2025-26 Jan Updates for NBA Gamers from Colleges in West

How are the gamers from packages within the West doing? As all the time, I’m again with my month-to-month SuperWest report, protecting the highest veterans, rookies, and everybody else in between!

Listed below are my alternatives and summaries for January.

Sizzling This Month

Peyton Watson (Denver Nuggets, UCLA)

Nikola Jokić began the 2025-26 season on hearth, as he was hell-bent on profitable his fourth MVP award. Nevertheless, he suffered a knee damage in late December and has been out of motion ever since.

Many followers believed the Nuggets would battle with out one of many best gamers in league historical past, however head coach David Adelman has finished an amazing job protecting the crew afloat.

Adelman, who impressed many along with his performances in final season’s playoffs following Michael Malone’s sudden dismissal, has given the crew’s youthful stars the prospect to shine throughout Jokić’s absence.

Chief amongst these younger gamers is Peyton Watson, who has taken an enormous leap in his fourth season and is taking part in like a famous person.

Since Jokić’s damage, Watson has been averaging 23.1 factors, 6.3 rebounds, and a couple of.7 shares (steals + blocks) an evening whereas main the Nuggets to an 8-5 document.

His effectivity has additionally been elite, as he’s been capturing 50.5% from the ground and 45.7% from deep throughout this stretch.

Earlier than the beginning of the season, Adelman claimed he was impressed by Watson’s preseason play, and in November, he expressed his pleasure with Watson’s defensive output.

“I simply count on him to convey nice vitality defensively,” Adelman stated in November. “If he can rating and move and make performs offensively, you already know, it’s type of simply the cherry on high.”

Watson has finished significantly extra than simply “making performs” and has actually made his coach proud. “Peyton’s been giving the whole lot he has, and that’s all I can ask for.”

Brandon Williams (Dallas Mavericks, Arizona)

In his fourth recreation in opposition to the Mavericks since being traded by them final 12 months, Luka Dončić scored 33 factors to assist the Lakers win.

Nevertheless, the Mavericks gave a valiant effort, led by Brandon Williams, who stole the present with 20 factors and a artful “Shammgod” transfer on Deandre Ayton.

I mentioned how Williams is taking advantage of his alternative two months in the past, and regardless of his struggles with three-point capturing, Williams has gone from power to power since then.

In his final 12 video games, Williams has scored 16.8 factors in simply 23.6 minutes per recreation, and his excessive area aim proportion (57.3% throughout this stretch) has helped masks his poor capturing from deep.

His skill to complete inside (70.6% area aim proportion from zero to a few toes this season) has been an enormous asset, and he can parlay his good play right into a stable contract subsequent season.

Rookie Report

Caleb Love (Portland Path Blazers, Arizona)

Tiago Splitter made a reputation for himself with the 2010s San Antonio Spurs, making two Finals appearances and profitable a championship as a key contributor.

Nevertheless, his work as a head coach thus far is arguably extra spectacular than his achievements throughout his taking part in days.

The Brazilian has helped regular the ship for the Path Blazers following the Chauncey Billups playing scandal, with Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe turning into stars, whereas younger gamers akin to Caleb Love are displaying promise.

Love’s recreation was overcriticized by scouts on account of his lengthy keep in school, which led to him being undrafted within the 2025 NBA Draft.

Final month, I discussed how Love was proving his doubters unsuitable, and he has continued to shine on this thrilling younger Blazers squad. Over his final 18 video games, Love has averaged 15.7 PPG, with respectable capturing splits for a rookie (43.9/38.1/70.8).

“He’s actually stepped up,” Splitter stated when requested about Love. “However what I’m most impressed with is the hassle he has put in defensively.”

As a 24-year-old UDFA, Love gained’t obtain the identical variety of possibilities as his fellow rookies, however the former UNC and Arizona famous person has the last word mentor on his aspect: Damian Lillard.

“I hold telling him: The draft occurred already, however at the moment you’re a High-10 decide,” Lillard stated. “Yep, High-10 decide. That’s Caleb.”

Kobe Sanders (Los Angeles Clippers, Colorado State)

If they go 15-3 in any stretch this season, I’ll print and eat this tweet”, stated Clippers author Robert Flom on December 20. The Clippers beat the Lakers that day, marking the start of an unimaginable 15-3 run.

Flom was pressured to eat his phrases, fairly actually, and now the Clippers are trying scary once more. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden will obtain a lot of the plaudits, and rightfully so.

However their youthful gamers, akin to Kobe Sanders, have made telling contributions.

Sanders proved to be the distinction maker in a 103-102 win in opposition to the Warriors with a 20-point efficiency, and has drained 19 of his 44 three-pointers (43.2%) in the course of the Clippers’ 15-3 run.

This stable stretch has many Clippers followers excited for the longer term, and they’ll place their hopes on Sanders when their franchise superstars become older and retire.

Settling In

Corey Kispert (Atlanta Hawks, Gonzaga)

We’re used to NBA stars forcing trades to contenders, so when Hawks famous person Trae Younger pressured a commerce to the up-and-coming, small-market Washington Wizards, it was seen as a breath of recent air.

Younger was traded for the veteran CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

Many, together with myself, waited years for Kispert to interrupt out in Washington, however regardless of displaying some flashes of greatness, akin to two 15-game, 17+ PPG stretches to finish his second and third seasons, it by no means actually materialised.

Kispert scored 19 factors in opposition to the Lakers in his second recreation as a Hawk and dropped 16 in opposition to the Celtics in his first recreation at State Farm Area for the reason that commerce. This led to him changing Vit Krejci within the beginning lineup, which hasn’t labored out in any respect.

Kispert has failed to attain over eight factors in every of his 4 video games as a starter, and persistence is working skinny. Hopefully, the previous Gonzaga Bulldog can flip issues round on his new crew.

High Veterans

Russell Westbrook (Sacramento Kings, UCLA)

The Sacramento Kings are an absolute mess.

However at the least they did the basketball world an enormous favor by signing Russell Westbrook earlier than the beginning of the season, guaranteeing at the least yet another season of the previous MVP taking part in within the NBA.

Westbrook has been quietly having a stable season, as he grew to become the NBA’s all-time highest-scoring level guard on January 3.

In his final 13 video games, Westbrook has put up 18.2 factors and 6.0 assists an evening whereas capturing 46.4% from the ground, which may be very spectacular for his requirements and contemplating his age.

Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics, California)

No one is laughing at Jaylen Brown now.

Many thought the Celtics would battle this 12 months with out Jayson Tatum, however Brown has put the crew on his again.

For the reason that begin of the brand new calendar 12 months, Brown has been averaging 29.8 factors and eight.0 rebounds an evening, and his numbers have helped the Celtics keep related because the Jap Convention’s 2nd seed.

With Tatum nearing a return, the C’s may gear up for yet one more Finals run, similar to how the Patriots returned to the Tremendous Bowl this 12 months.