New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

March Player of the Month – Tiburcio Tommasini, Portland Trailblazers – 32.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.

March Rookie of the Month – Jack Dawkins, Dallas Mavericks – 20.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

That makes things even more disappointing with Jack because he was starting to light the league on fire, but things are looking electric for next season. I shouldn’t be this excited about sneaking into the playoffs but at only half a game back from the eighth placed Suns anything could happen in these last eleven games.

Our first game of April was a good start, taking a one point first quarter deficit and turning it into a 13 point win, beating Denver 120-107. Victor Jones was excellent again with 23 points and 8 rebounds as Changa Hendricks again doubled up with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jones went 8/8 from the field to tighten his hold on the FG% crown, if that is a thing. Chris Drexler was held to only 3/12 shooting for only 9 points before fouling out as Isaac Holdan led the way with 23 points off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 37-35

In our away game against Sacramento there was 16 lead changes and 5 ties but our last quarter failed us as we gave up a four point lead going into the last to lose by a measly point, 116-115. The Kings had three players over 20 points with Lavor Freeman having a field day with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 6 blocks on 9/11 shooting off the bench which killed us. Shawn Latimer was our best with 24 points and even though we shot a better percentage we couldn’t keep the Kings out of the paint and off the foul line.

Dallas Mavericks 37-36

The Lakers are one of many teams who are trying to sneak into the playoffs and at 38-35 are above us, so winning this game at Staples is going to be very important. It didn’t help that Victor Jones went a terrible (by his standards) 4/9 for only 13 points but when Shawn Latimer and Steve Anderson combine for 45 points and 17 rebounds we are bound to win. And we did in a low scoring 95-80 outing. We held Jeff Cunningham and Michael Taylor, their two best players, to only 6/20 shooting for 16 points which makes all the difference in the world. Sure Changa Hendricks only scored 2 points but he held Taylor to only 4 points of his own.

Dallas Mavericks 38-36

We’ve now leapfrogged three teams to move up to seventh, equal with the Lakers but having won that game we have won the season series.

As much as I’m getting ahead of myself we are running blind at the moment, just taking a game at a time and hopefully the team isn’t getting lofty ideas in their heads. Because when we come crashing back to earth like in our 107-86 beatdown at the hands of the Magic it won’t bother them. We shot a woeful 31% from the field as Lats, Steve and Changa combined to go 11/47 in a very one sided affair. One of my old favourites Antoine Martin led the way with 20 points off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 38-37

We’re still above the Lakers for seventh spot but coming up against the very good Wizards I’m not confident. We surprised everyone in this game, getting out to a 18 point lead and were heading for home. That was until the Wizards rattled off a 47-27 massacre of a last quarter to steal the win from right under our nose 136-128. DeShaun Worley was wonderful with 21 points and 17 assists while Rowan Taylor looks to have shed the ‘bust’ label this season with 29 points and 5 rebounds. Shawn Latimer and Victor Jones put up 20 points apiece while Tristan Thompson had 16 points and 9 rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench. Washington are looking really good and should make some noise in the playoffs over in the East.

Dallas Mavericks 38-38

Those two losses have pushed us back down to eighth, one and a half game in front of Seattle for the last playoff spot with six games to go which includes one against New Orleans.

This stretch of games is a nerve racking as an NBA Finals series but we held our nerve and kicked the Thunder to the curb with a 36-16 last quarter (again, final quarter kings) to win 123-96. Steve Anderson was amazing with 26 points while David Forney must have been hopped up on something (NBA officials, I’m writing to say that he did not take illegal substances) with 15 points in only 12 minutes of game time. OKC had six players in double figures but Mike Bickerstaf’s 15 points was the top and that just isn’t enough.

Dallas Mavericks 39-38

Great, just great. We lose to San Diego 122-108 as Jimmy Forrest east us alive for 30 points and 6 rebounds and if that isn’t enough both Lats and Changa go down with sprained areas (Lats toe, Changa hamstring) and will probably be out of the starting line-up for a week which is the rest of the regular season. Shawn had 28 points and 8 rebounds in a great performance even with a sprained big toe. Let’s hope our depth can take us over the line.

Dallas Mavericks 39-39

Neither Shawn Latimer nor Changa Hendricks played against the 10-69 Hawks but it really didn’t matter against such a terrible team as Brian Jenkins had 15 points filling in for Lats and Kemba Walker put up 5 points and 7 assists filling in for Changa. He is still in the team after a few of the other players vouched for him so I didn’t end up cutting him. Victor Jones put on a show with 25 points on 12/15 shooting. Chris Jones was the lead man for the Hawks with 21 points and 6 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 40-39

This is the game I’ve been dreading as we are only a half game ahead of ninth placed Seattle and we play the 54-26 Hornets. We need to win this game as we only have three games left in the season every win is necessary. To nobody’s surprise we get smashed and fall to equal eighth 121-88. The Hornets are just way too good for us as Hillar Petrauskas led the way with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals in the win. Brian Jenkins was our best with 23 points but when Victor Jones and Joe Duggins combine to go 3/16 we aren’t winning anything.

Dallas Mavericks 40-40

The Sonics won the next night so they leapfrog us to 41-40 but we have two games to play to their one so if we can win one and they lose their last one we should be eighth because of our season series win. Going into Utah we needed a win and even though Steve Anderson went 13/23 for a whopping 35 points we were no match for Mark Lewis’ 26 points and 8 rebounds, losing our second last game 118-104. I thought we might have a chance but with Lewis and Favors still on the team they are still a force.

Dallas Mavericks 40-41

Damn, it all comes down to the last day of the season and I don’t know how we will go. We have the Spurs at home but in Seattle’s last game they host the 10-71 Hawks which will most likely be a win for the Sonics. It’s a win for us 127-123 in a very tightly contested game as Steve Anderson took the team on his shoulders with 26 points and 11 rebounds but the Sonics won by nearly 50 points to punch their ticket to the playoffs. As I said, damn.

Dallas Mavericks 41-41

Western Conference Final Standings
1 – Minnesota Timberwolves – 56-26 (.683)
2 – Portland Trailblazers – 50-32 (.610)
3 – Nevada Neon – 49-33 (.598)
4 – Golden State Warriors – 48-34 (.585)
5 – Houston Rockets – 44-38 (.537)
6 – Los Angeles Lakers – 43-39 (.524)
7 – San Antonio Spurs – 43-39 (.524)
8 – Seattle Supersonics – 42-40 (.512)
Last – Denver Nuggets – 25-57 (.305)

Eastern Conference Final Standings
1 – New Orleans Hornets – 56-26 (.683)
2 – Toronto Raptors – 53-29 (.646)
3 – Cleveland Cavaliers – 53-29 (.646)
4 – Orlando Magic – 47-35 (.573)
5 – Washington Wizards – 46-36 (.561)
6 – New York Knicks – 46-36 (.561)
7 – Boston Celtics – 45-37 (.549)
8 – Philadelphia 76ers – 45-37 (.549)
Last – Atlanta Hawks – 10-72 (.122)

Dallas Top Points
Jack Dawkins – 17.3
Victor Jones – 16.8
Shawn Latimer – 15.5

Dallas Top Assists
Changa Hendricks – 7.2
Kemba Walker – 4.5
Jack Dawkins – 4.4

Dallas Top Rebounds
Joe Duggins – 7.3
Victor Jones – 6.1
Steve Anderson – 6.0

League Top Points
Tiburcio Tommasini (POR) – 29.6
Ledaryl McMillian (GSW) – 28.9
Jimmy Forrest (SDR) – 27.0

League Top Assists
Darcel Settles (SAS) – 10.6
Luke Owens (MIA) – 10.2
DeShaun Worley (WAS) – 9.7

League Top Rebounds
Mark Lewis (UTA) – 10.5
Anthony Davis (NOH) – 9.9
Jared Arenas (PHI) – 8.8

League Top Blocks
Anthony Davis (NOH) – 4.0
Andre Drummond (PHI) – 3.0
Bismack Biyombo (CLE) – 2.5

League Top Steals
Paul Orvis (TOR) – 2.7
Jay Warren (HOU) – 2.7
Raoul Dumas (MIL) – 2.6

Victor lost the field goal percentage win by a tiny, tiny, tiny 0.1% from Phoenix's Emmett Emerson, 64.4% to 64.3%. We just can't catch a break.

Rookie Top Points
Mike Bickerstaf (OKC) – 19.6
Jack Dawkins (DAL) – 17.3
Terry McKenzie (NYK) – 14.2

Rookie Top Assists
Chris Jones (ATL) – 6.3
Cort Majishun (MEM) – 6.2
Jack Dawkins (DAL) – 4.4

Rookie Rebounds
Terry McKenzie (NYK) – 7.5
Mike Bickerstaf (OKC) – 5.3
Joe Moore (DET) – 4.8

[AussieVilla]

Would definitely appreciate a weekly update of the Rookie Six

Am liking the fact that Big Art seems to have more potential than first thought... He might even make it to Journeyman status!

[zike_42]

Would definitely appreciate a weekly update of the Rookie Six

Am liking the fact that Big Art seems to have more potential than first thought... He might even make it to Journeyman status!

Maybe not a weekly update but definitely twice a year from them. Art will be a good player down the line, not as good as some of the other Rookie Six but will be a starter one day.

[zike_42]

Third and last update of the Rookie Six from this year.

#35 PF Terry McKenzie, New York Knicks – 14.2 points, 0.8 assists, 7.5 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks

The second best player in this rookie class behind Mike Bickerstaf, Terry is gearing up for the playoffs for the Knicks as the sixth seed as only one of two players in the six in the playoffs, the other being Boston’s Art Stevenson. McKenzie has been great this season no doubt, starting every game and shooting 51% from the field and a respectable 68% from the line for a big man. When all is said and done he will be one of the best rebounders in the league if he gets to his potential.

#4 SG Chris Jones, Atlanta Hawks – 13.5 points, 6.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.0 blocks

As hard as this season has been for the Hawks (10-72) Jones has been outstanding. In fact, he was probably Atlanta’s best player this season, coming second in scoring, first in assists, second in steals and fifth in rebounds for the team. The Wizard only shot 39% from the field but that had more to do with oppositions targeting him as the best player rather than his talents. If the Hawks get better next season look for his percentages to go up.

#41 SF Jack Dawkins, Dallas Mavericks – 17.3 points, 4.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 0.4 steals, 0.1 blocks

In a very disappointing campaign for the young man from Fairfield, Dawkins only played 35 games for the season because he was sent down to the D-League for eight games, then brought back and broke his wrist. Next season looks so tantalising as a healthy Dawkins with a massive chip on his shoulder could be a top ten talent in the league in his second year. If he can stay healthy that is.

#17 PG Cort Majishun, Memphis Grizzlies – 13.0 points, 6.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.2 blocks

The player formerly known as Marius White had a slow start but after he got the nod for starting PG he exploded. He was so good that Ledaryl McMillian comparisons were thrown around without the tenacious defence and could be a top five scorer in the league. The Grizzlies have a great duo of Majishun and Marcus Randle if they can gel properly.

#47 C Art Stevenson, Boston Celtics – 4.3 points, 0.4 assists, 2.0 rebounds, 0.1 steals, 0.2 blocks

Art is a project no doubt but he has enough potential to be a starting C down the line. He only averaged 8.6 minutes per game but when he was out there he made the most of it, averaging 18.1 points (60.5% FG) and 8.5 rebounds per 36 minutes. He will never be a great defender, even a good defender but his rebounding instincts and his ability to clog the lane will come in handy in a few years.

#13 SG Kenneth Long, Miami Heat – 4.4 points, 1.5 assists, 1.4 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 0.1 blocks

I know it has only been one season but it might be time for a change for Long. It doesn’t look like the Heat have him in their long term future (for some bizarre reason) and Long is too good a talent to be chained to the bench. He shot well when he had the chance (39% 3P, 94% FT) but like Stevenson only averaged around eight minutes per game. His frustration has been shown with multiple confrontations with not only his teammates but also the coaching staff which may be a reason for the low minutes.

[zike_42]

2026 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference First Round
#1 New Orleans defeat #8 Philadelphia 4-0
#2 Toronto defeat #7 Boston 4-1
#3 Cleveland defeat #6 New York 4-1
#5 Washington defeat #4 Orlando 4-1

Western Conference First Round
#8 Seattle defeat #1 Minnesota 4-2
#7 San Antonio defeat #2 Portland 4-1
#3 Nevada defeat #6 Los Angeles 4-2
#5 Houston defeat #4 Golden State 4-2

It was probably good that we didn’t make the playoffs as the Sonics pull off a massive upset, beating the best team in the West pretty damn comprehensively. It was Andrew Owens and Donnie Hankins of all people who did the damage as Hankins averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds in the series. That overshadowed San Antonio’s smashing of the highly regarded Blazers as Lamont Nelson went into God Mode with 27 points a game.

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
#1 New Orleans defeat #5 Washington 4-0
#2 Toronto defeat #3 Cleveland 4-0

Western Conference Semi-Finals
#8 Seattle defeat #5 Houston 4-2
#7 San Antonio defeat #3 Nevada 4-1

That’s right both of the Cinderella teams move on and guarantees that at least a seven seed will be in the NBA Finals, paving the way for one of the easiest roads to the championship for the Hornets.

Eastern Conference Finals
#1 New Orleans defeat #2 Toronto 4-1

Western Conference Finals
#7 San Antonio defeat #8 Seattle 4-0

The Sonics’ magic finally wore off, getting swept very comfortably by the surging Spurs. The Hornets have only lost one game this post season and don’t expect them to lose another game.

2026 NBA Finals

#1 New Orleans vs. #7 San Antonio

Point Guard
Lewis Vines vs. Darcel Settles
14.2 points, 8.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds vs. 19.6 points, 11.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds

The league leader in assists during the regular season has upped his averages in the playoffs and even though Vines is really good defender he won’t be able to stay in front of Settles who loves to get into the lane.

Winner – San Antonio

Shooting Guard
Hillar Petrauskas vs. Lamont Nelson
16.1 points, 4.8 assists, 6.5 rebounds vs. 22.2 points, 1.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds

What a coming out part it has been for Nelson. He has had some public stoushes with his coach but that is all in the past in these playoffs. His defence is horrible and Hillar should take advantage but if Nelson can put up the numbers like the ones he has done in the playoffs it’s a win for the Spurs.

Winner - Draw

Small Forward
Bill Gearhart vs. Cedric Watson
18.0 points, 2.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds vs. 15.9 points, 2.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds

I don’t know how Gearhart does it every year. He’s 6’4”, not the best scorer or defender but every year he finds a way to be productive. It might come to an end here as Watson is taller, an outstanding defender and loves smaller opponents. That was said about Kevin Durant at Dallas and Gearhart was great against him so don’t expect him to give up.

Winner - Draw

Power Forward
Anthony Davis vs. Thomas Robinson
21.6 points, 1.9 assists, 11.5 rebounds vs. 9.3 points, 1.5 assists, 7.0 rebounds

What more can we say about Davis? He has been the best player in the league for nearly five years and no-one has been close. He is 32 years old now so he is getting to the end of his career but he should destroy Robinson who is nowhere near as good as he used to be.

Winner – New Orleans

Centre
Peter McCaffery vs. Vitaly Ekomov
14.8 points, 0.7 assists, 6.5 rebounds vs. 19.9 points, 1.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds

Ekomov has been great during his nine years in the league, averaging 60% from the field for his career. He will need to be great because off season acquisition McCaffery is a dynamite defender. This match-up may well decide if the series goes to six games or it is a sweep.

Winner - Draw

Bench
Chad Carney, Bryan Plowman, Aleksandras Gelezinkelio vs. Joey Thunell, Marco Barker, Jon Mitchell

This is as even as you can get, with the Carney/Barker, Plowman/Mitchell and Aleks/Thunell match-ups extremely even. If Aleks can go on one of his scoring bursts he might win a game off his back but those games are few and far between these days.

Winner – Draw

Prediction – New Orleans in five. Even though the Hornets only won one match-up they have the chemistry and experience to breeze past the seven seed Cinderella.

Game One
San Antonio 109 – New Orleans 99 (SAS 1-0)
Player of the Game – Lamont Nelson, San Antonio – 29 points, 9 rebounds

Game Two
San Antonio 103 – New Orleans 102 (SAS 2-0)
Player of the Game – Darcel Settles, San Antonio – 26 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds

Game Three
New Orleans 117 – San Antonio 94 (SAS 2-1)
Player of the Game – Anthony Davis, New Orleans – 30 points, 8 rebounds

Game Four
New Orleans 126 – San Antonio 96 (Tied 2-2)
Player of the Game – Anthony Davis, New Orleans – 25 points, 9 rebounds

Game Five
New Orleans 104 – San Antonio 122 (SAS 3-2)
Player of the Game – Cedric Watson, San Antonio – 27 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals

Game Six
San Antonio 96 – New Orleans 124 (Tied 3-3)
Player of the Game – Hillar Petrauskas, New Orleans – 30 points, 9 assists

Game Seven
San Antonio 103 – New Orleans 109 (NOH 4-3)
Player of the Game – Anthony Davis, New Orleans – 19 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks

The Hornets win their fourth title in seven years behind a 27-18 last quarter burst to win the game and championship. When the Spurs won the first two games in New Orleans the whole world nearly exploded but the champs were just too composed and ground out the win in the end.

[AussieVilla]

Maybe not a weekly update but definitely twice a year from them. Art will be a good player down the line, not as good as some of the other Rookie Six but will be a starter one day.

Oops - I meant an annual update... Not sure I'm that self-obsessed!

[zike_42]

The Pacers have the third worst chance of getting the number one selection with our pick with a 0.7% chance so I’m not too worried.

16 – Miami (0)
15 – Chicago (0)
14 – Indiana (0)

Phew.

13 – Washington (0)
12 – Memphis (0)
11 – Charlotte (0)
10 – Detroit (0)
9 – Milwaukee (0)
8 – Memphis (0)
7 – Oklahoma City (0)
6 – Denver (-3)

Oklahoma City, Philadelphia and Indiana’s own pick have jumped. This is the worst case scenario for the 10-72 Hawks who had the best chance of winning the draft.

5 – Brooklyn (-3)
4 – Atlanta (-3)
3 – Indiana (+3)
2 – Oklahoma City (+2)
1 – Philadelphia (+4)

Great win for the Sixers and could really turn their squad around. Awards time comes up and I don’t think we are going to win anything because Jack wouldn’t have played enough games.

Most Valuable Player:
Ledaryl McMillian, Golden State Warriors – 28.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 0.8 blocks per game.

Just think, the Buzzsaw is only 22 years old and not even in his prime. Very well deserved.

Defensive Player of the Year:
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets – 18.1 points, 1.8 assists, 9.9 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 4.0 blocks

I don’t think he minds that he didn’t get the MVP/DPoY combo with his fourth championship.

Sixth Man of the Year:
Michael Williams, Memphis Grizzlies – 12.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.8 blocks

When Cort Majishun found his feet in the league Williams went to the bench with no ill effect on his game.

Rookie of the Year:
Mike Bickerstaf, Oklahoma City Thunder – 19.6 points, 2.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.0 blocks

All of these awards so far are right on target as Bickerstaf was the best of a great class and will be a 20+ppg player next season.

Coach of the Year:
Jeff Van Gundy, New Orleans Hornets – 56-26 (.683)

He finally deserves one unlike all his other ones.

All NBA First Team:
Ledaryl McMillian, Golden State Warriors
James McDaniel, Washington Wizards
Tiburcio Tommasini, Portland Trailblazers
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets
Jimmy Forrest, San Diego Riders

All NBA Second Team:
Nashon Smith, Orlando Magic
Alexander Verhaeren, Indiana Pacers
Darrell Hampton, Indiana Pacers
Chris Drexler, Denver Nuggets
Jeff Cunningham, Los Angeles Lakers

All NBA Third Team:
Kyrie Irving, Houston Rockets
John Johnson, Detroit Pistons
Mike Joseph, Nevada Neon
Carl Farmer, Seattle Supersonics
Eryk Charnowski, Miami Heat

All Defence First Team:
Nashon Smith, Orlando Magic
Hillar Petrauskas, New Orleans Hornets
Paul Orvis, Toronto Raptors
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets
Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers

All Defence Second Team:
Lewis Vines, New Orleans Hornets
Ron Winston, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cedric Watson, San Antonio Spurs
Carl Farmer, Seattle Supersonics
Emmett Emerson, Phoenix Suns

All Rookie First Team:
Cort Majishun, Memphis Grizzlies
Mike Bickerstaf, Oklahoma City Thunder
Thomas Perkins, Denver Nuggets
Terry McKenzie, New York Knicks
Joe Moore, Detroit Pistons

All Rookie Second Team:
Detric Jones, Washington Wizards
Chris Jones, Atlanta Hawks
John Brown, San Diego Riders
Charles Howard, Sacramento Kings
Art Stevenson, Boston Celtics

Denotes Rookie Six.

All day I was expecting a phone call or a visit from Mr Stuart but none came. Instead I get an email that said,

“Dear Mr MacMillan,

You have done well with this team the Dallas Mavericks this year and even though you spent more than we agreed on you are welcome to continue working here as General Manager. Please email back your response in a timely manner.

Regards,

Harry Stuart”

Yeah, he really doesn’t care about this team, it’s all amount the money. I email him back saying we still have over $56 million in cut contracts this season so I won’t be able to reduce our salary but we should make the playoffs with a similar team.

The Mock Draft is released two days before the draft and like everyone in the country they have Shoo going number one.

1 – Philadelphia – C Schuyler Vanderwerken
2 – Oklahoma City – PG Dave Coulter
3 – Indiana – PG Jamil Fleming
4 – Atlanta – SG Kelly Pryor
5 – Brooklyn – SG Phillip Rude
6 – Denver – C Jerry Benton
7 – Oklahoma City – PF Victor Brinker
8 – Memphis – SG Jason London
9 – Milwaukee – PF Jason Sanders
10 – Detroit – PF Billy Jefferson
11 – Charlotte – SF Arthur Keating
12 – Memphis – SG Peter Willis
13 – Washington – PF Marco Edward
14 – Indiana – C Justin Robinson
15 – Chicago – SG Curtis Anderson
16 – Miami – PF Alan Millford

[zike_42]

2026 NBA Draft

1 – Philadelphia – PG Jamil Fleming
Hmm not really sure about this one. Sure he was 0.1 rpg away from a triple double but he is very ball dominant and not the best on defence. He will be a good point guard but with all the other prospects still on the board it’s a very strange pick.

2 – Oklahoma City – PF Victor Brinker
I do like this pick as Brinker is probably the most NBA ready player in the draft. Combine Brinker with Mike Bickerstaf and you have a great inside/outside duo.

3 – Indiana – PF Jason Sanders
It seems Shoo’s rawness is keeping people away but I really like this pick. He was great in the combine and averaged 32 points per game for Iowa.

It sucks having a team that is all expirings because I have no trade assets apart from draft picks, so trying to trade for a player is impossible because I don’t have any salary going back.

4 – Atlanta – SG Kelly Pryor
Not the best pick. Sure he is by far the best SG in the draft and his scoring and defence skills are top notch but unless they want to play him at SF they have just doubled up with Chris Jones who should be their starting SG for a long time.

5 – Brooklyn – SG Phillip Rude
I think the Nets were expecting the Hawks to take Shoo at #4 and were waiting for Pryor to fall in their laps so took the next best thing in Rude. His scoring is great but was let down in a disappointing combine.

6 – Denver – C Schuyler Vanderwerken
He finally goes to the Nuggets. Won’t make his presence felt until two years away but when that happens look out. It seems that teams are wary of drafting raw, high potential kids at the top of the draft shown by Enrique Mendez, Tiburcio Tommasini, Matias Perez and now Shoo.

7 – Oklahoma City – PG Dave Coulter
He dropped a little because of his size (6’0”) but he is a great point guard. Now that Russell Westbrook is on retirement’s door Coulter will be able to step in from day one.

8 – Memphis – SG Jason Allen
Not the best SG left in the draft but is good enough. At 6’3” he has terrible vision and can’t jump very high which makes his height a huge concern. I would have liked to see him at the end of the lottery, not in the top ten.

I have been trying to trade for a pick since the start of the draft and no-one will bite. I have my eye on a certain PF that is dropping but no team will dance with me.

9 – Milwaukee – PG Alfred Rice
The best remaining PG in the draft and I’ve just got word that Tate McKenzie has been traded from the Bucks but I’m not sure who for. At only 5’11” he is a tiny player and will never live up to Tate’s game so I hope they got someone good for him. Terrible pick.

10 – Detroit – C Billy Jefferson
It isn’t a very good draft for centres and in any other one Jefferson would have been out of the lottery. Isn’t very quick with his feet which will limit him but for the tenth pick in this draft it’s a good one for a centre.

11 – Brooklyn – PG Travis Johnson
Decent but not great, sounds like a broken record describing these last few picks. With guys like Jason London, Curtis Anderson and Brian Benton still on the board this is a real head scratcher.

12 – Memphis – PF Marco Edward
And there he goes my prize. Fantastic passer for a 6’10” guy and the textbook example of a stretch four. Great pick here. Boo.

Nothing left for me to do here with no assets and no-one I really want to break the bank for.

13 – Washington – C Brian Benton
Great pick here. He is an amazing rebounder and shot blocker and even though he will never be anything more than a streaky scorer his play on the other end of the court will more than make up for it.

14 – Indiana – SF Arthur Keating
I’m pretty sure we won the Jack Dawkins trade now as Keating is nowhere near the level that Jack is. Quick, accurate jumpshot is Keating’s bread and butter but this is a bit of a reach.

15 – Chicago – SG Jason London
He has a terrible attitude and will alienate all of his teammates very soon. His talent is top tier though so I’m sure some teams will want him to see if he can turn it around. If he had a good or even average temperament he would be a top five pick no doubt.

16 – Miami – SG Peter Willis
How the hell did Curtis Anderson drop out of the lottery? And why the hell did Miami draft another SG that they will never play after Kenneth Long? Very, very strange draft this year.

Screw it; I trade away our first round pick in two years and the 46th pick in this draft to move to #17 so I can get Curtis Anderson. He may never pan out but he has Reggie Blake written all over him.

17 – Dallas – SG Curtis Anderson
I love this pick, he won’t be ready this season but he should be a good starter in a few years. The experts really like this pick as well so I’m happy.

18 – San Antonio – PG Jon Jones
19 – Los Angeles – SG Brad King
20 – Houston – PF Alan Millford
21 – Philadelphia – C Justin Robinson
22 – Boston – PF Chris Barber
23 – Washington – C Sadurni Montolio
24 – New Orleans – C Jerry Benton
Brother of #13 pick Brian Benton.

25 – Orlando – PF Brian Mason
26 – Golden State – SG Dwayne Corner
27 – Nevada – C Ladrick Holcomb
28 – Portland – PG Sean Perry
29 – Cleveland – PG Vince Floyd
30 – Toronto – PF Joey Polite
31 – Minnesota – PF Willis Dench
32 – New Orleans – C Starzee Hendrik

There were some absolute MASSIVE trades on draft day, pretty different from the trade deadline.

Houston trade:
C Mitch Wolthers

Atlanta trade:
SF Matt Fergerson
2026 2nd round pick

Winner – Both. Very nice deal by both teams as they both gets a starter. Wolthers is probably the better player but it’s a win/win for them both.

Milwaukee trade:
PG Tate McKenzie

Philadelphia trade:
C Dustin Harris
2026 2nd round pick

Winner – Philadelphia. He isn’t even that good! Why do people keep trading for Harris when they know he will destroy their team from the inside? Harris has been on Portland, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia (again) and now Milwaukee and they all dropped him like a bag of potatoes. It doesn’t help that the Bucks gave up a very good PG in McKenzie.

Atlanta trade:
C Demond Lewis

Miami trade:
PF Nate Roberts
2026 2nd round pick

Winner – Miami. Massive steal by the Heat as Lewis is not only the better player in the deal he will form a great big man duo with Eryk Charnowski. Talk about a steal and a half as Roberts isn’t even starting for the Hawks.

San Antonio trade:
PF Charles Means

Chicago trade:
SF Quinn Kelly
2026 2nd round pick

Winner – Chicago (just). Means has the means (groan) to be a great PF in the league but he just hasn’t had the chance at San Antonio. That won’t change in Chicago as he is still stuck behind guys who will take all of his playing time. Kelly is average at best.

Indiana trade:
PG John Weir
2026 2nd round pick

New Orleans trade:
SG Bill Gearhart

Winner – Indiana. Weir used to be a great player but now Father Time has caught up with him and is only a bench guard at best. Gearhart will finally be able to start at his natural SG position but it leaves the Pacers without a PG.

Washington trade:
C Travis Ross

Indiana trade:
SG Alexander Verhaeren

Winner – Both (but neither). I don’t really like this trade from either team, even though the talent of the deal is through the roof. Ross going to Indiana means that there is a logjam in the front court and no-one that can pass it like Verhaeren while Washington has rookie Brian Benton at C but is he ready to be a full time starter? Also, where does free agent James McDaniel fit in all this?

Denver trade:
PF Chris Drexler

Oklahoma City trade:
SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Winner – Oklahoma City. Chris Drexler is still a force in this league at 33 years old and fitting him next to Peter Napier, Mike Bickerstaf and Victor Brinker could be very dangerous in the West. He should be happy at OKC as well with the talent around him as he was known to have a sook when Denver was losing. Adding MKG for Drexler is all well and good but the Nuggets now have no scoring options that can put up 20 points a game night in night out.

[zike_42]

With fourteen of our sixteen players out of contract there is going to be some hard cuts from the team. Out of those fourteen players I keep the rights of Steve Anderson, Changa Hendricks, Shawn Latimer, Victor Jones and Joe Duggins while renouncing the rest. We’re still over $8 million over the cap with all of the cut salary so it’s not going to be a very expensive free agency for us but at least we should be able to find some nice cheap talent.

Summer league rolls around and we actually have a player to compete in this, as Jack Dawkins doesn’t want to push himself too much just coming off an injury. So Curtis Anderson, you’re our guy.

Game one is a flogging as the Nets take us to school with a 104-88 win behind Phillip Rude’s 26 points and 7 assists. It didn’t help that Curtis had 2 points on 1/8 shooting but the biggest shock was George Mosley’s 33 points in 31 minutes at PG for us. Great standout game for George and he better savour it because he won’t be getting a contract with us even with this performance.

We bounce back with a 111-99 win over San Antonio as Curtis played much better, scoring 17 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in 26 minutes. Jason Stafford was our best with 22 points off the bench but other than Curtis I don’t really care about the rest of our summer league team, is that too harsh? John Flanigan went 10/24 for 24 points for the Spurs.

Against the Grizzlies we got down by 26 points in the third quarter before storming back to tie the game with only a minute to go. Unfortunately we didn’t get the win, going down by a single point 82-81. Curtis had 14 points but shot very well at 7/10 as the team shot 39% from the field. The guy I wanted in the draft, Marco Edward, showed why with 17 points and 9 rebounds in the win.

The team that everyone wants to play is the Thunder as they have two top ten picks in the draft. That didn’t matter to us as we rattle off a 117-102 win with Matt Courtney taking #2 pick Victor Brinker to school with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Curtis only had 15 points but played very good defence on AJ Woods. The other top ten pick Dave Coulter had a quiet night with 11 points and 4 assists.

It’s a losing summer league as we drop the last game, going down to Orlando 109-86. We had three players in double figures as Jason Stafford led the way again with 17 points. Danny McDuffie was player of the game with 15 points and 4 assists in the win for the Magic.

All in all we did OK, Curtis averaged 11 points a game on good shooting so I’m satisfied, I can’t expect anything more from such a raw player.

This free agency crop is amazing. I said that about last year’s crop but this has at least three bonafide MVP players. With such talent on offer here, coupled with us having a $5 million MLE to play with I’m really excited that we can land a big(ish) name here. Here are the top ten –

PF Anthony Davis
SF Enrique Mendez*
PG Ledaryl McMillian*
SG Earl Oliver
C Rowan Taylor*
PG Kevin Epps*
SG Travis Grigsby*
C Jeff Cunningham
SG James McDaniel*
SG Michael Williams

What a draft 2022 was, with Enrique Mendez, Ledaryl McMillian, Rowan Taylor, Kevin Epps, Travis Grigsby, James McDaniel, Ali Riley, Mike Joseph, Marcus Sanders, Greg Lavin, Art Haynes, Marlon Haymon and Matias Perez all featuring. Talk about one for the ages. Unfortunately they are all still restricted free agents so any movement is highly unlikely.

On the second day of free agency the Buzzsaw re-signs with Golden State for a five year maximum deal which is so unsurprising that it is a little surprising that it took a whole two days. I offer Bryce Metcalf our MLE for four years just to say that we are thinking of him.

A few days later Enrique Mendez follows suit by re-signing with the Wolves for the exact same amount that McMillian did, the max. As all of my guys were free agent castoffs I don’t have their bird rights, meaning that I can only offer them a four year minimum deal which really stinks. I do that for all five of the guys I want to keep.

The next day Kevin Epps goes back to Portland for about $12 million a year which is approximately $11 million total less than the max. Andrew Seitz gets paid for some reason, signing with the Sonics for $3 million.

In an increasingly boring free agency, Travis Grigsby and Rowan Taylor both go back to Seattle and Washington apiece for five years and I’m begging for someone to do something exciting.

Brooks Badu re-signs with Cleveland for 5 years and I’m starting to nod off here, yaaaaaaaaawn. Also, Earl Oliver, Jeff Cunningham, NBA Finals upstart Lamont Nelson, Keith Selden and Marcello Locatelli also re-sign with their teams.

HOLD THE PHONE! Changa Hendricks has decided he likes it here in Dallas and re-signs for four years, massive news. Oh wait, that’s not the news. ANTHONY DAVIS SIGNS WITH CHARLOTTE! That’s right; off the back off his fourth NBA title with New Orleans he has spurned the Hornets for the Bobcats for 4 years, $56.7 million. I’m alright; I just fell off my chair. Unbelievable! This is probably as big as Shaquille O’Neal leaving Orlando for the Lakers or Lebron James turning down Cleveland for Miami. That’s how big this news is. Oh yeah, it’s tender offer signing day so most of the elite players are still gone. Good news is that Bryce Metcalf is really interested in our offer.

More big news with Michael Williams going back to Memphis after he was renounced and Tate McKenzie leaving Philadelphia after not playing a single minute with them to sign with Sacramento on a really nice deal.

Damn. The pull of Anthony Davis was too great and Bryce Metcalf went chasing a ring, signing a 4 year, $33 million deal with Charlotte. I offer the MLE to an old draftee of mine JD Lawson. A few of my other targets sign with other teams, with Ian Ransom going to Nevada and Li-chi King signing with Indiana to plug their PG hole. In better news, Victor Jones re-signs with us for four years.

Good news and bad news. Good news is that Joe Duggins, Shawn Latimer, Steve Anderson, Dwayne Knight, Russell Westbrook and surprisingly Jake Chase all sign here for the minimum (apart from Chase who got the LLE). Bad news is that JD Lawson spurned us to sign with Chicago and their MLE. I put our MLE away because there isn’t anyone else in the free agency who I think deserves it.

I round out the roster by signing Bart Flanders, Leonard Hale, Ernest Jameson, John Wall and Lavor Freeman, putting us at 15 players and about $19.3 million above the salary cap and done for another year.

Training camp comes and goes and Jack Dawkins is a stud. Superstud. He may not be the defender that Lebron James was but everything else is pretty damn close. That chip on his shoulder has worked wonders. Curtis Anderson has improved and his potential is quite nice but he isn’t an NBA player yet and will spend the year in the D-League. Everyone else on the team is too old to grow their game. Old dogs and new tricks and so forth.

We’re tipped to be third last in the West and even though a team that was built like this should be higher. Hell, we were one game out of the playoffs last season and we have improved our squad quite a bit and with another training camp from Jack Dawkins we should in the hunt for the playoffs again.

Western Conference Pre-Season Rankings
1 – Los Angeles Lakers
2 – Portland Trailblazers
3 – Minnesota Timberwolves
4 – Nevada Neon
5 – San Diego Riders
Last – Denver Nuggets

Seems about right and if the Lakers mesh together they have no glaring weaknesses. In all honesty, the West this year looks to be one of the harshest, most brutal conferences I have ever seen and will be a slog all season long. Apart from Denver, they suck.

Eastern Conference Pre-Season Rankings
1 – Memphis Grizzlies
2 – Miami Heat
3 – Chicago Bulls
4 – Boston Celtics
5 – Toronto Raptors
Last – Orlando Magic

Washington should be higher than sixth and it’s great to see New Orleans all the way down in 12th spot with the subtraction of Anthony Davis and Bill Gearhart.

Pre-Season All NBA First Team:
Ledaryl McMillian, Golden State Warriors
Earl Oliver, Portland Trailblazers
Tiburcio Tommasini, Portland Trailblazers
Anthony Davis, Charlotte Bobcats
Mark Lewis, Utah Jazz

Pre-Season All NBA Second Team:
Camah Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves
Travis Grigsby, Seattle Supersonics
Enrique Mendez, Minnesota Timberwolves
Marcus Randle, Memphis Grizzlies
Eryk Charnowski, Miami Heat

Pre-Season All NBA Third Team:
Michael Taylor, Los Angeles Lakers
Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers
Raul Lopez, Boston Celtics
Brad Largent, Chicago Bulls
Jimmy Forrest, San Diego Riders

As you can see, ten of the fifteen players in the three teams are from the West.

And without further ado, here are your 2026-2027 “Let’s Do This” Dallas Mavericks –

PG – Changa Hendricks
SG – Jake Chase
SF – Jack Dawkins
PF – Shawn Latimer
C – Victor Jones
6th – Leonard Hale
7th – Joe Duggins
8th – Steve Anderson
9th – Dwayne Knight
10th – Lavor Freeman
11th – Bart Flanders
12th – John Wall
13th – Ernest Jameson
14th – Russell Westbrook
D-League – Curtis Anderson

[jcomey]

Can't wait.................