Deadspin | Wyatt Johnston tallies twice as Stars level series vs. Wild Apr 20, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) stops a shot by Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Wyatt Johnston scored two goals as the Dallas Stars bounced back with a 4-2 win over the visiting Minnesota Wild on Monday night in Game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series. Matt Duchene finished with a goal and an assist for Dallas, which evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1. The set will shift to Saint Paul, Minn., for the next two games, starting with Game 3 on Wednesday night. Jason Robertson added a goal for the Stars, Nils Lundkvist logged two assists. Goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 29 of 31 shots for the victory. Brock Faber scored both goals for Minnesota, on assists from Quinn Hughes. Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt allowed three goals on 31 shots. Dallas opened the scoring on an unlikely goal 8:58 into the first period. Johnston fired a slap shot wide right that ricocheted off the end boards and banked in off Wallstedt. The Wild evened the score at 1-all less than three minutes later. Faber weaved through traffic and flicked a wrist shot from the slot for his first career playoff goal. The Stars grabbed a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal with 15:58 left in the second period. Mikko Rantanen slid a pass toward the front of the crease for Duchene, who punched in a one-timer to put Dallas back on top. Dallas grabbed a two-goal lead with 12:51 left in the third period. Lundkvist fired a wrist shot from the point, and Robertson deflected the puck into the net. The Wild quickly responded to pull within 3-2 with 10:13 to go. Faber took a pass from Joel Eriksson Ek and beat Oettinger on his stick side for his second goal of the game. Johnston added an empty-net goal with 49.7 seconds left to seal the victory. Minnesota forward Yakov Trenin exited the game and did not return after absorbing a crushing check from Stars forward Colin Blackwell at center ice in the first period. The Wild played the rest of the contest with 11 forwards instead of 12, which forced coach John Hynes to shuffle some of his lines. The Wild also played without forward Mats Zuccarello, who was a late scratch because of an upper-body injury. Bobby Brink made his playoff debut in Zuccarello’s place. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Wyatt #Johnston #tallies #Stars #level #series #Wild

Deadspin | Wyatt Johnston tallies twice as Stars level series vs. Wild
Apr 20, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) stops a shot by Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Wyatt Johnston scored two goals as the Dallas Stars bounced back with a 4-2 win over the visiting Minnesota Wild on Monday night in Game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Matt Duchene finished with a goal and an assist for Dallas, which evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1. The set will shift to Saint Paul, Minn., for the next two games, starting with Game 3 on Wednesday night.

Jason Robertson added a goal for the Stars, Nils Lundkvist logged two assists. Goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 29 of 31 shots for the victory.

Brock Faber scored both goals for Minnesota, on assists from Quinn Hughes. Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt allowed three goals on 31 shots.

Dallas opened the scoring on an unlikely goal 8:58 into the first period. Johnston fired a slap shot wide right that ricocheted off the end boards and banked in off Wallstedt.

The Wild evened the score at 1-all less than three minutes later. Faber weaved through traffic and flicked a wrist shot from the slot for his first career playoff goal.

The Stars grabbed a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal with 15:58 left in the second period. Mikko Rantanen slid a pass toward the front of the crease for Duchene, who punched in a one-timer to put Dallas back on top.

Dallas grabbed a two-goal lead with 12:51 left in the third period. Lundkvist fired a wrist shot from the point, and Robertson deflected the puck into the net.

The Wild quickly responded to pull within 3-2 with 10:13 to go. Faber took a pass from Joel Eriksson Ek and beat Oettinger on his stick side for his second goal of the game.

Johnston added an empty-net goal with 49.7 seconds left to seal the victory.

Minnesota forward Yakov Trenin exited the game and did not return after absorbing a crushing check from Stars forward Colin Blackwell at center ice in the first period. The Wild played the rest of the contest with 11 forwards instead of 12, which forced coach John Hynes to shuffle some of his lines.

The Wild also played without forward Mats Zuccarello, who was a late scratch because of an upper-body injury. Bobby Brink made his playoff debut in Zuccarello’s place.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Wyatt #Johnston #tallies #Stars #level #series #Wild

Sports news April 21, 2026

Apr 20, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) stops a shot by Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Wyatt Johnston scored two goals as the Dallas Stars bounced back with a 4-2 win over the visiting Minnesota Wild on Monday night in Game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Matt Duchene finished with a goal and an assist for Dallas, which evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1. The set will shift to Saint Paul, Minn., for the next two games, starting with Game 3 on Wednesday night.

Jason Robertson added a goal for the Stars, Nils Lundkvist logged two assists. Goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 29 of 31 shots for the victory.

Brock Faber scored both goals for Minnesota, on assists from Quinn Hughes. Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt allowed three goals on 31 shots.

Dallas opened the scoring on an unlikely goal 8:58 into the first period. Johnston fired a slap shot wide right that ricocheted off the end boards and banked in off Wallstedt.

The Wild evened the score at 1-all less than three minutes later. Faber weaved through traffic and flicked a wrist shot from the slot for his first career playoff goal.

The Stars grabbed a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal with 15:58 left in the second period. Mikko Rantanen slid a pass toward the front of the crease for Duchene, who punched in a one-timer to put Dallas back on top.

Dallas grabbed a two-goal lead with 12:51 left in the third period. Lundkvist fired a wrist shot from the point, and Robertson deflected the puck into the net.

The Wild quickly responded to pull within 3-2 with 10:13 to go. Faber took a pass from Joel Eriksson Ek and beat Oettinger on his stick side for his second goal of the game.

Johnston added an empty-net goal with 49.7 seconds left to seal the victory.

Minnesota forward Yakov Trenin exited the game and did not return after absorbing a crushing check from Stars forward Colin Blackwell at center ice in the first period. The Wild played the rest of the contest with 11 forwards instead of 12, which forced coach John Hynes to shuffle some of his lines.

The Wild also played without forward Mats Zuccarello, who was a late scratch because of an upper-body injury. Bobby Brink made his playoff debut in Zuccarello’s place.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Wyatt #Johnston #tallies #Stars #level #series #Wild

Ex-Spurs star Davids condemns ‘lack of quality, lack of management’ at Tottenham <div id="content-body-70887439" itemprop="articleBody">Former Tottenham star Edgar Davids on Tuesday told AFP that the fallen London giant will find it hard to avoid relegation and condemned “a lack of quality and a lack of management”.Tottenham is on its third manager of a disastrous season and sits in the Premier League relegation zone, two points adrift of safety with five matches left.Former Netherlands international midfielder Davids said the appointment of Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi three weeks ago was a good move, but fears for Spurs’ Premier League future.Asked by AFP how Tottenham had ended up in such a predicament, Davids said, “It’s very obvious, if you pay peanuts, you get… It’s a lack of quality and a lack of management. Everything.”Davids, who played for Spurs in 2005-2006 after starring for Ajax, AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and Inter Milan, said Spurs should have strengthened an injury-hit squad in the winter transfer window.“I hope they stay up, I think it’s a very good thing they got in De Zerbi,” said the 53-year-old, speaking at the announcement of the “Hong Kong Football Festival” featuring Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus in August.“But it’s hard. They should have done big things in the winter period to get some players in. It was obvious.”Tottenham, which has not won in the league since late December, travels to already-relegated Wolves on Saturday.Published on Apr 21, 2026</div> #ExSpurs #star #Davids #condemns #lack #quality #lack #management #Tottenham

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CWG Glasgow 2026 LIVE Updates, Day 4: Rishikanta Singh in action at weightlifting; India loses to Namibia in Bowls
A look at the Indians in action today…
Before the action gets underway, let me quickly take you through the packed schedule today:
BOWLS AND PARA BOWLS
1:00 PM – Women’s pairs, Section B sectional play: India (Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh) vs Namibia (Diana Viljoen and Amanda Steenkamp)
7:15 PM – Men’s singles, Section D sectional play: Putul Sonowal vs Shaun Parnis (Malta)
10:05 PM – Women’s pairs, Section B sectional play: England (Amy Pharaoh and Sian Honnor) vs India (Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh)
WEIGHTLIFTING
2:15 PM – Men’s 60kg final (medal event): Rishikanta Singh
6:45 PM – Women’s 48kg final (medal event): Mirabai Chanu
11:15 PM – Men’s 65kg final (medal event): Raja Muthupandi
ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS
4:30 PM – Men’s All-Around Final (medal event): Yogeshwar Singh, Tapan Mohanty
BOXING
10:45 PM – Women’s 54kg, Round of 16: Preeti Pawar vs Deborah Mtenje (Malawi)
11:45 PM – Men’s 55kg, Round of 16: Jadumani Singh vs Sumama Rehman (Pakistan)
12:45 AM – Men’s 65kg, Round of 16: Aditya Pratap Yadav vs Nuhu Batte (Uganda)
SWIMMING AND PARA SWIMMING
4:39 PM – Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay heats: India (Srihari Nataraj, Aryan Nehra, Aneesh S. Gowda and Dhakshan Shashikumar)
1:56 AM – Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay final (medal event): India – subject to qualification
#CWG #Glasgow #LIVE #Updates #Day #Rishikanta #Singh #action #weightlifting #India #loses #Namibia #Bowls

#Deadspin #Alejandro #Alvarado #goal #helps #San #Diego #edge #Dallas">

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Jul 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC midfield Alejandro Alvarado (70) scores a goal during the second half against the FC Dallas at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

Alejandro Alvarado scored his first MLS goal in the 50th minute and San Diego FC made it hold up for a 1-0 victory over visiting FC Dallas on Saturday night.

CJ dos Santos was called on to make just one save while recording his first shutout of the season for San Diego FC (5-7-5, 20 points).

Jonathan Sirois made four saves for Dallas (7-5-5, 26 points) after replacing injured starter Daniel, who had three stops.

San Diego FC held possession nearly 70% of the match to improve to 3-0-1 against FC Dallas in their two-season history.

Alvarado had the ball from beyond the box early in the second half and unleashed a long right-footed shot into the right corner of the net to break a scoreless tie.

Two minutes later, FC Dallas put its only shot on target but Petar Musa’s close-range header was saved by dos Santos.

Omni Valakari had a solid chance for San Diego in the 59th minute, but his left-footed shot caromed off the right goalpost.

Anderson Julio of Dallas broke in toward the net in hopes of receiving the ball in the 72th minute and dos Santos came out to break up the play. That left Santiago Moreno with an open net to shoot at, but he chipped his right-footed attempt over the net.

San Diego almost gifted FC Dallas the tying goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

Manu Duah made an errant pass back into the midfield and gave Dallas’ Logan Farrington a chance to dash in toward dos Santos. But Duah sprinted back toward the San Diego net and he was able to get his foot in and block Farrington’s right-footed shot to thwart the opportunity.

One minute later, the match was called.

San Diego outshot Dallas 19-7 and held an 8-1 edge in shots on target.

Dallas lost Daniel after he made a point-black save in the 16th minute on Valakari.

Daniel’s right leg bent awkwardly as he stretched to stymie Valakari and he remained down in pain. Trainers eventually helped him walk off the field and Sirois entered as the new goalie in the 19th minute.

San Diego outshot Dallas 13-2 in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Marcus Ingvartsen had a big opportunity in the 32nd minute, but his close-range right-footed shot was stopped by Sirois.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Alejandro #Alvarado #goal #helps #San #Diego #edge #Dallas">Deadspin | Alejandro Alvarado goal helps San Diego edge Dallas

Jul 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC midfield Alejandro Alvarado (70) scores a goal during the second half against the FC Dallas at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

Alejandro Alvarado scored his first MLS goal in the 50th minute and San Diego FC made it hold up for a 1-0 victory over visiting FC Dallas on Saturday night.

CJ dos Santos was called on to make just one save while recording his first shutout of the season for San Diego FC (5-7-5, 20 points).

Jonathan Sirois made four saves for Dallas (7-5-5, 26 points) after replacing injured starter Daniel, who had three stops.

San Diego FC held possession nearly 70% of the match to improve to 3-0-1 against FC Dallas in their two-season history.

Alvarado had the ball from beyond the box early in the second half and unleashed a long right-footed shot into the right corner of the net to break a scoreless tie.

Two minutes later, FC Dallas put its only shot on target but Petar Musa’s close-range header was saved by dos Santos.

Omni Valakari had a solid chance for San Diego in the 59th minute, but his left-footed shot caromed off the right goalpost.

Anderson Julio of Dallas broke in toward the net in hopes of receiving the ball in the 72th minute and dos Santos came out to break up the play. That left Santiago Moreno with an open net to shoot at, but he chipped his right-footed attempt over the net.

San Diego almost gifted FC Dallas the tying goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

Manu Duah made an errant pass back into the midfield and gave Dallas’ Logan Farrington a chance to dash in toward dos Santos. But Duah sprinted back toward the San Diego net and he was able to get his foot in and block Farrington’s right-footed shot to thwart the opportunity.

One minute later, the match was called.

San Diego outshot Dallas 19-7 and held an 8-1 edge in shots on target.

Dallas lost Daniel after he made a point-black save in the 16th minute on Valakari.

Daniel’s right leg bent awkwardly as he stretched to stymie Valakari and he remained down in pain. Trainers eventually helped him walk off the field and Sirois entered as the new goalie in the 19th minute.

San Diego outshot Dallas 13-2 in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Marcus Ingvartsen had a big opportunity in the 32nd minute, but his close-range right-footed shot was stopped by Sirois.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Alejandro #Alvarado #goal #helps #San #Diego #edge #Dallas

LeBron James wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t care about money when assessing his options in NBA free agency. Any team in the league could have landed James for essentially the veteran’s minimum if they could make the case that they gave him the best chance to win a fifth championship.

In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers won the LeBron sweepstakes. James is joining a lineup that already includes Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. The bench is pretty strong too with Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, and Ariel Hukporti. I predicted the Sixers were the favorites to sign James last weekend, but it’s still hard to believe it actually happened.

The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have to be heartbroken over James’ decision. The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves must be kicking themselves that they couldn’t make a couple more moves to woo LeBron. Do the Boston Celtics suddenly regret the shocking Jaylen Brown to Philly trade that set LeBron’s decision into motion?

I released by way-too-early NBA power rankings two weeks ago, and now they’re already irrelevant after LeBron’s decision. With the Oklahoma City Thunder also trading Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal, it feels appropriate to refresh the rankings. Here’s our latest power rankings for the 2026-2027 NBA season. One note: this is based on championship chances, not regular season performance. We’ll have more notes on the changes after the table.

Rank	Team	Change
1	Oklahoma City Thunder	—
2	San Antonio Spurs	—
3	New York Knicks	—
4	Minnesota Timberwolves	—
5	Philadelphia 76ers	Up 7
6	Boston Celtics	Down 1
7	Los Angeles Lakers	Down 1
8	Denver Nuggets	Down 1
9	Detroit Pistons	Down 1
10	Toronto Raptors	Down 1
11	Houston Rockets	Up 2
12	Cleveland Cavaliers	Down 2
13	Indiana Pacers	Down 2
14	Atlanta Hawks	Up 3
15	Miami Heat	Down 1
16	Orlando Magic	Down 1
17	Portland Trail Blazers	Down 1
18	Utah Jazz	—
19	Phoenix Suns	—
20	Dallas Mavericks	—
21	Charlotte Hornets	—
22	Memphis Grizzlies	—
23	Golden State Warriors	—
24	New Orleans Pelicans	—
25	Brooklyn Nets	—
26	Los Angeles Clippers	—
27	Washington Wizards	—
28	Chicago Bulls	—
29	Milwaukee Bucks	—
30	Sacramento Kings	—

Let’s dive into some changes from the last edition of power rankings.

The Thunder have a weak grip on No. 1 after the Lu Dort trade

The Thunder traded Lu Dort to save on their tax bill, and even Sam Presti admitted as much. I thought Dort was borderline unplayable late in the playoffs last year with a shaky handle, poor passing vision, and an inconsistent three-point stroke, but his defense was still impactful to opponents who feared his physicality. Losing Dort means more minutes for Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Jared McCain, which should be a very good thing for OKC. It also means some of the young guns need to step up behind them, and the pressure is now on Nikola Topic and Bennett Stirtz, as well as Aday Mara and Thomas Sorber, to turn into decent rotation pieces.

I thought about moving OKC off the No. 1 spot with this update. The Spurs whooped them all season, right? The Knicks deserve the benefit of the doubt after a championship run, don’t they? The thing that keeps bringing me back to OKC is that we didn’t really get to see this team fully healthy all year, not with Jalen Williams and Mitchell both suffering untimely injuries. I hate the way Chet Holmgren looks in the Spurs matchup against Victor Wembanyama, but to me he’s still a top-15 player against anyone else. At the end of the day, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the best guard in the game, and I’ll take my chances with him fully in his prime.

There is part of me that thinks losing Dort could be addition by subtraction for the Thunder. Their season will be determined by Williams’ health, Holmgren’s mindset, and Mitchell’s ability to level up again. I still think this is the strongest roster in the NBA, so they’re No. 1 entering the season to me.

The Sixers’ postseason ceiling is real, but can they get there?

I don’t love the fit with LeBron on the Sixers. Sorry. There are a lot of guys here at their best with the ball in their hands, with Philly’s five projected starters totaling 140% in usage rate. The defense is even more worrisome. Scaling down can be as hard as scaling up, and I just don’t think Jaylen Brown or Joel Embiid as it in their game to do it. Those two will need to prove me wrong for Philly to walk away from this season with a championship.

Can Brown adjust to a more off-ball role where he maximizes his three-point rate and locks in off-the-ball defensively? He only hit 33.1% on 2.5 catch-and-shoot attempts from three per game last year, and he’s always been inattentive defensively when he’s not guarding the ball. Can Embiid forgo his need for post touches and instead use most of his energy to get back to being a monster rim protector? I’m skeptical he’s interested in doing that. The Celtics shopped Brown to the entire NBA and no one wanted him enough to beat Philly’s offer. LeBron is seeing something that the nerds in rival front offices aren’t seeing, and that makes this move feel like a big bet on “Jaylen Brown, the superstar” as much as anything else.

The media is going to expect this team to be really good, but there’s quite a bit of downside here. James is going to need to have a big time shooting season after hitting just 31.7% from deep last year. He’s going to need to push himself as a leader to get Brown and Embiid to buy into their best roles. I still trust LeBron’s ability to problem-solve in the biggest moments, and this team will need it. I like Philly a lot better as a playoff team than a regular season team, but only if they’re healthy. That’s a big if with this collection.

Miami and Cleveland are the big losers of LeBron’s decision

Don’t look now, but the Heat and Cavs might be fighting to just get out of the play-in tournament after LeBron decided against a reunion with both franchises.

The Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their depth is poor and they don’t really have any future assets left to continue building out the team. Miami is always so good at developing players on the margins, and this will be the biggest test yet of their ability to do it again. The Cavs are coming off a decidedly unconvincing run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and they’ve only gotten worse this summer. Dean Wade is gone, and the only addition to the roster is second-round pick Meleek Thomas. I don’t care how great Thomas looked in summer league, this roster is in big trouble, and James choosing to go elsewhere is a huge indictment.

I’m liking the Hawks roster as much or more than the Heat and Cavs’. With New York, Philly, Boston, and Toronto (assuming they land Kawhi) all looking like better regular season teams, the pressure is on the front offices for Miami and Cleveland to pull a rabbit out of their hat at some point to up their ceiling and give their teams a real chance come playoff time.

#NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #updated #LeBron #James #signs #76ers">

mwasimuddin125 0

LeBron James wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t care about money when assessing his options in NBA free agency. Any team in the league could have landed James for essentially the veteran’s minimum if they could make the case that they gave him the best chance to win a fifth championship.
In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers won the LeBron sweepstakes. James is joining a lineup that already includes Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. The bench is pretty strong too with Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, and Ariel Hukporti. I predicted the Sixers were the favorites to sign James last weekend, but it’s still hard to believe it actually happened.
The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have to be heartbroken over James’ decision. The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves must be kicking themselves that they couldn’t make a couple more moves to woo LeBron. Do the Boston Celtics suddenly regret the shocking Jaylen Brown to Philly trade that set LeBron’s decision into motion?
I released by way-too-early NBA power rankings two weeks ago, and now they’re already irrelevant after LeBron’s decision. With the Oklahoma City Thunder also trading Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal, it feels appropriate to refresh the rankings. Here’s our latest power rankings for the 2026-2027 NBA season. One note: this is based on championship chances, not regular season performance. We’ll have more notes on the changes after the table.
Rank
Team
Change
1 Oklahoma City Thunder —
2 San Antonio Spurs —
3 New York Knicks —
4 Minnesota Timberwolves —
5 Philadelphia 76ers Up 7
6 Boston Celtics Down 1
7 Los Angeles Lakers Down 1
8 Denver Nuggets Down 1
9 Detroit Pistons Down 1
10 Toronto Raptors Down 1
11 Houston Rockets Up 2
12 Cleveland Cavaliers Down 2
13 Indiana Pacers Down 2
14 Atlanta Hawks Up 3
15 Miami Heat Down 1
16 Orlando Magic Down 1
17 Portland Trail Blazers Down 1
18 Utah Jazz —
19 Phoenix Suns —
20 Dallas Mavericks —
21 Charlotte Hornets —
22 Memphis Grizzlies —
23 Golden State Warriors —
24 New Orleans Pelicans —
25 Brooklyn Nets —
26 Los Angeles Clippers —
27 Washington Wizards —
28 Chicago Bulls —
29 Milwaukee Bucks —
30 Sacramento Kings —
Let’s dive into some changes from the last edition of power rankings.
The Thunder have a weak grip on No. 1 after the Lu Dort trade
The Thunder traded Lu Dort to save on their tax bill, and even Sam Presti admitted as much. I thought Dort was borderline unplayable late in the playoffs last year with a shaky handle, poor passing vision, and an inconsistent three-point stroke, but his defense was still impactful to opponents who feared his physicality. Losing Dort means more minutes for Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Jared McCain, which should be a very good thing for OKC. It also means some of the young guns need to step up behind them, and the pressure is now on Nikola Topic and Bennett Stirtz, as well as Aday Mara and Thomas Sorber, to turn into decent rotation pieces.
I thought about moving OKC off the No. 1 spot with this update. The Spurs whooped them all season, right? The Knicks deserve the benefit of the doubt after a championship run, don’t they? The thing that keeps bringing me back to OKC is that we didn’t really get to see this team fully healthy all year, not with Jalen Williams and Mitchell both suffering untimely injuries. I hate the way Chet Holmgren looks in the Spurs matchup against Victor Wembanyama, but to me he’s still a top-15 player against anyone else. At the end of the day, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the best guard in the game, and I’ll take my chances with him fully in his prime.
There is part of me that thinks losing Dort could be addition by subtraction for the Thunder. Their season will be determined by Williams’ health, Holmgren’s mindset, and Mitchell’s ability to level up again. I still think this is the strongest roster in the NBA, so they’re No. 1 entering the season to me.
The Sixers’ postseason ceiling is real, but can they get there?
I don’t love the fit with LeBron on the Sixers. Sorry. There are a lot of guys here at their best with the ball in their hands, with Philly’s five projected starters totaling 140% in usage rate. The defense is even more worrisome. Scaling down can be as hard as scaling up, and I just don’t think Jaylen Brown or Joel Embiid as it in their game to do it. Those two will need to prove me wrong for Philly to walk away from this season with a championship.
Can Brown adjust to a more off-ball role where he maximizes his three-point rate and locks in off-the-ball defensively? He only hit 33.1% on 2.5 catch-and-shoot attempts from three per game last year, and he’s always been inattentive defensively when he’s not guarding the ball. Can Embiid forgo his need for post touches and instead use most of his energy to get back to being a monster rim protector? I’m skeptical he’s interested in doing that. The Celtics shopped Brown to the entire NBA and no one wanted him enough to beat Philly’s offer. LeBron is seeing something that the nerds in rival front offices aren’t seeing, and that makes this move feel like a big bet on “Jaylen Brown, the superstar” as much as anything else.
The media is going to expect this team to be really good, but there’s quite a bit of downside here. James is going to need to have a big time shooting season after hitting just 31.7% from deep last year. He’s going to need to push himself as a leader to get Brown and Embiid to buy into their best roles. I still trust LeBron’s ability to problem-solve in the biggest moments, and this team will need it. I like Philly a lot better as a playoff team than a regular season team, but only if they’re healthy. That’s a big if with this collection.
Miami and Cleveland are the big losers of LeBron’s decision
Don’t look now, but the Heat and Cavs might be fighting to just get out of the play-in tournament after LeBron decided against a reunion with both franchises.
The Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their depth is poor and they don’t really have any future assets left to continue building out the team. Miami is always so good at developing players on the margins, and this will be the biggest test yet of their ability to do it again. The Cavs are coming off a decidedly unconvincing run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and they’ve only gotten worse this summer. Dean Wade is gone, and the only addition to the roster is second-round pick Meleek Thomas. I don’t care how great Thomas looked in summer league, this roster is in big trouble, and James choosing to go elsewhere is a huge indictment.
I’m liking the Hawks roster as much or more than the Heat and Cavs’. With New York, Philly, Boston, and Toronto (assuming they land Kawhi) all looking like better regular season teams, the pressure is on the front offices for Miami and Cleveland to pull a rabbit out of their hat at some point to up their ceiling and give their teams a real chance come playoff time.

#NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #updated #LeBron #James #signs #76ers">NBA Power Rankings for all 30 teams updated after LeBron James signs with 76ers

Rank	Team	Change
1	Oklahoma City Thunder	—
2	San Antonio Spurs	—
3	New York Knicks	—
4	Minnesota Timberwolves	—
5	Philadelphia 76ers	Up 7
6	Boston Celtics	Down 1
7	Los Angeles Lakers	Down 1
8	Denver Nuggets	Down 1
9	Detroit Pistons	Down 1
10	Toronto Raptors	Down 1
11	Houston Rockets	Up 2
12	Cleveland Cavaliers	Down 2
13	Indiana Pacers	Down 2
14	Atlanta Hawks	Up 3
15	Miami Heat	Down 1
16	Orlando Magic	Down 1
17	Portland Trail Blazers	Down 1
18	Utah Jazz	—
19	Phoenix Suns	—
20	Dallas Mavericks	—
21	Charlotte Hornets	—
22	Memphis Grizzlies	—
23	Golden State Warriors	—
24	New Orleans Pelicans	—
25	Brooklyn Nets	—
26	Los Angeles Clippers	—
27	Washington Wizards	—
28	Chicago Bulls	—
29	Milwaukee Bucks	—
30	Sacramento Kings	—

Let’s dive into some changes from the last edition of power rankings.

The Thunder have a weak grip on No. 1 after the Lu Dort trade

The Sixers’ postseason ceiling is real, but can they get there?

Miami and Cleveland are the big losers of LeBron’s decision

Don’t look now, but the Heat and Cavs might be fighting to just get out of the play-in tournament after LeBron decided against a reunion with both franchises.

#NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #updated #LeBron #James #signs #76ers

Related Posts

Rank

Team

Change

The Thunder have a weak grip on No. 1 after the Lu Dort trade

The Sixers’ postseason ceiling is real, but can they get there?

Miami and Cleveland are the big losers of LeBron’s decision

Rank

Team

Change

The Thunder have a weak grip on No. 1 after the Lu Dort trade

The Sixers’ postseason ceiling is real, but can they get there?

Miami and Cleveland are the big losers of LeBron’s decision

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