The 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs were the most-watched championship series since 1998, averaging 20 million viewers across the first five games on ABC and ESPN—a massive 116% increase over the previous year.

The historic series, which culminated in the Knicks securing their first championship since 1973, dominated both television and digital media. Game 4 drew an average of 20.9 million viewers (peaking at 23.2 million), making it the most-watched Game 4 since Michael Jordan’s last dance with the Chicago Bulls in 1998.

The 2026 NBA Finals smashed digital records, generating a whopping 15 billion views across social media platforms. Game 4 alone, which saw the Knicks overcome a 29-point lead, generated over 4 billion views.

The boost in fan interest was driven by three major factors: 1) a new partnership with NBC and Amazon Prime expanded the league’s audience reach; 2) a massive New York market that couldn’t get enough of its beloved Knicks; 3) global intrigue surrounding 22-year-old French superstar Victor Wembanyama.

Because of the 7-foot-5 Wembanyama, the Spurs consistently fueled global engagement, and it kept growing as they advanced in the playoffs. The Western Conference finals between San Antonio and Oklahoma City finished as the most-watched conference finals in 24 years with an average of 10.8 million viewers per game on NBC/Peacock. San Antonio’s victory over OKC in Game 7 averaged 15.9 million viewers, peaking with 17.7 million viewers.

The Wemby era in the NBA is clearly underway. Business is booming thanks to Wemby and four other franchise players.

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Each year, OneManFastBreak.net ranks the five best players in the NBA. The OMFB Furious Five pays homage to the five styles of Chinese martial arts: snake, crane, monkey, praying mantis, and tiger.

The ranking system is based on one man’s opinion and does not follow or conform to any standard format, with more emphasis placed on how each player and their respective teams performed in the postseason. Stars are born during the regular season, but legends are made in the playoffs.

In 2025, OMFB Furious Five featured Jalen Brunson (5), Giannis Antetokounmpo (4), Tyrese Haliburton (3), Nikola Jokic (2), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1).

Without further ado, here are the five best basketball players in the world.

5-CADE CUNNINGHAM
Detroit Pistons, guard

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the best part about Cade Cunningham is his team-first mentality. Bickerstaff said Cunningham’s stardom never came at the expense of anyone else on the Detroit roster.

“He’s a guy who can continue to get better and do more, and never have to invade your space as his teammate. He doesn’t have to take the food off of your plate in order for him to get full. As good as he is as a basketball player, he’s an even better person,” Bickerstaff said about his unselfish 24-year-old superstar.

Cunningham is the biggest reason why the Pistons are relevant again. He controls the pace with his remarkable dexterity at 6-6 and maturity. The man they call Motorcade established himself as one of the premier point guards in the league. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick made first-team All-NBA and earned All-Star honors.

Cunningham had a better season offensively in 2025 (26.1 points per game) than in 2026 (23.9 PPG) but he became a much better overall player in his fifth year. He also increased his assists per game from 9.1 to 9.9 (second in the league).

Behind their dynamic playmaker, the Pistons put together a conference-best 60-22 record — the franchise’s first 60-win season since the 2005-06 season. However, the season ended in disappointment as the Pistons were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, losing in Game 7 at home.

4-NIKOLA JOKIC
Denver Nuggets, center

Nikola Jokic has been so consistently good the past five years that we’ve grown accustomed to his basketball brilliance. The Serbian big man is just one of nine players in NBA history to win at least three MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five), Wilt Chamberlain (four), LeBron James (four), Larry Bird (three), Magic Johnson (three) and Moses Malone (three).

Jokic pieced together another triple-double season, averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. He became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds and assists. But the postseason was a completely different story for Jokic and the Nuggets. Denver, which entered the playoffs with championship aspirations, ran into a roadblock in the form of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The T-Wolves stunned the Nuggets and eliminated them in six games.

Jokic did all he could to push the Nuggets forward, but he simply ran out of gas and got worn down by Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, who played a brilliant series defensively and made the Joker work for every basket. Jokic shot an abysmal 19.4% from behind the 3-point line and made just 44% of his field goals.

It has been three years since the Joker won an NBA title, and he doesn’t seem to be getting closer on winning a second. Time will tell where Jokic will land on the all-time list of great centers. For Jokic to have a seat at the table with the likes of Kareem, Russell, Wilt, Moses, Hakeem, Shaq, and Duncan, he’ll need to win one more championship.

3-SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER
Oklahoma City Thunder, guard

SGA brags that he has all the answers to the test. He just needs the questions. SGA was partially correct. He did have the answers to almost every team in the league. There was one team that befuddled the reigning MVP — the Spurs. Shai and the Thunder played the San Antonio Spurs 12 times. Five times during the regular season and seven times in the playoffs. OKC went 1-4 against San Antonio in the season, and lost to the Spurs in an epic seven-game series in the Western Conference finals.

Despite authoring an amazing MVP campaign, averaging 31.1 points per game, SGA felt the season was a failure because he couldn’t lead his team back to the NBA Finals.

“It was a failure. I failed at my goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve. But through those experiences, I learned the most about myself and made the greatest amount of increases in my career when I fail.”

SGA embodies the qualities of a throwback player who understands the importance of consistency. Behind Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder finished with the best record in the NBA (64-18) and boasted the league’s best defense. If the Spurs didn’t exist the Thunder might be celebrating another championship.

SGA’s reputation took a hit during the 2026 playoffs. Opposing teams and their fans, as well as many basketball fans who follow the NBA on social media, were annoyed by Gilgeous-Alexander’s proclivity for foul baiting. In other words, SGA was flopping around like a fish to sell calls. Journalist Tom Haberstroh, best known for his data-driven analysis, analyzed SGA’s shot attempts and found that he fell to the ground 51% of the time when contacted by a defender, far and away the highest percentage among the top scorers in the league. In addition, SGA fell to the ground 10.7% of his field-goal attempts where no foul was called. He easily outpaced James Harden (8.7%) and Jalen Brunson (7.9%).

Being viewed as a flopper isn’t the moniker a two-time MVP would want to have, and the level of mockery reached a fever pitch on social media. One of the AI-generated videos posted on social media showed Gilgeous-Alexander rolling on the locker room floor practicing his flops.

During the conference finals, fans in San Antonio chanted “Flopper! Flopper!” whenever SGA had the ball.

Gilgeous-Alexander is too good of a player to be foul baiting. It sends a terrible impression that he’s seeking the help of referees to boost his scoring stats. If he doesn’t change his ways, the “flopper” tag might follow SGA for the rest of his career.

2-VICTOR WEMBANYAMA
San Antonio Spurs, Center

If there was one image that captured Victor Wembanyama’s dominance in the 2026 NBA playoffs, it was when he blocked Jalen Williams’ shot to cap off a historic game in his conference finals debut. He stood in front of the San Antonio Spurs bench for a few seconds to soak in the moment. He knew his moment had arrived. It was his world now, and his teammates reacted as if he was some mythical superhero who came to Earth to save us from an alien invasion.

Wemby certainly looked like a superhero in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against defending NBA champion Oklahoma City. On a night when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his second consecutive regular-season MVP award, Wembanyama dropped 41 points, grabbed 24 rebounds, and had three blocks to lead the Spurs to a thrilling double-overtime road victory. His 40-20 effort at this stage of the postseason with so much on the line put him in elite company, joining Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, Moses Malone, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Shaquille O’Neal.

“I still got a lot to learn, and I feel like I want to get that trophy many times in my career,” Wembanyama told reporters after the game.

Wemby is just barely starting his basketball odyssey, but he has already accomplished a lot in three short years. He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2024. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2026, making history as both the youngest recipient (at 22 years old) and the first-ever unanimous winner of the award. He made the All-NBA first team for the first time in 2026. He turned the San Antonio Spurs — a team that won 56 games in 2024 and 2025 — into a 60-win juggernaut.

Head coach Mitch Johnson, meanwhile, sang Wembanyama’s praises. “He has a rare desire to step into every moment that’s in front of him,” Johnson told reporters. “I think he’s showed in his three years in a lot of different situations and a lot of different circumstances that he is going to attack those moments.”

Wemby’s historic Game 1 set the tone for the series. For the rest of the series, he reminded the basketball world who the real MVP is, averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and scoring at least 20 points in every game. He did a little bit of everything — dunks, blocks, playing point guard even — to keep control on the way to leading the Spurs to a Game 7 win in OKC to knock out the defending champs and reach his first NBA Finals.

He was the unanimous pick as conference finals MVP. He carried that trophy into the locker room after the game, screaming in joy at supporters and teammates. “You work all these hours; it’s for these types of emotions,” Wembanyama said. “I want to win so bad. It’s like my life depends on it.”

Wembanyama was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023. In just three short years, he turned the Spurs from a lottery team into a championship contender.

Most pundits have already crowned Wembanyama as the best player in the game, and some suggested that he is now the face of the league. OMFB is not ready to crown him just yet.

Wemby and the Spurs learned a painful lesson when they reached the NBA Finals. They found out there is another level to be reached in order to raise a championship banner. The loss in the NBA Finals is the reason why Wemby is ranked No. 2 on the OMFB list. He can’t be the king of basketball if he doesn’t have a crown. He’ll have to wait his turn.

And now, the No. 1 player in the world. Drum roll please . . .

1-JALEN BRUNSON
New York Knicks, guard

If there was any doubt that Jalen Brunson is the best player, check out his trophy collection. He has the NBA Cup trophy. He has the Larry O’Brien trophy. He won NBA Cup MVP. He won the Larry Bird Eastern Conference finals MVP. He won the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP.

When you’re holding every major trophy in the NBA calendar year, you have a very strong case to be No. 1.

“I put a lot of time and effort into trying to be the best player I can,” said the 29-year-old guard, who averaged 32.6 points per game in the Finals. He saved his best for last, dropping 45 points (including 15 in the fourth quarter) in the series-clinching Game 5 on the road. It was the most points scored in a Finals close-out game since Michael Jordan did it in 1998.

Brunson is a winner. He has won at every level of basketball. Along with this season’s trophies and MVP awards, his resume includes two NCAA tournament titles at Villanova, a National College Player of the Year award and a FIBA U19 World Cup gold medal. Now, he’s an NBA champion.

San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle — considered one of the game’s elite defenders — guarded Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the playoffs. Castle highlighted the differences between the two guards. He noted that while SGA is a threat when he is driving to the basket, Brunson gets to his spots and makes those angles count.

“I’d say they’re very similar in ways,” Castle said. “Obviously, Jalen’s left-handed, Shai’s right-handed. But I think Shai is more of a threat to get all the way downhill, all the way to the basket. I think Jalen likes to use angles a lot more, uses probably a little bit more pump fakes than Shai. But yeah, most of it is angles and trying to get to his spots and not really trying to draw fouls as much, but trying to get to his mid-range and get to spots the way he likes.”

Brunson’s ability to create near-impossible angles makes him an extremely difficult player to cover. He also left-handed, which adds another layer of challenge for defenders. Despite his lack of superior athleticism and ideal size — he’s listed at 6-2 — Brunson is one of the most gifted scorers in the NBA, averaging at least 26 points per game the past three seasons.

Brunson is the most impactful player to wear a Knicks jersey since Patrick Ewing. He has only been a New York Knick for four years, but winning a championship and ending a 53-year championship drought puts him in a pantheon reserved for names like Ruth, Mantle, Jeter, Namath, Taylor, Reed, and Frazier.

The former Villanova standout was named to the 2026 All-NBA second team and earned the moniker Captain Clutch for his ability to deliver big shots in the biggest moments.

“He’s a gamer, man,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said about his point guard.

“In the biggest moments, he shows up,” Brown continued. “That’s what MVPs are supposed to do. We put the ball in his hands, and we live and die with him.”

The Knicks rode the back of the Brunson bandwagon throughout their championship run in 2026. Brunson accounted for 31% of the Knicks’ offense, and his teammates didn’t seem to mind that he took nearly all the important shots. That belief in their captain is what gave Brunson all the confidence in the world, and he rewarded his team with masterful performances in the NBA Finals. The Spurs held double-digit leads in each of the five games, but lost four of them. Brunson simply refused to let his team lose. His unflappable demeanor down the stretch is what carried the Knicks across the finish line.

The Knicks had four winning seasons in a 21-year span before Brunson arrived. They’ve had four winning seasons since Brunson’s arrival. They’ve now won eight playoff series with Brunson in the lineup. They won seven total from 1998 through 2022.

It’s time to give the man his flowers. Jalen Brunson is the best player in the world.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. He hosts a sports podcast on YouTube @onemanfastbreak1.

Tom Thibodeau did something no New York Knicks head coach hadn’t been able to do in 25 years. Make the Knicks relevant again.

In his fifth season, Thibodeau led New York to a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the playoff run ended in disappointment, as the Knicks fell to Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals.

Just as Thibs seemed poised to lead the Knicks back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, the rug was pulled from under him. In a major shift, the Knicks fired the defensive-minded Thibodeau and replaced him with Mike Brown, a coach known for favoring a faster tempo. Brown, a disciple of Steve Kerr’s pace-and-space methodology that powered the Golden State Warriors to four NBA championships in eight years, brings a new approach.

Brown takes over a Knicks squad led by reigning Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson.

Brunson, who averaged 26.0 points and 7.3 assists per game last season, is the unquestioned leader of the Knicks and arguably the franchise’s best star player since Patrick Ewing. Brunson, along with Knicks teammates Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, played college ball at Villanova.

In Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks have one of the best guard-center combos in the league, and Brown will lean on both to help him establish a more diversified offensive attack.

Towns fit in seamlessly with the Knicks and earned a fifth All-Star selection. OG Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart formed a sturdy perimeter wall, locking down opposing wings and bringing toughness on both ends of the floor. The Knicks, with their core under contract for the next few years, are well-positioned to contend for a championship. The last time the Knicks won an NBA title, “The French Connection” won Best Picture at the Oscars. That was 54 years ago.

OneManFastBreak projects the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference.

1-New York Knicks — Devastating Achilles’ injuries to Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton open the door for the Knicks to climb into the top spot and become beast of the East. The addition of free agents Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele should bolster the Knicks bench.

2-Cleveland Cavaliers — The Cavs won 64 regular-season games a season ago but got bounced early in the postseason. The pressure is on All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to help the Cavs rebound from last season’s disappointing finish.

3-Detroit Pistons — Cade Cunningham took his game to a new level under J.B. Bickerstaff. Motor Cade got a taste of the postseason last season, and another year under his belt will only increase his stock. Jaden Ivey returns to the lineup after missing 52 games due to a knee injury.

4-Milwaukee Bucks — Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off a superb summer, leading his Greek national team to a bronze medal at EuroBasket. As long as the Greek Freak is healthy and happy, the Bucks will always be a threat.

5-Orlando Magic — The addition of shooting guard Desmond Bane should make life a little easier for Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. Wagner is coming off a sensational summer after helping Germany win a gold medal at EuroBasket.

6-Atlanta Hawks — The Hawks opted not to offer point guard Trae Young a max extension. Trae will be highly motivated to show the Hawks that he’s worth the $229 million investment.

7-Miami Heat — Heat Culture took a hit last season, winning only 37 games and finishing 12th in the conference. Erik Spoelstra won’t let it happen again, and he’ll have a new spark plug in Norman Powell to fire up the offense.

8-Boston Celtics — Tatum’s Achilles’ tear drastically alters the Celtics’ plans for this season, but it doesn’t mean they are going to tank. Finals MVP Jaylen Brown is still on the roster, and expect expanded roles for Payton Pritchard and Derrick White.

Play-In teams: Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers

Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors and Kyrie Irving’s Celtics will compete for top spot in the East. (AP)

When LeBron James left The Land and took his talents to Hollywood to play with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Eastern Conference finds itself in virgin territory. Teams from the East are finally free from the chokehold King James has put on the conference the last eight years.

The floodgates are wide open and the team is breathing the biggest sigh of relief has to be the Toronto Raptors. The Raps have had their hearts broken by LeBron in each of the last three postseasons. And last season was arguably the most painful of them all as LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers ended the Raptors’ historic season – a year in which they owned the East’s best record at 59-23 – with an embarrassing 4-0 sweep.

Now that The King has moved West, there will be a new king of the East and the West just got even tougher – unless you’re the Golden State Warriors.

OneManFastBreak.net predicts the eight playoff teams in the East for the 2018-19 season.

Eastern Conference

1-Toronto Raptors – General manager Masai Ujiri made a couple of big moves this offseason. First, he fired the reigning Coach of Year Dwane Casey and elevated assistant Nick Nurse to head coach. The second big move Ujiri made was trading All-Star DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs for All-Star forward and former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard. The move was definitely an upgrade as Leonard brings toughest to a Raptors team that at times plays a bit soft. The Kawhi addition should only make a 59-win team only better. The Raptors could end up with the best regular-season record, but it doesn’t mean they will represent the East in the NBA Finals because the team right below might be more battle tested. Prediction: 60-22

2-Boston Celtics – Speaking of that battle-tested team …. Brad Stevens showed why he’s the best coach in the NBA by taking a patchwork Celtics roster to the conference finals and got within one win of reaching the NBA Finals despite losing Gordon Hayward minutes into the season and having Kyrie Irving for only 60 games. Stevens will have his roster intact for this season, with another year under the belts of young studs Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Boston has one of the best benches in the league, a scrappy unit that includes Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Aron Baynes, and Marcus Morris. Prediction: 58-24

3-Philadelphia 76ers – The Sixers will go as far as Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will take them. The duo got the young Sixers to the conference semifinals before getting schooled by the Celtics. Embiid is predicting an MVP season, while Simmons looks to build off his Rookie of the Year season. The big question for Philly is solving the Markelle Fultz puzzle. His well-chronicled shooting woes aside, the 2017 No. 1 overall pick seems like a bad fit in Philly. He is struggling to find his shot within the offense and his lack of outside shooting restricts what the Sixers can do when he’s on the court with Simmons and Embiid. Prediction: 55-27

4-Milwaukee Bucks – New head coach Mike Budenholzer’s first order of business is to find second and third option to take some pressure off his superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who made second team All-NBA last year. If the Bucks can get more production from Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton, the Bucks could be in the hunt for one of the top four spots in the conference. Prediction: 49-33

5-Indiana Pacers – The Pacers grew a ton after their epic seven-game playoff series against LeBron’s Cavs. Victor Olapido is an emerging star and coach Nate McMillan has some nice supporting pieces to work with in Myles Turner, Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison and Domantas Sabonis. The acquisition of Tyreke Evans didn’t make headlines offseason, but it’s a subtle but smart move that could pay off in the long run. Prediction: 48-34

6-Detroit Pistons – A full training camp and preseason should help Blake Griffin get more comfortable in Detroit. If Griffin can return to his all-star form, he and center Andre Drummond form arguably the best center-power forward tandem in the East. Dwane Casey takes over a squad that underachieved under Stan Van Gundy. Van Gundy’s heavy handed approach didn’t work, so the Pistons are hoping Casey can connect better with players, especially Griffin and Reggie Jackson. Prediction: 46-36

7-Miami Heat – The Heat are good enough to make the playoffs, but not enough to make a major dent in the East. They have a borderline star in Goran Dragic, but he’s not good enough to carry the team on his back. For the Heat to be elite, center Hassan Whiteside has to step up and be the dominant force he was pegged to be when the team signed him to a $98 million deal. Prediction: 42-40

8-Charlotte Hornets – This is a big year for point guard Kemba Walker. The Hornets have not locked him up to a long-term deal, waiting to see if he’s worth the money. Walker will be motivated to show Michael Jordan and the Hornets brass that he is a franchise player and should get a max deal. Prediction: 41-41

Last two teams out: Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets.

Derrick Rose missed the entire 2012-13 season because of issues with his surgically repaired left knee. (GETTY IMAGES)

It has been 18 months since Derrick Rose last played in a meaningful game. If you’re a Chicago Bulls fan, it must seem like 18 years.

Rose says he’s ready to take the court when the Bulls open the season. That’s all good for team morale,  but the bigger question is which Derrick Rose are we going to see when he takes the court? Rose was suppose to be ready by the 2013 playoffs but for whatever reason he bailed out on the idea and decided to shut it down for a season.

That caused many to wonder if Rose will ever get over the mental hurdle of his devastating knee injury that has consumed him and the organization for two years.

“I should be able to play in the first game of the season,” Rose said during a promotional tour. “I know I’m anxious right now to play. My health is everything right now. It’s 100 percent.”

Rose’s teammates, as well as head coach Tom Thibodeau, is behind him 100 percent. They believe in his talent and trust his judgment. If he felt he wasn’t ready five months ago, then the Bulls will roll with that. Thibodeau wants (and needs) a healthy Derrick Rose for an entire season because anything less won’t cut it in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.

OneManFastBreak.net examines the teams in the Central Division and where they’ll finish:

1-CHICAGO BULLS

Thibodeau is glad to have Rose back for two reasons: 1) he gains a superstar who can create offense for the team and himself, and 2) he doesn’t have to answer questions from the media on when his superstar will be back. The Bulls competed hard against the Heat in the 2013 conference semifinals, as Thibodeau squeezed every once of energy out of his undermanned squad. But in the end injuries and Miami’s sheer talent was too much to overcome. If there was a silver lining in the series it was the emergence of guard/forward Jimmy Butler. The third-year man out of Marquette went head-to-head with LeBron James and didn’t blink. Thibs has penciled in Butler as the starting shooting guard when training camp opened. “He’s an excellent athlete, very explosive, very quick to the ball. That tells you how he sees the game. His reaction to the ball is special. He’s very quick, strong, can think ahead, very strong,” Thibs told Comcast Sports. Not bringing back super sub Nate Robinson was a bit of a surprise, but Thibs still has Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson to bring energy and experience off the bench. Luol Deng enters the final year of his contract and will be playing for a long-term, lucrative extension. Deng is only 28 and an important cog in Thibs’ system, so re-signing him should be a top priority.

2-INDIANA PACERS

Frank Vogel has built a monster ballclub in basketball-crazy Indiana. The Pacers are big, young, athletic, and nasty. If you watched last season’s conference finals you saw how the Pacers posed a difficult matchup for the Heat. The biggest matchup nightmare is 7-2, 280-pound center Roy Hibbert. The former Georgetown Hoya was a beast in the paint during the Pacers’ seven-game war with the Heat, and he was the main reason why Miami signed 7-footer Greg Oden, despite all his health issues, in the offeason. Hibbert worked out with Tim Duncan during the offseason and claims he’s in the best shape of his career. Scary thought considering he played at an All-Star level during the playoffs. But Hibbert is just one half of Indiana’s studly 1-2 punch. What really excites Pacers fans is the growth of swingman Paul George. George made the All-Star game for the first time, and he should be a fixture there for years to come. Indiana’s top brass recently went all in on the 6-8 forward, signing him to a max contract worth around $90 million for five years.

3-CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Fiery owner Dan Gilbert admitted he made a mistake firing head coach Mike Brown three years ago. Gilbert corrected his mistake by bringing back Brown to lead a young but talented bunch led by budding superstar Kyrie Irving. The No. 1 pick of the 2011 draft and 2012 Rookie of the Year is slowly helping Cavs fans get over the LeBron breakup, and with good reason. Irving showed flashes of greatness in his second year, averaging 22 points and leading the league in fourth-quarter scoring. Injuries have been the only drawback for an otherwise dynamite first two seasons for the former Duke Blue Devil. Irving is already considered one of the top best point guards in the Association, and his needle is still pointing up. Speaking of injuries, the Cavs rolled the dice in the offeason with the signing of often-injured center Andrew Bynum. If Bynum plays, the Cavs get dominant big man with a championship pedigree. Rookie forward Anthony Bennett, the 2013 top overall selection out of UNLV, still has a ways to go before he gets in basketball shape, but the Cavs are really excited about his potential. Bennett has drawn comparisons to another former UNLV star, Larry Johnson.

4-DETROIT PISTONS

The Bad Boys are back! Well, sort of. General Manager Joe Dumars had a very busy offseason, ditching Jose Calderon, Brandon Knight, and Jason Maxiell and bringing in Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings, and fan favorite Chauncey Billups. Dumars also picked up some talent in the draft, selecting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tony Mitchell, and Peyton Siva. There are so many new parts in Detroit the state’s auto industry could receive a big boost. Dumars coveted Smith to pair up with his young big men in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. But that would mean Smith would need to play small forward, and that eliminates his advantages against slower power forwards. It will be interesting to see how new head coach Maurice Cheeks utilizes his bigs because all three have limitations offensively. Smith and Monroe are not good enough shooters to space the floor, and Drummond is a true low-post player who won’t drift to the perimeter unlike most centers today. Jennings is a huge upgrade over Knight. When he’s shooting well, Jennings can play against anyone in the league. But when’s off, he can shoot you out of a game. Billups, 37, returns to the Motor City but he’ll be more of mentor to Jennings.

5-MILWAUKEE BUCKS

To say that the Bucks are in a transition year is a huge understatement. General manager John Hammond cleaned house, removing the entire coaching staff and gutting out the roster. Ersan Ilyasova, Larry Sanders, and John Henson are the only holdovers from the 2012-13 squad. To fill in the blanks, Hammond picked up O.J. Mayo, Zaza Pachulia, and Gary Neal, and brought back Carlos Delfino and Luke Ridnour. Brandon Jennings was shipped to Detroit in exchange for Brandon Knight. There are so many retreads in Milwaukee you’d think the city is selling stock for Goodwill. And the Bucks are likely not done tweaking the roster. Sanders and Henson are essentially the same player. They’re ultrathin forwards with limited offensive skills but tremendous shot-blockers. Hammond should be able to work out a deal for one (or both) in exchange for more offense, which the Bucks badly need.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

James Harden scores 37 points in his debut with the Houston Rockets. (GETTY IMAGES)

It didn’t take long for James Harden to reward his new NBA team for signing him to the most lucrative contract of his young NBA career.

Just hours after he agreed to a five-year, $80-million maximum contract with the Houston Rockets, Harden went out and absolutely dominated the Detroit Pistons. Despite having little practice and barely knowing his teammates, Harden looked like a man who is ready to become an All-Star as he scored a game-high 37 points, had 12 assists, made four of 10 3-pointers, and had four steals in his Rockets debut.

Harden hit the ground running, scoring 19 points in the first half and immediately putting his imprint in the game with his patented drives to the basket. Detroit led 83-72 early in the fourth quarter, but Harden brought the Rockets back and literally went right through the Pistons defense to do it.

”I think I just wanted to get out there and play,” Harden said. ”All the talking and all the craziness that has been happening this last week – I just wanted to go out there and play basketball.”

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year fell just short of his career high of 40 points, and his 12 assists were a career best. Not bad for a guy still adjusting to new teammates and a new situation. Harden started only seven games in three seasons in Oklahoma City, as he developed into an indispensable reserve. But he was in the starting lineup Wednesday and looked ready to play a bigger role with Houston.

”I just tried to score and create opportunities,” Harden said. ‘I just tried to get my bigs involved. A lot of different guys stepped up, and I think that’s how it’s going to be throughout this entire season.”

Harden pretty much put the game away with a three-point play with 1:27 remaining that put Houston ahead 104-94.

”They keep it so simple as far as just spreading it out and letting him create,” Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey said. ”Pick and rolls, that’s pretty much what got us. They did a good job of spreading us out. He was getting in the lane, making shots and finding his teammates and they were making shots, too.”

Harden and his backcourt partner Jeremy Lin are very good pick-and-roll players, and give credit to head coach Kevin McHale for adjusting on the fly and allowing Harden to do what he does best. ”I thought it was a challenge for James to kind of figure out what we were doing,” McHale said. ”We put some plays in that he was comfortable with that they ran at Oklahoma City.”

Imagine what Harden could do if he actually got more comfortable in Houston? Oklahoma City will regret trading Harden.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Chicago Bulls don’t expect Derrick Rose to be back until around January or February. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

There is a good chance that Derrick Rose may not be ready to play until after the All-Star break, and this means the Central Division is up for grabs.

The Indiana Pacers — led by a young nucleus and a no-nonsense head coach — have the best shot at dethroning the Bulls as the kingpins of the division, but don’t count out the Detroit Pistons. Yes, I said it, the Pistons!

When Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said “let Detroit go bankrupt” I don’t think he was referring to the auto industry. Obviously, Romney was talking about the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons have been in a recession since Joe Dumars made the mistake of selecting Darko Milicic in the 2003 draft and compounded that mistake by dumping Chauncey Billups and moving Rodney Stuckey as the team’s starting point guard.

OneManFastBreak.net predicts the order of finish in the Central Division:

1-INDIANA PACERS — The Pacers saw a glimpse of what they can be when they stretched the Miami Heat to the limit. Indiana has the talent, the depth, and the approach to be a power player not only in the Central but in the Eastern Conference. The X factor is third-year forward Paul George. If the former Fresno State standout continues to grow as a player the Pacers will could land the No. 2 spot in the East behind Miami.

2-CHICAGO BULLS — The Bulls were able to push through a difficult season last year and still ended up with the best record in the East. But the difference this time around is they know Rose won’t be back any time soon, which changes the entire plan of attack for head coach Tom Thibodeau. The team reacquired guard Kirk Hinrich during the offseason to help stem the loss of Rose. Hinrich is one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA but he’s nowhere near the caliber of Rose, who accounts for more than 30% of the Bulls’ offense. Thibodeau’s defense is good enough to keep the Bulls in the playoff hunt, but it won’t take them past the first round if Rose doesn’t come back.

3-DETROIT PISTONS — Not many casual fans know this but Greg Monroe is one of the most versatile big men in basketball. He scores in the low post, runs the floor, and passes the ball like a guard. Head coach Lawrence Frank finally ditched the Rodney Stuckey point guard experiment last season when he put the ball in the hands of Brandon Knight. Now that he has a year under his belt as the team’s playmaker, Knight is primed for a breakout season. Watch out for 6-foot-11 rookie center Andre Drummond. The 19-year-old is very raw, but extremely gifted. He has already become somewhat of a YouTube sensation with his devastating dunks in the preseason.

4-MILWAUKEE BUCKS — During their short time together, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings showed they could play together. We’ll see if that still holds in an 82-game schedule. In 21 games with the Bucks Ellis averaged 17.6 points, well below the numbers he put up in his last three years with Golden State. The fate of head coach Scott Skiles is tied to the Jennings-Ellis partnership. If it works, Skiles will stay. If it doesn’t, Skiles will be fired.

5-CLEVELAND CAVALIERS — Cavs fans had to hold their breath during the summer when star guard Kyrie Irving, the 2012 Rookie of the Year, injured his hand punching a padded wall in a Las Vegas gym. Reports say Irving has completely recovered from the painfully embarrassing episode and is ready to start in the season opener. That’s the good news. The bad news is rookie Dion Waiters is struggling mightily with his shot and the Cavs’ first-round selection in 2012 may not be as good as advertised.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Rasheed Wallace last played for the Boston Celtics in the 2009-10 season. (GETTY IMAGES)

Rasheed Wallace is reportedly coming out of retirement to help the New York Knicks add depth to their bench.

Wallace has been trying to return to the NBA for the last year or so, and even had discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat last season. The eccentric and fiery player known for drawing technical fouls from league officials seems to have finally found the right fit in New York. Wallace joining the Knicks is great news to Knick fans, but bad news for referees. Lets just say ‘Sheed won’t be receiving Christmas cards from league officials.

The move leaves a lot of people shaking their heads, as N.Y. has been busy signing veteran (use that term to soften it a bit) frontcourt players in Geritol-chugging Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas. And they may not be done. It seems that they are quite interested to add Kenyon Martin for some reason. If that happens, Thomas will most assuredly be waving a towel on the bench.

While many may not like the Wallace signing, I think it is a decent acquisition. If they were being brought in to start, that’d be insane. But Wallace and Camby give N.Y. two solid backups who could play around 15-18 minutes per game. And they added some serious depth to a bench that was hit hard by injuries during the playoffs. If Amare Stoudemire or Tyson Chandler misses some games, Wallace, Camby and Thomas could provide much needed help.

The 38-year-old Wallace last played for the Boston Celtics in 2009-10 when he averaged 9 points per game and 4 rebounds per game in 22 minutes. For his career, he is a 34% shooter on 3-point attempts. That’s not exactly great for a guard or small forward, but for a power forward/center, it’s pretty impressive. By comparison, Kobe makes 33.7% of his 3-point attempts.

The Knicks could play ‘Sheed at center or forward, and sit him behind the 3-point arc and draw his defender away from the basket. This opens up driving lanes for Carmelo Anthony and others. Wallace adds a dimension to the Knicks offense, especially if he and Steve Novak are on the floor together.

Wallace was best known for his time spent in Portland in the mid 1990s to early 200os when the Trail Blazers battled the Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs. He won a championship ring in 2004 as a member of the Detroit Pistons.

Darren Jacks is a contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at: djroxalot@hotmail.com.

Dennis Rodman was a five-time NBA world champion, twice with the Pistons and three times with the Bulls. (GETTY IMAGES)

Dennis Rodman, the former Detroit Piston and Chicago Bull star who took eccentric into a whole new stratosphere, says he was informed on Thursday that he’ll become one of the newest members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

The official announcement won’t come until Monday, but in typical Rodman fashion he couldn’t wait to tell the world that he will be immortalized and his name will forever bear “Hall-of-Famer” next to it.

The announcement shouldn’t come as a shock. Rodman deserves the recognition because based on on-court performance the man who was affectionately called The Worm was one of basketball’s all-time best at his position, and when you are considered “the best” you belong in the halls of Springfield.

Rodman was a member of five NBA championship teams (two with the Pistons and three with the Bulls) and named defensive player of the year twice. Only Bill Russell and Scottie Pippen should be ranked ahead of Rodman when it came to defending the basketball. Rodman was honored Friday night by the Detroit Pistons, who retired his No. 10 jersey during halftime of their game against the Chicago Bulls.

Nothing was ever given to Rodman, and he had to work for every thing good that came his way. The second-round draft pick out of tiny Southeastern Oklahoma revolutionized the game with his unique ability to defend every position and non-stop pursuit of every rebound.

Even when he became a caricature of himself, with all the tattoos and the piercings and the 24-7 partying, Rodman remained one of the game’s top power forwards. And he also never got credit for possessing a very high basketball IQ.

Phil Jackson, considered the greatest NBA coach of all time, said on more than one occasion that Rodman was one of the smartest players he has ever coached, noting that Rodman quickly learned his complicated triangle offense without a hitch.

Rodman was among 12 finalists for the Hall of Fame this year along with players such as Jamaal Wilkes, Maurice Cheeks, Chris Mullin and Ralph Sampson. The induction ceremony is in August.