Southeast Notes: Snyder, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards, Hardy
Quin Snyder became the 41st head coach in NBA history to record 500 victories as the Hawks won Saturday for the 15th time in 17 games, writes Maura Carey of The Associated Press. Atlanta is currently 42-33, the No. 6 seed in an extremely tight Eastern Conference playoff race.
“It was special,” Snyder said after the game. “When you’ve been in this league for a while, you realize that coaches, they keep your record, but it’s really the players and the other people that allow for that to happen. I’ve been really lucky to be able to coach some not just really good players, but just really quality people.”
As Carey notes, multiple Hawks players are having career years in 2025/26 under Synder, who holds a career record of 500-396 (.558) across 12 seasons with Utah and Atlanta.
Trade deadline acquisition Jock Landale, who recorded 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocks as a fill-in starter in Saturday’s win over Sacramento, praised his new coach after the game.
“Quin’s incredible, honestly, and I don’t say that lightly. He’s been instrumental in just kind of getting me up to speed with exactly what’s going on,” Landale said. “He’s a great coach to play for, and I think that all 17 of us would say the exact same thing about him.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The Hornets entered Saturday having won five straight games and 23 of their last 29. They led the 76ers by five points entering the fourth quarter in Saturday’s critical matchup for postseason positioning, but went 0-4 on twos and 5-of-18 on threes in the fourth quarter and their cold offensive spell trickled over to the other end, according to head coach Charles Lee. “In that fourth quarter especially, just our defensive focus started to wane a little bit as we were missing shots,” Lee said (story via Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer). “The guys did a good job the last few games of just not letting that be the case ever. Our shot-making can’t affect our defense and I thought I did a little bit. Too many guys just driving without that physicality piece. Too many back doors, too many offensive rebounds and clutch moments. Offensively, I thought that our pace started to slow down a little bit. And we were able to really put them in some compromising situations, created a lot of advantages when we played fast and played with great ball movement.”
- Hornets wing Kon Knueppel has been incredibly productive and efficient as a rookie this season. He has only missed one game in 2025/26, averaging 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists on .485/.434/.864 shooting splits in 73 appearances (31.6 minutes per game). The Sixers had the third pick in last year’s draft and used it to take VJ Edgecombe, who has also been excellent as a rookie, one pick ahead of Knuppel. Head coach Nick Nurse praised the former Duke standout on Saturday, Boone writes in the same story. “Lots of people really liked him in the draft for sure, and he’s proved those people right and the people that didn’t, he’s proved those people wrong,” Nurse said. “For me, I just think he was a hooper, man. You just knew he was a competitor, and knew how to play and had lots of pieces to the game as well. He’s again one of those guys that he’ll rebound, he’ll block out, he’ll set screens — he knows how to play all parts of the game. And then, of course, he throws on that elite shooting skill … His elite skill is the shooting, and I think that’s what makes him so good, so valuable.” Knueppel pulled down 11 rebounds on Saturday but had his third-worst shooting game of the season (3-for-14 from the field).
- Forward Bilal Coulibaly had 21 points and six rebounds in the Wizards‘ close loss to Golden State on Friday but only played 19 minutes, including zero in the fourth quarter. Guard Bub Carrington (16 points and five assists in 26 minutes) also didn’t play in the fourth quarter, while second year-big man Alex Sarr was allowed to foul out of the game in the third quarter. Head coach Brian Keefe was asked about those decisions after the game, according to Nate Duncan (Twitter link), and said all three players had hit their minutes limits. As for not playing in the fourth quarter, Keefe said the team was prioritizing its players’ health and that the Wizards didn’t want to disrupt their rotations.
- Jaden Hardy has been on fire from three-point range since the Wizards acquired him from Dallas in last month’s Anthony Davis trade, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. The 23-year-old guard is averaging 13.3 PPG while shooting 43.9% from long distance in 18 games with Washington (20.4 MPG). “There’s a bunch of players out there who haven’t gotten their opportunity, but they have game. If you get the opportunity, you have to just try to take full advantage of it and that’s what I’m trying to do… I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me over here. It’s a young team, so I feel like I fit in,” Hardy said.
And-Ones: Expansion, Sweet 16, Coaches, All-Surprise Team
Although all 30 NBA governors voted this week to formally explore the possibility of expanding to Seattle and Las Vegas, there are at least two or three owners who have concerns about the financial aspect and aren’t thrilled by the idea of adding two new expansion teams, writes Howard Beck of The Ringer. According to Beck, there are also several front office executives who view expansion as being solely financially motivated and are skeptical about whether it’s a good idea from a basketball perspective.
“Is (expansion) good? I would say no,” one executive from a playoff team told Beck. “I look at some of these rosters and can say some teams have at least one, if not two, players that shouldn’t be in the NBA. There should be a concern about dilution of talent. The two new teams are going to be really bad for a while. Add to it that good players are staying in college for the paydays they are getting (via NIL), and there is even less talent available.”
As Beck notes within his story, the NBA’s decision to approve an “exploration” of expansion is something of a hedge, giving the league an out if the process doesn’t go as planned. For instance, while team owners would surely feel comfortable moving forward with expansion if it can extract fees in the $8-10 billion range for two new franchises, many of those same owners would be less enthusiastic if the bids topped out at, say, $5 billion.
Beck also wonders if the NBA might be willing to turn away from either Seattle or Las Vegas if a prospective ownership group from another city came through with a massive bid, given that the process appears to be driven by money. However, one executive he spoke to predicted that Seattle and Vegas would be “better markets than some we already have.”
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- With the Sweet 16 games set to tip off in a matter of hours, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic shares his thoughts on how the NCAA tournament has impacted his perception of several of this year’s top draft prospects, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report updates his 2026 mock draft, and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints each identify four players – one from each region – whom they’ll be watching on Thursday and Friday.
- Arguing that a single Coach of the Year award isn’t sufficient to recognize the exceptional performances in the NBA’s head coaching ranks, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports introduces his “All-Coaching team,” headlined by J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons, Mitch Johnson of the Spurs, and Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics.
- Elsewhere on the made-up-award front, Fred Katz of The Athletic unveils the 10 players who made his All-Surprise first and second teams this season. The first team consists of Pistons center Jalen Duren, Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Cavaliers wing Jaylon Tyson, Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, and Celtics center Neemias Queta.
Butler Hires Hawks Assistant Ronald Nored As Head Coach
Hawks assistant Ronald Nored is leaving his NBA job to become the head coach at Butler University. The move was first reported by Matt Norlander of CBS Sports and has been officially confirmed by the school.
“The term ‘dream job’ doesn’t do justice to how I feel about the opportunity to lead the Butler program,” Nored said in a statement. “Butler is an incredibly special place. As a player, I poured blood, sweat and tears into this program. No one appreciates both the responsibility and the potential that comes with this position more than me. Passionate fans, Hinkle Fieldhouse, the BIG EAST, storied tradition, a world-class education, a thriving city… there is incredible momentum at Butler right now and I can’t wait to hit the ground running as we elevate Butler to new heights.”
A longtime NBA assistant, Nored has spent the past three seasons under Quin Snyder in Atlanta. He was also a member of Rick Carlisle‘s Pacers staff from 2021-23, worked with the Hornets under James Borrego from 2018-21, and had a player development role in Boston in 2014/15 under his former Butler coach Brad Stevens.
Additionally, Nored has a little previous head coaching experience. From 2016-18, he served as the head coach of the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate.
A player for the Bulldogs from 2008-12, Nored was the starting point guard on the Butler squads that appeared in consecutive national championship games in 2010 and 2011. He’ll be replacing Thad Matta, who announced his retirement last week. Nored and Akron coach John Groce were the two finalists for the position, sources tell Norlander.
While neither Norlander’s report nor Butler’s press release confirmed that Nored will be leaving the Hawks immediately, before the end of the NBA season, the school indicated that he’ll be introduced to the media on Friday afternoon.
Southeast Notes: Johnson, Kuminga, Bitadze, Ball
Jalen Johnson missed the Hawks‘ win over the Warriors on Saturday with a shoulder injury, but head coach Quin Snyder is hopeful the star forward be back in time for Monday’s game against the Grizzlies, per Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). Snyder didn’t elaborate on Johnson’s injury, simply stating, “He’s okay.”
A first-time All-Star this season, Johnson has played 63 of Atlanta’s 71 games this season, averaging 22.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per night while ranking second in the league in triple-doubles.
The Hawks are currently tied with the Sixers for sixth place in the East, having won nine of their last 10 games.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Jonathan Kuminga‘s first game with the Hawks against his former team didn’t end up being can’t-miss television, as he scored just two points on 1-of-9 shooting in Atlanta’s win over Golden State. Despite their very public split, both Kuminga and his former team maintain that their personal relationship is still positive, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “I like Jonathan. We always got along well,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The basketball part was the hard part. We couldn’t quite offer him what he needed and vice versa.” Kuminga focused on his teammates in discussing his former team, stating, “I’ve still got great friendship and connection like they’re my brothers. I could call them at any time if they need something and they could call me anytime if they need something, so I think that shows a lot. Our relationship is very strong and we’re brothers at the end of the day.”
- Goga Bitadze refuted Luka Doncic‘s account of the interaction that took place during the Magic‘s one-point loss to the Lakers that led to both players being given technical fouls, which were subsequently rescinded. Doncic claimed that Bitadze made a comment about his mother. “Where I come from, it’s really sacred and we really respect each other’s families, and I would never directly say that,” Bitadze said. “He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia, I understand.” The Georgian big man also extended an olive branch to the Slovenian superstar. “It was just in the heat of the moment. I heard what he said, and I felt like I had to respond the same way,” he said. So, from my side, if he feels like I said something too much or crossed the line, I apologize as a man. I can take [accountability], but I didn’t say anything, but what he said.”
- LaMelo Ball has led the Hornets to a 37-34 record, including 21 wins in their past 27 games. Head coach Charles Lee credits Ball’s infectious energy and approach as a tone-setter for the team, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “There’s just so much joy that he brings. His teammates love him. They love being around him,” Lee said. “He is one of those guys that’s so open-minded to being coached. He’s still hungry to learn.” Teammate Brandon Miller credited Ball’s defensive focus, which Miller believes has been underrated this season, as another example of the point guard’s adaptability and growth as a player.
Community Shootaround: Final Four Eastern Playoff Spots
With three weeks remaining in the 2025/26 regular season, only three games separate the No. 5 Raptors (39-30) from the No. 10 Hornets (37-34). The Hawks (39-32), Sixers (39-32), Magic (38-32) and Heat (38-33), in order of their seeds, are currently in between those two clubs in the Eastern Conference standings.
Those six teams are vying for the fifth and sixth seeds in the East to secure guaranteed playoff berths. The four clubs that end up in the Nos. 7-10 spots would have to advance through the play-in tournament to make the playoffs.
While it’s obviously not as advantageous as making the playoffs outright, the No. 7 seed does get a significant leg up in the play-in tournament, as that team plays at home and has two chances to advance. The No. 8 team also gets two cracks at a playoff spot, whereas the ninth and 10th clubs have to win two consecutive games to move on.
Barring an unexpected collapse (and a major surge up the standings from one of the aforementioned teams), Detroit, Boston, New York and Cleveland are likely going to be the top four seeds in the East, in some order. The No. 4 Cavs (44-27) are four games ahead of the Raptors right now, and the No. 1 Pistons (51-19) have essentially locked up a top-four spot.
No. 11 Milwaukee and No. 12 Chicago haven’t been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention quite yet, but they will almost certainly soon join Indiana, Washington and Brooklyn as Eastern teams formally ruled out of the playoff picture.
Toronto controls its own destiny. The Raptors not only have the most remaining games (13) and fewest losses of the six teams vying for the fifth and sixth spots, they also have the easiest remaining schedule by opponent winning percentage (.476), according to Tankathon.
The No. 6 Hawks went 4-0 against the No. 7 Sixers this season, which is why they’re ahead of them in the standings despite having identical records. Atlanta, which has won 12 of its past 13 games, has a slightly more difficult (.534 opponent winning percentage) schedule than Philadelphia (.527) over the final 11 games of the season.
The Magic and Heat have been inconsistent in 2025/26. Both teams recently won seven consecutive games and are now in the midst of four-game losing streaks. Orlando theoretically has an easier schedule (.485) than Miami (.505) to wrap up the regular season.
The Hornets have been one of the best teams in the NBA for several weeks, but they got off to such a poor start that they’re still trying to dig out of that hole. After a January 21 loss to Cleveland, Charlotte was 16-28; the team has gone 21-6 ever since. The Hornets have three easy games left, but also have eight matchups with teams ahead of them in the standings (.525 opponent winning percentage).
We want to know what you think. Which teams will end up as the fifth and sixth seeds in the East? Which of the four remaining clubs will advance through the play-in tournaments in the seventh and eight spots? Head to the comments section to weigh in with your thoughts!
Warriors Notes: Porzingis, Curry, Injuries, Kuminga
The Warriors are the latest team to sign up for the Kristaps Porzingis experience, which has been tantalizing and frustrating during most of his NBA stops, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Porzingis can be a difference maker on the court with his combination of size and talent, but his susceptibility to injuries creates uncertainty over how often he’ll be available.
He left Friday’s game at Detroit with back soreness and is unavailable for tonight’s contest in Atlanta. The Hawks traded him to Golden State last month after going through a mostly disappointing stretch with Porzingis, who was acquired from Boston last summer but was only healthy for 17 games before being shipped out.
The latest injury forced Porzingis to leave Friday’s game in the second quarter after taking a couple of hits from Pistons big man Paul Reed.
“I kind of started feeling it from the first quarter,” Porzingis told ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter video link). “It started to spasm up a bit. I tried to move and … while I was warm, but at one point I kind of felt a little spasm.”
This is the fourth time in Porzingis’ career that he has been sidelined with back issues, according to Poole, who adds that team officials declined to speculate about how long he might be out. He has appeared in just seven of 18 games since the February 5 trade.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- A scrimmage on Sunday morning in Atlanta will be the next step in Stephen Curry‘s comeback attempt, coach Steve Kerr told reporters on Saturday (Twitter video link from Slater). “I think tomorrow’s probably the big day, and we’ll know more at that point,” Kerr added. Curry, who has been sidelined since January 30 with runner’s knee, will be reevaluated on Tuesday when the team returns home from its road trip.
- Golden State had six players out and five others listed as questionable on its injury report for tonight’s game, per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). Among those considered questionable, Draymond Green, De’Anthony Melton and Malevy Leons have been cleared to play, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- In a pregame session with the media, Hawks coach Quin Snyder shared his advice for Jonathan Kuminga as he prepares for his first meeting with the Warriors since being sent to Atlanta in the Porzingis deal, relays Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Players get traded in this league. You can’t make it about you, and I don’t think he is,” Snyder said. “I think more than anything, he’s looking forward to being on the court, regardless of who the opponent is. The plan is for him to keep doing what he’s doing, no matter who we’re playing. He’s done that. Whether that means six shots or 13, or however many. It’s really not been about his offense. He’s given us a lift defensively and I think his energy has been really good. He’s been a boost for our team when he’s been able to play. And hopefully that’s what we’ll see tonight.”
Southeast Notes: Kuminga, Powell, White, Wizards
Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (left knee) has been ruled out for Friday’s game in Houston, but the expectation is that he’ll be available on Saturday for his first matchup with his former team, the Warriors, tweets Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
While Kuminga’s stint in Golden State turned sour over the course of his four-and-a-half years with the franchise, no one in the organization holds any ill will toward him, according to head coach Steve Kerr, who said the Warriors want to see Kuminga succeed in Atlanta.
“To be honest, I haven’t given (the first matchup against Kuminga) much thought because we’re trying to win a damn game,” Kerr told Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “But I can tell you that everybody likes JK. Everybody on our team wants the best for him. I want the best for him.
“… I think players need the right set of circumstances to thrive. And the trade made sense because these were not the right circumstances for JK. And you can see right away that Kristaps (Porzingis) has a very clear role on this team, something we’ve needed for years. And we’re looking forward to getting him out there with Steph (Curry). And so in the end, hopefully it’s a trade that works for both guys and both teams.”
Although the on-court fit wasn’t right for him, Kuminga developed several strong relationships during his time with the Warriors. One of those relationships was with current Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh, who was the vice president of basketball strategy in Golden State before being hired by Atlanta in 2024.
“I would go in the front office and mess with him,” Kuminga said of Saleh, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). “He was somebody that you could really sit down and communicate with.”
Saleh may be looking to negotiate a new contract with Kuminga this summer. According to Fischer, sources say there’s mutual interest between the Hawks and the forward’s camp in the possibility of the team declining its $24.3MM option on Kuminga for the 2026/27 season in order to work out a new, multiyear deal.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Since missing seven games due to a groin strain, All-Star guard Norman Powell has come off the bench in two of the Heat‘s last three games. He has still played at least 30 minutes in each of those contests and is taking the adjustment to his role in stride, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I feel like I’m a starter. I’ve worked to be in that role,” Powell said. “But if the team feels that me coming off the bench some games or whatever it is based on a matchup is going to put us in position to win games, I’m going to accept the role and go out there and play basketball.”
- Coby White is playing fewer minutes in Charlotte so far than he did in Chicago, but the Hornets guard is looking more and more comfortable in his sixth man role, averaging 23.0 points in 23.0 minutes per game on .512/.417/.938 shooting in his past three outings. “I appreciate his humility in wanting to kind of fit in, but he’s a heck of a player, and he’s gotta be himself,” head coach Charles Lee said, per Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. “And I think the guys encouraged him and continue to do that too, and be aggressive. He’s another guy who can just generate more offense, get the offense flowing. He helps us get to the free throw line because he understands how to use his body, and when he feels contact he starts to get into his shot. But the passing has been really good, too. So I’m really proud of Coby’s growth and evolution since he’s been here.”
- David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look at what the Wizards and Trae Young are looking to accomplish in the final few weeks of the regular season, noting that Young and rookie guard Tre Johnson each expressed a desire to get plenty of reps alongside one another.
Southeast Notes: Johnson, NAW, Wagner, Black, Isaac, Bam
Within a feature on the NBA’s hottest team, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) notes that the Hawks could’ve been a viable trade suitor for Giannis Antetokounmpo prior to last month’s deadline, but says the idea of including Jalen Johnson in an offer for the Bucks star was viewed as a “non-starter” in Atlanta.
Johnson’s own agent, Rich Paul, fueled trade speculation when he suggested in a December episode of the Game Over podcast that Milwaukee should target his client in Giannis trade talks (Twitter video link). However, according to Fischer, the Hawks believe the 24-year-old, who made his first All-Star team this season, has MVP-level upside.
“That was probably the first time in my career (hearing) the rumors and stuff like that,” Johnson told Fischer. “But I got reassurance from everyone around here that that’s not the plan. Obviously it means a lot … the trust they have in me and the belief they have in me.”
Johnson is averaging career highs in points (23.0), rebounds (10.4), and assists (8.1) per game in 2025/26. He’s in the first season of a five-year contract that will pay him $30MM annually through 2029/30.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The Hawks extended their winning streak to 10 games on Tuesday as guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a career-high 41 points and made a career-best nine three-pointers. As Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (subscription required), Alexander-Walker is building a strong Most Improved Player case in his first season in Atlanta. His scoring average of 20.3 points per game is more than double last season’s mark (9.4 PPG), and he has done it without sacrificing efficiency — his 59.2% true shooting percentage is a career high.
- After playing in each of the Magic‘s first 24 games, forward Franz Wagner has missed 40 of the past 44 due to a troublesome left ankle injury. Speaking to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required), Wagner acknowledged it has been a “very frustrating process” rehabbing that high ankle sprain. “Going into it, I was kind of expecting to feel really good within, like, four, six weeks of the injury,” he said. “And obviously that wasn’t how I felt. So, I think that’s always frustrating probably not just for me (but) for everybody involved.”
- In addition to being without Wagner vs. Charlotte on Thursday, the Magic will also be missing Anthony Black (left lateral abdominal strain) for a seventh straight game and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) for a fourth straight contest. According to Beede, Isaac was wearing a knee brace on Tuesday, while head coach Jamahl Mosley said that Black “hasn’t touched the floor, really, at all.”
- Heat big man Bam Adebayo appears likely to return to action on Thursday vs. the Lakers after sitting out on Tuesday due to calf tightness. He’s listed as probable to play, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Luka Doncic, Bam Adebayo Earn Player Of Week Honors
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league office (Twitter links). The awards cover games played from March 9-15.
Doncic led the Lakers to a 3-0 week by averaging 37.3 points, 11.0 assists and 10.3 rebounds per game. He came one assist away from registering three consecutive triple-doubles, had 51 points on Thursday vs. Chicago, and made a last-second basket to defeat Denver in overtime on Saturday.
The selection of Adebayo was a foregone conclusion after his historic 83-point game against the Wizards, which represented the second-highest single-game scoring output in NBA history. Overall, Adebayo averaged 41.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per contest last week as the Heat won two of three games.
Doncic became the second player to win a third Player of the Week award in 2025/26, joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. For Adebayo, it’s his second Player of the Week selection this season and the fourth of his career.
Devin Booker (Suns), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Austin Reaves (Lakers) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were the other nominees from the Western Conference. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane (Magic), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren (Pistons), Brandon Ingram (Raptors) and Jalen Johnson (Hawks) were the other nominees from the East.
Dyson Daniels Sidelined With Toe Injury
- Hawks wing Dyson Daniels continues to expand his game, according to Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription required), who details the 22-year-old’s improvements as a facilitator and offensive rebounder. Daniels missed Thursday’s win over Brooklyn with a left great toe sprain, according to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link).