Rumors

Eddie Johnson: Make no mistake: Luka Doncic is the most unguardable player in the NBA. The NBA has been waiting for him to ascend to his rightful place as an MVP and champion. Both scenarios have been hard to come by and all Luka needs to do is look in the mirror. In my opinion, he runs a 24-mile marathon instead of 26.2 miles. Luka is so talented that he believes in shortcuts on the floor. That is not the personality for all-time greats. Gaining weight in-season, taking off defensive plays, arguing with officials and taking bad shots because you are tired… They all add up to failure and are the difference in winning what he needs, and that's an MVP and a championship.

HoopsHype

Eddie Johnson: I personally believe LeBron James will become GOAT when he retires, but if he pulls off a first-round win carrying the Lakers without MVP candidate Luka Doncic and All-Star Austin Reaves, and defeating all-time great Kevin Durant, he will indeed do something at 41 that no one has ever done and will lay claim to GOAT status without having to win another title.

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Eddie Johnson: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is building a case for the most efficient 2-guard ever. His 2025-26 TS% is the highest of his career while scoring 30 a game, and he is doing it as the primary creator. Although people focus on Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama as the current and future most dominant players, if SGA wins the title, he will ruin that party for now.

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Eddie Johnson: If Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown win another title, both will take major leaps. Tatum for his dedication to getting back on the court after an Achilles injury and playing to an All-NBA level. Jaylen Brown for his ability to lead the Celtics to the second-best record in the East. Both would move up the all-time ranks and be considered among the best duos in league history.

HoopsHype

Eddie Johnson: 1 in Europe for @Olympiacos_BC while I was living in a 4 level house overlooking the Saronic Gulf which is part of the Mediterranean sea, having the time of my life!

Twitter

Barkley told NBA Today co-hosts Justin Termine and Barkley's ex-teammate Eddie Johnson that Brooks "deserves a lot of credit (for) what's happening in Phoenix."

Arizona Republic

Eddie A. Johnson: This is a straight up joke and cop out by officials. What was Mark Williams to do with a player swinging at him? He held back because he did not want to get kicked out. We all know he could have hurt Jose Alvarado!

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Shortening a season and spreading games out takes players out of rhythm. The best games I had at times were back-to-back. I thought playing a big game in front of loud crowds and large TV audiences got your adrenaline going regardless of whether it was a back-to-back or the fourth game in five nights. I remember a few years back watching Kawhi Leonard get 40 in a game, then he was load-managed the next night in a back-to-back against Atlanta. It boggled my mind seeing that. That’s like hitting a home run and on your next at-bat the manager pinch-hits for you. No, man - go see if you can do it again.

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Players thought skill development was equivalent to preparing for that 82-game marathon. Playing full-court, game-speed basketball gets you ready, and they have paid a price for skipping the toughest part. You can’t run a marathon and not prepare by running a race. Let’s just be honest: NBA training camps were torturous before 2011, and the intense running had you sore as heck, but it got you ready and prepared. I ran for a living to get open on the basketball court and not one time in a 17-year career suffered a hamstring or groin injury. I suffered a calf strain for the first time in my eighth year because of a tight back, and I missed one training camp because I was a free agent. I never suffered a soft-tissue injury in 16 training camps because I was in optimal shape.

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Eddie Johnson: Obviously, assistant coaches have a different job description, and Tuomas was in his first season, so I am sure the players were not that familiar with what his philosophy would be. If they had been, I am sure he would have gotten immediate pushback from his star players about being substituted every three to five minutes. I mean, I get it. In a robotic world, one can turn machinery on and off and it will not complain, push back, or lash out. But the players are not robots, and if you mess with their minutes, it becomes a major problem. A player knows more than a monitor, computer, or human sitting behind the bench if he needs rest.

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Eddie Johnson: Like most stars, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are accustomed to playing with different units on the floor. But they are also used to having some control over how they are substituted. In Europe, coaches have the most power in the locker room, and it’s definitive: “It’s my way or the highway.” One thing Iisalo will find out, if he hasn’t already, is that the stars control the environment at an elevated level in the NBA and that he will have to reach a happy medium with them. Short bursts can truly disrupt any player’s rhythm, but a star will rebel if he feels it is affecting his play, especially if he knows he will be criticized for it. This is a recipe for tension between the player and the coach.

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Eddie Johnson: Now, of course, it would be easy to point to Morant’s past transgressions and say he should just acquiesce to the coach’s wishes. I agree there is a time and place for how you approach the situation, and Ja might not be the best at being politically correct, but in this instance, I understand how he feels. Hockey-type substitutions are challenging, especially for superstars. When Iisalo was asked about his philosophy, he said this: Tuomas Iisalo: "Basketball is evolving and the demands on the intensity are higher and higher and we are looking to also adapt to the times (...) I think what's often forgotten is the actual sub pattern... it's to optimize results in the short, medium and long term." If he said that in the Grizzlies locker room, I can imagine the players looking at each other and wondering, What does that mean?

HoopsHype

Eddie A Johnson: I played in Europe and this style of coaching will have him back coaching in FIBA. First you got to have a great relationship with your star player and secondly, hockey style substitutions don’t work. Iisalo is robotic coaching. Let the player tell you if he is tired!

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Eddie Johnson: You better put some respect on the big Fundamentals name!

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