Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren was expected to take a step forward during his second season of active competition in the NBA.
So far, so good.
Through two games, Holmgren is averaging 23 points and 15 rebounds and shooting 52.8 percent from the floor.
He'll look to continue his strong start when the Thunder open their home schedule against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
While Holmgren has been excellent, so has the Thunder's defense.
It's early, but Oklahoma City is allowing an NBA-best 91 points per game.
"We just have a lot of guys that are good at getting deflections, good at anticipating, playing passing lands," Thunder guard Alex Caruso said. "At any point in time, we've got three to five guys that can guard the other team's best player or be in the passing lane on the backside."
While plenty has gone right for the Thunder so far, they have struggled from distance.
Oklahoma City has made just 8 of 38 attempts from 3-point range (21.1 percent), which ranks only ahead of the Indiana Pacers (19.7 percent) in the NBA.
Sunday's game is the second of a back-to-back for the Thunder, who recorded a 114-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. It also is first of a back-to-back set for the Hawks.
The Thunder are looking for their first 3-0 start since 2016-17. It hasn't been quite as long for Atlanta, who last started 3-0 in 2020-21.
Trae Young has started hot for the Hawks.
The three-time All-Star is averaging 34 points and 11 assists. He is just the second player in NBA history to begin a season with back-to-back games of at least 30 points and 10 assists.
The other was Oscar Robertson in 1961-62. Robertson did it in the first three games that season.
In Friday's 125-120 home win over Charlotte, Young had 38 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and four steals.
"It's not going to be the same every night, obviously," Young said. "You want to try to strive to have that."
While Young is working on becoming a more well-rounded player, improving his defense, he's also not backing away from his aggressive approach at the other end.
So far, he's averaging 2.5 steals and five turnovers and shooting 45 percent from the floor and 35 percent from beyond the arc.
"I can't stop being aggressive at any point in the game, no matter if my shots fall and if I've had a couple of turnovers here and there," Young said. "I've got to continue to stay aggressive for my teammates. Because, I mean, that's what draws two people."
Young has made 25 of 29 attempts from the free-throw line, helping Atlanta average 42 free-throw tries per game.
Oklahoma City is averaging just 16 attempts from the line so far.
The teams split their two meetings last season, with each team winning at home.
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The Detroit Pistons are expected to sign NBA free agent shooting guard Colby Jones to a two-way contract, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Jones, 23, had a solid finish to last season with the Washington Wizards after being acquired from the Sacramento Kings in a three-team trade at the February deadline. In 15 games with Washington, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25.7 minutes per night, shooting 46.6 percent from the field. He was then traded to the Thunder in June, but Oklahoma City quickly waived his non-guaranteed contract for 2024-25, making him an unrestricted free agent. Jones was originally selected by Sacramento with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after a standout run at Xavier. This will be his first time on a two-way deal, giving him a chance to stick with a rebuilding Pistons team still sorting out its depth on the perimeter. Detroit already has Ron Harper Jr. and Tolu Smith signed to two-way contracts. Jones would presumably take the team’s third and final slot. More NBA News Rumors
MLB's midseason break was kind to Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter and starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani. On Wednesday, the three-time MVP tied a Dodgers franchise record with a home run in his fifth consecutive game, taking Minnesota Twins right-handed starting pitcher Chris Paddack 441 feet to centerfield on an 0-2 79 mph curveball in the bottom of the first inning. Ohtani entered the All-Star break with 32 home runs but had just two in his 12 previous games before beginning his current streak. He's appeared in 101 of L.A.'s 103 games, putting him on pace for 159 games this season. If Ohtani continues at his home run trajectory, he'll set a personal record for single-season home runs, breaking the record he established last season, his first with the Dodgers. Per ESPN Bet, Ohtani (-1800) is an overwhelming favorite to be named NL MVP for the second consecutive season. With every home run hit, his odds of receiving a fourth overall MVP award likely increase. Also helping Ohtani's case is his return to the mound after not pitching a season ago while rehabbing from 2023 surgery. The Dodgers have slowly eased him back, with Ohtani throwing 12 innings in six starts, allowing nine hits and two earned runs with 13 strikeouts. Per Baseball Savant, he ranks in the top six percent in average fastball velocity (97.8 mph), a promising sign as he continues his progression. While the Dodgers keep him on a pitch count, Ohtani didn't need much warming up at the plate following the in-season break to find his swing. Some might argue he's already in postseason form.
With Mitch Marner’s move to the Vegas Golden Knights closing a major chapter in Toronto, GM Brad Treliving made a series of moves to replace his production. He might not be done. Three may be even bolder moves on the horizon. We’ve heard the names Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf before. However, the Maple Leafs are actively fielding and exploring trade scenarios as they look to reshape their roster — and according to Nick Kypreos, a handful of intriguing names are emerging in trade chatter: Morgan Rielly, Brandon Carlo, and former Leafs fan-favorite Nazem Kadri. The most surprising name still generating buzz is Rielly. Despite being a longtime cornerstone on Toronto’s blue line, his $7.5 million cap hit and no-move clause complicate matters. Yet with the team needing help up front, and possible interest in offensive defensemen like Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson, Rielly could become part of a larger plan if he’s open to waiving. Also surprising is the talk surrounding Carlo. A recent addition to the Leafs’ defense corps, he is already being talked about behind the scenes as a potential trade piece. If he were made available, there is interest around the league, as the 6-foot-6 shutdown defender has a team-friendly cap hit and strong penalty-killing ability. Trading Carlo could get the Leafs a top-six forward. Finally, reports on the availability of Kadri remain conflicting. Some say he’s not available, while others suggest that the Calgary Flames would consider the idea. The former Maple Leaf would be a welcome addition back to Toronto, but there isn’t much of a reason for the Flames to trade him unless the return is outstanding. Kadri reportedly would consider waiving his no-move clause for a reunion. That said, getting a deal done won’t be easy, especially with Montreal also rumored to be on his short list. Whether any of these deals come to pass or are just pure speculation, one thing’s sure: the Maple Leafs aren’t standing still. Treliving is trying to get his roster to score more goals. He seems willing to entertain any idea and play Moneyball with the roster if it will help.
A clear frontrunner appears to be separating himself from the pack in the Cleveland Browns’ QB room. Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett handled all of the first-team offense reps in 11-on-11 drills during the first day of training camp on Wednesday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reported. Meanwhile, Dillon Gabriel received the second-team reps, Shedeur Sanders received the third-team reps, and Joe Flacco did not receive any 11-on-11 reps at all, Oyefusi added. Cleveland has one of the most hotly-contested and uncertain QB races of the NFL offseason. With Deshaun Watson (Achilles) set to miss the entire 2025 season, the Browns acted quickly this offseason by trading for Pickett, re-signing Flacco, and then selecting both Gabriel and Sanders in the NFL Draft. Pickett, 27, indeed looks like the best option for Cleveland right now. He has already made 25 total starts in the NFL and won a Super Bowl last season as Jalen Hurts’ backup on the Philadelphia Eagles. That gives Pickett a leg up over the rookies Gabriel and Sanders, and he is also far younger than the 40-year-old Flacco. Previous reports during OTAs suggested that Flacco, who made a handful of starts for the Browns in 2023, was looking surprisingly good under center. But more recently, some Cleveland players were predicting that Pickett would end up as the ultimate winner of the race. Meanwhile, Gabriel had reportedly looked a little rough over the last couple of months, and Sanders still appears to have plenty of work to do as well (though he has received rave reviews from some notable team figures). With a rookie unlikely to get the starting nod to begin the year, it may be a two-horse race between Pickett and Flacco (with Pickett now seemingly pulling away).