Nekias Duncan is an avid NBA watcher with an appreciation for angled screens, Spain pick-and-rolls, and anything Khris Middleton does on the court. When he isn't writing about or watching basketball, he's dropping the best puns the east coast has to offer. Follow him on Twitter at @NekiasNBA.
The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off of a surprise Western Conference Finals run. Damian Lillard is at the height of his powers, confidently operating in the superstar plane. CJ McCollum just proved his brand of three-level scoring has immense value in the postseason. There’s a spread-the-wealth system in place that the stars are comfortable…
There’s roughly 6:10 left in the third quarter of a must-see game between the Seattle Storm and the Las Vegas Aces. Speedy Storm guard Jordin Canada retreats to half-court after the initial set doesn’t create an advantage. She jets to her left around a Natasha Howard screen and penetrates the lane. Her patented lefty scoop…
There’s a new arms race heating up in the Eastern Conference. The Brooklyn Nets have added Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan. Kemba Walker is tasked with filling the void Irving left for the Boston Celtics. Al Horford is pulling a reverse Ray Allen, joining a fierce playoff rival (Philadelphia Sixers) after giving them…
The Los Angeles Lakers are getting most of the publicity from their side of the Anthony Davis trade. Adding a top-eight player to a team equipped with LeBron James and $32 million in cap space is exciting. There’s quite literally room for Super Team speculation, as Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, and Jimmy Butler have all…
The Golden State Warriors have been the class of the conference for half a decade, but that could change next season. They’re guaranteed to be without Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson for most, if not all of the 2019-20 campaign. Barring a near-miraculous recovery, Durant (torn achilles) probably won’t return until 2020-21. Thompson (torn ACL)…
These have not been a great eight months for the Boston Celtics. There was genuine excitement about this team back in October. Do you remember it? (It was soooo long ago, it seems.) A core of Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward was projected to run the Eastern Conference. Add…
It took a public negotiation, a failed Magic Johnson pep talk and a regime change. Months passed, countless Twitter jokes were made and a LeBron-less postseason ensued. It was easy to be down on the Los Angeles Lakers in the midst of their turmoil. But of course, that’s before you remember they’re the Los Angeles…
Through two-and-a-half quarters, basketball nirvana is happening. The Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors are duking it out in a game for the ages. The Dubs are down 3-2 in a series defined by their carnage, playing in Oracle Arena for the last time; playing for Kevin Durant who sacrificed his Achilles tendon, free agency…
The Brooklyn Nets have positioned themselves for a big summer. They were a League Pass darling last season, dazzling fans with an aesthetically pleasing style that led to a load of close games. Their slight playoff drought ended thanks to a 42-40 record, though their actual run was short-lived. Even after a five-game series loss…
Three things are true about NBA title teams: They’re defined by their (super)stars, resiliency is key, and some luck is required. It’s technically too early to declare a champion right now but, in the event that this current trend holds, the Toronto Raptors (3-1) are on their way. That’s because they easily meet all three…
