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Nuggets Notes: Jokic, LeBron, Brown, Murray, Defense

November 30th, 2025 at 5:58pm CST by Rory Maher

On the Mind the Game podcast (YouTube link), co-host Steve Nash brought up Nikola Jokic‘s superlative start to the season and then asked LeBron James, “Is he the best offensive player you’ve ever played against?”

“Wow, that’s a tough question right there, Steve,” James replied.

“When you think about the totality of what he does,” Nash said. “The pressure he puts on the defense, the assists, the play-making, the initiating the offense, the threes, the mid-range, putting the people in the basket. Like, it’s a lot of stuff.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot,” James agreed. “I will say this: There has not been a more dominant, complete player that I’ve played against in the sense of all the attributes that you just mentioned. From the passing, to the shooting, to the rebounding, to the attention. I mean, there’s nothing that he cannot do on the offensive end. Nothing at all. Nothing.

“(If) you try to double him he gonna make you pay,” James continued. “(If) you try to play him single coverage he’s gonna make you pay. He even brings the ball up the floor, they outlet the ball to him. … And he’s so damn good that people barely talk about it. It’s like ‘oh well, it’s just normal.’ This s— is not normal. It’s not normal.”

The Nuggets superstar is dealing with a left wrist sprain and was considered questionable for Saturday’s game in Phoenix before being upgraded to available. Jokic finished the victory with 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, going 7-of-7 from the field, 2-for-2 from three-point range, and 9-of-10 from the free throw line.

We have more on the Nuggets:

Jokic wasn’t the only Nugget to play through an injury on Saturday. Veteran guard Bruce Brown told Bennett Durando of The Denver Post he hyperextended his right knee in Friday’s loss to San Antonio (the team officially called it a sprain) but the 29-year-old managed to play 27 minutes last night, dishing out a season-high 10 assists in the process. The Nuggets are already shorthanded, Durando notes, with starters Christian Braun (right ankle sprain) and Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) out multiple weeks.
Typically a slow starter, Jamal Murray has continued to put up big numbers this fall and looks deserving of his first All-Star appearance, contends Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Murray is averaging career highs in points (24.0), assists (6.6) and rebounds (4.5) per game while scoring more efficiently than ever before — his shooting line is .486/.409/.892 and his .611 True Shooting percentage is a career-best mark. As Keeler observes, the Canadian guard’s All-Star case could be further bolstered by the new format, which will feature one team of eight international players and two squads of eight Americans apiece.
Denver was eliminated from NBA Cup competition on Friday after blowing an 18-point lead in the second half, Durando writes for The Denver Post. A win would over the Spurs would have secured the Nuggets their first appearance in the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament. The defense was the primary reason for the defeat — Denver scored a season-high 136 points but gave 139 to drop its third straight home game. “This is honestly good for us,” said Peyton Watson. “We need this experience. We need to know the things we aren’t good at to work on and continue to sharpen. … We also had a completely different team the first two, three games of the season. We had everybody (healthy). We’re spread out a little bit thinner now.” The Nuggets allowed 112 points in the 18-point win at Phoenix.

Injury Notes: Sasser, LeBron, Smart, M. Williams, Dunn, Butler

November 30th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year guard Marcus Sasser, who has yet to play in 2025/26 after sustaining a right hip impingement during the preseason, has been assigned to the G League to practice with the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons announced today (Twitter link via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic).

Just over three weeks ago, Detroit said Sasser would be reevaluated in about four weeks, so that exam should come in the near future. Given that he’s getting some practice reps in with the Cruise, Sasser’s season debut may not be far off either.

After a strong rookie year, the 25-year-old point guard was in and out of the rotation out last season. He wound up appearing in 57 games and averaging 6.6 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 14.2 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .463/.382/.843.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After initially being listed as questionable, Lakers star LeBron James was subsequently ruled out of Sunday’s matchup vs. New Orleans because of left foot injury management, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. As McMenamin notes, Sunday is the front end of a back-to-back — Los Angeles faces Phoenix on Monday. Marcus Smart will miss his second straight game Sunday due to back spasms, per the NBA’s official injury report. The veteran guard was initially deemed doubtful.
Suns center Mark Williams (right calf soreness) and forward Ryan Dunn were questionable for Saturday’s loss to Denver before being downgraded to out. Head coach Jordan Ott discussed the status of both players prior to the game, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link). “The (right) knee was doing well,” Ott said of Williams. “Something independently just popped up (during Friday’s loss at OKC) with the calf. Don’t think it’s too serious. We want to play the long game with him. He’s done a great job of building back up and being available for us.” Dunn, meanwhile, has missed the past five games with a right wrist sprain. “He’s in a good place. He’s only been out six or seven days, however it’s been,” Ott said of the 2024 first-round pick. “It’s just a pain tolerance, flexibility. Of course it’s the shooting wrist. Things are in a good place. We’ll continue to assess, but I would imagine it’s relatively soon (when he returns).”
Warriors forward Jimmy Butler took a hard fall during Saturday’s win over New Orleans but is optimistic he’ll be ready to go on Tuesday against Oklahoma City, as Anthony Slater of ESPN relays (Twitter video link). Through 19 games (31.7 MPG) this season, the six-time All-Star is averaging 20.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.6 SPG on .527/.436/.856 shooting.

Pacific Notes: Doncic, Reaves, LeBron, Schröder, Curry, Richard

November 29th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luka Doncic faced the Mavericks again Friday night, but the game lacked the drama of last season’s matchup, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Nearly 10 months have passed for Doncic to process the unexpected trade to the Lakers, and the man who made it, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, has already been fired. So with the emotional stakes lowered, Doncic concentrated on business and delivered 35 points, five rebounds and 11 assists in L.A.’s 129-119 victory.

“I would say it’s a little bit easier now,” Doncic said. “But like I said, games against Dallas always have some special meaning to me. I still have a lot of friends there. It’s always special. It’ll always be special for me.”

The spotlight also belonged to Austin Reaves, who has become one of the NBA’s best offensive players in the midst of a contract year. He led all scorers with 38 points, and Woike suggests he might be headed for his first All-Star appearance.

“I think he’s been one of the best basketball players in this league, just the way he scores, he makes a place for others in the game,” Doncic said before taking a playful jab at his teammate. “It’s very good. I’m just happy he’s on my team. And that’s probably the last compliment I ever give him.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers are listing LeBron James as questionable for Sunday’s game with New Orleans due to left foot injury management, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s the first night of a back-to-back for L.A., which hosts Phoenix on Monday. Marcus Smart, who didn’t play Friday due to back spasms, is doubtful.
Kings guard Dennis Schröder underwent an MRI that showed he has a mild hip flexor strain, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Schröder, who recently lost his starting job, is considered day-to-day and is questionable for Sunday’s game with Memphis.
The Warriors have the league’s worst offensive rating without Stephen Curry, who will miss at least a week with a right quad contusion. Anthony Slater of the Athletic shares comments from coach Steve Kerr about the challenges of scoring without his star guard.
Will Richard‘s low turnover rate has helped him claim a spot in the Warriors‘ starting and closing lineups, notes Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle. The 56th pick in this year’s draft has quickly earned a major rotation role as well as his coach’s confidence. “You can see it,” Kerr said, “he’s just in the right spot, the right time. He has a lot of confidence, he’s not afraid to let it fly. Never turns it over, just connects the game, he makes the game easier for everyone else. He’s kind of wise beyond his years. I’ve got 100% trust in him.”

Lakers Notes: Hachimura, AD, LaRavia, Smart, Christie

November 28th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Ahead of Friday’s matchup with Dallas, Rui Hachimura said he’s satisfied with the role he has with the Lakers, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter video link).

“I’m not trying to be a superstar. … I’m just trying to help the team win — whatever they ask,” Hachimura said. “I like my role here … I’m really trying to win the championship with this team. I like how they’ve been treating me. … So, I’m happy.”

The former lottery pick (No. 9 overall in 2019) has gotten off to a strong offensive start in 2025/26, averaging 14.9 points per game on elite efficiency (.568/.483/.735 shooting line) while chipping in 3.9 rebounds per game through 16 outings (33.5 MPG). The 27-year-old forward is earning approximately $18.3MM this season and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Hachimura admitted he hasn’t gotten used to seeing Anthony Davis in an opposing team’s uniform, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter video link). “It’s still weird sometimes when I see him on the TV or like, when I play against him. It feels weird,” Hachimura said. Davis returned to action on Friday for his first game against his former team after missing a month with a calf strain. The 10-time All-Star received a “warm reception” from Lakers fans when he was introduced as a starter for the Mavericks, tweets Mark Medina.
In an EssentiallySports interview with Medina, free agent addition Jake LaRavia says he’s enjoying his time with Los Angeles, adding that the “vibes on our team are very good.” “It’s been great,” LaRavia told Medina. “We have a great group of guys. Just to be able to play with AR (Austin Reaves), Luka (Doncic) and ‘Bron (LeBron James) has really been beneficial for me. It’s a very exciting team. It’s a great city. There are great fans. So the whole experience so far has been really good.”
After previously being listed as questionable, Marcus Smart was then downgraded to doubtful and then out ahead of Friday’s game, as McMenamin relays (via Twitter). The former Defensive Player of the Year is dealing with back spasms.
Mavericks guard Max Christie, who was included alongside Davis in the blockbuster trade for Doncic, downplayed the significance of facing his former team again. “It’s the same. I mean I was here last year, too. I’m a Maverick so I’m not really thinking about it like that. It’s just another game,” Christie said (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). “It feels good. It’s cool to be back. Just another game.”

Pacific Notes: Allen, Dunn, Kuminga, Melton, LeBron

November 26th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Grayson Allen is missing his sixth straight game tonight with a right quad contusion, but the team is hoping he can return this weekend, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Phoenix plays at Oklahoma City Friday night, then returns home to face Denver on Saturday, so it’s possible Allen could be cleared for at least one of those games.

“Thought it was day-to-day,” coach Jordan Ott said in Wednesday’s pregame press conference. “It’s dragged on a little bit. It was just not your average quad contusion. He got a good one, but he’s still making progress. The goal is to continue to assess, see the progress that he makes day-to-day and get him out there this weekend.”

Allen played an important role in the Suns’ strong start, averaging 18.5 points per game while shooting 46.8% from the field and 44.7% from three-point range. He got hurt in a November 13 game, and team doctors eventually realized the injury was more severe than it first appeared.

“The last couple of days where it’s like, OK, he’s making progress, but he’s not out there with us,” Ott said. “He had swelling. We don’t know exactly how long it was going to take. He’s still in a good place. Just now we’re not practicing, there are so many of these games you don’t seem him out there to go up and down, 5-on-5, but he did his stuff post shootaround today. The goal is to get him out there as fast as possible.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Ott also provided an update on Ryan Dunn, who is missing his third straight game with a sprained right wrist, Rankin adds. The second-year small forward worked on conditioning and ball-handling after the Suns‘ shootaround this morning. “He’s obviously handling the ball a little bit more,” Ott said. “The shooting piece will come when he feels good. That could take a jump at any time.”
Coach Steve Kerr was encouraged after watching Jonathan Kuminga, De’Anthony Melton and Gui Santos scrimmage with the Warriors‘ G League team on Wednesday, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. He said Kuminga “looked good” and is “moving well” as he works his way back from bilateral knee tendonitis. Kerr had a similar review of Melton, who’s recovering from a torn ACL, adding, “The toughest challenge for him will be rhythm.”
LeBron James experienced conditioning issues Sunday in Utah, but he looked more like his normal self as the Lakers defeated the Clippers on Tuesday, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times. Playing his third game since returning from sciatica, James posted 25 points, six rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes. “It will get better every game,” he responded when asked about his conditioning. “Today was another … testament to that. So great win for us, but I’m starting to feel better and better.”

Lakers Become Second Team To Secure Spot In NBA Cup Quarterfinals

November 26th, 2025 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

With their 135-118 win over the rival Clippers on Tuesday, the Lakers moved to 3-0 in NBA Cup group play and clinched their spot atop Western Conference Group B. They’re the second team to secure a place in the knockout round, joining the Raptors.

As Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group writes, the Lakers’ “big three” propelled the team to victory on Tuesday. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James combined for an impressive 99 points, 24 rebounds, and 22 assists, with Doncic (43 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds) leading the way.

The Lakers have one more round-robin NBA Cup matchup this Friday, against Dallas, but the 1-2 Mavericks can’t catch them in the group standings, and neither can the 1-1 Grizzlies or 0-3 Pelicans. The Clippers dropped to 2-1 in NBA Cup group play as a result of Tuesday’s loss, which gave the Lakers the tiebreaker edge.

The Lakers would be assured of hosting their quarterfinal game if they defeat the Mavs on Friday.

The final NBA Cup group play contests will take place on Wednesday and Friday, with six quarterfinal spots still up for grabs — three in each conference. Here are a few details on the races for those spots:

The Thunder (2-0), Suns (2-0), and Timberwolves (2-1) are battling for Western Conference Group A, with Oklahoma City set to host the Wolves on Wednesday and the Suns on Friday. A win in Sacramento on Wednesday would put the Suns in good position to advance to the knockout round even if they fall to OKC on Friday.
The Trail Blazers are below .500 on the season but are in the driver’s seat in West Group C — they’re 2-1 in group play so far and can win the group with a victory over the Spurs (1-1) on Wednesday. If San Antonio wins that game, the Spurs would face the 2-1 Nuggets on Friday with the Group C crown on the line.
In the East, the Magic (3-0) and Pistons (2-0) are vying for control of Group B and will face each other on Friday. Detroit would win the group with a victory over Orlando, even if the Pistons drop Wednesday’s game to Boston.
In Eastern Conference Group C, the 2-0 Bucks and 1-1 Knicks are each looking to become the first team to make the NBA Cup knockout round in three straight seasons, but the 2-1 Heat are in the mix too. Milwaukee will visit Miami on Wednesday and New York on Friday, and there’s a chance that superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will be back for those games.

LeBron James Remains Undecided On Playing Beyond This Season

November 25th, 2025 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

Chris Paul confirmed over the weekend that the 2025/26 season will be his final year in the NBA, but his longtime friend LeBron James hasn’t made that same determination. Sources close to the Lakers star insist to Dave McMenamin of ESPN that James remains undecided on whether or not he’ll continue his career beyond this season.

McMenamin’s report comes within a larger story about James’ incredible streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA nods. If LeBron hopes to extend that record-setting streak to 22 seasons, he would have to appear in 63 of the Lakers’ remaining 66 games.

As McMenamin points out, if James knew this were his final season, he may feel obligated not to take any games off – especially on the road – as long as he’s healthy. But if he thinks he’ll be back in 2026/27, a “farewell tour” wouldn’t be a consideration.

The Lakers have 11 back-to-backs between now and the end of the season, McMenamin notes, and while James has made a strong effort in recent years to suit up for both ends of those back-to-back sets, head coach J.J. Redick and the Lakers may take a more cautious approach this season, given that LeBron will turn 41 in December and has missed time with sciatica this fall.

“I don’t think an All-NBA appearance this year is going to make or break his résumé,” Redick said, adding that he hasn’t spoken to James about trying to extend that All-NBA streak.

Like Redick, agent Rich Paul said he hasn’t talked to his longtime client about the streak, but he doesn’t necessarily view an All-NBA spot in 2026 as a top priority either.

“Look, at 41 years of age, I hope he is not playing back-to-backs,” Paul told McMenamin.

As McMenamin writes, the most important thing that James could do this season for his legacy would be to win a fifth championship, and the Lakers may decide that managing his playing time over the course of the season gives them the best chance to have him healthy and at his best during the postseason.

Of course, besides reaching the 65-game mark, James would also have to continue playing at an All-NBA level in order to earn serious consideration for a 22nd berth. If he is playing at that level, regardless of whether or not he appears in 65 games, it would likely make him more inclined to put off retirement for another year.

James will earn about $52.6MM this season in the final year of his contract with the Lakers and isn’t eligible to sign a contract extension before next July. That means if he does decide he wants to continue playing in 2026/27, he’ll have to wait until he becomes an unrestricted free agent to sign his next deal, either with Los Angeles or another team.

Lakers Notes: Ayton, LeBron, Paul, Three-Point Shooting

November 24th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers center Deandre Ayton had to leave Sunday’s game in Utah midway through the second quarter due to a right knee contusion, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ayton continued playing after an early collision with Ace Bailey, but the pain eventually became too intense.

“He had gotten hit on his leg in the first half and was kind of limping through it,” coach JJ Redick said. “And then couldn’t go in the second half.”

Ayton has been a bargain so far on the two-year, $16.6MM contract he signed during the summer after reaching a buyout agreement with Portland. He was averaging 16.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game coming into Sunday’s contest while shooting 69.6% from the field.

With Ayton sidelined, Jaxson Hayes started the second half and Maxi Kleber logged 14 minutes. Kleber was part of the closing lineup and had a dunk with 1:21 remaining to help L.A. hold on for a two-point victory.

“Obviously, Jaxson has been in a starting role for us before, so very easy for him to step in and into that role,” LeBron James said. “But Maxi gave us big-time minutes. Brought physicality, had a big-time move towards the end to get that dunk.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

James, who finished with 17 points, six rebounds and eight assists in 34 minutes in his second game since returning from sciatica, talked about the process of getting back into playing shape (Twitter video link from Khobi Price of The Orange County Register). “The only way to get back in basketball shape is to be playing the basketball game,” James said. “My wind will get better and better. But this week was kind of like my training camp for me, to be honest. So I’m still working my way back.”
James also offered a message to his longtime friend, Clippers guard Chris Paul, who will retire at the end of the season (video link from McMenamin). “Hope he can just get joy out of this final year,” James said. “… I hope he takes it all in. This is his last hoorah, so we’ll never get this moment again once you’re done to be able to go out and be in the arena.”
The Lakers are off to a 12-4 start despite ranking 26th in the league in three-point shooting percentage, notes Dan Woike of The Athletic. The month-long slump continued Sunday as they were 10-of-38 (26.3%) from long distance. Austin Reaves, who missed seven of his eight three-point attempts at Utah, said the team is finding other ways to win. “I think it’s just chemistry. Care factor’s high,” he said. “You wanna go out there and do whatever you can do to help one another succeed. And I think that that goes a long way. There’s no selfishness; everybody wants to see everybody succeed.”

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Curry, Warriors, Sabonis, Livers

November 19th, 2025 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward LeBron James only took seven shots from the floor in his season debut on Tuesday vs. Utah, but he racked up 12 assists in a 140-126 victory and extended his NBA-record streak of double-digit scoring performances to 1,293 consecutive games, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Most importantly, James played 30 minutes after missing the first month of the season due to sciatica and didn’t experience any setbacks.

“The pace tested me, but I was happy with the way I was able to go with the guys,” James said. “As the game went on, my wind got a lot better. Caught my second wind, caught my third wind. Rhythm is still coming back, obviously. First game in almost seven months, so everything that happened tonight was to be expected.”

For a separate ESPN story, McMenamin spoke to 10 sources inside and outside of the Lakers’ organization to get a sense of what they’re monitoring with James back on the floor, including how the return of the four-time MVP will impact the team’s role players and whether the high-scoring duo of Luka Doncic (34.6 PPG) and Austin Reaves (28.1 PPG) will keep rolling. Not all of those sources were in agreement on certain topics, including Deandre Ayton‘s fit alongside James, McMenamin notes.

“Ayton should benefit the most out of LeBron back,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “LeBron makes people look good. [He’ll feed Ayton] lobs and dump-offs at the rim.”

“I imagine Deandre’s going to be a problem. He’s just not smart enough of a player,” a Western Conference exec countered. “And the inconsistent effort, LeBron usually has issues with, to say the least.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific Division:

Stephen Curry (right ankle soreness) will sit out the Warriors‘ game vs. Miami on Wednesday after tweaking his ankle a couple times during the team’s recent road trip, tweets Anthony Slater of ESPN. Golden State could end up very shorthanded on the second night of a back-to-back — Al Horford (left toe injury management) and Jonathan Kuminga (bilateral patellar tendonitis) are both out, while Jimmy Butler (right low back strain), Draymond Green (illness), and Buddy Hield (illness) are all considered questionable to play.
The Kings will be without center Domantas Sabonis on Wednesday vs. Oklahoma City due to left knee soreness, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. It will be the fourth missed game of the season for Sabonis, who has also dealt with hamstring and rib injuries.
Back in the NBA this fall after a lengthy absence due to hip problems, forward Isaiah Livers is grateful to be playing a role for the Suns and isn’t concerned about keeping track of his active games, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. A player on a two-way contract can be on his team’s active roster for a maximum of 50 games — Livers is at 11 so far. “I’m not counting,” Livers said. “I’m taking it one day at a time. We all know my story. I’m just blessed and grateful to put a uniform back on and help an organization win games. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

LeBron James Makes Season Debut On Tuesday

November 18th, 2025 at 7:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Nov. 18: James will make his season debut tonight against the Jazz, McMenamin tweets.

Nov. 16: Lakers superstar LeBron James has been recalled from his G League assignment with South Bay and will be a full participant in Monday’s practice, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who says the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is nearing his season debut (Twitter link).

James went through at least two practices with the Lakers’ NBAGL affiliate over the past handful of days, including doing contact five-on-five work, and reportedly showed no ill effects afterward.

This will be James’ first practice with the Lakers in 2025/26, tweets Dan Woike of The Athletic.

Charania reported about a month ago that James was targeting a mid-November return from the nerve issue — sciatica on his right side — that has caused him to miss training camp, the preseason, and the first 14 games of the season. Charania’s ESPN colleague Dave McMenamin recently wrote that James could make his season debut this week, possibly on Tuesday vs. Utah.

When he suits up, James will set a record by playing in his 23rd NBA season.

The Lakers have gotten off to a strong start to the season in James’ absence, currently holding a 10-4 record.

James, who extended his own NBA record by making his 21st consecutive All-NBA team in 2024/25, could see that streak come to an end in ’25/26 due to the 65-game rule. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan hold a three-way tie for the second-most All-NBA appearances with 15 apiece.

The 40-year-old forward, who also made his record-extending 21st straight All-Star appearance in ’24/25, remained highly productive last season, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 70 games (34.9 minutes per contest). His shooting slash line was .513/.376/.782.

However, James’ ’24/25 season ended in disappointing fashion as the Lakers were ousted by Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs and he suffered an MCL sprain late in the final game.

James opted into his $52.6MM player option over the summer. He holds a no-trade clause and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.