“Starting 5” Season 2 New Cast Revealed

Netflix is back with season two of “Starting 5”, and this year’s cast is stacked with some of the NBA's biggest names. Expect to see Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown, James Harden, Tyrese Haliburton, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander take center stage.

The series dives into the human side of these athletes, showing their routines, personal lives, and struggles throughout the 2023-24 season. It’s not just about basketball, it covers injuries, family, and mental health, giving fans a closer look at the players beyond the court.

Season one, featuring LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Jimmy Butler, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum, sparked a lot of buzz. If that’s anything to go by, season two is going to blow up in the basketball community.

76ers Fined $100K for Comments on Joel Embiid’s Health

The NBA hit the Philadelphia 76ers with a $100,000 fine for “inconsistent public statements” about Joel Embiid’s health status. The league didn’t find that the Sixers violated the player participation policy but took issue with the way Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse communicated Embiid’s knee condition.

Despite some cryptic comments from the team, the NBA confirmed that Embiid has been sidelined due to a left knee issue. To make things more complicated, Paul George, another key offseason acquisition, has also been out, dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee.

Both players participated in parts of practice on Tuesday but have already been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons. The Sixers' timeline for their return is still unclear

Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic Lead Mavericks Past Timberwolves

Kyrie Irving was in his bag, scoring 35 points, with 16 coming in the third quarter, as the Dallas Mavericks took down the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-114 in a fiery rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals.

Luka Doncic chipped in 24 points, nine assists, and eight boards, including a dagger over Nickeil Alexander-Walker that silenced a vocal Minnesota crowd.

Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards was electric early, scoring 24 of his 37 points in the first quarter, setting a Target Center record. However, his performance dipped, especially from the free-throw line (6-of-12), which hurt the Wolves' chances in crunch time.

Russell Westbrook’s Rollercoaster Ride Ends in Nuggets' OT Win

Few games capture the full Russell Westbrook experience quite like Denver's 144-139 OT victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Westbrook’s performance included 22 points and 5 assists in just 21 minutes, reminding everyone that, even with his ups and downs, he can still swing games.

He had his usual missteps: a missed wide-open dunk and a crucial fourth-quarter turnover, but on this night, the good outweighed the bad. Denver’s bench finally showed life, and Westbrook delivered when it mattered.

The star of the night, though, was Nikola Jokic, who notched an insane 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists. Jokic became only the second player in NBA history to post those numbers in a single game.

Warriors Overcome Slow Start, Defeat Pelicans

The Golden State Warriors looked sluggish early, falling behind by 17 points after the first quarter, but Buddy Hield and Lindy Waters III sparked a comeback in their 124-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Hield dropped 28 points, hitting seven threes, and Draymond Green kept Zion Williamson in check with his trademark defense.

The Warriors also got key contributions from Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga, who both stepped up in the absence of Stephen Curry. With Curry out, this win showed that the Warriors' depth might be more reliable than many expected.

Lonzo Ball is Back on The Injury Report

It’s been a long road back for Lonzo Ball, but the Chicago Bulls guard hit another bump after spraining his right wrist in Monday night’s win against the Grizzlies. Despite the injury, Ball stayed in the game, contributing 6 points and 6 assists in a season-high 18 minutes as the Bulls scraped out a 126-123 victory.

The Bulls don’t think the wrist injury will be a long-term issue but will reevaluate him in 10 days. Ball, now 27, is still managing his return after being sidelined for more than 2.5 years due to multiple knee surgeries.

So far this season, Ball has played in three games, averaging 4.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 15.7 minutes per contest. The team is being cautious, keeping him out of back-to-back games as part of his recovery plan.

Atlanta Hawks Hit Hard by Injuries

The Atlanta Hawks are dealing with an injury avalanche. Bogdan Bogdanovic will be sidelined for at least one month due to a hamstring injury, which he addressed with a non-surgical procedure. Bogdanovic is a critical piece of Atlanta's rotation, having averaged 15.6 points off the bench last season while shooting nearly 40% from three.

Adding to the Hawks' problems, Dyson Daniels (hip flexor strain) and Vit Krejci (adductor strain) were also injured during Monday night’s 121-119 loss to the Washington Wizards. Krejci will miss two weeks, while Daniels is ruled out for Wednesday’s rematch against Washington.

Already missing De'Andre Hunter (knee) and Kobe Bufkin (shoulder subluxation), the Hawks' depth will be tested early in the season.

Rudy Gay Announces Retirement After 17 Seasons

After 17 years in the NBA, Rudy Gay is officially calling it a career. The 38-year-old forward shared his thoughts in an emotional piece for The Players' Tribune, reflecting on the difficulty of leaving the game he’s loved for so long:

Gay leaves behind a lasting legacy, averaging 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds across 1,120 career games. Known for his versatility, Gay played for several teams, including the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, and Utah Jazz.

He ranks fifth in points and fourth in games played in Grizzlies history and remains one of only four players, alongside Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and LeBron James, to average 10+ points per season from 2006-07 to 2020-21.

Stephanie White Expected to Return as Indiana Fever Head Coach

It looks like Stephanie White is coming back to the Indiana Fever, where her coaching journey began. Multiple sources expect White to take over as the Fever’s next head coach, reuniting her with the franchise she once led to the WNBA Finals in 2015.

White has deep ties to Indiana, having played four seasons with the Fever and previously coaching under Lin Dunn, now a senior advisor to the team. White’s first WNBA head coaching gig also came with Indiana in 2015, thanks to Kelly Krauskopf, the Fever's president at the time and now the team’s new head of basketball operations.

The Fever have a promising future with Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, the last two WNBA Rookies of the Year, and White’s familiarity with the franchise could make for an exciting new chapter. White’s recent success with the Connecticut Sun, including back-to-back WNBA Semifinal appearances, makes her a prime candidate to guide this young Fever roster back to contention.

Cheryl Reeve Avoids Fine After Controversial Finals Rant

The WNBA has decided not to fine Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve following her fiery comments after Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, where she claimed the title was "stolen" from her team.

The Lynx fell to the New York Liberty in overtime, 67-62, after a controversial sequence in the final seconds of regulation. Leading by two points, the Lynx were hit with a foul call on Alanna Smith, just moments after what appeared to be a missed travel on Breanna Stewart. Stewart knocked down both free throws to send the game into overtime, where the Liberty outscored Minnesota 7-2 to claim the championship.

Reeve's frustration was rooted in the disparity in free throws, the Liberty shot 25 free throws, compared to just eight for the Lynx. The call on Smith, upheld after a coach’s challenge, was the breaking point for Reeve, who felt the referees' decisions swung the game away from her team.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading.

We’ll see you tomorrow!

— The Players Unlimited Team