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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | August 18

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Just think about the possibilities for this venue at LA ‘28

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

FROM THE LYONS’ DEN IN BOSTON – Congratulations are in order to USA Basketball’s Men’s and Women’s (5×5) Olympic teams for their haul of 24 gold medals at the recently concluded Summer Olympic Games. Two of those 24 medals are counted in the stupendously ridiculous medal standings that every newspaper and TV station publish on a daily basis. More on that later.

The men’s and women’s team worked (very) hard and earned their medals as the competitors in the 20214 basketball tournaments were as deep and talented as we’ve ever seen, although the men’s side has had tough comp since 2000. Remember, it’s no longer about the number of players with NBA contracts on a roster. The basketball nations of the world come to play, as evidenced by Canada, Germany, (the reigning World Cup champions), Greece and South Sudan. Exhibit 1-A was a July 27 game featuring Greece vs Canada won by our neighbors to ‘Da North, (86-79). In that contest, Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) got his first taste of Olympic basketball and scored 34 points. Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) countered with 21 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. Both teams fared well, but lost in the quarter-finals (medal round). Much of their rosters wee non-NBA players.

On the men’s side, USA Basketball’s staff and its de facto team GM, Grant Hill, will have their hands filled going forward. The assignment is daunting and that’s a great thing.

Much of the roster make-up conversation has pointed to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. While that makes for easy column inches right after the 2024 Games, there is far more need for concern on the roster for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar from 27 August to 12 September 2027 (notice the European style of date-listing?)

The Worlds are a grueling 32-team tournament. Looking back at 2023, the USA lost to Germany 113-111 in the semifinals and that meant the United States failed to medal at consecutive World Cups for the first time since 1967 and 1970. In global basketball at the senior team level, the USA’s last team to lose three games in a major tournament was the 2004 Olympic team.

While many pundits looked at the potential roster for the 2028 Olympics, the focus should be on the roster composition at the 2027 Worlds which can lead to continuity for a team headed to Los Angeles a year later.

For the sake of sanity, let’s figure the elder statesman who excelled in Paris and Lille this summer, take a pass at playing for the USA again. That will put Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Lebron James in the stands as opposed to on the court. Let’s assume Kawhi Leonard is on AARP’s mailing list by then as well. And, lastly, in the summer of 2027, no one has any idea if Joel Embiid will be healthy or not considering his history of injuries and lack of conditioning. He’ll be 33 in March of 2027.

On the other side of the coin, here’s a list of players from the 2024 roster who will be locks if healthy and willing to dedicate their 2027 and ‘28 summers to USA Basketball.

  • Bam Adebayo
  • Devin Booker
  • Anthony Edwards
  • Tyrese Halliburton (PG)
  • Jrue Holiday
  • Jayson Tatum
  • Derrick White (PG)

That leaves another five roster spots to select for the 2027 World Cup team, again assuming all listed are volunteering to play. Here are the no-brainers:

  • Jalen Brown
  • Jalen Brunson (PG)

Here are the three others that make the most sense to round out the roster:

  • Cooper Flagg (let the long-range planning begin) – (also, limited minutes)
  • Chet Holmgren
  • Anthony Davis (who will be 34) (they need another rebounder)

To be considered for sure: Paolo Banchero (Orlando), Jalen Duren (Detroit), Josh Hart (New York), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami), and Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia).

Of course, there are dozens of other players who deserve mention but the players above (noting the three necessary point guards who need to work for USA Basketball as pass first/run the offense/run the break PGs – old school types. The list also assumes the Boston Celtics players will let bygones be bygones in respect to USAB head coach Steve Kerr’s snub of Tatum this summer with an expected coaching change to come within the next two years … (Do you think Grant Hill can talk Coach Mike Krzyzewski to return for an encore)?

Figuring Krzyzewski will remain in his much-deserved retirement, it will be a toss-up between two great coaches in Tyronn Lue of the LA Clippers and Miami’s Eric Spoelstra for the head spot heading into 2026-27.

Here’s my Dream Coaching Staff for USA Basketball:

Head Coach: Pat Riley

Assistant Coaches: Mike Krzyzewski, Mike D’Antoni, Bob McKillop.

Select Team Coaches: Jeff Van Gundy, Tom Izzo, Doc Rivers

THE MEDAL STANDINGS: Let’s get this out there and straight as an arrow, the Olympic Medal Standings are RIDICULOUS. There are dozens of reasons, but here’s just a few:

  • It’s not about the athletes who medal
  • It is ALL ABOUT the competitions, the honor of being an Olympian
  • Having Medal standings and using them so prominently SENDS the WRONG MESSAGE to the youth of the world
  • The jingoistic “Rah, Rah” for the USA leading the medal standings in a tête-à-tête vs. China or Russia or Japan or Australia or Great Britain is a little too much as the USA sends far more athletes and the sports (for the most part) have the wherewithal to send athletes to worldwide competitions and train with the highest levels of equipment, venues, nutrition, wellness and weight training, travel and overall budgets.
  • Lastly, the phrases, “Settling for the Silver” or “Settling for the Bronze” just burn me up.
  • Grow up

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | August 11

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The 2024 Olympic Games are the first to have both Men and Women’s Teams from two countries play for the Gold Medal (FIBA)

FROM the LYONS’ DEN in BOSTON – We all should’ve known better. When it came time for the United States Men’s Olympic team to seal a victory, whether it be the semifinals against Serbia or the gold medal game against an incredible, upstart national team of France, there was only one person in the gym to count on.

For the people who are tagged as NBA lifers, we met the guy in 1991 when his Dad, Dell Curry of the hometown Hornets, was competing in the NBA Three-Point Shootout in Charlotte. Dell’s son, Stephen, was pictured sitting right on his Dad’s lap, high-fiving his favorite NBA players and flashing his tremendous smile for all to see.
Steph Curry, on his Dad’s lap, along with West Coach Don Nelson, Sacramento’s Mitch Richmond and New Jersey’s Drazen Petrovic (NBA)

Young Steph blended in with the thousands of credentialed players, friends, family, media and dignitaries who hovered around the NBA All-Star Game festivities in February of 1991. Quite frankly, this columnist didn’t even think of him again until a phone call came in as Midnight Madness struck for the 2006 college basketball season.

“Do you know Dell Curry,” asked Davidson coach Bob McKillop (my mentor and longtime basketball maven who coached Holy Trinity HS in 1977 and beyond? Of course, McKillop went on to be the decorated (and now retired) head coach of Davidson College and remained in close touch with so many of us on a monthly basis from June ‘77 until today.

“Yes, sure,” was the answer, “but why do you ask?”

“I have his son – who’s going to be a freshman on the Davidson team. He’s the best player I’ve ever had.”

McKillop wasn’t kidding.

Steph Curry led Davidson for three years, including a magical run in the 2008 NCAA’s that brought the Wildcats within a game of the Final Four.

On recall, there were two things that stood out about Steph when he played college ball for Davidson in the Southern Conference.

  1. He kept getting better and better. Every game, every year.
  2. He was the best shooter anyone had ever seen.

Nowadays, the 36-year old, four-time NBA champion and sure-fire first ballot Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer is known the world around. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the seventh overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft. He’s a 10-time NBA All-Star and a two time league MVP. Curry even made the NBA’s exclusive 75th Anniversary all-time team.

Fast forward to his very first (and only) gold medal game for the Olympics, and it was today, Saturday August 10, 2024, in Paris France where Curry proved himself as the undisputed greatest shooter of a basketball the world has ever seen. And, he did it under intense pressure.

France’s amazing 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama tipped in a shot with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of the gold medal game to cut the USA’s lead to three points, 82-79.

It was Curry Time.

Steph drained a three-point field goal with 2:48 to extend the US lead to six, 85-79. Then, after two key free throws by Kevin Durant (“Call him KD Tres Bien”), Curry drained another long three-pointer to create a nine-point cushion with 1:58 remaining in the game.

France would not let up. Wembanyama hit a three-pointer of his own to make it a six-point game with just under a minute remaining.

It was Curry Time, yet again.

With :35 seconds left in the game, the incredible Curry hit his third consecutive shot from “centre-ville” to ice the game for the United States, 96-87. Devin Booker’s lay-up at the :21-second mark closed out the scoring and the USA earned its fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympic Games, making the 2004 bronze medal in Athens seem like a 20-year old fading memory.

Aside from winning the game for the USA, Curry also saved his longtime coach, Steve Kerr, from the embarrassment and criticism he would’ve received upon returning to the States. Golden State’s Kerr – ably assisted by Ty Lue (Los Angeles Clippers), Mark Few (Gonzaga) and Erik Spoelstra(Miami Heat) – juggled line-ups and combinations throughout the tournament, sitting Boston’s Jayson Tatum twice for entire games, including the semis (medal round) when the USA needed an offensive spark and an aggressive, “take-it-to-the-basket” scorer.

Even the great Bob Cousy questioned Kerr’s coaching decisions, stating on radio broadcasts and to the Boston Globe: “This isn’t just a snub,” Cousy said. “This is an embarrassment for that poor kid all over the [expletive] world. The Olympics have gotten that big. Everyone’s going to think that there’s something wrong this this kid.

“Not playing Tatum at all says to the world, ‘Not only is he not top five, he’s not good enough to get into a close game.’ I can’t figure out Kerr’s thinking, and he’s done it twice, so he obviously feels strongly about it.”

One thing is for sure, the snub to Tatum spoiled a golden year for Boston Celtics basketball. Kerr’s coaches decision will follow Tatum all around the NBA next season and the storyline will build to a crescendo when the Celtics meet the Golden State Warriors, two times in the 2024-25 regular season. When you’re hearing it from The Cooz, you’re in trouble.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Fighting against every ounce of common sense in my mind and keeping to an iron-clad rule of never, ever stating that the most recent occurrence is the “best,” there’s a constant thought and growing conviction to call the 2024 Paris Summer Games the very best of my lifetime.

It’s damn near impossible to top the 2000 Summer Olympics, held in Sydney, but somehow the beauty of Paris – placing the scenic views of the Eiffel Tower just ahead of the Sydney Opera House, on the shore of Sydney Harbor. While the 2000 Games were outstanding, Paris 2024 was backed-up by incredible performances across the great span of sporting events.

Paris 2024 got off to a rocky and worrisome start as a terror attack struck the French rail lines on the day before the Games began. But, the organizers endured and the athletes took over the show.

The long list of Olympic stand-out performances is even too much list all of them for this week’s While We’re Young (Ideas), but let’s look at just a few from swimming, athletics (track and field), volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s gymnastics with a once-in-a-generation performance by the USA’s Simon Biles and a follow-up by Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade was simply amazing.

Tennis saw 37-year old Novak Djokovic earn the gold, while men’s golf saw once-in-three-generations professional PGA Tour player, Scottie Scheffler, come from behind to earn his golden token.

Add the story of the USA’s Noah Lyles, competing after contracting the COVID-19 virus and trying to gut-it-out, while a hometown hero from France, Léon Marchand, was winning gold in the swimming pool.

Add USA swimming legend Katie Ledecky, along with Bobby Finke and Nic Fink and there was more to marvel at in the pool.

Looking back at last week’s missive, both swimmer Nic Fink (son of NBA events superstar, Peter) and soccer mindfielder Samantha Coffey (daughter of former New York Daily News columnist and dear friend Wayne Coffey) earned gold medals. Fink added a silver, too.

TIDBITS AND GOLDEN NUGGETS: Here’s a couple more notes from the Men’s Basketball Tournament which concluded in Paris on Saturday:

Final Standings of the Men’s Basketball at Paris 2024

1. USA

2. France

3. Serbia

4. Germany

5. Canada

6. Australia

7. Greece

8. Brazil

9. Spain

10. South Sudan

11. Japan

12. Puerto Rico

Surprisingly, the Most Valuable Player award went to the USA’s Lebron James over Stephen Curry. How did that happen? I do NOT know, unless they voted over the entire tournament and not the medal round games.

The five tournament All-Stars: James, Curry, Serbia’s Nikola Jokic,Germany’s Dennis Schroder and France’s Victor Wembanyama. This reporter would’ve had Curry as the MVP and France’s Guerschon Yabuseleon the All-Star list over Schroder.

The “BIGGEST” take-away from the Paris Summer Games, maybe across any sport, was the play of Wembanyama. Although he was totally distraught after the gold medal game, and actually seeking consolation from his fellow NBA stars, like Kevin Durant, Wembanyama, age 20, showed a passion and sheer love of the game that is refreshing, today, but will be a force to be reckoned with starting tomorrow. The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama led the French team in scoring with 15.8 points, rebounds at 9.7, assists at 3.3, steals with 2.0 and blocks with 1.7 per game. However, his 26 points, seven rebounds and two assists in the gold medal game proved there’s a superstar in the making. In fact, he’s made.

The hometown French crowd at Bercy, singing La Marseillaise (see last week’s Words & Music section) as the Bleu accepted their silver medals was a sight to be seen and put a finishing touch on the Paris Games that have edged the 2000 Olympics in my mind.

Lakers Honor Kobe and Gianna

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – On the symbolic date of 8/2/24, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled the second of three statues commissioned to honor Kobe Bryant near Crypto.com Arena.

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The new statue depicts Bryant alongside his daughter Gianna. The two were among seven people who died in a Southern California helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Kobe Bryant was 41 when he died; Gianna was 13.

 

 

In the statue, the two are seated, with the father’s arm around the daughter as angel wings spread behind them. Kobe Bryant, identified as “Most Valuable Girl Dad,” says in a quote at the base, “Gianna is a beast. She’s better than I was at her age. She’s got it. Girls are amazing. I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad.”

The date was chosen because 8 and 24 were the numbers Bryant wore in his Hall of Fame career for the Lakers, and 2 was the number Gianna wore.

The same numbers were in play when the Lakers unveiled the first Bryant statue outside their home venue. The team has yet to announce when the third statue will be ready.

Also on Friday, the locker Bryant used at the arena for his final 13 NBA seasons sold at auction for $2.88 million. ESPN, citing auction house Sotheby’s, reported that the amount was a record for a sports locker.

 

 

The locker had a value estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million, according to Sportico.

–Field Level Media

Kerr Juggles USA Starting Five

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LILLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – USA Basketball’s men’s Olympic team head coach Steve Kerr openly appreciates the adaptable stars on his roster and might make more plug-and-play decisions in the Group C finale against Puerto Rico on Saturday.

Juggling lineups and mixing starters has been part of the plan for Team USA, which is 7-0 since reporting to training camp in Las Vegas last month and 2-0 since arriving at the 2024 Games.

Kerr did not play Boston’s Jayson Tatum in the opener in Paris, then gave Joel Embiid the DNP earlier this week against South Sudan. He plans to blend starting lineups against Puerto Rico with Embiid back with the first five and point guard Jrue Holiday likely to rest with an ankle injury. Tatum and Holiday started against South Sudan.

“It’s basketball, it really doesn’t matter who starts,” said Kevin Durant, who said he’s ready and willing to come off the bench if Kerr prefers. “It’s about really who finished the game, who put their impact on the game while they’re in the game. So I just try to do my best to impact it any way I can.”

Kerr pointed to guard Devin Booker, a supreme scoring guard who plays with the ball in his hands for the Phoenix Suns alongside Durant, as one of the most adaptable players on his roster.

Booker has deferred ball-handling duties to LeBron James and Steph Curry and focused on defending opponents’ top guards.

“Devin is probably the guy who’s been most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here,” Kerr said. “The offense clicks when he’s out there. The defense is really good. That’s why he’s started every game and seems to be good with any combination.”

Puerto Rico enters the matchup as the lowest team in the Pool C standings. But Kerr said he opened meetings Friday stressing to his team that no opponent can be taken lightly if Team USA is serious about being the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals, which begin Tuesday.

“We talked to them this morning,” Kerr said. “We showed the standings. We showed them the point differential. We want that (No. 1 seed). It gives you the best matchup in the quarterfinals. If we drop down to two or three — which I think is unlikely but we’ve got to take care of our business — we possibly have a much tougher opponent.”

Magic’s Pat Williams, Dead at 84

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ORLANDO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Pat Williams, Orlando Magic co-founder and basketball Hall of Famer, died on Wednesday. He was 84. Williams died of complications from viral pneumonia, the Magic said in an official team statement.

Along with businessman Jimmy Hewitt, Williams started to work toward getting Orlando an NBA franchise back in 1986. A year later, the NBA Board of Governors gave an expansion franchise to the city, and on Dec. 22, 1988, the Magic sold their 10,000th ticket to officially bring the team to the league.

That was just a sliver of Williams’ NBA career, which lasted 51 years and included over 30 with the Magic.

“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” Magic chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said in a joint statement. “His accomplishments will always be remembered. Armed with his ever-present optimism and unparalleled energy, he was an incredible visionary who helped transform the world of sports in multiple ways.

“From bringing the Magic to Orlando, to transforming sports marketing and promotions, he was always ahead of the curve. Pat forever changed the sports landscape in Orlando. He shined a light on what those who called Orlando home already knew — that Central Florida was a fabulous place to live, work and play.”

Celtics Cash Out as Tatum Cashes In

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics and All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum are finalizing a five-year supermax extension worth $314 million, which would be the largest deal in NBA history, according to multiple media reports on Monday.

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The deal comes after Tatum helped guide the Celtics to the NBA title this summer, the 18th in franchise history. The report also coincides with the announcement the franchise will be placed up for sale in the near future.

Tatum, 26, averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in 74 regular-season starts before adding 25.0 points, 9.7 boards and 6.3 assists per game in Boston’s 19-game romp through the playoffs.

Tatum was an All-NBA first-team selection for the third straight year and has been named to five All-Star Games. He has spent his entire seven-year NBA career in Boston and has career averages of 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest over 513 games.

The Celtics also locked up starting guard Derrick White to a $126 million contract extension earlier Monday.

–Field Level Media

The Boston Celtics | For Sale

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report with Team News Release) – Investors with deep pockets willing to purchase a champion can line up for bidding on the 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

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The franchise is available for purchase, according to a team issued news release.  The imminent sale comes on the heels of a record 18th NBA title secured last month, as the league’s most storied franchise defeated the Dallas Mavericks in a five-game NBA Finals.

No purchase price was reported. Earlier this year, Forbes estimated the franchise’s value at $4.7 billion.

The potential sale comes at a time when the Celtics could approach a record payroll — and payroll tax to the NBA — with All-Star and MVP candidate Jayson Tatum discussing a contract that would make him the league’s highest-paid player.

Boston Basketball Partners was formed in 2002 and it completed the purchase of the Celtics on New Year’s Eve of that year from previous owner Paul Gaston for $360 million. Reports at the time indicated the actual sale price was $310 million since $50 million of debt was not assumed by the new ownership group.

 

USA Basketball: Lineup is Healthy

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COLORADO SPRINGS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Head coach Steve Kerr expects to have all hands on deck when Team USA begins training camp in Las Vegas, ramping up to the Olympics in Paris.

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Kerr said three players with injuries at the end of the playoffs — Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Joel Embiid (76ers) and Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers) — would not be limited physically and are expected to be available to play the first exhibition July 10 against Canada.

“We’ve been in touch with everyone, not just those three guys,” Kerr said on a conference call with worldwide media Thursday morning. “We’ve been in communication constantly, so we expect all 12 guys to be ready to roll.”

Haliburton injured his hamstring in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Leonard told Kerr and Team USA general manager Grant Hill he has been working out for multiple weeks. He played only two of the Clippers’ final 14 games because of inflammation in his right knee.

Haliburton said Thursday the 12 players announced in April remain motivated by claiming a gold medal in Paris. To date, Hill and Kerr haven’t needed to replace anyone on the original roster.

That includes NBA champion Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, who said last week he’s fully committed to being on the team. He’ll wear the No. 10 jersey that Kobe Bryant chose with previous Olympic teams.

Haliburton was present for the press conference with Kerr and is already working out in Vegas.

“Hamstring feels good overall,” Haliburton said. “Winning is the peak of the sport. Winning a gold medal is right at the top of it.”

The first game of Olympic competition is a month away for the United States, which plays Serbia in Paris on July 28. The other known opponent in the group is South Sudan. A third and final team is to be determined next month in the qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico featuring the host country, Lithuania, Mexico, Italy, Bahrain and Ivory Coast.

Kevin Durant has the most Olympic hardware on the roster with three gold medals, but LeBron James also has two and numerous others have one.

“I think from the standpoint of career achievement, this team is probably as decorated as any since the 1992 Dream Team,” Kerr said.

But Kerr cautioned that the challenge at the 2024 Games will be dramatically different than it was 32 years ago.

“The world of basketball has gotten so much better, so much stronger,” he said. “This is an entirely different field we’re facing. This will be not easy at all for Team USA. In 1992, (Dream Team head coach) Chuck Daly never had to call a timeout. I don’t expect to do that.”

–Field Level Media

NBA Draft: Hawks Pick Risacher at No. 1

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BROOKLYN – (Staff and wire Service Report) – The Atlanta Hawks selected forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

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Risacher comes out of France, where he most recently played for JL Bourg-en-Bresse of LNB Elite, the country’s premier division of professional basketball.

In 32 games last season, Risacher averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists for JL Bourg. The 19-year-old is 6-foot-9 and weighed in at 195 pounds at the draft combine back in May.

Atlanta does not own another pick in this year’s draft, which has been split into two days. Wednesday’s first round is being held at Barclays Center in New York. ESPN’s Seaport District Studios — also in New York — will host the second round.

The Washington Wizards will be on the clock next.

–Field Level Media

NBA Draft: Who’s Got Next?

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BROOKLYN – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The second round of the 2024 NBA Draft tips-off  tonight switching from Barclays Center in Brooklyn to ESPNS’s New York City studio. The second round will begin with the No. 31 pick, held by the Toronto Raptors.

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With well-known names and unknown talents vying to be selected before the draft ends with the 58th pick, here are 10 prospects viewed as the top available players:

1. SG Johnny Furphy, Kansas
Australian late bloomer lacks pure strength but has the traits to be an-off-the-bench shooter at 6-foot-9 while he grows into his frame at age 19.
2. PG Tyler Kolek, Marquette
Not explosive enough to run by NBA on-ball defense but crafty with the vision to lead the second unit and dominate in pick-and-roll sets.
3. Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Fundamentally sound with the touch as a shooter to be a mismatch problem. NBA teams fear he’ll be in chase mode too often on defense.
4. SG Cam Christie, Minnesota
Lead guard with room for growth at 18, he’s more of a project than most shooting guards in this class but patience could be richly rewarded.
5. PF Bobi Klintman, Sweden
More mobile than given credit for, Klintman has size (6-9, 212) and the range to space the floor.
6. SG Justin Edwards, Kentucky
All the tools to take off in the right role, Edwards has a nearly 7-foot wingspan, giving him a foothold as a defensive stopper until his 3-point shot becomes more consistent.
7. Tyler Smith, G League Ignite
Southpaw shoots it well and at age 19 has enough upside to earn a spot because of his potent finishing skills.
8. PG Juan Nunez, Spain
From the Ricky Rubio mold of pass-first point guards with a slick handle and creativity, Nunez lacks the mid-range game and jump shot to be more than a backup for now.
9. SF Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas
Competitive and experienced, McCullar isn’t elite in any single area. His value is versatility, particularly consistent rebounding and defense for his 6-7, 212-pound frame.
10. SG Pelle Larsson, Arizona
A gamer who makes winning basketball plays and decisions. Size and savvy are Larsson’s calling cards, even if he didn’t test exceptionally well or finish with ease against NBA bigs.

–Field Level Media