In the season’s early going, a familiar cast of characters has emerged in the race for Defensive Player of the Year. In a league increasingly reliant on versatility and the implementation of pace and space, though, some new candidates have emerged, as other, position-less defenders have a greater opportunity than ever to force their way
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have lost Ed Davis for at least four weeks after he broke his left fibula on Thursday night. Despite not being a starter, this injury may hurt the Jazz in unexpected ways. Thursday night, despite winning against the Sacramento Kings, the Utah Jazz suffered perhaps the greatest loss of the evening, losing
The Utah Jazz are finally off to a fast start in 2019-20, and it’s all due to their elite defense, rebounding and ability to force turnovers. For the first time in seemingly forever, the Utah Jazz are off to a great start to the season. Things looked a little iffy when they struggled to win
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
The Utah Jazz have agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract extension with wing Joe Ingles. On a day full of deals, this one might be the most cost-effective. On a day full of contract extensions before the NBA‘s Oct. 21 deadline, the Utah Jazz wound up giving out perhaps the most reasonable deal of
In the ultra-competitive Western Conference, multiple playoff bids may be determined by presently unexpected or unproven players. Every game matters, particularly as franchises begin counting up the wins and losses headed into the springtime. Superstars can carry a roster, but it’s the breakout that helps them rise above their ceilings. Whether it be through renewed
With the 2019-20 NBA season less than a month away, we’re exploring the most interesting players for each team in the Northwest Division. We’re now less than a month away from the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. Coming off one of the most interesting offseasons in recent memory, it feels like an appropriate time
Remember when the Jazz were supposed to be rebuilding? Neither do we. It’s truly astonishing that, in the two years after Gordon Hayward deserted Salt Lake for Beantown, Utah has not only kept the wheels turning, but they are projected to be in a better spot now than they ever were with Hayward on the
John Stockton’s short shorts were not with the times, but much like Stockton’s career itself, their length never wavered throughout the 1990s. I attended elementary school in the early to mid-1990s, and I still remember being made fun of for a pair of jean shorts that, despite touching the top of my knee caps, was
It was a foregone conclusion that LeBron James would be drafted first overall in 2003, even before the draft lottery rewarded his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick. James was already a national phenomenon before stepping foot on an NBA court. James immediately bore a tremendous burden, with pressure to grow into potentially
One does not simply spell the name Giannis Antetokounmpo without at least looking it up first. Sure, you could get lucky the first time, but you’re lying to yourself if you think you won’t at least head over to Google to double-check. Admittedly, a big thanks on our end will be sent towards our friends
Over the course of July and August, Basketball Insiders embarked on grading all 30 NBA teams for 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
When evaluating a team’s offseason, it can take a while to complete. Between going over what happened last season, what they did this summer and predicting what lies ahead – it’s quite the exercise. You could almost call it a process. Oh hey, speaking of processes, the next team up in this series? The Philadelphia
Happy NBA Schedule Release Week, everyone! With the 82-game set released on Monday afternoon, we now know what marquee matchups are on the docket for the 2019-20 campaign. While FIBA World Cup is officially underway and training camp is right around the corner, Basketball Insiders has kicked off another week of its Grading The Offseason
The Utah Jazz prioritized Dante Exum over nearly every other asset they had this summer, and now he must rise to the occasion on a contending team. When the Jazz take the court next this fall, the unit we grew so used to seeing share the court will look quite different. By trading for Mike
Despite the frequency to which players experience downtrending performance, it seems as if there is still no clear cut consensus answer as to why players go through slumps, or a trusted way to systematically and repeatedly break players out of shooting slumps once they occur. In the second installment of High-Performance Mindfulness, we will dissect
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
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
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
Jarrell Brantley was Utah Jazz’s first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. No, he wasn’t selected in the first round, as the team forfeited that pick to the Memphis Grizzlies via trade in exchange for the services of Mike Conley Jr. Brantley was selected 50th overall in the second round by the Indiana Pacers, but
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
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 Utah Jazz look like legitimate NBA Finals contenders after agreeing to trade for Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley. With the Golden State Warriors ravaged by injuries and the Houston Rockets reportedly confronting infighting between their two stars, the Western Conference suddenly appears open for the taking. The Utah Jazz staked their claim to
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 16: Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles the ball against the Washington Wizards in the second half at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the
Utah staved off elimination Monday night with a victory over a Houston team that went cold when it mattered most, but they still face an impossible task. For three quarters, it didn’t matter that the Utah Jazz were the team that came out with more urgency, more intensity, and far more like the one down
HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 24 : James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets passes the ball against the Utah Jazz during Game Five of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or
At the end of a first quarter in which his MVP candidate failed to hit a field goal and Utah’s presumptive DPOY finally showed up with four blocks, Houston coach Mike D’Antoni was asked what his team needed to change about their shot selection. “Nothin.” Arrogant? Maybe a little. Correct? Absolutely. On cue, Gerald Green