Make sure to listen and add the 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts podcast the Shot Clock Pod to your list! This week Steve shares his thoughts after week 3 of the 2025-26 NBA season. Mavericks Fire Harrison, Beal Out for Season, and Clippers Struggle
Mavericks Fire Harrison
Nico Harrison was fired by the Dallas Mavericks this week. Though you hate to see anyone fired, after he made the Luka trade, the only question was when he would get fired. One of the reasons given was that he lost the trust of team governor Patrick Dumont. The irony of this is Dumont gave the okay on the trade of Luka to the Lakers. I guess you can’t fire an owner.
Thunder Dominate Lakers
The Oklahoma City Thunder demolished the Lakers the other night in OKC. They were winning 70-38 at halftime. The Lakers are a pretty good team. When you rank the top teams in the NBA right now, there is the Thunder, and a ways back sits everyone else.
Jalen Brunson Injured
Jalen Brunson injured his ankle against the Orlando Magic Wednesday night. What’s interesting is it happened with a little over two minutes left and the Knicks down double digits. If this happened in Tom Thibodeau’s time as coach, the minutes police would have been all over him.
Bradley Beal Needs Hip Surgery
Bradley Beal needs hip surgery and is out for the season. Though the Clippers only paid him about 11 million for two years, this is because he was bought out by Phoenix and got a big settlement for this season. I’ve said it numerous times: it’s crazy to sign guys with injury histories and expect them to stay healthy. In the case of Beal, the last time he played more than sixty games was in the 2018–2019 season.
Sacramento Kings and Patience in Team Building
I’ve spoken about the Sacramento Kings before, and I’ll use them as an example to owners that have little patience. You can’t just trade for talent when you see it and put together a team on the fly; it rarely works. Management can’t skip steps in the building process. Ownership should find a general manager and coach they believe in and give them time to build something. By time, I mean at least three years, and if there isn’t improvement, move on.
Clippers Struggles Continue
The Los Angeles Clippers are struggling. After beating Dallas last night, they are 4-8 and are in eleventh place in the Western Conference. They have an old team, and it’s hard for everyone to stay healthy. The aforementioned Beal is out for the season, and their best player, Kawhi Leonard, is also out. One of their acquisitions this year is 37-year-old Brook Lopez, and he may be showing his age. It took a great game from 36-year-old James Harden to break a six-game losing streak last night. Harden played 51 minutes and had a triple-double of 41 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Clippers defeated the struggling Dallas Mavericks in double overtime.
Warriors vs. Spurs Showdown
Anybody who watched the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs two-game series in San Antonio this week got a treat. The games were hard-fought, and the Warriors, led by Steph Curry, won both. It was the classic young upstart team against aging stars. It shows that San Antonio has more growing to do, while Golden State is a team that will be a tough out come playoff time. A side note to De’Aaron Fox: you have Victor Wembanyama on your team; you don’t need to do it all down the stretch.
