Aside from trying to advance to the next round, Thompson can put the NBA and fans on notice.
All-American guard Olivia Miles announced that she's transferring from Notre Dame to TCU.
If "The Process" isn't over for the Philadelphia 76ers, it's certainly on shaky ground.
The expectations in Orlando have failed to match with reality. The Magic are not the young and exciting team grabbing attention.
Through the lens of long-term projection, it's not a stretch to say the San Antonio Spurs had the best outcome at this season's trade deadline.
By now, NBA fans and those who are paid to put together rosters should have learned that there isn't one prototype when projecting greatness.
They're currently 10th in the Western Conference with a 22-21 record, a far cry from the expectations.
Johnson is arguably the most important piece in breathing new life into the franchise.
The Golden State Warriors' Christmas night thriller against the Los Angeles Lakers mirrored their state as a franchise.
The word "different" is used a lot these days when describing athletes. In the case of Rutgers freshman Kiyomi McMiller, it's more than appropriate.
While there will be several impressive freshman prospects for NBA teams to choose from in June's draft, two are already starting to separate themselves at the top of the list.
Zion Williamson is in year six with the New Orleans Pelicans, and the only expectation is that his body will always betray him.
At 2-12 entering play Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are one of the worst teams in the NBA and their aspirations of a championship seem to be dissipating by the day.
Even with injuries to key rotation pieces, they're a respectable 7-4, good for sixth place in a competitive Western Conference.
With roster changes, aging and a team's natural growth, the championship window closes quickly. The latest NBA teams to face this are the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.
The WNBA checked off a few boxes this season when it comes to the growth of the game. Soon, another generation of guards could bring the women's game its next round of growth.