The New Orleans Pelicans were in need of 3-point shooting before Darius Miller’s Achilles injury, which is a subtle blow to their floor-spacing. No one can deny the New Orleans Pelicans had a terrific summer, especially for a team that was forced into trading away one of the 5-10 best players in the NBA. They
Month: August 2019
With so many changes in the offseason, it’s time to take a look at some young players who will be thrust into a larger role simply by staying put. So much changes every offseason in the NBA. Players change teams. Teams change coaches or general managers. Coaches change systems and rotations. And more. All of
DENVER, CO – JANUARY 13: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets and Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets embrace following the game agains the Portland Trail Blazers on January 13, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph,
In one offseason, David Griffin drafted Zion Williamson and surrounded him with the talent to succeed. Where will the Pelicans go from here? It’s a testament to David Griffin’s work in the last four months that the Pelicans’ whirlwind of a summer almost renders the team’s acquisition of Zion Williamson – an unprecedented athletic marvel
For the San Antonio Spurs to set a new record for consecutive playoff appearances, they’ll need to find the right balance of minutes for their young backcourt. The San Antonio Spurs are on perhaps the longest run of sustained success in the history of the NBA. San Antonio has made the postseason every single year
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 25: Joe Johnson #1 of the Triplets looks on during the BIG3 Playoffs at Smoothie King Center on August 25, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/BIG3 via Getty Images) Emmanuel Sanchez believes he’s a ‘horrible match-up for anybody’ by Ben Coate UFC Shenzhen: 5 keys to victory
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MARCH 19: Stephen Curry #30 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors look on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 19, 2019 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is
The Boston Celtics will feel the loss of Al Horford at both ends this season, but particularly on the defensive end of the floor. I’ve been trying to figure out what to make of the Boston Celtics for weeks now. Losing Kyrie Irving and Al Horford in free agency seems like it should matter a
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 24: Kemba Walker of the USA runs with the ball during game two of the International Basketball series between the Australian Boomers and United States of America at Marvel Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images) Bill O’Brien trying to talk himself into Texans running
It felt inevitable, and Jeremy Lin has officially signed to play in China for the Beijing Ducks. Look out, China, “Linsanity” is coming. According to Sportando, Jeremy Lin has signed a one-year deal with the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association. Lin split last season in the NBA between the Atlanta Hawks and the
The Las Vegas Aces’ hard-nosed head coach Bill Laimbeer has been giving his team the most rest of any team in the WNBA, helping the team win in the clutch. When Las Vegas Aces coach Bill Laimbeer played in the NBA, the issue of getting players rest was not a concern. For ten of Laimbeer’s
As the NBA continues to evolve in the pace-and-space era, which teams are capitalizing on the corner 3? And do mid-range shots even matter anymore? The corner 3-point shot has been widely documented as being one of the best shots in basketball. The corner lines are both 22 feet away from the basket, almost a
Photo by Sonia Canada/Getty Images With the 2019 FIBA World Cup fast approaching, here are a few players from outside the NBA to keep an eye on. Seemingly every time basketball goes into international play, there are a few players not in the NBA that leave their mark on the tournament. Anyone who watched the
As they seek a championship, the Houston Rockets are switching things up. Don’t worry about fit, they have talent and chaos on their side. Winners win not in spite of chaos but by embracing it. The Golden State Warriors strategically induced positionless chaos to build a mini-dynasty. The Toronto Raptors opportunistically took advantage of chaos
MILWAUKEE – 1982: Bill Walton #32 of the Portland Trailblazers looks on against the Milwaukee Bucks circa 1982 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory
After securing their backcourt for the long term, the Portland Trail Blazers pivoted and put the rest of their faith in the unknown. When Klay Thompson tore his ACL and Kevin Durant broke for the Nets, the rest of the Western Conference sensed an opportunity. As the Clippers, Lakers, Jazz and Rockets all jumped at
Team Australia just put the world on notice. They are coming for the gold medal after beating Team USA and ending a 78-game win streak. Anybody who thought Team USA would cruise to a gold medal in the 2019 FIBA World Cup wasn’t paying close enough attention. The first red flag was obvious when one
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Dwight Howard #21 of the Washington Wizards speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at the Capital One Arena on July 23, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and
Introducing triple-threat charts, which visualize a team’s propensity for dribbling, shooting and passing from different locations. Earlier this week Nylon Calculus contributor Senthil Natarajan had a fantastic idea for a new basketball chart. He suggested mapping players’ dribble-pass-shoot tendencies by court location, something we might call a triple-threat chart. I had some fun experimenting with
Every level of the Washington Mystics franchise is contributing to the best offense in WNBA history. Last year, after Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, Kristi Tolliver and Ellena Delle Donne stood in a dark corner underneath the stands of Seattle’s Key Arena. They were up next as their head coach, Mike Thibault, was finishing