Southeast Notes: Banchero, Magic, Sarr, AD, Whitmore, Dennis
Fourth-year forward Paolo Banchero doesn’t seem enthusiastic about the Magic‘s offensive system, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Asked after Wednesday’s loss to Milwaukee whether Orlando was playing to its potential in half-court offense, Banchero replied, “I think our record answers that question, honestly. I’m not going to sit here and harp on the problems with our offense or what I think is wrong with our offense. But I don’t think anyone would say that it’s where it should be or could be.”
As Robbins writes, the Magic currently rank 23rd in the league in points per possession in the half court. Injuries to key players (Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner) have once again been an issue, and floor spacing and outside shooting remain problems as well, despite the blockbuster trade to acquire Desmond Bane.
The Magic entered the season with aspirations of being a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference, but they’re currently 28-25, the No. 7 seed. They’re 16th in the NBA in offensive rating, with a -0.4 net rating that ranks 17th. They have also lost their defensive identity, currently ranking 14th after being second and third in that category the previous two years, Robbins notes.
Big man Wendell Carter Jr. says the team’s offensive woes have bled into the defense.
“(It’s) human nature,” Carter said. “It’s an offensive-driven league. Everybody wants to do good offensively, including myself, and sometimes we fall into that aspect of when it’s not going our way offensively, we allow it to affect our effort. We allow it to affect our defense. We allow it to affect us getting back (on defense after we miss shots). And that’s something, as a fairly young team, that we have to do a better job of, including myself.”
While president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman has publicly backed head coach Jamahl Mosley, Robbins wonders if Weltman will reassess that stance if the Magic struggle after the All-Star break. Orlando has been one of the more disappointing and underachieving teams this season, Robbins writes, even when accounting for injuries.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel writes, the Magic enter the All-Star break in a similar position as they have been the past couple years. They were 30-25 at the break two years ago and 27-29 last season. They wound up making the playoffs during both of those campaigns, but lost in the first round each time. “We’ve kind of been in the same position every year so … coming off the All-Star break is when we’ve got to start to turn it up,” Banchero said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to figure out how we can be better for the postseason because we don’t want to have the same result as the last two years. We’ve got to come out hungry off the break … and figure out what type of team we want to be.”
- Wizards center Alex Sarr is confident about how he’ll fit next to Anthony Davis once both players are healthy, per Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network. “He has a very complete game. I can also step out and play inside-out, so I think it’ll be pretty seamless [playing alongside him],” Sarr said. “Just getting the reps in, that’s definitely going to help us.”
- Wizards wing Cam Whitmore is out for the remainder of his third season after being diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis — a form of blood clot — in his right shoulder. He recently discussed the serious health issue, which required three surgeries to address, with play-by-play announcer Chris Mills of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link).
- Second-year guard RayJ Dennis, who is on a two-way contract with the Hawks, has set a G League scoring record with the College Park Skyhawks (Twitter link). Dennis scored a franchise-record 47 points on Thursday, per the Skyhawks, and is the first player in team history to have multiple games with 45-plus points.
Wizards GM Dawkins Talks Trae, Sarr, Coulibaly, Whitmore
Speaking to Mark Medina of EssentiallySports, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins confirmed that newly acquired point guard Trae Young will remain on the shelf through the All-Star break, but stressed that the team isn’t shutting him down for the season. According to Dawkins, it’s “important” to the team to see how Young meshes with the Wizards’ young players.
“It’s important because Trae has a decision to make,” Dawkins explained. “He’s got the power of choice as a free agent. So you want to make sure that he’s comfortable playing with the young guys, to have the opportunity to play with Alex (Sarr) and to play with Bilal (Coulibaly) and see when they move and how they fit positionally. We have a lot of questions on our team and how we play moving forward. So you want to see that before you make that decision in July.”
Young holds a player option worth nearly $49MM for the 2026/27 season. Given that he has been limited to 10 games this season due to injuries, the four-time All-Star seems more likely to pick up that option than to turn it down in search of a more lucrative free agent contract. However, that’s not a lock, especially if he returns in the second half and plays well down the stretch.
The Wizards would likely look to negotiate a new deal with Young if he opts out this summer. Even if he opts in, he’d be extension-eligible, meaning Washington’s front office could attempt to tack on additional years to his current contract. Dawkins says those conversations haven’t happened yet, but the groundwork has been laid for those talks.
“Yeah, we have good relationships with his reps,” he told Medina. “So we’ve had communication on what it would look like to be a Wizard because he really wanted to be here, and that was important to us. And we want to make sure everybody feels comfortable and builds that partnership and relationship until we have any real conversations.”
Dawkins had more to say about Young and about many other aspects of the Wizards’ roster and rebuilding plan in his discussion with Medina, which is worth checking out in full. Here are a few more highlights from Washington’s GM:
On how he envisions Sarr and Coulibaly complementing Young:
“Very well, to be honest with you. Both of those guys have an opportunity to be high-level defenders individually, but within a team concept as well. They can have a huge impact individually with shutting their man down and making life difficult. But they’re also smart players who can read the game and can play in a defensive system as well. I think their length, their size, their versatility, and their ability to switch is always a positive. They’re always getting bigger, getting better, and getting stronger. So you can imagine what they look like two, three, four, or five years from now in their prime.”
On Sarr’s improvement this season and whether he has a case for All-Star consideration:
“He’s a talented basketball player. We knew he would be able to figure it out earlier on defense. He’s shown that just with his timing, his physicality, and the growth he made this summer. He’s protecting the paint. I would also say he’s living at the rim on both ends. He’s guarding the most shots at the rim, but he’s also blocking the most shots. He’s putting a fear on players. At the same time, he’s more active. He’s changed his shot diet. He’s rolling. He’s at the rim. He’s comfortable finishing through contact with his left hand and right hand. He’s using more physicality to get to the free throw line as well.
“… I think (he’s) pretty close (to being All-Star worthy). When you put him statistically with most centers in the league, especially the centers in the East, if you put a blindfold on it and didn’t have the picture and the name, I think his stats would speak volumes. He would be really considerable.”
On Cam Whitmore‘s productive meeting earlier this season with head coach Brian Keefe:
“(Keefe) basically sat him down and asked him what type of player he wants to be known as and what type of career he wants to have, and who those types of players are. So let’s work on the habits that those players have and basically emulate how they’re playing. I think he bought in, and I’m looking forward toward getting him healthy and back on the floor.”
On whether he expects the Wizards to be a playoff team in 2026/27:
“Next season, I wouldn’t put the ‘playoff’ word out there. We want to get incrementally better every day. I think if we keep up with the work that the guys have put in and continue to develop as players, they’ll rise to the occasion when they’re ready. I know we have a competitive group. So they’ll want to do that sooner rather than later.
“We won’t hold them back. We’ll let them compete and get after it. But I don’t think we’re at the point where we’re ready to push the button, rev the engine, and say it’s a ‘full go.’ We’ll let these young guys develop on their own time. That’s what I’ve done in my past. That’s what (team president) Michael (Winger) has done in his past. We’ll continue along that route.”
Wizards Granted Disabled Player Exception
The Wizards have been awarded a disabled player exception, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report and The Stein Line (Twitter link). The team applied for a DPE last week after announcing that Cam Whitmore would miss the rest of the season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.
An NBA team becomes eligible for a disabled player exception when one of its players sustains an injury that is considered more likely than not to sideline him through June 15 of that league year. A disabled player exception doesn’t grant the team an extra roster spot, but it generates some additional cap flexibility. The exception can be used to acquire a player on an expiring contract via trade or waiver claim, or to sign a free agent to a one-year deal.
The value of the disabled player exception is equivalent to either the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or half of the injured player’s salary, whichever is lesser. Since Whitmore’s cap hit is $3,539,760, well below the mid-level, the Wizards’ new DPE is worth $1,769,880.
The deadline to use a disabled player exception is March 10 and there’s a good chance the Wizards’ exception will expire without being used. It’s too small to realistically be used on the trade market and the team already has a handful of other exceptions that are more valuable, including the full non-taxpayer mid-level and a series of trade exceptions. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have the DPE on hand just in case.
The Wizards are one of at least seven teams to be granted a disabled player exception this season, joining the Bulls, Mavericks, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, and Thunder.
The Bucks also requested a DPE last month, while the Hawks had N’Faly Dante go down with a season-ending injury well before the January 15 deadline to apply for the exception. There have been no updates on Milwaukee or Atlanta, but that doesn’t necessarily mean neither team was awarded a DPE, since that news sometimes goes unreported.
Injury Notes: Giddey, Reid, H. Jones, Whitmore
Bulls guard Josh Giddey was upgraded to questionable ahead of Tuesday’s contest against the Clippers before being ruled out (Twitter links via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). Giddey, who is working his way back from a strained left hamstring, could return to action on Thursday in Minnesota, head coach Billy Donovan said.
Forward Patrick Williams is dealing with a right ankle sprain and will also be out Tuesday. He’s considered day-to-day, per Johnson.
Here are some more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves big man Naz Reid was forced to exit Saturday’s loss at San Antonio after just five minutes due to soreness in his left shoulder. However, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious — he was initially questionable for Tuesday’s game in Utah but has been upgraded to available, per the league’s injury report.
- Defensive stalwart Herbert Jones has been upgraded to questionable ahead of Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit, the Pelicans announced in a press release. Jones, who has popped up in several rumors this season but has reportedly been made unavailable in trade talks, has missed 14 of New Orleans’ last 15 games with a right ankle sprain.
- While Wizards forward Cam Whitmore will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder, he joined the team on the bench during Monday’s loss to the Clippers, which is a good sign for his long-term health, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The former first-round pick will be eligible for an extension in the offseason and will make $5.46MM in ’26/27, which is the final season of his rookie scale contract.
Wizards’ Cam Whitmore Out For Season Due To Blood Clot
5:35 pm: The Wizards have applied for a disabled player exception for Whitmore, a league source tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The team does have an opening on its standard roster to potentially sign a free agent, though a contract using the DPE would only be able to cover the rest of the season and Washington still has the full mid-level exception at its disposal as well.
4:12 pm: Wizards forward Cam Whitmore has been formally ruled out for the remainder of the 2025/26 season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder, the team announced on Thursday (Twitter link).
According to the Wizards, Whitmore has begun the recovery process for the upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis he was diagnosed with on December 23.
A one-and-done prospect at Villanova in 2022/23, Whitmore was viewed as a potential top-five pick in the 2023 draft, but ultimately fell to No. 20, where he was selected by the Rockets. In two seasons with Houston, the 21-year-old played a limited role off the bench but showed some promise as a scorer, averaging 10.8 points in 17.4 minutes per contest with a shooting line of .449/.357/.707.
Recognizing that Whitmore wasn’t part of their long-term plans, the Rockets traded him to the Wizards during the 2025 offseason in exchange for a pair of second-round picks. Through his first 21 games in Washington D.C., he averaged 9.2 PPG on .456/.286/.742 shooting.
There’s no indication at this point that the blood clot in his shoulder will threaten Whitmore’s career. Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Ingram, and Ausar Thompson are among the current NBA players who have fully recovered and return to action after facing similar diagnoses.
As cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (via Twitter), January 15 is the final day for NBA teams to apply for disabled player exceptions. A DPE for Whitmore would be worth $1,769,880, half of his ’25/26 salary.
Wizards’ Cam Whitmore Has Blood Clot, Out Indefinitely
Wizards forward Cam Whitmore has been ruled out indefinitely after being diagnosed with upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis (a form of blood clot) in his right shoulder, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Wizards have formally confirmed Charania’s report, announcing (via Twitter) that Whitmore’s progress and recovery will be monitored and that his status will be updated as appropriate.
Whitmore hasn’t played since December 4, having sat out of Washington’s past six games. He was a DNP-CD in the first four of those contests before being added to the injury report with right shoulder soreness for the last two. Further testing on that sore shoulder revealed the blood clot, according to Charania (Twitter link).
A one-and-done prospect at Villanova in 2022/23, Whitmore was viewed as a potential top-five pick in the 2023 draft, but ultimately fell to No. 20, where he was selected by the Rockets. In two seasons with Houston, he played a limited role off the bench but showed some promise as a scorer, averaging 10.8 points in 17.4 minutes per contest with a shooting line of .449/.357/.707.
Recognizing that Whitmore wasn’t part of their long-term plans, the Rockets traded him to the Wizards during the 2025 offseason in exchange for a pair of second-round picks. Through his first 21 games in D.C., he averaged 9.2 PPG on .456/.286/.742 shooting.
After Whitmore’s first DNP-CD on December 6, head coach Brian Keefe suggested in his comments to reporters that the 21-year-old was held out for failing to meet “certain standards,” and a subsequent report suggested that Whitmore’s poor practice habits were a factor in his benching. However, Keefe later walked back his initial remarks and said Whitmore’s removal from the rotation was about giving other players an opportunity.
Charania’s report echoes that messaging, suggesting that Whitmore had begun “working closely” with Keefe in recent weeks as “part of his development plan.”
While that development plan will be on hold for now, there’s no indication at this point that blood clotting issues will threaten Whitmore’s career. Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Ingram, and Ausar Thompson are among the current NBA players who have fully recovered and return to action after facing similar diagnoses.
Wizards Notes: Sarr, Carrington, Whitmore, Zone
Wizards head coach Brian Keefe provided an update on Alex Sarr‘s recovery from the adductor injury that has kept him sidelined for the last six games, telling reporters on Sunday that the big man has not progressed to doing on-court work during practice, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
As Shankar notes (via Twitter), Keefe previously referred to Sarr’s injury as a minor one, but these kinds of soft-tissue ailments can be hard to pin down and the Wizards are being cautious with the recovery process for one of their core players. The French big man is still making progress toward a return, Shankar adds.
Sarr has been one of the bright spots for the 4-20 Wizards this season, showing major growth in nearly every statistical category and leading the team in points (19.1), rebounds (8.6), and blocks (2.0) per game, while ranking third in steals (0.8) and fifth in assists (3.3).
We have more notes from the Wizards:
- Pacers coach Rick Carlisle praised guard Bub Carrington before the Wizards beat Indiana on Sunday, according to Shankar (Twitter link). “He’s a terrific young player. He’s had a lot of good games against us,” Carlisle said. “He’s skilled, he’s big, he’s versatile, he can play different positions. I think he’s a good defender, his shooting is the real deal.” When Shankar proposed Derrick White as a potential high-end comparison for Carrington as two guards who don’t get to the rim much but shoot and defend well, Carlisle responded that he agreed with the assessment (Twitter link). Carrington has struggled to find his role this season after starting 57 games for Washington last year, but he has played well in his last three games, all starts, averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 assists per night.
- Cam Whitmore has missed the last three games due to coach’s decision. Keefe initially said the reason for his sitting was for failing to meet team standards, though he later walked that back and said that it was more a matter of giving other players a chance. Keefe echoed that sentiment when asked once again about it following the team’s 130-126 loss to the Cavaliers. “[Cam is] gonna be back in here in the mix at some point, it always works out this way,” he said, per Shankar (via Twitter). We’re seeing different guys — Will Riley, Jamir [Watkins] — those guys stepped up and have been playing well. Just looking at those combinations, nothing more than that.” Riley scored 12 points in 23 minutes in Sunday’s victory over the Pacers.
- Keefe has been experimenting with using a zone in an effort to boost the team’s 30th-ranked defense. It was very effective on Sunday, as Indiana scored just 89 points against Washington — it was the first time this season that the Wizards had allowed fewer than 107 points in a game. “We did that a little bit the last game. Been working on it in practice last week,” Keefe said of the zone, per Shankar (via Twitter). “Wanted to mix up our coverages, some different things to see how they would handle it. Thought our guys did a good job and it helped change the rhythm of the game for us.“
Southeast Notes: Risacher, Whitmore, Herro, Knueppel, Salaun
After a promising first NBA season in which he placed second in Rookie of the Year voting, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher has seen his numbers drop off a little this fall. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick is averaging 11.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game with a .453/.296/.677 shooting line through 22 outings after putting up 12.6 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .458/.355/.711 shooting as a rookie.
As Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (subscription required), Risacher, who has battled through a couple injuries during the first couple months of the season, believes he’s developing positive habits despite the statistical dip, and his coaches and teammates are optimistic that better results are coming.
“He’s working really hard and for guys like him, that’s gonna turn around sooner or later,” Hawks guard/forward Vit Krejci said. “I think about the law of percentages, you know, I think we talked about it last year where the first part I was shooting 19% and then it turned around. And he’s good. I’m sure, if you’re consistent with your work, you’re obviously going to go through ups and downs, but I think he’s been handling very well. Just keep working and keep your confidence up.”
We have more from across the Southeast:
- After suggesting over the weekend that Cam Whitmore didn’t play on Saturday because he failed to live up to “certain standards” the Wizards expect of him, head coach Brian Keefe has since walked back that message, according to Quinn Allen of RG.org. A team spokesperson told Allen that Whitmore’s DNP-CD on Saturday wasn’t disciplinary, while Keefe said during a Wednesday radio appearance that Whitmore “didn’t do anything wrong” and that the team simply wanted to “give some other guys a chance” in the rotation.
- The Heat have lost four straight games and five of their last six, but reintegrating Tyler Herro following his left ankle injury hasn’t been the primary issue during that stretch, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. As Chiang notes, Herro’s role has been under a microscope since Miami had so much success early in the season with a new-look, uptempo offense that has slowed down a little since Herro’s return. However, the team has a +3.6 net rating during his time on the court so far, Chiang writes, including a +13.0 mark when he and Norman Powell play together.
- Hornets wing Kon Knueppel tops a list from Zach Harper of The Athletic of this season’s top 10 rookies so far, maintaining an edge over his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg. As Harper writes, besides leading all rookies in scoring, Knueppel has been the top shooter in the class, has produced consistently, and has been a solid rebounder and play-maker too. Hornets big man Ryan Kalkbrenner also makes Harper’s list, coming in at No. 8.
- Knueppel has outperformed the Hornets‘ 2024 lottery pick, Tidjane Salaun, so far this season, but Salaun may be turning a corner after spending nearly the entire month of November in the G League with the Greensboro Swarm, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The second-year forward scored a career-high 21 points in 22 minutes last Friday in Toronto. “I have loved the mindset that Tidjane has come back with from his Greensboro stint,” head coach Charles Lee said. “I have seen him embrace his role even more than he did earlier in the year, which I think is great. I think he’s gotten a little bit more confidence in what that role looks like. I think he’s gotten a little bit more comfortable after getting extended minutes.”
Southeast Notes: Whitmore, Hornets, NBA Cup Money, Bane
Poor practice habits are the reason Wizards coach Brian Keefe decided to bench Cam Whitmore, sources tell Grant Afseth of RG. Keefe stated over the weekend that Whitmore wasn’t living up to “certain standards,” but added that any further details would be kept internal. Afseth hears that the decision is in line with Keefe’s focus on accountability, consistency and building strong daily habits.
Washington was hoping Whitmore would blossom in his third NBA season after acquiring him from Houston, where he struggled to earn playing time on a talented roster. However, his numbers have been in line with his first two years as he’s averaging 9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per night while shooting 45.6% from the field and a career-worst 28.6% from three-point range.
Afseth notes that Will Riley has been the biggest beneficiary of Whitmore’s reduced minutes and is earning a consistent spot in the rotation. The rookie forward has been delivering the energy that Keefe demands while averaging 11.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist in his last three games.
Afseth adds that the door isn’t closed on Whitmore’s future in Washington, but he’ll have to meet the benchmarks that Keefe has established. The organization is evaluating all its young players based on their daily habits and long-term development, and Whitmore has to improve in those areas to reclaim regular minutes.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- A five-day break comes at a good time for the Hornets, who were down to 11 healthy players in Sunday’s loss to Denver, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required). LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann and Moussa Diabate were all sidelined by injuries, along with Grant Williams and Josh Green, who haven’t played yet this season. “It’s going to be great for us,” Miles Bridges said of the time off. “Some guys are hurt right now. They should be back by that time hopefully. But if not, we’re going to have a next-up-mentality, next man.”
- Money is a huge motivator for the Heat and Magic as they prepare to square off Tuesday in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscription required). Players with standard contracts on the eight teams that have advanced to the knockout round have already earned an additional $53,093, and the rewards rise to $106,187 for reaching the semifinals, $212,373 for the finals and $530,933 for winning the tournament. “I think that’s kind of why they did it, for us to just buy into it a little bit more,” Miami guard Dru Smith said. “But also I think anytime you have a chance early in the season to really go and compete for something, even though it’s just a one-game series, basically, win or go home. Just to really have a chance to get a playoff feel this early, with the team, we were looking forward to that, coming into the season. I think it’s just something that will be really beneficial.”
- Knicks players were upset after Magic guard Desmond Bane fired the ball at OG Anunoby, who had fallen out of bounds, in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game (YouTube link), relays Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Bane received a technical foul and was subsequently booed by New York fans every time he touched the ball. Anunoby shoved Bane after the incident, but he decided not to escalate the situation. “I was confused at first, then it was funny,” he said. “I like Desmond. … He’s a good dude.”
Southeast Notes: Heat, Herro, Whitmore, Diabate
The Heat‘s 127-111 loss to the Kings on Saturday extended their losing streak to three games, with a growing injury report catching up to them in Sacramento, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, and Pelle Larsson all missed the game for Miami.
“We didn’t have a lot of juice on either end of the floor,” said head coach Erik Spoelstra.
As Chiang observes, the injuries forced the Heat to play their 10th different starting lineup through 24 games. Also of note was that Spoelstra went away from Kel’el Ware in the second half, choosing instead to start the third quarter with Jaime Jaquez Jr.
“Just looking for some juice, looking for something to kick-start just some energy,” Spoelstra explained. “It didn’t really work out that way. But I don’t know necessarily what would have. It wasn’t an indictment on Kel’el.”
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- The good news for the Heat this weekend was that an MRI on Herro’s injured toe showed a simple contusion, which is not expected to be a long-lasting issue. “I just was going to wait until we found out what the deal was,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang, when asked if he had been worried about the test. “I try not to stress out about the things that you don’t know about or can’t control.”
- Cam Whitmore didn’t play in the Wizards‘ game on Saturday, which coach Brian Keefe indicated was due to disciplinary issues. Varun Shankar of Post Sports broke down Whitmore’s play late in the previous game against the Celtics (Twitter video link), citing Whitmore’s lack of defensive effort and intensity on multiple plays. Shankar notes (via Twitter) that while the Wizards are tanking this season, they have put an emphasis on playing with the proper process.
- The Hornets announced, via Twitter, that Moussa Diabate was downgraded to out with right knee soreness for the team’s game against the Nuggets on Sunday. He joined a long list of Charlotte players on the injury report, including LaMelo Ball, Pat Connaughton, Josh Green, Tre Mann, Collin Sexton, and Grant Williams. Given the physical and mental toll of playing seven games in 12 days while shorthanded, maybe no team in the league is as ready for the upcoming five-day break as the Hornets, writes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Just use the five days and just focus on the right things,” said Brandon Miller. “Just come back with the mindset of just dominating and then we’ll be fine with that.”