The last time Team USA played in an international tournament was an embarrassment. The inaugural FIBA World Cup took place in China this past summer and, after taking home the gold in the previous five events, the Americans finished seventh. They lost back-to-back games against France and Serbia to close out the tournament. It was…
When free agents sign contracts, NBA team PR staffers usually get busy crafting a cocky “look at how good our signing is” press release. But when Jaylen Brown signed his behemoth 4-year, $115 million extension in October, the Boston Celtics’ statement read like one big backhanded compliment. “Jaylen is a true professional who did a…
Scouting reports are especially vital at the highest levels of basketball. They prepare players for personnel tidbits, identify an opponent’s best or most frequent sets, and unify the team in a direction for how to attack both. Those reports will have a video and written component most times, so different learners can digest the information…
There was a lot of talk heading into the 2019-20 NBA season that, thanks to parity, there would be a newfound interest in the sport. After half a decade of the Golden State Warriors storming / sleepwalking their way to the NBA Finals, this year is supposed to be different. Multiple all-star players changed teams…
The 2019-20 season is almost here, so it’s time to be bold about what we think will actually happen. For some, these predictions may not seem incredibly bold while they may be preposterous to others. But basketball is back, and that in itself is worth celebrating: 1. Ben Simmons makes 11 three-pointers Let’s dive right…
In many ways, the 2019-2020 NBA season marks a new chapter for the Boston Celtics. Thanks to some high-profile free-agent departures and arrivals, coach Brad Stevens will have a noticeably different starting lineup and rotation. They’re past the point of “arriving” as contenders after their 2013-2016 rebuild, but they’re also no longer the young darlings…
Basketball is a team sport, first and foremost, but it’s also a star-driven game. One or two elite players can often lift a team above an opponent with more collective talent. Such is the case at the FIBA World Cup where depth matters but stars ultimately win games. After the first two rounds of group…
The 2019-20 NBA season is just around the corner. After an offseason chock-full of player movement, the title race appears as wide-open as it has been in years. Over the coming weeks, we will examine one big question hanging over each team heading into the season. We’ll start today with the Atlantic Division, where the…
After an entertaining, yet tumultuous pre-tournament schedule, Gregg Popovich’s men’s national squad arrived in China to defend its throne at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He experimented with a variety of lineups throughout the exhibition slate, and it’s time to hone in on some optimal combinations. While the U.S. hasn’t lost a World Cup or…
The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup is almost here. As part of the event’s rebrand, the number of teams incorporated will expand from 24 to 32. The tournament is being held in China and will crown a champion of international basketball—with the added bonus of seven countries securing a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.…