The NBA regular season is over. The playoffs are just around the corner. The race for the 2026 championship has officially begun.

Buckle up, Enjoyers. It’s gonna be a wild ride.🍿

🎉 Happy birthday Baron Davis and Quentin Richardson! 🎉

There are elite rebounders. There are next-level playmakers. And then there’s Nikola Jokic.

On Sunday, the Joker added another mind-boggling statistical accomplishment to his resume, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds per game and assists per game for an entire regular season (as well as the first player to ever lead both stats across separate campaigns). He wrapped up the Mile High milestone with 23 PTS, 8 REB, and 1 AST in Denver’s W over San Antonio, a result which clinched the Nugs’ place as the third seed out West.

Jokic finishes the year with marks of 12.9 RPG and 10.9 APG, all while scoring 27.8 points a night and leading his team to 54 wins. There’s been plenty of debate surrounding this season’s MVP race, but regardless of who hoists the trophy, we should all be grateful to watch hoopers like this in their prime. Take a bow, Joker!

Need the inside scoop on all the playoff action? We’ve got you covered. Let’s fire off some bite-sized breakdowns for all the series and Play-In action coming your way from the East:

Tanking has been in the news more than ever as of late, but now, the race to the bottom is finished. With the lottery order finalized, let’s break down the odds for a stacked 2026 draft.

The league’s bottom three finishers by record — Washington, Indiana, and Brooklyn — will each have a 14% chance at the #1 overall pick. In exchange for their respective 62+ loss seasons, all three franchises will also have a 52.1% chance at a top-four pick. That will be especially meaningful for the Pacers, who would lose their pick to the Clippers if it falls in the #5-9 range. Are AJ Dybansta, Darryn Peterson, or Cam Boozer bound for DC, Indy, or Bed-Stuy?

Utah made a number of midseason trades that indicate they’re ready to be competitive next season, but they’ll also have an outside chance at the top selection, as will Sacramento. The squads finished with identical 22-60 records, with the tie set to be broken by a random draw later this month. The team awarded the fourth-best odds will have an 11.5% chance at #1 and a 45.2% chance at top-four, while the loser of the tiebreaker will slot in with around a 10.5% shot at #1 and 42.1% for top-four. Another young star could jumpstart Utah’s contending trajectory, while Sacramento could nab the building block it needs.

The last few lotteries have seen teams jump up into the top slot, and these franchises — two of which were the beneficiaries of those leaps — could be in line for another lucky stroke. Dallas will have a 7.5% chance at #1 and a 31.9% chance at top-four as it seeks a co-star for Cooper Flagg, while Atlanta receives New Orleans’ pick following last year’s Derik Queen trade and will have 6%/26.3% odds. But Memphis, after dropping its final eight games of the year, will have the best of the bunch, with a 9% chance at #1 and a 37.2% shot at top-four. Plus, the Grizz have 10+ first-rounders to play with over the next seven seasons.

Check out the full list of odds and sim the results to your heart’s content here. And if you’re a fan of a lottery team, here’s some AJ highlights to tide you over for the next few weeks.

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, remember to hold strong to your goals even if progress seems slow at first. One day, you’ll look up and be amazed at how far you’ve come. See you soon!

Walker Carnathan