Trinity Rodman said “I’m done” in a message responding to her father Dennis Rodman’s apology he sent her after she discussed their strained relationship on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast on Wednesday.
“Nice repost,” Trinity, 22, wrote, including Rodman’s message. “A joke. The response alone. And the attention. Wiping my hands with it. I’m done. Thank you.”
Rodman sent Trinity, 22, a public apology in a post on Instagram after she was a guest on the latest installment of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast — entitled, “The Truth About My Family” — and discussed her difficult upbringing with Rodman, who she said was in and out of her life.
Trinity labelled Dennis’ apology a ‘joke’Source: SuppliedDennis and Trinity following a game in 2021. Picture: InstagramSource: Instagram
At one point, she recalled living in her family’s Ford Expedition because Rodman’s partying lifestyle with “random b***hes” wasn’t a suitable environment for her and her brother, Dennis Rodman Jr. to live in.
Trinity called Rodman “an alcoholic” and said she lost hope for a reconciliation after she didn’t hear from him following his surprise appearance at a Spirit victory during an NWSL playoff game in November 2021.
“I lost hope in ever getting him back, I answer the phone now for my conscience to be like, ‘He needed to hear my voice’ before anything happens,” Trinity told host Alex Cooper. “That’s why I answer the phone, not for me. He’s not a dad maybe by blood but nothing else.”
Taking to his Instagram on Thursday, Rodman explained that he’s been stopped from trying to see Trinity and he won’t stop trying to connect with her.
“Sorry I wasn’t the Dad you wanted me to be but either way I still tried and I still Try and Never will Stop,” Rodman wrote, including a video that showed photos of them through the years.
“I will keep Trying even when you’re being told as an adult not to respond to my phone calls. I will try even when it’s difficult and if it takes a long time. I’m always here And tell you all the time rather it’s your voice or voicemail how proud I am. I always had one wish and it was I wish my kids would call me and come see me. Hopefully one day I can get that. I’m here and I’m still trying pick up the phone you have my number, You see me calling, I’m still here Dennis RODMAN- Dad.”
Rodman went on to say that he was previously stopped from seeing Trinity.
Trinity opened up on the Call Her Daddy podcast.Source: SuppliedDennis said he has been stopped from seeing his daughter.Source: AP
“FYI: I watch you play All the time (actually flew in to watch you play and was told not to show up bc who I was with instead and me just wanting to support you So I watched you from my hotel balcony just to make everybody happy. I love All My Kids,” Rodman concluded, adding the hashtags, “untold’ and “(stories).”
Rodman is father to Trinity and her brother Dennis Rodman Jr., 23, from his marriage with Michelle Moyer.
He has a daughter, Alexis, 36, from his first marriage with Annie Bakes.
This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.
One of the most tense rivalries in sports has another chapter.
With shortly under three minutes remaining in the third quarter of Sunday’s Fever-Sky game, Caitlin Clark drove to the basket and got whacked in the head by Angel Reese.
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Officials reviewed the play and assessed Reese with a Flagrant One.
After the Fever closed out a 91-83 victory, in which Clark scored 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting along with eight rebounds and nine assists, she was asked what was going through her mind when Reese was called for a flagrant foul.
“What’s going through my mind? I need to make these two free throws. That’s all I’m thinking about. It’s just part of basketball. It is what it is,” Clark said.
“She’s trying to make a play on the ball, and get the block. It happens.”
Reese — who recorded her sixth straight double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds while adding five assists — did not think she did anything wrong.
“It’s a basketball play. I can’t control the refs. They affected the game obviously a lot tonight,” Reese said.
“I’m always going for the ball. Y’all are going to play that clip, what, 20 times before Monday?”
Reese and Clark have been intertwined since last year’s women’s college basketball season, when Reese taunted Clark at the end of the national championship game when LSU beat Iowa.
Clark and Iowa got their revenge this past April, knocking LSU out of March Madness in Albany to reach the Final Four.
Earlier this month, Reese notably leapt up and cheered when her Sky teammate Chennedy Carter hip-checked Clark in a blatant non-basketball play that was eventually upgraded to a flagrant foul by the WNBA league office.
In part due to the rivalry between Clark and Reese, Sunday’s game at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse has had the energy of a playoff game despite the Sky entering the game with a 4-8 record while the Fever were 4-10.
This story originally appeared on the New York Post and has been reposted with permission
A Luka Doncic game-winning three-pointer has lifted the Dallas Mavericks past the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-108 in epic scenes to see the Mavericks improve to 2-0 as they return to home court.
With Rudy Gobert guarding him and Dallas trailing 106-108, Doncic nailed the massive step back triple to give Dallas the lead with three seconds left before cursing at the French big man, leaving the Minnesota crowd stunned.
The Wolves had one last chance to win it, with Anthony Edwards dishing to an open Naz Reid, whose shot just rimmed out to seal a big Mavericks win.
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It capped off a wild seesawing affair including 11 lead changes in the fourth quarter, with Dallas now in control of the Western Conference finals series.
“We wanted that (matchup),’ Doncic, who finished with 32 points 10 rebounds and 13 assists, told TNT of the last possession.
He later added: “I can’t move fast, but I can move faster than him,‘ Doncic added later, poking fun at Gobert.
The series now moves to Dallas for Game 3 on Monday (all times AEDT).
Southampton will face Leeds for a place in the Premier League after reaching the Championship playoff final with a 3-1 win against West Bromwich Albion on Friday.
Russell Martin’s side moved a step closer to promotion thanks to Will Smallbone’s second half opener and two late goals from Adam Armstrong in the semi-final second leg at raucous St Mary’s.
Cedric Kipre’s header in the final seconds was no consolation for outclassed Albion.
Bidding to end their one-year exile from the Premier League after last season’s relegation, Southampton will head to Wembley on May 26 for what is regarded as world football’s richest game, given the wealth on offer in the top tier.
After a goalless first leg at the Hawthorns on Sunday, Southampton were deserved winners, with their confident performance showing why they finished fourth in the table, 12 points clear of fifth-placed Albion.
British prime minister Rishi Sunak, a noted Southampton fan, cheered from the stands as Martin’s men responded to their manager’s pre-match plea to “attack the game until you can’t run any more”.
The only blemish for Southampton was a post-match pitch invasion that turned ugly when Saints fans confronted their Albion rivals, with punches briefly traded before police restored order.
“In the first half, we were good but a little bit tense. In the second half, I thought we were incredible. I feel we got what we deserved,” Martin said.
“We had a brilliant night but it’s all leading to the big one. If we can play with the same courage and intensity as we did tonight, we can give ourselves a chance.”
Southampton celebrate making it into the playoffs final where they will face Leeds. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
West Brom boss Carlos Corberan added: “We didn’t show our best level. I had confidence in our team but it is more about the pain that we have after this defeat.”
Leeds had crushed Norwich 4-0 at Elland Road in the second leg of the other semi-final on Thursday, with Canaries boss David Wagner sacked on Friday.
That ruthless dismissal underlined the desperation of Championship clubs to strike it rich in the Premier League.
The Saints are no different but they rose to the occasion with a commanding display after surviving an early scare.
West Brom’s aerial prowess caused problems when Grady Diangana glanced a header wide from Alex Mowatt’s cross.
Southampton quickly took control and David Brooks’ close-range effort cannoned off the post from Armstrong’s cross.
Playing with Jed Wallace as their lone forward, Albion used a five-man defence in a bid to subdue the Saints.
Southampton keeper Alex McCarthy had to scramble back to push Tom Fellows’ cross over the bar just before it dipped into the net.
Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy had to scramble to keep out Tom Fellows’ cross. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
But Martin’s team were well on top and Brooks’ drive from 25 yards was repelled by Alex Palmer.
Southampton’s dominance was finally rewarded in the 49th minute thanks to a moment of magic from Smallbone.
Picked out by Brooks’ pass after Diangana carelessly surrendered possession, Smallbone unleashed a ferocious strike from just inside the area that fizzed past Palmer via the inside of the post.
McCarthy preserved Southampton’s lead with an instinctive tip-over from Darnell Furlong’s blast.
And Armstrong netted the killer second in the 78th minute when he drilled a fine low finish into the far corner from 12 yards.
Eight minutes later, the Saints were ready to march on Wembley after Armstrong made it 23 league goals this season with a clinical penalty after Fellows fouled Ryan Manning.
Leeds powered into the Championship playoff final as a three-goal first half blitz inspired their 4-0 rout of Norwich in Thursday’s semi-final second leg.
Daniel Farke’s side destroyed the outclassed Canaries with goals from Ilia Gruev, Joel Piroe, Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville at a raucous Elland Road.
Leeds will face Southampton or West Bromwich Albion in the final at Wembley on May 26.
Southampton host West Brom in the second leg of their semi-final on Friday, with the score level at 0-0 after the first game.
The Championship playoff final is widely known as the most valuable game in sport, given the winning team can earn an estimated £265m ($503m) in additional revenue from TV deals, sponsorship and other incomes. Even if that team gets relegated back to the Championship, ‘parachute payments’ worth tens of millions of dollars can still have a momentous impact on the financial standing of a club for years to come.
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After a cautious goalless draw in Sunday’s first leg at Carrow Road, third-placed Leeds showed why they finished 17 points above sixth-placed Norwich in the regular season.
The gulf between the teams was vast from the first minute as Leeds moved a step closer to an immediate return to the Premier League after last season’s relegation.
“It was a great night for us. We were brilliant,” Farke said. “The average age of the side was very young so it was important I calmed them down.
“It was one of our most complex performances of the season against a really good side.
“Now we are focused on the next task. We know it will be a tricky game.”
Norwich boss David Wagner added: “It’s very quiet in the dressing room at the moment.
“I think, more or less, everything you should not do, we have done. It’s a very disappointing end to the season.”
A promising season ended in disaster for Norwich.Source: Getty Images
Farke has a third promotion to the top-flight in his sights after leading Norwich out of the Championship in 2019 and 2021.
Leeds have never won promotion via the play-offs and lost to Derby in the 2018-19 Championship semi-finals.
On the evidence of this dynamic display, their sixth appearance in the end-of-season tournament could finally curtail that barren run.
Leeds had blown their chance of automatic promotion after stumbling in the final weeks as Ipswich pipped them to second place.
But just weeks after movie star Will Ferrell bought a minority stake in the club, Farke’s men are back on course to write a Hollywood ending to their season.
Leeds were in full celebration mode during their big win.Source: Getty Images
– Rampant Leeds –
In front of a capacity crowd of 37,800, Leeds fed off their vociferous support in a blistering start.
Norwich were unable to stem the tide and Leeds went in front after just seven minutes.
Gruev’s clever free-kick caught Norwich ‘keeper Angus Gunn completely out of position, skidding around the visitors’ poorly-constructed wall and into the wide open net from 25 yards.
The Bulgarian midfielder could not have picked a better time for his first goal of the season.
Leeds were rampant and Piroe doubled their advantage in the 20th minute with a close-range header after Gunn misjudged the flight of Wilfried Gnonto’s pinpoint cross.
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Josh Sargent wasted a golden opportunity to give Norwich a lifeline when the American striker ran clean through on goal, only to try a chipped effort that Illan Meslier clawed away.
Five minutes before halftime, Rutter delivered the knockout blow, firing into the roof of the net from close-range after Summerville found the forward when Norwich made a hash of clearing Piroe’s cross.
There was no let-up from Leeds in the second half and Gunn had to save from Piroe and Summerville in quick succession.
The overworked Gunn was beaten for the fourth time in the 68th minute. Gnonto’s shot was parried by Gunn and Junior Firpo cut it back to Summerville, who had the simple task of slotting home as the Leeds faithful started to plan for their trip to Wembley.
Luka Doncic froze when his press conference was interrupted by what sounded like sex noises after Game 2 of the Mavericks-Thunder second-round playoff series.
The Mavericks’ All-NBA guard stopped talking in the middle of an explanation about his team’s energy and became wide-eyed during the unexpected moment.
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It sounded like a high-pitched female voice moaning for a few seconds and then it stopped.
Doncic, 25, then hung his head and covered his face with his hand while laughing.
“Ok, um, moving on,” a reporter said while others in the press conference laughed.
“I hope that’s not live,” Doncic said.
You can watch the incident in the video above
Luka Doncic couldn’t believe what was happening.Source: Supplied
Things moved along after that and the five-time All-Star explained what kept him going in the Mavericks’ 119-110 win against Oklahoma City on Friday AEST.
“It was one of the hardest games I’ve had to play,” Doncic said after Dallas evened the series at 1-1.
Doncic, who’s been dealing with a right knee sprain, finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists after a shooting slump in Game 1.
He score or assisted on 24 of 36 points for Dallas in the first quarter.
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Two of the Western Conference Second Round Playoffs. (Getty Images via AFP)Source: AFP
Mavericks forward PJ Washington scored 19 of his 29 points in the first half and tallied 11 rebounds and four assists.
Doncic and Washington became the first duo in NBA history with 25 points, including five three-pointers, and 10 rebounds in a playoff game, per ESPN stats.
Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 17 points in the Game 2 win.
It was OKC’s first loss in the 2024 NBA playoffs.
The Mavericks host the Thunder for Game 3 in Dallas on Sunday AEST.
Jalen Brunson strapped on his cape and vanquished the Sixers.
The Knicks point guard dropped 47 points — setting the franchise playoff record — to carry New York to a 97-92 victory and a 3-1 series advantage.
By the end of the game, the crowd, split throughout, was decidedly in New York’s corner with Brunson “MVP” chants reverberating inside Wells Fargo Center.
He toppled the previous Knicks playoff record set by Bernard King (twice) in 1984.
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Jalen Brunson came up big in the win. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Brunson, who also became the first Knick with 40-plus points and 10-plus assists in a playoff game, was helped by OG Anunoby, who was not only the team’s second-leading scorer but the main reason Joel Embiid was held in check in the second half.
With Mitchell Robinson injured and Isaiah Hartenstein in foul trouble, Tom Thibodeau went with Anunoby on Embiid and — assisted by a trap every time the Sixers center touched the ball — it worked wonders.
The Sixers finished with just 16 points in the fourth quarter and scored just three points in the final five minutes. Embiid, who dropped 50 points in Friday’s Sixers win, managed just 27 Monday on 7-for-19 shooting.
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The Knicks can clinch the series Wednesday at MSG.
But Monday certainly wasn’t easy. The visitors trailed by as many as 12, and their offence was inefficient outside of Brunson’s heroics.
Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart combined to shoot just 3-for-18. Another normal offensive weapon — Bojan Bogdanovic — was hurt in the first half and did not return.
There was a lot of tough talk from both sides during the series about playing hard and winning the physical battle and dirty plays from the Sixers.
On Monday, Embiid hit Brunson with an unnecessary forearm in the third quarter, around the same time Hart connected on Kyle Lowry’s face with an inadvertent elbow.
But there were no flagrants. Not even a tech. It was largely tame and controlled by the referees.
The Knicks now lead the series 3-1. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Brunson was fantastic in the first half, rediscovering the form that made him a late entrant into the MVP conversation. He had 23 points at the break with seven assists, shooting 10-for-15.
Bogdanovic lasted just one minute before limping off the court. He was chasing after a loose ball alongside Nic Batum, who dove and landed on Bogdanovic’s leg.
Bogdanovic then limped to the locker room and was diagnosed with a left ankle contusion, according to the Knicks.
The Knicks were already down an important piece without Robinson, the biggest body to compete with Embiid.
Robinson re-injured his surgically-repaired ankle in Friday’s Game 3, a setback exacerbated by some questionable tactics from Embiid — including a Flagrant 1 takedown.
Robinson warmed up but was ruled out about 30 minutes before tipoff.
Without the backup center, Hartenstein got the bulk of the time but predictably fell into foul trouble — committing five fouls in the third quarter — prompting Precious Achiuwa into action and the important move for Anunoby to defend Embiid.
This article first appeared on The New York Postand was reproduced with permission.
The Dallas Mavericks entered the playoffs as one of the NBA’s most in-form teams but looked a shadow of themselves in a 109-97 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers.
That was despite the Clippers being dealt a setback before the game itself, with Kawhi Leonard ruled out of the series opener with inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.
In his absence, James Harden stepped up to lead the Clippers with 28 points while four of Los Angeles’ five starters hit double figures in the win.
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Russell Westbrook, meanwhile, scored 13 points off the bench to go with four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Dallas got plenty of production from the usual suspects as Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combined for 64 points but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Mavericks failed to get the kind of help they need from their improved supporting cast.
The Clippers raced out to a 34-22 lead after the first quarter off the back of an early 11 points and three assists from Harden, while Ivica Zubac was causing problems as he added 10 points and four rebounds in the period.
Things only took an even bigger turn in the second quarter for the Mavericks as they scored just eight points to find themselves trailing 56-30 heading into the half.
The team as a whole had shot 9-for-40 from the field and 2-for-18 from deep at that point, with Harden again on a heater for Los Angeles as he led the way on 20 points.
The Mavericks never looked any real chance of getting back into the game despite winning the third and fourth quarters and may be forced to adjust their rotations for the rest of the series after Maxi Kleber struggled to get anything going on the offensive end.
TATUM’S SCARY FALL AS CELTICS BREEZE PAST HEAT
Led by a triple double from Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics cruised to a 114-94 win over the Miami Heat in the opening game of their NBA playoff first-round series.
The top-seeded Celtics raced out to a 14-0 start, setting the tone for a wire-to-wire victory that was never in doubt despite Miami being able to add some respectability to the score in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics, draining a barrage of three-pointers, led 60-45 at half-time and extended that advantage to 91-74 by the end of the third quarter before taking their foot off the gas a little in the final period.
The Heat, without injured star Jimmy Butler, reached the playoffs as the number eight seed after beating the Chicago Bulls in a play-in eliminator.
Miami took the same route into the playoffs last season, going on to upset the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals before they were beaten by the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics took care of business. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)Source: AFP
But the chances of such a run this time look remote, especially without Butler, who is out with a medial collateral knee ligament injury, as the Celtics were just too much for Erik Spoelstra’s side.
Tatum, who had his first triple double in a playoff game, put up 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and provided 10 assists.
There was one scary moment late in the fourth quarter when Tatum took a hard fall after a foul from Caleb Martin.
“A physical game, playing against a physical team, s***’s gonna happen,” Tatum told reporters after the game.
“It’s not the last time I’m probably going to get hit like that or fouled in this series. I wasn’t hurt.
“You get hit like that, you just get up. And I knew we were in the bonus, so go down there and knock my free throws down.”
Five-time NBA All-Star Tatum, 26, was one of six players to reach double figures scoring for Boston with Derrick White the second top scorer with 20 points.
Tatum was disappointed with the way the team allowed Miami a glimmer of hope in the fourth quarter, where they were outscored 35-23.
“We had some turnovers, some mistakes,” he said.
“They’re not going to give up, they’re not going to lay down. Some things we can correct. We could have done better in that fourth quarter.
“Human nature can play a factor but you can’t relax.”
Bam Adebayo was top scorer for Miami with 24 points and six rebounds.
The NBA’s play-in tournament is here, with the possibility that one of the league’s superstars in LeBron James and Steph Curry could not feature in the playoffs.
But before eight teams from the Eastern and Western Conference try to keep their championship hopes alive, foxsports.com.au has assessed just how much pressure every franchise is under heading into the postseason.
Factoring in expectations, recent playoffs success and failure along with the state of their salary cap and impending contract calls, each team was rated from 1 to 10.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Boston Celtics — 10/10
It seems like the majority of people have locked in the Celtics for the Finals, such is both their dominance in the regular season and the sorry state of the rest of the Eastern Conference. But there still are a few sceptics, wary of backing Boston in too strongly considering what has happened the past few years. Namely, blowing a 2-1 lead against the Warriors in the 2022 Finals and then falling to the Jimmy Butler-led Heat in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. This is a different Boston team with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis while someone like Derrick White has been a genuine difference-maker at stages this season. It makes it that much harder for teams to game plan around simply getting the ball out of either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown’s hands. It makes the Celtics, who finished the season No.1 in offensive rating and No.2 in defensive rating a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut. But that is exactly the reason why there is so much pressure to go all the way this time around. How Tatum performs in particular will help answer whether the supermax he is poised to sign this summer, which could be worth over $300 million, is worth it.
The Celtics need to make the Finals. Sean Gardner/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
2. New York Knicks — 4/10
The injury to Julius Randle was a gut punch that makes it hard to envision them going all the way to the Finals, although the Knicks have been the kind of team all season that doesn’t go down without a fight so it isn’t out of the question. Still, unlike previous years, there doesn’t seem to be the same level of expectation heading into the playoffs for New York, potentially because when healthy this team has proved it is capable of pushing any team in the NBA. It eases the pressure on the Knicks to go big-name hunting this summer too, given it is realistic that they could run it back with the same group and hope for more injury luck, otherwise Randle, Bojan Bogdanovich and Mitchell Robinson are the kind of pieces who could be central to a potential trade.
3. Milwaukee Bucks — 9/10
Fortunately for the Bucks, they were able to agree to a three-year, $186 million contract extension with Giannis Antetokounmpo before the start of the season. If he hadn’t, you can just imagine how much pressure would be on Milwaukee heading into the playoffs. Still the pressure is on the Bucks to get to the Eastern Conference Finals given the starpower in their roster, headlined by Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. If not, it is likely most of the blame will fall on coach Doc Rivers, who has struggled to generate any real consistent play since taking over Adrian Griffin while it seems like he is coming under scrutiny after every press conference for dodging self-accountability in some fashion. Lillard too is under pressure to perform after being traded to Milwaukee with the hope of finally being in a position to compete for a title. The Bucks are built to win right now but with an aging roster, who knows how much longer they will be in this position, even with Antetokounmpo’s future settled.
Doc Rivers is under pressure. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
4. Cleveland Cavaliers — 9/10
Things have not been pretty since the All-Star break and entering the playoffs off a game where you were booed by your own fans isn’t exactly ideal. But that is exactly what happened after Cleveland, resting Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Caris LeVert, lost to Charlotte.
With it, the Cavs avoided a potential first-round match-up with the No.7 seed Philadelphia but now find themselves on the same side of the playoffs brackets as the Celtics. Given how the regular season finished, it is hard to see Cleveland going far in the playoffs. That is a problem given Mitchell is set to enter the final guaranteed year of his current contract next season should the Cavs not secure a contract extension for him this summer. NBA insider Marc Stein reported this month that there is a “growing belief among rival teams” that Cleveland will be “forced to trade” their superstar guard if the franchise cannot come to terms on an extension. It comes after a report from Joe Vardon of The Athletic in February on the “deep, psychological effect” Cleveland’s first-round exit against the Knicks last playoffs had on the team, adding “Mitchell’s decision on a contract extension likely [is] tied to how good he thinks the Cavs can be”. A repeat of last year’s swift playoffs failure could see Mitchell turn his attention elsewhere and could put the spotlight on coach J.B. Bickerstaff too.
5. Orlando Magic — 1/10
Sure, you never want to take for granted being in the playoffs. But the Magic have a bright future and this is only the start. Regardless of how far Orlando goes, this season was a big success and unless the Magic collapse dramatically in the postseason, there won’t be any real pressure heading into the summer.
6. Indiana Pacers — 2/10
Another team that is young and ahead of schedule. Indiana has had Milwaukee’s number this season, so it wouldn’t be a shock for the Pacers to push — and potentially eliminate — the Bucks in the opening round of the playoffs. But even if they don’t, a solid enough showing where they don’t get swept should be enough to consolidate what has been a positive season for a Pacers team that booked its first trip to the postseason in four years, led by Tyrese Haliburton.
7. Philadelphia 76ers — 6/10
An Eastern Conference Finals appearance has eluded Philadelphia for some time now, with the Sixers qualifying for the playoffs for six straight years without ever making it past the semifinals. With that in mind, there is always going to be some level of pressure on the 76ers and specifically reigning MVP Joel Embiid to prove they are genuine contenders. However, Philadelphia’s decision not to chase a big name before the trade deadline means the Sixers are loaded with ammunition to go star chasing in the summer. With that in mind, the 76ers have room to improve next season, especially if Embiid can stay healthy. Of course, if Philadelphia somehow didn’t even make it out of the play-in tournament or was eliminated in the first round it would be a massive disappointment. But the silver lining of what is to come in the summer would at least help ease some of the pain.
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Joel Embiid is back but the 76ers have to first make it out of the play-in tournament. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
8. Miami Heat — 5/10
Surely they can’t do it again? This Heat team doesn’t look to have the consistency the make another unlikely run to the NBA Finals after a regular season that never really hit any heights. Of course, you can never rule out the possibility of ‘Playoff Jimmy’ taking over, and it hadn’t helped the Heat either that they dealt with lingering injuries that tested their guard depth. Ultimately, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of external pressure on Miami to replicate last year’s magical run, but just how far the Heat go could have implications on Jimmy Butler’s future with the team. The 34-year-old, who has two years and $100 million left on his current deal, is eligible for an extension this summer. To a similar extent, the Heat — should they make it to the playoffs — will also get an extended look at whether the Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier combination will work moving forward after injury-interrupted seasons.
9. Chicago Bulls — 1/10
Perennial play-in tournament contenders and nothing more. This is what the Chicago Bulls are right now and that doesn’t look like changing after another middling season. There is little pressure on Chicago because, frankly, there aren’t really any expectations on this Bulls team to do much in the postseason. Instead, the bigger priority for Billy Donovan needs to be working out what this team looks like moving forward given the development of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, especially when considered alongside the headache that is Zach LaVine’s contract and where potential free agent DeMar DeRozan fits in the timeline.
10. Atlanta Hawks — 1/10
Like the Bulls, there isn’t much pressure on Atlanta given the fact the Hawks also finished the regular season with a losing record and hence shouldn’t really be a threat to do anything in the playoffs. With such low expectations comes an opportunity to overachieve or, at worst, only further push the front office towards trading either Dejounte Murray or Trae Young in the summer. It seems to be the direction the franchise is heading, with NBA insider Marc Stein reporting the Hawks are “likely” to trade either of their star guards this offseason.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Oklahoma City Thunder — 2/10
Like the Magic, Thunder fans can just enjoy the fact they find themselves in this position, sitting on top of the Western Conference with a young core that will only get better and a multitude of draft picks to build on this season’s success. Unlike Orlando there are more expectations that come with finishing the top seed and a potential first-round match-up against the Lakers would be particularly tough. But even if the Thunder went out in that scenario, it would at least help crystallise the changes OKC needs to make in the offseason, should the size mismatch be exposed.
2. Denver Nuggets — 7/10
A similar situation to the Celtics, although to a lesser extent given Boston’s record is far superior and the Western Conference is much more competitive. With that in mind, it would hardly be shocking to see the Nuggets rolled in the semifinals. Still, the assumption for most of the regular season has been that the Celtics and Nuggets are on a Finals collision course and anything less than that would be a disappointment for last year’s reigning champions.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves — 6/10
After making a blockbuster trade for Rudy Gobert, things didn’t go to plan for Minnesota last season, struggling for chemistry before drawing the unfortunate straw of having to play the eventual champions Denver in the playoffs. This season though things are different and with that comes higher expectations. It is not championship-or-bust as the Timberwolves have young players in Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels to build their future around, but they at least need to show they are heading in the right direction. That makes the semifinals a bare minimum, although the Conference Finals are a realistic goal too.
The Timberwolves have a future with Anthony Edwards. David Berding/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
4. Los Angeles Clippers — 9/10
After giving up assets for James Harden, the Clippers are light on for future draft capital should this version of the team not go deep into the playoffs and, potentially, win a title. That has to be the goal after all, with Harden the third best player on a roster that features Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook. George could become a free agent this summer and a standout postseason run would put him in a strong position to either leverage the Clippers for more money or become the hottest available name on the market. Regardless of which decision he makes, Los Angeles can’t take for granted the position it finds itself in right now, entering the playoffs with all four of its star players healthy. With an aging roster and limited draft capital to work with, there is plenty of pressure on the Clippers to make it count now. In a stacked Western Conference though, the path to a title is tricky.
5. Dallas Mavericks — 6/10
There is always a decent level of pressure when you have Luka Doncic. He alone has been enough to single-handedly win Dallas games before, although this time around the Slovenian superstar has plenty of help in the form of Kyrie Irving and trade deadline additions Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. It only adds to the pressure for the Mavericks to at least get past the first round of the playoffs, having made genuinely positive moves to bolster their roster and build around Doncic with the goal of taking a swing at the title. The Mavericks ended the regular season with a 16-2 record to wrap up the fifth seed before resting their stars. It also means there will be high expectations for a deep playoff run, although the pressure isn’t as high given they have key players under contract for a few years to come while Gafford and Washington will have the summer to further integrate themselves into the team.
6. Phoenix Suns — 10/10
Well, avoiding the play-in tournament was definitely a step in the right direction because not even making the playoffs in the first place would have been an abject failure for the Suns. Still, Phoenix enters the postseason as one of the most under-pressure teams after going all-in once again last year in a trade for Bradley Beal. Like the Clippers, the Suns have traded away most of their future draft capital, not owning or controlling a first-round pick until 2031. Adding depth to the roster next season will also be tough as Phoenix is over the second-apron ($182.5 million of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement), meaning the Suns don’t have access to the Mid-Level Exception or Bi-Annual Exception and will only be able to add free agents through minimum contracts.
Grayson Allen has just signed a new four-year contract extension. David Berding/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
There is at least now the guarantee of sharpshooter Grayson Allen staying put after news the Suns have extended him on a four-year deal worth nearly $70 million.
Royce O’Neal is another key piece Phoenix could lose and, again, only be able to replace with minimum players. ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown in March that the reality of the salary cap puts “tremendous pressure” on the Suns to pay those players and keep them. “Suns owner Mat Ishbia has operated with a relative disregard for the new salary cap realities of the NBA, essentially in a championship or bust mentality over the next couple of years,” Wojnarowski said. This year’s playoffs could go a long way to deciding whether it works out or not.
7. New Orleans Pelicans — 5/10
The Pelicans have to be one of the most confounding teams in the league right now. At one point this season they looked like pushing for the top seeds in the Western Conference but dropped four straight games in early April before suffering a 124-108 loss to the Lakers on Monday. A win would’ve kept New Orleans out of the play-in tournament but now the Pels need to go about it the hard way. If anyone is under pressure entering the postseason it is Zion Williamson, who has never played in a playoff game and will be looking to rebound from the disaster that was New Orleans’ in-season tournament thumping at the hands of the Lakers. It will also be interesting to see how the Pelicans deal with their lack of elite center play against the top teams and what impact it has on the future of Jonas Valančiūnas, who is headed towards free agency. With all of that in mind, New Orleans still looks like a playoff team but not a genuine contender and if there is any question mark it is less on the team’s biggest names and more on coach Willie Green and his rotations.
8. Los Angeles Lakers — 5/10
LeBron James could become a free agent this summer, although the focus for the Lakers superstar has always been getting the chance to play with son Bronny. With that in mind, even if Los Angeles doesn’t replicate last year’s playoffs run or crashes out of the play-in tournament, results alone won’t be the only determining factor in James’ decision. The other question mark for the Lakers is what they do with D’Angelo Russell, who has a $18.69 million player option for the 2024-25 season, which he would surely decline given the level he has been playing at. Complicating matters is the fact The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported multiple sources believe the Lakers will go “third-star hunting” this summer. All of this is to say it will be an intriguing summer for the Lakers and perhaps a deep playoff run could convince the front office a third star isn’t necessary, or alternatively postseason results may only highlight shortcomings in the roster that make another high-level scorer a must. Either way, there will always be some level of pressure on the Lakers given the James factor and their popularity in the league, but it isn’t championship-or-bust as has been the case in the past.
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Where will LeBron James play in the 2024-25 season? Patrick Smith/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
9. Sacramento Kings — 3/10
The Kings were one of the fairytale stories of last season. But that was last year. Now they have somewhat regressed while the rest of the Western Conference has improved, meaning the Kings may not even make it to the playoffs this time around. Again, there isn’t too much pressure because this is a young team who weren’t really widely expected to build on last season’s success. In fact, most people seemed to be tipping them to fall back a bit. That in itself is a problem though and speaks to the fact Sacramento at this stage looks like a solid play-in tournament team who could snag a first-round series but not much more. Whether that prompts the front office to make a big swing in the postseason remains to be seen. But a swift exit this year should at least prompt the Kings to consider what the ceiling is for the roster as currently constructed.
10. Golden State Warriors — 3/10
Another team, like the Lakers, who are under pressure primarily on name value and nothing else. It is clear that the Warriors are in a transitional period and coach Steve Kerr has accepted it too, giving the team’s younger players like Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski a chance to push for more minutes while experimenting at times with Klay Thompson’s role. If anything, the pressure is on Thompson to prove he can still be a difference maker as the Warriors prepare to make a call on his future with the team. Maybe this is the last time we see Thompson, Draymond Green and Steph Curry on a court together in Golden State colours. Even if that is the case though, it no longer seems like that reality would be the undoing of Golden State or leave the Warriors in a worse position than they find themselves in right now. In fact, it was only once Kerr embraced youth that the Warriors started to improve and there are no indications at this stage that Curry is unhappy or wants out of Golden State if there is no playoff run this year.
Sometimes it is easy to forget that Zion Williamson has never played in an NBA playoff game.
For an NBA prospect like few others, described by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmidt as a “physical specimen unlike any we’ve seen in recent memory”, expectations were high for Williamson when he entered the league.
“It’s definitely sky’s the limit,” Isiah Thomas told the New York Post in 2019.
“His athleticism is eye-opening. Very few people come to our league with this type of athleticism… if he continues to grow and mature he can be quite special.”
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That growth and development though has not been as linear a process as hoped, with injuries plaguing Williamson’s career while his lack of conditioning has also constantly been under the microscope.
Even earlier this year, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith took a cheap shot at Williamson’s weight, prompting the Pelicans to return serve with a not-so-subtle montage of his college basketball highlights.
In the background though, Williamson has been drowning out all that noise and quietly going about his business, rewriting his story and, save for an injury (knock on wood), setting himself and the Pelicans up for the first postseason run of his career.
Only last Saturday Williamson put on another All-Star calibre showing as he scored 34 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 112-104 win over the Clippers.
It was the third time Los Angeles, another Western Conference championship contender, had lost to New Orleans this season and coach Ty Lue didn’t have to think too hard to come up with an answer for their struggles against the Pelicans.
Zion Williamson has the Pelicans surging up the Western Conference standings. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“Zion, down the stretch, of all three games they’ve won this year, three out of four, he dominated us the last six minutes of the third quarter,” Lue said after their most recent loss.
It didn’t come as a surprise either. It wasn’t as if Lue or the Clippers hadn’t planned for it.
“We talked about before the game,” Lue added, “and the whole fourth [quarter]”.
But even that wasn’t enough. Williamson has now averaged 24.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, five assists, and 1.8 steals in four games against the Clippers this season.
It is a good sign for the Pelicans ahead of the postseason that Williamson, without any playoffs experience, is performing at such a high level against one of the Conference’s top teams.
And it isn’t just against the Clippers that Williamson is dominating, averaging 23.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the past month alone. New Orleans has a 6-1 record in that stretch.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, people in New Orleans have been saying that Williamson has lost at least 25 pounds (11 kilograms) since December, when the Pelicans crashed out of the In-Season Tournament after a 133-89 loss to the Lakers.
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“He’s playing fewer minutes and I think that helps as well, but I’ve got people telling me he’s lost 25 pounds,” he said on his podcast, ‘Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective’.
ESPN’s Andrew Lopez reported as much on the podcast too, telling Windhorst that he has “heard a lot of great things from multiple people in New Orleans” about Williamson recently.
“You can see it,” Lopez said.
“If you go back and look at him in the In-Season Tournament, and you look at him now, he looks completely different.
“Frankly, they were embarrassed in Las Vegas. It was the first on-that-stage moment for them. He’d had games where, like Christmas Day games, where he has been featured and opening nights, where he hasn’t been available.
“This was his game and this was supposed to be it … and it went completely the wrong way. I think since that moment, there was a team meeting around that time as well, things have gone on the up-and-up for him, and looks like a completely different player.
“Like you I’ve heard a lot of great things from multiple people in New Orleans about the buy-in that he’s had, the transformation in his body.
“Everything for him now feels and looks different. If you look at him [in] just the last month, it looks like the best he’s been in the NBA since he’s come in.”
The Pelicans have leaned into ‘Point Zion’ more often. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
That is not just a product of improvements to Williamson’s diet and conditioning though.
It also goes back to the fact he is healthy. The Pelicans as a team are largely healthy too, having battled a number of injuries to key players in the past few seasons.
On a specific note though, New Orleans has also benefited from getting the ball in Williamson’s hands more, reviving the ‘Point Zion’ experiment under former Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy that made him even more of a matchup nightmare for opposition coaches.
Former Pelican JJ Redick saw the direct impact of using Williamson as a ball-handler when playing alongside him and expertly broke down how the adjustment has helped further unlock New Orleans’ offensive potential.
Speaking on his podcast ‘The Old Man & the Three’ in late February, Redick said that in their last nine games with Williamson bringing the ball up the floor the Pelicans had been averaging 1.44 points per play on those possessions.
He also went on to add that New Orleans was averaging 1.33 points per possession on any Williamson pick-and-roll since February.
“The way he is moving. This is like the Zion we all envisioned,” Redick said.
“There is a burst, there is a pop to the way he is pushing to the basket. There is an energy to it. It reminds me of Giannis, it reminds me of LeBron, it reminds me of Ben Simmons in Philadelphia.
“It is a weapon and he has completely weaponised his athleticism and skillset in transition when he gets a defensive rebound.”
Beyond the transition game, Redick also pointed to the success the Pelicans had running empty side pick-and-rolls with Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas along with the spacing it creates by having the former No. 1 overall pick handle the ball at the start of possessions instead of placing him in the dunker’s spot.
Teammate Trey Murphy, who has shot 39.3 per cent from 3-point range in his three seasons at New Orleans, spoke to the benefit of having Williamson run the floor after a 117-106 win over the Clippers last month.
Williamson had 21 points and 10 assists in that win, marking the first time in his career that he had over 20 points and 10 assists in a game according to The Athletic’s Will Guillory.
“You’re seeing him take that superstar leap,” Murphy said.
“A lot of guys come into the league that have that power and that offensive prowess that don’t have to pass too often. They just get to their buckets.
“They make that offensive leap when they start getting their teammates involved because then guys have to be a lot closer to their man. Now, you have more space to attack.
“I think he’s really figuring it out. He’s starting to direct the offence.
“There’s been a lot of times he’s told me, ‘Just go up high slot’, like he’ll be in the middle of a play pointing me to the high slot because he knows they’re not going to help as much and if they do it’ll be a 3. “You can just see his maturation process as the season progresses.”
Pelicans coach Willie Green, meanwhile, told reporters after that game that the change to have Williamson initiate the offence more often was a way to keep the opposition in two minds.
“It was harder for teams to help,” Green said.
“When he has the ball, you’ve got to make some choices. Are you going to help off CJ [McCollum]? Are you going to help off Brandon [Ingram]? Herb [Jones] is shooting the ball really well. When he [Williamson] doesn’t have it, they can clog the lane a bit more.”
For the Pelicans as a team in general, finding their offensive identity has been a challenge considering the injuries in key positions last season.
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Meanwhile, even when healthy this year, Williamson and Ingram’s on-court chemistry has at times been a work in progress.
With ‘Point Zion’, however, New Orleans leaned more heavily into Williamson becoming an even more defining feature of its identity and the 23-year-old looks primed for his first postseason tilt as a result.
“I loved his patience,” added Green of Williamson’s 21-point, 10-assist game against L.A.
“He did a great job finding his teammates. He missed a few easy buckets at the basket that he normally would make, but he stuck with it. Finally, you could see him starting to get a little rhythm in the second half. We just kept going towards him.
“As we’re figuring out our team, we’re a really good offensive team to start games when we get Z the ball. Then BI gets open shots, CJ gets open shots, and they have to take them.
“As the game progresses, Brandon will get (the ball), CJ will get it. They will pick and roll.
“We’re going to do a few sets for them but Z does a great job setting the table for us early.”
