AnalysisSunday, Oct 4, 2026

Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün has been unanimously voted the WNBA's Sixth Player of the Year. The second-year player led all reserves with 12.7 points per game.

How the semifinal series began -- and what Atlanta, New York, Golden State and Las Vegas all need to do in Game 2.

The WNBA semifinals begin on Sunday.

Amid outside questions about how quickly the new-look Philadelphia 76ers will adapt to playing with each other, LeBron James is apparently having a breeze working with Joel Embiid.

Erik Spoelstra has gained a new appreciation for Giannis Antetokounmpo's playmaking after just a few weeks together. The Miami Heat coach compared the two-time MVP to the "great big point guard" who played for Pat Riley in the 1980s, a clear reference to Magic Johnson. Spoelstra made the remark after Saturday's 129-105 preseason win over the Toronto Raptors in Quebec City, Antetokounmpo's first preseason game with the Heat. "He makes great plays," said Spoelstra. "We knew that about him. We f...

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are expected to be the leaders of the Lakers’ offense this season, and an aggressive group of wing defenders is getting them ready for that role, Benjamin Royer of The Orange County Register writes in a subscriber-only story. “They all annoy the hell out of me,” Reaves said of the […]

The Knicks are hoping 2025 second-round pick Mohamed Diawara will continue to improve in his second season after a solid rookie campaign in which he received rotation minutes at times, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. At 6’9″ with a 7’4″ wingspan, Diawara has excellent size for a forward. Teammate OG Anunoby believes […]

Damian Lillard raised some eyebrows early in training camp when he said that he expects to start alongside Ja Morant in the Trail Blazers’ backcourt this fall. As Jason Quick of The Athletic writes, head coach Micah Nori hasn’t set his lineup in stone yet and recognizes that it would probably make more sense to […]

Former NBA player Pero Antic has strongly criticized LeBron James, arguing that the former Los Angeles Lakers star has negatively affected the modern NBA and questioning comparisons between James, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Antic, who played three seasons in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks between 2013 and 2015, made the comments while discussing […] The post Pero Antic slams LeBron James: “He ruined the NBA” appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

Kiah Stokes and Arike Ogunbowale. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson) | Getty Images In the Dallas Wings’ 22nd game of 2025, Arike Ogunbowale was held to two points on 0-for-10 shooting from the floor. It was the exact halfway point of the season; the Wings lost at the Indiana Fever, 102-83, and fell to 6-16. Despite posting solid scoring averages of over 15 points per game in the past two seasons, Ogunbowale hasn’t been talked about as much, especially compared to when she regularly was averagin...

Joel Embiid believes the Philadelphia 76ers’ collection of star talent should allow each player to become more efficient rather than forcing anyone to sacrifice their individual game. Following Saturday’s Blue vs. White scrimmage, Embiid discussed how he sees his role alongside LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey as Philadelphia prepares for the 2026-27 season. […] The post Joel Embiid on 76ers: “It’s not about sacrifice” appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

Anthony Edwards believes the Minnesota Timberwolves have the personnel to become a “super team” defensively after reshaping their roster around him, LaMelo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu. “I like it,” Edwards said after Saturday’s practice when asked about the team’s early chemistry. “We’re sharing the ball a lot. I think defensively we can really be a […] The post Anthony Edwards: Timberwolves can be a ‘super team’ defensively appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic has talked about his approach last season, admitting that trying to take on too many responsibilities made his game unnecessarily complicated. The Serbian international explained that he wanted to establish himself as a leading player, which led him to focus on scoring, passing, and contributing in every possible area rather […] The post Nikola Jovic admits to overcomplicating his game previously appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has addressed the expectations surrounding the team ahead of the new NBA season, questioning why Miami continues to be viewed as a potential play-in tournament participant despite its major roster additions. Adebayo believes the atmosphere within the organization has changed considerably, particularly following the arrivals of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen […] The post Bam Adebayo questions doubts about revamped Heat appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic has been impressed with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s passing during the team’s early preparations, highlighting how quickly the Greek superstar can identify open teammates and create scoring opportunities. Jovic explained that Antetokounmpo’s court vision has also required adjustments from the players around him, as they need to anticipate passes and position themselves […] The post Nikola Jovic impressed with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s passing ability appeared first o...

The Los Angeles Clippers opened their preseason campaign with a 104-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, with Keaton Wagler playing a key role in the fourth-quarter finish. The Clippers trailed 101-100 with 14 seconds remaining before Wagler knocked down a 19-foot step-back jumper to put […] The post Keaton Wagler’s late shot lifts Clippers past Warriors appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has compared Giannis Antetokounmpo’s playmaking ability to that of Magic Johnson, praising the Greek forward’s passing following his latest performance. Spoelstra said that watching Antetokounmpo throughout the week in practice gave him a better understanding of how effectively he can create scoring opportunities for teammates. “He makes great plays. […] The post Heat coach compares Giannis Antetokounmpo to Magic Johnson appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

Miami Heat superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has expressed confidence that the team can win an NBA championship, while acknowledging that reaching that goal will require time and preparation. The Greek forward emphasized that he shares the same ambitions as his teammates, head coach Erik Spoelstra, and the organization, pointing to June as the period Miami is […] The post Giannis Antetokounmpo confident Heat will win championship appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

Anthony Davis says the Los Angeles Lakers encouraged him to add significant weight as he took on a larger role at center, a change he believes affected how he felt and played on the court. Davis explained that he had typically played at around 250 to 255 pounds but reached approximately 265 to 268 pounds […] The post Anthony Davis says Lakers pushed him to gain weight appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

LeBron James offered an early glimpse into the Philadelphia 76ers’ potential after Saturday’s Blue vs. White scrimmage, emphasizing the team’s gradual progress, flexibility and defensive upside. James, who joined Philadelphia in free agency this offseason after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, said the scrimmage was another opportunity for the team to build chemistry. […] The post LeBron James: “We could be a top 10 if not top five defensive team” appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

The on-court breakthrough was born off the court.

Coach David Adelman’s Denver Nuggets are coming off of a first round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2026 NBA Playoffs and hoped to turn the page in preseason action against the Utah Jazz. Star center Nikola Jokic brought his team to see Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes play Texas Tech and then hit the […] The post Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic already won assist of the year and it’s still the NBA preseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: Collin Sexton #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks to the media during NBA Media Day on September 28, 2026 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty ...

We made it folks. It’s been 144 days since the last time we saw the Minnesota Timberwolves play basketball. A lot has happened in the past four months. New faces. New threads. New voices. Hell, even (technically) new owners! In what figures to be a wild season, we can finally kick off our first official game thread of the season. Commence the jiggling! Game Info Who: Minnesota Timberwolves (0-0) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (0-0) When: Monday, October 5 at 7:00 PM CT Where: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, W...

The Hawks spent their first week of camp in Nashville getting acquainted with a deeper roster. Quin Snyder likes what he has seen. He also knows more good players means more decisions about who gets on the floor. “We’ve got depth, and that’s good, but it also means that there’s always tough decisions that happen […] The post Hawks’ Quin Snyder: ‘We’ve got depth, and that’s good’ appeared first on Hoops Wire.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JANUARY 04: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns talks with head coach Jordan Ott during the second half of the NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Mortgage Matchup Center on January 04, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Thunder 108-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Peterse...

CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 09: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons waits during the fourth quarter of Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 116-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by ...

The original post-game podcast on Planet Purple! Click the SUBSCRIBE button. Click the BELL to turn on notifications. Watch it right here! Listen to the latest podcast episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. Stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, and Castbox. Please subscribe, rate, and review.

Coach Darko Rajakovic says the Raptors are letting newcomer Kawhi Leonard get up to speed before putting him in a preseason game. But yes, the plan is for Leonard to play in one eventually. Leonard sat out the Raptors’ 129-105 loss to the Heat on Saturday. He likely will miss next Saturday’s exhibition against his […] The post Raptors taking their time with Kawhi Leonard’s preseason debut appeared first on Hoops Wire.

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Egor Demin #8 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Get...