The first round of the 2026 NBA postseason wasn’t very kind to two recent champions and a future Hall of Famer.

The Denver Nuggets entered the Western Conference playoffs as the No. 3 seed and armed with arguably the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic. Denver lasted just six games and were eliminated by undermanned Minnesota for the second time in three years.

Since winning the NBA title in 2023, Jokic and the Nuggets are just 15-15 over the last three postseasons.

The Boston Celtics, boosted by the return of All-Star Jayson Tatum, entered the Eastern Conference playoffs with the fourth-best odds to win a championship. Boston took a 3-1 series lead against division rival Philadelphia, only to watch it evaporate and ended up being on the wrong side of history. The 76ers completed the dramatic playoff comeback, winning Game 7 in Boston.

When asked during his post-game press conference what was the turning point in the series, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to the return of Joel Embiid.

“What changed in the series was Joel Embiid came back, and they’re a completely different team,” Mazzulla said of the Sixers center, who came back in Game 4 after missing almost a month after undergoing emergency appendectomy.

Philly was the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the playoffs. Less than 24 hours after the Sixers’ win, the Detroit Pistons became the 15th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Thanks to the heroics of Cade Cunningham, top-seeded Detroit avoided losing to eighth-seeded Orlando with a convincing win at home in Game 7.

Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets weren’t considered championship contenders heading into the postseason, but they had a favorable matchup in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers, who was missing Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (rib).

But the Rockets found a way to turn an advantage into a disadvantage as the 2014 NBA MVP missed Game 1 with a knee injury he suffered in practice. Durant returned in Game 2 but suffered a sprained right ankle in the second half that ultimately forced him to miss the remainder of the series.

The Lakers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead. After a couple of hiccups in Game 4 and Game 5, L.A. closed out the series with a blowout win in Game 6.

Detroit rides MotorCade to reach conference semifinals

After Orlando took a 3-1 series lead, Cade Cunningham put his hard on and went to work.

The Pistons’ All-Star guard dropped 45 points (5-for-8 on 3-pointers) in Game 5 and followed it up with 32 points and 10 rebounds in the next game, forcing a Game 7.

In Game 7 in front of a fired up Detroit crowd that included Pistons legends like Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace, Cunningham calmly led the Pistons to a 116-94 win. His 32 points and 12 assists helped secure Detroit’s first playoff series victory in 18 years.

Cunningham became the second Piston to score 20-plus points and dish out 10-plus assists in a Game 7. The other Piston to pull it off was Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who was in the building to witness Cade’s brilliant performance under pressure.

“It’s an honor to be in the same sentence as a legend like IT,” Cunningham said. “I’m glad he was here. I’m glad he was able to watch … just being able to talk to him, pick his brain, and have his support. It’s amazing. I feel extremely lucky to have that.”

No joke: Jokic gets ‘punked’ in playoff loss to Timberwolves

When you’re a three-time NBA MVP, expectations are high and losing in the first round is not an acceptable result.

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, were eliminated in six games by the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team missing their best player (Anthony Edwards), starting guard (Donte DiVincenzo), and one of its top reserves (Ayo Dosunmu).

The Timberwolves had just eight players available for Game 6, but still managed to pull out a victory.

Denver’s early exit prompted some pundits like ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, to call out Jokic for his poor postseason performance following another triple-double regular season in which he became the first player to lead the league in rebounds (12.9) and assists (10.7).

Perkins on ESPN’s “First Take” said the Joker got “punked” in the Minnesota series as Rudy Gobert made him look human. Jokic shot 44.6% from the field and 19.4% from 3-point range, both well below his season averages. Perkins added that Jokic’s recent play suggests he may be stuck with just one championship for his career.

“We were so ready to put this man above all-time greats because of certain numbers he was putting up in the regular season. He has one NBA championship. Matter of fact, I don’t think Jokic is going to win another NBA championship. He got exposed,” Perkins added. “So when we talk about top-five this and top-five that. We need to sit back and keep cool.”

Denver heads into the offseason with a lot of question marks, including the future of their all-world center. But according to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Nuggets plan to secure a long-term contract extension for Jokic, who is eligible for a $290 million max deal.

“The expectation on both sides is Nikola Jokic will be signing that when he’s eligible in July, and they’re gonna move forward,” Charania said on “Inside the NBA.”

He added: “But beyond that, there’s going to be real roster changes coming to Denver to identify how they can surround Nikola Jokic with the right pieces to get this team over the top.”

Houston, we have a KD problem

A fluke knee injury kept Kevin Durant out of Game 1 against the Lakers. He reportedly bumped knees with one of the team’s two-way players in practice as they both went for a loose ball. Durant returned in Game 2 but suffered a sprained right ankle in the second half that ultimately forced him to miss the remainder of the series.

The Rockets’ implosion started back in February. The infamous “KD files” — Durant’s alleged social media burner account slamming Rockets teammates — created a major, unresolved distraction.

During a stretch in which the Rockets lost seven of nine games entering the All-Star break, allegations surfaced that Durant criticized teammates — including sharp jabs at Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. — while using a burner account on X.

Durant is one of the best to ever pick up a basketball. Once he’s done with his career, he’ll be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. But his off-the-court drama isn’t helping clean up his image.

Durant never discussed the matter in any detail publicly, calling it “Twitter nonsense.” But it’s hard to imagine his most recent social media tiff didn’t impact the Rockets. Houston appeared disjointed, and the team actually played better when KD was in street clothes sitting on the bench.

Since his split with the Golden State Warriors, Durant has had some conspicuous stops in Brooklyn and Phoenix. Houston gave up a ton of assets to bring him in, but now they may be regretting the move.

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

After shedding a few pounds, a leaner and meaner Luka Doncic shredded the competition at the FIBA European championships.

The Los Angeles Lakers should be excited for the 2025-26 NBA season following Doncic’s historic EuroBasket performance in which he led Slovenia to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Germany.

“Luka’s play in EuroBasket made it clear to the entire basketball world that he’s on that incredibly short list of ‘best player on the planet’ candidates, if not at the top,” said Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, who traveled to Poland to watch Doncic.

Luka described his offseason as a “great summer,” and he appears to be in the best shape of his basketball career. He gave a taste of what he’ll be serving in the upcoming NBA season with a spectacular performance during the European championships.

Doncic led EuroBasket with 34.7 points per game, becoming the third player to average over 30. His average ranks third in tournament history, trailing only Nikos Galis’ 37.0 in 1987 and 35.6 in 1989.

Doncic looks to be in prime shape and prime position to have an MVP-type season for the Lakers, and it’s up to head coach JJ Redick — who signed a two-year contract extension to be with the Lakers through the 2029-30 season — to make sure to put Doncic in the best possible position to succeed in Year 2 of their partnership.

“I expect the best version of Luka, and it’s my job to bring that out every day,” Redick said during a Lakers press conference.

Pelinka and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss traveled to Poland to watch Doncic play for Slovenia and came away impressed with Luka’s growth as a leader.

“He not only led by example, but he was very demonstrative in practice, in terms of his expectations of the team and how they play,” Pelinka said of Luka.

Doncic seems at peace over what transpired on Feb. 2, 2025, when he got traded from Dallas to L.A. But it doesn’t mean he has forgotten about the simple fact that the Mavericks — a team that drafted him and practically raised him — shipped him out of town.

The Luka Revenge Tour is coming to every NBA city, especially in Dallas, and the extra motivation could lead to an MVP season for Luka and a potential return to the NBA Finals for the Lakers.

OneManFastBreak projects the top eight teams in the Western Conference.

1-Oklahoma City Thunder — Fresh off winning an NBA title, the Thunder signed their top three players to significant contracts and brought back their major role players from their championship squad. However, repeating as NBA champions won’t be easy, as the West is stacked and there hasn’t been a repeat NBA champion since the 2018 Warriors.

2-Houston Rockets — The loss of veteran guard Fred VanVleet, who tore his ACL, hurts from a leadership standpoint. The absence of VanVleet puts added pressure on Alperen Sengun to be more of a playmaker. Sengun had a superb EuroBasket, and his blossoming game should make Ime Udoka and the Rockets coaching staff excited. The addition of Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith make Sengun even more dangerous as he’ll have more room to operate.

3-L.A. Lakers — Pressure is on head coach JJ Redick to navigate around LeBron James’ potential last season with the Lakers, which could become a distraction. LeBron is entering the final year of his Lakers contract, and the team has shown little interest in extending his deal. “We would love for LeBron’s story to retire as a Laker. That’d be a positive story,” Pelinka said about LeBron’s future with the team.

4-Denver Nuggets — The Nuggets are trying to maximize Nikola Jokic’s prime years. They traded Michael Porter Jr., one of the key pieces of their 2023 championship team, to the Brooklyn Nets for a draft pick and forward Cam Johnson. The team moved off Russell Westbrook and brought back Bruce Brown, and signed veteran Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas should lessen some of Jokic’s heavy workload at the center spot.

5-Minnesota Timberwolves — Anthony Edwards is rededicating himself to getting in better shape, and it starts on the defensive end. Ant-Man is entering his sixth NBA season. He has been to the conference twice. For the Timberwolves to advance to the NBA Finals, Ant-Man must be more detailed on both ends of the floor.

6-Golden State Warriors — When Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler are healthy and playing together, the Warriors put together a 23-8 record. The problem is that age and mileage might be catching up with Curry (36), Butler (35), and Green (34).

7-San Antonio Spurs — Victor Wembanyama certainly had an adventurous offseason. He trained with Shaolin monks in Zhengzhou, China. He trained with NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston. Wemby is entering his third season as well-prepared as any player. This could be the year the Spurs return to the postseason.

8-L.A. Clippers — Allegations of a no-show endorsement contract between Kawhi Leonard and a now-bankrupt green banking company hang over the Clippers like a dark cloud. It’ll be up to head coach Ty Lue to keep the team focused and navigate around the scandal.

Play-In teams: Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks

If the bar of success means winning 50 games, winning the division, and finishing as the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs, then JJ Redick had a successful rookie campaign as an NBA head coach.

But the bar is much higher when you’re the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. If the season doesn’t include championship confetti reigning down the arena and the Larry O’Brien trophy isn’t sitting in the locker room, the season is largely considered a failure.

“I know I can be better, and I know I will get better,” Redick said when asked to evaluate his first season as Lakers coach.

“I don’t necessarily take satisfaction from how the year went,” he continued. “That’s not to say I’m not proud of what the group was able to do; how we were able to figure things out on the fly and put ourselves in position to have homecourt [advantage] in the first round. But there’s always ways to get better and I can get a lot better.”

Redick made three big coaching mistakes in the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against Minnesota that contributed to the Timberwolves winning the series in five games and ending L.A.’s season.

The first mistake came in a 116-113 loss in Game 4 when Redick played his starting five 24 straight minutes in the second half, using timeouts as the only breaks. The huge gamble backfired as the weary lineup of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith struggled physically down the stretch and were outscored 19-9 in the final five minutes. Doncic and James missed point-blank layups that could have been attributed to fatigue. There were times when the Lakers looked like they were playing in mud. The ball was not moving and the bodies were stationary.

The second mistake came hours before Game 5 when Redick abruptly walked out of a pregame session with the media after becoming angry over a question about his decision not to sub out his main guys in the second half of Game 4. Redick’s emotions got the best of him and he took it as a jab about his inexperience as a head coach. As a coach or leader of a team, you cannot allow softball questions to bother you. JJ has to develop a thicker skin. Bolting out of a presser is a bad look, it shows immaturity and sets a bad tone leading up to an elimination game.

The third mistake Redick made was inexplicably inserting Maxi Kleber in Game 5. Kleber has been out for three months and barely had practice time with his new teammates. Redick not only played Kleber but he put him in the game during a crucial moment, with the team down six with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. The move was an act of a desperate coach who seemed to be wingin’ it instead of staying the course and trusting the guys who were there from the beginning. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, Redick’s former TV colleague, called the move an irrational decision.

Playing Kleber in Game 5 and burning out his starters in Game 4 were tied to the fact that the Lakers have a flawed roster. Redick felt Kleber was a much better option than Jaxson Hayes or Jarred Vanderbilt. The lack of a true center forced Redick to lean into his small-ball lineup, which could have worked if fatigue hadn’t sunk in. Redick overplayed his hand, and it ended up costing him his chips.
Outside of Hachimura, who fought through fatigue, the legs of the Lakers starters looked heavy, especially LeBron and Reaves.

LeBron, at age 40, played 46 minutes out of a possible 48 minutes in Game 4, and it hampered him in Game 5 as he shot just 9-for-21 from the field in 40 minutes and wasn’t as active defensively. Reaves was a shell of himself in Game 5, scoring just 12 points (eight below his average) and committing an uncharacteristically high six turnovers.

In team sports, especially in basketball, when the game is close the difference between winning and losing comes down to which player steps up in the clutch and which coach makes the right calls. Redick didn’t pass his first big test as Lakers coach.

During the Lakers end-of-season news conference, Redick reflected on his challenging season and the main lessons he learned.

“I look at everything as an opportunity for growth. I look at things more like a river. It’s all part of one long, winding journey. Along [the journey] you might run into a dam … You just never know what things will come along in that journey,” Redick said. “You have to be willing to embrace failure, you have to be willing to embrace success, but you have to be able to grow in both. Everything that’s happened this year with the players, the staff, the wins, the losses have been incredibly beneficial.”

Image caption: JJ Redick’s first season as Lakers coach ended in disappointment (Getty Images)

In order to achieve the ultimate prize of winning a championship, star players must go through some growing pains. Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards both starred in the 2024 playoffs, but both ultimately fell short of accomplishing the main objective of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ dynamic wing player, said last season that he wouldn’t view himself as a bonafide NBA superstar until he gets the job done in the playoffs. Edwards was 21 years old when he made those remarks. A year later, the 22-year-old Edwards is not only becoming a bonafide NBA star but he’s entering a realm occupied by legendary wing players like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

“Whenever you compare him [Edwards] to Jordan, you have to frame it with the age. Jordan didn’t win a playoff series until he was age 25,” ESPN insider Brian Windhorst said during an episode of “Get Up.”

“We’re not talking about 1991 Michael Jordan,” he continued. “Ant Edwards is like 1988 Michael Jordan, when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and the Pistons were still dominating the league. That’s why we’re excited about him. We’re not just excited about him now, we’re excited about where he can be in two or three years. He is on that process and on that timeline. And he’s doing it very quickly at age 22. It is all of those things.”

Edwards has a variation of Jordan’s powerful finishing skills at the rim with sprinkles of Kobe’s Mamba Mentality. Put them together and we may be watching the game’s next great two-way wing player.

“He’s the face of the league,” Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns said about his teammate Edwards, who was the No. overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. “He hates when I say it, but it’s true,” Towns continued. “Like I said, ‘Future so bright, got to put the sunglasses on.'”

Edwards led the third-seeded Timberwolves to a 4-0 sweep over Kevin Durant’s sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. It’s the first series win for the T-Wolves since the Kevin Garnett era. In the second round, the Timberwolves knocked out the defending champion Denver Nuggets in a grueling series, winning on the road in Game 7.

After his Suns were vanquished from the playoffs, Durant had nothing but praise for the young and hungry Wolves and their young leader.

“So impressed with Ant [Edwards]. My favorite player to watch,” Durant told reporters. “Just grown so much since he came into the league. His love for the game shines so bright. That’s one of the reasons I like him the most. He just loves basketball. He’s grateful to be in this position. He’s taken advantage of every opportunity that he’s gotten. Love everything about Ant … everything. I’ll be watching going forward. I was really impressed with him. It’s going to be somebody I’m following the rest of his career.”

The seven-game battle against the Nuggets took a heavy toll on the T-wolves as they’re struggling to summon the same energy against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the conference finals. After averaging close to 30 points per game in the first two rounds, Edwards’ scoring output dipped to 24.6 points per game in the conference finals. Edwards and the T-wolves ran out of gas against the Mavs, losing in convincing fashion as Dallas won the series 4-1.

The other young stud with a bright future in the NBA is Brunson.

When the New York Knicks signed the 27-year-old Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract in 2022, they probably had no idea they were bringing in the much-needed leader that franchise has been missing since Patrick Ewing left town.

Brunson has more than lived up to his free agent contract as he has comfortably filled in the starring role in the Big Apple. For the past two decades, fans packed Madison Square Garden to watch the opposing team’s headliners. Now, the Garden is Jalen’s house. Knicks fans are paying big-time money to watch him perform.

A host of Knicks fans are even willing to travel to a different state — like they did in the first round of the 2024 playoffs when they invaded Philadelphia’s home arena for Game 4. They were treated to a spectacular one-man Broadway show as he authored a 47-point performance, breaking the Knick single-game playoff scoring mark held by Bernard King.

Brunson’s spectacular playoff run came to a crashing halt in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He fractured his shooting hand in Game 7 and the Knicks, which suffered a multitude of injuries during the season, were blown out by the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden.

It was a disappointing finish on what looked like a promising postseason run for the Knicks. But Knick fans should feel good about the future because they now have a steady leader who is determined to get to the top of the mountain and capture the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1973.

“I think the most important thing that I need to do is to continue just to strive for perfection, strive for perfection,” Brunson told reporters. “And, knowing that I’m never going to get there, it’s just my mind says I just need to be better every single day. I don’t care what I’ve done as a player. It means nothing. I need to be better and I’m going to go into the summer training to be better and I’ll come back ready next year.”

Brunson and Edwards were teammates on the U.S. senior men’s national team that competed at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in the Philippines. “Big shout out to USA [Basketball]. They got me prepared for this season,” said Edwards, who was invited to play for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Brunson, however, was inexplicably left off the team.

Of the 12 players that USA Basketball director Grant Hill invited to play for Team USA in Paris, only Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Haliburton made it through the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. The other eight — LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, Kawhi Leonard — were eliminated in the first round.

The Paris Olympics will likely be the last time LeBron (39), Curry (36), and Durant (35) will wear the Team USA colors. They are on the last legs of their basketball journey and it’s time to pass the baton to the next generation of big-time hoopers.

Brunson and Edwards are more than ready to take the baton.

Oklahoma City All-Star guard Russell Westbrook may not be ready to go until December. (GETTY IMAGES)

Anyone who watches ESPN’s “First Take” knows Skip Bayless’ daily diatribe on Russell Westbrook. Bayless slams Westbrook every chance he gets, pointing out Westbrook’s shortcomings as a point guard and how he is curbing Kevin Durant’s greatness.

Bayless is right about one thing, and that is Westbrook is not a true point guard. What Bayless misses completely is the fact that Westbrook is a unique talent who can’t be boxed into a position. He is more of a hybrid, someone who can play point but not necessarily trapped into that role.

If Bayless was coaching Oklahoma City, he would have Westbrook bring up the ball, hand it to Durant, and get out of the way. This completely wastes Westbrook’s special talent. He’s at his best when he doesn’t have restrictions. Curtailing him would be like owning a Ferrari and letting it sit in the garage.

Westbrook plays with raw emotion and, even though his exuberance leads to mistakes, it is the very reason why he’s such a difficult cover.

Oklahoma City got a preview of what life would be like without Westbrook during the 2013 Western Conference playoffs. Westbrook tore the meniscus in his right knee in the first round against Houston and missed the second-round matchup against Memphis.

Without their All-Star guard, the Thunder were eliminated by the Grizzlies in five games despite Durant’s superhuman numbers in the series that saw him average 34 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

“Everybody thinks he should be a traditional point guard like a [John] Stockton or a Mo Cheeks (former Thunder assistant coach),” Durant said during the 2011 NBA Finals. “There’s a lot of people that cannot be like Russ, either. We need him to play the way he plays.”

Westbrook’s impact on the court can’t be measured by mere statistics. He is the emotional leader of the Thunder, and his absence definitely altered the entire playoff picture. With him in the lineup, OKC is a championship contender. Without him, the Thunder won’t make it past the second round.

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

1-OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Durant and the Thunder will have to wait until until December to have Westbrook back on the court after he suffered a setback in his rehabilitation process. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to alleviate swelling in his right knee. This means the spotlight shifts to third-year guard Reggie Jackson. He showed some flashes of brilliance in the Memphis series, and even if Westbrook returns Jackson could see increased playing time and be a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. This could be a make-or-break season for Serge Ibaka. The 6-10 forward must become more than just a defensive force and expand his game on offense. Last season Ibaka improved his scoring average by four points (13.2 points), but he did most of his damage from the outside. Ibaka must develop a back-to-the-basket attack and not settle for jumpers. So far during the preseason, Ibaka has shown an improved jump hook and has been more aggressive in the paint. If Ibaka can move up his scoring average around 17-18 points, the Thunder will be the best team in the West and a sure bet to reach the NBA Finals.

2-DENVER NUGGETS

To say that the Nuggets are undergoing a facelift would be a huge understatement. Head coach George Karl is gone. General manager Masai Ujiri is now in Toronto. And Andre Iguodala, the key piece in the Carmelo Anthony trade, left for Golden State. Tim Connelly, who worked in the front office in Washington and New Orleans, takes over for Ujiri and former Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw tries to fill in the big shoes left by Karl. Shaw has been passed over numerous times for other coaching jobs, so he’s out to prove to everyone in the league that he’s more than qualified to be the head man. Shaw will rely heavily on a few holders from the Karl regime: Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried, Danilo Gallinari, Andre Miller, and JaVale McGee. Gallinari was initially thought to be lost until February after ACL surgery, but now it’s possible he could return in December. Gallo’s comeback can’t come soon enough, especially with the loss of Iguodala. McGee is expected to be the starter at center, and if he ever stops contributing to Shaqtin’ A Fool segments he could actually be a top-10 center.

3-PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

If there’s a team in need of some good luck, it’s the Trail Blazers. The team is still reeling from the Greg Oden and Brandon Roy setbacks. Oden was supposed to be the face of the franchise for the next 10-15 years after he was chosen No. 1 overall in 2007. Roy was the Rookie of the Year in 2007 and well on his way to being a fixture at All-Star games until his knees fell apart. Last season, the Blazers hit the jackpot with Damian Lillard. The sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft exploded out of the gates and went on to win Rookie of the Year without much of a challenge. So far, Lillard is as healthy as he can be. That’s the good news. The bad news is the same can’t be said about 2013 draft pick C.J. McCollum. The highly regarded rookie broke a bone in his left foot in practice — a similar injury he suffered while at Lehigh — five days into training camp, and no timetable is set for his return. Sound familiar? The Blazers have been here before, sadly, and hopefully McCollum will be able to overcome this latest injury and not take a similar path taken by Oden and Roy. For three consecutive seasons, LaMarcus Aldridge has averaged 21 points and nine rebounds. Aldridge is so consistently he’s taken for granted and doesn’t get the recognition he richly deserves.

4-MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Flip Saunders knows how it feels to be in the playoffs as a member of the T-Wolves because he was there the last time it happened. Saunders was hired by team owner Glen Taylor to run the basketball operations, and he’ll be ready to don his coaching suit on the first sign of trouble. Saunders’ presence in the front office and his long history with Taylor can’t be good for Rick Adelman. All the pieces are in place for Minnesota to have a good season. All the pieces have to do is stay healthy. Kevin Love missed 64 games last season because of a broken right hand, and Minnesota fell apart when he went down. When healthy, Love is regarded as one of the best power forwards in the game. In the two seasons prior to his injury Love averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds. Those numbers earned him a four-year, $60-million contract extension. Ricky Rubio enters his third NBA season and appears to be fully recovered from an ACL injury he suffered in 2012. Rubio is arguably the best passer since Magic Johnson, and those who question that statement needs to watch more T-Wolves games. Rubio is an absolute wizard with a ball in his hands. He loves to set up his teammates, and his teammates love him for it. Rubio’s jump shot, on the other hand, is still a work in progress.

5-UTAH JAZZ

Tyrone Corbin graduated from the Jerry Sloan school of coaching, naturally he takes an old-school approach when it comes to his team. The Jazz may not have the most talented roster but they are disciplined and hard-nosed. Whether it’s Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap or Enes Kanter or Derrick Favors, the Jazz select players who fit their system. Jefferson (now with Charlotte) and Millsap (Atlanta) are no longer with the team, but their replacements are more than capable of filling their big shoes. Kanter may not be as good as Jefferson offensively, but he’s a better defender and equally good on the boards. Favors is a huge upgrade over Millsap. The fifth-year pro averaged 9.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 23 minutes. Given starter minutes, Favors should be a double-double machine. Gordon Hayward is the only returning player who averaged double digits in scoring last season. Hayward is a decent starting small forward in the NBA, but he’s not what you would consider a No. 1 scoring option. The Jazz were hoping first-round draft pick Trey Burke would be that top scoring option, but his season has been derailed by a broken right index finger that would keep him out 8-12 weeks.

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

Ray Allen didn’t appreciate J.J. Barea’s hard foul. (GETTY IMAGES)

Ray Allen is a mild-mannered guy so it takes a serious hit to get him riled up. But Allen was furious Monday night when J.J. Barea knocked him down to the floor, and the Miami Heat guard told NBA TV that he didn’t like the way Barea came at him.

“I thought it was a bush-league move by Barea,” said Allen, who immediately got up from the tackle to confront the Minnesota Timberwolves guard. “I don’t care who you are in the league you have to defend yourself. You play the game the right way, and that’s why I try to do throughout my career. He got ejected for due purpose.”

”It just came out of nowhere,” Allen said. ”I was dribbling down the floor, it was a play where he kind of chucked me a little bit and knocked the ball away. I got it back and drove and he just leveled me. I thought it was uncalled for. There’s no place for that in this game.”

Officials initially ruled it a Flagrant 1, but changed the call upon reviewing it, eliciting strong protests from Barea and Wolves coach Rick Adelman, who also picked up a technical foul. Adelman was furious after the game, alluding to an incident two weeks ago against Golden State in which Wolves center Greg Stiemsma was hit in the chest by a forearm shiver from Jarrett Jack, but was given a Flagrant-1 and allowed to keep playing.

”I just have one question I want to ask the league,” Adelman said. ”Why is that a Flagrant-2 foul tonight and the other night Jarrett Jack hit Stiemsma in the stomach with a forearm that that was a Flagrant 1? I would just like to know the difference. That changed the whole game.”

The Allen-Barea confrontation did change the momentum of the ballgame. Unfortunately for Minnesota, it was all Miami Heat after all the pushing and shoving.

Barea was jawing at Allen as he left the court and said he expected the league to change the call.

”I’ve been playing in the NBA for seven years,” Barea said. ”I get hit harder than that every night. I don’t get up crying and want to fight.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook may need to carry the load on offense with James Harden now in Houston. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off a shocking trade three days before the 2012-13 season opener. It was a blockbuster trade that will affect the Thunder adversely in the short term, but it was a great move long term. Also, the trade shouldn’t prevent Oklahoma City from winning the Northwest Division.

1-OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER — Kevin Martin isn’t the passer nor the defender Harden is, but he can score and score a lot – if healthy. However, he can’t create his own shot and that’s where a healthy Eric Maynor comes into play since Russell Westbrook is more of a scoring point guard. A healthy Maynor gives the Thunder a better backup point guard and more flexibility on offense, as head coach Scott Brooks can move Westbrook at shooting guard and Martin at small forward to give Kevin Durant some rest. Durant (28 points per game) and Westbrook (23.6 points and 5.5 assists) are still the big guns in OKC, and the season hinges on their success. The other big piece in the Harden trade is rookie Jeremy Lamb, who may be eased into the lineup. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Thunder fall in the second round of the playoffs because they will miss Harden. He was a great facilitator and a scorer when KD and RW weren’t on their A game.

2-DENVER NUGGETS — Signing Ty Lawson to a four-year extension is huge because Andre Miller can’t play 35 minutes per game anymore. This is a talented team that added Andre Iguodala, who should be a great improvement at shooting guard. His defense will help the Nuggets and their depth is pretty impressive when they can bring Wilson Chandler off the bench at small forward to replace Danilo Gallinari. This is a solid team that can go 10 deep. Having said that, this is a team that will probably be a sixth seed and a first-round exit in the postseason is a likely scenario.

3-UTAH JAZZ — This team will benefit from Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love starting the season on the bench with injuries. The Jazz didn’t exactly move the needle with their offseason moves. Marvin Williams and Mo Williams don’t really strike me as big improvements over Gordon Hayward and Devin Harris, especially Mo. He’s a combo guard who is probably best suited to being a sixth man on a good team. But, acquiring Williams makes them a little more athletic and a deeper with Hayward coming off the bench. I don’t see this team being better than a .500 team.

4-MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES — When Love and Rubio are healthy, this team will to be fighting for the eighth seed like they were last year before injuries hit them hard. This season, they will be without Love for about eight weeks and that hampers their chances to make the playoffs. Derrick Williams will be expected to start and contribute more than he has so far in his career. Brandon Roy was signed to provide some offense, but they may need him to do more than originally anticipated. Andrei Kirilenko should be a nice fit as the new small forward as a defender and passer. He will also be expected to pick up some of the scoring slack they lose with Love sidelined. J.J. Barea and Luke Ridnour should be fine in replacing Rubio until he returns. Nikola Pekovic is a nice young center who averaged 13 points and 7.4 rebounds last season. The Wolves may be looking at a 35-win season.

5-PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS — The Trail Blazers continue to be a jinxed franchise. And they are starting over again. LaMarcus Aldridge is their franchise player and he’s the player they are pinning their hopes on to carry the bulk of the scoring after his 2011 season in which he averaged 21.7 points. Damon Lilliard may be a good PG one day, but he is coming from Weber State where great basketball doesn’t come to mind. Wesley Matthews is a solid defender and 13-14-point scorer. Nicolas Batum is a solid role player at small forward, but he may be asked to score more, which isn’t his forte. J.J. Hickson will be playing as an undersized center, but he showed some potential to revive his career when he averaged 15 points (54% from the field) and eight rebounds in 19 games with Portland. The starting five isn’t bad, but the bench is probably going to be one of the weakest in the league with Jared Jeffries, Sasha Pavlovic, Ronnie Price, Nolan Smith, and Joel Freeland.

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

Dirk Nowitzki gets a little too excited after an alley-oop dunk by one of his teammates.

It appears that Dirk Nowitzki has not been able to shake off the hangover from the Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 championship party because the way he reacted after an alley-oop dunk by teammate Brandan Wright against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 25, Dirk sounded like a college student partying at Oktoberfest.

On a night when the Mavericks got their 2011 championship rings, Nowitzki was helping with TV commentary when Jason Terry picked up a loose ball and dished it off to Wright for a spectacular slam. That play not only got Dirk off his seat, but he started screaming “Shut it down! … Let’s go home!” His teammates were probably listening because the Mavericks did shut it down, and the Timberwolves went on to spoil the Dallas party with a 105-90 victory. Watch and listen:

Texas' Tristan Thompson (left) was selected by the Cavaliers, while Arizona's Derrick Williams went to the Timberwolves. (US PRESSWIRE)

The picks went fast and furious, but mostly without a hitch. At the end of the first round, NBA Commissioner David Stern was booed by the fans who attended Thursday’s draft in New Jersey but that was to be expected as basketball fans are worried about an impending lockout that may interrupt the 2011-12 season.

Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, not surprisingly, went No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Cavs thought they had Turkish center Enes Kanter at No. 4, but he was snagged by the Utah Jazz at No. 3, forcing the Cavs to scramble a little bit and made a panic pick with Texas’ Tristan Thompson. Jay Bilas described Thompson as someone “who needs to learn how to play and how to score.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

OneManFastBreak.net examines the five biggest losers and winners from the 2011 NBA draft.

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LOSERS: Cavaliers, Spurs, Raptors, Bobcats, Pistons

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— CAVALIERS – Before Cleveland fans can start coming out of their post-LeBron doldrums, remember these names: Bobby Hurley, Jeff Capel, William Avery, Jay Williams, Chris Duhon and Jon Scheyer. All were spectacular players at Duke, but none of them became stars in the NBA. Irving is a good point guard, but was he really the best player in the draft and deserves to be the No. 1 overall pick? That was the million-dollar question the Cavs faced weeks prior to the draft. He played in only 11 games in college because of a toe injury so that’s one red flag, and the other warning sign is he’s not super quick. In the Eastern Conference, you have dynamic and explosive point guards such as Derrick Rose, Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo. Irving will have to adjust to the speed of the game and must get stronger. The Cavs were hoping Kanter would fall to them at No. 4, but the Jazz ruined that master plan. Instead of taking the next best player available, the Cavs pulled off a head-scratcher with the selection of Texas forward Tristan Thompson, who is a decent player but is not worthy of a top-five pick. And where is Thompson going to play? Is he better than J.J. Hickson or Anderson Varejao? Probably not.

— SPURS – Heading into Thursday, the Spurs were reportedly shopping point guard Tony Parker for one of the top-eight picks. As it turned out, they were shopping Parker’s backup, George Hill. Now, this one is a bit puzzling. Hill is a terrific defender and can play either guard position, which makes him very valuable for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich given the history of injuries for Parker and Manu Ginobili. In a very un-Spurs-like move, Hill was traded to Indiana in exchange for the No. 15 pick, which turned out to be San Diego State’s Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is a good athlete who can defend and rebound, but he shot just 29% from the college 3-point line and it’s not going to get easier since the NBA line is 3 feet farther. Normally, Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford excel on draft day but shipping Hill out of San Antonio is a little questionable.

— RAPTORS – First of all, the Raptors hired Dwane Casey as their head coach. Casey has a career coaching record of 43-59. No matter how you spin it, Casey is not a good NBA coach. That’s not a good way to retool your franchise. As if that wasn’t enough of a flub, the Raptors drafted 6-10 Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas, who is a terrific prospect but may not be able to get out of his Euroleague contract until 2014. There is no doubt about Valanciunas’ talent. But why would the Raptors gamble on a guy who can’t help them right away? Puzzling. Better hope Valanciunas is worth the wait.

— BOBCATS – So far, Michael Jordan has shown very little skills as the head of basketball operations in Charlotte. Should we be surprised about that since Jordan was the mastermind in ruining the Wizards almost 10 years ago? Jordan’s latest move was trading his best player, Stephen Jackson, to Milwaukee for Corey Maggette. What saves Jordan from having a complete disaster on draft night were his picks: center Bismack Biyombo (Congo) and guard Kemba Walker (Connecticut). Both should be decent contributors for the Bobcats, but can they change the fortunes of the franchise? Not with Michael calling the shots.

— PISTONS – The Pistons’ offseason started with the firing of head coach John Kuester. Not a good way to being your offseason. Then, general manager Joe Dumars, who has had a run of bad picks lately, chose Kentucky guard Brandon Knight with the eighth overall pick. Knight didn’t look pleased at all when he step up to the stage and shook hands with the commissioner. He’s probably thinking, “Why did a guard-heavy team that already has Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, Will Bynum, Richard Hamilton and Tracy McGrady would ever need me?” If that’s what Knight was thinking, he certainly has a point.

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WINNERS: Timberwolves, Jazz, Kings, Wizards, Nuggets

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— TIMBERWOLVES – The night started great for general manager David Kahn with the selection of Arizona forward Derrick Williams with the No. 2 overall. Williams is the most NBA-ready player out of all the prospects, and that includes Irving, and he’ll pair up well with fellow Pac-10 stud Kevin Love. Then, the night got even better when Kahn was able to dump disappointing point guard Jonny Flynn to Houston, opening up the point position for Spanish star Ricky Rubio. The Wolves also picked up center Brad Miller via a trade, and Florida forward Chandler Parsons is not a bad second-round selection.

— JAZZ – The Jazz put a wrench into the Cavaliers master plan with they picked Kanter at No. 3. ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla rated Kanter as the best international player in the draft and he could turn out to be the best player, along with Williams, from this class. Kanter is a physical big man who can face up and hit a mid-range jumper. He describes himself as a Pau Gasol low-post player with a Dirk Nowitzki-type of perimeter game. Big talk from a very confident player. He should pair up well with Jazz forward Al Jefferson. The Jazz also added Colorado shooting guard Alec Burks in the first round to round out their excellent draft day.

— KINGS – Year after year, the Kings have done a great job in picking players in the draft and this year was no exception. BYU star Jimmer Fredette is headed for Sacramento to play with Tyreke Evans (class of 2009) and DeMarcus Cousins (class of 2010). Fredette should well in Sacramento because he’s a spot up shooter who has unlimited range, which is good news for Evans because this allows him to play more point guard. The Kings were so high on Fredette that they shipped last year’s starting point guard Beno Udrih to Milwaukee.

— WIZARDS – In less than two years, general manager Ernie Grunfeld has managed to change the culture in Washington. Point guard John Wall is now the face of the franchise and center JaVale McGee is one of the best young big men in the league. OnThursday night, the Wizards added more young pieces to their roster in forwards Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton and guard Shelvin Mack. Vesely, from the Czech Republic, brings a lot of energy and athleticism to a Wizards squad that should be running more often next season. We’ve seen Vesely finish plays above the rim and has shown a non-stop motor. What we didn’t know about him is he likes public displays of affection. Check out the video:

Singleton is a rock-solid defender who brings a lot of toughness, and Mack was the catalyst of the Butler squad that made it to the NCAA Tournament final in back-to-back years.

— NUGGETS – If Raymond Felton is a better fit in Portland then Andre Miller is a much better fit in Denver. The Nuggets, at times, plays too fast and having the heady, crafty Miller running point should help maximize their offensive possessions. The trade also allows coach George Karl to play Ty Lawson and Miller together, with Miller defending the 2 guard spot. Denver landed a diamond in the rough with the 22nd pick in Morehead State forward Kenneth Faried. The 6-7 Faried is a high-energy player who defends and rebounds. Think Paul Millsap and Udonis Haslem. Faried doesn’t need any set plays to be effective, which is perfect in Denver because Karl has enough scorers on the team and Faried’s effort and hustle will be a tremendous addition.

Chris Bosh did a similar promo when he was campaigning for a spot a few years back when he was still sporting the dreadlocks and playing for the Toronto Raptors. Love went a step further with his well-manicured but very MTV-ish ad. He looks like an XL version of Mike Posner with a touch of Timberlake. OK, maybe the Timberlake reference is a bit much, but you to admit the concept is genius. Love is no stranger to the Hollywood scene, having played at UCLA and made a cameo appearance on HBO’s “Entourage.”

Love deserves to be in this year’s All-Star Game, no doubt. He has the numbers to prove it: 21 points and 15 rebounds per game, and is among the league leaders in double-double. His 31-point, 31-rebound effort against the New York Knicks is one of signature moments of the 2010-11 NBA season. Not since Moses Malone has anyone posted those kind of numbers. (See a pattern here).

When Love was asked if we wears the cologne at all, he said: “I have to . . . that’s how I get all my numbers.” Spoken like a great pitchman. Watch the Kevin Love commercial in its entirety.