Welcome back to Basketball Home, the only place where we sift through all the chaos of the NBA calendar to find the insights that you know, truly matter.

It is officially December, and the intensity somehow has ratcheted up even further.

We are past the initial early season jitters, the first ever NBA Cup knockout stage is set and well now teams are truly positioning themselves for that long, brutal regular season run.

And you can really see that shift reflected in the league landscape.

Yeah, I mean out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder aren't just leading, they are staggering the league at an unprecedented twenty to one.

It's unbelievable.

It is.

Meanwhile, you've got the Lakers, who, seemingly against all odds with the early injuries, have quietly pieced together a really remarkable seven game winning stream.

Right.

But for the real history fans, what is genuinely electrifying about heading into December is just the sheer volume of historical milestones that are on the immediate horizon.

We're talking generational records that are ready to tumble this.

Month, and that's exactly what we're going to do.

We're going to unpack all the weekend madness, the double overtime thrillers, the surprise and star returns, and of course the major injury implications that are already forcing gms to scramble before the holidays, and maybe most importantly for you listening, we're going to get into exactly which records are about to fall before Christmas and what that means for the league's greatest ever players.

So let's jump right in the deep end, because the weekend delivered an absolute classic.

You absolutely have to start with Atlanta and Philadelphia.

The Hawks took down the Sixers one forty two to one thirty four in double overtime.

I mean, a genuine marathon game that showcased both the incredible potential of those young Hawks and the you know, the complicated dynamics of Philly's new star corps.

And it was a duel for the Ages that sent way beyond just the box score.

This wasn't just a high scoring game.

This was a statement performance for Atlanta's forward Jalen Johnson.

Oh absolutely, he said a new career high with a spectacular line forty one points, fourteen rebounds, and seven assists.

But he needed every single one of those to counter the I mean, almost supernatural effort from Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxi.

Maxie was just relentless.

Utterly relentless.

He carried that Sixers offense late, forced overtime with clutch scoring, and finished with forty four points, nine assists, and seven rebounds across a staggering fifty two minutes of basketball.

Fifty two minutes.

Wow.

But here's the critical narrative point here.

This game spoiled the season debut of Philadelphia's much anticipated Big three.

Right.

This was a first time all season that we saw Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxie all healthy and playing together.

And they lost.

They lost to an Atlanta team that was missing their main guy, Trey Young exactly.

So does that suggest a fundamental mismatch or was this just, you know, the expected rest of three stars trying to figure out the hierarchy on the fly.

I think it was a bit of a mix.

But Atlanta's ability to maintain that high level guard play even without Young was the real structural difference, especially when Embiid had to during those critical final moments.

And that's why Nikolile Alexander Walker steps in.

That's the key figure.

He stepped into that starting point guard role and just delivered a massive performance thirty four points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.

We really need to look a bit deeper into his metrics to understand why he was so disruptive for Philly.

His metrics are fascinating.

He's not just scoring, he's doing it efficiently, and maybe more importantly, he's creating in a totally different way than Trey Young does exactly.

He's knocking down something like thirty seven percent of his catch and shoot threes, which makes him a great floor spacer.

But what's really important is that he ranks in the seventieth percentile for his pick and roll creation efficiency.

Okay, and that isn't just a number.

It fundamentally shifts how Atlanta can run their offense when Young is out.

Young is a high volume guy in the pick and roll, right, Alexander Walker is highly efficient in a more limited usage.

So it forces defenses to guard two completely different styles.

It does, and when you're facing the Sixers new trio, where that defense sensive cohesion is still a work in progress, that depth forced Philadelphia to defend both the rim driven by Johnson and the perimeter driven by Anyw's efficiency, all without Maxie getting consistent rest.

That depth is what prevented the Big Three from ever finding a real rhythm.

Okay, so moving up the East Coast, we saw another surprising result with the Boston Celtics beating the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But this win was really marked by the performance of a deep reserve player just seizing his opportunity.

Yeah, the biggest story here isn't even Boston's win, but the fact that Cleveland was just critically shorthanded.

They were missing six players, including their entire starting backcourt and their interior anchor Jared Allen, Darius Garland and Max Struce.

And yet Boston still had to fight for that win.

They did, and the reason they didn't collapse was the absolute explosion from Peyton Pritchard.

Pritchard was magnificent.

He scored a season high forty two points, shooting fifteen for twenty two from the field, six for eleven from three, and he really cemented the win with some crew Rui'll clutch scoring late in the fourth.

For a team that's designed around its two stars Tatum and Brown, how important is it to see a bench player deliver a performance like that, especially when maybe the overall team energy is flagging a bit.

Oh, it's invaluable.

Pritchard has a history of these massive scoring out bursts.

This was his second career forty point game, but consistency is always the challenge for him.

When he delivers like that, it validates Boston's whole deep roster philosophy.

And Brown was quietly effective too.

Very It's also worth noting that while Pritchell dominated the scoring, Jalen Brown quietly notched his fourth career triple double nineteen points, twelve rebounds, eleven assists.

That shows the versatility the Celtic Stars to just adapt to whatever the game needs.

But the immediate fallout for Cleveland is pretty severe.

They dropped to seventh in the East after that loss, and now the public frustration is starting to bubble over.

That's the real story here.

I mean, losing is one thing, but the commentary after the game suggests a deeper sort of cultural problem.

Second year pro Jaylon Tyson publicly said I feel like teams wanted more than us.

Wow, you don't hear that often.

You don't, And that kind of public commentary aimed at the collective team effort.

It suggests that the injury woes are really just making a lack of internal accountability even worse.

When a locker room starts questioning the desire of its players or the coaching staff, that instability feeds directly into trade rumors and personnel changes.

Well, speaking of teams that demonstrably do want it more, the New York Knicks continue to turn Madison Square Garden into an absolute fortress.

They dominated the Toronto Raptors, winning one hundred and sixteen to ninety four, and improve their league leading home record to ten and one.

That mark is second only to that twenty to one OERKC team, So the.

Knicks aren't just winning at home.

They are leveraging the atmosphere and the routine of MSG to create a huge psychological edge Totally.

They're often just crushing teams in the third and fourth quarters.

There, and their victory was incredibly balanced.

Karl Anthony Towns led with twenty two points, but Josh Heart, who's really become the emotional engine of that team, just stuffed the box score twenty points, twelve rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.

He's clearly thriving with the heavy workload.

It was a smart, opportunistic win by the Knicks.

They leveraged the schedule.

The Raptors, who are surprisingly strong at fourteen and seven and leading their division, were on the second night of a back to back after traveling.

That fatigue let the Knicks get.

More physical, exactly more physical, more dominant on the boards.

However, the narrative around the game was really the return of former Nick Emmanuel Quickly.

And Quickly had a solid night for Toronto nineteen points and eight assists, including a burst in the third where he scored what thirteen straight points trying to keep his team in it.

He did, and the Knick's response was really telling.

When Quickly tried to ignite that rally.

The Knicks immediately came back with the decisive twelve zero run, mostly led by Heart's energy and his defensive pressure.

That ability to absorb a punch and immediately counter with sustained intensity.

That's the mark of a contender, even one facing its own injury issues for sure.

Okay, finally we have to acknowledge the juggernaut out west.

The Oklahoma City Thunder now twenty to one, extending their winning streak to twelve games by beating the Portland trailblazers.

What the Thunder are doing right now.

It transcends simple winning.

It's historically dominant and is being driven by consistency at the top and an all time great defense.

Let's focus on Shai Gilgis Alexander First, he passed Wilt Chamberlain for the second longest streak in NBA history of consecutive games with twenty plus points.

That's ninety three straight games.

Now, yeah, that level of reliable production is almost unheard of in the modern load managed NBA.

It speaks to his drive, but also to the sheer volume of possessions he commands.

However, the truly mind blowing statistic is their defense.

The Thunder are allowing eleven point one fewer points per hundred possessions than the league.

Average eleven point one.

That is just jaw dropping.

What's driving that?

Is it just individual talent or is it scheme or what's happening there.

It's a synthesis of all of it, but it's predominantly scheme and personnel that are tailored to the modern game.

That eleven point one differential, if they can maintain it, would absolutely shatter the previous best differential in the thirty seasons, we have tracking data for Wow.

What makes them unique is their versatility.

They can switch everything one through five, but they also have the length, led by chet Holmgren, to recover and provide elite rim protection after the initial drive.

So they combine aggressive perimeter pressure with disciplined rotations.

Right.

It just suffocates opponents.

They aren't just good at one thing.

They are elite at defensive variety, and that lets them consistently execute latent games.

Even in their win over Portland, which was tight until the fourth, Portland really challenged them.

They did.

Did he have?

Dja had a career night for the Blazers, a huge triple double with thirty one points nineteen rebounds in ten asis.

He was incredibly aggressive, got to line twenty three.

Times, twenty three free throws.

Most OKAC has allowed to a single player in three seas.

That forced the Thunder to adjust their rotations and really pressure the officials.

It was a tactical challenge that lasted deep into the fourth, but OKC, led by SGA's late game scoring, managed to execute defensively and pull away.

That's the sign of a truly great team.

The narrative of the season, right, now is dominance, but individual health and award eligibility are looming a large especially now with the new CBA rules.

Let's shift our focus to the injury report.

Let's circle back to Philadelphia because big story was the return of their two superstars Embiid and Paul George and even though they lost that double overtime thriller, just seeing the Big three on the floor for the first time was the main objective for the front office.

Joel Embiid was back after missing nine games with that right knee soreness.

He scored eighteen points in thirty minutes, but his frustration over his physical state was you could feel it.

He said he was happy just to play and judge his lateral movement, but the metrics show his mobility was way down, only four rebounds, one block, and critically, he sat out the final four minutes of the second overtime.

That decision to sit and bead was strategic and I think incredibly telling.

Coach Nick Nurse clearly prioritized Embiad's long term health over a December regular season win.

That speaks volumes about their playoff goals.

If this were a playoff game, Embiid is probably playing those final minutes through pain.

The fact they made that call just reinforces how delicate his health status is right now.

And Paul George, who also played heavy minutes, he had a great lighthearted analogy after the game to dismiss any concern over his back tightness.

Yeah, he called himself the bird leaving the nest, getting to fly and flap my wings a little bit more.

It's a classic PG quote, and crucially, it was a positive sign for a new trio that just desperately needs to log time together.

Now, let's pivot to the team that's currently rolling, the Los Angeles Lakers.

They're fifteen to four, fueled by a seven game win streak, including a dominant performance over the Pelicans.

But the health conversation always always comes back to Lebron James at right.

Lebron sat out that Pelican's game for left foot injury management, and head coach JJ Reddick explained that this period is essentially Lebron's training camp since he missed the first fourteen games of the season with sciatica.

They're being cautious, very cautious, building him up gradually.

But that caution comes with a severe consequence this season because of the new CBA rules, He's now missed fifteen games.

This puts a serious, serious threat to his unprecedented streak of twenty one consecutive All NBA team selection.

It absolutely does.

The league requires players to be in at least sixty five games to be eligible for awards like All NBA and MVP.

He's missed fifteen, so he can only miss two more games this entire season to stay eligible.

But hold on, is that legacy truly threatened?

Is anyone really going to look back in twenty years and say, oh, Lebron was an All NBA in twenty twenty five because he missed three extra games?

No, no, or is the threat mostly psychological forcing them to weigh an individual honor against championship preparedness.

That is the essential conflict of the new rule.

For the legacy narrative, it hardly matters, but for the player that streak is a massive marker of sustained excellence.

For the Lakers, it matters because it speaks to the availability of their star.

So what do you think they prioritize the title?

I mean, do I truly believe they prioritize that eligibility over winning a championship?

No, the streak is likely going to be sacrificed.

Reddick has suggested they plan to build him up to play back to backs later in the season, which is their way of saying they're going to try.

But the margin for error is razor thin, one cold, one minor tweak, and the streak is over.

And speaking of players chasing eligibility, let's pivot to Victor wm Banyama.

He's missed seven straight games for the Spurs with a calf injury.

This is a massive issue because he is producing at an MVP and DPOY level when he plays.

When Benyama's case is so compelling and unique.

He's averaging twenty six point two points, a league leading twelve point nine rebounds, and a league leading three point six blocks per game.

And the Spurs are good.

That's the truly surprising part.

The Spurs are competitive at thirteen and six, sitting fifth in the West, way ahead of expectations.

If he meets that sixty five game threshold, he isn't just a legitimate dpoike candidate, He's arguably the front runner.

So with seven games missed, he still has ten games of wiggle room before that sixty five game requirement threatens his eligibility.

That margin is better than Lebron's, but the stakes are equally high.

The timing of the NBA Cup works a little in his favor, since the Spurs don't have official games during the tournament's core week.

Okay, but for a player still on his rookie contract, achieving those honors like all NBA or dpoy is directly tied to his future Supermax eligibility.

If he doesn't meet the criteria, he can't qualify for that higher pay scale down the line.

The long term financial stakes are huge.

Let's stick with the injury report for one more team that's spiraling, which is directly impacting trade discussions.

The Chicago Bulls.

Yeah, the bulls health instability is directly contributing to their instability in the standings.

They are nine to ten, losing four of five, and heading into their game against Orlando, they listed eight players on the injury report.

This is just not sustainable.

What are the main concerns?

Well, Isaaca Korro is out for his fifth straight game with back pain.

Jalen Smith has a hamstring strain.

Both Zach Collins and Kobbe White were listed as doubtful.

And the Kobe White situation where he's now dealing with a calf issue on the other leg that has to be deeply concerning for his durability.

Extremely worrying.

White missed the first eleven games recovering from a calf strain in his right leg.

Now he's listed as doubtful with tightness in his left leg.

This persistent calf problem, regardless of which leg, hints at a s issamic issue with his conditioning or maybe his movement mechanics.

And this instability is driving the trade talk exactly.

It's driving the narrative around the trade market, specifically regarding as superstar big Man.

They desperately seem to cover it.

That's a perfect transition.

But before we get to the train rumors, we have to dedicate some serious time to the records that are about to be shattered in December, stuff that really appeals to the student of the game watching history happen in real time.

We are at a phenomenal inflection point where multiple all time greats are all climbing the scoring ladder at the same time, and several records could fall within weeks of each other.

Let's start with Kevin Durant.

He is inching closer to the top seven on the individual all time scoring list.

Yeah, Durant needs four hundred and eighty points to pass Wilt Chamberlain, who's at number seven with thirty one four hundred and nineteen points.

Given Durant's consistent production, that is definitely attainable this season, probably some time in February or March.

And the context there is what's so amazing.

It is Durant is passing a center who dominated the game with raw athleticism and interior scoring.

For a modern forward to displace a center of Wilt's stature at number seven, it just shows the historical magnitude of Durant's longevity and efficiency.

And beyond Wilt, the next major target is Durknoviski.

He needs six hundred and twenty one points total this season to.

Pass Dirk for number six, and just behind Durant, James Harden is making a huge jump this month.

He could pass two legends very quickly, very quickly.

He only needs seventy seven points to pass Carmelo Anthony for the number ten spot on the all time scoring list.

And this one is fascinating because it really shifts the historical perception of the high volume score.

How so well, Melo was known for pure mid range volume isolation dominance.

Right yeah.

Harden, on the other hand, relies so heavily on the three point step back and getting to the free throw line.

When Harden passes Mellow, it really cements the shift toward efficiency and modern shop profiles in the top.

Ten, and once he passes Melo, Shaquille O'Neal at number nine is suddenly within striking distance.

Absolutely, Harden is just three hundred and seven points away from passing Shack.

To have two active players like Durant and Harden moving up the all time points list so quickly, especially passing Titans like Wilt, Melo and Shack, it's just a testament to their era of high offense volume and long careers.

Durant isn't just a scorer, though, He is climbing several multi category lists as well, which really illustrates his comprehensive impact.

He truly is a statistical anomaly in three pointers made.

Durant needs just four more to pass Jamal Crawford for number twelve all time.

That's gonna happen within a game or two.

Okay, But if he gets hot and hits sixty five threes this month, which is aggressive, but you know, historically achievable for him.

He'll pass Jason Terry for number eleven.

Once he passes Terry, he needs only nine more to leap frog Vince Carter for number ten.

So a huge three spot jump in one month is possible totally.

It would cement him as an all time great perimeter shooter despite also being one of the greatest mid range scorers.

And inside the arc.

He's also making a move on one of the greatest big men in history, hakim O leju Wan.

Yes, Durant needs eighty two total field goals made this month to pass Hakeem for the number ten spot on the all time FG's made list.

It just illustrates how prolific he's been across his career, mixing everything together.

Now, moving to the reigning MVP favorite, Nikola Jokic is on a triple double tear this season that is simply phenomenal, and he is hunting an absolute legend.

Jokic already has ten triple double through nineteen games this season, six of those in November alone, and the big one is within sight.

He needs eight more triple doubles to pass Oscar Robertson for the number two spot all time.

Whoa Oscar Robertson and Denver has twelve games in December?

Is it realistic to expect him to pass the Big O this month?

It is a distinct possibility.

His current pace suggests he needs roughly two weeks to rack up eight more.

If he maintains that incredible rate he had in November where he logged a triple double in half of his games, he could potentially pass Robertson right around Christmas, and.

That would leave him only chasing Russell Westbrook.

Yep, placing him in a statistical territory reserve for only two players in the history of the game.

That narrative happening in December would fundamentally reshape the MVP race conversation.

And finally, we have to look at the season long records that Lebron James is pursuing, even with that looming threat of the sixty five game eligibility rule.

Even with the miss time, the sheer breadth of his big picture records is staggering and still in sight.

This season, he needs forty six games played to pass Robert Parrish for number one all time games played.

He needs three hundred and twenty four field goals made to pass Kareem for number.

One all time, and he's tracking for more.

He is.

He's tracking this season to potentially move into the top five in steals and the top three in assists.

The conversation about Lebron isn't just about scoring anymore.

It's about his statistical ubiquity across every major category.

Let's rattle off some quick franchise records that are also under threat in December.

These often reveal some surprising insights.

Absolutely for the Hawks, Trey Young needs three hundred and thirteen points to pass John Drew for number five on their all time scoring list.

In Brooklyn, Nick Claxton needs just one block to pass Derek Coleman for number five all time blocks.

For the Nets, that's virtually guaranteed to happen in their next game.

And there's some unexpected names climbing these franchise leader boards.

Yeah.

In Chicago, Nikolavucevitch needs fifteen three pointers to pass Michael Jordan for number six on the Bulls all time three pointers made list.

That's hilarious statistical trivia.

It is Vuk's three point prowess is surprisingly eclipsing the greatest player in franchise history in that one specific category.

Over in Minnesota, Anthony Edwards needs twenty assists to pass Terrell Brandon for number five all time assists.

And it's worth noting Edwards already holds their franchise record for most thirty point games with one hundred and two.

Surpassing both KG and KT in way fewer games, significantly fewer that distinction.

Holding the volume scoring record, while climbing the assists list really speaks to his evolution as a complete offensive player.

It shows his acceptance of that primary creator role.

Similarly, in Phoenix, Devin Booker needs thirteen rebounds to pass Dan mcgurley for number ten all time rebounds, and for the Hornets, LaMelo Ball is ninety two assists away from passing David Wesley for number four or all time assists.

Finally, we should acknowledge the coaching milestones.

Three coaches are closing in on some big numbers this month.

Rick Carlisle of the Pacers needs three wins to get to a one thousand career wins.

Joe Mazzola in Boston needs seven wins to reach two hundred, and Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland needs six wins to reach two hundred career wins.

Shifting from history to the immediate future, let's talk trades.

We've got some critical speculation and confirmed moves that are shaping the playoff picture, plus one incredible business story.

Let's start with one of the hottest trade targets this season, Lori Marcanan.

The Detroit Pistons, sitting first in the East at sixteen and four, are heavily rumored to be interested, as are other contenders.

Mark Canan is having an unbelievable year, averaging twenty seven point nine points per game.

He is exactly the kind of player contender needs for a title push exactly.

But the word out of Utah is that prying him away is going to be incredibly difficult because the Jazz are shifting their organizational philosophy away from a.

Full time down, so they're not sellers anymore.

It sounds like it the Jazz are reportedly more interested in adding pieces around Marcainan than trading him away.

Even with Walker Kessler now out for the season.

This signals that ownership might be pushing the front office to compete now rather than fully tank for a lottery pick.

They view Marcane as a foundational piece.

So if they want to add pieces, what kind of players are they targeting and how does this raise Markainen's asping price For a team like.

Detroit, Utah is prioritizing established perimeter defense and high level playmaking.

They need guys who can guard opposing stars and take some of the creation burden off Marcainen, So if the Jazz decide to keep him, the asking price for Detroit instantly shifts from future picks and young talent to an established rotation player plus multiple first round picks.

The other big rumor involves a former Lakers star in the struggling Chicago Bulls.

Yes, the Chicago Bulls, dealing with all those injuries and defensive problems, have reportedly held internal discussions about acquiring Anthony Davis from the Mavericks.

The stated goal is to a dress their porous rim.

Protection, but the durability issue immediately makes this a non starter for Chicago, doesn't it They're just swapping one long injury list for a superstar who brings his own health misks.

That is the primary sticking point, and it's why the feasibility is so low.

Davis has played only six games this season because of a calf string, reinforcing those long standing concerns.

If Chicago pursued him, they'd have to plan for a fifty game season from him, meaning their young core would have to make massive jumps immediately.

So it's a huge risk.

A massive risk for a team that's teetering on the edge of.

The play in Interestingly, the Lakers themselves are looking to shore up their own big man depth despite the solid play of DeAndre Ayton.

Ayton has been quite good, averaging sixteen points and shooting seventy one percent from the floor, but the rumors are persistent that the Lakers are targeting Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks.

This is an insurance move, not a replacement strategy.

Okay.

Gaffert is appealing because he's a proven lab threat at a defensive presence, and crucially, he he has a history playing with Luka Donovich in Dallas, so the theoretical fit in Los Angeles has already proven.

The Lakers just want to reduce Eighten's minutes and have a stable backup.

Moving to confirmed roster moves, Golden State just made a significant signing to address one of their biggest early serion issues.

The Warriors officially signed Seth Curry, Stephen Curry's brother, for the rest of the season.

This move was carefully calculated.

He was waived before the season because of their hard kept constraints, but they finally had the pro rated space to bring him back into that vacant fifteenth roster slot.

And the fit is absolutely perfect.

Given Golden State struggling efficiency from the perimeter.

It's precisely what they need.

The Warriors are only shooting thirty five point nine percent from three this season, which is shocking for a team built on long range shooting.

Seth Curry is a career sharpshooter who led the league in three point percentage last season.

He provides an immediate elite off ball threat.

It's a great family reunion and a really functional move.

It is finally we have to talk about one of the most un unique business stories of the year involving the Milwaukee Bucks going truly global.

This story just captures the Giannas effect perfectly.

The Bucks, a team that's historically is Middle America as it gets, are becoming one of the rare NBA franchises to hire full time sales executives overseas, one in London, one based in Chicago, who is Italian.

And it's all linked to Giannis.

Explicitly linked to Giannis Anti decoumpo transforming the Bucks into a true transatlantic brand that generates revenue far beyond Wisconsin.

And the anecdote about negotiating deals in a rental car in Sicily is incredible.

It's fantastic.

One of the new vps had to negotiate a massive deal for a Swiss simcard provider while in the passenger seat of a rental car in Sicily, dodging tolls and speed traps, I mean, closing a multi million dollar deal on the phone.

It's just wild.

And the popularity is driven entirely by Giannis, even in places like Korea.

Absolutely.

The other executive in London reports that the moment she mentions the Bucks, people immediately go oh yeah Giannis.

Another executive recalls a Korean fan on a flight ripping off his sweatshirt to reveal a Giannis jersey, calling it his US uniform.

Wow.

It clearly shows that the commercial aspect of the team is rapidly matching his global popularity.

That story really captures the sheer reach of the modern NBA star.

Now, let's look even further into the future by focusing on the incredible rookie class that is taking the league by storm.

This rookie class is doing things we rarely see, combining explosive scoring with incredible efficiency.

We have to start with Cooper Flagg, who is shattering his oracle records for the Bavericks.

Flag, the top pick, just became the youngest player in NBA history to score thirty five points at eighteen years and three hundred and forty three days old.

That beat Lebron James's previous record by five days.

That's monumental.

It's more than trivia.

It's a statement on his maturity and competitive level.

He was incredibly efficient, shooting thirteen for twenty two from the field, leading the MAVs to a rally win over the Clippers.

Coach Jason Kidd praised his command, calling him a point guard or whatever.

When you compare him to Lebron at the same age.

What stands out about Flag's offensive profile.

The efficiency is the key difference.

Flags thirty five points were generated mostly in the paint or at the free throw line.

He has this inate ability to draw contact and get downhill.

Lebron relied more on brute force and mid range creation early on.

Flag's efficiency suggests an incredibly high basketball IQ.

Another rookie star setting an unbelievable pace is Conk Nupple of the Detroit Pistons, but he's focusing on the three point shot.

Yeah.

Nepple is currently on pace to hit two hundred and eighty seven three pointers this season.

To put that in perspective, the rookie record is two hundred and six, held by Keegan Murray.

If Nuepple maintains this pace, he would shatter that record.

And even surpass a prime Steph Curry season.

He would surpass Stephen Curry's historic twenty fourteen fifteen total of two hundred and eighty six threes.

How is he doing it?

Is it just high volume or is he making shots that other rookies just aren't attempting.

Its high volume coupled with efficiency off the dribble.

This isn't just standing in the corner.

He's shooting an incredible thirty two to fifty nine when taking at least three dribbles before the shot.

This shows he can create space and had contested shots under pressure, a skill that usually takes years to develop.

While Flag and Tuople are setting records, we also have to highlight a breakout star who is excelling in a tough situation.

In Utah, Kyante George.

George is having a massive breakout, averaging twenty three point eight points and seven point two assists per game.

Coach Will Hardy agrees he's one of the NBA's best kept offensive secrets.

And the reason behind this jump isn't just physical, it's deeply mental.

Can you elaborate on that mental health shift that's becoming such a huge differentiator for young players today?

It is, and George is a case study.

He committed to serious mental health work this offseason.

He worked extensively with the Jazz's clinical sports psychologist, focusing on visualization, self confidence, and camaraderie.

And how does that clear mind manifest on the court?

Is he making better decisions late in games?

It manifests as incredible mental resilience.

George has learned how to reset himself instantly after turnovers or missshots, rather than letting negative moments linger.

His assistant turnover ratio has improved significantly.

And what makes his offensive games so unique is that he lacks that truly exclusive vertical athleticism.

He only has fifteen career dunks.

Instead, he relies heavily on his floater game, where he's fifty one of one hundred on non lay up paint shots.

This reliance on the horizontal game, using touch and footwork rather than vertical explosion is a rare but highly effective skill set.

So looking at the Rookie of the Year picture, it's clearly a two horse race right now.

Cooper Flagg is currently the leader at minus one ten and Conkomepple is right behind him at plus one twenty.

Based on individual production and their highly visible roles, they are the worthy contenders.

It's hard to see anyone else catching them.

Before we wrap up with our final analysis, let's take a quick look at the culmination of the the first ever Emirates NBA Cup.

With the knockout rounds officially.

Set, the group play phase is complete and we have four teams that emerged absolutely undefeated, earning that crucial home court advantage in the quarterfinals.

The Toronto Raptors, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Orlando Magic.

That's a fascinating mix of expected contenders and genuine surprises.

The focus now shifts to the MVP Ladder for the tournament, as star performances are often magnified in this format.

The top five contenders have really been separated by their exceptional group play performances.

At number one, we have Luka donoshych of the Lakers.

Yeah Don't Titch wrapped up group play with a consistently solid string of games, culminating in thirty five points and eleven assists against the Mavericks in what Source is called a revenge game.

He played forty minutes even though they'd already clinched, which shows he's embracing the workload.

And the number two spot is shy Gilgus Alexander Shi showed.

His clutch gene, scoring fifteen of his thirty seven points in the fourth in the close out game against the Suns to secure Okase's trip to Vegas.

They lost the Cup title game last year, so he is absolutely motivated.

The Knicks Jalen Brunson comes in at number three.

Brunson has been sparkling for the Knicks.

He was arguably the best player on the floor in their ticket punching win against the box, delivering thirty seven points.

His efficiency under pressure is what puts him in this conversation, and.

The Lakers have two representatives in the top four, with Austin Reeves landing at number four.

That's an enormous statement about his development.

Reeves is having a definitive breakout season.

He closed group play with three straight thirty plus point games.

He's playing with a confidence and aggression that suggests he is now officially recognized as a primary option for the Lakers.

Rounding out the top five is Brandon Ingram of the surprising Toronto Raptors.

Ingram was instrumental in their undefeated group play run, posting twenty plus points in four straight Cup games.

His consistency, paired with the development of Scottie Barnes and RJ.

Barrett, has the Raptors sitting second in the East, far exceeding expectations.

Okay, we've covered everything from the chaos of double overtime games and the historic rise of the rookie class to the all time milestones that are about to fall this month.

What is undeniably clear right now is that the league is running on these parallel tracks that are equally compelling.

You have the chase for history, where legends like Lebron, Durant, and Jokic are closing in on all time records, and at the same time, the new generation flag Nuple George is already challenging age based records and establishing their dominance.

The league has never been more balanced in its appeal to both the historian and the futurists.

That balance between legacy and the future is absolutely electrifying.

But we have to end this by talking about the team that is maybe the season's biggest mystery and disappointment, the LA Clippers.

They are five and fifteen and the implosion seems to be reaching a dramatic breaking point.

The Clippers are in a state of catastrophic collapse.

They're two and seven in plutch games.

James Harden's numbers averaging nearly thirty eight and six in November have not been rewarded with wins, and the frustration is mounting to an unmanageable level.

And he's starting to hint at wanting out.

He is.

He recently gave interviews hinting at a trade request, describing the situation as challenging in every way.

It really seems like he's suggesting his effort hasn't been matched by the rest of the team.

And the blame is now hitting the front office publicly, which is always a sign of a serious organizational crisis.

Exactly, Yeah, DeMarcus Cousins publicly blamed GM Lawrence Frank for the team's slow start, claiming Frank continues to change this team around every single year they get worse and worse.

That level of public criticism aimed at the architect of the roster is just toxic.

Okay.

Now the Clippers face the heat tonight.

What happens if James Harden, a player who put up historic individual production despite the losses, forces a trade that.

Would be the cultural shockwave of the season.

If he gets his wish.

If the league's biggest star acquisition this offseason potentially leaves before Christmas, what is the lasting cultural impact.

It would be an unprecedented move in the modern MBA and would fundamentally change how we view star movement and team building.

It would signal that immediate chemistry is paramount and that star players now have the power to demand and out faster than ever before.

The league is holding its breath to see if the Clippers can avoid the nuclear option that is.

The ultimate question hanging over the league as we officially enter December.

Thank you for joining us on Basketball Home.

We'll be back next time to analyze the fallout