Basketball Insiders started off this week by giving the Central Division teams grades for their respective performances through the first quarter of the NBA season. We continue the grading by taking a look at the Pacific Division, which features a few teams that are beating early-season expectations, including the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings.
DENVER, CO – NOVEMBER 09: Caris Levert #22 of the Brooklyn Nets plays the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on November 9, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images
The game was on the line and Gary Harris was in Caris LeVert’s grill, practically tucked inside his Brooklyn Nets jersey next to him. But the third-year wing was unfazed. He twisted and turned, took two dribbles to his left and hesitated. Harris relented for a brief moment before reaching into LeVert’s airspace and putting
2:21 PM ET Nick DePaulaESPN After a stalemate over long-term extension talks with current endorser Jordan Brand, Toronto Raptors All-Star wing Kawhi Leonard has agreed to a multi-year shoe deal with re-emerging brand New Balance, according to league sources. The deal was first reported by Yahoo Sports. “It’s not official,” Leonard said at Wednesday morning’s
12:57 AM ET DENVER — Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball sprained his left ankle in a 117-85 loss to the Denver Nuggets but said he will be ready to play against Indiana on Thursday. X-rays on Ball’s ankle were negative, and he is considered day-to-day. Ball injured the ankle late in the second
CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 07: Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers addresses the media during practice and media availability as part of the 2018 NBA Finals on June 07, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is
SAN JOSE, CA – OCTOBER 12: Kyle Kuzma #0 and LeBron James #23 talk to Brandon Ingram #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a pre-season game against the Golden State Warriors on October 12, 2018 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
For anyone who covered “Linsanity” and Jeremy Lin’s career with the New York Knicks, the crowd response to Lin emerging from the tunnel on Wednesday night was striking for its absence of emotion. There were some scattered boos, less a referendum on Lin it seemed than the typical Madison Square Garden response to any road
OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 13: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks stands on the court during player introductions before their game against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on November 13, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is
9:13 AM ET MEMPHIS, Tenn. — You won’t offend the Memphis Grizzlies by flipping right past them on NBA League Pass. They’ll gleefully admit that 29 other teams are more fun to watch. But as the rest of the league trends toward a fast, beautiful brand of basketball, the Grizzlies play slow and ugly by
Is there anything LeBron James can’t do? His alley-oop to himself off the backboard should go down in the pantheon of greatest Finals plays. LeBron James is on a mission to get his Cleveland Cavaliers back into this series, even if it means throwing the greatest self alley-oop the basketball world has ever seen. This
On Nov. 21, the New York Knicks faced off against the Boston Celtics in what was expected to be an easy route for the green team, but it turned out be their worst loss of the season. The Celtics not only lost to their longtime division rivals, but were beaten with almost relative ease. New
On Nov. 21, the New York Knicks faced off against the Boston Celtics in what was expected to be an easy route for the green team, but it turned out be their worst loss of the season. The Celtics not only lost to their longtime division rivals, but were beaten with almost relative ease. New
The coaching situation for the Phoenix Suns hasn’t exactly been optimal since Mike D’Antoni left the team after the 2007-08 season. The Suns have basically been in a rebuild since, and outside of a surprise Western Conference Finals run in 2010 with Alvin Gentry, coaching has been an issue for them. Terry Porter, Gentry, Jeff
With Opening Night of the NBA season just 8 days away, the Phoenix Suns on Monday stunningly fired GM Ryan McDonough after 5 years on the job. The Phoenix Suns last reached the postseason in 2010 and last season had the franchise’s worst record since their expansion season of 1968-69. After five years and diminishing
Leading up to the 2018 NBA Draft, Mikal Bridges was lauded as a high-floor, low-ceiling 3-and-D wing who could step into a role and contribute immediately. When the Philadelphia 76ers — a team eyeing the NBA Finals — selected him with the No. 10 pick, all of it made sense. He went to Villanova, his
Rookie Cards is a weekly column tracking the performance and development of the 2018 rookie class, focusing on three players every week. This week features Deandre Ayton, Trae Young and Josh Okogie. The 2018 NBA Draft was looked at as one of the deeper groups in recent memory, with a handful of potential superstars, several players
9:52 AM ET The LA Clippers are the biggest surprise in the league. Just ask Vegas. The Clips are on pace to win about 18 more games than their preseason over/under suggested. It’s the biggest such deviation in the NBA, and it’s all thanks to an efficient offense engineered by Doc Rivers and fueled by
2:50 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif — Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant is so good that after scoring 49 points in a 116-110 comeback win over the Orlando Magic, he was frustrated he didn’t get 50. “I still missed 17 shots,” Durant said. “Tricked off a 50 piece. I felt like I had some shots
7:08 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul was out for Monday night’s game against the Washington Wizards with a sore left leg. It’s the second consecutive game Paul has missed. He sat out Saturday’s game in Cleveland after playing 37 minutes in an overtime win in Detroit the night before.
Romeo Langford looked like a good 3-and-D prospect in high school but has struggled at both at Indiana. Can he still prove himself to be a valuable prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft? In the 2018 recruiting cycle, a lot of interest was placed in a shooting guard from New Albany, Indiana with solid shooting
The Celtics haven’t looked like an Eastern Conference contender. Which players have fallen off the most from last year’s performance? The struggles of the Boston Celtics have been one of the most puzzling stories in the early part of this season. At 10-10 after 20 games, their hopes of making a title run are certainly not
As sports gambling infiltrates the mainstream, the Dallas Mavericks have hired a former pro gambler. As states across the country legalize sports betting, pro sports are starting to embrace the possibilities. The NBA has been quick to embrace gambling, which is a credit to commissioner Adam Silver, but the Dallas Mavericks have taken a big
You’ll forgive Luka Doncic for not jumping up and down in anger after a 121-100 loss in Phoenix to start his NBA career — he barely even gets off the ground for his jump shot. Doncic put together an up-and-down debut that mirrored that of the Mavericks. He keep the game close and entered in
10:56 PM ET NEW YORK — He did it again. Eight days after hitting a game-winning 3-pointer for his new team, 76ers star Jimmy Butler hit a shot from nearly the same spot on the floor with 2.3 seconds to play to give Philadelphia a 127-125 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. “Another play
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in transition right now, and Kyle Korver could be available to suitors. With LeBron James leaving for a second time, the Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to decide which direction to go. Keeping it afloat with Kevin Love as the main star is an option, but trading a bunch of veterans and
Kawhi Leonard’s agent, Mitch Frankel, might be a good agent in a vacuum, but his lack of NBA experience is making it hard for his client to engineer a trade away from San Antonio. There are a ton of questions swirling around Kawhi Leonard at the moment. Teams thinking of acquiring the Spurs star want
A short few games into the Charlotte Hornets’ season, James Borrego pulled Jeremy Lamb aside to talk. Why haven’t you been a starter in this league? Together, the first-year head coach and former UConn standout discussed the topic at length, identifying specific areas and reasons as to why that was. I believe you can be
The Philadelphia 76ers have found themselves in quite the predicament. On Wednesday, multiple people reported that, after all of the struggles he has endured in his short time in Philadelphia, former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz would prefer a fresh start with a new team. While his agent has since denied that any formal trade
After a miserable 1-4 road trip, Marcus Smart is understandably fed up with how the Celtics have been playing. The Boston Celtics have not been playing good basketball recently. This comes somewhat as a surprise, seeing as how they have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, and a lineup worthy of the NBA