How good of a duo can De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama be in San Antonio?

 

                                         (Credit: Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images) 

The San Antonio Spurs are coming off a 2024-25 season in which they went 34-48 overall in year one of Mitch Johnson taking over as head coach with Gregg Popovich sliding over to the president of basketball operations role. As they look to have an improved season, the hope is that the tandem of point guard De'Aaron Fox and center Victor Wembanyama will produce at an elite level and help them get back to being an NBA championship contending team. 

Despite acquiring Fox before the trade deadline back in February, the Spurs haven't really gotten a chance to see what he and Wembanyama can do together as they only played five games together due to both players getting injured. Wembanyama playing in only 46 games as he dealt with a blood clot issue that has since been resolved. During the five games that they were on the floor together, Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game while Fox averaged 21.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game. 

In their second to last game together, the two of them combined for 61 points in a 131-121 road win over the Washington Wizards. Wembanyama finished with 31 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals while Fox finished with 30 points, four rebounds, six assists, and one steal. Even though the Wizards were terrible last season, that win still gave the Spurs a glimpse of what a Wembanyama and Fox duo could look like. 

Fox is one of the most talented point guards in the NBA. He's incredibly quick with the ball, capable of creating for others while also possessing an ability to score both around the rim and from the perimeter. As for Wembanyama, he's one of the most amazing talents the NBA has ever seen. A 7'3" freak that can hit threes, run the floor, handle the ball, and fiercely protect the rim. He's everything you want in a big man. A true unicorn. 

Ultimately, the big question the Spurs have is whether or not Fox and Wembanyama can stay healthy. If they are able to stay on the floor, the sky is the limit to what they can accomplish. They have the potential to be a duo that makes a lot of noise in the Western Conference and gets the Spurs back in the championship conversation. There's just not many teams that have a point guard/big man combination like this. It'll be fun to see how the season goes for them and how quickly they start to gel. 

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The NBA's "Heave Rule" should bring more excitement

 

                        (Stephen Curry heaving a shot. Credit: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) 

The NBA has made a change to how they statistically record last second shots of 36 feet or longer. Rather than having such shots count against a player's field goal percentage if they miss, they'll only count against the team field goal percentage. If the player makes the shot, then it will count toward the player's field goal percentage as it normally would. 

Below are the conditions of the rule: It is for shots 36 feet or further and within the final three seconds of the first three quarters. The play must also originate in the backcourt. 

The purpose of this rule change is to encourage more end of quarter shots without players worrying about the impact it would have on their field goal percentage. Many players hesitated to take such shots given it would hurt their stats. If you were say 9-9 on the night, you might not want to throw up a prayer that will end your perfect shooting night. Now, players can heave such shots with no such worries. As a result, we should see more last second attempts and thus, more crazy shots, upping the entertainment level. 

All around, this is a great rule and one that has been long overdue. Not only is it unfair to a guy's stats to count those shots against him, but also when you think about it, the whole point of field goal percentage is to track shots that are well, shots. In many ways a last second heave of 36 feet or longer isn't really a shot. It's a heave. Hence the name of the rule. On those grounds, they really should be a different statistical category. 

On top of being more entertaining for fans, this rule change will also have an impact on fantasy basketball. Many fantasy basketball matchups have been affected by a last second heave and now they only will be impacted if the shot goes in. Fantasy basketball owners will no longer have to worry about someone on their team taking a last second shot that costs them a matchup. That more than anything might be the best part of this whole rule change. 

Finally, I think it would even be better if shots beyond half court were worth four points and not three. The half court line is an easy dividing mark and it's well beyond the 3-point line such that it would make sense to add an extra point for such shots. Imagine a team being down four points with three seconds left and attempting a four-point shot! That would be wildly entertaining. Or a rare five-point play! A guy getting fouled while making a four-point shot. Can you imagine? Not only that, but getting fouled from beyond half court while taking a shot would be worth four foul shots instead of three. This is sort of a next level rule suggestion, but I think it's one that the NBA should consider. Maybe try it out in the G-League first. 

While a four-point shot may not be coming to the NBA, it is good they have implemented this "Heave Rule." There's no downside to it and it will enhance the experience for all. It'll be fun to see the impact it has on this upcoming season! 

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What are John Wall's Hall of Fame chances?

 

                                              (Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images) 

Last month, former Washington Wizards star point guard John Wall announced his retirement after having not played in the NBA since the 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Clippers. During his 13 year NBA career, Wall averaged 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. At his peak during the 2016-17 season, Wall finished 7th in the MVP voting averaging 23.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 10.7 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. Wall was also the number one overall pick by the Wizards in the 2010 NBA Draft after a stellar freshman season at Kentucky in which he averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Wall and the Wildcats fell to West Virginia in the Elite Eight of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. 

There's no denying the talent that Wall had when he came into the NBA. With Rickey Green type speed, Wall had all the pieces to be a legit franchise player and when he was healthy, he was just that. He could score at an elite level, he was electric in transition, could guard the top point guards in the game, and was a fabulous facilitator. He truly had all the tools and for five straights seasons starting in 2013-14, Wall made the All-Star team. 

However, his career was marred with injuries as he had to miss two of those 13 seasons in entirety. The 2019-20 season was missed due to injury while the 2021-22 season was missed due to the Houston Rockets wanting to prioritize the development of younger players while also unable to find a team willing to take on Wall's massive contract. 

On top of having a career marred with injury and setbacks, Wall only reached the second round of the playoffs twice in his career, never reaching the conference finals. For all his talent, he was never able to lead the Wizards or any team to serious playoff success. 

Something that will start to get debated in the coming months and years is what Wall's Hall of Fame chances are: 

On the positive side, I think his peak level was certainly Hall of Fame worthy. He was definitely not a bust. He backed up the number one pick hype that he received and on top of that, he had a strong single season at Kentucky. It should also be factored into the equation that the Wizards historically are a pretty bad team and he stayed loyal to the franchise, not jumping ship for greener pastures. He took it upon himself to be the franchise player and that's commendable. 

On the negative side, you'd like to see more than five All-Star selections for his career and the lack of playoff success is unfortunate. Also, you are judged on your production and injuries are a part of the game. It is what it is.

When you at it all up, I think it's hard to make a case for why John Wall should make the Hall of Fame. While he was one of the most talented players to come into the NBA, he simply didn't sustain Hall of Fame level play for a long enough period of time. If Wall does get in, it'll likely be after several years of being on the ballot but at some point, Hall of Fame cases lose steam and while I'm sure there are some that will try to lobby a case for him, I don't see him getting enough support to clear the threshold needed to get in. 

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Do the Memphis Grizzlies have a diamond in the rough in Jahmai Mashack?

 

                                             Credit: Memphis Grizzlies/X (Twitter) 

The 59th overall pick in this year's NBA draft was Jahmai Mashack (6'3", 205 pounds), who was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies. During his four years at Tennessee, Mashack averaged 4.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. As a senior, he averaged 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 45.4% shooting from the field, 35.1% shooting from 3-point range, and 72.3% shooting from the foul line. Mashack was more of a role player/defensive specialist for the Volunteers, really making an impact with his physicality. While he has some upside on offense, it's really his defense that is his calling card and reason for why he was drafted. 

I remember when Mashack was in high school as I was covering Cal men's basketball at the time for Rivals (I now cover Stanford for On3 | Rivals). Mashack was a 4-star recruit, standing out for all the reasons the Grizzlies drafted him. He could get after it on both ends of the floor, playing with a high motor. He was a gritty defender back then and has only honed his craft even further, earning him a chance to get drafted by the Grizzlies. 

Why Mark Fox (Cal's head coach at the time) slow played Mashack on the recruiting trail continues to puzzle me to this day. Especially since his mom is a Cal alum and Cal at the time was in desperate need of talent. But that's a story for a different day. What matters is Mashack proved Fox wrong and found his way to the NBA. 

Looking ahead to his chances in the NBA, Mashack's defensive abilities are reason for the Grizzlies to be excited about him. He has all the tools on that end and in many ways, that's the harder thing to teach. You can teach guys how to improve their jump shot and get their scoring numbers up. While you can do the same for defense, I feel like it's harder to get guys to raise their game on the defensive side. If Mashack can improve his shot and ball handling, he has all the tools and potential to be an excellent two-way player cut out of the same cloth as former Grizzlies great Tony Allen (a.k.a. The Grindfather). 

In the late stages of the NBA draft, you want to get guys who you think have the chance to be developed into something and Jahmai Mashack is definitely a guy who has that potential. He's a hard working player who doesn't take anything for granted. I look forward to seeing how Mashack grows in the Grizzlies organization and whether or not he can end up being one of the steals of the 2025 NBA Draft. 

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How will the departure of Yang Hansen impact the Qingdao Eagles?

 

                                              (Credit: Xinhua/Jiang Han) 

One of the more intriguing players drafted in this year's NBA Draft is 7'1" center Yang Hansen from Zibo, Shandong, China (淄博市,山东,中國) . Before being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers (via Memphis Grizzlies) with the 16th overall pick, Yang played for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association, located in Qingdao, Shandong, China (青岛市, 山东,中國). The Eagles finished in 8th place this past season, with a 31-15 overall record. The Eagles made the playoffs (12 teams), winning their first round best-of-three series against the Zhejiang Golden Bulls 2-1. However, the Eagles then fell to the Zhejiang Lions in the quarterfinals best-of-five series 3-2, ending their season. 

Yang was the number three scorer on the team, averaging 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game, forming a solid trio along with power forward Jordan Mickey (20.0 points & 9.5 rebounds) and guard Quinndary Weatherspoon (27.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, & 7.5 assists). Together, they were able to help guide the Eagles to not only a playoff appearance, but also a first round series victory. 

With Yang now in the NBA, that alone is going to make it tougher for the Eagles to get back to the playoffs next season. He was a key part of their team for the past two seasons and gave them a sound inside presence capable of scoring, rebounding, and facilitating in the post. To make matters even worse for the Eagles, Weatherspoon has also departed the team, opting to sign with the Brampton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. 

With two of their big three gone, it's going to be on Mickey's shoulders to carry the scoring load unless they can find a way to get him some help. As for who will replace Yang inside, 6'9" forward/center Junhu Lu is projected to be the starter inside, averaging 4.8 points & 2.7 rebounds per game last season. The 26 year old will have to take a big step forward if he's going to justify getting the kind of minutes that a starter typically gets. 

The bottom line is the departure of Yang Hansen to the Portland Trail Blazers is a big blow for the Qingdao Eagles and then to have Quinndary Weatherspoon also leave just makes matters worse. Odds are good they'll take a step back this season and enter a bit of a rebuilding phase. Of course, the silver lining for the Eagles is the fact that they now have an alumni and homegrown talent playing in the NBA. The more Chinese players you have playing in the NBA, the better it is for the Chinese Basketball Association and the national basketball scene as a whole. 

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What will Ace Bailey bring to the Utah Jazz?

 

                                             (Credit: Getty Images) 

When the Utah Jazz selected Rutgers forward Ace Bailey with the No. 5 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft, there were a lot of questions about whether or not he really wanted to be in Utah. From what I've heard, it sounds like that was mostly his agent/representation causing the commotion. Something that should calm the fears of Jazz fans. With that drama now subsiding, Bailey has gotten to work and already seen some action for the team in Summer League. What I want to do in this blog post is share my thoughts on what he can bring to the Jazz. 

Upon watching some film, what stands out about Bailey is the physical gifts he has. He has tremendous size and length for the guard position. His measurements are bit all over the place, but in shoes, it's safe to say he's 6'9" and 200 pounds. He handles the ball well, has good form on his shot, and also possesses good moves in the post. In one Summer League game I watched, he had a nice turnaround fadeaway, something that not all rookies have when they come into the league. He elevates to the rim with ease and should thrive in transition. 

During his lone year at Rutgers, he averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game on 46.0% shooting from the field, 34.6% shooting from 3-point range, and 69.2% shooting from the foul line. To put up those numbers in the Big Ten is impressive. He showed an ability to get after it on the glass and score at a pretty efficient clip while also being effective on defense. He is a legit two-way player with great physical gifts. It's no surprise he was drafted as high as he was. 

Like all rookies, Bailey I'm sure will go through some growing pains as he adjusts to the NBA level, but there is no denying his talent. As the Jazz look to build a championship level roster, Bailey absolutely has the potential be an essential building block for them to build their franchise around. The key will be for them to put the right pieces around him and give him confidence that he can win if he stays in Utah. If they can do that, they might finally be on the path to building a championship level team. 

Note: This blog post also appears on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check that out. 

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What will Yang Hansen bring to the Portland Trail Blazers?

 

                                             (Credit: AFP) 

The 16th overall pick in this year's NBA Draft was Yang Hansen, who played for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association, located in Qingdao, Shandong, China (青岛市, 山东,中國). Yang went to the Portland Trail Blazers via the Memphis Grizzlies. It wasn't surprising that he was selected, but it was surprising he went as high as he did. He was thought of being a more likely early second round selection. Yang made the decision to show up on draft night anyways and was rewarded for doing so. What I want to do is take a look at what he might bring to the Trail Blazers organization and the impact that he can make on the court. 

Listed at 7'1", 260 pounds, Yang is coming off a strong season with the Qingdao Eagles, guiding them to an 8th place finish and first round playoff best-of-three series victory (12 playoff teams). Yang averaged a double-double with his 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game. He was a tremendous force inside, doing a nice job of scoring both inside and out while also protecting the rim. 

During NBA Summer League, Yang has averaged 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game. He's made an impact right away and held his own against some of the best young players in the NBA. He has shot 33.3% from 3-point range on 12 attempts, 45.7% from the field, and most impressively 87.5% from the foul line. He shot 67.1% from the foul line with the Eagles last season, so it looks like he's improved his foul shooting this summer. Though given it was on just eight attempts, the sample size is still pretty small. 

When watching his tape, what stands out about Yang is how poised he is on the court. He does a good job of gathering himself with his shot while also seeing the floor well, making the right pass to a cutting teammate. He also runs the floor well and is able to make plays in transition. There's a lot to like with his game given how well-rounded he is. He can score both inside and out while also knocking down his free throws. On defense, he protects the rim and has proven to be a big body that is tough to score on. 

Overall, I think Yang Hansen has all the tools to be an effective player in the NBA. It might take a bit of time for him to adjust to the NBA game and level of play, but if he keeps growing his game, there's no reason to think the 20 year old can't end up being a cornerstone piece for the Trail Blazers for years to come. 

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