Anna Horford and her siblings knew shortly before the news broke for everyone else that the Celtics set their offseason in motion in motion with a major trade last June. Al Horford was back.
Horford had agreed to take a seat in March with the Thunder, spending more time with Amelia Vega, his wife, and their three young kids around Oklahoma City's expansive parks. An offseason trade became inevitable, as the Thunder prioritized a youth movement, and Horford's sister thought a Boston return made perfect sense. She even tweeted it. Horford and Amelia shared that sentiment, and it soon became their preferred destination.
"I knew even from just my conversations with Al and Amelia and even the kids, that Boston was a place that they really loved to be and wanted to kind of, if possible," Anna said. "They didn't know what opportunities would present themselves necessarily, but that was always a favored destination, I think, in our whole family's minds."
Anna called Maria, her sister, from her apartment in Michigan when the trade became official, stoked that it was actually happening. They texted Al congratulations. Jon Horford, Al's brother, later joked to Al that Anna was more excited than anyone, having built her own close relationship with Celtics fans and fandom for the team that outlasted her brother's tenure.
Horford returned looking like he never left and will start at center against the Nets in the playoffs with Robert Williams III recovering from surgery, trying to maintain the Celtics' championship hopes. Together, they anchored the league's best starting lineup this season, a credit to Horford's versatility, habits and desire to maintain his form 15 years into his career.
The Celtics sent Kemba Walker to the Thunder with a first-round pick and brought back Horford, who shined in Boston from 2016-2019 and helped lead the team to back-to-back east finals. Two years had passed, giving reason to wonder what Horford had left entering his 35-year-old season. Walker and Horford's large salaries seemingly dumped, the deal proved to be an addition for the Celtics. Horford carried added motivation after a turbulent year in Philadelphia, 76ers fans still boo him, and a 28-game stint in OKC.
Horford raved in training camp about how healthy he felt roughly seven months after his hiatus began, fresh physically and rejuvenated mentally getting a second chance with the Celtics. He also shared a greater appreciation in training camp for his first Boston tenure that bordered on regret, with a desire to prove he can play at that level again.
"The first thing with Al is he’s really, really smart, and he has a really, I think, great attention to detail to his body. He does a great job at taking care of himself," Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, who coached Horford in college, told Boston Sports Journal in Chicago last week. "When you’re around Al, it doesn’t come out, but he is highly, highly competitive. He is a great competitor. He will be a great guy in the locker room in terms of leadership. He can see big picture things. He can figure out how he has to impact a team. How the players have to impact each other. He has a great presence and a great way about him, the way he goes about it. But he’s just a consummate competitor and pro and just having Horford and Joakim Noah here, everybody knows the way Joakim is, those two guys, they’re very, very unique in terms of their competitiveness and their intelligence.”
Friends and family of Horford defended his tenure with the Sixers, who signed him away from the Celtics on a four-year, $109-million deal. Larry Turnbow, Horford's trainer in Michigan during his high school days, noted that Horford hit a career-high 99 threes with the 76ers. The fit, they argue, was the issue. Horford played next to two big men in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. The contract and championship allure, along with uncertainty over Boston's roster, lured him away.
The Thunder benefited from his defense last season after acquiring him with a first-round pick, and he shot close to 37% from three on the most attempts per game of his career. For Oklahoma City, Thunder assistant coach Dave Bliss remembered, Horford took the time to discuss life, habits and basic concepts with the youngest team in the NBA.
“Nothing’s beneath him,” Bliss said in November when OKC visited Boston. “Being willing to have those conversations, and wanting to have those conversations, he was kind of like our team dad. Putting an arm around guys when they need it, but also challenging the guys when the level of performance wasn’t high enough."
The team got to observe Horford's regimen, a career-long lifter. Beans and rice from his youth turned into a methodical diet years ago. When Turnbow first worked with Al following his arrival from the Dominican Republic, however, he could barely bench 55 pounds. Horford's left arm was stronger than his right, and he couldn't get the weight up. A far cry from the strength that gave him a vital niche on the Celtics guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and other physically imposing centers like Andre Drummond, his main assignment this week. When Grant Williams assigned Marvel characters to his teammates last month, Horford drew the Incredible Hulk.
The Celtics still hadn't recovered from the fallout of Kyrie Irving and Horford's initial departure. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown struggled to meet the moment in the 2020 East finals, before the team sputtered to .500 and a first-round exit in 2021 following Gordon Hayward's departure. Signing Tristan Thompson, to play where Horford once did, flopped. Trouble continued into this season, Smart poking the Jays over crunch time decision-making. Horford's effort to bring in Dennis Schroder helped early, before Schroder's isolation tendencies and shooting challenges hurt the offense. Through it all, Horford stressed patience.
Then he watched the team crater in fourth quarters into the winter, culminating in a loss to a Timberwolves team filled with G-Leaguers and felt his team searching, Horford said, needing to look in the mirror. Brown responded with a no comment.
Weeks later, they finally glanced at themselves following a 25-point meltdown in New York. Tatum acknowledged how inevitable past playoff runs felt. Brown addressed his relationship with Tatum and their commitment to Boston. They won 28-of-35 with stifling defense after, Horford helping turn it into offense with strong rebounding, outlet passes and sometimes dribbling the ball up to initiate offense himself.
Udoka saw potential in ramping up kick-ahead passes and more transition play in a January blowout of the Kings. Around the same time, he moved Horford on the ball defensively, and Williams off the ball to block shots in help position. The scheme made Boston unbreakable, the No. 1 offense and defense in the league after the deadline, and Horford sustained his play almost the entire season.
"Going in, my feel was I wanted us to be in this kind of position that we're in," Horford told BSJ on Saturday. "Early on, it wasn't looking like that and our group, we really just stayed committed to doing the things that coach kept harping on. Establishing ourselves on the defensive end and as the season went on it started to turn more of what I envisioned. Finishing the regular season like we did, that was what I expected from this group. Now we have a great opportunity in front of us. Our medical team has been unbelievable ... keeping us feeling well, healthy, I played 69 games this season and I felt good for most of the season. Our coaches also, getting us prepared, working every day on the day-to-day on the basketball aspect of things. I've just been very pleased how everything has come together for us."
Al, who Turnbow described as a stick in 2000, had asked Jon to start working with Turnbow, who played a role in both of their developments in high school. Turnbow taught Al his set shot, which he used to step outside in AAU games while coaches yelled at him to get into the post.
Turnbow also had Al dribble the ball over and over, 10-30 minutes in his free time, with each hand then between his legs. He stressed repetition and instilled habits that carried late into Horford's career, starting with those 5-7 days per week of shooting and skills development. Turnbow even told Horford to play guard in open gym. Horford, who didn't understand English well at the time, absorbed everything he saw.
When Horford arrived at the University of Florida, he looked for that same level of routine, in writing, but couldn't retrieve the team's summer lifting plan. He waited one week, still no program. Horford and Turnbow eventually pressed so hard on the subject that the Gators brought in Matt Herring to lead their strength and conditioning.
Then, when Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah and Horford gave their farewell speeches at the Gainesville Raceway after Florida's 2007 championship, Horford planned to follow Brewer's exuberance about making the leap to the NBA. When Horford looked into the crowd and saw Herring crying, he got emotional too, and told the crowd he's so sorry to leave into the microphone.
"I think the thing that Al's done a great job of is he's disciplined," Jon said. "He's consistent, but he's disciplined. He wants quality reps, especially at this point in his career. I don't think he's looking to over-train. He's very calculated in his approach. Takes care of his body extremely well. He eats well. He rests well. He recovers well and he invests in all of those areas and it's paying dividends. Like, a lot of people are surprised, 'oh, he's playing so well. He's playing this late in his career.' He's always played well. He never fell off."
Udoka noticed that on the first day the team came together, penciling Williams III in at center with Horford playing his preferred four spot. The team experimented with Horford coming off the bench in the first preseason game against Orlando, because Udoka knew what he had in his veteran. That meant Horford received a small ovation coming off the Celtics' bench, a subtle but concerted nod toward how his tenure played out and what he could still provide. Horford asserted later that week that he preferred to start, and he did.
Few predicted how closely Horford would resemble his former self, particularly on the defensive end where he went on a dominant run through the opening weeks of the season. Horford emerged among the league's block leaders, switched to guard every position inside and out, leading the league in contested shots early on, logged heavy minutes and his prowess in the pick-and-roll became the imprint for the defensive scheme later perfected. They had tense moments, too, as the team tried to perfect switching, which wasn't natural for everyone involved. Everyone missed assignments early on.
"We had a conversation when I got hired, being that I was with him in Philadelphia, and just said how excited he was to be back," Udoka told Boston Sports Journal on Saturday. "I think the year in Philly, it didn't go great, and then the half year in Oklahoma City helped him get rejuvenated. So he was very focused to come in and you could see it, just physically from his body, that he was in great shape. Then, being a veteran coming back to this group, I think he was excited about that as well ... he does so many things for us on both end of the court, offensive, defensively, but the leadership is one thing that he's going to always have. The familiarity with the group, him joining back into the group, that's one thing, but we wouldn't be allowed to do what we do defensively without him. The versatility, a true four man that can guard Embiid, Jokic and those guys, but also switch onto guards is invaluable for what we're trying to do."
None of Horford's siblings got to watch him in Oklahoma City during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so this season's early games allowed Jon to travel to Boston before he ramped up his campaign for the Michigan House of Representatives. Anna, Maria and Josh Horford watched Al average 12.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 1.7 BPG through November, while Amelia and the couple's three children posted Instagram stories screaming toward dad on the floor all season. Al, while doing a post-game walk off interview, even acknowledged Amelia pointing the camera at him with a wink.
Family became a major focus for Horford in Boston, with Ean, his seven-year-old son, beginning to formulate his own basketball skills. Al, who always organized capture the flag, baseball, kickball and football games for family and friends growing up, had the playful spirit to thrive in fatherhood. His game is Monopoly.
"(Ean) knows how to shoot a ball," Turnbow remembered from when he saw Horford's son at a camp. "He's 37 inches tall as a 2-year-old... this kid's throwing them in at the elbow, free throw line. I'm rebounding the ball and I'm throwing to E, and talking to Al, and he's just killing it. So some kid from the camp, a lot bigger than E, he's going to come over and guard this little kid. Who thinks like that? At the same time, he wants to get Al's attention, too. This kid kind of comes up and towers over E, and he kind of half puts his hand up and he knocks it in. Now, this kid jumps in front of E, like now I'm gonna guard you. E looks over at me, and I've never met the kid before, he looks over to me and chuckles. I'm thinking, 'what in the hell is this kid doing laughing at me?' (He) bends down, the big kid bends down as he bends down. As he's going down, E goes up, hits the shot, never retrieves the ball, because ... he jumps on Al legs and Al's dragging him and going, 'E, I've got to go over here and work.'"
That balance between Horford's preparation and the time he puts into fatherhood could dictate how much longer he decides to play. Al told Jon he wants to play as long as he physically can when they've discussed the future. Jon could see Al playing past 40, but it'll come down to how he feels, how soon he earns his coveted championship and how busy his kids become.
When Jon got to see the Celtics play in Detroit recently, his college coach John Beilein and Detroit staff members all raved about how much Horford's play impressed them this season. He averaged 10.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.3 BPG on 53.8% shooting in March and April, burying 45.6% of his threes. His shot came along slowly this season. Turnbow noticed him taking jump shots, elongating his release and cupping the ball. Horford began the year shooting 28.9% from deep through New Year's Day.
At Horford's best, Turnbow compared his three-point release to Karl-Anthony Towns, and would stress shortening his release when Horford struggled in the past. Horford kept shooting, encouraged by Tatum, who kept finding him for wide open looks. Then, in a marquee matchup against the Grizzlies, Horford poured in 21 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two blocks, capped by a three-pointer that drew a noticeable celebration from Tatum.
“He’s kind of the ultimate professional," Mike Budenholzer, Horford's former head coach in Atlanta, told BSJ before his Bucks beat the Celtics last week. "He just takes incredible care of his body. Off the court, on the court, in the weight room, anything he can do to preserve his health, preserve his body and he’s just an incredibly smart player. His skill, his ability to just make winning plays as a big guy is pretty unique, and I think Boston’s seeing that and experiencing that again this year.”
The 76ers gave Horford a championship incentive for the final year of his contract that carried over to Oklahoma City and Boston, so if the Celtics walk away with the Larry O'Brien trophy, Horford's $26.5-million becomes fully guaranteed. That he help put himself and Boston in a position to do that reflects how perfectly his return went and how important retaining him into future seasons could become. Brad Stevens stressed flexibility upon acquiring Horford. He later said we'll see if the group could figure it out and win. Now, they know.
It wouldn't be stunning to see the Celtics bring Horford back at that full salary, or come up with a new long-term deal. They need him. In Williams' absence, he'll guard Drummond, Durant and Kyrie on consecutive possessions. Pick-and-rolls and isolations. Nobody on the Celtics faced a wider range of assignments, not even Smart, who received multiple defensive player of the year votes.
"I second that motion that Ime's talking about," Smart told BSJ on the defense not working without Horford. "Al's been doing it for what, 15 years now? The experience that he brings to this team, the experience he brought with Rob, was huge for us. Al is the cool, calm and collected guy to keep us cool, calm when things are going down. Al doesn't say much, but when he does, it's time to listen because what he's saying is important ... he's been great, and I think for us, when he first got back, we kind of knew what he was going to bring. We was getting Al back. You could see it on his face. You could see it the way he comes in and works every day."
Here's what else happened in the NBA this week...
Atlanta (43-39): Lost Clint Capela in a comeback win over the Cavaliers in the winner-take-all, play-in game for the No. 8 seed. Capela hyperextended his right knee in the second half and will undergo an MRI over the weekend after being helped off the floor. Trae Young scored 38 points with nine assists and clinched Atlanta a first-round series against the east's No. 1 Miami Heat, needing two wins to get there, starting with a blowout win over Charlotte in the 9-10 leg of the play-in tournament. Young has helped the Hawks overcome various ailments, particularly their lacking defense, with 28.4 PPG and 9.7 APG on a career-high 46% FG. Young could get back another lob threat in John Collins (finger/foot), who will try to play in Game 1 at 1 EST on Sunday.
Boston (51-31): Played out their final game against the Grizzlies and rose to No. 2 in the east while the Bucks sat and lost their finale that would've clinched the series. As expected, the No. 7 Nets blew through the Cavaliers in the play-in tournament and will face the Celtics in round one starting Sunday at 3:30 EST. The series, a rematch of last year's 4-1 first-round victory for Brooklyn, features Jaylen Brown this time alongside Jayson Tatum playing at an MVP level. That cements Boston as favorites despite the Nets' top-end talents and Robert Williams III's likely absence for most if not all of the series. ESPN reported he could return around game six. The Celtics ranked No. 6 (121.7 points per 100) in offense and No. 7 in defense (109.9) in seven games without Williams, including two short-handed efforts without Al Horford and Tatum.
"They think it’s attack time because Rob is out," Ime Udoka said on Tuesday. "Obviously we’ve played in quite a few games without him now and have done well enough beating some good teams.”
Brooklyn (44-38): It's Ben Simmons watch time, again, as various reports signal he could make his Nets debut during their first-round series against the Celtics. Steve Nash and Kevin Durant have pushed back against those reports and Boston hasn't prepared "at all" for Simmons' involvement at practice this week. They'll instead grapple with Kyrie Irving and Durant both averaging over 30 PPG since Durant's return from knee injury. Bruce Brown has ascended back to his mini center spot in the pick-and-roll offensively, scoring 18 points with nine rebounds and eight assists in Brooklyn's play-in victory over Cleveland. He then rocked the boat by calling out Daniel Theis and Horford as Boston vulnerabilities. Durant immediately rebuked him, before Irving said he hopes to put hostilities with Celtics fans behind them, unlikely unless Brown receives ire for his comments.
The Nets will need to overcome their No. 20 ranked defense to get through a tough postseason path. They ranked No. 9 on defense over their final 15 games (113.1), albeit against a softer schedule. Seth Curry nursed a left ankle injury last week, while Andre Drummond rounds out their double-figure scorers.
Charlotte (43-39): Their season is over for the second straight season due to a Gordon Hayward foot/ankle injury and blowout play-in tournament loss that followed. The Hawks thrashed Charlotte's defense for 132 points, Miles Bridges got ejected and swung at an Atlanta fan, while LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier shot 15-for-47 from the field. Bridges enters restricted free agency, P.J. Washington is extension-eligible and James Borrego talked like he'll be back with the team next season. It's one that needs reshaping though, particularly in the interior. They'll need to address Hayward's future, as he's owed $30-million for the next two seasons.
"We just lost a game in the playoffs," Borrego said. "So I'll go back and do my job and we've got to get better. We've gotten better every single year, I don't worry about that. It does not phase me. I love this team. I trust this team and we'll take a step forward next year."
Dallas (52-30): They successfully drew the favorable first-round matchup in the west against the Jazz, but the downside of playing out the schedule showed itself in devastating fashion when Luka Doncic came up lame in Dallas' season finale with a left calf strain. Doncic missed the Mavs' Game 1 loss, and may miss Game 2 as well after not practicing this week. The Mavericks have played better offensively with Doncic on the floor this season, but their defense played significantly better without him. That side became part of their identity this season. The Mavericks are now 7-10 when Doncic sits this season.
Denver (48-34): The Nuggets stayed above the play-in line and earned themselves a shot in the dark against a Warriors team that'll try to integrate Steph Curry back into the lineup following his foot injury. Nikola Jokic, who's emerging as the favorite to win his second straight MVP award based on early ballots released, will lead the continuously short-handed Nuggets having averaged 28 PPG, 15.8 RPG and 8.8 APG on 51.9% shooting in four games against the Warriors this year, winning three. Denver lost Game 1 on Saturday, 123-107.
Keep an eye on Jamal Murray (ACL), who's looked good in his movements and has been described as doubtful in this series, an upgrade from out. Michael Porter Jr. (back) is unlikely to play in this postseason.
Detroit (23-59): Successfully landed in top-three lottery position, earning themselves a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick and 52.1% chance of staying the top four. They tanked, saw strides from Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, Hamidou Diallo and added Marvin Bagley III to the mix for a late-season spark. That plus a top lottery pick will continue to point this team upward. Bagley enters restricted free agency and Jerami Grant's future will remain a question ahead of the final season on his contract. They'll likely have $27-million in cap to work with too.
Golden State (53-29): Barely held onto the No. 3 seed over Dallas and will host the Nuggets in the first round after going 6-6 without Steph Curry (foot), getting right on a five-game win streak to end the season. Klay Thompson averaged 36.7 PPG in his final three appearances, Jordan Poole closed out the season with 22.4 PPG, Andrew Wiggins shot 53% and Jonathan Kuminga (11.8 PPG) rounded out four Warriors in double figures in those wins. Curry scored 16 points in Golden State's Game 1 win on a minutes restriction. Draymond Green had missed all four of the Warriors' games against Denver. Opponents scored 5.5 fewer points per 100 with Green on the floor this year.
Houston (20-62): Will have another top-three shot at a top pick in this year's draft, actually setting the groundwork this time with all-rookie caliber seasons from Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. The Rockets also own a surprisingly strong Nets pick (No. 17), as the selections they'll receive in coming years from the James Harden trade appear more encouraging following Harden's departure from Brooklyn. John Wall, Eric Gordon and Christian Wood's futures will be major offseason themes, along with Kevin Porter Jr.'s after a turbulent season.
Indiana (25-57): The Pacers don't tank, but intentionally or not they did in 2022, all the way to their third-worst season in franchise history. They'll have the fifth-best lottery odds (10.5% No. 1) and found a new franchise cornerstone in Tyrese Haliburton, who averaged 17.5 PPG and 9.6 APG in 26 games after being dealt from the Kings at the trade deadline. T.J. Warren, who hasn't played since the NBA Bubble with a broken foot, is an unrestricted free agent reportedly intent on sticking around. Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield could potentially go for the right price. They can pay Jalen Smith $4.7-million at most. They're at the ground floor in a loaded east, but don't have a bad view. Projected cap space: $24.6-million.
Clippers (42-40): Lost to the Pelicans after blowing a double-digit lead to the Timberwolves, missing the playoffs in the play-in tournament despite entering as the No. 8 seed. Paul George entered COVID protocols and missed the team's game against New Orleans. The team didn't have George often and Kawhi Leonard missed the entire season, but the ending still felt very Clippers. Leonard had seemingly neared a return if LA could've made a deep postseason run. Now, they'll enter 2022-23 with big expectations.
Lakers (33-49): Couldn't stop the circus even after being eliminated from the postseason and game 82 passing. Adrian Wojnarowski announced Frank Vogel's firing while the coach spoke post-game and, in his words, wasn't told "s***." The 2020 championship head coach for this group got sent packing, and retained GM Rob Pelinka will immediately need to address Russell Westbrook's future. A $47-million final season on his contract, his weird exit interview complaints about Vogel not liking him and a disastrous season trying to fit with the team on both ends don't bode well to him sticking around, but reported fits with the Hornets and Pacers don't make sense for the other teams. Names like Nick Nurse and Doc Rivers emerging as coaching candidates seem overly optimistic too. LeBron James is signed for one more season at $44.5-million. Anthony Davis returns with four years and $121.8-million remaining on his deal.
Memphis (56-26): Drew the Timberwolves in round one after Minnesota's triumphant play-in victory, setting up another 2-7 dog fight between Ja Morant and Patrick Beverley, whose post-game celebration in Minnesota resembling a championship drew laughs from Morant on Twitter. The Grizzlies boast the league's No. 4 offense and No. 6 defense, but split four competitive games with the Wolves. Morant shot 33.8% in those games, while D'Angelo Russell thrived attacking the Memphis back court for 31 PPG on 55.8% FG. This could be a dangerous series for the Griz, who already have shooting concerns. The Timberwolves took Game 1, 130-117.
Miami (53-29): One of the most intriguing playoff teams. They could easily make the NBA Finals, and securing the No. 1 seed decreased the chances they bow out against a Hawks team they beat in 3-of-4 meetings in the regular season. The Heat turned up their efforts and blasted the Hornets, Raptors and Bulls for over 110 points, while also grinding out a win in Boston in the closing weeks of the season. Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo all averaged 20 PPG over their final 15 games, while Kyle Lowry and Max Strus both shot over 40% from three. They're a top-10 defensive team that can turn those stops into offense, but the half court is a concern. Miami ranked No. 11 in half court points per 100 possessions. Game 1 is Sunday at 1 EST.
Milwaukee (51-31): After Giannis Antetokounmpo's announced desire to take the difficult path in the postseason, the Bucks sat him, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez against Cleveland on the final day of the regular season. Jrue Holiday fouled after the tip-off to secure his games played contract incentive, then sat down for the rest of the night as the Cavaliers smashed the Bucks and sent them down to No. 3 in the east. Milwaukee avoided the Nets, set up the Celtics against them and secured a first-round series with the battered Bulls, who they're heavy favorites against. The Bucks won all four meetings in the regular season, the latest 127-106, as the defending champions might've set themselves up with a real advantage in the east playoffs.
Minnesota (46-36): Went from a disaster when Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out of their play-in game against the Clippers with 7:34 to play down by seven points to an emphatic victory led by Anthony Edwards and clutch late shooting from D'Angelo Russell. The Wolves clinched only their second playoff berth since 2004. Given the cloud that hung over the Jimmy Butler team that bowed out of the 2018 playoffs in five games, Minnesota and Patrick Beverley celebrated hard.
Beverley's stand on the podium moment mirrored Kobe Bryant's in 2010, Edwards said LA was scared to guard him and a team on the brink of disaster showed why I had such high hopes for them entering this postseason. They can beat the Grizzlies, and if Towns can get it together they should. He had one of the great playoff meltdowns by a star on Tuesday, 3-for-11 shooting, 11 points, four turnovers and six fouls. Edwards scored 36 points to lead Minnesota over Memphis in Game 1 on Saturday.
New Orleans (36-46): Looked complete sliding past the Spurs in the 9-10 play-in game before winning a thriller against the Clippers trailing by as many as 13 points after blowing a 16-point first half lead of their own. Brandon Ingram manned point late and scored 30 points with six assists on 14-for-21 shooting in the biggest game of his career. Larry Nance Jr. grabbed 16 rebounds, the forgotten throw-in from the C.J. McCollum trade who only recently got healthy.
They held LA to 41.2% shooting, secured a first-round series against the Suns and, perhaps most importantly, keep their own first-round pick which was 15-30 protected from Portland. The Trail Blazers will instead receive a protected 2025 Bucks first-rounder that New Orleans owned. Zion Williamson continues to be visible around the team, throwing down incredible dunks, but is unable to play.
New York (37-45): Their first order of business will probably be addressing Kemba Walker's future after sending him home with continued knee ailments after a struggle-filled return to New York. Julius Randle begins a four-year, $117.1-million extension with no certain future with the Knicks either after a tumultuous 2022. In other words, everything should be on the table in New York in terms of trades, while a youth movement appears less likely if Tom Thibodeau remains head coach, the talent and upside of Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and whoever the team drafts with its No. 11 lottery pick should be prioritized alongside R.J. Barrett.
Oklahoma City (24-58): This is an important offseason, after 24 wins proved too many to get into the NBA's bottom three even while liberally sitting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey late in the season while Lu Dort underwent season-ending surgery. Tre Mann averaged 18.7 PPG in his final seven games, while Darius Bazley shot 49.4% over that same stretch. Oklahoma City has enough talent to start making some strides in the west, but need to start acting like they're trying to win. One more lottery pick should be enough to start looking to add veteran supporting talent and consolidate picks, especially since they also own No. 12 (Clippers) and No. 30 (Suns) picks in this year's draft. How about buying low on a disgruntled star like Randle?
They won't have much cap space due to Gilgeous-Alexander's extension kicking in, Derrick Favors' player option and Kemba's $27-million in dead money.
Orlando (22-60): Have a top shot alongside the Pistons and Rockets at scoring the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA Draft. Jalen Suggs faced an early wrist injury and struggled to shoot as a rookie, Franz Wagner thrived, Wendell Carter Jr. made strides, while Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac effectively missed the entire season. Gary Harris is a key free agent and could present sign-and-trade opportunities. They're still years away.
Philadelphia (51-31): Tied the Bucks and Celtics for the No. 2 seed, but lost each tiebreaker due to a poor division record and fell to No. 4 in the east. They face a red-hot Raptors team and will be without Matisse Thybulle for the two or three games in Toronto, due to his unvaccinated status. Joel Embiid already discussed a random Raptors scheme that could show as many as three bodies at him in the post, while James Harden shot 40.9% in three games against Toronto. Still, the Sixers finished the year No. 6 in offense and No. 10 in defense over their final 15 games. They should win this series, even if it stretches into a seven-game rock fight. The question is how healthy and how much energy do they emerge with for a round two with Miami?
Phoenix (64-18): Face the Pelicans in round one, a team that finished 28 games worse than them, with damaged Mavericks and Jazz teams lined up in round two. The only question here is how easily the Suns will breeze to the western conference finals, with relatively full health, a late-season surge from Cam Johnson and a favorable path lined up. Landry Shamet did miss practice with a left foot injury. Game 1 is Sunday at 9 EST.
Portland (27-55): Watching this week's west play-in tournament, it was hard not to notice C.J. McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Norman Powell helping their respective teams while the Trail Blazers walked away with a future Bucks pick from New Orleans after the Pelicans beat the Clippers. Powell netted the Blazers Keon Johnson and a second-round pick, while a full-blown second-half tank got Portland the sixth-best lottery odds. Can this group pair Damian Lillard with enough talent around him? It's hard to see at this point, and worse, harder to see them getting a significant return for the aging star.
“If they came to me and they wanted to trade me," Lillard said this week. "I’m not going to fight them on wanting to trade me."
Sacramento (30-52): The Kings moved on from Alvin Gentry and will search for a new head coach, their fifth over the past seven seasons. De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will give their new coach a strong starting point, but building a defensive identity and developing young talent proved difficult for Luke Walton and Gentry. Losing Tyrese Haliburton already looks devastating and this rough season only earned them the seventh-best lottery odds (32% top four). Their trade of Marvin Bagley III for Donte DiVincenzo didn't go well either, the restricted free agent to be reportedly bristled over how playing time impacted his market this summer.
San Antonio (34-48): Quickly exited the play-in tournament following a loss to the Pelicans and Gregg Popovich dodged a question about his future. The Spurs saw Dejounte Murray become a star alongside strides from Lonnie Walker IV, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poetl and Devin Vassell. They'll receive ninth-best lottery odds, the No. 20 or 21 overall pick from the Raptors and the No. 23, 24 or 25 overall pick from the Celtics after trading Thad Young and Derrick White. They have a bright future, but the Popovich question looms large.
Toronto (48-34): Proved to be no joke by the end of the season by courting an all-star in Fred VanVleet and All-NBA candidate in Pascal Siakam. Scottie Barnes looks like the favorite to win rookie of the year based on early ballots released, and their defense finished the season ranked No. 9. Their dedication to length, zones and random blitzes became a credit to Nick Nurse's brilliant coaching. He should be a name in coach of the year conversations, while the 76ers should fear their ability to make players not named Joel Embiid beat them. Tyrese Maxey poured 38 points on them in a Game 1 loss, 131-111, while Barnes left with a left ankle injury.
Utah (49-33): Suddenly received some hope for their strange season in the form of Luka Doncic's injury that should cost him some time at the beginning of this series. The Jazz lost 8-of-15 and nearly fell to No. 6 in the west to close the season, but Rudy Gobert still anchored a No. 7-ranked defense over that stretch. Donovan Mitchell averaged 27.8 PPG over his final 12 games, but on 43% shooting. They're a thin group, struggle to guard the perimeter and it's hard to tell how much spirit's left here. They have a chance in the first round if they can steal some early games, and they took Game 1, 99-93, in Dallas on Saturday.
Washington (35-47): Bradley Beal spoke to NBC Sports Boston and heaped praise upon longtime friend Jayson Tatum: "I feel like he hasn't even cracked the seal of really realizing how good he can possibly be. So that's why I see it. Granted, yes, I may sound biased. Sure, sure, whatever. But I've been saying it since he was a kid: Go be the best player to ever touch a basketball. Go do that."
Beal has a $36.4-million player option this offseason and his decision regarding his future, setting up the largest contract in the league next offseason or moving on from Washington, could be this summer's biggest story.