2026 NBA Season

[LogitechMouse]

Shams the lone solo man reporting on NBA rumors (seems that way with no more Woj) is saying that Luka Doncic hurt his left calf and will be out for at least a week before he is re-evaluated by team doctors. Not a great start to the new look Mavericks season, but it sounds like right now there’s no reason to think Luka won’t be ready for opening day.

There was a report from Kidd that Doncic got hit in the calf, and he had a sprain. Keeping that in mind, I think it should be a minor injury, and Doncic will most likely be fully healthy by the start of the regular season. However, it is obvious that he will definitely miss the first preseason game.

He will only miss some of those preseason game at least, and I since you already said that it's only a minor one, this shouldn't make the Mavericks fans afraid at all.

IMO, it's a good thing that he's out as well because the team will be tested, and it's for their future as well. I mean how will be the team be if Luka isn't playing because of some injuries during the regular season? Will the team still be a good team if he isn't playing. That's why it's good at least because they will be tested and it's only on their first games.

Suns' Starting Lineup Among Best in NBA
https://www.si.com/nba/suns/news/phoenix-suns-starting-lineup-among-best-nba

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have one of the best lineups in the NBA.

That's not exactly breaking news with names such as Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal thrown in the mix, though other key players such as Tyus Jones and Jusuf Nurkic help round out a fairly stout starting five in Phoenix.

I don't know. I don't like a super offensive team because I still believe that defense can win games. Most of these players are isolation type of hoops and it can be predictable for a lot of times. There was a time I saw Phoenix having a hard time scoring while KD was locked in defense and that's going to be a problem against teams who have the best backcourt defensive players. i.e. Boston Celtics with Jrue and White.

Sure, on paper, this is a scary team that was managed to put together but they have no bench strength which can be a problem when injuries happen. Healthy, they will win a lot of games. Unhealthy, it could be chaos for them. The key here is Tyus Jones and his ballhandling and playmaking ability will be tested dearly in this team.

Just for context why I might agree on this one. Tyus Jones is the leading Point Guard in terms of assist-to-turnover efficiency ratio for the past 6 years already. This means that he can dish out passes efficiently and at the same time, his turnover is also very low. This is what other people aren't talking about because it isn't shown on the stat sheet, but I will tell all that getting Tyus Jones at a low amount is big for the Suns. For me, he's one of the most underrated PGs that we have currently because of this thing.

Now if we will compare their line up to the likes of Boston, Dallas, OKC, Philly and others out there, they might be one of the best "ON OFFENSE" just because you have a big 3 that could erupt anytime, you have a rebounding machine in Nurkic, and you have a legit underrated PG in Jones. Now the problem lies on their defense because Beal isn't that good on defense although KD and Booker are good defenders.

Overall, it's too early to say that they're among the best currently just because they don't have any achievements at all, and take note that there might be times where these starting 5 might not play together because of injuries, personal reasons, etc. but on paper, they're one of the best.

[freedomgo]

Heat were not going to compete with that Celtics team.  They were a matchup nightmare for teams.  They could beat you with death by a millions cuts.  Adding Krista's was the icing They needed.  When healthy and on he is unguardable for most teams.  Imagine trying to block a 7 footer who shoots silky smooth 3s lol.  Celtics definitely favorites to win the east again

They were embarrassed by the Heat before the season they won a championship. That’s why the major upgrades by adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis really boosted their defense, a solid move. Even though KP struggled with injuries, they still managed to secure a title. However, we can't say it was a complete mismatch against the Heat, especially since Jimmy Butler wasn't fully fit to play. Let's see how things unfold in the upcoming season- hopefully, they can prove themselves against a healthy Miami Heat squad.

[Dave1]

Shams the lone solo man reporting on NBA rumors (seems that way with no more Woj) is saying that Luka Doncic hurt his left calf and will be out for at least a week before he is re-evaluated by team doctors. Not a great start to the new look Mavericks season, but it sounds like right now there’s no reason to think Luka won’t be ready for opening day.

There was a report from Kidd that Doncic got hit in the calf, and he had a sprain. Keeping that in mind, I think it should be a minor injury, and Doncic will most likely be fully healthy by the start of the regular season. However, it is obvious that he will definitely miss the first preseason game.

Yes, it seems that Luka will not be available with that calf injury, although it's not like a one of the worst injury, he just needed to rest to fully heal it and be back in action. Of course we wanted to see him really healthy at the start, but maybe he is just pushing himself in training in the pre-season that's why he got injured or something.

Not a great start but still they have Kyrie and Klay with them, I think they will still be good in the first couple of weeks of the upcoming season. And speaking of Klay which model Anta's shoes, it was reported that maybe Kyrie will have his own line of shoes. Same with Trae Young as he as spotted with Anta shoes already, and it was also reported that Adidas will not re-signed a contract with him.

[TravelMug]

These hairstyles and media day don't really have an impact on his game. I just hope Jimmy Butler finishes this season healthy and injury free, unlike last season. It's just too bad because I think they had a chance against the Celtics. If I remember correctly, he was injured which is why the Celtics easily advanced to the next round.

Like Tyrese Haliburton said, the team that stays healthy until the end becomes the champion and I agree with that.

Yes, Butler missed a lot of games last season due to injuries including the entire first round of the playoffs due to a sprained MCL.
There's no question the Heat would have performed much better with a healthy Butler, but the Celtics were too good last playoffs. I mean, even if Butler had been healthy, the Heat still wouldn't have been able to beat the Celtics.

Heat were not going to compete with that Celtics team.  They were a matchup nightmare for teams.  They could beat you with death by a millions cuts.  Adding Krista's was the icing They needed.  When healthy and on he is unguardable for most teams.  Imagine trying to block a 7 footer who shoots silky smooth 3s lol.  Celtics definitely favorites to win the east again

They really find the perfect players, and that missing pieces for them to win, when they got Holiday and KP. And KP alone was a nightmare for any team, he can shoot from the outside, grab rebounds, or play iso or one or one with his back and then can give him team a perfect pass.

And then they have best duo in the league, Tatum and Brown, the leader of the team that's why it's like they steam rolled every team in the East last year with almost perfect precision win. So it will be up to them on how they are going to defend their championships. It's going to be very hard to go back to back, not just physical, but mentally as well. So they should be like a perfect team again this season to be able to win once more.

[Yaunfitda]

Shams the lone solo man reporting on NBA rumors (seems that way with no more Woj) is saying that Luka Doncic hurt his left calf and will be out for at least a week before he is re-evaluated by team doctors. Not a great start to the new look Mavericks season, but it sounds like right now there’s no reason to think Luka won’t be ready for opening day.

There was a report from Kidd that Doncic got hit in the calf, and he had a sprain. Keeping that in mind, I think it should be a minor injury, and Doncic will most likely be fully healthy by the start of the regular season. However, it is obvious that he will definitely miss the first preseason game.

Yes, and it has been confirmed already,



https://x.com/MavsPR/status/1841542480052826434

So nothing to worry about, this is just a minor injury and perhaps he didn't do any stretching as most likely he is out and didn't play ball for months or weeks. And it might be a good thing for him as he can extend his vacation and probably knows what went wrong about his calf and for sure he will take his warm up seriously.

[ultrloa]

Shams the lone solo man reporting on NBA rumors (seems that way with no more Woj) is saying that Luka Doncic hurt his left calf and will be out for at least a week before he is re-evaluated by team doctors. Not a great start to the new look Mavericks season, but it sounds like right now there’s no reason to think Luka won’t be ready for opening day.

There was a report from Kidd that Doncic got hit in the calf, and he had a sprain. Keeping that in mind, I think it should be a minor injury, and Doncic will most likely be fully healthy by the start of the regular season. However, it is obvious that he will definitely miss the first preseason game.

Yes, and it has been confirmed already,



https://x.com/MavsPR/status/1841542480052826434

So nothing to worry about, this is just a minor injury and perhaps he didn't do any stretching as most likely he is out and didn't play ball for months or weeks. And it might be a good thing for him as he can extend his vacation and probably knows what went wrong about his calf and for sure he will take his warm up seriously.

Lucky its just a minor injury since if it happens he will be out for many games this season then Dallas will be in huge trouble. Doncic should be more careful since he encounter a lot of injuries especially last finals and he decide to continue to play. He should follow everything needed to do like those simple stretching since it can help to heat up his muscles since if he skip that and will not follow their programs then provably that he will be in huge trouble.

But since everything is fine then provably that Dallas and Doncic could shove off those incident and rest to recover, But for sure they would pay more attention on their star player so that they can avoid same situation will not happen again.

[Fredomago]

These hairstyles and media day don't really have an impact on his game. I just hope Jimmy Butler finishes this season healthy and injury free, unlike last season. It's just too bad because I think they had a chance against the Celtics. If I remember correctly, he was injured which is why the Celtics easily advanced to the next round.

Like Tyrese Haliburton said, the team that stays healthy until the end becomes the champion and I agree with that.

Yes, Butler missed a lot of games last season due to injuries including the entire first round of the playoffs due to a sprained MCL.
There's no question the Heat would have performed much better with a healthy Butler, but the Celtics were too good last playoffs. I mean, even if Butler had been healthy, the Heat still wouldn't have been able to beat the Celtics.

Heat were not going to compete with that Celtics team.  They were a matchup nightmare for teams.  They could beat you with death by a millions cuts.  Adding Krista's was the icing They needed.  When healthy and on he is unguardable for most teams.  Imagine trying to block a 7 footer who shoots silky smooth 3s lol.  Celtics definitely favorites to win the east again

They really find the perfect players, and that missing pieces for them to win, when they got Holiday and KP. And KP alone was a nightmare for any team, he can shoot from the outside, grab rebounds, or play iso or one or one with his back and then can give him team a perfect pass.

And then they have best duo in the league, Tatum and Brown, the leader of the team that's why it's like they steam rolled every team in the East last year with almost perfect precision win. So it will be up to them on how they are going to defend their championships. It's going to be very hard to go back to back, not just physical, but mentally as well. So they should be like a perfect team again this season to be able to win once more.

With KP and Jrue's addition Celtics become more deadly as they are complete on both defense and offense plus the fact that Tatum and Brown already on their primes I mean they already improves a lot maturing playing alongside with each other, they lead the team perfectly and they both manage to maximize whoever inside the court playing with them.

Plus that good system that they've got, keep finding the open spot and those high percentage shooters are always ready to take their shots, there's  a big chance that they can win another ring with the core players still intact.

[Natalim]

Plus that good system that they've got, keep finding the open spot and those high percentage shooters are always ready to take their shots, there's  a big chance that they can win another ring with the core players still intact.

That was really the key - they moved the ball well and showed great confidence in their shooting. The Celtics have improved since they no longer rely heavily on Tatum, and that’s why Brown ended up as MVP - they shared the ball, which led to better teamwork. There's no need to change anything in their lineup, and I don’t see any major roster movements. Keeping the team as is would be the right strategy if they want to go back-to-back as champions because we've seen how other teams made changes after winning a title.

For example:

The Lakers moved Rondo, KCP, and others.
The Nuggets lost Bruce Brown, among others.
The Warriors traded Poole.

And these teams failed next season.

[bitgolden]

Yeah and we are not even starting the season right now, so Doncic should be back either before the league starts, or even fi it takes enough that he doesn't, it will be just first few games he will miss, nothing important. Dallas will have some good stars on the team this year, with Irving and Doncic getting Klay for help as well. This is going to be some team to watch without a doubt. Suns is not as good as people make it out to be, Durant is fine, he is not as good as he used to be but still a star, Booker is fine too, he is not great but he is good, but Beal has been not that great for a while now, and I believe others are just rotation level players. So the Suns being best out there is questionable to say the least.

They really find the perfect players, and that missing pieces for them to win, when they got Holiday and KP. And KP alone was a nightmare for any team, he can shoot from the outside, grab rebounds, or play iso or one or one with his back and then can give him team a perfect pass.

And then they have best duo in the league, Tatum and Brown, the leader of the team that's why it's like they steam rolled every team in the East last year with almost perfect precision win. So it will be up to them on how they are going to defend their championships. It's going to be very hard to go back to back, not just physical, but mentally as well. So they should be like a perfect team again this season to be able to win once more.

They did needed some players which would round them up nicely, and because of this they didn't really feel like it could happen on the long run as well. KP isn't the star of that team that plays the best and got them the title, of course not, they had Tatum and Brown which are better player, but at the end of the day we are going to see KP adding so much to the team, we are going to see him round those two together nicely and give other teams a chance to see something different as a threat so that Tatum and Brown could do better and even drive inside easier as well. So all in all, Celtics still look like one of the best teams in the league, I believe we are going to see Celtics may even win the title once again as well.

[wheelz1200]

Heat were not going to compete with that Celtics team.  They were a matchup nightmare for teams.  They could beat you with death by a millions cuts.  Adding Krista's was the icing They needed.  When healthy and on he is unguardable for most teams.  Imagine trying to block a 7 footer who shoots silky smooth 3s lol.  Celtics definitely favorites to win the east again

They were embarrassed by the Heat before the season they won a championship. That’s why the major upgrades by adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis really boosted their defense, a solid move. Even though KP struggled with injuries, they still managed to secure a title. However, we can't say it was a complete mismatch against the Heat, especially since Jimmy Butler wasn't fully fit to play. Let's see how things unfold in the upcoming season- hopefully, they can prove themselves against a healthy Miami Heat squad.

Heat lost some of theor shooters too in free agency.  I see the Heats run the year before like Atlanta run to the ECF in 2021 kind of dumb luck amd just getting hot at the right time.  Atlanta has been trash since amd can see the Heat following suit.  They just don't habe the players after the first couple to move the needle. I put them right there with Atlanta fighting for a playin this year.

[jossiel]

Yes, and it has been confirmed already,



https://x.com/MavsPR/status/1841542480052826434

So nothing to worry about, this is just a minor injury and perhaps he didn't do any stretching as most likely he is out and didn't play ball for months or weeks. And it might be a good thing for him as he can extend his vacation and probably knows what went wrong about his calf and for sure he will take his warm up seriously.

I hope that Luka didn't get that vital hit.

So, we'll have to wait for a week to see if it's something major or not. Less than a month and we're on the opening of the NBA. I guess that Mavs that will have him rest for a month or two even if the injury isn't big.

That's to be sure that he's well rested and prepared for the entire season. Good thing that there's Kyrie and Klay.

[freedomgo]

So, we'll have to wait for a week to see if it's something major or not. Less than a month and we're on the opening of the NBA. I guess that Mavs that will have him rest for a month or two even if the injury isn't big.

That's to be sure that he's well rested and prepared for the entire season. Good thing that there's Kyrie and Klay.

That’s what the news says, but before any announcement comes out about his status, all we can do is hope he’s fine and that the injury isn’t serious. If he has to rest for like a month, I think that’s still alright, I mean, nobody likes injuries, but if it’s gonna happen, better now early in the season than during the playoffs or when the season’s about to end.

[AHOYBRAUSE]

So, we'll have to wait for a week to see if it's something major or not. Less than a month and we're on the opening of the NBA. I guess that Mavs that will have him rest for a month or two even if the injury isn't big.

That's to be sure that he's well rested and prepared for the entire season. Good thing that there's Kyrie and Klay.

That’s what the news says, but before any announcement comes out about his status, all we can do is hope he’s fine and that the injury isn’t serious. If he has to rest for like a month, I think that’s still alright, I mean, nobody likes injuries, but if it’s gonna happen, better now early in the season than during the playoffs or when the season’s about to end.

I doubt it's something serious. Normally contusions are nothing to worry about unless there was an injury at the same place. These happen all the time and if this was the playoffs or any important game Luka would suit up and play, I am sure of that.
This is the preseason and they don't take any risks but with news of just a calf contusion I would definitely expect him to play come the season opener.

[dwyane36]

IMO, it's a good thing that he's out as well because the team will be tested, and it's for their future as well. I mean how will be the team be if Luka isn't playing because of some injuries during the regular season? Will the team still be a good team if he isn't playing. That's why it's good at least because they will be tested and it's only on their first games.

Well, I think the preseason isn't the kind of game format where you can really evaluate how the Mavs' performance will be affected by the absence of Luka because neither the Mavs nor their opponents will be playing at full strength during the preseason.
But in any case, I think the Mavs will be fine because they have Irving and Klay.

[TravelMug]

IMO, it's a good thing that he's out as well because the team will be tested, and it's for their future as well. I mean how will be the team be if Luka isn't playing because of some injuries during the regular season? Will the team still be a good team if he isn't playing. That's why it's good at least because they will be tested and it's only on their first games.

Well, I think the preseason isn't the kind of game format where you can really evaluate how the Mavs' performance will be affected by the absence of Luka because neither the Mavs nor their opponents will be playing at full strength during the preseason.
But in any case, I think the Mavs will be fine because they have Irving and Klay.

Yeah, it's going to be early to see how they will be as it's just the start. So we can say that Luka is lucky to have this injury early, it could be a sign though that it might give him problems later, but still the team doctor and trainer might give him more exercise to target that calf muscle and stretch it out.

We are still very interesting to see how Klay will fit on the Mavs rotation and that is what we are waiting for. Others say that Klay is wash up, but there are still arguments that he can still shot and perhaps added value to the Mavs and could be a good contender again this season and chances are good to reach the finals again.

[arwin100]

IMO, it's a good thing that he's out as well because the team will be tested, and it's for their future as well. I mean how will be the team be if Luka isn't playing because of some injuries during the regular season? Will the team still be a good team if he isn't playing. That's why it's good at least because they will be tested and it's only on their first games.

Well, I think the preseason isn't the kind of game format where you can really evaluate how the Mavs' performance will be affected by the absence of Luka because neither the Mavs nor their opponents will be playing at full strength during the preseason.
But in any case, I think the Mavs will be fine because they have Irving and Klay.

Yeah, it's going to be early to see how they will be as it's just the start. So we can say that Luka is lucky to have this injury early, it could be a sign though that it might give him problems later, but still the team doctor and trainer might give him more exercise to target that calf muscle and stretch it out.

We are still very interesting to see how Klay will fit on the Mavs rotation and that is what we are waiting for. Others say that Klay is wash up, but there are still arguments that he can still shot and perhaps added value to the Mavs and could be a good contender again this season and chances are good to reach the finals again.

Somehow your right since their medical team can assess Luka's situation and could able to handle well this early injury happened to him. If this condition happen when the season starts then maybe they would really have a problem knowing Luka play huge role in Dallas rotation.

People really got curious on how Dallas could able to maximize Klay talent knowing that Klay used to perform on a fast phase game. Let see if Luka could ever share the ball to Klay since if it happens that they blend together and their chemistry click up then Mavs became a scary team in West.

[Yaunfitda]

IMO, it's a good thing that he's out as well because the team will be tested, and it's for their future as well. I mean how will be the team be if Luka isn't playing because of some injuries during the regular season? Will the team still be a good team if he isn't playing. That's why it's good at least because they will be tested and it's only on their first games.

Well, I think the preseason isn't the kind of game format where you can really evaluate how the Mavs' performance will be affected by the absence of Luka because neither the Mavs nor their opponents will be playing at full strength during the preseason.
But in any case, I think the Mavs will be fine because they have Irving and Klay.

Yeah, it's going to be early to see how they will be as it's just the start. So we can say that Luka is lucky to have this injury early, it could be a sign though that it might give him problems later, but still the team doctor and trainer might give him more exercise to target that calf muscle and stretch it out.

We are still very interesting to see how Klay will fit on the Mavs rotation and that is what we are waiting for. Others say that Klay is wash up, but there are still arguments that he can still shot and perhaps added value to the Mavs and could be a good contender again this season and chances are good to reach the finals again.

Somehow your right since their medical team can assess Luka's situation and could able to handle well this early injury happened to him. If this condition happen when the season starts then maybe they would really have a problem knowing Luka play huge role in Dallas rotation.

They will for sure scramble for solutions to his injuries, I think it's might be similar to Giannis, he got injured deep in the playoff although it seems that it was just a hamstring injury, but it was worst that they have though. So just imagine if they see it early as well, they could have patch things and help with the rehab early.

People really got curious on how Dallas could able to maximize Klay talent knowing that Klay used to perform on a fast phase game. Let see if Luka could ever share the ball to Klay since if it happens that they blend together and their chemistry click up then Mavs became a scary team in West.

Yes, everyone is curious on how Jason Kidd will insert him in the picture knowing what Klay can bring to them. I do not see him as out of his prime. They are almost the same age with Steph and we can see that Steph's game is still very high. It's just that Klay had that bad season last year with the Warriors and for strange reasons, he can't really cope up with the demand and his shooting percentage goes down.

[Fredomago]

Plus that good system that they've got, keep finding the open spot and those high percentage shooters are always ready to take their shots, there's  a big chance that they can win another ring with the core players still intact.

That was really the key - they moved the ball well and showed great confidence in their shooting. The Celtics have improved since they no longer rely heavily on Tatum, and that’s why Brown ended up as MVP - they shared the ball, which led to better teamwork. There's no need to change anything in their lineup, and I don’t see any major roster movements. Keeping the team as is would be the right strategy if they want to go back-to-back as champions because we've seen how other teams made changes after winning a title.

For example:

The Lakers moved Rondo, KCP, and others.
The Nuggets lost Bruce Brown, among others.
The Warriors traded Poole.

And these teams failed next season.

Yes, those role players who gave them some lift when core players needs to sit and take some rest, let see if Boston will be able to managed to regain that spot representing the east side and again be back in the finals, for sure it won't be that easy as teams like sixers, bucks and Heat are all sets after missing that playoffs chances they are now ready to bounce back and also try their chances for the finals and earn that ring.

[danherbias07]

I think it’s a lack of toughness that they’re going to struggle with. The only year they almost won a chip they had DeAndre Ayton playing with confidence and owning the lane. Ever since trading him they have looked like less of a team. I don’t think they won a championship with this roster unless they sign some free agent big man like Cousins or some other tough guy.

"Toughness". You are right. Josh Okogie and Grayson Allen will have a lot of work in defense for this season.

The West is really tough division right now, with teams really improving, unlike before where Phoenix could be the number 1, although they fall in the playoffs or in the finals. I do agree that it will still depend on their point guard Tyus Jones. So let's see if he can make this 3 good with his ability to execute plays and run this background to the Tee.

The good part about Tyus Jones is he is not an injury-prone player. He played 80 games in the Grizzlies uniform in 2022-23 and 66 games in the Wizards uniform last year. He will always be there and I think it will be good for the star trio since they can build chemistry faster.
Also, their new head coach is Coach Mike Budenholzer, yes Bucks's former coach who is known for offensive attacks using Giannis over and over again to make offensive attacks. I think it will be the same for the Suns and most firepower will come from the trio. If you are a fan of offense, this is where you will go and watch, Phoenix.

[freedomgo]

"Toughness". You are right. Josh Okogie and Grayson Allen will have a lot of work in defense for this season.

I see toughness in Grayson Allen; if he hadn't gotten injured during the playoffs against the Wolves, we could’ve seen a great series. His 3-point shooting is solid, and his aggressiveness on defense is still there. It’s just unfortunate what happened to him. As for Okogie, this guy definitely deserves some improvement, but honestly, the main problem on that team was Bradley Beal. He was inconsistent, and considering they sacrificed a lot to get him, it ended up being a big mistake.