OAKLAND, CA – APRIL 13: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to a play during Game One of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the LA Clippers on April 13, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using
Los Angeles Clippers
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 13: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors has words with Patrick Beverley #21 of the LA Clippers during Game One of the first round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. Both players were ejected after the play. NOTE
The Golden State Warriors had it all working, building a 31-point lead against the Clippers in Game 2. And then they blew it. It took back-to-back 40 point quarters, building to an 85-point second half. It took 22 Warriors turnovers, nine from Kevin Durant. It took Durant fouling out and 85 points from Danilo Gallinari,
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
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.
Welcome to The Whiteboard, your daily source for the previous day’s best NBA content from around the internet, plus an original column. Catch The Whiteboard here on The Step Back, and subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. For a team that is planning on reaching peak form after adding
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
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, he’s 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
Can you believe that the NBA regular season is less than a month away from concluding? It’s March 18, and teams are gearing up for the final stretch run before the playoffs get here. Thus far, there have been three teams to solidify their spots—the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers—while the rest of
There’s a reason why “Unorthodox” is the operative word here. There were several big winners from the trade deadline. Philadelphia got the perfect and relatively young scorer in Tobias Harris to put next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Toronto added an experienced, jack-of-all-trades center in Marc Gasol to cement their status as a contender.
There’s a reason why “Unorthodox” is the operative word here. There were several big winners from the trade deadline. Philadelphia got the perfect and relatively young scorer in Tobias Harris to put next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Toronto added an experienced, jack-of-all-trades center in Marc Gasol to cement their status as a contender.
Welcome to The Whiteboard, your daily source for the previous day’s best NBA content from around the internet, plus an original column. Catch The Whiteboard here on The Step Back, and subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Lou Williams, on his way to a terrific 35 point showing that
In recent campaigns, the importance of a good, reliable bench unit has soared out the window as the rise in superteams grew larger. This is not to say that the Golden State Warriors regret not having a consistent Sixth Man of the Year contender in their second unit because, well, their back-to-back championships speak for
The craziness that was the NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone with multiple deals being made, including some big ones that sort of shook up the landscape of the Eastern Conference. Not only that, but buyout season has arrived as well with teams looking to add pieces for a playoff push. Here at Basketball
On Thursday, the NBA’s trade deadline hit all zeroes — along with plenty of fireworks — and now buyout season is right around the corner. But as franchises continue bolstering their roster ahead of the postseason (or lottery-bound future efforts), another deadline passed recently without much fanfare. Last month, the deadline to sign players to
Entering this season, the Clippers’ roster didn’t include a single player who had been with the team for more than two years. The roster also didn’t include a single All-Star, and after not landing a blockbuster free agent and facing one of the hardest schedules in the league, it would’ve been reasonable for the Clippers
The LA Clippers have put themselves in position to build a new big three and become a contender in the Western Conference. Don’t tell Jerry West and Elton Brand that the trade deadline is typically meant for small tweaks ahead of a playoff run. For the LA Clipper and Philadelphia 76ers, it provided an opportunity
Remember when the consensus with the NBA Trade Deadline was that it was going to be pretty boring with more buyers than sellers? Those were some good times, because a lot has changed since then. Suddenly, the Grizzlies decided to end their golden age of basketball, Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks divorced and rumors are swirling
Remember when the consensus with the NBA Trade Deadline was that it was going to be pretty boring with more buyers than sellers? Those were some good times, because a lot has changed since then. Suddenly, the Grizzlies decided to end their golden age of basketball, Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks divorced and rumors are swirling
The NBA has always been a playground for budding trendsetters — or, in other words, whichever teams can adapt best from year-to-year, embracing their strengths and addressing their weaknesses emerge on the other side even better. While the powerhouse franchises like the Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets haven’t seen too much variation
Back by the popular demand of pretty much only myself, it’s the second annual edition of Around the NBA in 15 Trades. We’re taking all 30 teams in the lead up to the Feb. 7 trade deadline and finding a happy middle ground for prosperous barterdom. The Clippers started out the season strong but faded down the standings
As we approach the trade deadline this season, rumors, speculation, and reports will begin to circulate on social media. Some may be grounded, others may be purely opinion-based. Regardless of what comes up, there is always one guarantee: Trades will be made. Whether teams are trying to improve their roster before the playoffs, mix up
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 12: Blake Griffin #23 of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on January 12, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and
Let’s talk about two players who, on the surface level, seem to have a lot in common. Both are rookies. Both were lottery picks. Both are point guards. Both are starters. Both even have just four letters in their first name. Just about everything else about them, however, seems different. One is starting on one
Western Conference Player of the Month Tobias Harris has the Los Angeles Clippers at the top of the West, and it’s hard not to be happy for him. This is Tobias Harris’ eighth NBA season. If the Los Angeles Clippers were to trade him this year, he will have as many seasons where he has
Dennis Smith Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks has had a pretty rough season, to say the least. His season got even rougher against the Clippers. If there is one great outlier about the Dallas Mavericks recent resurgence, is that their run has covered up the regression of second-year point guard Dennis Smith Jr. Looking at
A recent stretch where they lost six out of seven games took a bit of the early season shine off the LA Clippers, but at 19-14 heading into their Wednesday night battle with the Sacramento Kings, they’re still one of the most pleasant surprises of the first portion of the year. Pegged as a fringe
Is there any word that excites fans more about an individual player than “potential?” Hardly anyone comes into this league a finished product. With rare exceptions like Tyreke Evans and Michael Carter-Williams, almost every player that makes it in the NBA gets better after their rookie season. Some young players need more time than others.
The Clippers standout scorer talks about how his game has evolved and the team’s early season success. After Tobias Harris arrived in Los Angeles as part of the Blake Griffin trade, the Clippers asked him over the summer to work on a couple of things: Creating fouls and creating for others. Harris was the centerpiece
The team hears the noise, but they’re changing what people are talking about. The Los Angeles Clippers front office isn’t shy about their desire to land a super star free agent. After remaking the front office under owner Steve Ballmer and bringing star whisperer Jerry West on board, they remade the roster, shipping out Chris