Fighting Irish

After a recent chatter following a controversial NBA ballot amongst the players, Tyrese Haliburton wanted to shake out a shadow that has been cast over him.
&ldquo;Overrated.&rdquo;
Some people say, Haliburton is too unselfish, too pass-first, not a &ldquo;killer&rdquo;, and not a &ldquo;real&rdquo; No. 1 option.
But on a loud night in Cleveland, with the result all but raining down and the Indiana Pacers securing a second straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, Haliburton didn&rsquo;t have to say a word. The scoreboard, the series tally, and the stunned expressions on the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers&rsquo; team and crowd spoke loudly enough.
The Pacers have won in 5 games against a team that was supposed to outclass them. This wasn&rsquo;t just an upset &mdash; it was a dismantling. And it was proof that Haliburton&rsquo;s style, and this Pacers team, are not just good enough. They&rsquo;re built the right way, and they&rsquo;re built to last.
A system that works, a star that believes
Haliburton didn&rsquo;t need 40-point nights to make his impact felt. He orchestrated, he read the floor two steps ahead, and he elevated everyone around him. In the closeout Game 5 win, his stat line &mdash; 31 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 6 threes &mdash; was a masterclass in control. What he did was subtle, surgical, and suffocating for Cleveland.
Indiana picked apart the Cavaliers with relentless pace, smart spacing, and constant movement. Kenny Atkinson&rsquo;s squad, known for its defensive tenacity during the regular season, looked overwhelmed trying to keep up. Evan Mobley was stretched thin. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell were hunted. The Cavaliers had no answers for the tempo.
And it wasn&rsquo;t just Haliburton. Andrew Nembhard&rsquo;s two-way brilliance, Myles Turner&rsquo;s timely rim protection, Pascal Siakam&rsquo;s veteran calm, and Obi Toppin&rsquo;s injection of energy all contributed to a five-game win that felt like a statement. Indiana is not just fun anymore. They are contending.
The blueprint of a contender
This isn&rsquo;t a superteam. This is a team that became great through vision, patience, and precision, led by brilliant veteran head coach Rick Carlisle.
The foundation was built through the draft: Turner, the lone holdover from the Paul George era, grew into a versatile anchor. Nembhard, Sheppard, Mathurin &mdash; all young players with composure beyond their years.
They traded smartly: getting Haliburton in exchange for Domantas Sabonis felt controversial at first, but it&rsquo;s now one of the most lopsided deals in recent memory. Adding Siakam at the deadline was a masterstroke &mdash; he brought championship pedigree without disrupting the flow. He didn't just buy into the system; he elevated it.
And their free agent signings were understated but vital. TJ McConnell remains the heartbeat off the bench. Aaron Nesmith has become a true 3-and-D weapon. Thomas Bryant and Obi Toppin give this team depth and versatility.
There&rsquo;s no ego here, there is just cohesion and belief.
&ldquo;We know what we have,&rdquo; head coach Rick Carlisle said after Game 5. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got guys who care more about the next pass than the last shot. That&rsquo;s special.&rdquo;
Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s rise wasn&rsquo;t fueled by noise. It&rsquo;s been built quietly, piece by piece, through reading defenses and manipulating tempo, through making stars out of role players and rhythm out of chaos.
He&rsquo;s not a flamethrower like Steph. He&rsquo;s not a bulldozer like Giannis. He&rsquo;s something rarer: a point guard who makes everyone better without needing to dominate. And for some, that doesn&rsquo;t fit the mold of a superstar.
But to call him overrated? That&rsquo;s lazy.
The Pacers are an elite team this season when Haliburton hits double digits in assists. He led the NBA in transition assists. He&rsquo;s made Nembhard and Mathurin look like seasoned playoff guards. He&rsquo;s allowed Siakam &ndash; a two-time All-NBA forward &ndash; to shine even more.
In Game 4, when Cleveland tried blitzing him high to take the ball out of his hands, Haliburton calmly hit roller after roller. In Game 5, when they sat back in drop, he punished them with floaters and kick-outs. Every adjustment they made, he countered not with bravado but with brilliance.
The overrated label was never about him. It was about people misunderstanding the kind of greatness he brings.
The road back to the Eastern Conference Finals
A year ago, Indiana reached the Eastern Conference Finals and ran headfirst into a Boston Celtics juggernaut. They seemed like they weren&rsquo;t ready after faltering multiple times in the clutch in the series. The moment felt too big, and the lights were too bright.
But this year, it&rsquo;s different.
They&rsquo;re deeper, smarter, and hungrier. And perhaps most importantly, they know exactly who they are.
Back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances might not come with parades, but in a small market like Indianapolis, it&rsquo;s validation. This is a franchise that didn&rsquo;t bottom out or chase shortcuts. They stayed the course, invested in character and chemistry, and trusted a 6-foot-5 guard with a quirky jump shot and a genius-level basketball brain to be their face of the future.
And Haliburton has delivered splendidly, and he continues to strive for more.
In an era where teams try to fast-track success with star pairings and flash, the Indiana Pacers remain the outliers. They&rsquo;ve built a contender by doing the little things right, over the years, not months.
This win over Cleveland &ndash; a team with one of the league&rsquo;s best records, a suffocating defense, and a very good team with three all-stars &ndash; isn&rsquo;t just an upset. It&rsquo;s a coronation of the Pacers&rsquo; philosophy, and it's a resounding reminder that basketball is still a team sport.
Tyrese Haliburton may never be the kind of player who drops 50 on any given night or leads the league in scoring. But he&rsquo;ll control the game, he&rsquo;ll lift his teammates, and he will try to win.
That&rsquo;s his style, and that will be his greatness. Overrated? Maybe to those who only see box scores. But to those watching closely &ndash; the coaches, the peers, the Pacers&rsquo; faithful &ndash; Haliburton is redefining what it means to be a superstar.
And as Indiana marches back to the Eastern Conference Finals, it&rsquo;s clear: You can doubt Tyrese Haliburton if you want. Just don&rsquo;t bet against him.

Tyrese Haliburton leads the Pacers past the 64-win Cavaliers in five games to reach their second straight Eastern Conference Finals.

Tyrese Haliburton silences critics as Pacers dominate Cavs to reach ECF again

As the 2025 NBA Playoffs tip off, every team in the Eastern Conference brings with it a burning question. Some are looking to validate their dominance, others are hoping to make noise for the first time, and a few are simply trying to recapture playoff magic from the past. Here&rsquo;s one key question for each East playoff squad heading into this year&rsquo;s postseason.
Cleveland Cavaliers &ndash; Are they for real?
The Cavaliers were expected to take a leap under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, but few predicted it would be this significant. Cleveland posted a 64-18 record, up from 51 wins last season, and ranked eighth in the NBA in defensive rating (111.8) while climbing to the best in the league in offensive rating (121.0). It&rsquo;s a massive leap in two-way consistency, anchored by Evan Mobley&rsquo;s breakout campaign and a more dynamic offense tailored around Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.
Mobley&rsquo;s development has been a game-changer. The 22-year-old averaged career-highs in points (18.5), rebounds (9.3), and assists (3.2), while maintaining elite rim protection (1.6 blocks per game). Offensively, his confidence as a shot creator and short-roll playmaker opened up space for the rest of the team. The Cavs now run more actions through Mobley, especially from the elbows, and his improved jump shot has made him far more difficult to guard.
But make no mistake &ndash; Mitchell remains the barometer. The All-Star guard battled injuries down the stretch but still averaged 24.0 points, 4.5 assists, and 5.0 rebounds on 44.3% shooting. If he can stay healthy and lead confidently on both ends, Cleveland has the pieces to make a legitimate run to the conference finals.
The Cavs have the metrics, the momentum, and the maturity. Now it&rsquo;s about proving they belong with the league&rsquo;s elite when the lights are the brightest.
Boston Celtics &ndash; Can they go back-to-back?
The reigning champions enter the playoffs with a sense of unfinished business &mdash; not because they failed last year, but because they&rsquo;re now chasing greatness. The Celtics finished 61-21 this season for back to back 60-win seasons. They had the league&rsquo;s second best net rating at +9.4, fueled by elite balance: second in offensive rating (119.5) and fourth in defensive rating (110.1).
Jayson Tatum continues to evolve as one of the NBA&rsquo;s most complete stars. His 26.8 points per game came with improved efficiency (58.2% true shooting) and a career-high 8.7 rebounds. Tatum has learned to pick his spots better, moving the ball when doubled and attacking mismatches when given space. Jaylen Brown, fresh off his Finals MVP last season, has become a more consistent creator as well, averaging 22.2 points.
Add in Kristaps Porzingis&rsquo; floor spacing and rim protection, Jrue Holiday&rsquo;s stability on both ends, and Derrick White&rsquo;s ability to do everything in between, and the Celtics are again the most complete team in basketball. But repeating is never easy. No team has done it since the Warriors in 2018, and even small injuries or matchup issues can derail a title defense.
Boston is built for this moment, but with every other East contender gunning for them, the question looms large: can they close the deal twice in a row?
New York Knicks &ndash; Can they stay healthy?
When fully healthy, the Knicks look like a team that can hang with anyone &mdash; and that includes Boston and Cleveland. But that&rsquo;s been the caveat all season. Jalen Brunson missed 17 games, Karl-Anthony Towns sat for 10, and OG Anunoby dealt with multiple absences due to elbow and hamstring issues. New York&rsquo;s starting five of Brunson, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby, and Towns had time to play with pace and their own style, and they looked formidable.
Brunson has been the Knicks&rsquo; engine, averaging 26.0 points and 7.3 assists while continuing to elevate in crunch time. His pairing with Towns gave New York a new level of offensive versatility, and Mikal Bridges&rsquo; ability to guard top wings allowed them to scheme freely. But concerns about wear and tear remain &mdash; especially under Tom Thibodeau, whose rotations have leaned heavily on his starters. All five starters have averaged in the top 15 of the most minutes played in the league, and that can likely put a strain on their bodies.
Depth is another concern. The Knicks rely on Precious Achiuwa, Cam Payne, Delon Wright, and Landry Shamet to absorb the bench minutes. A deep run hinges on all starters being available and fresh throughout the postseason. If any one piece breaks down, New York could fall short of its championship aspirations.
This is their most talented team in years &mdash; but availability may be just as important as ability.
Indiana Pacers &ndash; Do they have enough to make a deep run once more?
Last year, the Pacers surprised many by reaching the second round, aided in part by injuries to their first-round opponent. This year, expectations are higher &mdash; and the margin for error is thinner. Indiana finished 50-32 and ranked 9th in offensive rating at 115.4. Their identity remains clear: run fast, shoot threes, and trust in Tyrese Haliburton to control the tempo.
Haliburton posted 18.6 points and 9.2 assists per game this season, and despite shooting efficiency dipped slightly as teams began pressuring him more aggressively, he bounced back quite nicely and got back to the high level he was playing at. That&rsquo;s where Pascal Siakam comes in to help him and provide a stabilizing frontcourt presence, while defending opposing bigs.
Depth-wise, the Pacers have the tools. Myles Turner remains one of the league&rsquo;s best shot blockers, Andrew Nembhard has been solid alongside Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin has been a spark off the bench, and Aaron Nesmith&rsquo;s development as a 3-and-D wing adds much-needed versatility. Still, the question remains: can they win when the pace slows and every possession becomes a grind?
Indiana is fun, fast, and fearless. But deep playoff success often requires more grit than style &mdash; and this postseason will test how much of both they truly possess.
Milwaukee Bucks &ndash; How lethal can the Giannis-Dame combo be?
It&rsquo;s been a bumpy road for the Bucks since pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, but they enter the playoffs with renewed hope. Injuries limited their time together but when both were on the floor, Milwaukee looked like a top 4 team in the East. The potential for a dominant inside-out attack remains, even as questions swirl around their chemistry and late-game execution.
Giannis put up another MVP-caliber campaign (30.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 6.5 APG) on 60.1% shooting, while Lillard added 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per game, albeit with a slight dip in efficiency (44.8 FG%, 37.6 3P%). Their pick-and-roll tandem has shown flashes of brilliance, especially with spacing provided by their teammates. But Milwaukee&rsquo;s defense remains a glaring concern, particularly at the point-of-attack.
Much of that responsibility falls on new head coach Doc Rivers, who took over midseason and has spent much of his tenure reshaping the defensive schemes. The team has shown better connectivity lately, but consistency is key. If the Bucks can get solid two-way contributions from Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince, and Kyle Kuzma, their ceiling rises considerably.
This postseason is the first true test of the Giannis-Dame partnership after a failed one last year. Can it deliver in crunch time and carry Milwaukee back to the Finals?
Detroit Pistons &ndash; Can they win a playoff series?
One of the most surprising stories of the season, the Detroit Pistons went from dead last in 2024 to securing the No. 6 seed in 2025 with a 44-38 record. It&rsquo;s a dramatic turnaround fueled by internal growth, better health, and the emergence of Cade Cunningham as a legitimate star. Cunningham averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds, and improved his shooting splits across the board &mdash; including a respectable 35.6% from three.
Head coach J.B Bickerstaff deserves credit for stabilizing the young roster. Jaden Ivey (despite being out for the year to injury), Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren have all taken steps forward in their roles, and the addition of veterans Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Tobias Harris has added much-needed floor spacing and leadership. The Pistons ranked 10th in defensive rating at 112.5 &mdash; a massive leap from their abysmal finish last season
Still, playoff basketball is a different animal. Detroit lacks experience, and their margin for error will be slim. Can Cunningham carry the offense when defenses trap him? Can their shooters hit timely shots? And can Duren hold his own against seasoned playoff bigs?
Winning a series would be monumental for the franchise &mdash; and a sign that Detroit&rsquo;s rebuild is truly behind them.
Orlando Magic &ndash; Can their offense hold up?
There&rsquo;s no questioning the Magic&rsquo;s defensive pedigree. They finished second in defensive rating (109.1) and boast a switch-heavy scheme built around length, versatility, and discipline. But the big question entering the playoffs: can they score enough? Orlando ranked just 27th in offensive rating (108.9), and the loss of Jalen Suggs and Mo Wagner due to injuries further thins their already-limited shot creation.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner carry the bulk of the offense, but both have faced inconsistent stretches. Teams often sag off sub-par shooters like Cory Joseph or Jonathan Isaac, daring Orlando to hit perimeter shots &mdash; something they&rsquo;ve struggled to do all year. Against Boston&rsquo;s elite defense, those issues could be magnified.
Orlando will try to control tempo, force turnovers, and win the possession battle. They&rsquo;ve been excellent in close games, but whether they can consistently generate efficient halfcourt looks remains uncertain.
Defense may win championships, but the Magic need buckets to even stay in the fight.
Miami Heat &ndash; Will they be able to replicate the Heat playoff magic this year?
The Heat have built a reputation as a team you never want to face in the playoffs &mdash; especially as a lower seed. In 2023, they made the Finals as an 8-seed. In 2024, they made the Celtics work despite key injuries. But can they pull off another surprise run this year? The roster remains largely intact, but injuries, aging stars, and inconsistency have clouded their outlook.
Without Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo must step up on offense while anchoring the defense. Tyler Herro&rsquo;s scoring punch is much needed, and the role players should contribute as well. But questions linger around depth and chemistry within their lineups after a shaky year.
The Heat finished just 21st in offensive rating (112.4) and 9th in defensive rating (112.0), a sign that the margins are tighter than ever. Still, if any team knows how to punch above its weight class, it&rsquo;s this one. Erik Spoelstra will maximize every mismatch, he always finds a way to manipulate the opposing team.
Don&rsquo;t count them out just yet but don&rsquo;t expect the same magic to happen each and every time as well.

Breaking down the biggest question facing each team in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs.

2025 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs: Each team’s biggest question in the playoffs

Views are the author&rsquo;s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.
As the 2024-25 NBA regular season winds down, it&rsquo;s time to spotlight the standout performers who rose above the rest. From breakout stars to defensive anchors and rookie sensations, here are my picks for the major awards this season &mdash; including some deserving runner-ups and honorable mentions.
<h3>Most Improved Player: Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)</h3>
Runner-ups: Ivica Zubac, Christian Braun
Notes: Dyson Daniels has made the leap. After being traded to the Atlanta Hawks, Daniels not only found a larger role but embraced it fully, evolving into a dynamic two-way guard. His length, defensive instincts, and vastly improved shooting have made him one of the league&rsquo;s biggest revelations. Daniels went from being a defensive specialist to a legitimate secondary playmaker and spot-up threat, thriving alongside Trae Young. Daniels also has a legitimate case for the Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in steals, and this only strengthens his case for Most Improved.
Ivica Zubac has a notable case for runner-up after seeing growth as a more consistent interior anchor for the Clippers. Zubac also had a huge year offensively, often conniving with James Harden for lob and post opportunities. Meanwhile Christian Braun carved out a bigger offensive role in Denver with increased minutes and responsibility as he saw the biggest increase in PPG from over a season ago.
<h3>Sixth Man of the Year: Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics)</h3>
Runner-ups: Malik Beasley, Ty Jerome
Pritchard stepped up in Boston&rsquo;s championship-caliber rotation, giving them much-needed energy, scoring punch, and floor-spacing off the bench. He played with confidence, controlled tempo, and was crucial during clutch stretches when starters rested. His knack for scoring in bunches and orchestrating the offense when Jrue Holiday or Derrick White sat was invaluable.
Beasley&rsquo;s sharpshooting in Detroit has stood out, garnering a league-2nd-best 319 threes as a bench player while Ty Jerome&rsquo;s steady second-unit play in Cleveland has them at the top of the East and worthy of 6th man consideration.
<h3>Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)</h3>
Runner-ups: Evan Mobley, Lu Dort
This should have been Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s award if not for the blood clot injury, but here we are. There should be a winner, and my pick would be Draymond Green. Even in his 30s, Green remains a defensive savant. He quarterbacked Golden State&rsquo;s schemes, constantly switching, communicating, and anchoring a defense that ranked among the best post-All-Star break. While Green&rsquo;s impact isn&rsquo;t always in the stat sheet, his presence turned the Warriors into a top-tier defensive team when he was on the floor.
Mobley continued to showcase elite versatility for Cleveland, while Dort was once again a perimeter nightmare for opposing guards and wings. Both Mobley and Dort deserve these runner-up spots due to their teams (Cleveland and OKC) performing well because of them.
<h3>All-Defensive Teams</h3>
1st Team: Draymond Green, Evan Mobley, Lu Dort, Amen Thompson, Dyson Daniels 2nd Team: Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Toumani Camara, Ivica Zubac
Amen Thompson&rsquo;s disruptive length and switchability earned him a First-Team nod as a rookie, while Dyson Daniels brought relentless on-ball pressure. On the Second Team, Shai&rsquo;s defensive improvements were evident this year, and Camara turned heads with his rugged, fearless wing defense in Portland. Zubac was a rock-solid rim protector all season long.
<h3>Rookie of the Year: Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)</h3>
Runner-up: Zaccharie Risacher
Castle made an immediate impact in San Antonio with his poise, defense, and playmaking. He embraced the challenge of playing next to Victor Wembanyama and flourished as a stabilizing backcourt force. Castle's two-way effort, ability to guard multiple positions, and unselfish offense stood out in a deep rookie class.
Risacher showcased his offensive polish and smooth shooting stroke in Atlanta and made a strong late push for the award.
<h3>All-Rookie Teams</h3>
1st Team: Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey 2nd Team: Bub Carrington, Isaiah Collier, Matas Buzelis, Kel&rsquo;el Ware, Yves Missi
From Sarr&rsquo;s shot-blocking to Jaylen Wells&rsquo; scoring flashes, this rookie class was filled with gems despite a no-clear-star tag. Edey proved his game could translate at the next level, and Buzelis quietly put together a solid two-way campaign. Carrington and Collier each had stretches of brilliance at the point guard spot for their respective teams.
<h3>Coach of the Year: Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland Cavaliers)</h3>
Runner-ups: J.B. Bickerstaff, Tyronn Lue Honorable Mentions: Ime Udoka, JJ Redick, Mark Daigneault
Kenny Atkinson&rsquo;s return to head coaching was a rousing success. He reshaped the culture in Cleveland, maximizing the young core&rsquo;s strengths and installing a balanced system that translated to wins. The Cavaliers became the best team in the East, and Atkinson&rsquo;s ability to unlock both offense and defense from a good squad last year to a better squad this year was remarkable.
Bickerstaff turned Detroit around after a league-worst record , and Lue once again juggled egos and lineups with the Clippers to keep them near the top of the West despite losing Paul George in free agency.
<h3>Clutch Player of the Year: Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)</h3>
Runner-ups: Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry
Jalen Brunson owned the fourth quarter. His combination of poise, patience, and pure bucket-getting in crunch time made him one of the league&rsquo;s most dangerous closers. Whether isolating, using the pick-and-roll, or getting to his spots, Brunson delivered when it mattered most &mdash; and turned Madison Square Garden into his stage.
Edwards embraced the big moments in Minnesota to have one of the most points in clutch time, while Curry remained a timeless threat late in games.
<h3>All-NBA Teams</h3>
1st Team: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards 2nd Team: Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell 3rd Team: Jalen Brunson, Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., James Harden, Ivica Zubac
SGA led the way with MVP-level consistency and picking Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Tatum were no brainers.Edwards made his All-NBA debut with a huge leap in production and impact, being a top 5 scorer in the league. Cade Cunningham took over the reins in Detroit and finally stayed healthy, while Zubac&rsquo;s defensive presence and scoring efficiency earned him a well-deserved spot among the league&rsquo;s elite.
<h3>Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)</h3>
Runner-up: Nikola Jokic Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Rather than rehash the argument, I&rsquo;ll let this piece explain it in full detail: 🔗 <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-shai-gilgeousalexanders-case-as-the-2025-nba-mvp">Making Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s case as the 2025 NBA MVP</a>

As the 2024-25 NBA regular season winds down, it’s time to spotlight the standout performers who rose above the rest.

OPINION: Picking the 2024-2025 NBA Awards winners

Every NBA season comes with its fair share of surprises, and the 2024-25 campaign has been no different. While championship contenders and superstars have dominated headlines, several teams have quietly &mdash; or loudly &mdash; rewritten their narratives in spectacular fashion. These aren&rsquo;t just flukes or hot streaks. These are teams that have made a leap, exceeded expectations, and found themselves in playoff positioning when few thought they&rsquo;d be here, or surpassing their previous season&rsquo;s accomplishments.
Whether it&rsquo;s through masterful coaching, player development, savvy roster moves, or simply finding the right chemistry at the right time, these are the teams that have all proven that projections and preseason power rankings don&rsquo;t always tell the full story. Here's a closer look at how these franchises flipped the script and are now among the best feel-good stories of the season.
Detroit Pistons Previous season&rsquo;s record: 17-65 This season&rsquo;s record: 44-38, 6th in the East
Perhaps no team has made a bigger leap &mdash; or captured the league&rsquo;s heart &mdash; more than the Detroit Pistons. Just a year removed from a miserable 17-win season, the Pistons have pulled off one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent NBA memory. They are now sixth in the Eastern Conference, and have set a playoff date against the third-seeded New York Knicks.
Much of that credit goes to newly hired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who brought immediate structure, accountability, and belief into a young locker room. But the star of the show has been Cade Cunningham. After an injury-riddled season last year, Cunningham has blossomed into a true franchise player this year &mdash; a dual-threat scorer and facilitator who commands the game at his own pace. His decision-making has improved drastically, and he's showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick. Cunningham is here, and he&rsquo;s gunning for that star/superstar status.
Surrounding Cunningham, players like Jaden Ivey (even though he was injured) and Ausar Thompson have also taken noticeable steps forward, while big man Jalen Duren has anchored the middle with toughness and poise beyond his years. Detroit has also had key free agent signings that brought veteran presence in the locker room in Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Tobias Harris. They have also picked up vet PG Dennis Schroder in a trade to help Cunningham with the ball-handling duties. Everything that Detroit has done was in order to come back and see this moment &ndash; to be back in the playoffs. It&rsquo;s not just that Detroit is winning &mdash; it&rsquo;s how they&rsquo;re doing it: through defense, selflessness, and maturity. They&rsquo;ve gone from laughingstock to legitimate in over a season, and it has been incredibly fun to watch.
Houston Rockets Previous season&rsquo;s record: 22-60 This season&rsquo;s record: 52-30, 2nd in the West
After four long and grueling seasons of rebuilding, the Houston Rockets are back &mdash; and better than ever. They&rsquo;ve clinched 50 wins for the first time since the James Harden era and have soared into the second seed in the loaded Western Conference. This transformation didn&rsquo;t happen overnight, but every move the Rockets made over the last four years has culminated in a roster that&rsquo;s deep, versatile, and hungry.
It started with the front office, who made smart picks in the draft: Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green in 2021, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason in 2022, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore in 2023, and Reed Sheppard in 2024. The result? A blend of high-upside talent that&rsquo;s matured quickly under the right guidance. And that guidance came in the form of Ime Udoka &mdash; the tough, defense-first head coach who has instilled discipline and identity from day one.
The Rockets also balanced their youth with veteran leadership. Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks were crucial free-agent signings, and the trade for Steven Adams added much-needed size and experience in the paint. Sengun has quietly become one of the most skilled bigs in the league, averaging near triple-double numbers with his passing and post play. Meanwhile, Jalen Green&rsquo;s shot selection and efficiency have improved, making him a more consistent offensive threat.
Everything is clicking in Houston, and the best part? They&rsquo;re still only scratching the surface. It&rsquo;s officially liftoff time in Houston, Texas.
Cleveland Cavaliers Previous season&rsquo;s record: 51-31 This season&rsquo;s record: 64-18, 1st in the East
It might sound strange to include a 50-win team in a list of surprises, but the Cleveland Cavaliers have surpassed what many expected from them &mdash; and in a completely new way. After losing to the Celtics in the second round last season, many believed Cleveland had plateaued, stuck in a tier below the East&rsquo;s elite. But the arrival of head coach Kenny Atkinson changed everything.
Atkinson brought more than just X&rsquo;s and O&rsquo;s to Cleveland &mdash; he brought vision. His innovative offensive schemes breathed new life into the team, particularly Evan Mobley. The former third overall pick has emerged as a true two-way force this year, expanding his offensive bag while remaining a defensive anchor. Mobley has become more comfortable operating as a playmaker, setting high screens, making short-roll reads, and even spacing the floor.
Donovan Mitchell remains the alpha, capable of carrying the offense during clutch moments. But with Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen playing supporting roles to perfection &mdash; and the perfect role players giving them a punch off the bench &mdash; the Cavaliers are deeper and more dangerous than ever. This is their best season since LeBron left, and it feels like they&rsquo;ve finally found a sustainable identity. They're not just winning games; they&rsquo;re playing like a team that believes it can win the East.
Los Angeles Clippers Previous season&rsquo;s record: 44-38 This season&rsquo;s record: 50-32, 5th in the West
No team entered the season with lower public expectations relative to their talent than the Los Angeles Clippers especially after Paul George left in free agency. The assumption was that LA&rsquo;s championship window had finally slammed shut. But instead of folding, the Clippers responded with a defiant, gritty, and unified season that caught the league off guard.
Kawhi Leonard returned healthy and dominant, looking like the MVP-caliber player of old. His midrange game has been clinical, and he&rsquo;s elevated his play on both ends as the postseason approaches. But perhaps the most shocking resurgence came from James Harden, who has turned back the clock and delivered one of his most efficient seasons in years. Harden has assumed full command of the offense, orchestrating everything with poise and flair while re-establishing himself as a top-tier guard in the league that could possibly fetch an All-NBA plum.
The supporting cast has been outstanding. Ivica Zubac has taken a huge leap, anchoring the Clippers&rsquo; defense and finishing strong around the rim. He&rsquo;s firmly in the Most Improved Player conversation. Norman Powell has been a revelation in an expanded role, consistently providing scoring and hustle. The &ldquo;addition by subtraction&rdquo; idea has rung true &mdash; with more touches and opportunities, Powell has been better than ever.
And of course, credit must go to Tyronn Lue, who has maximized every piece of this roster and turned what many assumed would be a rebuilding year into a redemption tour. The Clippers became this gritty and rugged defensive team that no one wants to meet in the playoffs. They might be underdogs, but they&rsquo;ve built something real.&nbsp;
&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;
These four teams &mdash; Detroit, Houston, Cleveland, and Los Angeles &mdash; entered the season with vastly different narratives. But they all share a common thread: they weren&rsquo;t supposed to be this good. Whether through internal growth, roster management, or coaching brilliance, each franchise has exceeded expectations in its own way.
The playoffs will be the true test, but what these teams have already accomplished is worth celebrating. In a league where dynasties often dominate headlines, it's stories like these that keep the NBA fresh, unpredictable, and thrilling year after year.

Discover how the Pistons, Rockets, Cavaliers, and Clippers have surpassed this season's expectations and rewrote their narratives.

Teams that have exceeded expectations this season

With just days left until the 2024-25 NBA season tips off, the Eastern Conference teams are settled, prepped, and ready for action. The offseason moves are done, rosters are set, and almost everyone&rsquo;s locked in for what&rsquo;s shaping up to be an intense race. From title contenders to dark horses, the East is packed with teams ready to make noise. So, let&rsquo;s dive into the top 15 teams in the East as we gear up for this brand-new season&mdash;no fluff, just what you need to know.
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">New York Knicks The Knicks made significant moves this offseason, adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges while retaining key pieces like Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. With depth, defense, and firepower, they look primed for a deep playoff run. After a 50-win season in 2023-24, they now have realistic championship aspirations and could be the biggest threat to the Celtics in the East.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Boston Celtics The defending champions kept their core intact, extending Jayson Tatum and Derrick White. With Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday leading a formidable lineup, the Celtics are aiming to repeat as NBA champions. Despite concerns about Al Horford&rsquo;s age and frontcourt health, Boston remains the favorite heading into the 2024-25 season.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks didn&rsquo;t make major changes but added depth with Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, and Delon Wright. After an injury-plagued season from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Milwaukee looks to bounce back under returning head coach Doc Rivers. With questions surrounding Lillard&rsquo;s form and Middleton&rsquo;s durability, the Bucks remain playoff contenders, but how far they go will depend on health and chemistry.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Philadelphia 76ers The 76ers had a big offseason, adding Paul George, Andre Drummond, and Caleb Martin to support Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Maxey&rsquo;s rise as a star solidifies Philly&rsquo;s title hopes, and Embiid&rsquo;s MVP-level play is crucial for their success. With an improved supporting cast, the Sixers could be serious challengers in the East, but Embiid&rsquo;s health remains the key.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cleveland Cavaliers After a solid 48-win season, the Cavs focused on continuity by keeping their core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. New coach Kenny Atkinson brings fresh leadership, and Cleveland hopes to build on last season&rsquo;s playoff run. With a healthier roster and improved coaching, the Cavs could reach 50 wins and challenge the top teams in the East.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Indiana Pacers The Pacers had a quiet offseason but retained Pascal Siakam and made a key addition in James Wiseman. Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s breakout season makes Indiana a team to watch, and they&rsquo;re looking to build on their deep playoff run. With improved chemistry and young talent, Indiana could surprise as a top-five team in the East.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Orlando Magic The Magic are banking on internal growth, led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. After winning 47 games and making the playoffs last season, they added veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for shooting and leadership. With a young core developing, Orlando could win 50 games if they continue their upward trend and improve their perimeter shooting.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Miami Heat The Heat had a quiet offseason, adding Alec Burks while re-signing key players like Bam Adebayo. With Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s future uncertain and health concerns for both Butler and Tyler Herro, Miami could face challenges in a competitive Eastern Conference. However, Adebayo&rsquo;s All-NBA-level play will keep them in the playoff hunt.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Atlanta Hawks The Hawks overhauled their roster after a disappointing 36-46 season, headlined by trading Dejounte Murray and acquiring the No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher. With Trae Young remaining the focal point, the Hawks are banking on Risacher&rsquo;s development and contributions from new additions like Larry Nance Jr. and Dyson Daniels. This team looks poised to contend for a Play-In spot but lacks the co-star power needed for a deep playoff run.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Charlotte Hornets The Hornets enter the season with fresh energy, thanks to the hiring of new coach Charles Lee and the re-signing of Miles Bridges. With LaMelo Ball back healthy and Brandon Miller continuing to impress after an All-Rookie season, Charlotte&rsquo;s young core could surprise many. If Ball stays on the floor and their youth develops quickly, the Hornets might find themselves contending for a Play-In spot and shaking off years of underachievement.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Detroit Pistons The Pistons are looking to turn the page on a tough 2023-24 season and have made moves to fast-track their rebuild. With Cade Cunningham healthy, new leadership under J.B. Bickerstaff, and rookie Ron Holland adding spark, Detroit could outperform expectations. If Cunningham returns to form and the team gels quickly, don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Pistons emerge as a dark horse in the East.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Toronto Raptors The Raptors are in transition, keeping their young core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley intact. After a poor finish to last season, Toronto is betting on Barnes&rsquo; continued growth and the addition of Davion Mitchell to improve their fortunes. While their ceiling might be a Play-In appearance, the Raptors are hoping their trio can take a big step forward.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Bulls The Bulls traded DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso, adding Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith to the mix. Zach LaVine&rsquo;s injury history remains a concern, but the Bulls are counting on Coby White&rsquo;s emergence and the potential of lottery pick Matas Buzelis. Chicago is likely to be a competitive team some nights, but they may struggle to rise above the Play-In threshold.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Brooklyn Nets The Nets are entering a rebuild after trading Mikal Bridges and Lonnie Walker. With a young roster led by Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas, Brooklyn&rsquo;s focus is on player development. Ben Simmons remains a question mark, but the team&rsquo;s recent moves set them up for future success with significant draft assets. A playoff berth seems unlikely as they look to position themselves for a high draft pick.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Wizards The Wizards continue their rebuild with the addition of Alex Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick. With Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey joining the squad, Washington hopes to see growth from young talents like Bilal Coulibaly. However, they&rsquo;re still far from playoff contention and will likely be looking at another lottery-bound season.</li>
</ol>

Let's dive into the top 15 teams in the East as we gear up for this brand-new season.

2024-2025 NBA Eastern Conference Power Rankings: A new number one arises at the top

A parade awaits in San Francisco to celebrate the champion Golden State Warriors. The NBA draft is a few days away, with presumed top-three picks Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero set to take their first steps toward realizing their enormous potential. Free agency starts in less than two weeks.
The 2021-22 NBA season is over.
The 2022-23 NBA season seems like it&rsquo;s already here.
The Warriors are back on the NBA mountaintop. Their win over the Boston Celtics in this season&rsquo;s finals capped the league&rsquo;s 75th anniversary celebration and ushered in an offseason that will, as always, start with tons of attention on player movement &mdash; or, in some cases, players not moving.
Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is eligible to receive a $260 million supermax extension from the Denver Nuggets; it&rsquo;s basically a sure thing that it&rsquo;ll be offered and accepted. Phoenix&rsquo;s Devin Booker and Minnesota&rsquo;s Karl-Anthony Towns are in line for $210 million extensions, neither of which will be surprises either.
Then there&rsquo;s the class of younger players in line to secure their first post-rookie-contract paydays: Memphis&rsquo; Ja Morant, Miami&rsquo;s Tyler Herro, New York&rsquo;s R.J. Barrett and Cleveland&rsquo;s Darius Garland are just some of the names in that group. So, too, is New Orleans&rsquo; Zion Williamson, which will be an interesting case since he has been healthy enough to play in only 85 games over his first three pro seasons and is constantly questioned about his conditioning.
Zach LaVine, who is expected to remain with the Chicago Bulls, headlines the class of unrestricted free agents. Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal all have player options for next season, all of them worth between $34 million and $43 million.
And then there&rsquo;s LeBron James, about to enter his 20th season &mdash; likely the one where he&rsquo;ll catch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and become the NBA&rsquo;s all-time scoring leader &mdash; and soon to be eligible for a two-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers that&rsquo;ll be worth nearly $100 million for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
&ldquo;When we get to that point, we&rsquo;ll see,&rdquo; James said when the Lakers&rsquo; season ended.
That point isn&rsquo;t here yet. But it&rsquo;s coming.
THE FAVORITES
<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba">According to FanDuel Sportsbook,</a> the Warriors are the favorites to win the 2023 title &mdash; just ahead of the Celtics.
Brooklyn is the third choice in odds posted immediately after Game 6 of this year&rsquo;s finals ended, followed by Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; who get Kawhi Leonard back next season. Phoenix, Miami, Philadelphia, Memphis and Dallas round out the top 10 in the odds posted by FanDuel.
Of course, take any prediction right now with a grain of salt.
When last season ended Brooklyn was the runaway favorite to win the 2022 NBA title. The Nets didn&rsquo;t win a playoff game, getting swept by the Celtics in Round 1.
The second choice by sportsbooks after last season was the Los Angeles Lakers. They didn&rsquo;t even make the playoffs and struggled by almost all possible measures.
For the record, the Warriors had top-five odds of winning this year&rsquo;s title by most oddsmakers when last season ended at around 12-1. The Celtics were in the middle of the pack, at around 40-1.
SUMMER LEAGUE
All 30 teams will be in Las Vegas from July 7-17 for the NBA Summer League, which &mdash; before the pandemic slowed momentum &mdash; was routinely drawing big crowds, and the belief is it&rsquo;ll get back to that again this summer.
There are two other smaller events, hosted by the Warriors and the Utah Jazz, before the Vegas league.
RULE CHANGE
Farewell, take foul.
It&rsquo;s expected that at league meetings in Las Vegas next month that owners will approve a new way of adjudicating the oft-maligned &ldquo;transition take foul&rdquo; and bring stiffer penalties to such plays starting next season.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told The Associated Press earlier this month that he&rsquo;s confident the change will be made. It&rsquo;s a topic that the NBA and its competition committee have been studying for several seasons.
The way such fouls have been officiated in the G League since 2018 is this: When a defender commits a take foul, which is one where no play on the ball is made but doesn&rsquo;t rise to the level of a clear path foul, the fouled team retains possession and gets one free throw before play resumes. The clear path foul results in two shots and the ball.
COACHING SEARCH
The only team without a head coach right now is the Utah Jazz, who have asked permission to interview several assistants from around the league.
Charlotte, officially, has not yet confirmed the hiring of Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson as its new coach &mdash; but that deal will be announced now at any time. He&rsquo;s one of two Warriors assistants that are leaving the champions, with Mike Brown departing to take over as coach of the Sacramento Kings.
JOHN WALL&rsquo;S FUTURE
The Houston guard didn&rsquo;t play this season while the Rockets tried to find a trade partner. It&rsquo;s entirely possible that the same sentence could be used at this time next year.
Wall was selected for the NBA All-Star Game in five consecutive seasons from 2014 through 2018. Since the last of those selections 4 1/2 seasons ago, he has played in exactly 82 games &mdash; the equivalent of one NBA season &mdash; while making $150 million in salary.
Wall holds a $47.4 million option for next season, which he almost certainly will accept since no team will give him remotely close to that after his injury situations &mdash; most notably heel surgery that was followed by Achilles surgery &mdash; in recent years.

The 2021-22 NBA season is over, but the 2022-23 NBA season seems like it’s already here.

Warriors cap title run, NBA flips the page to 2022-23 season

The 2022 NCAA Tournament is underway, with the First Four games taking place over the last two days. Here's a recap of the First Four action and what's next for the winners:
Notre Dame defeats Rutgers 89-87 in 2OT, will play Alabama After a scoreless final 1:50 in regulation, these two teams went to overtime where Blake Wesley hit a huge bucket with :02 remaining to send it to yet another overtime period. Paul Atkinson Jr. had a putback basket with :02 to play that sealed the deal, capping off his huge night with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. The energy that Notre Dame exerted will be something to monitor in the next round (especially if they come out looking fatigued), but what an incredilble game to get the weekend started.
Indiana defeats Wyoming 66-58, will play Saint Mary&rsquo;s Trayce Jackson-Davis continues his ridiculous postseason with a 29-point outing. The Hoosiers took control just before the break and would hang steady the rest of the game. Even behind a poor free-throw shooting night, they dominated the glass and won the turnover battle, which ended up being the keys to victory. Indiana now looks ahead to a tough matchup with the No. 5 seeded Gaels.&nbsp;
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Wright State defeats Bryant 93-82, will play Arizona Tanner Holden had a monster night, posting 37 points on 11-of-15 from the field. The Raiders held a two-point lead at the break, but Holden and Co. would pull away for the rest of the contest. Trey Calvin also had a strong outing for the Horizon League Tournament Champions, finishing with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. They advance to the Round of 64 and now have a tough matchup with the Wildcats.&nbsp;
Texas Southern defeats Texas A&amp;M-CC 76-67, will play Gonzaga The Tigers&rsquo; bench scored 55 points while the starters scored only 21 in this one. Senior guard Bryson Etienne posted 21 points, and the team as a whole connected on 26 free-throw attempts. The SWAC Conference Champions trailed by four points with nine minutes to play, but were able to battle back and win down the stretch. They took the lead with 5:32 to play and never gave it back, securing the win and a meeting with the No. 1 overall seed, Gonzaga.&nbsp;

Derek Murray breaks down the First Four action from the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

March Madness: 2022 NCAA Tournament First Four Recap

Before the national media cared about the other basketball team in New York City, the 2018-19 Brooklyn Nets were one of the dopest stories in the NBA.
They were a hard-working, culture-changing, overachieving, likable group who surprised many outside of (and within, if we&rsquo;re being honest) the New York Metropolitan Area by hustling their asses to a 2019 playoff berth. It was their first in four years, and marked the beginning of three consecutive postseason runs.
At the core of this period, there was an ongoing D&rsquo;Angelo Russell-Spencer Dinwiddie Twitter war that emotionally consumed much of the fan base, a more insulated type than the one that rages on today. In the 2017-18 season, Russell was the starting point guard, and Dinwiddie entered the season in the third string on the depth chart.
But after Jeremy Lin tore his Achilles on opening night &mdash; and with Russell needing arthroscopic knee surgery one month in &mdash; Dinwiddie stepped into a role that nearly landed him the league&rsquo;s Most Improved Player award.
The occasional Russell-Dinwiddie minutes shared? Notably not great, a trend that continued in 2018-19. Then-Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson would <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2018/11/3/18058490/inside-dangelo-russells-fourth-quarter-benching" target="_blank" rel="noopener">semi-regularly bench Russell for Dinwiddie</a> &mdash; the team&rsquo;s sixth man &mdash; to close games. <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2018/11/5/18063566/dangelo-russell-bounces-back-kenny-atkinson-offers-road-trip-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atkinson would be pressed, as a result</a>, especially on those occasions where it didn&rsquo;t work.
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The "Russell or Dinwiddie" talk extended to who should represent the Nets if they had an All-Star, and then, Dinwiddie tore his the UCL in his hand &mdash; <a href="https://twitter.com/realtuffjuice/status/1088550514432794624" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported by Caron freakin' Butler</a> (!!) &mdash; clearing the runway for Russell. He then became the replacement All-Star for Victor Oladipo, who tore his quad one day before Dinwiddie tore his thumb &mdash; but honestly, Russell was probably the most deserving of the three anyway.
(Go look back at Oladipo&rsquo;s season. He was good, but less so than you remember, primarily when held against his extraordinary 2017-18 campaign.)
You can draw a straight line from Russell&rsquo;s breakout near MIP-winning season in 2018-19 to watching Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving join the Nets later that summer. If not for Russell&rsquo;s emergence that helped put Brooklyn in position to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving-brooklyn-nets-los-angeles-clippers-kawhi-leonard-paul-george-learn-mistakes-culture-kenny-atkinson-doc-rivers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abandon their process to chase stars</a> &mdash; which landed him in Golden State in exchange for Durant &mdash; who knows if the Nets would've become what they have over the last three years?
Since then, in a crowded talent pool of All-Star level NBA point guards, Russell&rsquo;s kinda become&hellip; underrated.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Congratulations to D'Angelo Russell for this amazing achievement 💯 <a href="https://t.co/vbvxkhzqsv">pic.twitter.com/vbvxkhzqsv</a>
&mdash; Timberwolves Nation (@TWolvesNationCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TWolvesNationCP/status/1493966873427603459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Now, this isn&rsquo;t to say Russell is slept on like the way y&rsquo;all are sleeping on Top Boy, bison meat, Splinter Cell, Nas and Hit-Boy&rsquo;s Magic EP &mdash; or dipping your quesadilla in barbecue sauce &mdash; but D'Lo's impact is a tad underdiscussed. Russell, 26, is mainly overlooked in the way that a once-rising star who we believe to have plateaued could be easily forgotten despite remaining near his previous peak at arguably the NBA&rsquo;s deepest position. &nbsp;
To this point, Russell&rsquo;s been pretty durable, which is major since he&rsquo;s about to play his 46th regular-season game on Thursday, his most since that '18-19 run in Brooklyn. The 31-28 Minnesota Timberwolves are currently seventh in the Western Conference and are 15-8 since Jan. 3.
In their now 33-season history, the Wolves have secured only nine playoff berths, and just one since Kevin Garnett left (Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s only full season with the team). Even then, in 2017-18, Minnesota only finished eighth in the West &mdash; fourth at the time of Butler&rsquo;s late-season meniscus injury &mdash; so the team hasn&rsquo;t finished seventh or higher since the 2003-04 season. That was the only time the Wolves have ever gotten past the first round as a franchise.
It&rsquo;s fair to say that they&rsquo;re at least pretty, pretty, pretty good by NBA standards. There are still reasons to be skeptical regarding their legitimacy, but we&rsquo;re usually penciling them in for yet another lottery draft pick &lsquo;round this time of year. And look, they may still get one, but we&rsquo;re approaching March, and they&rsquo;re in games that matter. Russell deserves some credit for that, as he does for still producing since '18-19 and proving his breakout wasn&rsquo;t a fluke. 
The Timberwolves' &ldquo;quiet ass&rdquo; fans are apparently so stunned at their relative success that they&rsquo;re <a href="https://twitter.com/Dloading/status/1491095748934455304?s=20&amp;t=sv7cJecuhNpOmS0ql-nTUQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not cheering enough</a>. This is sh*t they ain&rsquo;t used to!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl7saWAVoMQ"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gl7saWAVoMQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a>
(To be fair, D&rsquo;Angelo, on the night you called out your quiet-ass fans, y&rsquo;all were playing the Detroit Pistons and beat them by 13. My ass would be quiet if I saw my team semi-spank a Cade Cunningham-less skeleton crew led by 24 non-threatening Saddiq Bey points!)
To his credit, those quiet asses answered though!
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This season, Russell&rsquo;s averaging 18.8 points and 7.0 assists on .408/.351/.802 shooting splits. It doesn&rsquo;t wow you on the surface &mdash; not even when I tell you he&rsquo;s tied for 12th in assists per game this season (7.0) ahead of guys like LeBron James, Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday and his old teammate Dinwiddie.
Minnesota is third in pace, fifth in scoring, 10th in Offensive Rating and 14th in Net Rating as a result.
However, it's the Timberwolves' defense that has been, as local reporting out of Minnesota has put it this season, <a href="https://www.twincities.com/2021/11/30/quarterbacking-the-timberwolves-improved-defense-is-dangelo-russell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"quarterbacked" by Russell</a> &mdash; an area that has been one of the foremost knocks on him individually since entering the league. And D-Lo&rsquo;s grown into a leader in a locker room that includes Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards (and Patrick Beverley matters). &nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Can't tell what I liked more here the nail help from D'Angelo Russell or the rotation from Jaden McDaniels. <a href="https://t.co/SkH6hP7lHX">pic.twitter.com/SkH6hP7lHX</a>
&mdash; Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20/status/1493763756580425731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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You watch Russell, and without question, save for his deserved All-Star season, he&rsquo;s playing his most impactful basketball to date. Currently, he has a career-high .105 win shares per 48 minutes and has been productive despite a 25.9% usage rating; it isn&rsquo;t low by any means, but it&rsquo;s the lowest since his rookie season. We&rsquo;re also seeing Russell at optimal usage, even if he isn&rsquo;t an All-Star anymore, and will have a hard time getting back there due to the depth at guard in #thisleague. (It&rsquo;s not completely impossible though.)
Russell is leading on both ends and ranks third in shot attempts behind Towns and Edwards, where he should be, and will have a $31 million expiring contract next season. So, yes, he&rsquo;s extension-eligible this summer. No, he shouldn&rsquo;t get a max, but why not ride this out if you&rsquo;re Minnesota? You clearly have something functioning at, for you, a high level &mdash; the highest you&rsquo;ve seen in five seasons and the second-highest since 2005. (Edwards turned four that year, fam.)
So, yes, Russell has earned his extension so far and is ideally the third option on a good team (as he is there), but is a primary playmaker (as he&rsquo;s been). Keeping a core together and continuing to progress is the Wolves' best bet, which is incredibly important in markets like Minnesota.
And, overall, we should commend Russell's sheer resiliency. Others may have gone in the tank while trying to reclaim All-Star status by now. He's out here helping a winner for a franchise that's seen so few.&nbsp;
Oh, and while we're here, happy 26th birthday, D&rsquo;Angelo.
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Bryan Fonseca credits D'Angelo Russell for his role in the Wolves' success this season and feels he's been underrated.

Commending D’Angelo Russell for playing his most impactful basketball

With Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden, the Brooklyn Nets and their embarrassment of riches may one day rule not only New York City, but the NBA.
That day, however, is not today. And believe it or not, the NBA is better for it.
For as long as we can remember &mdash; whether it was the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls or Golden State Warriors &mdash; the NBA has been ruled by a super-team. Generally good for business, the super-teams were viewed as villains by many, but everyone watched with glazed-over eyes.
We wanted to see how long a dynastic team&rsquo;s reign could last.
Indeed, for the NBA, the existence of the super-team is nothing new, only the way they&rsquo;ve been constructed.
From the time LeBron James got ESPN to follow St. Vincent-St. Mary &mdash; from the time he was driving around in a 2003 Hummer H2 &mdash; he understood his power. In 2010, he used it to his advantage.
On July 8 of that year, the young king summoned everyone he could to Connecticut to reveal that he was opting for a secondment in Florida. He rocked the boat, and since then, the NBA&rsquo;s owners have been struggling to not capsize.
James willfully sacrificed money, opted for short-term contracts and did all he could to apply pressure to the front offices for which he worked. In 2010, he flexed his muscles, grabbed his future and used his mighty size 15 Nikes to kick down the door that fellow stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis would later use to make daring escapes.
About 11 years later, James Harden would follow.
Contract be damned, after eight years in Houston, Harden saw the world around him change yet again and decided he no longer wanted to continue the good fight without Daryl Morey and Mike D&rsquo;Antoni. Yet another sidekick in Russell Westbrook came and went, so Harden decided he would, too.
All things considered, it&rsquo;s easy to understand why Harden would want out.
It&rsquo;s also easy to understand why, given the circumstances behind his exit, the Basketball Gods couldn&rsquo;t in good conscience reward the Nets with a championship. Not in Year 1, anyway.
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---
When Sean Marks took residence in Brooklyn in 2016, the franchise was coming off of a 21-win campaign. Future draft picks were still owed to the Boston Celtics for the Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade and the Nets were deemed to have no future.
Marks changed that almost immediately.
He turned over every stone, using some to lay a foundation and others to build walls. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Rodions Kurucs &mdash; Marks found players, harnessed their talents and eventually watched Kenny Atkinson push his misfits to 42 wins. It took three seasons for the Nets to go from a laughingstock to the team that Irving and Durant wanted.
What was always sad about the acquisitions of Irving and Durant, though, was the fact that sacrifices had to be made.
Russell &mdash; a player who had come into his own in Brooklyn, growing and maturing into a franchise player &mdash; had to be let go to clear cap space. Wanting to do right by him, the Nets were just as motivated as the Warriors and Russell were to get a double sign-and-trade done for Durant, and that was that.
Irving is a superstar and a champion. He's an obvious upgrade over Russell, but the lefty grew in Brooklyn, and seeing him jettisoned hurt.
And that was just the beginning.
Irving didn&rsquo;t necessarily endear himself to his teammates in his first year in Brooklyn, and after an 11-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, he famously opined that the players that comprised the team&rsquo;s roster simply <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28493556/kyrie-irving-says-team-needs-glaring-nets-fall-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weren&rsquo;t good enough</a> to win. Not even two months later, Coach Atkinson was fired. And in the not-too-distant future, for Harden, the Nets sacrificed most of the remaining players who built the culture that seemed to attract Irving and Durant in the first place.
Seeing Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen traded to bring in Harden, again, made sense from a basketball-talent standpoint. But there&rsquo;s no denying that along with Coach Atkinson, Russell, LeVert and Allen were the three players who the gave the team&rsquo;s fans the most pride. They were Brooklyn&rsquo;s own.
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In no time at all, it seemed, the Nets went from a young core with pure intentions to one ruled by three superstars, each with their own baggage, each motivated to win a championship not for the franchise or the city, but for their individual legacies. The Nets happened to be a convenient place to accomplish their individuals goals.
And when Brooklyn was presented with a proposition from a supermodel, it dumped its high school sweetheart that stuck with it through thick and thin.
All the while, Giannis Antetokounmpo, secretly, was shopping for engagement rings.
With admirable humility, those who know Giannis well and have watched him grow will tell you that deep down inside, he believes he owes Milwaukee for giving him a shot. He could&rsquo;ve opted to chase a championship anywhere &mdash; Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami &mdash; but he seemingly learned from Durant&rsquo;s experience. No matter where he went, a championship wouldn&rsquo;t have felt the same if he was wearing a different jersey and celebrating with a new fan base.
Along the way, Antetokounmpo came to realize that he was a part of something &mdash; a team, an organization, a fraternity&hellip; A community. So with no promise and no guarantee, he doubled-down on his commitment and decided that he would dedicate himself to not only winning a championship, but winning one in Milwaukee.
So when his Bucks trailed by two points in Game 7, after they&rsquo;d gone the first four minutes of overtime without a basket, Giannis received a pass in the pinch-post and felt Durant on his hip. The Greek Freak had longed for an opportunity for redemption, and it came in the form of a soft sky hook that slowly fell through the net after meekly bouncing on the rim three times.
&ldquo;It was definitely exhausting, but it was worth it,&rdquo; Giannis said after Khris Middleton&rsquo;s game-winner helped the Bucks walk out of Barclays Center with their heads held high.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s gonna hurt a little bit if you want to be great,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And I know that.&rdquo;
Now the Nets do, too.
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Brooklyn will be back. One year from now, they&rsquo;ll be wiser, they&rsquo;ll have better chemistry and, we can assume, they&rsquo;ll be healthier. They'll also be an attractive destination for ring-chasing veterans. Collectively, they&rsquo;ll now have this painful experience to fuel them, and they&rsquo;ll be better for it.
And that&rsquo;s the way it&rsquo;s supposed to be.
Whether you believe in the Basketball Gods or not, winning a championship shouldn&rsquo;t be something that players can just show up and be able to do. It should require trials and tribulations. It should require painful growth and adversity. It should require sweat, sacrifice and tears.
As a unit, the Bucks have paid those dues, as have scores of other teams. The Nets got caught trying to jump the line.
For the league&rsquo;s teams that are not in sexy markets &mdash; the Portlands, the Denvers and, yes, the Milwaukees &mdash; forming a perceived super-team is largely unrealistic. Outside of places like Los Angeles, Boston, Miami and New York, it&rsquo;s difficult to imagine a team assembling a roster with as much star power as Brooklyn did this past season.
With its core playing just eight games together and its head coach having zero experience, seeing the Nets win this season would&rsquo;ve hurt the morale of the dreamers. Seeing them fall short in their first year together, as harsh as it may sound, will be viewed as a just outcome for the 29 other teams. That&rsquo;s true, regardless of whether they admit it.
In the end, competition is what professional sports are all about. No matter how mighty Goliath appears to be, David has to pick up his slingshot.
The Bucks, in defeating the undermanned Nets, have provided Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell and their ilk with some hope. Under the right set of circumstances, it&rsquo;s still possible to slew a giant.
Perhaps the Bucks only delayed the inevitable. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine Irving, Durant and Harden not finding a way to succeed together in Brooklyn.
But before a team has earned the right to be called champions, they're supposed to traverse a road that's littered with the bones of dashed hopes and painful heartbreak. The journey that a team takes together is just as meaningful and important as the final stop atop the podium in June.
Had the Nets managed to put it all together this season, especially had they defeated the Bucks and the Phoenix Suns along the way, we may have forgotten that. We may have lost sight of what truly makes success at the highest level glorifying.
Thankfully, the Basketball Gods made sure we were reminded.

While the Brooklyn Nets hope for better luck next year, the NBA's small-market teams are probably breathing a sigh of relief.

The Brooklyn Nets fell short, and the NBA is better off because of it

Sure, Montrezl Harrell is a mammoth of a man and tenacious defender, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was already oozing with confidence by the time he got the switch.&nbsp;
The young Canadian had already made a fool of Dennis Schroder on a few possessions, so when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope came with a hard show to trap the Oklahoma City Thunder&rsquo;s young star, Shai crossed over from left to right, faking the two defenders out of their shoes. He slithered to the rack and threw down a two-handed dunk.
Somewhere, Chris Paul was smiling.
Gilgeous-Alexander, of course, spent last season as Paul&rsquo;s understudy. And although Paul would&rsquo;ve probably finished the play off by finding a backdoor cutter, the entire sequence had Paul&rsquo;s fingerprints on it.
So know this: the journey to becoming a superstar in the NBA isn&rsquo;t as simple as giving a kid the ball and the keys to a franchise. More often than not, young players with promise have to learn as they go. Just like Gilgeous-Alexander did. Just like RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley will.
Above all else, that&rsquo;s why the New York Knicks&rsquo; decision to run it back with Derrick Rose -- especially considering what they had to give up in exchange for him -- was a no-brainer.
It&rsquo;s disconcerting the extent to which NBA fans allow themselves to be peddled falsities. Once upon a time, we were told that tanking was the best way to building a contender. Not too long ago, we were led to believe that hoarding cap space was the way to sign impact free agents and more recently, for some reason, many have been led to believe that players with promise need to be force-fed the ball for 40 minutes per night.
You know what young players really need more than anything else? Guidance and experienced wisdom.
Neophytes need to learn how to win games and see, first-hand, what kind of commitment it takes to be successful in the NBA. They don&rsquo;t need to be on the receiving end of 30-point blowout losses or to be torn apart by the likes of Jrue Holiday or Patrick Beverley. They need veteran players whose attitudes and habits help them get to the next level. They need a coaching staff that connects with them and helps them develop their talents, and they need to be properly primed before they&rsquo;re entrusted with the marbles.
They need to marinate, and they need players who've been there and done that before them help with their seasoning. For the gross majority of players, this is fact even if&nbsp;some players &nbsp;-- LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell and Luka Doncic to name a few -- are ready from Day 1.
Far more players have been brought along slowly and surely. In a basketball culture that is often fooled into thinking there&rsquo;s only one way to do things, the want to see immediate dividends on the investment in a player with potential is understandable... It&rsquo;s just not usually the reality.
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About 25 years ago, a young backup guard named Sam Cassell was instrumental in helping deliver two NBA championships to the Houston Rockets. Nonetheless, he couldn&rsquo;t find a starting role playing behind a bevy of accomplished veterans that included Kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell and Clyde Drexler.
Humbled, Cassell studied under the veterans, learned some lessons and applied the teachings in his subsequent stops. He ended up enjoying a fruitful career, to say the least.
The late, great Kobe Bryant became a starter in his third season, but only after it became apparent that he was the franchise&rsquo;s future and that Eddie Jones, Nick Van Exel and Derek Fisher didn&rsquo;t quite have the same gifts.
In more recent times, Draymond Green, CJ McCollum, Jaylen Brown and Fred VanVleet are examples of players who spent their first couple years fighting for their keep. Before Giannis Antetokounmpo was a two-time MVP, he was playing behind the likes of Ersan Ilyasova, John Henson, Larry Sanders and Zaza Pachulia. Same with Stephen Curry, who has preached patience with rookie James Wiseman and <a href="https://twitter.com/ThompsonScribe/status/1351418668131864577?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed out</a>&nbsp;that Curry himself "used to get benched for Acie Law."
In other words, most young NBA players are like seeds. They need to be planted, given proper conditions and some time. Not everyone comes into the league 100 percent ready, and that&rsquo;s fine. Nobody likes force-ripened fruit, anyway.
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That&rsquo;s exactly where players like Derrick Rose come in.
Given his relationship with Tom Thibodeau, the early returns suggest that he&rsquo;ll fit right in by providing the Knicks a much-needed attack guard who can help make the game easier for the team's youngsters, who&nbsp;Rose will ultimately help bloom.
At this point in his career, on an individual level, the former MVP is a player who has gone from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the barrel and back. Through it all, he&rsquo;s kept a positive attitude and persevered. A step slower and less athletic than he was 10 years ago, he's come to rely more on his ability to see through defenses and penetrate them than his blinding athleticism. At 32 years old, he plays the game more like an aging halfback who has to plan his cuts rather than a greyhound chasing a rabbit. As he&rsquo;s aged and enjoyed his renaissance, Rose has naturally become more methodical about his game. Those are qualities that any young guard would be wise to develop.
Serving as understudy worked out quite well for Gilgeous-Alexander. There's no reason to believe the same fate doesn't await Quickley and the Knicks' other promising youngsters.
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Although far from a front-office lifer, Leon Rose has spent a lot of time around the Knicks organization. In the recent past, New York has always sought the shortcut. In the end, they discovered that the only thing shortcuts are good for is making you bleed.
The road to respectability in the NBA -- a long, windy, treacherous one -- can only be successfully traversed with steps on the court.
Today more than ever, players watch one another, talk, share war stories, form relationships and create alliances, but nobody wants to join a sinking ship. No franchise-altering player will proactively take his talents to a losing franchise more renowned for its off-court shenanigans than on-court promise. So the first step toward helping the Knicks regain some respect around the NBA is to string together some wins, show some sort of developmental culture and overachieve relative to the individual parts. It&rsquo;s precisely <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving-brooklyn-nets-los-angeles-clippers-kawhi-leonard-paul-george-learn-mistakes-culture-kenny-atkinson-doc-rivers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what the Brooklyn Nets did</a> and, if you look closely, it seems to be precisely what the Knicks are attempting to do. Rose is a means to that end.
Despite the Knicks' inclusion of Charlotte's second-round draft pick, trading Smith for Rose is a no-brainer. Rose provides the club with attributes they need that Smith didn&rsquo;t possess, and the 11-year veteran gets them closer to the playoffs than Smith would have.
For a franchise attempting to find its way, the Rose acquisition is a low-risk move with a potentially high reward, especially if Rose is able to impart any of his wisdom or teachings to Thibodeau&rsquo;s young and impressionable group of players.
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<div>So the next time Jaylen Brown draws praise or Gilgeous-Alexander impresses you, remember when they were seeds. Realize that now, in New York, they&rsquo;ve just begun planting.</div>
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With his experiences and wisdom, at this point in his career, Derrick Rose is properly cast on a young, upstart Knicks team.

Second time's the charm: Derrick Rose trade was right decision for Knicks

Ethan Fuller breaks down the general direction of all 30 NBA teams in his weekly Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: New Year, New Problems

When a team hits the reset button, there is no singular goal.&nbsp;
The obvious focal point is development, as their young talent gains invaluable experience on the floor against legitimate professional competition and an unfamiliar roster jells with one another. Wins are few and far between usually because of it, which means it&rsquo;ll more-than-likely take a bit of time to build winning habits back up and get back into (or stay in) the postseason hunt.&nbsp;
Unlike many teams after moving on from (multiple) star players, the Los Angeles Clippers didn&rsquo;t really have to go through a rebuild; the franchise simply retooled. First, in the summer of 2017, they shockingly traded Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets for seven players, including Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley. Then, they brought in Danilo Gallinari from the Denver Nuggets. Finally, before the following season&rsquo;s trade deadline, LA dealt Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons for Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Avery Bradley.
Just like that, Lob City was out and a new breed was in. Under the same coaching staff led by Doc Rivers, 2017-18 and 2018-19 saw perhaps the most enjoyable year-and-a-half of Clipper basketball than we&rsquo;d seen in quite some time. Guys were just on the same page. Williams enjoyed All-Star-caliber efforts as the league&rsquo;s best sixth man. Harris and Gallinari put together the best scoring campaigns of their respective careers. Harrell broke out as a ferocious competitor who only needed an opportunity, and Beverley set the tone as far as the culture. Not to mention, they had a then-blossoming rookie in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was impressing in all facets with his mature skill set. It was all clicking.
But with a star-studded free-agent class then on their minds, the Clippers began to change things around in the middle of that 2018-19 season. Tobias Harris was in a contract year and expected to be paid for the best year of his career (did he EVER), so the team traded him, Marjanovic and Mike Scott to the Philadelphia 76ers for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala.&nbsp;
That would be the first of many dominoes to fall in LA. With plenty of roster room and cap space, Jerry West and Lawrence Frank went to work by signing reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and acquiring an All-Star in Paul George to pair with him. They had to part ways with Gilgeous-Alexander, Gallinari and an unheard-of amount of first-rounders to acquire George (and land the package deal), completely mortgaging any kind of future they had; but to their credit, the job got done to give Steve Ballmer&rsquo;s ball club a win-now, championship roster&hellip; on paper.
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Pick things up on Dec. 3, 2020 -- that joyous, tight-knit Clipper group seems like a distant memory. The team parted ways with Rivers and will continue his career in Philadelphia, while his lead assistant and 2016 NBA champion head coach Tyronn Lue will take over the reins of a reportedly divided bunch. Harrell hopped to the other locker room and will play at Staples Center in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. JaMychal Green jumped at the opportunity to sign with the Denver Nuggets, who stormed back from a 3-1 playoff deficit to defeat the Clippers just a few months ago, citing that their heart made it an easy decision to choose them over his former team. The Athletic&rsquo;s Jovan Buha wrote<a href="https://theathletic.com/2222210/2020/12/02/kawhi-clippers-chemistry-nba-title/?source=user-shared-article&amp;redirected=1"> an article</a> about how the Clippers&rsquo; culture eroded due to preferential treatment that Leonard and George received (such as letting them determine the practice schedule and when to sit out games, giving them personal security and trainers, etc.).
It all seems like a mess in Clipperland right now, and by no means is the story over with; Year 1 rarely goes swimmingly when a team of stars links up for the first time, and I firmly believe they&rsquo;re going to be better this upcoming year. However, when considering what happened to the Clippers, is it possible we could see a similar situation arise with the Brooklyn Nets?
Hear me out.&nbsp;
We all know how awful it got for the Nets after the early 2010s. Aside from late-round firsts and seconds they would acquire later, there was no path to a rebuild once the post-Boston Celtics holdover era was over because every draft pick was essentially out of the picture. It was damn near impossible for the Nets to not only bring in NBA talent, but also develop their own since there wasn&rsquo;t a whole lot of promise outside of Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams (Lopez lasted the longest and was gone after the 2016-17 campaign). For a significant period of time, Brooklyn&rsquo;s roster was filled with journeymen, cast-offs and undrafted young guys. They simply had no chance.
Until head coach Kenny Atkinson came along.&nbsp;
Then-newly-acting general manager Sean Marks found a way to bring in some fresh faces without draft capital to help Atkinson as much as he could in the 2016 offseason.
In exchange for Thaddeus Young, Brooklyn got a rookie Caris LeVert back from the Indiana Pacers. The franchise took a shot by signing Joe Harris (who had played just 56 total games) to a multi-year contract. Trevor Booker was a well-respected veteran who brought toughness to the locker room. In December of that season, the Nets brought in a recently-waived Spencer Dinwiddie, who hadn&rsquo;t been able to stick with the Detroit Pistons or Chicago Bulls.&nbsp;
That set the foundation for the next offseason, when they traded for D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov on draft night, ending Lopez&rsquo;s career in Brooklyn and sending Kyle Kuzma with him to the Los Angeles Lakers; the team also selected Jarrett Allen at No. 22 in 2017 with a pick that used to belong to the Washington Wizards. DeMarre Carroll was acquired from the Toronto Raptors to provide leadership and a steady presence on both ends of the floor; Allen Crabbe came aboard via a separate trade with the Portland Trail Blazers soon after.&nbsp;
Regardless of the talent on the roster, Atkinson always got the most out of his squad. While you can look at the Nets&rsquo; record over his first two seasons with a perplexed expression as much as you want to (48-116), those players bought into what he was selling. They were playing hard, they were playing tough and they were playing together.
Like the Clippers, maybe the most fun seasons we saw in Brooklyn happened almost organically in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Russell ascended to All-Star heights and consistently ignited Barclays Center, firing off clutch shot after clutch shot and taking a major step with his vision. Harris took a massive leap, becoming the NBA&rsquo;s top three-point shooter in the second year of his contract. Dinwiddie exploded onto the scene with his aggressiveness as the Nets&rsquo; second-highest scorer. LeVert showed us flashes of brilliance before (and after) his foot was dislocated. Allen wowed the world with his hops and refusal to let the opposition score in the paint. Treveon Graham earned playing time with his hustle and commitment on the defensive end of the floor. Unsung heroes like Carroll, Crabbe, Shabazz Napier, Ed Davis and Jared Dudley (acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the summer of 2018) really set a great example for the team to follow. Brooklyn made it to the postseason that second year, which was the culmination of a long road back.
When I thought of the Nets, I didn&rsquo;t think of a team that tanked its way back to relevancy; I thought of a team that kept digging itself out of a never-ending hole and refused to falter -- regardless of the position it was originally left in. But things changed in the blink of an eye when the 2019 offseason came about.
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With the team environment and outlook revamped -- and plenty of cap space to boot -- Brooklyn struck gold, landing Kyrie Irving as a free agent and Kevin Durant in a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors (Russell, Napier and Graham went back in the deal). They added DeAndre Jordan as well. They also acquired Taurean Prince from the Atlanta Hawks for Crabbe and then-rookie Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who was flipped to the New Orleans Pelicans). In came more veterans at small prices afterward: Wilson Chandler, Garrett Temple, Lance Thomas and Iman Shumpert a few weeks into the season.
The team at its core was completely altered, unarguably for the better from a talent standpoint -- however, a far cry from what Atkinson was used to and a whole lot more pressure, despite Durant&rsquo;s Achilles injury keeping him out for all of last season. He still had Irving (albeit a banged up one) who only played 20 games in his debut campaign with the Nets. But true to his nature, Atkinson trudged along with the newer pieces, trying to make it work; it just didn&rsquo;t. On March 7, Marks announced that Atkinson had mutually agreed to part ways with the team.&nbsp;
Now, on Dec. 3, the Nets have brand-new leadership in the building. Steve Nash, a respected Hall-of-Fame player and basketball mind, is going to take hold of a roster full of high expectations. He&rsquo;ll have his former Suns coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni and teammate Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire with him to help the transition, as well as long-time NBA assistants Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughn (who coached the team at the end of last season).
With a recovered Durant and a fresh Irving, there shouldn&rsquo;t be any major issues with the roster; it&rsquo;s literally built to win. For all intents and purposes, this Brooklyn team has a good mix of veteran specialists and up-and-coming players and big-named staff&hellip; on paper. We get so excited about these colossal transactions because it&rsquo;s like a video game, where you can pair up your favorite superstars with each other and stack a bunch of 90-overall guys. It works in a simulation scenario every time, but in reality you have to factor in chemistry and personal relationships, and that takes a while to establish. This isn&rsquo;t to say it can&rsquo;t work (look what the new-look L.A. Lakers and Miami Heat were able to do in Year 1 last season); this very well could be the next great team in the league in due time. But the Nets should take heed because those Clippers were in almost this same exact spot last year.
Which brings me to my point: I know you&rsquo;re supposed to cash-in on assets and young guys can only get you so far in this league. You&rsquo;re in this business to win championships and put fans in the stands. It&rsquo;s run by stars who make the show worthwhile on the court. With that, though, comes sacrifice, right or wrong; it can range anywhere from accepting lesser roles to destroying what you built to get there to handling stars who want preferential treatment.
Should Jarrett Allen be coming off the bench for DeAndre Jordan? All due respect to DJ, who&rsquo;s paid his dues, but no -- not at the expense of an athletic, developing big man who could start for literally any team in this league. But Allen knows what&rsquo;s coming because of where the team is at now.
You&rsquo;re probably thinking, &ldquo;Who cares how Allen feels? He&rsquo;s not a star,&rdquo; and you&rsquo;re correct with the second statement.&nbsp;
My gripe is with the first question, one that most franchises forget to ask when they enter the spotlight with their big acquisitions -- leaving behind the players who got them there.

The Clippers' culture attracted Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to LA but their arrival ultimately changed things. The Nets should take heed.