It’s almost October, basketball fans! Training camps open across the league next week and, believe it or not, we’re just eight days away from a preseason game.
In this week’s edition of Open Floor, we’re rolling through our preseason prediction series. Last week, we mapped out the standings for each conference and a record for each team. This week, we lead off with our respective playoff brackets and call our shots from the postseason, from the play-in games to the team who could hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy once it’s all said and done.
Let’s get into it…
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Graphic: Bryce Wood/Sports Illustrated
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All three of our NBA writers—Chris Mannix, Liam McKeone and Blake Silverman—picked the Spurs to avenge their 2026 Finals loss. Let the Wemby Era officially begin.
Chris Mannix: Spurs over 76ers in six games
Liam McKeone: Spurs over Cavaliers in four games
Blake Silverman: Spurs over Cavaliers in five games
For the full bracket predictions and more analysis, read on:
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🤔 Three Things I Think I Think |
By Liam McKeone
1. I think the debunked Lonzo Ball retirement rumors bummed me out because he should be thriving in the prime of his career right now. A genuinely gifted passer and defender with a preternatural feel for the court, Ball is a tailor-made point guard for today’s high-pace game. His fixed three-point shot might’ve earned him an All-Star nod or two. But, alas, injuries had something to say about that. An awful knee injury knocked Ball out for nearly two full seasons and he was a shell of himself the last time we saw him out on the court in Cleveland. Instead of fitting perfectly into the modern NBA, he’s battling rumors of his own retirement and waiting for the phone to ring. Injuries stink, man.
2. I think we’re in store for an extremely entertaining postseason in 2027 after attempting to predict how it will play out in the above post. I feel that way before every season as hope reigns supreme and the possibilities feel endless. But this year’s playoff picture features an unusual amount of teams with more questions than answers at this stage. Not just in the East, where multiple superstars must acclimate to new homes—the West is a total jumble after OKC and San Antonio. Such looming questions usually lead to unpredictable results and there’s nothing more fun than an unpredictable NBA.
3. I think OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns will show up at some point on Saturday night when Jalen Brunson hosts SNL. Towns was (famously) in The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Anunoby has appeared in HBO’s My Friends & Neighbors alongside the nearly-as-famous NBA writer Zach Lowe. A skit featuring all three Knicks stars would be tremendous, both for the viewers and their teammates who will gleefully ensure it is shown on repeat in the locker room next season.
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🤫 Anonymous scouts break down the Southwest Division |
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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Ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season, we spoke to scouts around the NBA about all 30 teams. Read on for more insight:
Grizzlies
“I think Cameron Boozer is the surest bet of this rookie class. He can shoot the three already and he can pass. In Memphis, he is going to have the ball all the time. I would think he will have a pretty good season in terms of being a playmaker, spacing the floor, and then if he could find a good pick-and-roll partner, hitting that ball in the pocket and making plays with his vision, I think he'd be a pretty good weapon offensively, even though he's not known as great of an athlete or physical specimen or anything like that. He still has decent size. And when you can shoot, all of a sudden you're a little bit bigger.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Mavericks
“Kyrie Irving returning will be a big help. For one thing, he takes the best defender off of Cooper Flagg. In a lot of cases, if a team has one great perimeter defender, he's going to be on Kyrie. So that helps anybody when that is the situation. And then Kyrie's playmaking, drawing help, maybe Flagg can get some easier buckets off the ball.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Pelicans
“They invested a lot in Derik Queen, but I don’t see it. I have a low, low opinion. He doesn’t seem like a real high-motor guy when you watch him in pregame or in the game. I thought he had some fake numbers from the start of the season that he got a little bit of hype on. I don’t think he’s that good. Again, I could be wrong, but when he’s at his best, it feels like you have to play through him, and if you’re playing through him, that means Zion is a liability because he’s not defending and he doesn’t have the ball in his hands, so I don’t think they’re a great fit together for that reason.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Rockets
“Amen Thompson is an interesting player. He still can't really shoot, but he put up great numbers. He's a threat offensively because of how he plays. He's a good example of a guy that approaches the game in a humble manner because he doesn't try to force his weaknesses. So if he keeps that up, he's still going to be a problem. Obviously defensively, he's one of the most versatile guys in the conference. But he's still a guy you try to hide someone on. So he's going to have to probably take a notch up to get them to the next level. He would be probably the one guy that they would need to take a jump.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
Spurs
“Victor Wembanyama is going to have a monster regular season. If the Spurs take the minutes restrictions off, he’s going to put up some ridiculous numbers. We can assume that he's a little stronger and healthier, and will get a bump just from that.” Read the full anonymous scouting report here.
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By Blake Silverman
The best things we saw across the internet recently …
1. Reed Sheppard’s new look that he debuted at Rockets media day. Please don’t get a haircut, my guy.
2. T.J. Ford and Tyler Herro recreated Ford’s rookie photo shoot. Baggy shorts and jerseys galore with all the early 2000s nostalgia. Let’s hope Herro wears this in the regular season. Who cares about practicality!
3. Steven Adams is predicting a league-wide drop-off in November with the anticipated release of GTA 6. Set a reminder to adjust your fantasy lineups.
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Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
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By Blake Silverman
Buyer’s remorse is one of the worst feelings you can have.
More often than not, you get over it in a few days. Did I really need that in-home cold plunge I used three times and never touched again? Probably not, and the wasted money stares me straight in the eye every time I look at it.
But, guess what? I got over it pretty quickly. The lengthy maintenance routine was unrealistic and it wasn’t that expensive. That’s what I tell myself at least. In this NBA world of aprons and subsequent limitations, though, buyer’s remorse can haunt front offices for years.
Here are the 10 worst contracts in the NBA right now:
10. Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
Remaining contract: Four years, $115.5 million
9. Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls
Remaining contract: Three years, $54 million
8. Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee Bucks
Remaining contract: Four years, $64 million
7. James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers
Remaining contract: Three years, $96.5 million
6. De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs
Remaining contract: Four years, $221.7 million
For the full list, read on:
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By Blake Silverman
T.J. Ford got me thinking. Remember Jason Kapono? Your favorite three-point shooter’s favorite three-point shooter. He didn’t get up nearly as much volume as NBA players do today, but he finished his nine-year career with a whopping 43.4% three-point percentage.
Kapono landed with the Bobcats through the 2004 expansion draft and made the first block in franchise history—just in case that question ever comes up during trivia night. He’s most known for his time with the Heat and the Raptors, though. He played a supporting role for the Heat’s title team in 2006, led by Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. Kapono then won the three-point contest in back-to-back years—once as a member of the Heat and the other in his first season with the Raptors. He finished his career in short stints with the 76ers and the Lakers. Primarily a bench player throughout his nine seasons, he has a niche spot in NBA folklore.
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By Blake Silverman
Less than a week before the Pistons reconvene in Detroit for media day, All-Star center Jalen Duren remains a restricted free agent.
The stalemate between Duren and the franchise that drafted him has become the NBA’s never-ending offseason saga. It’s a sticky situation, but no matter the hangups, it’s surprising that the negotiations—or lack thereof—have dragged on this long.
So, how will this all end? That’s the big question. As the season inches closer, we mapped out a number of possible resolutions for Detroit as the franchise looks to continue on as a top dog in the improved Eastern Conference:
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