Tag: Oklahoma City Thunder

Why Tatum’s return is only part of a story still being written

With Boston’s star completing his rehab, an unlikely scenario becomes possible in no time

When Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, it was a devastating blow, not only to the Celtics and their fans, but to the NBA world as a whole. From a human being standpoint (which is the most important aspect), hearts and prayers go out to Tatum, because an injury that could potentially shorten a career was suffered. For Boston, a bright future surrounding the duo of Tatum and Jaylen Brown suddenly looked bleak, and 2025-26 (combined with the team trading away players like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis) had the makings of a throw-away season. Instead, Tatum returned to action March 6, and the Celtics find themselves as the second seed in the Eastern Conference as the NBA Playoffs arrived. Suddenly, a lost campaign can realistically end with Boston winning their second title in three seasons, but how everything came together is the story that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Of course, there are many parts to a story, and this one with Tatum and the Celtics is no different. Before getting into the team and league perspective, let’s start with the human being. Anyone who was watching Boston battle the Knicks in that playoff game May 12 remembers how deflated they felt, especially considering Tatum was having a performance worthy of one of the league’s top players. He scored 42 points, hitting on 16 of 28 shots, before getting injured. The road to recovery would be a long one, to the point where most thought he wouldn’t return until the 2026-27 season. Apparently, nobody told Tatum that would be the timetable, and he attacked rehab with the same intensity you would think an athlete would prepare for any contest. When it was reported he was back on the court participating in drills, the overwhelming response was shock. Fast forward to March, and Tatum is back in competitive action, ahead of even the 10-month timeline given after surgery was completed. It speaks to how much the human wanted to get back to playing a game he grew up with, looking at a catastrophic injury as an opportunity to grow in every way possible.

While there’s a lot to be said about an individual’s will and mental toughness, there’s always a good support system not far behind. This system could include anything from family and friends, to mental professionals keeping the individual in a nice place emotionally. In this particular example, the Celtics (obviously) provided what was needed to help Tatum pull this recovery off ahead of schedule. It would have been easy for Boston to take the route that said the future is more important. Therefore, Tatum could have been told to take his time with the rehab, and come back in October of ’26, basically protecting the long-term investment the club made. In fact, there are a couple of examples detailing that very thing. The Indiana Pacers saw point guard Tyrese Haliburton go down with the same injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers wasted no time in saying Haliburton would sit out this season. When guard Damian Lillard tore that same ligament in his left leg while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks (Lillard is now back with the Portland Trail Blazers) in April 2025, this season was out of the equation almost immediately. It’s understood there are other factors involved with those decisions, such as timing and age of the player, but there’s a lot to be said about teams that support the player in their vision. Tatum had a goal to return at some point this year, and the Celtics gave him all the tools to make it happen. The impact that has on a player’s journey to return from injury could be immeasurable.

Finally, there’s no reason not to be honest with ourselves about the situation. Yes, Tatum had the determination to work his way back, and Boston offered the support and tools to assist. Having said all of that, the results on the court is probably the biggest factor deciding when the 28-year-old returned. Even the diehard fans of the Celtics probably didn’t expect much from their team, and most calculations had this year being one of those developmental times to see what they have on the roster. What actually transpired is Brown leading Boston to a customary place in recent seasons (playing at an MVP level), amongst the best in the East. When Tatum was ready to come back, it pretty much acted as an addition better than almost any trade could have offered, and he could get used to playing competitive basketball before gearing up for a potential championship run. What’s frightening for the rest of the NBA is Tatum looks like he hasn’t missed too much of a beat. Now, the Celtics have their dynamic duo back together, with a great coach (Joe Mazzulla) and a deep bench. They say winning can cure a lot of things in sports. In this case, it most likely gave Boston a huge reason to bring Tatum back this season, because they’re championship-good with him. Apparently, the people inside the walls of Celtics headquarters knew they would be at this exact spot.

As expected, Tatum’s return was, and still is, a topic that has been discussed (and debated) endlessly. Some people say he should have waited a little longer to return, but those views would surely change if a championship is Boston’s to claim. The great thing is this story is still in the process of being sorted out. For now, let’s enjoy watching Tatum in action, because most of us didn’t think it would be a possibility, let alone a certainty. From a team standpoint, the Celtics look primed for a deep run, and if their 123-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers to start their quest is any indication, they’ll be a tough out. Time will tell if the story finishes on a high note, but Tatum did make sure his recovery from his injury was one of the shorter chapters in his book.

Three ways Edwards can go from very good to elite

Calling the Timberwolves star the “Face of the NBA” is exaggerated, but it doesn’t mean he can’t get there

In today’s world of sports, there aren’t too many leagues that market their stars like the NBA does. For so long, the league has had LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant (among others) being the marquee players to lean on, with James having the “Face of the NBA” title for the majority of the time he’s played. As those players enter the twilight of their careers, the media and fans are longing for a fresh face, with Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Anthony Edwards getting a big push for the crown. As much as people want to give Edwards this title, it has to be earned, not given, and judging off of how things have ended for Minnesota the last two seasons (getting sacked in the Western Conference finals in five games), details show there’s a long way to go before he can be recognized as someone the rest of the league can follow. Having said that, the assumption is there’s plenty of time to grow, as Edwards is only 23-years-old. Even with that in his favor, it’s hard to see much improvement if he can’t make a few aspects a bigger part of his game. With the depth of the conference, there’s no guarantee of team success, but improving on these things should give Edwards and the Timberwolves a better chance.

More Consistency On Defense

With the raw athletic talent Edwards is blessed with, he has the ability to be one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA, and glimpses of that potential has shown on the court. An example of this was seen in Game 3 of the conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Minnesota down 2-0 in the series, they needed a spark from their star player, and Edwards accomplished that by putting pressure on the Thunder ball handlers, which led to creating turnovers and fast break buckets. The issue is it’s not consistent, and like many of the ball-dominant players in basketball, Edwards is guarding someone who isn’t the other team’s best offensive player, in an attempt to rest on the defensive end. While defense is more of an afterthought these days, the fact still remains this is the part of the game that should never slack. If Edwards is the leader and franchise player, he’ll have to understand everyone else on the team follows his lead. If he’s not bringing energy, that can (and probably will) rub off on his teammates. Setting the tone on defense brings positive energy, and that must become closer to the norm if the best version of Edwards is going to show.

Mid-Range, Mid-Range, Mid-Range

It’s understood analytics says the three-pointer and layup are the best ways to score, but the proven product, no matter what statistics say or the era basketball is played in, is the mid-range game. So much of the offense can open up with an efficient, 15 to 17-foot jumper. Edwards hasn’t really shown the ability to operate from the mid-range, and because of that, his game becomes boom or bust. Sure, Edwards led the NBA in three-pointers made this season (320), and have games where he hit seven or eight of them, but there are also contests where he goes 1-9 from deep (Game 2 of the WCF). If Edwards is looking for someone he can look at as an example of what a mid-range game can open up, the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is available. All Gilgeous-Alexander did is win the league-MVP this year, and everything he does originates from the mid-range. Simply put, players can be successful without listening to what analytics say, and there hasn’t been many players who went wrong with having a consistent arsenal from in-between the three-point stripe and the basket.

Move Without The Ball

So many of the players in today’s game are ball-dominant, meaning the ball has to be in their hands if they’re going to have the most impact on the game. What makes Curry unique (and lethal at the same time) is he’s just as dangerous moving without the ball as he is with the ball in his possession. Most of these ball-dominant players will pass the ball, only to stand at the same spot he just gave the ball up from, expecting to get it right back. Edwards isn’t quite that bad, but this is an area that can use improvement. The Timberwolves do have other players who can operate the offense and handle the ball. While this could look good schematically, Edwards would have to turn that responsibility over and trust the adjustment. While he is dynamic in getting to his spots, the teams Minnesota plays against know that also, and they’re going to have defenses designed to get the ball out of Edwards’ hands. So often, it comes down to who can stay a step ahead of their opponent, and creating opportunities for others with movement would be a great counter.

Bonus: Stop Complaining!

Breaking news: Society loves to complain about damn near everything, and the NBA is no different in that regard. For Edwards, this is true on two fronts. The first involves him voicing his displeasure about seeing double-teams. He’ll have to realize he’s not even close to the first player to see multiple defenders, and he won’t be the last. The great players were able to deal with those coverages and figure it out. Edwards, if he wants to reach the elite level, will have to do the same. The second front is, well, what everyone complains about, officiating. For anyone who has watched Timberwolves games lately, there aren’t a lot of minutes that go by without hearing Edwards complain about a “missed” call, or one that went against him. As hard as this is to do for most people altogether, he has to find away to get the officiating out of his focus, and concentrate on the things that are in his control. Getting tied up with the refs doesn’t benefit anyone involved, and the constant complaining won’t change anything. Just play ball, and the rest will take care of itself.

These four steps could help Edwards get to a place where he’s the next face of the league, but all of them are on the court, during games. The most important step is what happens off the court, which is a change in his mindset. He’ll have to learn being athletic and working on just offense isn’t enough. What separates the good from the elite is the mental part, and the ability to play chess, when others are playing checkers. Again, all of this is being said with the understanding Edwards is only 23. So there is time, and he is already pretty good as it is. Now, it’s time to take the next steps, those that are critical for Minnesota’s and his success going forward. Then, and only then, would conversations of Edwards being the new face have substance.

Egos in the way of perceived great players

When a player is going through his or her career, one of the toughest things for them to deal with is the realization they can’t quite do the stuff they could in their younger days. Knowing Father Time is undefeated, a tough decision has to be made. Either said player is going to evolve and make adjustments to prolong their journey, or the ego will stay in the way, leading to a sharp decline in ability and status. The three players discussed in the coming paragraphs are among the best offensive players in recent memory (notice I didn’t say overall, because they’re terrible defensively), but for one reason or another, the impact they once had on the court is becoming more minimal almost by the day. Therefore, it’s probably safe to say a crossroads has been reached, and what happens after this point depends on whether or not growth occurs.

Let’s start with Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving. One thing Irving can say is he has a championship on his resume, and by hitting one of the biggest shots in NBA history in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, he is forever written in Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA history. Outside of that, Irving is known for having special offensive skills, but also for being a player who is not dependable and rots team chemistry. He forced a trade from the Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics, and after two seasons, the Celtics couldn’t wait to get him out the door. The Nets were waiting to take Irving in, but the three seasons that have followed have been uneven at best. The 30-year-old has constantly alienated teammates, and between injuries, going on mysterious vacations during the season and his unwillingness to get the COVID vaccine, nobody can say he’s been the most available player. What’s common with Irving’s behavior is let him tell the story, it’s never his fault, and he always the smartest person in the room. Point blank, all of the drama that comes with Irving off the court is starting to overcome the dazzle his offensive talent provides on it, and if his ego continues to inflate, it would not be a surprise to hear about an early retirement sooner than later.

Next, let’s dive into the story of Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden. The 32-year-old was once mentioned as one of the greatest offensive players in league history during his time with the Houston Rockets, and he even has a regular season MVP under his belt from the 2017-’18 campaign. Now, accumulating with a no-show performance in an elimination game Thursday night against the Miami Heat, Harden has developed a reputation to disappear when his team he’s on needs him the most (playoff time). Another cloud that hangs over his head is the tendency to want to run away from adverse times. When things went south in Houston, Harden threw teammates under the bus, showed up to training camp horribly out of shape, and whined his way to the aforementioned Nets via a trade involving four teams. Stuff went haywire in Brooklyn, and once again, Harden forced a trade, this time to the 76ers. One can only run away from problems for so long, before the problem is staring right back at them through a mirror. This is the reality Harden faces, and that, combined with declining abilities, is all catching up. It’s already proven a team wasn’t going to win a title with a player who has been on three teams in two years being their best, but maybe it can happen with him being a complimentary piece. Can Harden make that adjustment? Anything is possible, but if teams continue to pay him like a max player, there’s no reason to believe that change would happen.

Finally, the story of Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook is on the menu. Like Harden, Westbrook has won an MVP (2016-’17), and he averaged a triple-double in three straight seasons (four total). When the triple-double record was reached in Westbrook’s award-winning journey as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, that marked the first time a player accomplished the feat since Oscar Robertson did it in 1961-’62. The 33-year-old has been widely praised for his ungodly athletic feats, but a game that’s heavily reliant on athleticism never ages well, especially if that player has little to fall back on. Westbrook has never been a good outside shooter, and even with the flashy triple-double numbers, he’s still a turnover machine after all of these years in the NBA. The athleticism goes away with age, and those explosive dunks are now missed layups. All of this equals being on four teams (Thunder, Rockets, Washington Wizards and Lakers) in the same amount of seasons. It’s no secret the Lakers had a disappointing, disastrous season with no games in the playoffs, but there might have been a slight chance if Westbrook put his ego to the side and came off the bench. With a team that has LeBron James on it, the opportunities to handle the ball go down significantly. Anyone who follows basketball knows that, but apparently, Westbrook didn’t get the memo.

To sum everything up, these three players have serious choices to make if they’re going to be the best version of themselves. In saying that, understand it’s not as much about the numbers as it is about the mindset coming onto the court. When a person thinks about Irving, Harden and Westbrook, leadership and unselfishness isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. This could have been the case all along, but it’s to the point the elite offensive glamour can no longer cover the messy truth. Now, the thirty somethings have to reinvent their way of thinking, or those inflated egos might find themselves in the midst of a huge freefall from grace.

Cutting through the created clutter of the NBA’s MVP discussion

In the wide world of sports, there hasn’t been too many topics generating more buzz than who this season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the NBA should be. The discussion is everywhere, and it’s the type of conversation all of the fake-debate shows dream about. As usual, there is a lot of disagreement in terms of who should win the award, but there is agreement on the three contenders, who are all bigs. The three players (in no particular order) are Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid and Milwaukee Bucks swingman Giannis Antetokounmpo. On the surface, deciding a winner should seem more cut-and-dry, but it never is, and it’s because the voters make up their own criteria in picking first place. Opinions are what make us unique, but they can also create unnecessary complications, which leads me to this conclusion. No one (including myself) knows what the MVP, in any sport, represents, but I believe I can tell you what the award isn’t.

It’s not a lifetime-achievement award. From reading articles and hearing viewpoints on television and radio shows, it appears some of the voters want to give the award to the best player in the league. That sounds good, but what if said best player is on a team that struggled to make the playoffs? There’s no denying what a person has done in his or her career, but that shouldn’t have any bearing on what happened for a particular year. If lifetime accomplishments is what the MVP is measured on, then there wouldn’t be a need to have this award given annually. For an example, let’s look at the 2017 season. At that time, most people would have said LeBron James, then a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was the best player in the world, but Russell Westbrook, who was with the Oklahoma City Thunder, won the MVP. There aren’t many who think Westbrook is a better player than James overall, but that didn’t stop voters from giving the award to him (it’s funny these two are teammates on a dysfunctional Los Angeles Lakers squad that’s at home with us). In other words, best player is different from most valuable.

The MVP is also not a who has the best stats award. Since the glamour stat is scoring in the eyes of many, that would mean Embiid is the winner, since he won that title during the regular season. Even with that feather in the cap, the 76ers finished fourth in a rugged Eastern Conference, which is a spot behind Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the standings. It’s one thing to see stats, and it’s another to see how it happened in game action. This is important because Jokic and the Nuggets, a team that plays in the Western Conference (and finished sixth and those standings), might not get as many eyes on him simply because of where he resides. There are a lot of players who put up empty stats that don’t lead to team success. I’m not trying to call the stats these three great players empty at all. I’m just saying while numbers never lie, they don’t always tell the whole truth.

Finally, the MVP is not a playoff-projection award. Ideally, it would be better if the postseason was included in the voting, but with the system we currently have, the playoffs have nothing to do with anything. Therefore, how people and voters think a player’s team is going to do during money time is completely irrelevant. With Denver facing the Golden State Warriors in the first round, not too many people like the Nuggets’ chances of advancing. Philly has a scrappy Toronto Raptors squad to deal with, and while Milwaukee should be able to get by the Chicago Bulls, nothing is a guarantee. The overall point is there’s a possibility the Nuggets, 76ers and Bucks can go home early. Are we going to say Jokic, Embiid or Antetokounmpo are all of the sudden not worthy of MVP consideration if their respective teams fall short of supposed expectations? Of course, there are some voters who will say that, and ultimately regret choosing the way they did. If and when they have this viewpoint, one can wonder where the meter of understanding lies with these individuals.

Ultimately, the MVP is a regular season award. What standards are used to choose the winner is up to the person with a vote, but there’s no denying that fact. Nothing else matters, and if people want to include the playoffs in the voting, then change the rule, so voting doesn’t start until the NBA Finals conclude. Until that happens, all of the clutter created by voters, and the stats, should cease. Pick the winner for this particular season (not an accumulation of seasons), the person who is most valuable to their team winning games, given the situations they’re in. This includes availability for the team, and the potential lack of availability with other key players on their squads. The three players on the ballot are all deserving, considering this is (again) a regular season award. Let’s keep it there, and I’m confident most of the complications will go away.

Props to these teams for not tanking and being who they are

It’s no secret a lot has changed as time moves on, and the world of sports isn’t any different. Gone are the days where players and teams competed every single night, regardless of the chances they had of winning, and here are the days where we wanted to reward people for giving up. It’s to the point where you see full articles describing tanking (a word used to describe being the best at being garbage) as an art. To be honest, it’s downright sad how we can even entertain such a thing, but there are examples of teams who still put competing over throwing a season (or three) away for draft picks who aren’t guaranteed to turn fortunes around anyway. These teams, two from the NFL and one from the NBA, get a standing ovation for coming out and being who they are, professionals who get paid a good amount of money to play sports.

The first team I want to applaud is the Miami Dolphins. It’s definitely understood the Dolphins finished the year at 5-11, but when we consider how they started the year, that record should be looked as wildly successful. Miami began the year losing games by scores of 59-10, 43-0 and 31-6. Combine the awful beginning with the fact the Dolphins were stockpiling draft picks, and there was talk about this team being the worst in league history. Somewhere along the line, professional pride kicked in, and having Miami on the schedule wasn’t looked at as an easy win like it was a few months ago. To top off the season, the Dolphins went on the road and defeated the defending (now former) champion New England Patriots. Much credit goes to head coach Brian Flores and his staff for having the team ready to play, where it would have been easy to do what everyone else says they should do, which is tank. All of a sudden, a bleak future suddenly looks bright in south Florida.

This may sound a little crazy considering how I have crushed this team time and time again, but I have to give some credit to the New York Jets. While I still believe the Jets get way too much airtime to be an overall trash product, they actually rebounded from a slow start to win three of their final four games and finish with a 7-9 record. I guess we would have to see if momentum carries on into next season, but maybe (just maybe) head coach Adam Gase might have a clue after all. Quarterback Sam Darnold had an okay year if you take away having mononucleosis and seeing ghosts on the field, and one would think he’ll continue to improve with more time. I don’t give the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets props often, so maybe this could be considered a weak moment from me. I’m here to say it’s not, and New York could be tough to deal with next season if everything comes together.

For the final team that gets credit for competing, I’m going to the NBA and saluting the Oklahoma City Thunder. Going into this past summer, the Thunder had the vision of building a team around their dynamic duo of guard Russell Westbrook and forward Paul George. When the free agency period began, George demanded a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers to join forces with reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, and was dealt soon after. Westbrook was then traded to the Houston Rockets, and the rebuilding project was suddenly staring OKC’s front office in the face. Quietly, the Thunder have developed a nice mix of youth and experience who give hell to the league’s elite, and they are at the seventh spot in the Western Conference. As a fan of OKC, I definitely didn’t see this coming, and maybe they don’t make the playoffs at season’s end, but the fact they’re playing this well after such a shift in direction says a lot head coach Billy Donovan and about the organization.

It’s good to see these three teams compete at a high level, but I admit writing this story is a sad case. One would think the least these athletes can do is go out and compete, but it’s not the case these days. We live in an era where throwing away seasons to get high draft picks is encouraged and participation trophies are given out as charity. For these teams to ignore all of that noise should be commended because it sends a positive message. None of these moments are promised, and we don’t know what tomorrow is bringing us. This is why we have to make the most of what we have today, and Dolphins, Jets and Thunder are examples of that characteristic.