The atmosphere is buzzing. On one side of the court, bleachers are almost to capacity with roughly 1,200 people in attendance. The other side has been cleared out to welcome multiple bounce houses for the children. It’s Pirate Night. There are foam swords and pirate hats galore. This is the NBA G-League. The Salt Lake
NBA
Just over a month ago, one Basketball Insiders writer foolishly suggested that the Brooklyn Nets — despite all their youth, determination and overall grittiness — should strongly consider tanking out for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. At the time, the Nets were floundering without do-it-all playmaker Caris LeVert — holders of a dismal 3-10
Just over a month ago, one Basketball Insiders writer foolishly suggested that the Brooklyn Nets — despite all their youth, determination and overall grittiness — should strongly consider tanking out for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. At the time, the Nets were floundering without do-it-all playmaker Caris LeVert — holders of a dismal 3-10
Three weeks into the season, here’s how we’re ranking each of the 30 NBA teams. Come bask in our collective love for the Sacramento Kings. 30 Cleveland Cavaliers 1-9 Last week: 1-3Last rank: 30 The Cavaliers picked up a win this week! And three losses! And a new coach! And reports that their veterans think
These Oklahoma City Thunder only know life with Russell Westbrook. Now they might need to learn it without him. Since Kevin Durant left Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder back in 2016, the Thunder have played a grand total of three games without their dynamic, fierce point guard across two regular and postseasons. All
Heading into their New Year’s Eve game against the Dallas Mavericks, the Oklahoma City Thunder sit in third place in the Western Conference with a record of 22-13. They’ve actually been a bit unlucky to end up in that position, as the plus-6.1 points per game point differential paints them as a team that should
Just over a month ago, one Basketball Insiders writer foolishly suggested that the Brooklyn Nets — despite all their youth, determination and overall grittiness — should strongly consider tanking out for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. At the time, the Nets were floundering without do-it-all playmaker Caris LeVert — holders of a dismal 3-10
R.J. Barrett looks like a future NBA All-Star and is going to be a top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. But given his weaknesses, is he the right type of player to build around? R.J. Barrett entered the season as the number one player on a lot of NBA Draft boards. One of the
Just over a month ago, one Basketball Insiders writer foolishly suggested that the Brooklyn Nets — despite all their youth, determination and overall grittiness — should strongly consider tanking out for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. At the time, the Nets were floundering without do-it-all playmaker Caris LeVert — holders of a dismal 3-10
Ever since he entered the league, it’s been understood that Kevin Durant is sui generis, a player who can score, rebound, and perhaps most significantly, distribute. But even with this skill set, it is noteable to see how his assist percentage has climbed. From 12.5 percent his rookie season in Seattle, Durant’s number headed north
The atmosphere is buzzing. On one side of the court, bleachers are almost to capacity with roughly 1,200 people in attendance. The other side has been cleared out to welcome multiple bounce houses for the children. It’s Pirate Night. There are foam swords and pirate hats galore. This is the NBA G-League. The Salt Lake
Thanks to a strong weekend, the Toronto Raptors have more wins than any team in the NBA. They are percentage points behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the best record in the league and are one of just four teams that currently sit inside the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per NBA.com. The
The atmosphere is buzzing. On one side of the court, bleachers are almost to capacity with roughly 1,200 people in attendance. The other side has been cleared out to welcome multiple bounce houses for the children. It’s Pirate Night. There are foam swords and pirate hats galore. This is the NBA G-League. The Salt Lake
For a No. 1 overall pick who is averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the field, Deandre Ayton catches a whole lot of criticism in certain corners of the basketball internet. Whether it’s for lackadaisical pick-and-roll defense or poor rim-protection numbers or simply having
No player in the NBA more ruthlessly pursues the most efficient possible shot on every single possession than James Harden. Harden fully embodies the Houston Rockets’ layups and threes ethos, eschewing almost entirely any shots other than those from the most advantageous areas of the floor. It’s a style of play that has swept through
On Thursday, the NBA released the first returns of voting for next month’s All-Star Game. Within the hour, people everywhere — both fans and media members alike — were sharing their thoughts. Of course, this is hardly a new phenomenon and, more often than not, the shakier results end up smoothing out by the final
If you read any NBA previews this fall, there were a few consensus ideas that kept appearing. Almost everyone picked the Warriors to win their third championship in a row, that LeBron James would vastly improve the Lakers, and that the playoff race in the Western Conference would be a bloodbath, albeit one that was
After three weeks of holiday indulgence off, the NBA Power Rankings are back to check in on which teams are rising and falling. 30 Cleveland Cavaliers 8-32 Last week: 1-9Last rank: 28 The Cavaliers have the worst record in the league but…they also have the worst point differential in the league, more than two points
On Thursday, the NBA released the first returns of voting for next month’s All-Star Game. Within the hour, people everywhere — both fans and media members alike — were sharing their thoughts. Of course, this is hardly a new phenomenon and, more often than not, the shakier results end up smoothing out by the final
In the NBA, tough decisions must be made. Sometimes it’s a front office deciding to go in another direction with a trade or release. Other times, it’s a coach having to pull a guy out of the active rotation. Most of the time, however, it’s a player figuring out the next move to benefit his
On Thursday, the NBA released the first returns of voting for next month’s All-Star Game. Within the hour, people everywhere — both fans and media members alike — were sharing their thoughts. Of course, this is hardly a new phenomenon and, more often than not, the shakier results end up smoothing out by the final
In the NBA, tough decisions must be made. Sometimes it’s a front office deciding to go in another direction with a trade or release. Other times, it’s a coach having to pull a guy out of the active rotation. Most of the time, however, it’s a player figuring out the next move to benefit his
Everyone knows about what Luka Doncic is doing this season, but these five NBA rookies probably deserve a little more recognition for that they’re doing. If you’re tired of reading about Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton and Jaren Jackson, Jr. then this piece is for you. Instead of focusing on the top five NBA rookies of
TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 12: Mo Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic and Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks pose for a photo during the 2018 NBA Rookie Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by
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
In the NBA, tough decisions must be made. Sometimes it’s a front office deciding to go in another direction with a trade or release. Other times, it’s a coach having to pull a guy out of the active rotation. Most of the time, however, it’s a player figuring out the next move to benefit his
For several years now, the Charlotte Hornets have been attempting to stave off a seemingly inevitable decline. Michael Jordan wants his team to be relevant, and ideally wants them to make the playoffs every year. Anyone expecting any other attitude from the most maniacally competitive player of the modern era has not been paying attention.
An update of our 2019 NBA Draft prospect rankings breaks down all of the movement from the month of December, including the rise of Jarrett Culver and the question of Nassir Little. The 2019 NBA Draft was billed as terrible heading into the season, and two months into the season, it’s been difficult to shake
Behind star play from their point guard, the Celtics are establishing themselves as one of the East’s best teams. Stardom may be the greatest on-court advantage in the NBA. This well-worn aphorism bears itself out almost yearly at the highest levels of the playoffs, in improbable streaks of Finals appearances and in the day-to-day standing
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.