What can hypothetical future contenders like the Hawks, Bulls, Spurs and Pelicans learn from this year’s conference finalists? In the penultimate episode of The Good Place, Chidi Anagonye offers a Buddhist perspective on death: “Picture a wave. In the ocean. You can see it, measure it, its height, the way the sunlight refracts when it
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The Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns won to keep playoff hopes alive. The only NBA playoff spot that’s not currently locked in is the 8-seed in the Western Conference. On Thursday, four key matchups will ultimately decide which two teams will be competing in the league’s play-in game(s), which will pit the current 8-seed against
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s one-game suspension could have a big impact on the Western Conference playoff picture. After being ejected for a headbutt on Moritz Wagner Tuesday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo has officially been suspended by the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks‘ final seeding game on Thursday. This one-game suspension may seem inconsequential for a Bucks squad that’s
Free agency is always a fun time for the NBA and its fans, but particularly so in 2020. Most free agents have usually earned their next deal by the 65th game of any given season – but this year is far from typical. Instead, the NBA has returned, sans its eight worst teams, meaning that
WWE NXT: Imperium retains tag team titles, Pat McAfee assaults Adam Cole by Raphael Garcia LeBron James ‘could care less’ about Donald Trump’s support by Steven Kubitza LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 02: San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, right, speaks with Drew Eubanks during the first half of an NBA basketball game
The NBA’s return grows nearer, but new doubts bubble up each day thanks numerous players testing positive for COVID-19 tests and surging virus numbers in numerous states — including Florida, where games will be hosted. Regardless as to whether or not we all agree with its return, we are fewer than 30 days away from
With professional basketball on the horizon, all eyes have turned toward Orlando – but here, we’re trying to peer into the future too. Frankly, the news of pending basketball seems small in comparison to some country-wide. The planet-wide pandemic and sweeping protests have turned everybody’s day-to-day routines on their head – but, obviously, for one
The world is on fire. And, frankly, the news of pending basketball hardly seems important in the slightest. The planet-wide pandemic and sweeping protests have turned everybody’s day-to-day routines on their head – but, obviously, for one group, it has done so in awful and disproportionate ways. If you can donate, consider doing so. If
In the NBA world right now, everybody is doing what they can to stay entertained. We’re tuning into The Last Dance every Sunday. We’re squeezing every detail we can get out of this supposed rift in Utah right now between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. We’re trying to figure out what’s the aptest solution for
Last week, Basketball Insiders ranked who was the best of the best of each position in the NBA, including executives. This week, Basketball Insiders is taking a look at who are among the most underrated executives in the NBA. What makes an executive underrated? It’s actually a pretty loaded question. Their work may have led
It may seem like it, but, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA world never truly stopped turning, even Bodog Canada is still running. Yes, in a time of some much-needed, sports-related distraction, the play has been put on hold. But the Association has continued to chug along as the draft and free
The regular season is over two-thirds finished, and the playoffs start in 53 days. Unsurprisingly, the front of the Defensive Player of the Year race has remained largely stagnant as 2019-20 enters its final stretch. But there’s ample time for movement among the obvious top-four candidates, with factors like injuries, lineup changes and even overall
LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of his generation and arguably of all-time. No matter how old he is or how many miles he has on those tires — 48,014 minutes total as of Feb. 20, good for eighth-most all-time among NBA players =- he is not to be underestimated. The Los Angeles Lakers
Before we begin, something, or someone, needs to be addressed- the death of one Kobe “Bean” Bryant. The NBA community lost one of its biggest icons over the weekend when Bryant lost his life in a helicopter crash. This news is very tragic seeing how popular Kobe was both during and after his time in
The Raptors have overachieved in a ridiculous way in 2019-20. They were +700 to repeat as NBA champions prior to the 2019 free agency period, according to the Draft Kings. Immediately after Kawhi Leonard fled West, the Raptors’ odds grew to +2200 to repeat – tied with the Celtics, who just lost Kyrie Irving, and
The NBA landscape is oddly unfamiliar at this point in the season. The Milwaukee Bucks are ruthlessly destroying everything in sight, the Golden State Warriors are headed toward a top-five draft pick in June and the New York Knicks are struggling to keep their heads afloat after a mid-season coaching change. OK, fine, that last
The dictionary definition of a back to the basket big man might have his picture next to it but lately, LaMarcus Aldridge has become a proficient 3-point shooter. LaMarcus Aldridge has had a lot of success over the course of his career, averaging 19.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, as a traditional post-up, back to
The holidays are a joyous time — but particularly so for NBA junkies. Christmas Day is one of the most highly-anticipated events for basketball fans everywhere. Not only do we get to see the best teams in the league face-off — but the best players in the league show themselves off on national television. Needless
Remember when Carmelo Anthony was out of the NBA? That seems so long ago now even though his stint in Portland started less than a month ago. Let’s go back to that time. In ‘Melo’s almost one-year exodus from the NBA, fans, media, and even players alike were begging for his return. To be fair,
Peruse the NBA leaderboard for the season and you will by-and-large find the usual suspects near the top. The Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks are first and second in defensive rating. The Bucks and the Houston Rockets are both sitting squarely in the top five in offensive rating. All is as expected in the association.
We are now officially one week into this NBA season and so far, so good. With the Hamptons Five disbanded, we believed that this was the most parity in the history of the NBA. The season may still be young, but this newfound competitiveness has definitely shown itself. We have some standouts, of course, and,
Danny Ainge is a gambler, only not in the typical sense. Yes, Ainge does, on occasion, deal with money. It’s just part of the job. But, more so than cash, Ainge is often one to gamble on players, whether they are his own or on some other roster. For better or worse, the Boston Celtics
Dejounte Murray is blazingly fast, and a lengthy and impactful defender. But until he adds a jump-shot, the Spurs’ future won’t be as bright as its past. The Spurs were winning 51-40, midway through the third quarter, when the Houston announcer couldn’t help himself. “Murray lined up on Harden…Harden takes him to school!” To him,
In 2017, the San Antonio Spurs extended LaMarcus Aldridge because they had no other option. When it comes to DeMar DeRozan, however, they do. Extensions should be reserved for cornerstone pieces in the NBA. Tying up future cap space in a player that may not positively impact the team’s title odds is a move losing
“Twin Towers” used to be a term of endearment in the NBA. Back in the old days, if you had two dominant seven-footers in your frontcourt, that was considered to be an advantage on the court. Duos like Hakeem Olajuwon/Ralph Sampson and Tim Duncan/David Robinson put their teams on the map. It seems like forever
After earning the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs — all behind the strong play of Nikola Vucevic — the Orlando Magic should have the optimism to improve during the 2019-20 season. The Magic were able to maintain stability within their ranks entering this year, keeping a large part of their core roster
In any given year, the NBA is chock-o-block with surprises. Whether it be the out-of-the-blue trade, the surprise breakout or the unlikely contender, there is never a lack of the unexpected. True to form, the 2018-19 regular and postseason had unexpected in spades. There were a number of anomalies last year, both good and bad.
For the San Antonio Spurs to set a new record for consecutive playoff appearances, they’ll need to find the right balance of minutes for their young backcourt. The San Antonio Spurs are on perhaps the longest run of sustained success in the history of the NBA. San Antonio has made the postseason every single year
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
A stat-sheet stuffer. A developmental miracle. A puppet-master. This is Derrick White, deconstructed. The San Antonio Spurs are legendary for their ability to mine the diamonds no one else has been able to get to. Sometimes it’s a Patty Mills or Jonathon Simmons reclamation project, making use of a skilled player who hasn’t ever been