Even since last week’s Part 1 of our end-of-season grades, there have been rumblings that a second bubble will take place (in Chicago) for the NBA’s worst eight teams. With details yet to emerge, it only seems appropriate to continue reviewing the performance of those franchises. Sure, not even receiving an invite to Orlando…
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Houston Rockets are trading Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday as part of a massive four-team trade which brings back Robert Covington and Jordan Bell to the Rockets. They also send out their 2020 first-round pick and get back the Golden State Warriors’ 2024 second-round pick.…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss Tuesday’s four-team megatrade between the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. Are the Hawks the clear winners of this trade? Can the Rockets survive with P.J. Tucker as their full-time starting center, or do they need to…
For years, we’ve been hearing how the basketball world is catching up with the USA. But is it time to stop couching that in “future-tense” logic and ponder whether it’s happened, even at the highest levels? In 1992, the USA sent hoops pros to the Olympics for the first time, as the “Dream Team” captured…
There’s an old Robin Williams bit where he talks about the two kinds of dreams you have for your children. In the first, they get the best of both parents’ traits and grow up to be rich and successful doctors or lawyers. In the second, they get the worst of everything and grow up asking,…
As the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers gear up for runs at big-name free agents, the Sacramento Kings lurk as one of the NBA’s bigger wild cards. Harrison Barnes’ decision to decline his $25.1 million player option initially positioned the Kings to have more financial flexibility than all but a few…
The Houston Rockets have missed out on NBA Finals opportunities in each of the last two seasons, with both playoff runs being derailed by the Golden State Warriors. That isn’t anything to be ashamed of. The Warriors are in the midst of one of the most successful four-year runs in NBA history. Taking a loss…
For those who enjoy watching the chess match between one coach and another, a playoff series provides the opportunity to see it unfold in a way no other league can offer. Coaches have time to adjust, with multiple games in a series and days off to build their scheme. After 82 games, few set plays,…
The Milwaukee Bucks were able to complete the season sweep of the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, defeating them 108-94. The Bucks’ defense threw the Rockets out of sync (more on that shortly). That, combined with an ice-cold shooting performance (16-of-52 from three) led to a low scoring affair. It was just the 12th time…
Seven-footers drain threes now. Someone has to guard them, but quick-switching defenses strand their own posts at the perimeter, anxiously facing guards known for wicked step-back triples, pick-and-roll dimes or devastating rim attacks. (Some threaten all of the above.) To handle these challenges, today’s big men must guard the arc as well as they protect…
