Central Notes: Bulls, Lewin, Donovan, Pacers, Mobley
After previously identifying Matt Lloyd, Bryson Graham, and Dennis Lindsey as finalists for the Bulls‘ head of basketball operations job, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line adds another name to that list, reporting (via Twitter) that Celtics assistant general manager Dave Lewin met with Chicago and is advancing to the round of in-person interviews.
A Massachusetts native and a longtime member of Boston’s front office, Lewin joined the Celtics as a scouting coordinator in 2012. He later held the titles of director of scouting, G League general manager, and director of player personnel before being promoted to assistant GM in 2022.
According to Fischer (Twitter link), the Bulls seem “very much on pace” to have a new top basketball executive installed in advance of the start of the draft combine, which officially begins on May 10.
We have more from around the Central:
- Within their latest NBA rumor round-up, Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) provided some additional context on Billy Donovan‘s decision to split with the Bulls just a year after signing a contract extension. According to Fischer and Stein, that new deal that Donovan signed in 2025 included a 2026/27 option clause that allowed Donovan to “walk away at his discretion.” Donovan and several Bulls staffers shared the view that a rebuild is likely in the team’s best interest, sources confirm to The Stein Line, which was a major factor in the veteran coach’s decision to step down.
- Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) considers six questions the Pacers may have to answer this offseason, including who to draft if they keep their top-four protected pick, whether or not to extend Jarace Walker and/or Ben Sheppard, and whether to hang onto reserves like Quenton Jackson and Kam Jones.
- Evan Mobley made just 8-of-24 shots in Games 3 and 4 in Toronto and the Cavaliers were outscored by 33 points when he was on the court. Still, head coach Kenny Atkinson gave the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year a vote of confidence following Sunday’s loss, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic relays. “Evan has been one of our best players in this series,” Atkinson said. “Maybe (Sunday), you could argue he wasn’t, but he has been one of our better players throughout the series.” No Cavalier is under contract for longer than Mobley, who has four years and $222.7MM left on his deal after this season.
Atlantic Notes: Barnes, Pritchard, Stevens, Maxey
The Raptors won Game 4 over the Cavaliers despite missing 26 of 30 three-point attempts and shooting just 32.0% from the field. That’s a feat no team in playoff history has ever accomplished, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
It was an anomalous victory, which makes sense, because it was led by Toronto’s anomalous star, Scottie Barnes. Barnes shot 6-for-15 from the field and 0-for-3 from three, yet he scored or assisted on 35 of the team’s 93 points and was everywhere defensively.
Barnes had an excellent season for the Raptors, getting his second All-Star nod while averaging 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, and coming in fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Despite his strong showing, he was not widely predicted to be the best player in the series. Yet through four games, he’s been exactly that, writes Michael Grange from Sportsnet.
“He’s just a winning player, man,” said teammate RJ Barrett, who has also had a strong series. “He scores, he moves the ball, he rebounds, he defends, he does everything out there. He has a killer mentality, but I think the biggest thing right now is he is playing with force, he’s really making the defence have to guard him.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Payton Pritchard scored a playoff career-high 32 points in the Celtics‘ big Game 4 win over the Sixers. He credits the work he’s put in studying how the great players in the league maximize their advantages and skill sets. “I feel like obviously there’s genetic freaks,” Pritchard said. “I’m not one of them. But, like, LeBron (James) is a perfect example, too. He takes great care of his body daily. He makes little sacrifices. He’s talked about his sleep habits, his eating and all that. But even guys like Al Horford and Jrue Holiday, they’re able to play so long because of the habits they created.” Pritchard doesn’t drink, limits his bread and sweets, and changed his sleep routine, all in the search for peak performance.
- Brad Stevens had his work cut out for him last summer after losing nearly his entire frontcourt along with Holiday. While the players and coaching staff deserve immense credit for turning what was thought to be a gap year into a 56-win season, the job Stevens did in identifying talent like Neemias Queta to bring into coach Joe Mazzulla‘s system is deserving of an Executive of the Year award, Chris Forsberg writes for NBC Sports Boston. The award will be officially announced on Tuesday at 12:00 pm Central time.
- Despite getting big man Joel Embiid back for Game 4 on Sunday, the Sixers were blown out 128-96 by Boston. Star guard Tyrese Maxey was uncharacteristically quiet in the first half, scoring seven points on just three shots. He chastised himself for his lack of aggression after the game, Brian Robb writes for MassLive. “That absolutely can’t happen,” Maxey said. “That’s just unacceptable by me. It wasn’t meant to happen that way. We can’t win basketball games with that happening, and I take full responsibility on that one.” Maxey finished with 22 points on 14 shots after attempting at least 20 field goals in each of the first three games.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Oubre, Rebounding, Game 3 Loss
Joel Embiid remains doubtful for the Sixers‘ Game 4 against Boston on Sunday, Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes in a subscriber-only story. Embiid hasn’t been able to play since undergoing an emergency appendectomy on April 9, but his status was upgraded to doubtful ahead of Game 3. Coach Nick Nurse told reporters that Embiid was able to go through an individual on-court workout on Saturday.
“He’s working as hard as he can to get back,” Nurse said. “We’re just going to have to see how it goes here today and tomorrow morning, and maybe we’ll know more towards the end of shootaround.”
Embiid participated in a light practice on Thursday, raising hopes that he’ll be able to return at some point in the series. Nurse admitted that “he’s just not ready” before Friday’s Game 3, and Sunday’s contest now carries a lot of importance with Philadelphia trailing 2-1 in the series.
“It [would be] a different ballgame having Joel back in the series,” said Adem Bona, who has replaced Embiid as the starting center. “It’s a huge advantage for us, so I’m just excited to see him back on the floor again.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- The Sixers may also be missing Kelly Oubre Jr., who is listed as questionable for Game 4 with right adductor soreness, Mizell adds. Oubre played 40 minutes on Friday, finishing with 17 points and six rebounds.
- Embiid’s absence on the boards was costly Friday night as the Celtics collected 15 offensive rebounds and finished with 22 second-chance points, notes Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice. The most important play of the night was an offensive rebound as Derrick White collected a Nikola Vucevic miss with about 40 seconds remaining and fired the ball to Jayson Tatum for a three-pointer that put the game out of reach. “The second chance points is what got us today,” veteran center Andre Drummond said. “I think other than that, we played a very well-rounded game. It was a very intense game, a fun game for us to play in. We get those second chance points off the board, I think we win the game.”
- The Sixers let an opportunity slip away in Game 3 that might cost them a chance to win the series, states Tony Jones of The Athletic. Philadelphia played well enough in some aspects — forcing 17 turnovers and outscoring Boston 42-26 in the paint — but wasn’t able to secure the victory. “It’s funny, the last game, they made a run and we came back and we made every single play and we won the game,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Tonight, we made the run at them, and they made every single play and they won the game. It’s little stuff like that that decides games. Our attention to detail has to be great, because the margins in these games are really small. These are single-possession games and every possession really matters.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Named Most Improved Player
Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2025/26 season, the league announced today (Twitter link). It’s the second consecutive year in which an Atlanta guard has won the award, with Alexander-Walker joining ’24/25 winner Dyson Daniels.
A quality reserve valued for his defense during his time in Minnesota, Alexander-Walker signed with the Hawks in free agency last summer and took on a much larger offensive role with his new team, as his usage rate increased from 16.0% to 23.9%. Despite taking on more offensive responsibilities, the 27-year-old actually increased his shooting efficiency, setting new career highs in field goal percentage (45.9%), three-point percentage (39.9%), and free throw percentage (90.2%).
Alexander-Walker also boosted his scoring average from 9.4 points per game during his final season in Minnesota to 20.8 PPG with the Hawks while contributing 3.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds per night. He started 71 of 78 games and logged a career-high 33.4 minutes per contest.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), among qualified players, Alexander-Walker is just the fifth one in the last 35 seasons to increase his scoring average by 11 or more points from one season to the next. He’s also only the third player to claim a Most Improved Player award in his seven season or later, per the Hawks, joining Julius Randle (2021) and Hedo Turkoglu (2008).
“Nickeil’s dedication, continual work on his craft, and the ensuing results this season make him incredibly deserving of this award,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said in a statement. “He has a tireless work ethic and a focus on improving in every aspect of his game. His game continues to evolve, and his commitment and unselfish attitude as a teammate have also positively impacted the success of the team.”
Alexander-Walker beat out a pair of players who made the leap from quality starter to star in 2025/26 — Pistons center Jalen Duren and Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija finished second and third in Most Improved Player voting, respectively, after earning their first All-Star nods this season.
Duren increased his scoring average from 11.8 PPG to 19.5 PPG and was the second-best player on a Pistons team that won 60 games. Avdija, who went from 16.9 PPG to 24.2 PPG and handed out a career-high 6.7 APG, was the top scorer and play-maker for a Blazers squad that snapped a four-year playoff drought.
Alexander-Walker received 66 first-place votes and 396 total points, with Duren claiming 23 first-place votes and 254 total points and Avdija getting seven first-place votes and 135 points. Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (three) and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (one) earned the other first-place votes, though Celtics big man Neemias Queta was the fourth-place finisher, coming in one spot ahead of Rollins due to his 23 third-place votes.
Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, Suns guard Collin Gillespie, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, Rockets guard Amen Thompson, and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama also each showed up on at least one ballot.
The full voting results can be found right here (Twitter link).
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Lloyd, Mazzulla, Tatum, More
Among the known candidates for the Bulls‘ open head of basketball operations job, Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd is the “obvious frontrunner,” reports Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required).
Lloyd has been a “top target” for the Bulls since they began their front office search, according to Poe, who writes that the veteran executive “cares deeply about the process of evaluating, acquiring and developing talent.” That should make him an obvious fit for a Chicago team that seems to be embarking on a rebuild, Poe adds.
Outside of his strengths as a front office executive, Lloyd – who grew up in the Chicago suburbs – is a match for the Bulls due to his existing connection to the franchise and the city. He worked for the organization beginning in 1994 as a game-day and special projects employee in the team’s video room and was later hired to work in the media relations department. Eventually, he made the move to the Bulls’ front office, where he was eventually promoted to the role of director of college scouting before leaving for a job in Orlando in 2012.
While the Reinsdorfs have vowed to cast a wider net in their search for a top basketball executive this time around, they have a history of not straying too far from what they know, Poe observes.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- A Coach of the Year finalist, Joe Mazzulla has made it clear he believes it’s a “stupid award,” but the Celtics‘ head coach wouldn’t oppose an alternative that honors more than one person on a team’s staff. “I would like to see that changed to staff or organization, for sure. I think those things are important,” Mazzulla said, per Jay King of The Athletic. “If it was Staff of the Year, it’s different, (or) if it’s Organization of the Year. But at the end of the day, I haven’t made one basket all year. Our staff hasn’t made a basket. We haven’t got a block. We haven’t ran back on defense. We didn’t play a back-to-back. We didn’t have to play hurt. We haven’t really done s–t. So if you don’t have the guys you know to be able to put you in position, it doesn’t really matter.”
- Celtics forward Jayson Tatum scored 25 points in the team’s Game 1 blowout of Philadelphia on Sunday, but he admitted after that win that he’s “still rehabbing” from the Achilles tear that sidelined him until March 6. Tuesday’s Game 2 loss provided a reminder of that, writes Steve Buckley of The Athletic. Although Tatum nearly had a triple-double (19 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists), he made just 8-of-19 shots from the field and has now hit only 3-of-15 three-pointers in the series.
- Signing head coach Jordi Fernandez to a contract extension increasing the pressure on general manager Sean Marks in Brooklyn, according to C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). As Holmes outlines, the extension suggests that Marks believes the Nets have the right coaching staff in place, which means he now needs to get Fernandez the right players to lead the team back to the playoffs.
- With Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes squaring off in the first round of the playoffs, Eric Koreen of The Athletic takes a look at how both players have progressed since being drafted back-to-back in 2021, noting that Mobley and Barnes have shown they’re capable of being foundational players on good teams, though it remains to be seen whether either one is headed for superstardom.
Celtics’ Derrick White Wins 2025/26 Sportsmanship Award
Celtics guard Derrick White has won the Sportsmanship Award for the 2025/26 season, the league announced today (Twitter link). It marks the second straight year in which a Boston guard has claimed the award, with Jrue Holiday taking it home a year ago prior to being traded to Portland.
The NBA’s Sportsmanship Award has been presented annually since 1995/96 and “honors a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.”
Each of the league’s 30 teams nominated one of its players for the award, then a panel of league executives narrows that group to six finalists (one from each division) and current players voted for the winner. The trophy for the Sportsmanship Award is named after Joe Dumars, the Hall-of-Fame guard – and current Pelicans head of basketball operations – who won the inaugural award back in ’95/96.
In addition to White, this year’s other finalists were Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, Warriors big man Al Horford, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Pacers guard T.J. McConnell.
McConnell finished as the runner-up and actually earned the most first-place votes, receiving 83 to White’s 77. However, the Celtics guard had the significant edge in second-place votes (113) over McConnell (72) and finished with 2,827 total points, comfortably beating out McConnell’s 2,566.
The full voting results can be found here.
While White has never been an NBA All-Star, the 31-year-old has built a strong career résumé that includes an NBA championship in 2024, a pair of All-Defensive second team nods (2023 and 2024), an Olympic gold medal (Paris 2024), and now a Sportsmanship Award.
Victor Wembanyama Named Defensive Player Of The Year
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has been named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025/26 season, the league announced on Monday (Twitter link). He’s the youngest player in league history to win the award, tweets Shams Charania of ESPN, and is the first player to win it in a unanimous vote, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Wembanyama, who received all 100 first-place votes, led the NBA in total blocked shots (197) and blocks per game (3.1) by a significant margin and ranked second in defensive rebounds per game (11.5) despite playing just 29.2 minutes per night. His 28.5% defensive rebounding percentage was the highest mark in the league among qualified players.
The Spurs star also limited opponents to a 42.0% field goal percentage and anchored the NBA’s third-best defense. San Antonio allowed 103.6 points per 100 possessions when Wembanyama was on the court and gave up 113.7 points per 100 possessions when he sat.
Wembanyama was the favorite to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024/25, but a blood clot prematurely ended his season in February, preventing him playing in the 65 games necessary to qualify for consideration. He missed some time this year due to health issues, but met the 65-game criteria during the final week of the regular season.
Thunder big man Chet Holmgren, who previously finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to Wembanyama in 2023/24, once again finished as the runner-up to his conference rival for a major award — he earned the second-most votes for Defensive Player of the Year, including 76 second-place votes and 11 for third place. Holmgren ranked second in the NBA in blocks per game (1.9) and was the primary interior presence on a Thunder team that had the league’s No. 1 defensive rating (106.5).
Pistons wing Ausar Thompson was the top Defensive Player of the Year vote-getter among perimeter players, coming in third behind Wembanyama and Holmgren with nine second-place votes and 33 third-place votes. Thompson ranked first in the NBA in steals per game (2.0) despite playing fewer minutes per contest (26.0) than the seven players who ranked right behind him in that category. Detroit was sandwiched between OKC and San Antonio with the league’s second-best defensive rating (108.9).
A total of 13 players showed up on at least one Defensive Player of the Year ballot, with Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes rounding out the top five, in that order.
Celtics guard Derrick White, Thunder guard Cason Wallace, Rockets guard Amen Thompson, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Knicks forward OG Anunoby each received multiple votes, while Pistons center Jalen Duren, Warriors forward Draymond Green, and Heat big man Bam Adebayo showed up on one ballot apiece.
The full results can be viewed here (via Twitter).
While Defensive Player of the Year honors can, in some cases, ensure that a player qualifies for a higher maximum salary on his next contract, that won’t be the case for Wembanyama despite the fact that he’ll likely sign a maximum-salary rookie extension with the Spurs during the coming offseason. The Rose Rule criteria will require him to win MVP or DPOY or simply earn an All-NBA spot in 2026/27 in order to qualify for a contract that starts at 30% of the ’27/28 cap (instead of 25%).
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Backcourt, Oubre, Game 2 Tweaks
The Sixers were missing Joel Embiid in their Game 1 loss to the Celtics, but he is working to get back on the floor after being diagnosed with appendicitis that required surgery earlier in the month, Adam Aaronson writes for the Philly Voice. According to the team, Embiid has begun a strength and conditioning program in an effort to return to play, but he remains without a definitive timeline.
While the former MVP dealt with a variety of ailments this year, his presence has been crucial for the Sixers, who went 24-14 with him this season and just 21-23 without him. Embiid holds career averages of 25.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 15 career playoff games against the Celtics.
While Philadelphia still hopes Embiid will suit up in the first round, it would likely take the team extending the series past four games to make that happen, Aaronson notes.
We have more news from the Sixers:
- Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have established a close-knit chemistry throughout their first season together, writes Gina Mizell of the Philly Inquirer. The duo has managed to form a playful bond while simultaneously holding each other accountable and pushing one another to improve. “We’re hard on each other, and then we also understand,” Edgecombe said about their occasional on-court spats. “Every time he has something to say, I know it’s always coming from a place of love.” Maxey called the rookie his “little brother,” while Edgecombe said he hopes the duo will go down in the history books together.
- It took a while for Kelly Oubre Jr. to find his ideal NBA path, but with the Sixers, he has blossomed into a more mature, well-rounded veteran, Mizell writes. Head coach Nick Nurse often praises the athletic wing for his ability to fill whatever role is needed, which Nurse said is crucial, especially given the lineup inconsistency the team has dealt with over the last couple of years.
- After losing Game 1 to Boston by 32 points in a game they never led, the Sixers will need to make some adjustments if they want a chance to steal a game on the road, Aaronson writes. Cutting down on unforced errors, especially communication breakdowns on defense that lead to open looks for Celtics shooters, will be paramount. The team also needs either Edgecombe or Paul George to step up and take the role of secondary scorer behind Maxey. George told Maxey after Game 1 that the Sixers hadn’t made the Celtics feel like it was a playoff game, allowing them to get into a rhythm early and not doing anything to make them uncomfortable, according to Tony Jones at The Athletic.
NBA Announces Finalists For 2025/26 Awards
The NBA has announced the finalists for this season’s major awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Clutch Player of the Year.
The MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year finalists were announced at halftime of the NBC broadcast of Game 1 between the Pistons and Magic, while the league’s official account tweeted the rest.
Most Valuable Player
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
The leaders of the three top teams in the Western Conference all have strong arguments for MVP. Jokic became the first player to lead the league in rebounds and assists per game while also averaging 27.7 points. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31.1 PPG and led the Thunder to the league’s best record despite the fact that multiple starters missed substantial time this season. Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game while emerging as a lock for Defensive Player of the Year.
Rookie of the Year
- Cooper Flagg (Mavericks)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- VJ Edgecombe (Sixers)
This race is expected to come down to the former Duke teammates. Knueppel played a key role for a resurgent Hornets squad, becoming the first rookie to lead the league in made three-pointers while averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 81 appearances. Flagg’s Mavs finished well out of the postseason picture, but he showed massive star upside, averaging 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG while scoring at least 42 points in four separate games. Edgecombe averaged 35.0 minutes per game over 75 contests, posting a well-rounded 16.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 4.2 APG.
Coach of the Year
- Joe Mazzulla (Celtics)
- J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
- Mitch Johnson (Spurs)
Mazzulla and Bickerstaff each led massively overperforming teams that managed to dominate the Eastern Conference despite having players in and out of the lineup all year. Johnson helped navigate a tricky guard rotation and spacing issues as the Spurs posted the second-best record in the league.
Defensive Player of the Year
- Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
- Ausar Thompson (Pistons)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite to win this award, ranking first in total blocks, blocks per game, defensive rating, and defensive rebounding percentage this season. Holmgren was second in blocks per game for the league’s top defense, while Thompson proved himself to be arguably the best perimeter defender in the league with his combination of off-ball defensive play-making and point-of-attack dominance.
Most Improved Player
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks)
- Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
Both Avdija and Duren were first-time All-Stars this season, while Alexander-Walker earned a starting spot on his new team and raised his scoring from 9.4 points per game last season to 20.8 PPG this season on .459/.399/.902 shooting splits, all career high percentages.
Sixth Man of the Year
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (Nuggets)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat)
- Keldon Johnson (Spurs)
Hardaway cracked 40% from three this season for the first time in his career while shooting 6.9 attempts in his 26.6 minutes per game. Most importantly for the injury-plagued Nuggets, he played 80 games, including six starts, and was the team’s fifth-highest scorer. Jaquez had an impressively well-rounded contribution off the bench, posting career-highs of 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Johnson was a crucial scoring hub for the Spurs bench units while adding offensive pop when the starters struggled to score.
Clutch Player of the Year
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards ranked first and second, respectively, in clutch scoring per game, while Murray was second in total clutch points behind the Thunder star and shot the most efficiently from three of the guards.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points notes (via Twitter) that the awards will be announced in the coming days and weeks, starting with Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, April 20.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Walsh, Vucevic, Garza
Jayson Tatum is grateful for his 16 regular season games, but the chance to compete for a title is the real reason he worked so hard to come back from a torn Achilles tendon, writes Jay King of The Athletic. The Celtics star will see his first playoff action on Sunday since suffering the injury in the second round last May.
“I didn’t even know if I was going to play this year,” he said, “so I get the opportunity to be a part of the team and play in the playoffs. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Tatum admitted it can be “frustrating at times” to not fully be back at 100%, but he and the team were very successful in the games that he played. Boston went 13-3 with Tatum in the lineup and outscored opponents by 10.5 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court. He was on a minutes restriction in most of his games, but still averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night, and his stats improved as he got used to playing again.
“I’m excited,” Tatum added. “My perspective has changed these last 48 weeks (since the injury). I remember when I got injured, there was a lot of uncertainty. The playoffs wasn’t a sure thing. And now that I get that opportunity, couldn’t be more happy.”
There’s more from Boston:
- The Celtics believe Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still improving in their ninth season together, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe states in a subscriber-only piece. It’s an unusually long run for NBA teammates, and it has enabled both players to move into the top 10 on the career scoring list for the franchise. “I think it’s great, it’s been a historic sort of run,” Brown said. “We were able to deliver a championship in 2024. Unfortunately we had our opportunities in the past that got away from us, but we’ve been right there for a long amount of time. We gained a lot of experience. I personally gained a lot of experience. It’s been a pleasure.”
- After holding Tyrese Maxey to 1-of-9 shooting as his primary defender in a November game, Jordan Walsh is eager for the chance to match up with the Sixers guard in the playoffs, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “Just taking away tendencies and then knowing the small things that get under his skin,” Walsh said. “But I think the biggest thing is, like I’ve been saying all year, not letting the guy do what they want to do. Make them go to their second option, their third option, their second move, stuff like that. Like, if he wants to go right and do a step-back, just don’t let him do that. Make him do something else. And then usually we’ll live with the end result.”
- Coach Joe Mazzulla will face a tough decision on whether to give most of the backup center minutes to Nikola Vucevic or Luka Garza, Brian Robb of MassLive notes in a mailbag column. Vucevic is only shooting 43.9% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc since being acquired from Chicago in February, but he’s a more experienced option and Robb points out that the team’s overall net rating has been fine with him on the court.