National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

Kentucky dropped out of these Power Rankings back on Dec. 4, following a 5-3 start. A day later, the Wildcats lost by 35 points to Gonzaga in Nashville, and it looked like the wheels were falling off. Less than three weeks later, Mark Pope's team returns to the mix. Kentucky has won four straight games, all by double-figures, including 12-point victories over Indiana and St. John's.

The Lakers' defense collapsed in a 132-108 loss to the Suns on Tuesday at Mortgage Matchup Center, giving up a season-high field goal percentage (59%), tying their mark for most points allowed this season. Led by 17-for-29 shooting from star guard Devin Booker (21 points) and Dillon Brooks (25 points), the Suns easily eclipsed the 56.5% they shot against the Lakers on Dec. 1.

The Washington Wizards are being monitored ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February for a variety of reasons. Not only do the Wizards have several glaring holes on the roster that need to be addressed, but they also have multiple players who could be major additions for playoff-bound teams looking for an upgrade to their depth chart. Whether the Wizards plan to be buyers or sellers at the deadline is still unknown,

The players I'm talking about are Ja'Kobe Walter, Gradey Dick, and Ochai Agbaji. For most of the 2025-26 season, these three have been the swingmen options Toronto has used, and they've all had their ups and downs. Agbaji has definitely been the most disappointing of the three, Dick continues to be inconsistent in his third NBA season, and while Ja'Kobe Walter still catches my eye with potential - he's still very much unproven to warrant a significant role.

After hard-fought victories over the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks in their previous encounters, the Toronto Raptors headed into the past weekend facing a back-to-back schedule against the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets. While the Raptors didn't secure those two prior straight wins with absolute perfection, I was hopeful that Toronto could carry this positive momentum into December as they aim to close out 2025 on a high note.

NEW ORLEANS -- Zion Williamson scored 24 points, including 10 straight in a decisive two-minute span of the fourth quarter, to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 119-113 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, extending the Pelicans' season-long winning streak to five games. The Pelicans, who started the season 3-22, have posted their longest winning streak since 2022. New Orleans erased an 87-79 deficit after three quarters with a 38-19 run in the first 10:24 of the final quarter.

As Lakers coach JJ Redick talked after practice Monday about the long list of his players who would be listed as day-to-day for Tuesday night's game at Phoenix, he at least knew that center Deandre Ayton will be back after missing the previous two games with left elbow soreness. Redick said Luka Doncic (left leg contusion), Austin Reaves (mild left calf strain) and Rui Hachimura (right groin soreness) are day-to-day.

His pre-game words proved prophetic as the Raptors 905 narrowly outlasted the Grand Rapids Gold 103-101 in the G League's Winter Showcase Semifinal, while extending their historic start to 16 consecutive wins. The victory required overcoming a double-digit first-half deficit and about as many lead changes as there are palm trees in sunny Orlando, where the tournament is being held.

RJ Barrett has been at the heart of trade speculation since the moment the Toronto Raptors first acquired him in 2023. Cast aside by critics as a player who simply doesn't play a winning style, Barrett has quietly grown into the type of contributor many swore he couldn't be. As the trade rumors return in 2025-26, it's become perfectly clear that those who expect him to be moved aren't properly quantifying how valuable he is to the Raptors.

When we started the company, a big chunk of our staffers were in their 20s, bestowing large portions of our editorial output with the imprimatur of youth, but it turns out that every 28-year-old becomes 33 five years later, like clockwork. While we've frequently hired early-career writers in their twenties, our overall average age continues to inch upward, as everyone progresses interminably towards unc status.

Payton Pritchard touched the paint and scored. Then, Pritchard did the exact same thing, but this time, dished to Hugo Gonzalez for the paint two. Raptors called timeout. Scottie couldn't get the dunk to go down, and Dick ate Baylor Scheierman's dust as he stampeded a catch from the perimeter and scored. Scottie set Walter up, but the latter couldn't finish. Scottie got beat off Pritchard's dribble, yet again, and the latter scored another paint two ( Pritchard went a perfect 6-for-6 in the paint in the third quarter - yikes!).

So, every game has been an exhibit, mostly, of the Raptors forwards trying to power them through to a victory, with maybe one or two role players managing to hit shots alongside them. It's usually a player elevated into the starting lineup. If Sandro Mamukelashvili starts? Open looks, and points. Ja'Kobe Walter? Usually the same. If Agbaji starts? Just the looks, maybe.