Basketball Insiders recently started a new series detailing the top free agents by position as a primer for the free agency period beginning on July 1. Let’s get caught up. Drew Maresca covered point guards, Jordan Hicks shooting guards. Then, Spencer Davies detailed small forwards and Ben Nadeau wrote about power forwards. First, a look at
Brooklyn Nets
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – APRIL 06: D’Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts in the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on April 06, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions
With the 2019 NBA Draft and its whopping 23 transactions (some still awaiting the new cap year) in the rearview mirror, the 2019 NBA Free Agency period is now on deck. The NBA moved up some of the normal dates on things related to free agency, such as when teams can schedule meetings and when
The 2019 NBA Draft started off with more trade activity than expected as most experts even predicted a record-breaking night as far as trades were concerned. With many big-name stars on the move pre-draft, rumors galore and the pending free agency period, all 30 teams were looking to maneuver in a way that best suited
The 2019 NBA Draft started off with more trade activity than expected as most experts even predicted a record-breaking night as far as trades were concerned. With many big-name stars on the move pre-draft, rumors galore and the pending free agency period, all 30 teams were looking to maneuver in a way that best suited
The writing appears to be on the wall that Kyrie Irving is leaving the Celtics this summer, probably for the Nets. How’s that going to work? All signs seem to be pointing to Kyrie Irving putting on a Brooklyn Nets uniform next season. The mercurial point guard is always one of the NBA’s best quotes
With the NBA Draft less than nine days away, things in the NBA are starting to heat up as NBA teams zero in on trade scenarios and the players they will ultimately have a real shot at drafting. There is a very important disclaimer/concept worth re-stating. Rumors, like the ones we’ll dig into in a
Per the Boston Herald, Kyrie Irving is prepared to sign with the Brooklyn Nets when free agency opens next month. Representatives of his new agency, Roc Nation, told the Herald Irving intends to join the Nets. Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics have long been rumored to part following a tumultuous season that had the
With a pretty clear eye on free agency plans, the Brooklyn Nets have traded Allen Crabbe and a first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks. The Brooklyn Nets are expected to be significant players this offseason, with cap space to burn. They got a start on their offseason Thursday, with a trade that has clear implications
With the NBA Draft less than nine days away, things in the NBA are starting to heat up as NBA teams zero in on trade scenarios and the players they will ultimately have a real shot at drafting. There is a very important disclaimer/concept worth re-stating. Rumors, like the ones we’ll dig into in a
With the NBA Draft now only two weeks away — as is always the case — it is prime time for pundits, fans and even front offices to over-index the value of high draft picks. But one misnomer that’s subconsciously reiterated year-after-year is that the majority of value in the draft often comes in the
Now that the Brooklyn Nets have been eliminated from the playoffs, they will look to meet their needs through some offseason moves. Not many people thought that the Nets would make the playoffs this year. Many thought that the they were doomed for another lowly season that would see them near the bottom of the
With the NBA’s post-season in full swing and historic playoff games being played almost nightly, there are some storylines to watch as the race to a championship unfolds. Here are a few things to watch, especially if some of the ongoing series don’t play out as some had hoped when the season started some seven
With the NBA’s post-season in full swing and historic playoff games being played almost nightly, there are some storylines to watch as the race to a championship unfolds. Here are a few things to watch, especially if some of the ongoing series don’t play out as some had hoped when the season started some seven
The Brooklyn Nets came out with energy and execution, stealing Game 1 on the road from the Philadelphia 76ers. This was not the way the 76ers were hoping to kick off their postseason experience. Ben Simmons was bottled up by the Nets defense, Joel Embiid struggled from the field, J.J. Redick fouled out, the supporting
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 18: Tobias Harris #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets during game three of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on April 18, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 15: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers smiles during a game against the Brooklyn Nets during Game Two of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 15, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or
The Philadelphia 76ers made a statement, suffocating the Brooklyn Nets on defense in Game 5 and closing the series with a huge win. The 76ers scored 14 unanswered points to open the game, setting the stage for the beatdown that was to come. Brooklyn finished with 100 points but just 31 in the first half,
Before the first-round series between the Nets and 76ers began, the question of who Ben Simmons would guard had the potential to define a lot. As Jared Dubin pointed out, Simmons’ versatility has been unfurled a bit more since Tobias Harris was acquired in February. He has always spent time defending all five positions but
Brooklyn Nets forward Jared Dudley had an eventful Game 4 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers, culminating in a third quarter ejection. The Eastern Conference first round playoff series between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers has been chippy from the start, but it reached a whole new level in Game 4 Saturday, as Jared Dudley
BROOKLYN, NY – APRIL 20: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 20, 2019 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using
The first round of the NBA Playoffs provides infrequent upsets – especially since 2003 when the first round was extended to a best-of-seven series (from a best-of-five). Per the usual, this year has its share of favorites in the driver’s seat. For example, it’s a fair assumption that the Celtics, Rockets, Trailblazers and Bucks will
The Nets weren’t supposed to be this far along this fast. Even Coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t foresee a playoff berth so soon after bottoming out. “Never envisioned it. Not in my wildest dreams.” But as we enter the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the Nets season will continue on into the postseason for the first time since
Previewing the first-round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets with shot charts, assist maps, offensive style charts and expected win probabilities. Shot charts While it’s well established that the post-deadline starting five for the Sixers has more talent than the rest of the league (non-Warriors division) with a +20.3 points per 100 possessions
The NBA playoffs are finally here. There are interesting series of both sides of the bracket, but I find the No. 3- No. 6 matchups in each conference to be the most interesting. So we’re going to break down six major questions (three for each team) that will matter in Sixers vs. Nets (below) and
Last year in this space, we introduced a metric called Wins Above Age-Derived Expectation, or WAADE. It measures exactly what it sounds like: how many more wins an NBA team actually gets than you would have expected them to based on their minutes-weighted age. In introducing the metric, we highlighted several teams that stood out
Basketball Insiders’ “Fixing” series has been going on for a few weeks. We’ve started with the teams that hovered around the bottom of the league this season and are now transitioning to teams that stayed in the playoff hunt through the duration of the season. Today’s team: the Washington Wizards. Much has been made about
We’re finally entering the homestretch of the 2018-2019 NBA season. Every team in the league has either five or six games left in their season. With such little time left, the playoff picture is almost all but formed. The top eight teams in the Western Conference have all clinched playoff berths. What remains to be
If you’ve been a diehard NBA fan for years, you’ll probably remember the 2016-17 Los Angeles Lakers. No, their record wasn’t the greatest and, no, they didn’t make the playoffs in the competitive, crowded Western Conference. Instead, this team had its fair share of inside jokes, including one that gradually grew into a viral sensation.
Last year, this writer started his tenure with Basketball Insiders writing about who had the best case for Coach of the Year. One year later, we’re revisiting the same discussion. This time, with an entirely new slate of candidates. The Coach of the Year Award produces one of the most fascinating races in the NBA