Formally known as the FIBA World Championship, the inaugural FIBA World Cup of Basketball begins on August 31 and has been rebranded in hopes of gaining more popularity—it was also moved from 2018 to 2019 so as not to conflict with the men’s FIFA World Cup. Since 2008, international basketball competitions have been dominated by…
Offense will always be king of the NBA. It creates superstars, packs arenas and boosts television ratings. There’s something captivating about how the sport’s top-scoring wizards make plays and create shots. Thus, it’s exceptionally difficult to play defense at a high-level thanks to the abundance of offensive talent and game rules that cater to scorers.…
The biggest theme of the 2019 offseason was an unprecedented deluge of blockbuster trades and monstrous free agency moves. Unlike some recent offseasons, this year’s shuffling produced a slew of new dynamic duos rather than trios or superteams. Now that the dust is starting to settle, it’s time to examine exactly how impactful these new…
Former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kendrick Perkins spent his Fourth of July dropping hot takes on FS1’s Undisputed. With Kawhi Leonard’s next destination still up in the air at the time, Perkins said if the season started today, the Utah Jazz would be “the best team in the West.” "If the season started today, the…
Every year, a select group of media members, broadcasters, and analysts are handed the responsibility of voting for individual and team awards. It’s no small thing. These votes can enhance or limit earning potential, affect Hall-of-Fame resumes, and rob players of bragging rights. (Okay, maybe the last one isn’t super important, but you get my…
Coaching is a lot like chess. You have to think several moves ahead, see the entire board and understand the value of each piece at your disposal. Anticipating your opponent’s moves and trapping them in their own style is considered masterful. Postseason basketball is beautiful for that reason. The players are the ones executing and…
The NBA Playoffs are sans LeBron James but flush with storylines amid a seemingly wide-open Eastern Conference and a West wondering whether the Warriors will ever wane. Alliteration aside, we asked our crack team of staff writers, contributors and editors about the myriad angles this postseason presents. the west What’s the Golden State Warriors’ weak link…
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,…
Karl-Anthony Towns has nearly 32 million reasons to hope All-NBA voters prioritize him over Rudy Gobert in the coming days. Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic figure to have the top two All-NBA center spots locked down in some order, which would leave only the third-team opening up for grabs. Anthony Davis likely nuked his chances…
He should cause the best players to question themselves, force coaches to adjust their offense, then adjust it again. He should give teammates and his fans a general sense of calm as soon as he steps onto the court. Maybe he can guard any position to always stay on “Your Team’s Best Player”. Maybe he…