add another dynamic young talent in the draft, whether that be Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, or Cameron Boozer.</p><p>Landing another can't-miss prospect on Flagg's timeline would put the Mavs in a great spot going forward, especially with Harrison out of the way. Where that leaves Davis, Irving, Klay Thompson, and vets on team-friendly deals like PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford is almost irrelevant at this point. Perhaps the new regime can get more for them on the trade market than Harrison got for Doncic. What a fitting way that would be to close the book on the former GM.</p><p>Then again, whether the Mavs turn their season around, tank their way to another foundational talent, hit the jackpot with Flagg, or pull off a surplus-value trade, none of it changes the fact that those players and assets are unlikely to turn into the caliber of player Doncic is. That's how special the Slovenian superstar is, and why Dallas fell in love with him, warts and all.</p><p>For that reason, it's hard to imagine the franchise ever being able to truly turn the page on Harrison's disastrous tenure. His legacy will endure - in the worst way possible.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33241228/related

Can Dallas ever turn the page on Nico Harrison's disastrous tenure?

<p><em>Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.</em></p><h3>Is Ja Morant even worth the trouble?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808497/cropped_GettyImages-2244889195.jpg?ts=1762489524" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808497/w220xh124_GettyImages-2244889195.jpg?ts=1762489524 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808497/w320xh180_GettyImages-2244889195.jpg?ts=1762489524 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808497/w640xh360_GettyImages-2244889195.jpg?ts=1762489524 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808497/w768xh432_GettyImages-2244889195.jpg?ts=1762489524 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808497/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2244889195.jpg?ts=1762489524 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Justin Ford / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Morant's fall from grace has been one of the most unfortunate stories of recent years. Once projected as a future face of the league, the high-flying Grizzlies guard is now viewed as damaged goods. Morant's immaturity, regression, and unavailability have sunk the franchise just as quickly as his breathtaking play once revived it.</p><p>What should concern Memphis and prospective trade partners the most is that Morant appears to have learned nothing while railroading his own career, displaying a stunning lack of self-awareness and accountability.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Morant was suspended twice following incidents involving firearms on social media and appeared genuinely <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nba/article-12884219/Ja-Morant-shouts-dig-critics-NBA-return-Grizzlies.html">perplexed</a> as to why he faced criticism. He then debuted a gun-mimicking celebration and eventually <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44625683/grizzlies-morant-doing-grenade-celebration-problem">replaced</a> it with a grenade-launching gesture after being warned about the former. He was also reportedly unhappy last season with the Grizzlies' new offensive system, which offered less structure and featured fewer pick-and-roll plays. Now back in a pick-heavy offense, Morant is seemingly dissatisfied with new head coach Tuomas Iisalo's substitution patterns and willingness to call out his poor efforts.</p><p>A draft-pick rich return for Desmond Bane gave Memphis a path to a potential rebuild, which is why Morant's recent suspension and his admitted loss of basketball joy have fueled trade speculation. Under normal circumstances, the prospects of a 26-year-old star with nearly three years of team control left at 25% of the cap would be highly valued on the trade market. But don't expect a bidding war for this version of Morant. His jumper looks worse than ever, his rim frequency has declined, and his defensive upside is limited. All of that explains why the Grizzlies are losing during Morant's minutes for the first time since his rookie year.</p><p>The only thing Morant's next team can be sure of is that they'd be acquiring a fading star who refuses to believe any of it is his own fault.</p><h3>Are the Bulls for real?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808668/cropped_GettyImages-2244553248.jpg?ts=1762489560" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808668/w220xh124_GettyImages-2244553248.jpg?ts=1762489560 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808668/w320xh180_GettyImages-2244553248.jpg?ts=1762489560 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808668/w640xh360_GettyImages-2244553248.jpg?ts=1762489560 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808668/w768xh432_GettyImages-2244553248.jpg?ts=1762489560 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808668/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2244553248.jpg?ts=1762489560 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Haynes / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Reader Michael Freeman emailed me this question, and it's one we dug into on this week's <a href="https://youtu.be/VNCFppkedV4?si=semHS8g_pG0dPsVY">studio show</a>.</p><p>I don't think Chicago can challenge for the top spot in the East, where the Bulls reside after a stunning 6-1 start. However, I think there's reason for optimism in the Windy City.</p><p>First and foremost, Josh Giddey looks like a genuine building block on what might be the league's biggest bargain of a contract - a declining deal worth less than 14% of the cap three years from now. Giddey has the size to defend wings, playmaking vision to run an offense, and has improved as a shooter. Whether his shooting holds up will shape the 23-year-old's ceiling, but at the very least, he's cemented himself as a solid young player on a team-friendly deal. That's something the Bulls haven't had enough of as they've trudged toward mediocrity year after year.</p><p>Give head coach Billy Donovan his flowers, too. The guy runs a great offense and is finally being rewarded. Chicago has the most efficient shot profile for the second consecutive campaign, per <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/league/shots#tab-offense_shooting_frequency">Cleaning The Glass</a>. But Giddey is helping the Bulls turn expectations into reality, with an eighth-ranked offense that dwarfs last season's 20th-ranked attack. All this, despite Coby White yet to play a single minute as the young guard recovers from a calf strain.</p><p>This is the type of team that could make a play-in run while still invigorating a fan base, instead of the ill-fitting, veteran cores that aimlessly dragged Chicago there in recent years. It's a start!</p><h3>Should Dallas be panicking?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808955/cropped_GettyImages-2242380832.jpg?ts=1762489675" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808955/w220xh124_GettyImages-2242380832.jpg?ts=1762489675 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808955/w320xh180_GettyImages-2242380832.jpg?ts=1762489675 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808955/w640xh360_GettyImages-2242380832.jpg?ts=1762489675 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808955/w768xh432_GettyImages-2242380832.jpg?ts=1762489675 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808955/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2242380832.jpg?ts=1762489675 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">David Dow / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>This question came from Daniel in Bavaria, who noticed the slumping Mavericks weren't on my opening-week <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3380829" href="https://thescore.com/news/3380829">panic meter</a>.</p><p>The short answer is no. In Cooper Flagg, the 2-6 Mavs have the foundational piece most franchises spend years searching for. Between his rookie-scale contract and first extension, Flagg should be under team control for eight-to-nine seasons. I'd also argue that even if Dallas completely flops this campaign, it could be for the best, as 2026 is the last year the team controls its own first-round draft pick until 2031. Imagine adding Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, or fellow Blue Devil Cameron Boozer as Flagg's running mate for the foreseeable future.</p><p>The real time to panic would be if Dallas ends up a middle-of-the-pack team or strikes out in the lottery, leaving it in a precarious team-building situation around Flagg. That's where the ramifications of the Luka Doncic trade would rear their ugly head again, as general manager Nico Harrison somehow came away from trading a 25-year-old superstar still <em>owing</em> more picks than his club is owed.</p><p>In the short term, we're seeing the effects of Kyrie Irving's absence. As great as Flagg projects to be, there are obvious limitations when your best options to run the offense are an 18-year-old point forward or D'Angelo Russell. The Mavs currently own the least efficient offense the NBA has seen in <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/basketball/team-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=year_id&amp;ccomp%5B2%5D=lt&amp;cval%5B2%5D=104&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=team_off_rtg">five years</a>. Anthony Davis has been great in the handful of games he's played, but he's not an initiator. Dallas desperately needs Irving in the lineup - and needs to pray that Davis is healthy when he returns - if it's going to compete at the level Harrison believed it could over the next couple of years.</p><p>It all gets back to the irony of the Doncic trade. Harrison was reportedly so concerned with the Slovenian star's conditioning and durability (among other things, like his defense) that he traded Doncic to bet it all on a pair of much older, injury-prone stars. Great work all around.</p><h3>Inside the locker room</h3><p><em>What I'm hearing from players and people around the Association.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808957/cropped_GettyImages-2244248480.jpg?ts=1762489766" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808957/w220xh124_GettyImages-2244248480.jpg?ts=1762489766 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808957/w320xh180_GettyImages-2244248480.jpg?ts=1762489766 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808957/w640xh360_GettyImages-2244248480.jpg?ts=1762489766 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808957/w768xh432_GettyImages-2244248480.jpg?ts=1762489766 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808957/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2244248480.jpg?ts=1762489766 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Vaughn Ridley / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>The good kind of panicking</strong>: Getting a pro athlete to admit they or their team is concerned about an early-season slump is nearly impossible. They'll usually deflect, pointing out that it's too early to panic and that the sample size is too small to draw any conclusions. That's what I expected from the Raptors, who followed an impressive season-opening win in Atlanta with four straight losses fueled by wretched defense. However, after a rebuilding year in which positivity was in greater supply than wins, sophomore Jamal Shead told me it's time for Toronto to compete and that there's such a thing as good panicking.</p><p>"I would say we <em>were</em> panicking. We didn't want to lose. Everybody here knows what we bring to the table and what we can do," Shead said after a recent practice. "I wouldn't say panicking in a bad way. I think we were panicking in a good way, because we felt we shouldn't have lost those games. We were two or three possessions from winning or overtime or whatever it was in every single game. All of us have a sense of 'We want to win now' and not wait until it's time for us to move on from here."</p><p>The Raptors have responded with three straight wins to climb back to .500. Shorthanded and fatigued opponents aided that run, but you can only beat who's in front of you. Additionally, Toronto's defense has steadily improved to complement what's been an impressive (seventh-ranked) offense. For his part, Shead has been far more impactful than his modest numbers off the bench (6.9 points, 5.4 assists) would indicate.</p><h3>Player of the Week</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/cropped_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w220xh124_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w320xh180_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w640xh360_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w768xh432_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808833/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2244751190.jpg?ts=1762489810 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Nikola Jokic</strong>: 29.3 PPG, 76.0 TS%, 12.0 RPG, 13.0 APG, 4.0 STL + BLK, 2-1 record</p><p>All due respect to Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Devin Booker, but "The Joker" couldn't be denied in this category (which includes all games played since last Friday). Jokic's journey to a fourth MVP award may have begun in earnest this week, averaging a 29-point triple-double on unfathomable efficiency while continuing to anchor what's been a top-five defense. His <em>worst</em> shooting performance of the week came when he went 14-of-22 from the field.</p><h3>We want to hear from you!</h3><p>Perhaps you want my opinion or insight on a burning NBA question you've had. Or, let me know if there's something specific you'd like me to ask your favorite player the next time they're in Toronto, where I speak with people from around the league before and after they play against the Raptors.</p><p>Whatever it is, you can submit your questions via:</p><ul>
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https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33169234/related

Grizzlies face a Ja problem, Bulls surprise everyone, Mavs falling flat

<p><em>Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.</em></p><h3>Are free throws and scoring getting out of hand?</h3><p>Yes and no.</p><p>A quartet of 50-point performances in the span of five nights had many "back in my day" types up in arms about the NBA's continued scoring boom and lack of defense. Don't fret about it. Yes, four 50-point games within a season's first week is unusual, and the average team's points per game (117.7) has soared since last season (113.8) after slightly decreasing for two straight years, but that's somewhat misleading.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>League-wide scoring efficiency is down slightly over the last two years (from 115.3 in 2023-24 to 115.2 so far in 2025-26), and the percentage of shots that come from 3-point range has actually slightly decreased from 42.1% last season to 41.7% this year.</p><p>The biggest change fueling the crooked numbers is simply that teams are playing faster and generating more possessions per game. Entering play Friday, the league-average pace of 101 possessions per game was the NBA's fastest in 40 years. In addition, the 2.2 extra possessions per game, compared to 2024-25, would mark the biggest year-over-year increase in seven seasons.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807960/cropped_GettyImages-2201618794.jpg?ts=1761917907" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807960/w220xh124_GettyImages-2201618794.jpg?ts=1761917907 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807960/w320xh180_GettyImages-2201618794.jpg?ts=1761917907 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807960/w640xh360_GettyImages-2201618794.jpg?ts=1761917907 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807960/w768xh432_GettyImages-2201618794.jpg?ts=1761917907 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807960/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2201618794.jpg?ts=1761917907 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">David Berding / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Having said all that, the NBA could have a real issue on its hands if fouls continue to be called at the current clip. The rate of fouls committed per 100 possessions is higher than it's been in 15 years, while the number of free throws per field-goal attempt hasn't been this high in 17 years.</p><p>The league's officials started to allow defenses more freedom - and did a better job ignoring non-basketball movements by foul-baiters - during the second half of the 2023-24 season and throughout the 2024-25 campaign. That resulted in the lowest foul rate on record (since 1973) last season and the lowest free-throw rate since the NBA's inaugural campaign (1946-47). As Nuggets reporter Adam Mares recently <a href="https://x.com/Adam_Mares/status/1982675525748633849">noted</a>, there were only 67 instances of a player shooting 15 free throws in a game last season, or roughly one per 18.4 games on the NBA schedule. There have already been 15 such instances this season, or roughly one per 4.8 contests.</p><p>Is the increased frequency of whistles related to the fact that more teams are prioritizing aggressive ball pressure on the defensive end? Are refs again being duped by foul-grifters who've adapted to the officiating changes of the last couple years? We'll continue to monitor the trend throughout the campaign.</p><p>Oh, and one last thought for the conspiracy theorists who believe the glamorous Lakers always get the benefit of the whistle. It's true that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves own two of the three <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/basketball/player-game-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=fta&amp;timeframe=seasons&amp;year_min=2026&amp;year_max=2026&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=15&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=fta">highest</a> free-throw attempt games this season. But the only other team that's had two different players attempt 15 in a game is ... Utah. Has anyone ever said the Jazz are aided by officials? Exactly.</p><h3>MJ vs. load management</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806651/cropped_GettyImages-2218660286.jpg?ts=1761918067" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806651/w220xh124_GettyImages-2218660286.jpg?ts=1761918067 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806651/w320xh180_GettyImages-2218660286.jpg?ts=1761918067 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806651/w640xh360_GettyImages-2218660286.jpg?ts=1761918067 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806651/w768xh432_GettyImages-2218660286.jpg?ts=1761918067 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806651/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2218660286.jpg?ts=1761918067 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Noren Trotman / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>As discussed on the <a href="https://youtu.be/TVHij67BUik?si=RSWv-WRuVrRhXomP&amp;t=1097">latest episode</a> of theScore's weekly NBA studio show, there's no right or wrong when it comes to Michael Jordan's <a href="https://x.com/NBAonNBC/status/1983364626726138150">issues</a> with load management or the practice itself. It's simply a generational divide that will never be bridged.</p><p>I can't fault Jordan or any other old-timer for failing to understand how today's stars - whose salaries dwarf the contracts of their basketball forefathers - can miss so many games due to rest and precaution. But it's also unfair to criticize modern ballers for playing and maintaining their bodies in the only environment they've ever known. Between modern advancements in sports science, wearable devices that allow teams to track and monitor fatigue levels and increased injury risks, and those bloated contracts franchises see as long-term investments, today's stars have spent their entire basketball lives operating in a world where, if you're not quite right, you don't take the court.</p><p>In his rant against load management, even Jordan acknowledged that, "Physically, if I can't do it, then I can't do it," with respect to sitting out games when he truly couldn't play. I'm not so sure it's desire that's lacking in modern players. It's that the goalposts have moved when it comes to what constitutes being physically fit to play, and it wasn't the players who moved them. The multibillion-dollar industry they're part of did.</p><h3>Inside the locker room</h3><p><em>What I'm hearing from players and people around the Association.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807962/cropped_GettyImages-2243527835.jpg?ts=1761918191" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807962/w220xh124_GettyImages-2243527835.jpg?ts=1761918191 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807962/w320xh180_GettyImages-2243527835.jpg?ts=1761918191 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807962/w640xh360_GettyImages-2243527835.jpg?ts=1761918191 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807962/w768xh432_GettyImages-2243527835.jpg?ts=1761918191 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807962/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2243527835.jpg?ts=1761918191 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin Sousa / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Giannis' words of wisdom</strong>: It was fascinating to walk inside the (visiting) Milwaukee Bucks' locker room after an opening-week win in Toronto and find Giannis Antetokounmpo imparting his new teammates with some schedule-related wisdom. The Greek Freak was discussing how poor of a start the Bucks got off to last season (2-8) and how it negatively affected the remainder of their year. His message to his team was that you have to win the games you're supposed to. "You've got to get the ones you've gotta get," Antetokounmpo told guard Cole Anthony, adding that if you do that and find a way to be in games against tougher opponents in the fourth quarter, you'll have a good season.</p><p>For what it's worth, it sounded like the Bucks considered a road game against the Raptors, who entered that contest 1-0, as one of the games they should get. Given the way Toronto has <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3380829" href="https://thescore.com/news/3380829">looked</a> since then, it appears they were right.</p><p><strong>Steven Adams is <em>strong</em></strong>: Everyone familiar with the NBA knows veteran center Steven Adams is strong, but the Rockets big man can still surprise some rookies who've only watched him from afar. With Raptors center Jakob Poeltl sidelined for a game between Toronto and Houston on Wednesday, the task of matching up against Adams sometimes fell to 6-foot-7 rookie Collin Murray-Boyles. The 20-year-old is only four inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter than Adams, but as Murray-Boyles quickly found out, there are levels to this.</p><p>"Adams is the strongest ..." Murray-Boyles told me before trailing off and chuckling to himself in disbelief. "He's insanely strong. My wrists are sore from trying to box him out and tussle with him. It's impossible. His strength is - I didn't think it was like <em>that</em>. It's insane. No one can get over his screens. I was asking him midgame what his (strength) routine is."</p><p>For the record, Adams didn't divulge much about that routine other than consuming a lot of meat.</p><h3>Player of the Week</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807941/cropped_GettyImages-2243712549.jpg?ts=1761918254" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807941/w220xh124_GettyImages-2243712549.jpg?ts=1761918254 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807941/w320xh180_GettyImages-2243712549.jpg?ts=1761918254 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807941/w640xh360_GettyImages-2243712549.jpg?ts=1761918254 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807941/w768xh432_GettyImages-2243712549.jpg?ts=1761918254 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807941/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2243712549.jpg?ts=1761918254 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ronald Cortes / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Victor Wembanyama</strong>: 30.2 PPG, 64.5 TS%, 14.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, 6.2 STL + BLK, 5-0 record</p><p>Our first edition of this award actually encompasses two weeks, but Wembanyama was a pretty easy choice here (with all due respect to Antetokounmpo, Reaves, and Tyrese Maxey). For anyone thinking Wemby's line only looks impressive because it's an early-season sample, consider that he's just the <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/basketball/player-span-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=date&amp;timeframe=seasons&amp;span_length=5&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=14&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=trb_per_g&amp;ccomp%5B3%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B3%5D=4&amp;cstat%5B3%5D=blk_per_g">seventh</a> player since 1973 - and the first since Tim Duncan 24 years ago - to average at least 30 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks over <em>any</em> five-game span.</p><h3>We want to hear from you!</h3><p>Going forward, I'd love to devote some time each week to a reader's question. Perhaps you want my opinion or insight on a burning NBA question you've had, or maybe there's something you desperately want me to ask your favorite player the next time they roll through Toronto, where I talk to players around the league before and after they play the Raptors.</p><p>Whatever it is, you can submit your questions via:</p><ul>
<li>Comment on this story in theScore app</li>
<li>Email me at <a href="mailto:joseph.casciaro@thescore.com">joseph.casciaro@thescore.com</a>
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https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33055284/related

From The Logo: Too many fouls, MJ vs. load management, Wembymania

A week's worth of games is far too small a sample to yield any sweeping conclusions, but fans are...

<p>A week's worth of games is far too small a sample to yield any sweeping conclusions, but fans are human after all. The three or four games each team has played are the measuring stick right now, and some of the results are concerning.</p><p>Here's why a handful of teams should be feeling at least a little uneasy. We'll also rate how worried fans should be on a scale of one-to-five.</p><h3>New Orleans Pelicans</h3><p><strong>Panic meter</strong>: 😟😟😟😟😟</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807593/cropped_GettyImages-2243140573.jpg?ts=1761676355" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807593/w220xh124_GettyImages-2243140573.jpg?ts=1761676355 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807593/w320xh180_GettyImages-2243140573.jpg?ts=1761676355 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807593/w640xh360_GettyImages-2243140573.jpg?ts=1761676355 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807593/w768xh432_GettyImages-2243140573.jpg?ts=1761676355 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807593/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2243140573.jpg?ts=1761676355 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Chris Graythen / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>It bears repeating: A Pelicans team that went 21-61 last year, was projected to finish near the bottom of the Western Conference this season, and is often without its franchise player traded an unprotected 2026 first-round pick (the more favorable of its own selection or Milwaukee's) ahead of what should be a stellar draft class. Everyone outside of New Orleans - and plenty of fans in the Big Easy - could foresee the disaster that was about to play out.</p><p>And here we are. Despite some gaudy production from Zion Williamson, the Pels opened the season with a couple of divisional losses to the Grizzlies and Spurs, then got run out of their own building by a previously winless (and Tatum-less) Celtics squad. Williamson missed that third game with a bone bruise in his left foot.</p><p>Barring the emergence of rookie Derik Queen as a legitimate star, there will be no bigger train wreck this season than Joe Dumars' Pelicans.</p><h3>Orlando Magic</h3><p><strong>Panic meter</strong>: 😟😟😟😟</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807594/cropped_GettyImages-2243319616.jpg?ts=1761676446" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807594/w220xh124_GettyImages-2243319616.jpg?ts=1761676446 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807594/w320xh180_GettyImages-2243319616.jpg?ts=1761676446 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807594/w640xh360_GettyImages-2243319616.jpg?ts=1761676446 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807594/w768xh432_GettyImages-2243319616.jpg?ts=1761676446 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807594/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2243319616.jpg?ts=1761676446 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mitchell Leff / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Speaking of things that bear repeating, the Magic haven't finished higher than 22nd in offensive efficiency since 2011-12. The acquisition of three-level scorer Desmond Bane was supposed to fix that, plugging the biggest hole on an otherwise solid East playoff team. That's why I believed the pick-heavy price Orlando paid for Bane was worth it.</p><p>A week into the new season, the Magic rank 25th in overall efficiency, 27th in half-court efficiency, and 24th in expected efficiency, according to Cleaning the Glass. That helps explain Orlando's 1-3 record despite being favored in all four games.</p><p>Bane's usually dependable 3-point stroke has yet to stabilize, but there's no need to worry about that. His efficiency will be there as the sample size grows. The bigger concern is how out of sorts Paolo Banchero has looked on the offensive end.</p><p>The Magic are still a young team and the weak East allows for some early hiccups, but there is more urgency in Orlando than you might think. The Bane deal and recent extensions for Banchero (worth $239 million-$287 million) and Franz Wagner mean the Magic are a projected second-apron team next season. There are ways to avoid that restrictive category, like ditching Jonathan Isaac's non-guaranteed contract. And there are ways to get around not having a tradeable first-rounder until 2032, since there is some cost-controlled young talent on the roster. But tough decisions lurk around the corner, and the Magic were hoping to confront them on the heels of a wildly successful season. Does this seem like the start of one?</p><h3>Toronto Raptors</h3><p><strong>Panic meter</strong>: 😟😟😟</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806759/cropped_GettyImages-2241334044.jpg?ts=1761162530" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806759/w220xh124_GettyImages-2241334044.jpg?ts=1761162530 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806759/w320xh180_GettyImages-2241334044.jpg?ts=1761162530 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806759/w640xh360_GettyImages-2241334044.jpg?ts=1761162530 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806759/w768xh432_GettyImages-2241334044.jpg?ts=1761162530 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806759/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2241334044.jpg?ts=1761162530 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Brian Babineau / National Basketball Association / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Toronto's 1-3 start is concerning more because of the process than the results - the Raptors' record is probably in line with expectations given their tough early schedule.</p><p>But starting point guard Immanuel Quickley and starting center Jakob Poeltl, who are both on sizable contracts through at least 2029, have been dreadful. Quickley has been a turnstile on defense while shooting 18% from deep. Poeltl, clearly hampered by a bad back, has no lift on either end.</p><p>Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett have been productive and efficient, with Barnes also flashing his all-world defensive potential. But the franchise star has given up at least one easy bucket while arguing with officials with his back turned to live play.</p><p>Then there's the overall decision-making. Toronto's personnel doesn't look capable of executing head coach Darko Rajakovic's pressure-packed defensive schemes; every player on the Raptors' roster is guilty of over-helping or getting involved in a nonsensical defensive rotation at least once per quarter. This <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3352610" href="https://thescore.com/news/3352610">expensive</a> team looks lost, and that's the kind of thing that eventually leads to dreaded early-season closed-door meetings and uncomfortable questions.</p><h3>Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><p><strong>Panic meter</strong>: 😟😟</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807595/cropped_GettyImages-2243065561.jpg?ts=1761676639" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807595/w220xh124_GettyImages-2243065561.jpg?ts=1761676639 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807595/w320xh180_GettyImages-2243065561.jpg?ts=1761676639 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807595/w640xh360_GettyImages-2243065561.jpg?ts=1761676639 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807595/w768xh432_GettyImages-2243065561.jpg?ts=1761676639 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807595/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2243065561.jpg?ts=1761676639 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>If you use against-the-spread <a href="https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/trends/ats_trends/">metrics</a> to determine how teams have performed compared to game-by-game expectations, only the Magic have been more disappointing than the Timberwolves.</p><p>Minnesota's defense has been uncharacteristically awful, and its offense is about to be tested by the absence of Anthony Edwards, who's expected to miss at least eight games due to a hamstring strain. The Wolves have a fairly easy schedule over the next couple of weeks, Julius Randle has looked great thus far, and this team has demonstrated resiliency before. But if Minnesota can't tread water without Edwards, or if Ant Man ends up sidelined for a longer period of time, the unforgiving West can bury a team quickly. That's a scary thought for a first-apron franchise that can't trade another first-rounder until 2033 - a year in which draft picks aren't even movable yet.</p><h3>Atlanta Hawks</h3><p><strong>Panic meter</strong>: 😟</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781269/cropped_GettyImages-2210259596.jpg?ts=1745025620" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781269/w220xh124_GettyImages-2210259596.jpg?ts=1745025620 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781269/w320xh180_GettyImages-2210259596.jpg?ts=1745025620 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781269/w640xh360_GettyImages-2210259596.jpg?ts=1745025620 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781269/w768xh432_GettyImages-2210259596.jpg?ts=1745025620 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/781269/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2210259596.jpg?ts=1745025620 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Joe Boatman / National Basketball Association / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>What does it say about the Hawks that the aforementioned Raptors' only win came in Atlanta, where Toronto hung 138 points on them?</p><p>Like Orlando (which handed the Hawks their only win), Atlanta was supposed to challenge for a top-three seed and threaten the East's balance of power. The Hawks still might, but a 1-3 start in which Trae Young has been the league's second-least <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=ts_pct&amp;year_min=2026&amp;year_max=2026&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=2&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=games&amp;ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B2%5D=20&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=pts_per_g">efficient</a> 20-point scorer while continuing to bleed points on the other end hasn't inspired much confidence.</p><p>There's at least some reason to panic: Atlanta's been disappointing thus far and faces some big questions about <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3376952" href="https://thescore.com/news/3376952">Young's future</a>. But that Pelicans pick and youngsters like Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Asa Newell allow the Hawks to breathe a lot easier than anyone else on this list.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33029146/related

NBA panic meter: How much should we worry about these 5 teams?

The NBA is back for its 80th season, and while there will be plenty of basketball to break down o...

<p>The NBA is back for its 80th season, and while there will be plenty of basketball to break down over the next eight months, we all know that the Association is also uniquely equipped to provide plenty of transactional drama.</p><p>Headlining this year's rumor mill are Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James, the former seemingly nearing the end of his legendary run in Milwaukee, and the latter perhaps eyeing a more competitive team than the incumbent Lakers for what could be his last dance. However, The Greek Freak and King James have been discussed ad nauseam already, so let's highlight a handful of other stars who could be on the move this year.</p><p>For what it's worth, though these suggestions are based purely on opinion, they are not pie-in-the-sky scenarios. For a variety of reasons discussed below, they could emerge as realistic trade candidates over the next few months. When I <a href="http://youtu.be/2ii6Undxz4k?si=VgNeEPPQav3B0qDO">attempted this exercise</a> during the summer of 2024, six of the stars I projected as 2024-25 trade candidates ended up being moved over the ensuing year (Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, and Kevin Durant).</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Here are this year's candidates:</p><h3>Ja Morant</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804484/cropped_GettyImages-2238127050.jpg?ts=1761319443" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804484/w220xh124_GettyImages-2238127050.jpg?ts=1761319443 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804484/w320xh180_GettyImages-2238127050.jpg?ts=1761319443 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804484/w640xh360_GettyImages-2238127050.jpg?ts=1761319443 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804484/w768xh432_GettyImages-2238127050.jpg?ts=1761319443 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804484/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2238127050.jpg?ts=1761319443 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Justin Ford / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>A healthy, drama-free season from Morant would make this suggestion seem foolish in hindsight. The two-time All-Star transformed the Grizzlies upon his arrival in Memphis, consistently raising the team's floor and ceiling over his first few years in the league. Unfortunately, whether due to off-court issues that led to multiple suspensions or general durability concerns, Morant hasn't been the same player Memphis once committed its future to.</p><p>The Grizzlies took the first step toward a potential teardown when they traded Desmond Bane this summer. In an ideal world, their newfound flexibility could be used to build something sustainable around Morant and two-way big man Jaren Jackson Jr.</p><p>But if Morant can't stay in the lineup, or the Grizzlies just don't look capable of contending again any time soon in the unforgiving West, I could see the front office pivoting to a Jackson-centered rebuild or even completely starting from scratch. In either scenario, Morant might be the first to go. Though there are valid questions to be asked about his present-day value, Morant is still a breathtaking star when healthy, entering what should be his prime years, and under contract for less than 25% of the cap in 2026-27 and 2027-28. Rival teams would surely be willing to pay up for such a player.</p><h3>Domantas Sabonis</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806891/cropped_GettyImages-2207721756.jpg?ts=1761319585" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806891/w220xh124_GettyImages-2207721756.jpg?ts=1761319585 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806891/w320xh180_GettyImages-2207721756.jpg?ts=1761319585 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806891/w640xh360_GettyImages-2207721756.jpg?ts=1761319585 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806891/w768xh432_GettyImages-2207721756.jpg?ts=1761319585 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806891/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2207721756.jpg?ts=1761319585 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Rocky Widner / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The good vibes in Sacramento lasted about a year before the Kings turned back into ... well, the Kings. This team has offensive talent, but it's also a misfit roster put together by a directionless front office trying to compete in an incredibly tough conference. The Kings have 13th place written all over them, and that should be enough to fuel trade speculation about Sabonis.</p><p>The big man's value will be a fascinating case study. As a double-double machine and a three-time All-Star who can serve as a playmaking hub and has led the league in rebounds three straight years, Sabonis is a bonafide floor-raiser. But as a non-shooting, defensively challenged center, he likely caps a team's ceiling while playing on a contract that will pay him roughly $45 million per year for the next three seasons.</p><p>Still, there is plenty of space between the surefire contenders and shameless tankers. The majority of NBA teams reside in the meaty middle, and at least one of them would be willing to part with assets for a 29-year-old star under long-term control who has averaged roughly 19 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists on 64% true shooting over the last five years.</p><h3>Trae Young</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780816/cropped_GettyImages-2210490947.jpg?ts=1761319530" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780816/w220xh124_GettyImages-2210490947.jpg?ts=1761319530 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780816/w320xh180_GettyImages-2210490947.jpg?ts=1761319530 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780816/w640xh360_GettyImages-2210490947.jpg?ts=1761319530 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780816/w768xh432_GettyImages-2210490947.jpg?ts=1761319530 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/780816/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2210490947.jpg?ts=1761319530 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Hawks will be one of this season's most <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3332736" href="https://thescore.com/news/3332736">fascinating</a> teams. They could challenge for a top-four seed and loom as an outside threat to make the conference finals. They could also continue their trend of hovering around .500 and the depressing Eastern Conference play-in race. The former would likely lead to an extension agreement with Young, who has only a 2026-27 player option remaining on his contract. The latter might force both player and team to explore new avenues, in which case the pending free agent could be this year's biggest trade target.</p><p>Having said that, those contractual uncertainties and Young's glaring defensive issues could also suppress his trade market. Still, keep an eye on Atlanta's fortunes over the next couple of months. It has the potential to set the stage for the rest of the league's trade activity.</p><h3>Bam Adebayo</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755591/cropped_GettyImages-2184287037.jpg?ts=1761319749" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755591/w220xh124_GettyImages-2184287037.jpg?ts=1761319749 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755591/w320xh180_GettyImages-2184287037.jpg?ts=1761319749 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755591/w640xh360_GettyImages-2184287037.jpg?ts=1761319749 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755591/w768xh432_GettyImages-2184287037.jpg?ts=1761319749 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755591/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2184287037.jpg?ts=1761319749 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Pepper Robinson / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Pat Riley's Miami Heat are almost always the buyer in star-trade negotiations, not the seller. But this year will be different. The Heat are a projected play-in team <em>again</em>, and they can no longer rely on Jimmy Butler's ceiling-raising postseason heroics to propel them in the spring. As presently constructed, Miami is a very expensive pile of mediocrity.</p><p>Adebayo is a solid big man and borderline All-Star, but he's lost a step over the last year or so, and he's set to earn 30-plus percent of the salary cap for at least the next two seasons. Teams can no longer afford to commit such dollars to second-tier stars in the age of aprons, and certainly not when they're non-contenders. That leaves a team like, say, the Warriors as a possibility to overpay Adebayo instead, while the Heat could create flexibility ahead of future free-agent pursuits in 2027.</p><p><strong>Honorable mentions</strong>: Zion Williamson, LaMelo Ball</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807019/cropped_GettyImages-1230488665.jpg?ts=1761323462" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807019/w220xh124_GettyImages-1230488665.jpg?ts=1761323462 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807019/w320xh180_GettyImages-1230488665.jpg?ts=1761323462 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807019/w640xh360_GettyImages-1230488665.jpg?ts=1761323462 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807019/w768xh432_GettyImages-1230488665.jpg?ts=1761323462 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807019/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1230488665.jpg?ts=1761323462 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Layne Murdoch Jr. / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Williamson must get fit and escape injury if New Orleans is going to compete in the tough West and avoid sending Atlanta a juicy pick in a loaded class. But at what point do they rip the band-aid off and find a taker (plus future assets) for Williamson's incentive-laden contract?</p><p>As for Ball, he's an entertaining and audacious guard any team would love to build around ... if they could ever be sure he was healthy and focused. Unfortunately, Ball has missed 42% of Charlotte's games over his five-year career and can be a deeply unserious player on both ends of the court. Don't be shocked if the Hornets cut bait with him barring a significant step forward when it comes to his durability and maturity.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/32963704/related

Why these NBA stars could be on the move this season

There's no worse place to be in professional sports than stuck in the middle, but that's exactly ...

<p>There's no worse place to be in professional sports than stuck in the middle, but that's exactly where the 2025-26 Toronto Raptors project to land after a somewhat incomplete rebuild.</p><p>The Raptors traded multiple first-round draft picks to chase playoff spots in 2022 and 2023. Between 2023 and 2024, they traded or lost Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet in an effort to build around Scottie Barnes. Toronto then attempted to bottom out last year, only to go 22-21 down the stretch and end up with the ninth overall pick. The Raptors also traded for and extended former All-Star Brandon Ingram.</p><p>In other words, despite trying just about everything, they've ended up with what looks like the same caliber of team the front office decided to blow up two years ago. That helps explain why beloved president Masai Ujiri was relieved of his duties despite the immense weight his name carries in NBA circles and beyond.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Following an executive search, the Raptors handed the reins to general manager Bobby Webster, who received a contract extension but not the presidential title Ujiri held for so long. That sequence of events left many wondering whether ownership is committed to returning the Raptors to glory or just seeking a cheaper version of the status quo.</p><p>Webster, a salary-cap whiz Ujiri plucked out of the NBA's head office 12 years ago, is ready for the challenge.</p><p>"As you guys know, Masai's incredibly intense and inspirational, loves to give a good motivational speech. We'll probably miss those, but it's also a great time for us to spread our wings as well," Webster told reporters in September.</p><p>If Webster's Raptors are going to prove the doubters wrong, Ingram will be a big reason why. The decision to acquire him was curious, but not indefensible. The 2020 All-Star had become undervalued in New Orleans, his shot-creation skills could plug Toronto's biggest hole, and his playmaking and defensive chops are far from the black holes some critics suggest.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/805575/cropped_GettyImages-2240046083.jpg?ts=1760558984" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/805575/w220xh124_GettyImages-2240046083.jpg?ts=1760558984 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/805575/w320xh180_GettyImages-2240046083.jpg?ts=1760558984 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/805575/w640xh360_GettyImages-2240046083.jpg?ts=1760558984 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/805575/w768xh432_GettyImages-2240046083.jpg?ts=1760558984 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/805575/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2240046083.jpg?ts=1760558984 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>At 28 years old, Ingram should be in his prime, but injuries have limited him to 45.5 games per year over the last four seasons, and February will mark six years since his lone All-Star selection.</p><p>Ingram's laid-back demeanor can give the impression he's fine with all of that; that he was happy to collect his paycheck and chuck midrange jumpers when healthy enough to do so. But he's more introspective than he's given credit for.</p><p>"I think rather than proving people wrong, it's just proving to myself who I am," Ingram said on media day when asked if he's motivated to remind the basketball world who he is. "Stepping into a new role with new teammates and new coaches, having the responsibility of being my best self every day and winning basketball games, that's the most exciting part for me. When you try to prove yourself to other people, it never works out."</p><p>Head coach Darko Rajakovic has learned that Ingram is a "basketball junkie" who loves to consume and talk hoops. But figuring out how Ingram fits in a fast-paced offensive system where the ball and the man are supposed to be in constant motion might be Rajakovic's biggest test.</p><p>"First of all, I want Brandon to be himself, to feel comfortable in his own skill. I also expect him to take his game to another level. The game is changing. It's becoming more about the open court - more running and more transition. He'll have to grow in that aspect as well," Rajakovic said on media day.</p><p>"Obviously, he's a big scorer. We're going to put him in situations where he cannot just score, but playmake. That's one area of his game that's been overlooked is his willingness to pass the ball and make the right play. With his size and scoring ability, he's going to attract a lot of attention, and I believe he's going to be really good at finding his teammates and making the right play. We need to play to a standard of how we want to share the ball, how we want to play, and how we want to get very efficient shots. I think he's going to fit in really well."</p><p>To Rajakovic's point, the Raptors boasted the league's fourth-most efficient shot profile last season, according to <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/league/shots#tab-offense_shooting_frequency">Cleaning the Glass</a>. They just didn't have the shot-making talent to capitalize on it, finishing with the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?Season=2024-25&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=OFF_RATING">26th-ranked</a> offense. The hope is that Ingram's arrival helps narrow the gap between expected efficiency and reality, producing a more complete offense to complement a defense that ranked <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?DateFrom=01/10/2025&amp;Season=2024-25&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING">third</a> in the second half of last season.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/794056/cropped_GettyImages-2003197370.jpg?ts=1760559167" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/794056/w220xh124_GettyImages-2003197370.jpg?ts=1760559167 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/794056/w320xh180_GettyImages-2003197370.jpg?ts=1760559167 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/794056/w640xh360_GettyImages-2003197370.jpg?ts=1760559167 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/794056/w768xh432_GettyImages-2003197370.jpg?ts=1760559167 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/794056/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2003197370.jpg?ts=1760559167 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mark Blinch / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Ingram joins a talented but mishmash roster that has gotten deeper while the Eastern Conference has gotten weaker, opening up a wide range of possibilities. The Raptors are a projected play-in team, but they could realistically challenge any East squad outside of Cleveland or New York just as easily as they could miss the postseason altogether.</p><p>A lot has to go right for them to hit their ceiling. First and foremost, Barnes must shake off a wretched preseason, emerge as the consistent franchise cornerstone Toronto is now paying him to be, and thrive in the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3352620" href="https://thescore.com/news/3352620">off-ball</a> role he's perfectly suited for.</p><p>Veteran center Jakob Poeltl, who was recently extended through 2030, must stay healthy. Positionally sound defense and pristine screen-setting might not excite fans, but Poeltl is arguably Toronto's most indispensable player.</p><p>Immanuel Quickley needs to maximize the on-ball and movement-shooting skills that were supposed to make him an ideal fit next to Barnes. If nothing else, a bounce-back season would make Quickley's $32.5-million salary palatable.</p><p>The Raptors need to decide whether hometown star RJ Barrett is a building block or a trade chip, and they need at least one of their young reserves (like Gradey Dick, Ja'Kobe Walter, or Jamal Shead) to pop. On that note, there's a ton of internal optimism about rookie big man Collin Murray-Boyles, whose suffocating defense is NBA-ready and whose offensive game is further along than originally assumed.</p><p>If too few of those scenarios play out, the Raptors will be stuck in no-man's land - a 30-something-win team staring at a luxury-tax bill and first-apron ramifications, though Webster doesn't sound too concerned.</p><p>"I don't even know how big of a story that (financial situation) is. The likelihood that this team is the exact same by the end of the year is probably zero. With one move, you can get under the tax," Webster said. "We're fortunate to be in one of the biggest, most lucrative markets in the NBA, so I don't see the financial piece affecting us," he added.</p><p>In an ideal world, those resources would allow a team to withstand whatever proves necessary to optimize its long-term trajectory, even if that means punting on a lost season in pursuit of increased lottery odds. Far too often, however, big-market clubs take a Bulls-like approach, chasing mediocrity (and a couple home playoff games) like a dog chases its tail rather than zooming out to see the big picture.</p><p>A successful Raptors season would mean not having to confront either of those choices.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/32911565/related

Are the Raptors directionless or on the rise?

With the start of the 2025-26 campaign days away, here are 12 intriguing storylines to follow thr...

<p><em>With the start of the 2025-26 campaign days away, here are 12 intriguing storylines to follow throughout the basketball calendar.</em></p><h3>Giannis' last stand in Milwaukee</h3><p>Everyone associated with the Bucks will downplay reports of offseason trade discussions with the Knicks, Giannis Antetokounmpo's discontent, and the franchise's generally murky future. It's merely a coping mechanism. Antetokounmpo will remain diplomatic as he and Milwaukee navigate the 2025-26 campaign, but the Greek Freak has already soft-launched his eventual trade request and Wisconsin exit with recent comments about potentially changing his mind in six or seven months.</p><p>The Knicks are reportedly his preferred destination, and the fact that Antetokounmpo is extension-eligible next summer (with only one guaranteed year remaining on his contract at that point) gives him leverage. But don't get it twisted. A sizable portion of the league will spend this season assessing their chances of landing the two-time MVP - as they should. If Antetokounmpo remains as effective as ever this year, he'll be the best player to hit the trade market since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left Milwaukee (for Los Angeles) 50 years ago.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Will Leonard, Clippers face punishment?</h3><p>If the NBA finds sufficient evidence to confirm the allegations from the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast - notably, that the Clippers circumvented the cap when they re-signed Kawhi Leonard in 2021 - commissioner Adam Silver will have no choice but to bring the hammer down.</p><p>The closest precedent for such a CBA crime was when the Timberwolves skirted the cap to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8KqvPARbxo">sign Joe Smith</a> in 1999. Then-commissioner David Stern voided Smith's contract, fined Minnesota $3.5 million, and stripped the franchise of four first-round draft picks (originally five before one was returned). What the Clippers allegedly did was arguably worse: using a third party to funnel funds to Leonard.</p><p>Los Angeles quietly went about building arguably the deepest team of Leonard's tenure this summer after last season's surprising 50-win campaign. The Clippers will also host the 2026 All-Star Game, so the eyes of the basketball world would've landed on Steve Ballmer's squad at some point. The specter of this scandal only brings more attention. Will Ballmer, Leonard, and the Clippers be vindicated, or will a club that already doesn't control its own first-rounder until 2030 be taken to the woodshed?</p><h3>LeBron's future with Luka's Lakers</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/803540/cropped_GettyImages-2237806844.jpg?ts=1759188057" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/803540/w220xh124_GettyImages-2237806844.jpg?ts=1759188057 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/803540/w320xh180_GettyImages-2237806844.jpg?ts=1759188057 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/803540/w640xh360_GettyImages-2237806844.jpg?ts=1759188057 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/803540/w768xh432_GettyImages-2237806844.jpg?ts=1759188057 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/803540/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2237806844.jpg?ts=1759188057 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>LeBron James' latest <em>decision</em> may have been a Hennessy marketing ploy, but it doesn't change the fact that the end is near for the NBA's all-time leading scorer.</p><p>With the 40-year-old playing on an expiring contract and having already become the first player to enter a 23rd season, questions about James' future were always going to hover over the 2025-26 Lakers. And that was before it was announced he would miss the start of the season due to sciatica.</p><p>Even if this season isn't King James' last dance, it sure feels like the end of his Lakers tenure, which has now lasted longer than any of James' continuous runs with another team.</p><p>Adding to all that James-centric drama, the Lakers enter the new season as Luka Doncic's squad. They may not be ready to contend as presently constructed (and Deandre Ayton isn't the right center to pair with the Slovenian), but a motivated and leaner Doncic should find himself squarely in the MVP discussion.</p><h3>Can the reloaded Nuggets (or anyone else) stop OKC?</h3><p>Oklahoma City was in a class of its own last season, compiling 68 regular-season wins and claiming the franchise's first title despite being younger than the previous 47 NBA champions. That young core is somehow still getting better, with reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander only entering his prime years and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren on the cusp of superstardom. Additionally, 20-year-old guard Nikola Topic is ready to enter a championship rotation that otherwise looks the same as the one that was drenched in champagne when we last saw it.</p><p>Earning 70 wins and a second straight title is well within reach. The only question is whether there's a team out there that can even challenge the healthy Thunder. Nikola Jokic's Nuggets look like the biggest threat after they turned Michael Porter Jr. into Cam Johnson this summer, then added Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown, and Tim Hardaway Jr.</p><p>Fred VanVleet's knee injury already weakened one legitimate challenger to OKC's throne, as the Rockets had essentially plugged every hole when they acquired Kevin Durant to address their shot-creation issues.</p><h3>Can the Knicks or Cavs get over the hump?</h3><p>The East has long been the lesser conference, and that divide will only grow this year, with the Celtics and Pacers taking a step back after losing Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton to Achilles injuries last spring. The Cavaliers and Knicks are head and shoulders clear of any other East teams. If either one stumbles, finishes outside the top two during the regular season, or falls short of the conference final, it'll be a monumental failure.</p><p>Of course, at least one of the Cavs or Knicks won't reach the Finals, and it'll be as painful a missed opportunity as any club can endure. Cleveland enters the season as the league's only second-apron team, while New York is staring down its best chance to end a 53-year title drought since the mid-'90s heyday of Patrick Ewing and Pat Riley.</p><h3>Is Wembymania about to run wild on the NBA?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797001/cropped_GettyImages-1956020346.jpg?ts=1754689775" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797001/w220xh124_GettyImages-1956020346.jpg?ts=1754689775 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797001/w320xh180_GettyImages-1956020346.jpg?ts=1754689775 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797001/w640xh360_GettyImages-1956020346.jpg?ts=1754689775 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797001/w768xh432_GettyImages-1956020346.jpg?ts=1754689775 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797001/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1956020346.jpg?ts=1754689775 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Gonzales / National Basketball Association / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>We've caught glimpses of the NBA's Victor Wembanyama-dominated future over the giant Frenchman's first couple of seasons, but it feels like the full scope of his powers is about to be revealed.</p><p>The Spurs have a team ready to at least compete for a Western Conference postseason berth, while Wembanyama's two-way game should continue to develop. The hope is that San Antonio can keep him healthy after he missed 46 contests last campaign (mostly due to a blood clot). Should the big fella meet the 65-game minimum required for major award consideration, expect Wembanyama to run away with Defensive Player of the Year, earn his first All-NBA selection, and receive some downballot MVP votes.</p><p>Having said that, another injury-riddled year or lost Spurs season would bring some uncomfortable questions for a player whose <a href="https://x.com/LegionHoops/status/1978216293359566972">size</a> (7-foot-5) would seem to lend itself to durability issues. Such is life when you've been dubbed one of the greatest prospects in the history of team sports.</p><h3>Flagg and the Mavs are the biggest wild card</h3><p>There's a world in which the Mavericks contend for Western Conference supremacy. After all, Dallas has a litany of positives: a ready-made defensive infrastructure, an All-NBA caliber talent in Anthony Davis, the offensive wizardry of Kyrie Irving waiting in the wings, a solid stable of two-way depth players, and one of the best rookie prospects of his generation in Cooper Flagg.</p><p>The Mavs are also wholly capable of plummeting in the unforgiving West. For starters, Irving isn't due back from his torn ACL until January at the earliest. Expecting Davis to remain completely healthy until Irving returns seems like wishful thinking. Plus, as deep as Dallas is, shot-creation and offensive initiation will be a real issue with Irving sidelined. D'Angelo Russell is no contender's idea of a go-to guard, and for all of Flagg's otherworldly abilities, running an NBA offense is asking too much of the 18-year-old forward.</p><p>Perhaps no team has as wide a range of outcomes this season, and that makes the Mavericks as fascinating as any in the league. Also, you just know general manager Nico Harrison will say something ridiculous about his own squad, Doncic, or both at some point.</p><h3>One more run for the aging Warriors?</h3><p>The Warriors could tip off the campaign with the <a href="https://x.com/NBAcrazystats/status/1976253084134408538">oldest</a> starting lineup in NBA history, which feels untenable in the blood bath that is the Western Conference. However, Golden State went 22-5 (a 67-win pace) with Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler in the lineup last season, and Al Horford should still bring plenty of two-way utility to The Bay.</p><p>The eight-month grind to a championship requires a delicate blend of talent, smarts, chemistry, coaching, and luck. In Curry, Butler, Draymond Green, Horford, head coach Steve Kerr, and some of the depth pieces present, the Warriors should check the first four of those boxes. Whether injury luck is on the side of such a geriatric team will determine whether the Dubs have another deep run left in them.</p><h3>Can Embiid and the Sixers get healthy?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797577/cropped_GettyImages-2204898572.jpg?ts=1755203249" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797577/w220xh124_GettyImages-2204898572.jpg?ts=1755203249 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797577/w320xh180_GettyImages-2204898572.jpg?ts=1755203249 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797577/w640xh360_GettyImages-2204898572.jpg?ts=1755203249 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797577/w768xh432_GettyImages-2204898572.jpg?ts=1755203249 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797577/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2204898572.jpg?ts=1755203249 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mitchell Leff / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Speaking of injury luck, no club needs it more than the 76ers.</p><p>Last year's offseason darlings quickly became a debilitated and dysfunctional train wreck en route to a 58-loss campaign. What does this season have in store for Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, who played just 15 games together in 2024-25?</p><p>The state of Embiid's surgically repaired left knee is the biggest swing factor in Philly, and it already doesn't sound great. "I'll be honest and say it's going to be unpredictable at times, and that's OK. We're going to work with that," Embiid said at media day after appearing in only 58 regular-season contests over the last two seasons.</p><p>Even if George stays healthy and returns to All-Star status, Maxey continues his ascent to stardom, and No. 3 overall draft pick VJ Edgecombe hits the ground running, the Sixers have no shot at competing for a title without Embiid playing like an MVP again. The bloated contracts of Embiid and George also make rebuilding around Maxey and Edgecombe easier said than done. Philly's outgoing 2026 pick (to OKC) is only top-four protected, so there's not much of an in-season pivot available, either. Fun!</p><h3>The Pelicans' future hangs by a thread</h3><p>Pelicans fans, Hawks fans, and anyone who enjoys the misery of others will be monitoring New Orleans' pressure-packed season.</p><p>Sure, things could turn out OK if Zion Williamson plays 60-plus games for only the third time in seven years, but does anyone outside the Big Easy actually believe that will happen? The far more likely result is that the Pelicans, who went 21-61 last campaign and appear to be the second- or third-worst team in the West, will have to navigate large stretches again without Williamson.</p><p>That would be a tough fate in any year. But let's not forget, New Orleans traded an unprotected 2026 first-rounder (the more favorable between its own pick and Milwaukee's) to Atlanta to secure the draft rights for Maryland big man Derik Queen. And the 2026 class may be even better than the vaunted 2025 group.</p><p>If the season and the lottery odds play out as expected, the Pelicans will likely be sending an extremely valuable building block and asset to the Hawks. New Orleans is the one NBA market that can least afford such a <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/pelicans-rumors-bill-simmons-hypes-134903492.html">calamity</a>.</p><h3>Trae Young's trade market</h3><p>New Orleans' pain will be Atlanta's gain, but the Hawks may stumble upon their own crossroads at some point this year when it comes to Trae Young.</p><p>Atlanta has done an admirable job of building the type of team that can insulate Young defensively. The additions of Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard should also bolster a roster that looks capable of a top-four seed in the East, particularly if rising star Jalen Johnson stays healthy. Such a best-case scenario could lead to a contract extension for Young, who only has a 2026-27 player option on the books beyond this season.</p><p>However, if the Hawks stumble out of the gate, Johnson's in and out of the lineup, or Young's just unwilling to commit, the four-time All-Star could headline trade season instead, shifting the NBA's balance of power in the process.</p><p>Can the Hawks contend in the weak East? Will Young's one-way game even appeal to contenders if they don't? Does he already have a destination in mind for free agency next summer? Those are among the many questions that make Atlanta one of this year's most fascinating teams.</p><h3>Can Celtics, Pacers survive without their stars?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/791826/cropped_GettyImages-2190954584.jpg?ts=1750857041" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/791826/w220xh124_GettyImages-2190954584.jpg?ts=1750857041 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/791826/w320xh180_GettyImages-2190954584.jpg?ts=1750857041 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/791826/w640xh360_GettyImages-2190954584.jpg?ts=1750857041 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/791826/w768xh432_GettyImages-2190954584.jpg?ts=1750857041 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/791826/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2190954584.jpg?ts=1750857041 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>The last two East champions may have been favored atop the conference again had Tatum and Haliburton not been sidelined, and there's still reason to keep an eye on both Boston and Indiana.</p><p>The Celtics will roll out a shell of their 2024 championship squad. However, if Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, the newly acquired Anfernee Simons, and head coach Joe Mazzulla can keep Boston afloat in the weak East, the prospect of Tatum's return would make any intra-conference rival nervous.</p><p>As for the Pacers, the Haliburton-less version of this team has much more to work with than the Tatum-less Celtics. Pascal Siakam is a genuine star, the roster is balanced and stocked with two-way players, and head coach Rick Carlisle will maximize the talent at his disposal. The combination of Andrew Nembhard and Jay Huff <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3347760" href="https://thescore.com/news/3347760">could</a> also give the Pacers an off-brand version of the Haliburton-Myles Turner duo.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/32900163/related

12 key storylines to follow during the 2025-26 NBA season

The preseason can be tricky. No one wants to overreact to the results of ultimately meaningless e...

<p>The preseason can be tricky. No one wants to overreact to the results of ultimately meaningless exhibition games, but those contests are often our first glimpses of a team's new identity, a player's new tool kit, or a troubling sign of what's to come. Here are seven preseason trends worth monitoring as the NBA's 2025-26 regular season draws near.</p><h3>Alperen Sengun is Baby Jokic</h3><p>Sengun was already one of the league's best playmaking centers, but with Rockets starting point guard Fred VanVleet sidelined by a knee injury, Sengun appears ready to make good on those "Baby Jokic" comparisons.</p><p>Sengun, whose career average for assists per game is 4.1 and whose career-high is 5.0, had 25 assists in three preseason outings. The All-Star center won't consistently initiate Houston's offense the way VanVleet did, but even with Kevin Durant on the team, Houston's attack will still run through Sengun in the middle. If everything breaks right, he could flirt with averaging a 20-point triple-double.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Ace Bailey is even better than advertised</h3><p>I was admittedly down on Bailey coming out of Rutgers. I saw a high-volume chucker and limited playmaker who wasn't efficient enough with the ball, wasn't consistent enough off of it, recorded more turnovers than assists, and who picked and chose when he wanted to defend. The counterargument was always that Bailey's game was better suited to the NBA than the NCAA. So far, that seems to be the case.</p><p>Bailey made it look exceptionally easy in the preseason, pouring in 48 points on 35 shooting possessions while shooting 68% inside the arc and 42% from deep before being sidelined by a knee issue. The playmaking vision still appears limited, but his defensive upside has popped off the screen at times, and you can't ask for much more from a 19-year-old rookie.</p><h3>The Tatum-less Celtics will run like hell</h3><p>Jaylen Brown raised eyebrows when he said that Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla ran an incredibly physical and up-tempo training camp that had Boston looking like a track team rather than a basketball team. After all, the Celtics haven't finished above average in pace since 2016-17, and they were the league's second-slowest team last season. Compare that to this October, when they played at the eighth-<em>fastest</em> pace.</p><p>With Jayson Tatum sidelined, a less isolation-based offense left in his wake, and less talent for Mazzulla to work with, Boston is clearly looking to push the pace, generate easier buckets, and wear opponents down.</p><p>"Before training camp, you assess the roster. What's your personnel? What are your strengths? What system do you want to play?" Mazzulla told theScore before the Celtics' preseason game in Toronto on Oct. 10. "We just want to take advantage of the strengths that we have, continue to play fast and more athletic."</p><p>Boston's frontcourt is woefully thin, but between Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, new scoring guard Anfernee Simons, and Mazzulla's maniacal commitment to excellence, don't be shocked if the depleted Celtics find a way to keep on running right to the postseason.</p><h3>Orlando can finally score</h3><p>The Magic's aversion to competent offense has become one of my favorite annual stories, much to the chagrin of Orlando's devoted fans. The gist of it is that the team hasn't ranked higher than 22nd in offensive efficiency since 2011-12.</p><p>The arrival of Desmond Bane should fix that, as he's a legitimate three-level scorer who brings the shooting, spacing, and movement desperately needed to unlock things for a talented team that already features Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. If the preseason is any indication, Magic fans can breathe easy and expect to finally root for a team whose offense won't rank in the bottom eight. Orlando finished its exhibition schedule boasting a top-two attack.</p><h3>Utah has the worst defense ever</h3><p>After a couple years of having their best-laid tanking plans spoiled by surprisingly frisky teams, the 2024-25 Jazz finally proved bad enough to sink to the bottom. Utah's 2025-26 roster is somehow even worse, with a particularly wretched defensive squad in front of young center Walker Kessler. Even Kessler's best might not save Utah from infamy. The Jazz posted the worst defensive metrics in recorded preseason history, with their defensive rating of 123.4 being a whopping 3.2 points per 100 possessions worse than the previous record (120.2, held by the 2023 Knicks).</p><h3>Barnes doesn't look like a max player ... until he does</h3><p>I expect Scottie Barnes to contend for his second All-Star selection this season and still see All-NBA upside long term, so I didn't want to bury him for a bad stretch in early October. But yikes, it's tough to remember a player as good as Barnes having a preseason as bad as the Raptors' franchise player slogged through over his first three games.</p><p>His defense, rebounding, and playmaking were acceptable. But Barnes' refusal to attack the basket in his first two games, his difficulty getting there when he did try in the third game, and his commitment to low-percentage looks - which shined an unfortunate spotlight on his wonky jumper - were concerning, to say the least. Through three contests, the 2024 All-Star scored 18 points of 6-of-30 shooting, including an 0-for-7 performance from deep.</p><p>Luckily for Barnes and the Raptors, there was one more preseason game to play, which the star forward used to shake off the cobwebs. Barnes logged a game-high 35 minutes in the exhibition finale (a home victory over Brooklyn), pouring in 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting to go along with six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. Even better, 13 of his 15 field-goal attempts came in the paint.</p><p>Raptors fans just have to hope that Barnes, who will be playing more of an <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3352620" href="https://thescore.com/news/3352620">off-ball</a> role on the first year of his max contract, was merely experimenting and/or coasting through his first few games.</p><h3>Ware is Whiteside 2.0</h3><p>Sophomore big man Kel'el Ware averaged 17.8 points and 11.5 rebounds in less than 23 minutes per game, leading many to wonder what the 21-year-old might have in store for Miami once the real games tip off. However, Ware's an awkward fit beside starting center Bam Adebayo and likely won't start ahead of Nikola Jovic. In addition, the talented seven-footer has faced questions about his motor since he was a college prospect, and head coach Erik Spoelstra doesn't seem sold on Ware's <a href="https://x.com/BradyHawk305/status/1975382769313456221">empty</a> numbers.</p><p>Over the course of Miami's winless preseason, Ware finished as a minus-55 in 140 minutes, while the Heat essentially played to a draw (minus-one) in 153 minutes without him.</p><p>Ware was one of October's most productive players, but the discourse around him reminds me of former Heat big man Hassan Whiteside, whose gaudy numbers never lined up with his on-court impact, particularly on the defensive end.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/32886360/related

Preseason overreactions: How real are these 7 NBA trends?

With the 2025-26 NBA regular season a little more than a week away, here's a look at five players...

<p><em>With the 2025-26 NBA regular season a little more than a week away, here's a look at five players poised to make a leap toward basketball stardom, or at least basketball relevance.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="BREAKOUT: NEMBHARD (2026)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-gqZY6" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/gqZY6/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="81" 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><p><strong>2024-25 statistics:</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>GP</th>
<th>MPG</th>
<th>PTS</th>
<th>TS%</th>
<th>REB</th>
<th>AST</th>
<th>STL+BLK</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>65</td>
<td>28.9</td>
<td>10.0</td>
<td>54.5</td>
<td>3.3</td>
<td>5.0</td>
<td>1.4</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>The co-favorite for Most Improved Player, Nembhard's numbers and profile stand to benefit from Tyrese Haliburton's season-long absence in Indiana. More of a combo guard than a pure point guard, Nembhard will have more of the ball - and run more of the Pacers' offense - than ever before. Will his Haliburton cosplay result in an All-NBA selection and another Finals appearance? Certainly not, but the Canadian guard has the potential to enter the All-Star conversation (if the Eastern Conference still gets 12 representatives) and help lead Indiana back to the playoffs.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>There's much more talent left in Haliburton's wake than critics are giving Indiana credit for, and as a two-way guard familiar with head coach Rick Carlisle's system, Nembhard projects to thrive as the head of the snake. The X-factor will be his shooting. A down-year last season dropped his career 3-point percentage to 33.5%, but that number skyrockets to 47.3% in the postseason and 36.2% combined between the regular season and playoffs. If Nembhard can convert from beyond the arc more consistently on higher volume, the 25-year-old will blow doubters away this season.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="BREAKOUT: THOMPSON (2026)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-PXLki" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PXLki/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="81" 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><p><strong>2024-25 statistics:</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>GP</th>
<th>MPG</th>
<th>PTS</th>
<th>TS%</th>
<th>REB</th>
<th>AST</th>
<th>STL+BLK</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>59</td>
<td>22.5</td>
<td>10.1</td>
<td>56.8</td>
<td>5.1</td>
<td>2.3</td>
<td>2.4</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>Thompson's development was slowed when he had to miss time due to a blood clot, and he may forever find himself in the shadow of twin brother Amen, who's on the precipice of superstardom in Houston. But make no mistake, Ausar is ready for his own breakout season.</p><p>The 22-year-old forward has positionless versatility and All-Defensive upside. What he lacks in individual offensive talent or shooting ability, he makes up for with basketball IQ and sheer determination. Thompson and the Pistons should get plenty of easy buckets by virtue of his smartly timed cuts, offensive rebounding, and ferocity in transition. As he gets more comfortable with the ball in his hands, Thompson's playmaking vision should eventually shine through.</p><p>Put it all together, and you have an impact player on a solid playoff team as a floor - but a future All-Star and potentially a secondary star on a future contender as a ceiling. Look for Thompson to tease the latter in 2025-26.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="BREAKOUT: PRITCHARD (2026)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-YKHb5" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/YKHb5/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="81" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">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><p><strong>2024-25 statistics</strong>:</p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>GP</th>
<th>MPG</th>
<th>PTS</th>
<th>TS%</th>
<th>REB</th>
<th>AST</th>
<th>STL+BLK</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>80</td>
<td>28.4</td>
<td>14.3</td>
<td>63.3</td>
<td>3.8</td>
<td>3.5</td>
<td>1.1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>Pritchard has always been far <a href="https://x.com/RunItBackFDTV/status/1958017575499207066">more</a> than just the half-court heaves casual fans know him for. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is an excellent reserve guard; an elite shooter, sound decision-maker, and pesky defender who plays much bigger than his 6-foot-1 frame should allow.</p><p>With Jayson Tatum sidelined, Pritchard might get the chance to start. Even if he doesn't, Pritchard will take on more of a scoring role than ever before. His efficiency might suffer as a result, but don't expect much of a drop-off there. The biggest difference will be the uptick in his production.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="BREAKOUT: HUFF (2026)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-5Uurk" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/5Uurk/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="81" 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><p><strong>2024-25 statistics:</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>GP</th>
<th>MPG</th>
<th>PTS</th>
<th>TS%</th>
<th>REB</th>
<th>AST</th>
<th>STL+BLK</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>64</td>
<td>11.7</td>
<td>6.9</td>
<td>66.6</td>
<td>2.0</td>
<td>0.6</td>
<td>1.2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>Don't worry if you're not familiar with Huff's name or game right now. You will be in six months' time.</p><p>An undrafted center who earned modest rotation time in Memphis for the perennially beat-up Grizzlies, Huff should get plenty of minutes - and may even start - for the Myles Turner-less Pacers. And that's not the drop-off you think it is for Indiana, as evidenced by the per-36 minute numbers of both centers last season.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-L4S9T" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/L4S9T/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="148" 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}}})}();</figure><p>Stats per-36 minutes can often be misleading, as there&#39;s a reason reserves don&#39;t play starters&#39; minutes: They usually aren&#39;t good enough, and their production would fall off if they tried. Still, Huff&#39;s two-way impact can at least be Turner-esque in smaller bursts.</p><p>Among <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=fg3_pct&amp;year_min=2025&amp;year_max=2025&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=80&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=fg3">180 players</a> who made at least 80 3-pointers last season, Huff&#39;s conversion rate ranked 35th. The only other centers who shot better than 40% from deep on as many attempts as Huff were Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, and Nikola Vucevic, a quartet with a combined 15 All-Star selections. He also finished <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=blk_pct&amp;year_min=2025&amp;year_max=2025&amp;qual=blk_per_g_req&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=6&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=blk_pct">fifth</a> in block percentage among qualified players, with a slightly better defensive field-goal percentage than Turner.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="BREAKOUT: SHEPPARD (2026)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-MJe2H" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MJe2H/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="81" 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><p>Stats per-36 minutes can often be misleading, as there's a reason reserves don't play starters' minutes: They usually aren't good enough, and their production would fall off if they tried. Still, Huff has the two-way abilities to provide Indiana with Turner-esque production in shorter bursts.</p><p>Among <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=fg3_pct&amp;year_min=2025&amp;year_max=2025&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=80&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=fg3">180 players</a> who made at least 80 3-pointers, Huff's conversion rate ranked 35th. The only other centers who shot better than 40% from deep on as many attempts as Huff were Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, and Nikola Vucevic, a quartet with a combined 15 All-Star selections. He also finished <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&amp;order_by=blk_pct&amp;year_min=2025&amp;year_max=2025&amp;qual=blk_per_g_req&amp;ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B1%5D=6&amp;cstat%5B1%5D=blk_pct">fifth</a> in block percentage among qualified players, with a slightly better defensive field-goal percentage than Turner.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="BREAKOUT: SHEPPARD (2026)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-MJe2H" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MJe2H/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="81" 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><p><strong>2024-25 statistics:</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>GP</th>
<th>MPG</th>
<th>PTS</th>
<th>TS%</th>
<th>REB</th>
<th>AST</th>
<th>STL+BLK</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>52</td>
<td>12.6</td>
<td>4.4</td>
<td>46.5</td>
<td>1.5</td>
<td>1.4</td>
<td>1.0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>Sheppard has a chance to be the best player from his weak 2024 draft class, and with Fred VanVleet sidelined in Houston, the sophomore guard will get a chance to prove it sooner rather than later.</p><p>Though no player on the Rockets' roster can do what VanVleet did as a two-way floor general and offensive table-setter, Sheppard will be one of the players tasked with filling in for the former All-Star. That suits the 21-year-old just fine, as Sheppard is a more natural ball handler and shooter than Amen Thompson, and a purer playmaker than Kevin Durant. He should also feast on the open looks generated by Durant and star center Alperen Sengun.</p><p>Whether Sheppard's offseason work in the weight room helps him hold up defensively could determine how many minutes he earns in head coach Ime Udoka's rotation, but the Rockets suddenly find themselves in desperate need of what Sheppard can bring on the offensive end. That's why he'll get the chance to start when the season tips off. For what it's worth, in an extremely small (three-game) sample of starts last season, Sheppard averaged 19.7 points, 4.7 assists, and two steals on 49-52-100 shooting.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="BREAKOUT: HUFF (2026) (Copy)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-TVK20" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/TVK20/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="81" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">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><p><strong>2024-25 statistics</strong>:</p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>GP</th>
<th>MPG</th>
<th>PTS</th>
<th>TS%</th>
<th>REB</th>
<th>AST</th>
<th>STL+BLK</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>66</td>
<td>20.4</td>
<td>6.9</td>
<td>59.1</td>
<td>3.9</td>
<td>2.4</td>
<td>1.2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>Starting the season without LeBron James is a blow to the Lakers and the NBA at large, but if there's a player who can find a silver lining in the King's absence, it's LaRavia.</p><p>The 23-year-old is one of the players in consideration for a starting spot with James sidelined. My money's on LaRavia winning that spot and being an L.A. fan favorite by the time James returns.</p><p>A stretch-four on the offensive end, LaRavia quietly shot a sparkling 42.3% from deep on a small but respectable sample (142 attempts) in Memphis and Sacramento last season. With Luka Doncic (and eventually James) driving and kicking, LaRavia should get plenty of clean looks to knock down many more 3-pointers in Los Angeles. He's also a defensive workhorse. That can lead to over-aggressiveness and foul trouble, but LaRavia has great hands and can be very disruptive. Plus, he offers head coach JJ Redick lineup versatility, as he's strong enough to guard some bigs yet mobile enough to guard smaller forwards.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="BREAKOUT: SHEAD (2026)" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-9o5rq" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/9o5rq/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="81" 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><p><strong>2024-25 statistics:</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>GP</th>
<th>MPG</th>
<th>PTS</th>
<th>TS%</th>
<th>REB</th>
<th>AST</th>
<th>STL+BLK</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>75</td>
<td>19.6</td>
<td>7.1</td>
<td>49.9</td>
<td>1.5</td>
<td>4.2</td>
<td>0.9</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>Shead finished first in games played and sixth in minutes as a rookie on a tanking Raptors squad last year, but the former University of Houston guard probably didn't turn many heads outside of Canada. Expect that to change this season.</p><p>Shead projects to emerge as a dependable sixth man for a revamped Raptors team suddenly looking to make a playoff push in the depleted Eastern Conference, with a two-way game that perfectly matches how head coach Darko Rajakovic wants to play. Shead is an active, disruptive defender who can pressure the ball full-court if he has to, and he's a heady organizer who plays with pace on the offensive end.</p><p>His teammates and coaches are already lauding the 23-year-old as a <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3352620" href="https://thescore.com/news/3352620">young leader</a>. They may soon be pushing his candidacy for Sixth Man of the Year, particularly if his shooting stabilizes. The comparisons to former Raptor VanVleet will only get louder in the coming months.</p><p><strong>Honorable mention</strong>: Ajay Mitchell, Thunder</p><p>If he was playing almost anywhere else, Mitchell would pop as a potential building block. In Oklahoma City, the versatile sophomore guard is something between the 10th and 12th man. If injuries or other circumstances provide a path to consistent playing time this season, look for Mitchell to add to the Thunder's embarrassment of riches.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/32804110/related

7 breakout candidates for the NBA's 2025-26 season

CALGARY - The Toronto Raptors arrived at training camp this week in a much different frame of min...

<p>CALGARY - The Toronto Raptors arrived at training camp this week in a much different frame of mind than last year. The 2024-25 Raptors set out to temper expectations from the jump, making clear that a rebuilding season was on the horizon, with draft lottery odds weighing more than wins in the big picture.</p><p>The 2025-26 edition of the team hasn't quite emerged from the fog of a rebuild, but Toronto will be trying to compete on some level. With Brandon Ingram in tow and an Eastern Conference playoff spot within reach, the organization is taking a calculated step forward. Head coach Darko Rajakovic stated that his primary goal is to both win and develop. In contrast, last year, he admitted the process would be more important than the results.</p><p>With that context serving as the backdrop for a much more intriguing camp this time around, here are the biggest takeaways and observations from Calgary.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Expect a much deeper rotation</h3><p>Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl will start. Rajakovic said this week that he plans to keep at least two starters on the court at all times, but he also teased a deeper rotation than last season's squad.</p><p>A healthier roster, the addition of Ingram, and the development of last year's crop of rookies should help Rajakovic get there. While Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick, Ja'Kobe Walter, and stretch-big Sandro Mamukelashvili appear to be the go-to reserves, there's room for another one to three players to join the mix in a 10-to-12-man rotation. Rajakovic wants everyone to feel like it's a fair race.</p><p>"Spending time with the guys in the summer creates certain opinions, so going into training camp, I told all the coaches, 'Let's give all the guys an opportunity to prove us right or to prove us wrong,' in the sense that they may be able to do more and better than we expected," Rajakovic said. "I don't like having a set mentality. I believe all the guys can improve and grow, so I have to look at them through those eyes. We're going to be watching film and evaluating where we are every day."</p><p>Although practices aren't open to the media, it's no secret that it's been an ultra-competitive camp. Barrett acknowledged that there's been stiffer competition this year. "Practices aren't easy. We're getting after it. There's a little extra fire. That's what you like to see. It's competition. When you practice like that, the games come easier."</p><p>If things go according to plan, it'll be easier for Rajakovic to dig deeper into his bench. However, given the way he wants his team to play - faster on the offensive end and bringing intense ball pressure on the defensive end - a longer rotation is also a necessity.</p><p>"We want to make our opponents very uncomfortable, and for that you need a lot of work," Rajakovic said, citing the defensive ball-pressure last year's finalists in Oklahoma City and Indiana relied upon. "It's a big-time commitment, and for that, you need depth on your roster. The style of play we want to play on offense and defense, I don't think anybody can be in shape to play 12 straight minutes. Shorter stints, play hard on both ends of the floor, raise your hand when you need a little bit of rest. I'll get you back in the game. Playing that way keeps everyone honest and accountable. If you don't have it, somebody on the bench is going to have that energy and ferocity we need."</p><h3>Darko's defense drawing rave reviews</h3><p>Lost among the lottery-dominated headlines last season, the Raptors boasted the league's <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?DateFrom=01/10/2025&amp;Season=2024-25&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING">third-best</a> (and the East's very best) defensive efficiency over the campaign's second half. Whether that bleeds into this year will go a long way toward determining how high Toronto can rise in the standings. What's clear, though, is that Rajakovic's defensive concepts and attention to detail have impressed his players.</p><p>Ingram, much more of a basketball junkie than his laid-back demeanour and effortless-looking offensive game would suggest, said Rajakovic is an intense coach with whom he meshes well. "That's the way I like to be coached. Knowing every detail helps me study the game," Ingram told theScore. "He's pushing me and helping me to be better on (the defensive) side of the basketball. He's making sure I'm doing the simple things on the floor and continuing to push me. He holds everyone accountable."</p><p>Garrett Temple, who's in his 17th professional season and has played for 12 NBA teams, echoed the praise, saying Rajakovic's approach to defense is unlike anything he's previously seen. "I can't give you our secrets, but he's very detail-oriented," Temple told theScore. "A lot of teams know that we love to pressure the ball, but we're very detailed in how we pressure the ball, certain nuances like when we want to do certain things, where we want to be, anticipation skills, things of that nature. There's, like, a 0.2% gap between being a regular good NBA defense and a great defensive team. Things happen so quickly - to be able to get that steal or not, to get to that rebound or not get to it, the details in that really matter."</p><h3>Off-ball Scottie</h3><p>Barnes remains Toronto's franchise cornerstone, but it appears the Raptors have acknowledged that he's best suited for an off-ball offensive role rather than the on-ball initiation duties he has experimented with at times.</p><p>That certainly doesn't mean Barnes won't have the ball in his hands or stretches where he masquerades as a point forward. But with Ingram in the fold as the team's top shot-creator and starting point guard Quickley finally healthy, there's much less need for Barnes to initiate the offense. As Rajakovic sees it, Barnes will still get plenty of opportunities as a screener and roller, in the dunker spot, on the offensive glass, in transition, and on post-ups.</p><p>The good news is that Barnes sounds as if he's completely bought into his optimized two-way role, saying he's focused on making quicker decisions and not over-dribbling. "Any way I can help the team," Barnes told reporters in Calgary. "Just go back to those old ways of how I was scoring the ball. If I'm in transition, get deep seals. Try to be more physical when I have the ball at the point of attack, try to make quicker decisions. We all have to find ways to affect the game in different ways."</p><p>Between his size, playmaking skills, and All-Defensive upside, Barnes can still be the best player on a future contender without being its No. 1 scoring option. Kudos to him for seemingly having the awareness to acknowledge that, though that's admittedly easier to do with a max contract already secured.</p><p>With that pact kicking in this season, Toronto needs the best version of Barnes to emerge. The role he now finds himself in will better help him get there.</p><h3>Quickley in tip-top shape</h3><p>Quickley's consistent presence in the lineup would also help. His on-ball skills and movement shooting are exactly what's needed to pair with Barnes. That's why the Raptors were so excited to acquire him in the OG Anunoby trade two years ago. Unfortunately, elbow, hip, and groin injuries limited him to 33 games last season, and he has yet to prove he can withstand the rigors that come with being a full-time starting point guard.</p><p>The Raptors are hoping a stronger version of Quickley can help him do just that. "Since the end of last season, he's been very diligent about his body. He was really dedicated to improving his strength this summer," Rajakovic told reporters. "He changed a little with his nutrition, adjusted a couple of things. I spent quite a bit of time with him last summer at the Olympic Games in Paris. Sharing meals together, I was like, 'He can eat!' He eats a lot. We just didn't see improvements with adding strength and muscle (at the time). But with a couple adjustments there, you can see that his body looks much better now."</p><p>Quickley showed off his new physique on the second day of camp, standing out as the lone shirtless Raptor when the gym opened to the media. But this isn't about aesthetics. It's about whether the 6-foot-3 guard can use the added strength to his benefit on the court. Rajakovic said he wants to see it pay off on the defensive end, with the coach expecting Quickley to become a better two-way player. As the lead guard, Quickley will also be tasked with keeping Toronto playing at the pace Rajakovic demands - that means quicker decisions off of defensive rebounds and more hit-ahead passes to fuel fast breaks.</p><p>For what it's worth, multiple Raptors players said Quickley looked to be in the best shape of anyone on the team this week, with rookie Collin Murray-Boyles saying one of the things that stood out at his first NBA training camp was that Quickley is "fast as hell."</p><h3>Shead, young leader</h3><p>Despite being a 23-year-old sophomore on a team with multiple former All-Stars and 12 players earning more than him this season, Shead has clearly emerged as one of the Raptors' leaders on and off the court.</p><p>Shead, who went viral during his four-year career at the University of Houston for <a href="https://abc13.com/post/jamal-shead-houston-basketball-uh-player-picks-up-trash-sportscenter/14574451/">cleaning up</a> his coaches' mess, has seemingly always been wise beyond his years. This offseason, Shead hosted a minicamp in his hometown of Austin, and now, Toronto's more accomplished veterans are even looking to him for guidance.</p><p>"Jamal has been the ultimate leader," Barnes told reporters. "He puts people in the right spots (on the court), and he's not afraid to have those conflict moments with you as well. He just tries to help others in any way possible. He's comfortable taking on that leadership role. He did it for four years at Houston, and he's translated that right to our team."</p><p>Added Barrett: "Jamal was never really a rookie, that's what I always tell him. He's been a leader since before he got here."</p><p>Shead was more modest about his role. "Honestly, it's just information - I'm a point guard, I give out information, they take it, they receive it, and then we move on from there. I don't think it's that they're just following me because I'm the best leader ever," he told theScore. "It's a respect thing. I'm friends with all these guys off the court, so that's a big part of it. They respect me, I respect them."</p><p>While much of the talk this week was about Shead's leadership, don't overlook what he can do on the court. His motor, defensive prowess, and playmaking fit perfectly into what the Raptors are building. "He's very hard on himself," said Barnes. "He has high expectations for himself, and we've got high expectations for him as well."</p><p>If I had to bet on it right now, Shead would be my pick to emerge as Toronto's consistent sixth man and occasional closer. The comparisons to former Raptor Fred VanVleet won't be going away any time soon.</p><p><strong>Stray thoughts:</strong></p><ul><li>Shead also discussed his offseason work with fellow pest and defensive standout Alex Caruso. "He did just come off a championship, so we didn't work out too much together, but we watched a lot of film and had a lot of good talks." As for what they discussed? "Pacing myself during the game. I'm very fast, so he talked to me about changing pace. And then on the defensive end, how he gets steals."</li></ul><ul><li>Like Quickley, Gradey Dick's added strength was a talking point this week, with Rajakovic believing it'll help the streaky shooter better sustain himself over the 82-game grind. "We're noticing it on both ends of the floor," Rajakovic told theScore. "Defensively, he's doing a much better job on contact and staying in front of guys. He's doing a much better job of rebounding the ball. Offensively, we're really focusing on getting him to play a simple game. When he has open shots or even slightly contested shots, be ready to shoot the ball. Play with a lot of aggressiveness. His physical shape and adding strength are definitely helping with that."</li></ul><ul><li>With the media in attendance, Ingram and reserve wing Ochai Agbaji participated in a physical and spirited game of one-on-one earlier this week. At one point, Agbaji stuck with Ingram on a drive and stuffed him at the rim, punctuating the play by a taunt of "Gimme that s--t," as his teammates erupted into a roaring frenzy. Agbaji's 3-and-D potential still intrigues me. He has the type of low-maintenance, two-way game that could make him a glue guy for lineups of all shapes and sizes. "He's really strong, can move his feet, and he's smart on the defensive end," Ingram told theScore. "He makes plays. He can guard on or off the ball. He's been pushing me since summertime." The only question is whether Agbaji will get the chance to reach his ceiling in Toronto, or if he and his expiring contract will be merely viewed as trade bait.</li></ul><ul><li>Murray-Boyles' individual offensive game is a work in progress. Still, he's NBA-ready on the defensive end and he has enough offensive utility as a playmaker and rebounder to steal real rotation minutes sooner than later. Rajakovic envisions the rookie big man bringing the ball up the floor at times and getting paired with Barnes or Mamukelashvili in smaller frontcourts. After Murray-Boyles frustrated Barnes throughout Friday's camp-closing intrasquad game, Barrett revealed that the rookie has been hounding the franchise player and generally bringing the same type of defensive energy every day in practice. Murray-Boyles also had one of the more endearing moments of camp, telling reporters it's unfathomable that he's on a team that represents an entire country.</li></ul><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

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Depth, defense, and Barnes' new role: Takeaways from Raptors camp

The Houston Rockets' title chances took a significant blow this week, with starting point guard F...

<p>The Houston Rockets' title chances took a significant blow this week, with starting point guard Fred VanVleet reportedly suffering a torn ACL that could sideline him for the entire season.</p><p>The development is a potentially devastating one for the Rockets, who were primed to enter the field of inner-circle contenders after acquiring Kevin Durant in the offseason. VanVleet's arrival two years ago played a massive role in Houston's turnaround - from 60-loss laughingstock in 2023 to 52-win playoff team in 2025.</p><p>The veteran point guard's stats (14.9 points per game and 5.7 assists per game for his career) have never accurately captured his on-court value. VanVleet is a brilliant floor general who brings it on both ends and can change a game with his shooting (though his 3-point marksmanship has tailed off in recent years). He's one of the game's best at winning minutes, and the Rockets will miss him dearly.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>For as talented as Houston is, and for as much as the offense can flow through rising All-Star Alperen Sengun in the middle, there's no true offensive table-setter with VanVleet sidelined. The 31-year-old is far from the team's most talented player, but you can make the argument he was its most indispensable.</p><p>That brings us to the question of how the Rockets might go about solving their newfound conundrum at the point.</p><h3>Point Thompson</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783420/cropped_GettyImages-2212198106.jpg?ts=1758741793" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783420/w220xh124_GettyImages-2212198106.jpg?ts=1758741793 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783420/w320xh180_GettyImages-2212198106.jpg?ts=1758741793 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783420/w640xh360_GettyImages-2212198106.jpg?ts=1758741793 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783420/w768xh432_GettyImages-2212198106.jpg?ts=1758741793 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/783420/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2212198106.jpg?ts=1758741793 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Logan Riely / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Amen Thompson is a burgeoning two-way star with Defensive Player of the Year potential and All-NBA upside. He's not a point guard, though ... at least not yet.</p><p>That's what makes Houston's most likely experiment so intriguing. Thompson is ready for more on-ball reps, but whether he can handle full-time point guard duties remains to be seen, as the 22-year-old forward spent just 1% of his minutes at the point last season, according to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/thompam01.html">Basketball Reference</a>.</p><p>There are sure to be growing pains along the way, but Thompson has the basketball IQ (and aura) to eventually <a href="https://x.com/BradeauxNBA/status/1970517045859983704">excel</a> in an on-ball role. If the youngster takes to his new job quickly, VanVleet's unfortunate setback may end up expediting Thompson's rise to superstardom. However, if he isn't up to the task of running point for a contender, the Rockets will look more like pretenders.</p><p>No pressure, kid.</p><h3>A Reed Sheppard glow-up</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748539/cropped_GettyImages-2176496464.jpg?ts=1758741845" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748539/w220xh124_GettyImages-2176496464.jpg?ts=1758741845 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748539/w320xh180_GettyImages-2176496464.jpg?ts=1758741845 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748539/w640xh360_GettyImages-2176496464.jpg?ts=1758741845 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748539/w768xh432_GettyImages-2176496464.jpg?ts=1758741845 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748539/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2176496464.jpg?ts=1758741845 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Darren Carroll / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Although Reed Sheppard spent last season on the fringes of Houston's rotation, the 2024 third overall pick still has the potential to emerge as the best player of his (admittedly weak) draft class. VanVleet's injury gives him a chance to prove it.</p><p>Like VanVleet, Sheppard is more of a combo guard than a pure point guard, but he shoots and moves the ball more naturally than Thompson and could feast on open looks created by Sengun and Durant. Offseason work in the weight room should help him improve on the defensive end too.</p><h3>Don't count KD out</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790787/cropped_GettyImages-2207888106.jpg?ts=1758743311" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790787/w220xh124_GettyImages-2207888106.jpg?ts=1758743311 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790787/w320xh180_GettyImages-2207888106.jpg?ts=1758743311 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790787/w640xh360_GettyImages-2207888106.jpg?ts=1758743311 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790787/w768xh432_GettyImages-2207888106.jpg?ts=1758743311 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790787/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2207888106.jpg?ts=1758743311 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Chris Coduto / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The most obvious solution might be staring us right <a href="https://youtu.be/M6y_DFsg2pA?si=tSnmiv1Q27JFX2Rn">in the face</a>.</p><p>Durant is an all-time bucket-getter who isn't as natural a playmaker as peers like LeBron James, but the Slim Reaper can still dissect opposing defenses with the ball in his hands. Before last season, Durant averaged more than five assists per game in six straight campaigns, including a career-high 6.4 assists just three years ago.</p><p>Who can forget his performance during the 2021 playoffs, when the then-Nets star took on every role imaginable to compensate for an injured/absent Kyrie Irving and a hobbled James Harden? Given the talent at Durant's disposal in Houston, he shouldn't have to shoulder such an all-encompassing load again, but he'll certainly be running the Rockets' offense for stretches of games, and that's not a bad thing.</p><p>The only question is whether his body will hold up. In the five seasons since Durant returned from his 2019 Achilles rupture, the 36-year-old has missed nearly a third (31.5%) of his teams' games and has suffered multiple knee injuries.</p><h3>External options</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/629747/cropped_GettyImages-2153510779.jpg?ts=1758741971" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/629747/w220xh124_GettyImages-2153510779.jpg?ts=1758741971 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/629747/w320xh180_GettyImages-2153510779.jpg?ts=1758741971 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/629747/w640xh360_GettyImages-2153510779.jpg?ts=1758741971 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/629747/w768xh432_GettyImages-2153510779.jpg?ts=1758741971 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/629747/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2153510779.jpg?ts=1758741971 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Nathaniel S. Butler / NBA / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The young Rockets shouldn't be in a rush, but after trading for Durant with only one year remaining on his contract, I don't expect Houston to go quietly into the night if its internal options fall flat. Such a scenario would lead the organization to the trade market and a likely partnership with an established, veteran point guard.</p><p>Jrue Holiday makes the most sense. The respected winner was traded from Boston to the rebuilding Trail Blazers in July and would fit seamlessly into the system of Rockets head coach Ime Udoka. However, Holiday is owed up to $104.4 million over the next three years, making a deal for the fading 35-year-old tough to stomach in the age of aprons.</p><p>Another name Houston should monitor is T.J. McConnell. The Pacers guard has been one of the league's best backups for years, and he was an integral part of their run to the Finals last season. McConnell is the type of two-way pest Udoka would love. The 33-year-old will earn less than 7% of the <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/indiana-pacers/yearly">salary cap</a> annually over the next four seasons, and his deal includes an $11.8-million team option in 2028-29. The Pacers won't let him go easy, but if they sputter as expected without Tyrese Haliburton, they might turn into opportunistic sellers.</p><p><em>Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/32549683/related

How the Rockets can solve their new point guard problem

Of all the stories to wake us from our offseason slumber, the one that did wasn't a surprising tr...

<p>Of all the stories to wake us from our offseason slumber, the one that did wasn't a surprising transaction, an eye-popping EuroBasket performance, or even an update on LeBron James' future. No, what captured the basketball world's attention this week was an <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3337464" href="https://thescore.com/news/3337464">investigation</a> by "Pablo Torre Finds Out" that reported the LA Clippers circumvented the salary cap when they re-signed Kawhi Leonard in 2021.</p><p>The Clippers are essentially implied to have given Leonard an extra $28 million - cap-hit free - by funneling it to him through an endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt eco-friendly bank and tree-planting company called Aspiration.</p><p>Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was an investor in the company, the agreement between Aspiration and Leonard stated the company would only pay him while he remained a member of the Clippers, and there's no indication Leonard ever actually did any promotion or work for the company. Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg also recently pleaded <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/orange-county-man-and-aspiration-partners-co-founder-agrees-plead-guilty-248-million">guilty</a> to multiple counts of wire fraud.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The entire situation stinks to high heaven, and the NBA confirmed it's investigating. The Clippers said Wednesday that any assertion that Ballmer and the team circumvented the cap is "provably false." They'd better hope that's the case, because while the league has been mocked for how it handles free-agent tampering, it will bring the hammer down when it comes to cap circumvention. And the ramifications would be devastating.</p><p>The most infamous precedent is the <a href="https://youtu.be/D8KqvPARbxo?si=HvT326xAOkYpSpIr">Joe Smith scandal</a> in Minnesota. The NBA determined that the Timberwolves had an under-the-table agreement with Smith, whose string of cheap one-year contracts was just a bridge to Bird rights and an already agreed-to long-term deal. Then-commissioner David Stern came down hard. Smith's contract was voided, the Wolves were fined $3.5 million, and Minnesota lost four first-round draft picks (originally five before one was returned).</p><p>Adam Silver may not strike fear into teams the way Stern once did, but he would surely make a similar example out of the Clippers if the reporting proves accurate. After all, what L.A. allegedly did is arguably worse: using a third party to funnel funds.</p><p>The Clippers already burned through draft picks to acquire Leonard and build competitive rosters around him, leaving themselves without control of their own first-rounder until 2030. Imagine the long-term damage to the franchise if its allegedly improper dealings rob it of another half-decade worth of picks.</p><p>From a basketball perspective, Smith was nothing more than a solid starter at the time Minnesota cheated to acquire him, whereas Leonard was already a Clipper and only two years removed from arguably being the best player on the planet. Even if both teams broke the rules, perhaps you could make a case that there was more honor in the Clippers doing it for a superstar's services.</p><p>Despite Leonard's otherworldly abilities, however, the Clippers barely have more to show for their troubles than the Timberwolves did a quarter-century ago. Since originally signing Leonard in 2019 - fresh off his second Finals MVP award - the Clippers have won just three playoff series, appeared in one conference finals, and never made the Finals at all. Even more embarrassingly, all those counters are at zero since the 2021 contract in question, with some of the team's most inspiring and exhilarating stretches of play coming while Leonard's been sidelined.</p><p>All this scandal has done is underscore how much of a failure the Leonard era has been in Los Angeles.</p><p>It's not necessarily anyone's fault; Leonard's health has been most of the problem. When the future Hall of Famer has been available, he's been excellent, but he's missed 44% of regular-season games and 30% of postseason contests during his Clippers tenure.</p><p>Then again, the Clippers knew all about Leonard's spotty injury history when they moved heaven, earth, and a young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to secure his commitment (alongside Paul George) in 2019. Leonard also tore his ACL a few months before signing the 2021 max contract at the heart of this story. Has the last half-decade of Clippers basketball really been a case of bad luck, or is it better explained by poor planning and the sunk-cost fallacy?</p><p>In contrast to the fanfare of 2019 or the spectacle of recent years, the Clippers spent this summer quietly building arguably the <a href="https://youtu.be/TFrqRQJX41k?si=DXG9-W2f3ULlHC0q">deepest</a> and most complete team of the Leonard era. Unfortunately, that squad might be forced to play in the shadow of a franchise-altering scandal instead of simply being haunted by the usual specter of Leonard's day-to-day availability.</p><p>It remains to be seen whether the NBA can confirm this reportedly shady arrangement. But the sad irony of this story is that the Clippers were already paying Leonard for what too often felt like a no-show job, and they didn't have to circumvent the salary cap to do it.</p><p><em><a href="https://x.com/JosephCasciaro">Joseph Casciaro</a> is theScore's lead NBA reporter.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/32275463/related

Clippers scandal underscores failure of the Leonard era

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