Editor’s note: This first appeared in the Open Floor newsletter, a free, twice-weekly publication straight to your inbox. Subscribe now.
Welcome back to Open Floor, from Detroit this week, where I took in a potential (likely?) Eastern Conference finals preview between the Pistons and Celtics on Monday. Phrases like “playoff intensity” can be overused but there was a little extra juice between these two teams. Detroit won the game, clinching the season series with Boston. Something tells me we’ll be seeing this matchup again.
Pod Alert
Evan Turner is back this week. We dive into the surprising success of one of his former teams, Portland, which has been on a heater the last few weeks. We also get into the free-falling Knicks and if the Pistons should be considered a real title contender. Listen here, here and here.
Jimmy Butler’s injury
There’s no sugarcoating it: Jimmy Butler’s season-ending knee injury is a crippling blow in Golden State. Short term, Butler’s exit wipes out the Warriors’ slim chances of making a run in the Western Conference. Long term, the team has to seriously evaluate the future of this roster. As one rival team exec texted on Monday, “Everything should be on the table.”
Interestingly, Butler’s injury potentially revives Jonathan Kuminga’s career in Golden State. Kuminga has been glued to the bench since mid-December, with both sides anticipating a trade before the Feb. 5 deadline. Butler’s absence opens a sizable hole in the Warriors’ lineup, one Steve Kerr acknowledged Kuminga could fill. There’s no questioning Kuminga’s talent. It’s been the fit, particularly since Butler came aboard, that was an issue. With Butler gone, Kuminga could author one of the most unlikely comeback stories with a team he believed he was done with.
Jayson Tatum’s recovery timeline
On Monday, reporters who braved the frigid Detroit weather for Celtics shootaround were treated to an unlikely show: Jayson Tatum, who has missed the entire season recovering from an Achilles tear, running through a full 45-minute workout. That Tatum worked out isn’t a story. That he did so in front of the media is. Joe Mazzulla deflected questions about Tatum’s workout before Monday’s game (“I failed medical school,” deadpanned Mazzulla) but there is no doubt—zero—that Tatum wanted the world to see that he was getting close.
Jayson Tatum dunk!
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) January 19, 2026
This is by far his most extensive workout in front of media since the injury pic.twitter.com/kAFbXTQgJi
“I don’t know where he’s at,” Mazzulla said. “I just trust the strength staff. I trust the sports science staff. I don’t know where he’s at, but I trust those guys, and I know they’re working really hard to put him in position to be successful and just get better every day.”
There’s nothing imminent. Tatum is clearly making progress, but as one source told Sports Illustrated, “there are still some boxes to check.” As SI and others have reported, Tatum fully intends to do everything he can to get back on the court this season. Monday’s workout offered the latest evidence that what would be an astonishing recovery is realistic.
Knicks in free fall
I don’t know where Monday’s 17-point loss ranks among the worst in recent team history but given the stakes (the Knicks were 2–8 in their last 10 games and badly needed a win) and the opponent (injury-ravaged Dallas, which is basically Cooper Flagg and a bunch of other guys) it’s got to be up there. New York trailed by as many as 30, with the boos raining down from Madison Square Garden before the end of the first half.
“You spend $140 to represent your favorite player with a jersey,” said Karl-Anthony Towns. “You come to MLK Day here at the Garden and tickets are three times the price. I’d be disappointed, too.”
Statistically, the Knicks are a disaster. New York has the second worst defensive rating in the NBA over the last 11 games (only Utah is worse). It is in the bottom five at defending the three. The offense has not been much better. There is obvious friction between Towns and head coach Mike Brown while Mikal Bridges has been a disappearing act in the fourth quarter. Worse, the Knicks are playing like a team that doesn’t care. Said Josh Hart, “I haven’t seen this kind of effort that we had today. It was embarrassing.”
Is there a solution? In recent weeks the Knicks have not shopped any of their core players, sources say, instead prioritizing ballhandling and perimeter shooting in trade discussions. It seemed more likely that New York would swing a deal for someone like New Orleans’s Jose Alvarado or Sacramento’s Keon Ellis than do something big.
But this skid has been concerning. In a recent radio interview, team owner James Dolan said the team should make the NBA Finals. A few weeks ago, that was believable. Now, it feels a long way off. It’s no secret the Knicks want to keep their roster flexibility until the situation with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee plays itself out. But if this stretch of poor play continues the front office may have to do something significant to salvage the season.
More NBA from Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
- Tyrese Maxey's Big Week Continues With New Signature Shoe Announcement
- Why Jimmy Butler's Warriors Teammates Were All Laughing at Him After His Injury
- Knicks Agree Boos Warranted After ‘Abysmal’ Performance Leads to Fourth Straight Loss
- Jimmy Butler Injury Puts Jonathan Kuminga Conversation Back in the A-Block
This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Jimmy Butler’s Season-Ending Injury Affects Jonathan Kuminga.
