Photo by Frank Dodson/LATimes The Boston Celtics weren’t supposed to be here. Ranked third, written off as a temporary placeholder in the East, and forced to navigate a long stretch without their franchise player: Boston has quietly flipped the script. At 23–12, the Celtics have done more than survive—they’ve competed at the toughest level, defended their identity, and won, leaning heavily into the best version of Jaylen Brown we’ve ever seen. On paper, this doesn’t look like

The 2025 NBA Draft had lofty league-wide expectations. Widely viewed as a stronger, deeper class than the 2024 group, it was headlined by blue-chip prospects like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and a wave of lottery talent expected to make an immediate impact. Two months into the regular season, that promise is beginning to materialize. While it’s still early—and patience is always required with younger players—we’ve already seen stark debuts from rookies performing way ahead of s

Credit: Donte Boyd/AP The NBA looks very different than it did even a decade ago. The league has become faster, younger, and far less patient, with teams prioritizing immediate impact over long-term development. As a result, the path to a stable NBA career has narrowed considerably. Undrafted hopefuls and Euro League standouts once had real opportunities to carve out lasting roles, but today, fewer of those players are sticking around long enough to do so. The margin for erro

December has quietly turned into a highlight-reel month across the league. It feels like almost every night, the NBA has a game that delivers a posters that feels ripped straight from All-Star Weekend—LeBron James detonating on Luke Kornet, Devin Vassell soaring over OG Anunoby, and a steady stream of rim-rattling finishes that remind us why the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest feels so sour. The 2025-26 All-Star Weekend festivities may still be months away, but the truth is hard to i