The Clippers are bad, expensive and owe their first-round pick to the Thunder — now what?
Amid all the Western Conference drama — the gambling scandal that rocked the Blazers, the Mavericks firing their general manager, a disgruntled Ja Morant on the Grizzlies, the Pelicans axing their coach and another atrocious start for the Kings — the under-investigation Clippers have begun the season 4-10.
They are bad, tied for the West’s 11th-best record, owners of a -4.6 net rating that has them on pace for a 29-win season. They are one of the NBA’s most expensive rosters and its oldest team by a fairly wide margin. And they owe their first-round draft pick — a potential lottery selection — to, of all teams, the Thunder.
So, where do the Clippers go from here? (On the basketball court, we mean. They have separate issues off the floor, where the league is currently investigating them for, mainly, alleged salary cap circumvention.)
They can bank on the fact that, over the final six weeks of last regular season, they were arguably the conference’s top team, compiling league bests of an 18-3 record and a +13.3 net rating — drawing dead even with the eventual champion Thunder in that span. In the first round of the playoffs, they lost a seven-game series to the Nuggets, who took Oklahoma City to seven games. The Clips were right there.
The Clippers are leaning heavily on a 36-year-old James Harden. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Maddie Meyer via Getty Images
And they theoretically got better over the summer, trading away Norman Powell in a move that made way for a trade for John Collins and the signings of one-time All-Stars Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez. They were sound decisions, presuming Beal could replace some level of Powell’s production and adding some versatility in the frontcourt around Ivica Zubac. The Clippers were even deeper, at least on paper.
Then, Beal fractured his hip, not that he was any great shakes to begin with. Lopez, a 37-year-old 7-footer, has very much looked his age. And Collins has been who he has been for nine seasons, never quite fitting in as a more traditional power forward. He has not been spacing the floor the way they needed, shooting 33.3% on 2.6 attempts from 3-point range a game, and he cannot keep up with athletic wings on defense.
Collins, like the Clippers, is better in theory than in actuality. They play like a team of individuals, like a team that was bought and paid for by Steve Ballmer, one of the world’s richest men, and like a team that is more concerned with the familiarity of the names on its roster than whether or not they fit together.
They play like a team led by a 36-year-old James Harden, who is still operating as if he is a perennial MVP candidate. Few regulars have a higher usage rate than Harden’s 30.4%, and few teams have so low an assist percentage as the Clippers’ 60.7%. No team runs a greater percentage of its plays in isolation.
This is not a fun way to play. Not when Harden is incapable of carrying the load he did when he was a top-three MVP finisher for four straight seasons from 2017-20. Not when he is a greater defensive liability than ever before. And not when a quarter of the league is throwing 300 passes per game.
The Clippers are easy to solve. Handle Harden, and they will crumble. It is a recipe that has worked in the playoffs every year. And it is easier to handle Harden, in his advanced age, than at any other point ever.
It does not help that Kawhi Leonard is hurt again. He is nursing a sprained ankle and foot injury that has sidelined him for the past eight games, when the Clippers are 1-7. His return from injury, which head coach Tyronn Lue categorized as “nothing serious,” should stabilize an offense rated 21st and a defense that is even worse.
But how long can the Clippers bank on Leonard being healthy? It is the same old Clippers existence, one that they have lived for as long as Leonard has been on the roster. And we are going on seven years now.
Every year we think it is time to write off the Clippers, and every year they pull us back in. As we said, they closed last season on an 18-3 stretch that convinced us they may be bound for another conference finals, where they peaked as a franchise in 2021. We at least figured them as fringe contenders each year.
This year feels different, and not just because they have endured their worst start of the Leonard era. It is impossible to think that, as Harden marches towards his 37th birthday and Leonard is a well-worn 34, they can together find the magic required to win four playoff rounds. Remember, this is James Harden, who, with two chances to defeat the 76ers on the final possession of Monday’s game, missed badly twice.
No, this is a team going nowhere. Fast. Or slow. It has taken awhile for us to get here, but we are definitely here: The Clippers are no longer contenders. They are firmly in the class of pretenders.
And it is not like they can tank to the bottom of the standings, as they do not control their own first-round pick for the next four years, owing the next two to Oklahoma City and two more to Philadelphia.
That lack of draft assets also makes it impossible for the Clippers to enter any serious trade conversations for a superstar. For all the talent the Clippers do have, the Bucks are not about to take Los Angeles’ bloated salaries, without much draft compensation, in exchange for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
More likely, the Clippers would have to assume some risk to make improvements, taking on another team’s trouble. The oft-injured Anthony Davis may soon become available in Dallas. Morant is displeased in Memphis. Atlanta is playing awfully well without Trae Young. The Kings may host a fire sale. And Zion Williamson is floating out there in New Orleans. There is talent to be had if the Clips would take a swing.
But do any of those names inspire confidence that they could solve what ails these Clippers, given how much they would have to give up — likely in a three-team deal — just to acquire any available star player.
No, the Clippers are stuck. And we have barely mentioned the allegations of salary cap circumvention against them, for which they are currently being investigated by the league. That is but one of their problems now. The Clips are the Clips again, their outlook in the standings as dire as it is for the future.
Early NBA All-Star picks: How Team U.S. and Team World rosters could look
We’re roughly a month into a wild, wacky, and ultimately entertaining NBA season. We’ve had the usual blend of fun: dominance at the top (hi, Oklahoma City), a star-studded MVP race, an intriguing rookie class, plenty of overtime thrillers, breakout stars, and where-did-you-come-from team performances — the Hawks, Raptors, and Suns seem to be prime candidates right now.
We recently got word of this year’s new All-Star format, yet another round of tweaks as the NBA at large tries to find a way to recapture some of the magic — and overall interest — of the past. This year will see the introduction of a Team USA vs. Team World format, but with a bit of a twist.
There will be three teams of eight players (24 total, no positional limit) involved in a round robin mini-tournament. Among the player pool, 12 must come from each conference.
The teams will play each other once — Team A vs. Team B, the winner facing Team C in the second game, then the loser of Team A vs Team B facing Team C in the third game — with each game consisting of a 12-minute period.
The top two teams will play each other in the championship game. If the initial three games end with each team having a 1-1 record, the tiebreaker will be the overall point differential.
I ultimately don’t mind the attempt, though I have some history-keeping and back-of-the-roster questions in the event that Adam Silver has to fudge things to make sure there are eight international players on Team World.
Team World will likely feature Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Patrick McDermott via Getty Images
For the actual games, is a 12-minute stretch enough of a sweet spot for players to catch a rhythm and give an acceptable level of effort — the real issue with All-Star festivities the last few years — without risking injury? I guess we’ll find out.
With a decent sample of games in the books, I thought it’d be fun to take an early look at what the player pool could look like. A couple of notes before we get rollin’ and scrollin’:
While there isn’t an official game played minimum for All-Star festivities, I personally use it as a consistent guardrail since I’m keeping tabs for award selections anyway. A 65-of-82 limit comes out to roughly 79% of games played; the league average for games played right now is about 13, meaning players would need to have appeared in at least 10 contests for me through Nov. 16. That’s the primary reason you won’t see Anthony Edwards (9 games), Bam Adebayo (8), LaMelo Ball (7) and others.
After getting the 24, I tried my best to split it into Team East, Team West, and Team World. There were ultimately more Team World representatives from the West than the East, so I did my best to do a little balancing. I can’t wait to see how the NBA splits or drafts things once we get to February.
Because it’s me, there will be honorable mentions. And be aware that this is ultimately my abbreviated list. I don’t hate your favorite team or your favorite player (non-legal issue division), I promise.
Let’s dig in, shall we?
EASTERN CONFERENCE REPS (* denotes Team World member)
There’s been more on the plate of Giannis this season, which has led to career highs in points and assists — and, quietly, more per-possession inconsistency on defense than you’d like. Still, this is the best player in the East — and the most doubled player (26.2% of touches) in the league to this point — that can take over games on both ends when fully locked in.
The Raptors are currently one of four teams with a top-10 ranking in offensive and defensive rating per Cleaning The Glass, with Barnes — sometimes literally — at the center of both. He’s oscillated between playmaking hub, screener (please make more contact), post threat, transition menace on offense. He’s been tasked with a little bit of everything defensively, with his off-ball exploits popping at an All-Defense level right now.
Brown has answered “How will he look without Jayson Tatum?” questions with, narrowly, the most efficient season of his career (58.7 true shooting) to this point of the season. He’s gotten buckets from just about everywhere, but it’s worth noting he’s been bonkers in the midrange — 49% per Cleaning The Glass.
Brunson has enjoyed the tweaks to the offense, more often getting to attack on the second side of actions and making quicker, still-fruitful decisions because of it. For a quick example: He’s having the best catch-and-shoot season of his career, draining 50% of his career-high 3.1 attempts from deep within that context.
Cunningham is at the forefront of the East-leading Pistons, providing his usual blend of at-my-rhythm drives and playmaking chops. The efficiency is down, though he’s dealt with some spacing-deprived defensive lineups and more defensive attention. He’s seen a second defender on nearly 19% of his touches, the fifth-highest mark in the league among 138 players to log at least 500 touches.
Jalen Duren (DET): 19.4 points (64.7% on 2s, 80.8% on FTs), 12.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks
Tag-teaming with Cunningham to produce the most voluminous ball-screen pairing in the league (209 picks, only duo over 200), Duren has been a legitimate two-way game changer. He’s setting bone-crushing picks, cleaning the glass, providing real juice as a scheme-versatile defender, and (literally) flashing mid-possession playmaking chops to keep the half-court offense moving. That brother’s getting paid this summer, and rightfully so.
The feel-good shine for the Bulls has all but run out; after a 5-0 start, they’ve lost six of their last seven games. If there’s good news to be had, it’s that Giddey’s second-half surge from last season has carried over into this one. His intuitive and daring passing continues to juice Chicago’s transition attack and overall productivity in the paint. His drives have become more physical, a welcome growth area for him. He is still hitting 3s, and has gotten friskier with his off-the-dribble attempts.
Since Trae Young went down with a knee injury, Johnson has stepped up: 22.4 points (63/46/78), 10.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.9 steals and a 6-2 record in the games he’s appeared in. In addition to remaining an elite transition scorer, Johnson has taken more ownership of the half-court offense as a ball-screen initiator and occasional hub. He was playing at an All-Star level last season before getting injured; hopefully he gets to cash in this season.
It may just be time to call this Maxey’s team. Career highs across the board speaks for itself, but the command Maxey has displayed has popped off the screen all season long. His driving prowess and 3-point shooting remains in abundance; the growth in playmaking and floor-manipulation, and some of the shot-hunting he’s done in the midrange has made him incredibly difficult to deal with.
It’s been an uneven season for the [checks notes] third-seed Cavaliers, but Mitchell has been phenomenal. Despite teams working hard to take away his paint touches — he’s seeing help on nearly 83% of his drives, a top-10 mark among high-volume drivers this season and a major step up from last year’s 75.2% clip — he’s been windmill-gathering his way into a bevy of touch shots and tough finishes at the rim. He remains an unconscious pull-up threat from beyond the arc, making him one of the most dynamic guards we have in the league.
A pleasant surprise, Powell has built on his fringe All-Star campaign from last season. He’s been an absolute rocket for the Heat this year; his blistering start from beyond the arc — he’s been the best 3-point shooter in the league among 32 players to take at least 7.0 per game — and quick-twitch drives have been necessary within Miami’s open season offensive attack.
It took Towns a little bit to adjust to New York’s offensive tweaks; it also took head coach Mike Brown some time to figure out the right blend and rhythm of Towns’ touches. It’s looked much better as of late; the Knicks are 6-1 over their last seven, with Towns averaging 24-12-4 on 61.1 true shooting.
The Orlando contingent will be important to watch moving forward, especially since they should both (technically) have eligibility for Team World if it comes down to it. I’ve enjoyed some of the shot profile refinement (read: soooo many more drives and free throws) from Banchero; the early transition seals and general downhill juice from Wagner continue to excite me.
Mobley’s averaging career highs in points, assists and steals, but it hasn’t felt that way. Similar to Mitchell, he’s seen an uptick of attention on his drives (51.9% help rate to 60.7% this year) and has leaned more on his jump shooting to counter. While he hasn’t been quite DPOY-level for me to start the year, he remains incredibly good on that end. It wouldn’t surprise me, nor should it shock anyone, if the Cavs find their footing and Mobley feels like more of a sure thing a few weeks from now.
It’s not his fault that the Pacers have essentially been an infirmary. I just want to note that, even within this context, Siakam has been a tough cover on all three levels. Please stay healthy, and please start making your free throws, brother.
We’ll just say it hasn’t been a great year for the Wizards, but Sarr has undoubtedly been their best story — with respect to Kyshawn George’s start to the season. Sarr feels more refined as a screener, roller, and finisher. His playmaking continues to pop when they allow him to make above-the-break decisions. The rim protection remains a fun feature of his game; I wish he had more consistency in front of him so his talents would really pop on that end.
WESTERN CONFERENCE REPS (* denotes Team World member)
Sunday night’s loss to the Hawks bumped the Suns to 12th in defensive rating, so they’re no longer one of the top-10-on-both-ends teams, but they’ve been a real joy to watch. At the head of the snake is Booker, having the best scoring season of his career while handling an ungodly amount of traps in the process.
Ask the Spurs: Curry’s still got it when he needs it. It feels odd to say Curry is slumping from deep when he’s converting at a 38% clip on over 11 attempts, but that’s the standard he’s set. Beyond that, he remains an electric scorer at all three levels, a dangerous screener, and an underrated playmaker (despite the assist numbers) because of the attention he commands.
There already isn’t much you can do with Dončić; that blend of size, playmaking, and scoring audacity is historically rare. When he’s making darn-near everything inside of, like, 12 feet, there really isn’t anything you can do with him.
Kevin Durant (HOU): 25.9 points (55/40/89), 4.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.7 blocks
Durant remains metronomic as a scorer; did you know he’s on pace for his 14th straight season with a true shooting clip over 60? It’s absurd. The Rockets have moved him around as an off-ball threat, initiator, screener and, if all else fails, a late-clock security blanket. It isn’t always the cleanest process (I won’t apologize), but he’s largely delivered.
How on earth did this dude get better despite not playing a second with Jalen Williams yet? SGA has established a different level of command in the half-court. He’s averaging a career high in assists and a career low in turnovers (1.6 per game, 6.2 turnover rate). He has the highest rate of unassisted baskets in the league and is still logging the most efficient season of his career (65.2 True Shooting).
Harden logging the first 40-point triple-double in franchise history, and still coming away with a loss, feels like a microcosm of the season so far. Harden’s been a monster: an elite driver (1.12 PPP), playmaker, and shot-maker for a Clippers group still looking for some semblance of consistency.
An absolute no-brainer. He’s been the league’s best player and, due to his play and usage, virtually impossible to guard. He doesn’t miss inside the arc, he’s hitting 3s at a high clip, and he’s arguably the best passer in basketball. More quietly, he’s more than held his own as part of Denver’s scheme-versatile, third-ranked defense. Here’s a fun one: opponents are generating 0.88 points per possession on trips featuring a ball screen defended by Jokić, sixth, a hair ahead of Victor Wembanyama, among 28 players to defend at least 200 so far.
Talk about a bounce back season! Markkanen has been monstrous to start the year, an always-moving cog within Will Hardy’s screen-heavy offense. The shooting prowess should be well-known at this point, but Markkanen’s become a nastier driver this year. I don’t know how sustainable 30-a-night is, but he looks like a different dude. I’ve enjoyed it.
Somewhat similar to the Cavs out East, the Wolves have had to find themselves in the midst of injury woes, guard inconsistency, and teams looking to attack them in different ways. The constant this year, in a pleasant surprise, has been Randle. The blend of bully drives — among 64 players to log 100 drives, Randle leads the NBA in points per possession generated (1.3) — pull-up shooting, off-the-bounce playmaking and occasional hub work has led to his most prolific and efficient season to date. In light of this, the Wolves have predictably died whenever he’s gone to the bench.
Also in the “he’s gonna get paid” division, Reaves has leveled up as a scorer and playmaker. He took off with the runway provided in the absence of Dončić and the yet-to-play LeBron James, and it feels like the only thing that can stop him from maintaining this level of play is lingering effects of the groin injury that took him out of four games. Keep an eye on his work between, say, 7-to-14 feet. His mix of shot-making and foul-drawing has had defenses in the blender all year long.
I have really enjoyed the Şengün Experience. The awkward cadence of his drives, the fancy footwork, the audacious passes, the freedom with which he’s pulling from deep. The pick-and-roll reps as the ball-handler, his growing nuance and comfort defensively; it’s all popping for me. He’s firmly been Houston’s best and most impactful player this year — a huge sign of respect considering the Hall of Famer he’s playing with.
We’ve never seen anything like this. Every night, there’s a what-the-heck block, a coast-to-coast possession, a dunk, a stepback three, something that defies conventional wisdom. He’s the league’s most terrifying defender, and this is with him still actively working on the nuances of coverages. While teams have had some success throwing junk defenses and double teams at him, Wembanyama has still been an effective scorer and playmaker that can bend a game to his will. It’s going to get better from here, somehow.
Only SGA (256) has logged more drives than Avdjia (223), and Avdija is quietly generating more efficient offense on those possessions (1.12 PPP to 1.11 PPP). In addition to his downhill attacks, he’s continued to put fun (and sometimes wild) passes on film while becoming more shot-hunty beyond the arc (career-high 6.8 attempts). It’s about to be a three-year sample of Avdija knocking down 3s at a high clip; this may just be him now.
Butler has fit in smoothly since joining the Warriors last season. Strong driver, smart passer, intuitive cutter, willing screener, and heady off-ball defender when fully locked in — that all plays within the Golden State ecosystem. As is generally the case with the Regular Season Butler Experience, you’d like more consistent aggression from him as a scorer, but it’s been a good season overall.
Sans 3-point and free throw shooting, both below what you’d like from a guard or wing (in their context, anyway), there really hasn’t been much to poke at in regards to Castle. His interior craft continues to pop — his cadence, footwork, and late-passing is a joy to watch. He’s once again taken on some tough defensive matchups on the perimeter and largely held his own. Incredibly fun player.
Gordon’s been an important part of Denver’s post-heavy attack, his transition seals and random corner duck-ins causing early clock problems for defenses. Beyond that, this dude is shooting the leather off the ball. Shooting this well, making your own dinner within the flow of the offense, and also benefiting from the passing of Jokić with cuts and dunker spot roaming, and solid multipositional defense makes for an interesting All-Star case.
To be transparent, this was my toughest omission. It ultimately came down to two things. He’s missed time — four missed games and dealing with the Blowout Tax put him slightly behind in terms of total and per-game production — and his defense, while still excellent at the high-end, has been a little below his usual level. His pick-and-roll and rim protection numbers are notably sub-elite, though I expect that to round into form as the season goes on. Still, Holmgren has been phenomenal when available. His 3-point shooting is an obvious positive, but I’ve really enjoyed his midrange scoring this year. Having something he can consistently rely on in the half-court was really the only thing somewhat missing in his game.
Whew, buddy, the leap may be happening. I don’t think he sustains 50% shooting from deep, but reliable spot-up shooting and this amount of drives and midrange buckets should be enough to raise some eyebrows. He has had the ball in his hands more and hasn’t looked completely out of place. And of course, his defense remains nasty — even if it’s been more uneven against guards than we’re used to.
It normally takes Murray a bit to find his rhythm during the regular season. Him coming out of the gates on fire has been a pleasant and welcome surprise. As my esteemed cohost Steve Jones always says, you can tell if Murray’s feeling it by the look (and volume) of his drives; among that 64-player group with at least 100 drives, Murray ranks 8th in points per possession generated (1.17 PPP) to start the year.
Here’s an early look at what the rosters (and positional groupings, if you care) could look like as of today.
TEAM WORLD
Guards: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Wings: Luka Dončić, Josh Giddey
Forwards: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lauri Markkanen
Bigs: Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Alperen Şengün
TEAM USA 1
Guards: Stephen Curry, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker
Wings: Austin Reaves, Jaylen Brown
Forwards: Scottie Barnes, Julius Randle
Bigs: Karl-Anthony Towns
TEAM USA 2
Guards: Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, James Harden
Losing, in and of itself, isn’t that big a deal for the Washington Wizards.
For one thing, it’s something they’ve done quite a lot of over the past few years. The Wiz haven’t even approached .500 since 2017-18, a span in which they’ve lost a higher percentage of their games than any franchise except the Pistons. While Detroit is now firmly on the upswing, though, Washington remains mired in the mud — which, for another thing, is kind of the plan for an organization that is still climbing out of the smoking crater left in the wake of the John Wall/Bradley Beal era and boasts the NBA’s youngest roster.
Well, that’s a sizable enough deal that, just a baker’s dozen games into the 2025-26 NBA season, the nigh-upon-winless 1-12 Wizards sounded a worrying alarm:
The Wizards had a player-only meeting after tonight’s game, Kyshawn George said
“We buckled to the adversity,” coach Brian Keefe said. “We fouled when we shouldn’t. We didn’t dig in when they made certain runs. This group has never done that. That was disappointing on all of our end. We have to own that. But that was the thing that was bothering me the most, is that after the initial start of the game, which I thought we came out with a necessary mindset and attitude, once we got hit, we didn’t respond well.”
It was a bad enough performance that, after Keefe spoke to the team following the final buzzer, the Wizards held a players-only meeting in their locker room.
“We needed that talk, I think,” [Wizards forward Bilal] Coulibaly said afterward. “The guys just stepped up, the vets, the guys that have been used to winning. That’s what we’re trying to do here in the next year. So they had to talk to us, and they did a great job about this and everybody was listening.”
That, in part, was the argument for the Wizards trading for the likes of Khris Middleton and C.J. McCollum. Bringing in a pair of respected 10-plus-year veterans who have been on teams of consequence — in Middleton, a three-time All-Star who played a key role on the Bucks’ 2021 NBA championship team; in McCollum, someone who’d averaged 20 points per game for 10 straight seasons and went to the 2019 Western Conference finals with Portland — would help Keefe and his coaching staff show the ropes to Washington’s 10 players aged 22 and under. Under their guidance, hoped-for cornerstones like Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson would come to understand what it takes to travel the road to NBA relevance: to transform from the team every opponent can’t wait to face to one worthy of respect.
In the third season after dealing Beal, though … it’s proving to be an awfully long road.
After the embarrassing loss to Brooklyn, the Wizards enter Monday’s action ranked 28th in offensive efficiency, 29th in defensive efficiency and 30th — dead last — in net rating, according to Cleaning the Glass. They are woeful in the half-court, whether scoring or defending. They are even worse in transition, ranking 28th in points per 100 possessions added on offensive fast breaks and 30th — again, dead last — in points-per-100 added by opponents on their transition chances. They’ve been able to limit 3-point attempts, ranking sixth in the share of opponents’ shots that come from long distance … but have been unable to prevent the most efficient shots in the game, with opponents taking nearly 34% of their attempts directly at the rim, fifth highest in the NBA.
In an era when it seems like every head coach in the league is harping on the importance of winning the possession battle, the Wizards are losing it, night in and night out, to an almost unfathomable degree. They give up more offensive rebounds than they snag themselves; they allow more free throws than they generate for themselves; they turn the ball over way more often than they take it from the other team. Add it all up, as Jared Dubin does at Last Night in Basketball, and Washington is averaging 11.4 fewer possessions per game than its opponents — a deficit nearly twice as large as that of the team with the second-largest disparity (Milwaukee, -6.1).
Moments to celebrate have been few and far between for Corey Kispert (center), Bilal Coulibaly, Khris Middleton and the Washington Wizards. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Scott Taetsch via Getty Images
As it turns out, giving opposing teams way more scoring chances than you get, struggling to convert on yours and not being very good at preventing them from scoring on theirs is a one-way ticket to Yikesville. According to Dubin’s adjusted efficiency metrics, the Wizards’ offense has scored about six fewer points per 100 possessions than a league-average unit this season, and their defense has allowed about seven more points-per-100 than a league-average outfit. That adds up to an adjusted net rating of -13.4 points-per-100 — which would be the third-worst season of any team since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, ahead of only the 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks, who finished 11-71, and the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, who finished 7-59 in a lockout-shortened campaign.
Those teams finished with two of the five worst winning percentages in NBA history. That’s the deep water in which the Wizards have plunged — and, just a month into the season, it sure looks like they’re on the verge of staying sunk.
For now, at least. There have been silver linings: George’s growth as a playmaker and shooter; Sarr’s improving finishing on the interior and rising rebounding, block and assist rates; lottery pick Johnson’s instant-impact bucket-getting and high-volume 3-point shooting. Those players continuing their development into better, more well-rounded players is of incalculably greater importance to the Wizards’ future than an extra win or two here or there this season — especially considering Washington owes its 2026 first-round draft pick to the Knicks, but only if it falls outside the top eight after the draft lottery.
(That pick, originally dealt to Houston in the 2020 trade that shipped out Wall and imported Russell Westbrook, wound up going to Oklahoma City in the 2021 swap that made Alperen Şengün a Rocket. It then landed in New York via the 2022 draft-night deal that allowed the Thunder to draft Ousmane Dieng … and helped the Knicks clear the salary-cap space to sign Jalen Brunson away from Dallas in free agency. Trades involving future draft picks: They really turn you into Charlie trying to track down Pepe Silvia.)
The way to ensure there’s no chance of handing Leon Rose a late lottery pick is to finish with one of the four worst records in the NBA. (If it doesn’t land in the top eight, the Wiz only owe New York two future second-rounders. Much better.) If the Wizards do that and wind up drafting a prospect like Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or AJ Dybantsa to join Sarr, George, Johnson and Co. — and if Wizards brass is able to turn the expiring contracts of Middleton and McCollum into future talent, either before February’s trade deadline or this summer, when Washington could be looking at more than $100 million in salary-cap space — then someday all the sturm und drang of this dismal “early phase of the rebuild” will dissipate and feel like little more than a bad dream.
Living through it in the moment, though, must feel like a nightmare — for Keefe, who waited the better part of two decades for his shot at a head coaching gig, only to lose 80% of his first 134 games; for the vets, stuck doing a bid on a going-nowhere team and waiting for some interested suitor to swoop them up and return them to meaningful basketball; and especially for the young guys, watching the L’s pile up and wondering if they’re ever going to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s tough,” George told reporters. “You’ve got to switch your mindset and focus on the process. I think it eventually is going to affect you, but you’ve got to make sure that you keep your mindset focused on the right thing. We’ve just got to be able to go on to the next game and be able to just make sure the process is right, even though the results are not there.”
Nikola Jokic has overtaken Giannis Antetokounmpo for the top spot in the NBA in PER with a mark of 37.7. Jokic has a TS% of .769 to go with his league leading 52.5 assist percentage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Jalen Duren round out the top-5. Jokic has led the NBA in PER each of the past five seasons.
NBA PER (Week 4): 1. Nikola Jokic: 37.7 2. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 34.2 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 32.3 4. Luka Doncic: 29.1 5. Jalen Duren: 26.1 6. Victor Wembanyama: 25.4 7. Julius Randle: 25.1 8. Kawhi Leonard: 24.8 9. Anthony Edwards: 24.4 10. Donovan Mitchell: 24.4 11. Austin Reaves: 23.8 12. James Harden: 23.5 13. Jimmy Butler III: 23.4 14. Joel Embiid: 23.2 15. Tyrese Maxey: 23.1 16. Jalen Johnson: 22.9 17. Lauri Markkanen: 22.6 18. Stephen Curry: 22.4 19. Alperen Sengun: 22.2 20. Moussa Diabate: 22.1
Paul George expected to make season debut for 76ers Monday night vs. Clippers
After missing all of training camp and the first dozen games of the season following offseason knee surgery, Paul George is expected to make his return to the court Monday night when the 76ers host the Clippers.
George is officially listed as questionable, however, he is expected to take the court, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. George has been working out on the court for a month and looked good in post-practice work, according to reports, but the 76ers were cautious with the return of the 35-year-old.
George played 41 games in his first season with Philadelphia, largely due to a knee issue, which is why he underwent arthroscopic surgery this past summer. Last season, the six-time All-NBA player averaged 16.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game when he did play. However, the season before, in Los Angeles, he was an All-Star, averaging 22.6 points per game and shooting 41.3% from 3-point range.
While George is set to return, the 76ers are listing Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Adem Bona as out. The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal (out for the season), and Derrick Jones Jr. against the 76ers.
Sources: Bulls’ White (calf) set to debut vs. Jazz
Bulls guard Coby White is expected to make his season debut against the Jazz, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania. White has missed Chicago’s first 11 games with a calf strain.
The 6-3 Detroit Lions head to Philadelphia to take on the 7-2 Eagles in a battle of two division leaders on Sunday Night Football. Both teams have plenty of high upside fantasy players going, but as usual, we can’t fit them all into a DFS lineup.
The Lions do have one significant injury, as TE Sam LaPorta will miss this week with a back problem. But otherwise, we have a slew of strong fantasy plays beginning with both starting quarterbacks, two running backs, four wide receivers and one tight end and then we start looking for cheaper plays to try to fit some of those guys in.
Below we will take a look at the best DFS plays for this Sunday night showdown.
Head coach Dan Campbell has looked to get Williams going following the break and so far so good. And when Campbell took over play calling duties last week, we saw an even bigger jump for Williams. Quarterback Jared Goff called Williams’ crossers a cheat code, and we know what he can do with the ball in his hands. He’s suddenly become a safer play, while still having a sky high upside.
AJ Brown, WR, Eagles (FLEX $9,200, CPT $13,800)
Brown is so down about his role in the offense that he’s got the whole organization working to keep him happy this week. His wheels are certainly squeaky, and I don’t see how the team doesn’t try to grease them with a slew of targets early on in this matchup. The good news is that Brown has shown good upside this season, so it isn’t like he’s not capable of putting up big numbers, it’s just not as consistent as usual. They need him and they need that connection to be more consistent, especially in games like this one. I expect if he doesn’t have a big fantasy game, it won’t be for a lack of trying.
Jalen Hurts, QB, TEAM (FLEX $13,000, CPT $19,500)
Hurts is the most expensive play at FanDuel, which makes him tough to roster at the captain’s slot. The good news is that should also make him a little contrarian there. If he goes off, he should pay off. And this is a game where he will need to go all out as both a runner and passer, as the Lions offense can put up points in a hurry. We’ll need a rushing touchdown or two from Hurts for him to pay off as a captain, but that is always a strong possibility, especially in primetime games against top teams.
The Eagles are healthy and don’t use their backups all that much. RB Will Shipley has some DFS appeal, but I’m leaning more toward the Lions ancillary players to see upticks with LaPorta out when looking for savings. Goedert is the cheapest Eagles player that I’d still be okay rostering in this matchup. And, in FanDuel scoring, his touchdown prowess over big reception numbers is a plus.
Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Lions (FLEX $2,600, CPT $3,900)
Teslaa saw an uptick in snaps last week and has shown ability in very limited work so far this season. With LaPorta out, I expect TeSlaa to continue to see more snaps and work and have a real shot at giving us value this week in a game I expect will hit the over.
Brock Wright, TE, Lions (FLEX $2,200, CPT $3,300)
Wright is questionable with an ankle injury for this matchup, but it sounds like he’ll probably play. He is LaPorta’s direct backup and will get the lead role at tight end as long as he’s a go. His upside is low, but as the lead tight end, he has a real shot at a touchdown in this matchup.
Grizzlies Signing Jahmai Mashack To Two-Way Contract; Waiving PJ Hall
The Memphis Grizzlies are waiving two-way forward P.J. Hall. Memphis is signing wing Jahmai Mashack to replace Hall on a two-way deal.
Mashack was drafted by the Grizzlies with the 59th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In five games with the Memphis Hustle of the G League, the 6-foot-4 wing has averaged 7.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 3.2 steals per game.
Hall played 27 minutes across seven games with the Grizzlies this season.
The Lakers’ fifth-year guard now sits at the center of two major NBA storylines: Helping the team win enough to convince LeBron James to stay in L.A., but playing so well that it might cost the franchise nearly $250M dollars to keep him.
