Latest blog entries about NBA
No team won more games than the Thunder this season. A well-oiled machine with back-to-back 60-win regular seasons flexed its basketball muscle Tuesday night. While the final score is not entirely indicative of a back-and-forth affair, a dominant team performance nonetheless forced LA back to the drawing board. Facing the clear-cut deepest team in the […]
A day after the Minnesota Timberwolves upset the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their second-round matchup, I got a follow-up text from JR Wilco at Pounding the Rock — our Spurs sister site — asking if I wanted to have another one of these conversations about what we’re seeing within our own teams […]
You have all seen the stat online; the Cleveland Cavaliers are rewriting the history books. At the time of this post, the Cavs have the most turnovers through eight games of the postseason since 1996, with 141. Not exactly the type of notoriety one hopes for from their favorite basketball club. However, through eight games, […]
With the condensed schedule of the NBA playoffs and the quick turnaround for the Philadelphia 76ers after their seven-game series with the Boston Celtics, it was frequently wondered if Joel Embiid was going to be able to make it through a series that would play as many as seven games in 15 days. Well, just […]
Debating subjective topics is inherent to the sports experience. No matter the venue, no matter the participants, somebody will have an opinion about it. Though most such observations are of the “grain of salt” variety, expert views can sometimes hold insight or weight beyond the norm. Each year The Athletic tries to cultivate that kind […]
Against a team as good as the Thunder, there is no margin for error. LeBron James discussed the attention to detail required for LA to have success against OKC before the series even began. So, when LA played Game 1 and had 18 turnovers, that didn’t exactly put them in a position for success. The […]
The Mavericks introduced Masai Ujiri as their new president of basketball operations on Tuesday. He answered questions for about 45 minutes, where he spoke about his background, his time off from basketball, and his hope of turning Cooper Flagg into a king. But it wasn’t Ujiri who inspired the most hope in me on Tuesday. […]
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun is continuing to catch strays during the offseason. The Turkish All-Star just finished his fifth NBA season and the second in a row where the Rockets could not get out of the first round in the playoffs. The Athletic conducted a league-wide survey asking players various questions about their peers. […]
Turns out the Sixers lost Game 1 because of the schedule, not because the Knicks crushed their souls into dust. Let’s see if having a bit of rest helps the Philly Numbers, or if they keep crumbling. Fresh Bulletin now, Game 2 later. Mike Brown On coaching under the Finals-or-bust pressure: “People have talked about […]
If Jaylen Brown ever comes available in the trade market, the Hawks would have plenty of reason to at least pick up the phone.
BOSTON — Three days after the Celtics’ early playoff elimination, Brad Stevens sat down in front of the media for his longest press conference of the year, touching on a slew of questions ranging from the team’s offensive play style, reports that Jaylen Brown is unhappy with the organization, Jayson Tatum’s Game 7 sidelining, and […]
The 39-point defeat the Sixers suffered in Game 1 of the second round at the hands of the New York Knicks was disappointing, but not that surprising. Not just because the Sixers weren’t wearing what’s become their lucky white jerseys, but it was a very quick turnaround from their Round 1 triumph in Boston to […]
With 5:28 seconds left in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers tied things up at 93 points apiece. They mounted an 18-point comeback against the Detroit Pistons, the top seed, capped off by three James Harden free throws. A whole new ballgame. But Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson made one of […]
If previous years are any sort of indicator, Onsi Saleh and the Atlanta Hawks will be looking to select the best available player.
Today, the North Carolina Courage announced that they have placed forward Payton Crawford (née Linnehan) on the season-ending injury (SEI) list and she’ll be out for the remainder of the season. The team confirms that she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a training session on the team’s road trip to Houston Dash […]
ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that the NBA has disclosed to its 30 general managers a new anti-tanking proposal, with a final vote by the league’s board of governors set for May 28. I’m sure most people are aware of the specifics by now, but if you aren’t, here’s what you need to know: Here […]
On Tuesday, the Washington Mystics waived Christeen Iwuala, Nyla Harris and Madison Scott, which gets the team closer to the 12 player roster for opening day. The Mystics can also have two additional players on developmental contracts who don’t play games. But developmental contract players can practice with the team and get paid extra if […]
There is no such thing as a Joel Embiid stopper. That feels like a decent place to start, because if the Celtics spend the summer trying to find one, they’ll be chasing the wrong thing. Embiid is a former MVP for a reason. When he’s healthy, comfortable and getting to his spots, there are only […]
The Knicks’ Game One dominance over the 76ers was surprising even to New York fans who had them winning. The game was one-sided in pretty much every aspect, besides free throws, which is one of the things Joel Embiid oddly had gripes with. Shooting, hustle, offensive execution, turnovers, defensive focus, passing—you name it. The Knicks […]
Make no mistake, the Sixers coming back from 3-1 down in their first-round series against the Celtics is by far their biggest playoff achievement in the last 25 years. It’s no surprise that the comeback was fueled by the return of Joel Embiid. The former MVP became the first player in NBA history to score […]
Live reactions to Chicago's slide from No. 2 to No. 4.
Oh, how seductive it must have been. You buy a basketball team. Months later, you are standing at midcourt in Minnesota holding the Western Conference Finals trophy. Cameras catch your face. For one dangerous second you cannot help but think: is this what owning a sports franchise is like? It is not. A few days […]
After the Boston Celtics’ second straight early exit from the playoffs, the topic of roster changes is inevitable. Fans like you and I can be pretty emotional in the aftermath of disappointment. Brad Stevens, however, seems to be a lot more level headed. But that doesn’t mean he won’t consider all the options before him. […]
November is a long way away. Without Best Virginia in this summer’s TBT, it’s going to feel even longer. But Ross Hodge has given us plenty to talk about between now and then because the bar has been raised. Fourteen of fifteen roster spots are filled. The portal is closed. Let’s get into it. Powered […]
A Game 1 stinker for the Sixers against the Knicks? It wasn’t ideal, but the Sixers have rebounded from such losses already in the postseason and, in defiance of how I’ve looked at this team for so long, I have confidence they will again. Before they have a chance to do so in Game 2, […]