After a whirlwind month of action, the basketball-watching world has approached the most boring month of the year in the NBA — so looking over each and every team’s offseason is more imperative than ever. In this edition of “Grading the Offseason”, we’re taking a peek at the suddenly-erratic Minnesota Timberwolves. Remember when the Timberwolves
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have the pieces for an elite perimeter defense. But will their average rim protectors end up being a weakness to exploit? No team had a better offseason than the L.A. Clippers. They landed the best player on the free-agent market in Kawhi Leonard, and Leonard convinced Paul George to force his way out
Over the next couple of weeks, Basketball Insiders is grading all 30 NBA teams on their offseasons — additions, subtractions, draft picks, trades, etc — and their potential headed into the 2019-20 campaign. Between today and autumn, franchises will be tasked with figuring out how their roster pieces, both new and old, might mesh together
Adding Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers means Landry Shamet is going to see a lot of open shots next season. Like, A LOT of open shots. A solitary figure stands on the wing, feet set, hands at the ready. It has been four games since he last saw a defender. In the
The NBA’s Western Conference has a lot of potential contenders that will be integrating new pieces, and that means one thing: Someone’s gonna be disappointing! The last 40 days have completely overhauled the landscape of the NBA, and specifically the NBA’s Western Conference. Kevin Durant’s Achilles and Klay Thompson’s ACL took the Golden State Warriors
OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 13: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors looks on during Game Six of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on June 13, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s movement to L.A. was years in the making. Now the Clippers may have the piece to tip the scales in their direction. Kawhi Leonard has a habit of tipping scales of the NBA. He did so in 2014 as the skeleton key and LeBron James irritant of the Spurs’ last
NBA Free Agency started six hours earlier than it has in years past in 2019, with a start time of 6 p.m. EST on June 30. And boy did it pay dividends for fans. Rather than staying up late or getting caught up on free agent happenings the first thing in the morning, fans were
He was meticulous about it, but in the end Kawhi Leonard will sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. The wait is over. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Kawhi Leonard has told the other teams in the running that he will sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Those runners-up were, of course, the Toronto Raptors and
PORTLAND, OR – APRIL 16: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts to an officials call during the second half of Game Two of the Western Conference quarterfinals against the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2019 NBA Playoffs Moda Center on April 16, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Blazers won 114-94. NOTE TO
NBA Free Agency started six hours earlier than it has in years past in 2019, with a start time of 6 p.m. EST on June 30. And boy did it pay dividends for fans. Rather than staying up late or getting caught up on free agent happenings the first thing in the morning, fans were
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!With those millions in writing,And All-Stars combining to give hope or fear!It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Seriously though, for junkies like us, the NBA offseason is basically the holidays. People always talk about how they can’t stand all the pressure, all the buildup for when
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
Basketball Insiders has recently started a new series detailing the top free agents by position as a primer for the free agency period beginning on July 1. As a short recap, or if you’re looking for more pre-research, we’ve got you covered. Drew Maresca grabbed the point guards, then Jordan Hicks hit up the shooting
TORONTO, CANADA – NOVEMBER 29: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors and Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors look on during the game on November 29, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the first half during Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this
TORONTO, ON – JUNE 17: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors holds the MVP trophy during the Toronto Raptors Victory Parade on June 17, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. The Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors 4-2 to win the 2019 NBA Finals. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
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
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 one of the most appealing situations in the league this offseason, here are five free agent targets for the Los Angeles Clippers. After trading their three best players (Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin) either before or during the 2017-18 season, the Los Angeles Clippers seemed headed toward a significant reset bordering on
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
By the end of the night, the NBA’s postseason second round will be officially set — first from 30 teams to 16 and soon just nine shall remain. Throughout the regular season — and for much of the last two years, actually — the biggest, most important question has been repeatedly asked ad nauseam: Can
Previewing the first-round series between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers with shot charts, assist maps, offensive style charts and expected win probabilities. Shot charts In a tremendous underdog story, the Golden State Warriors once again finished with the number one seed in the Western Conference playoffs. As always, they were led by
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 18: Patrick Beverley #21 of the LA Clippers reacts to his foul on Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Two of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on April 18, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) NOTE TO
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 26: Golden State Warriors Forward Kevin Durant (35) warms up before game six of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers on April 26, 2019 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty
OAKLAND, CA – APRIL 24: Patrick Beverley #21 and Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers talk during Game Five of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors on April 24, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or
Being up 3-1 is usually child’s play for a No. 2 seed. For Toronto, it means so much more. Since the Raptors’ rise to prominence in 2013, this is how every single playoff series for them has turned out. 2014: Lost to the fourth-seeded Nets team in seven games2015: Lost to the fifth-seeded Wizards in
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 21: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against Jerome Robinson #10 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half of Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on April 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER:
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
There is nothing worse in sports than seeing somebody get hurt. In the NBA, we’ve seen plenty of devastating setbacks. Torn ACL’s, ruptured Achilles, broken bones—all of them season-enders and most of them career-alterers. Jusuf Nurkic’s gruesome leg injury most recently comes to mind. Before that, Victor Oladipo and Dejounte Murray. Last year, Gordon Hayward’s