A lot has transpired since one of the most unforgettable moments in NBA history, but one of the most untold stories from it is Christie’s development since then.

“It’s been eventful obviously, but I’ve been fortunate to be a part of another great organization and be around some great guys, some great teammates,” Christie told R.org in an exclusive interview. “Just learning and just trying to get better each and every day.

“Just continuing to watch film, continuing to learn from my teammates, continuing to learn from the wealth of knowledge around me. It’s just led to a little bit of growth this year, so it’s good.”

Christie is an everyday starter for the Mavs, averaging career-highs across the board. He is scoring 12.7 points, grabbing 3.4 rebounds, and dishing out 2.1 assists per game. He’s only missed five contests all year, and his shooting splits are the best they’ve been since entering the league at .452/.410/.882.

Though it’s been a difficult year for Dallas to this point with numerous injuries and constantly shifting roles and lineups, Christie has taken full advantage of his opportunities.

“I’m just taking what the defense gives me and just going in and continuing just to play hard and continuing to let my game take over,” Christie said. “I’ve got great teammates that are able to get me the ball in certain situations. Obviously, they’re able to take over, too, but I just think as a unit we’ve done a good job of getting everybody involved.”

Dallas head coach Jason Kidd has put Christie in different positions this season, from handling in pick-and-roll situations, utilizing his talents on fastbreak chances, and working him in off the ball.

“Just taking what the game gives him,” Kidd said at the beginning of March. “Being able to knock down the open three or he’s gonna drive and make a play for a teammate.”

According to the NBA’s playtype data, Christie is scoring 1.27 points per possession in transition, which would rank near the 80th percentile in the league. The Mavs want the 23-year-old swingman to attack swiftly in the open floor.

Christie has also initiated actions and is improving his sense of timing when using ball screens to his advantage. Since he’s gotten to Dallas, more responsibility has been put on his plate, and he’s trended upward with his decision-making and reads as a result.

Kidd has had him play less at the 3 and more in the backcourt as well, putting Christie primarily at shooting guard with a mix of point guard reps. He’s been alongside sensational rookie Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall the most of any trio on the team.

So, it makes sense that Christie ranks third for Dallas in playing with 1,887 total minutes. He’s also suited up for the second-most amount of games.

Fighting Until The End

It has been a tough campaign on the Mavs from the get-go, as Kyrie Irving hasn’t suited up for a single game, and Davis is no longer a part of the club.

As it stands, Dallas is a full 10 games back from the Play-In Tournament with only 13 games left in the 2025-26 season. That doesn’t mean Christie will stop competing and mail it in the rest of the way.

This is a chance for him and his teammates to make their case for next year’s squad. These matchups still count in many ways, and there’s still important progress to be measured.

“Just finish strong. It’s pretty simple,” Christie said. “It doesn’t have to be super specific. Just finish the season strong.

“Obviously, it’s easy this time of year to kinda relax. You’re almost at the tail end and you want to let off the gas a little bit, but I think for me, just continuing to try to get better. Just continuing to stay mentally tough, stay mentally strong these days, where everybody’s fatigued and tired. Just trying to push through.”

The difference between Mitchell and his peers is that he’s doing this with a league-leading 50-15 team that is defending an NBA championship.

“It’s amazing,” Mitchell told R.org in an exclusive interview in Cleveland. “Very grateful for the position I’m in. You’re just exposed to a lot of things, and you learn really quick. It’s amazing to be a part of this organization and learn from the guys we have and keep growing as a player.”

Usually, when a player’s statistical production increases to the level that Mitchell’s has as a sophomore, it indicates significant growth in skill set and self-belief. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault acknowledges the great job he did over the offseason to improve his body, but he doesn’t quite see Mitchell’s breakout as a leap.

“I think if you really dig into how he played last season, it’s not,” Daigneault told R.org in his pregame press conference in Cleveland. “It would be in context. It looks like a jump optically, but he was kinda on this trajectory last year.

“He was playing rotation minutes right off the bat, and when he got hurt, he was really starting to gain some traction. The injury prevented him from this type of jump, if you want to call it, last season.”

It’s easy to forget that Mitchell averaged nearly 17 minutes per game for OKC as a rookie, cracking the 20-minute mark nine times before he suffered a right big toe sprain on Jan. 3 at Madison Square Garden. Disclosed as a turf toe injury, it required surgery to repair and put him out of action for three months.

Mitchell returned just in time for the last two games of the 2024-25 regular season, which was the prequel to the Thunder hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy on June 22. Unlike the first few months prior to his injury, he wasn’t in the daily mix; however, that doesn’t mean he didn’t benefit from the title run.

“I think he gained confidence from the preparation of the playoffs,” Daigneault said. “Those 23 additional games, he was one circumstance away from being in those games, and he was live for us in those series, even though he didn’t play a ton. I think that was helpful for him.”

“Unfortunately, he got hurt last year, put him back a little bit,” Thunder guard Lu Dort told R.org. “We all knew Ajay was really good. Obviously, when I’d seen him the first time, and I heard he was a two-way, I was actually shook.”

Acclimating to the Pros

Once the summer was over, Mitchell looked to pick up where he left off on the court.

“The injury, as bad as it was, kinda helped me get ready for Year 2,” Mitchell said. “At that time when I got hurt, it was a great time to work on my body; obviously, [I] had the whole offseason to work on that. And then, get back to what [it] was before the injury, building on what I’ve learned from my rookie year. And then, just keep getting better and working hard.”

“He gained the confidence from the experiences he had last year,” Daigneault added.

With just over a month left in the 2025-26 campaign, Mitchell didn’t just get off to a fast start in the first half that he played. It’s who he is. The second-year guard’s game is multifaceted, exhibiting the toughness and grit that exemplify OKC’s identity.

“He’s done an incredible job this season integrating with a team that was a really good team last year,” Daigneault said. “He’s highly confident and aggressive, but not at the expense of the team. And he doesn’t allow the team orientation to get in the way of his confidence and aggression.

“He’s just got an unbelievable feel for how to thread that needle; the team’s done a great job of allowing him to do that. I think how hard he competes, especially on defense, gives him a lot of margin for that.”

Mitchell, unfortunately, suffered an abdominal injury before the All-Star break that has held him out of the last 20 games, but he’s returning to play on Monday for the league-leading Thunder against the Denver Nuggets. It’ll be interesting to see how he reacclimates to the squad now that Jared McCain has entered the fold.

Still, according to NBA.com, Mitchell is atop the NBA with a 37.8% defended field goal percentage, minimum 350 attempts. Four of the top 11 names on the list play for the Thunder.

Chet Holmgren, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Isaiah Hartenstein all have dFG% below 43%, a perfect illustration of how difficult it is to establish any sort of rhythm against the champs.

“We have great defenders on this team, and there’s a lot of guys that you can learn from,” Mitchell said. “For me, that was a main emphasis. Getting in this organization, seeing the guys that we had — great defensive players, a lot of great system players too — I think learning from them, especially on the defensive side, was huge for me just to bring that to my game and being aggressive on that end.”

Try him in whatever play type you want. It won’t matter at this rate. Mitchell has flummoxed ball-handlers in pick-and-roll situations, yielding just 0.66 points per possession. Though roll men are 13-of-28 against him, opponents that want to put him in isolation are 2-of-19 collectively.

For the last two seasons, OKC has allowed fewer than 103 points per 100 possessions when Mitchell has been on the floor, according to Cleaning the Glass. That is also a 99th percentile figure among league players.

Mitchell’s Bag Is Deep

With a savvy handle and smooth change-of-direction crossover, Mitchell can create for himself consistently. Even if a defender is draped onto him, he wisely uses his stop-on-a-dime cadence or lowers his shoulder to get separation and get to where he wants to go.

“He’s really aggressive,” Dort said. “He’s a really good player. Second year, but he looks really mature. He’s real comfortable, and whenever he has the ball, we all know he’s going to make good reads. That’s the type of player he is.”

Mitchell likes to use his left-handed pull-up jumper frequently. He finds his zone just below the mid-range distance, whether it’s an eight-footer or a push floater over the top, and contact does not faze him.

“I think the more you’re exposed to different defenses, you kinda get to learn from all of them, so you can find solutions for all of them,” Mitchell said. “I think it’s a process. Obviously, it’s just my second year, so there’s still a lot to learn.

“It’s all about one, working on my body — getting stronger, being able to get to my spots — and then just reading the game and having that IQ and learning from the guys we have. When you look at Shai or guys like J-Dub [Jalen Williams] that can get to their spots easily, there’s a lot to learn there, too.”

With less than two years of NBA experience at 23, Mitchell believes he’s finding a healthy balance between attacking and getting the ball to proven players.

“You always want to be aggressive on both ends, play your way, but you’ve got to know who you’re on the court with, and you’ve also got to know what’s best for the team,” Mitchell said. “I think that’s really important. I’m a winning player. I want to make plays to win the game. So I think it’s really finding that fine line of being aggressive but then also knowing where your guys are, what situation we’re in.”

“He’s a really good ball-handler, and then, just controlling the game,” Dort added. “He’s a great driver. He drives a lot, makes a lot of tough shots, and at the same time, he creates for others. If you’ve got somebody like that off the bench, it’s really good for us.”

Mitchell has a larger workload this year. Staying on top of his recovery and making sure he’s ready “every single night” are a big part of handling that uptick.

“Obviously, my role is probably a bit bigger this year, more minutes,” Mitchell said. “But to me, it doesn’t really change the way I should see it or play. It’s the same mentality: getting out on the court and making plays to win.”

Everyday Contributor

With Hartenstein and Aaron Wiggins playfully egging him on after the Thunder’s rout of the Cleveland Cavaliers on MLK Day, Dort pointed to the French language as helping him connect with Mitchell when he got to OKC.

“I told him a lot of stuff about the league and how good he can be in the NBA,” Dort said with a grin. “I really helped him (laughs). Other than that, just the coaching staff and how it’s easy to contribute to a team like this.”

“He’s a guy that is laying it on the line, not just with the ball in his hands,” Daigneault said. “He’s playing every possession hard, regardless of whether it’s offense, defense, whether he’s on-ball, off-ball. He’s done an incredible job.”

“He was patient, and then he waited for his time to come,” Dort added. “And now, he got the opportunity and really used it. Whenever he got to play, he showed the type of player he is, and he’s been doing great for us.”

Mitchell’s rave reviews shouldn’t come as a surprise. He’s earned it.

With the playoffs creeping closer on the calendar, on a quest to repeat with the Thunder, Mitchell won’t take a chance like this for granted.

“I feel like this year, [I’m] just way more comfortable out there,” Mitchell said. “I’m just learning a lot from the guys on the team and was able to come out and just play my game. Your first year, you’re kinda exposed to a lot of new things and you just learn a lot and you soak everything up. I feel like that’s really what happened for me.

“I think going into Year 2, I had that confidence of, like, I’ve been through it, so I kinda know what’s going on in the NBA. And learning what the NBA is was really important for me. Now we’re here today, and I’m able to play that way, so it’s great.”

“He’s really f—ng good,” Murphy told R.org on a trip to Cleveland back in December. “Sorry to curse, but he’s really f—g good. As much as I talk s—t about him, I try to uplift him as well because what he’s doing is really special. It’s really dope.”

An All-Star-caliber modern-day forward, Murphy is a rare breed of efficiency. In the first half of the 2025-26 campaign, he’s averaged 22.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in almost 36 minutes a night.

With an unlimited range as a spot-up three-baller, Murphy is a blistering 43.6% in catch-and-shoot triples, only behind Sam Merrill with a minimum of five attempts.

He finds gaps inside the perimeter, too, and finishes at one of the best rates in the restricted area in the league at 74.3%. Compared to those at his position with at least four tries, just Michael Porter Jr. and LeBron James are better.

Although this three-level effect isn’t anything new, his do-it-all center has helped him build on it. Murphy has benefited from 84 of Queen’s 228 total assists, far and away the most the Maryland talent has dished out among other teammates.

“I love when Derik passes me the ball,” said Murphy, cracking a wry smile as Queen listened on. “That’s one of my favorite things.”

Murphy and Queen make up one of 34 two-man combinations that have played the amount of minutes they have together (1,098). Despite the results their team has put forth, a connection is blossoming.

Queen is an offensive engine with an incredibly instinctual mind. It only took him 25 games to register his first NBA triple-double. He is a mid-post hub with a pass-first mentality and a unique flair. How many rookies in this league boast a usage of 24% that aren’t guards or forwards?

His assist percentage (23.4%) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.98) are among the best in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. The Pelicans’ effective field goal percentage dips by 2.6% when he’s off the floor, too. That’s nothing to glance over in an introductory year.

“For me, I heard a lot of rookies say before, when I was going through the process of [the draft], that the shot clock or the pace of the game is a big adjustment,” Queen told RG. “But I feel like I adapt to that quick, and then I just adapt to the game quicker. Just keep on learning. Just keep doing my work early. I feel like that’s what helped a lot.”

Over 55 games, Queen has averaged 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, a steal, and nearly a block per contest in 26 minutes a night, shooting 49.1% from the field.

Defensively, it’s been a work in progress. Teams are targeting him on switches in pick-and-roll situations and in isolation; the positive is that he’s allowing fewer than a point per possession on both. He’s still light on his feet, too, especially for a 6-foot-9, 250-pound big, using his hands wisely with deflections in the half-court.

NOLA has trust in its 21-year-old rookie, riding with him through the ups and downs. It’ll be interesting to see how the last 26 games shake out.

Can the Pelicans Finish Strong?

Not a lot has gone right for the Pelicans this season, to put it politely. They carry the second-worst record in the Western Conference at 15-41, they’ve had four losing streaks of at least six games straight, and they’ve stubbornly kept together a highly talented roster with conflicting timelines that hasn’t yielded consistent results.

Since suffering through the longest skid of their campaign, however, New Orleans has put together a respectable 7-10 stretch, and even the games it dropped were competitive at the very least. It’s a low bar to clear, but compared to ranking 29th in score differential last season, the team is nearly 4 points better at 25th today.

Over the last two weeks in particular, the Pelicans have been top-15 in net rating, taking care of the basketball and defending much better at top-7 levels in both categories.

A healthy Zion Williamson and reborn Saddiq Bey have played a huge part in that, along with Murphy’s remarkable contributions and the return of Herb Jones. Queen and fellow rookie Jeremiah Fears are bringing their energy to the mix to complement it.

Before his group’s nine-game plummet began in Cleveland before the holidays, Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego was adamant about not being entirely outcome-driven. On the flip side, showing that there’s proof in the pudding with wins is “important.”

“We’re human beings,” Borrego told R.org in a pregame press conference on Dec. 23. “You need a little bit of validation, like, ‘Coach, I get it now. I see it.’ But even when we were losing some games, they were close games; we were right there. We were on the edge. We just said, ‘Just stay with it, it’s gonna turn.’ It’s slowly turning.

“We’re not exactly where we want to be. I don’t want to be stuck on the results right now. I want to stay process-oriented. This is who we are, this is what we’re doing every day, stay with it, win or lose. Obviously, I like to win, though, and we all like to win, and we’ll teach from that because there’s an energy to that. Obviously, winning brings an energy, a belief, a mentality of validation to what you’re trying to do. You need that in this league. Otherwise, every day to come back and do that, it can be a little bit difficult.”

Making Strides

Murphy understands what victories can do for a struggling squad.

“Winning is what’s most important,” Murphy said. “Once you’re winning, things are a lot better and more fun. Nobody plays this game to lose. You play the game to win.”

Borrego referenced the pain of coming up short in close games as fuel: a 133-128 overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, another overtime defeat, and two competitive showings against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and a one-possession loss to the San Antonio Spurs, all of which came in front of their fans at Smoothie King Center.

“But they were making strides,” Borrego said. “I’m really proud of the group that we’re getting a little bit healthier, we’re forming this identity, and now, we believe that we can win any night. That’s the goal. So if we do things the right way and we stay to our game plan, good things will happen.”

Those are just a few examples. Since Borrego took over following Willie Green’s firing, New Orleans has gone 13-31. The group has had more than its fair share of setbacks and youthful moments that have stung.

“He always tells us that he believes in us more than we believe in ourselves, so that just gives us a lot of confidence,” Queen said. “Every possession matters. Just learning from those mistakes and keep trusting each other and keep trusting the process.”

Trudging through that will be what gets the Pelicans on the other side.

“We don’t want to lose, so you learn from those feelings, and you don’t want to have that feeling again, so when you get down to the clutch, you make the right plays in order to win the game,” Murphy added.

With another opportunity to be in a head coaching position, Borrego is seeing things differently from his vantage point. He brings up taking a year off and spending time with his sons, seeing the game through their lens, and finding joy in the sport that he hopes he brings with him to the Pelicans every single day.

“I think my run in Charlotte, I lived and died with every game, win and loss, ‘Why are you doing this? Are you really enjoying it?’ You got into this to enjoy it. It’s a game,” Borrego said. “We talk about that with our team. They actually pay us to do this, to play a game. What an incredible opportunity. I think we’re all at our best when you have that youthful spirit.

“I have to check myself because sometimes, you get back in the mindset of everybody’s talking about the results, and it just adds pressure to something that is so pure. It’s just a game, and I think we’re all better as coaches, as players, when you’re enjoying the moment. You’re trusting that this is a game that we get to do and play for a living. I hope that I’m better in that area now. I’m very aware of that. And I have people in my life, which is really important, that hold me accountable to that. You’ve got to smile a little bit more. You’ve got to have a little more fun, have a little more joy, and I think that’ll rub off on our players as well.”

A season-high in his second season with the Wolves, Hyland hasn’t scored that much since Dec. 8, 2024. This year, he’s averaging a modest 6.4 points and 2.5 assists in 13.9 minutes over 32 games, but shooting a career-best 45.1% from the field and 59.7% on twos. He’s strung together three straight double-digit outings twice now.

Amid injuries and spotty playing time over the last couple of years, the 25-year-old has been a wildcard in Minnesota’s rotation.

Hyland has suited up for as many as 35 minutes as a starter for three games in mid-December, while simultaneously registering nine DNP-CDs throughout the first half of the campaign.

While it’s a fluctuating responsibility on his plate, he’s undoubtedly made the most of the chances he’s gotten.

“I feel like I’ve handled it good,” Hyland told R.org in an exclusive interview in Cleveland. “When your number’s called, you go out there and try to produce for your team. We’re a great team with a great roster, so anybody on the team can get their number called, and you’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to produce. That’s where my mind’s been at for sure.”

“I’m really proud of him, excited for him,” Wolves head coach Chris Finch added to R.org in his pregame press conference. “I think when he hasn’t played, he’s had the same energy and excitement to come to work every day as he has now. He’s playing and excited to play, and he’s really helped us.”

Before a home-and-home series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Finch approached Hyland to discuss his place in Minnesota’s rotation.

“He was just like, ‘Your minutes aren’t gonna be the same every night. Don’t get discouraged or frustrated thinking that they’re not gonna be those minutes,’” Hyland said. “Basically saying no matter what the rotation, what time I go in, I’m still gonna play my minutes that I’ve been playing.”

“He just has this inconsistent role,” Finch added. “Never sure when he might go in, [when] he’s definitely gonna go in. He might play five minutes. He might play nine minutes. The way that we use our guys, he’s often kinda the flexible piece, if you will.”

Hyland is grateful for Finch’s straightforward nature.

“Just have to have that transparency from a coach that talks to you, talks to you about your minutes, about the time that you’ll be playing, I feel like that’s very helpful,” Hyland said. “It allows you to lock in when you’re about to go in and not just on some random [moment] that you get your number called, you know? I definitely appreciate coach for that.”

The Reason Behind Bones’ Role

There’s a lot of talent in Minnesota’s locker room, evidenced by the team’s 27-14 record, tied for the third-most wins in the NBA. Hyland described the roster as “phenomenal.”

“When we lock in, I feel like we’re the best team in the NBA,” Hyland said. “A lot of teams don’t really want to see us because of how great we match up with teams, on the offensive and defensive end.

“We have a lot of scorers on the team. We have a lot of defenders on the team. We have guys who can rebound. We have guys who are versatile and can play numerous roles. I feel like it’s a team that a lot of coaches would love to coach.”

Because of who the Wolves have at their disposal, they like to put Hyland next to anybody.

“The great thing is he can play with so many different lineups,” Finch said. “He’s really been a shot in the arm.”

Hyland works with everyone in the backcourt. According to NBA.com’s lineup data, Donte DiVincenzo is his top partner with a plus-20.6 net rating overall in 220 minutes.

Since the turn of the New Year, that pairing has an advantage of 45.8 points per 100 possessions, the best in the NBA by eight on the next qualifying duo; that includes a stifling 85.9 defensive rating.

In that same sample size, Hyland and Anthony Edwards have combined for a plus-22.7 NET. With Jaylen Clark, it’s plus-45.0. On the season as a whole, he and Conley are a plus-27.2 in 52 minutes.

“It’s great because no matter who’s on the floor, we can switch 1-through-3, sometimes 1-through-4 [depending on] the team,” Hyland continued. “I’m 6-3 with a 6-10 wingspan, so, definitely can guard a lot of bigger guards too. Even on the offensive end, I create and [have] shooting abilities. I can create for myself, create for my teammates. I can get downhill.

“You could throw me out there with any lineup, and it’d be productive.”

Contextually, there’s a four-time Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert behind him as a rim protector, a three-time All-Star in Julius Randle pushing guys off their spots, a proven lockdown wing in Jaden McDaniels, and a monstrous super sub in Naz Reid, all playing their roles in the frontcourt. All of them are long, strong, and physically imposing individuals.

However, it’s hard not to notice Hyland’s effect, judging by proven advanced data. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Wolves’ NET is in the 98th percentile when he’s on the court, and they’re playing at the rate of a 72-win team. He’s taking care of the basketball and helping force turnovers, being active on the glass, and defending at his highest level.

R.org posed the question of what sticks out the most about Hyland’s skill set to Finch.

“His handle. His ability to go somewhere, make a play at the end of it. He’s got deep range, his shooting,” Finch said. “I’ve been really pleased with his defense; he’s fighting his tail off there as much as he can, that’s all we ask for. But we just need more guys that can connect our main guys, and he does a good job with that.”

After the Los Angeles Clippers traded him away to the Atlanta Hawks before the 2025 NBA trade deadline for Bogdan Bogdanovic, Hyland was waived right after. He was out of the league for three weeks until Minnesota came calling.

The Aid of an Old Friend

Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly – the same man who drafted him with the 26th overall pick when he was with the Denver Nuggets in 2021 – signed Hyland to a two-way contract on Feb. 27 of last year.

Bones only played two games with the Iowa Wolves in dominant fashion. He spent the rest of the season with Minnesota, getting acclimated with his new ball club.

Ahead of training camp this past fall, he signed a standard contract as a part of the Wolves’ main roster, back doing what he loves following a road full of ups and downs. Now, in the middle of his fifth NBA season, Hyland opened up on how he’s changed since he came into the league.

“I would say the biggest thing is maturity, understanding the business side of basketball, and just understanding the patience of basketball, too,” Hyland said. “I feel like some guys get carried away with losing their mind, losing their mental battle with basketball. I feel like once you beat that, everything comes to be much easier for you on the court.

“I feel like I beat that, and now, it’s just taking care of the basketball part and just trying to go out there and be the best basketball player I can be for Minnesota.”

“He just connects,” Suns head coach Jordan Ott told R.org in his pregame press conference in Cleveland on New Year’s Eve. “He just kinda fills some gaps. We often forget it’s only his second year. Oso’s been great.”

Hearing Ott’s praise, Ighodaro cracked a smile and provided his definition of a connector.

“Somebody that gets other people involved, just keeps the action continuous, just doesn’t let the ball die,” Ighodaro told R.org in an exclusive interview. “If he’s saying that, that’s probably good. It’s a good indicator. But yeah, I think that’s something I take pride in.”

Ighodaro does the quintessential little things.

Being proficient in freeing up his teammates is one example. There are only 12 players in the NBA with at least 100 screen assists, and amidst that list, only Marvin Bagley III and Luke Kornet have played fewer total minutes than him. Setting those picks has created 271 points overall, the eighth-most in the league.

Ighodaro’s instincts as a passer are impressive. A sound decision-maker, he’s able to leave it for shooters on the perimeter on handoffs in one motion, use either hand to swing it off the catch, and time pocket passes for cutters.

“I think I’ve been blessed to play for some really good coaches, so that’s helped,” Ighodaro said of his basketball IQ. “Since high school, I feel like I’ve been just learning constantly.”

Ott trusts him to bring the ball up and initiate possessions, and the pace on his right-to-left crossover freezes defenses just long enough for his teammates to get open. Ighodaro’s natural fluidity screams “polished,” and he hasn’t even played in a hundred games yet.

“Just having the ball in my hands a little bit more, especially with the second unit,” Ighodaro continued. “Getting into different actions than it is with the first unit.”

Though Ighodaro runs the two-man game with anybody, it’s hard to ignore the chemistry he has with Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Ryan Dunn. Out of the 386 four-man combinations in the NBA that have played at least 100 minutes together, the Suns’ quartet has the third-best net rating (28.6) among the league.

Gillespie was ironically one of the teammates who, during the interview, chimed in from his adjacent locker to speak up on Ighodaro’s rebound-and-push mentality in transition. Their coach offered plenty of praise on his capabilities, too.

“Offensively, he’s able to handle against some pressure when we lack a little ball-handling at times,” Ott added. “He’s been able to increase his offensive rebounding, which we’re big in the possession game.”

The Suns grab 31.7% of their own misses with Ighodaro on the floor, according to Cleaning the Glass. To Ott’s point, that’s up seven percent from his rookie campaign.

Defensively, there’s been a shift as well. It’s not from an effectiveness standpoint; it’s schematic.

“Being more active,” Ighodaro said. “Last year, we played a lot of drop, but now, I’m more up with switching and doing different things. On both ends, doing a little bit more.”

When he is on the court, Phoenix is a better team on that side of the ball, allowing just 110.0 points per 100 possessions on a 51.6% effective field goal percentage; those statistics are in the 89th and 88th percentiles in the NBA. Opponents are turning over 16.7% of their possessions.

“We can do a variety of things,” Ott added. “He’s just so versatile. We can stay in coverage, we can switch, he can rebound. That’s some of the areas where we’ve tried to enhance his game, but he’s just taken steps.”

The Next Challenge

In his first year, Ighodaro only suited up for three games in the G League with the Valley Suns. That’s rare for a 40th overall draft pick. Clearly, the organization valued his smarts from the jump.

Phoenix wasn’t afraid to throw the Marquette alum into the mix right away, and he saw a lot of action in the first few months. But from mid-January to mid-March, Ighodaro was not in then-head-coach Mike Budenholzer’s rotation before finishing out the season as an everyday fixture.

Under Ott, he’s almost matched the number of 20-plus minute games that he had as a rookie.

“I think last year, when it was spot minutes, I was just giving everything I got,” Ighodaro said. “And now, [I’m] playing a little bit longer stretches, trying to maintain that same level of play just for my entire stretch I’m in the game. I’m definitely being asked to do a little bit more this year, so I’m trying to do all that while maintaining all the effort and intensity.”

As someone who provides a spark with a full gas tank, it will take some time to adjust.

“You can do it for 12, 15. Now you’ve got to do it for 28, ’cause he is undersized,” Ott said. “He’s always gonna have to be an energetic and active, and aggressive player. You can’t coast. You can’t just monitor yourself to get through the game.

“You’ve got to go all out, all the time – ’cause this is the NBA – ehen you’re gonna be undersized, you’re gonna be undermanned. For now, he’s a young player that doesn’t have a ton of experience, so you’ve got to go all out every second.”

Getting ahead of the curve for an increased workload, Ighodaro attacked the offseason.

“I think I spent a lot of time working on my body, gaining weight, gaining muscle,” Ighodaro said. “I played a lot of pickup this summer; I thought that was really good for me, just being in those game situations.”

“He had a great summer,” Ott said. “He added a ton of strength. Now, it’s just taking more and more steps. He just needs time. He needs opportunity, needs time, and he’s getting better, which is super exciting for us.”

The Difference a Year Makes

Just one season removed from an unacceptable 36-46 outcome, the Suns have garnered a reputation around the NBA that indicates a different result will come about in 2026.

“They play harder than anybody,” Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “That’s what I see. I’m not at the game, but it jumps off the page… I think it was Jordan’s first goal when he came in, that’s what you do, ‘We’re going to be the most competitive team in the league.’ And I’d give them an A+ for that because that’s certainly what it looks like.”

Ott hopes that his work ethic as a coach reaches the players he works with.

“I just don’t know any other way,” Ott said. “You’ve got to be authentic to yourself, whoever you are, in any leadership position, can’t fake it when you get there. So I think that’s what I just try to do, try to be myself every day. Kenny’s the hardest-working dude, so it’s pretty easy when you work under hard-working people and see success. But that’s just kind of who I am.

“That’s what the building’s about. That’s what our ownership’s about. That’s what our management group’s about. That’s what the players are about. [Devin Booker], Dillon [Brooks], these guys are incredibly hard workers, and now we’re all together and you just try to fortify each other and you bring some young guys along, and that’s what we’re trying to do – trying to build it from the ground up.”

He’s doing something right because the message is being delivered to the 23-15 Suns – and strongly.

“I think from Day 1 that’s just been on the front of our minds,” Ighodaro said. “That’s something that we’re gonna do each and every night with our habits. I think we’ve really bought into that, and I think that we know that’s our only way to win games. I feel like we have to play hard every night, and we’ve been doing that.”