Yes, we messed up: Fridays are supposed to be fully free but yesterday’s Team-Specific section was paywalled. So, to compensate - no paywall today.
LEAGUEWIDE
The 2026-27 NBA Clarity Index
Howard Beck, The Ringer
Some teams are chasing titles. Others are chasing their tails. We rank all 30 NBA franchises to see who actually knows what they’re doing.
Since 2023, we at Clarity Index HQ have annually ranked all 30 NBA franchises not by talent (borrring!) or championship odds (whatever), but by how well team officials have charted a course forward. We’re not concerned with a team’s immediate on-court success so much as their intentions—their clarity of purpose
Every Top Defense in the NBA Has a Wall
NBA Data Dunk
What matters from week one
David Thorpe, True Hoop
These 5 NBA Teams Already Need a Trade
Dan Favale, Bleacher Report
The NBA’s Weirdest Lineups of Opening Week
Jacob Sutton, JSutt Hoops
Examining The 17 Teams With Standard Roster Openings
Luke Adams, Hoops Rumors
YESTERDAY’S GAMES
NOTE: Game stories that focus on multiple teams are featured here. Stories that focus primarily or fully on a single team are featured in the Team-Specific section
Breaking down the best clutch performances from Friday
Brad Botkin, CBS Sports
Notes from eight games around the Association on a busy Friday
Keith Smith, Basketball Bulletin
LAL-LAC
No LeBron, no Kawhi: The Lakers-Clippers rivalry enters a new era
Law Murray, The Athletic
HOU-SAS
3 Takeaways as Amen Thompson scales Mount Wembanyama
Jeff McDonald, Express-News
TEAM-SPECIFIC
ATL: Dyson Daniels, Hawks put on defensive clinic in win against Hornets
Lauren Williams, AJC
ATL: Nobody can protect the ball against Dyson Daniels right now
Horace Shivers, Sporting News
BKN: As Brooklyn waits for ‘the next Nets’ to develop, question remains: Is it working?
Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic
BKN: Do the Nets have enough size at center to avoid another season of small-ball problems?
Anthony Puccio, Nets Daily
BOS: Before collapse vs. Pistons, Celtics ran study on why teams blow leads
Zach Cox, Boston Herald
BOS: The Celtics’ play of the night was years in the making
Noa Dalzell, Celtics Blog
Neemias Queta’s big corner three-pointer in the Celtics’ win against the Knicks — and the long journey to get there.
BOS: Celtics Beat Knicks: Six Things That Went Right For Boston
John Karalis, Sports Illustrated
BOS: Jayson Tatum dazzles in Celtics’ home opening victory over Knicks
Adam Himmelsbach, Boston Globe
CHI: Takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ 1st win, including a bounce-back game from rookie Caleb Wilson
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune
CHI: Caleb Wilson shows he’s far from the usual rookie in clutch victory
Joe Cowley, SunTimes
CLE: Mario Hezonja Was A Bright Spot in the Cavs’ Embarrassing Loss
Mack Perry, Sports Illustrated
DAL: 5 thoughts from Mavericks-Pacers: Flagg injured, Irving takes over in May’s first NBA win
Mike Curtis, Morning News
DAL: 4 things that mattered in Mavs’ win at Indiana
Joe Friedman, Mavs Moneyball
DAL: Mavericks Beat Pacers For Dusty May’s First NBA Win
Grant Afseth, Dallas Sports Journal
DAL: ‘A Natural Connection’: Kyrie Irving On Tyrese Haliburton’s Return And Coming Back From Major Injury
Grant Afseth, Dallas Sports Journal
GSW: Warriors will ‘lose sleep’ over late collapse in loss to Grizzlies
Evan Webeck, California Post
HOU: Amen Thompson and a game-sealing block against Wemby
William Guillory, The Athletic
IND: How Ivica Zubac Changes the Pacers’ Spacing
Jason Timpf
LAL: Game Two Observations
Iztok Franko, digginbasketball
MIN: The Timberwolves got smaller in summer. Right now, they are playing bigger
Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic
MIN: Kuminga Showed He Can Fit In Without the Ball
Logan Harlow, Zone Coverage
NOP: The good, the meh, and the ugly from Pelicans’ close loss in Utah
Chris Lambert, Pelican Debrief
NYK: Takeaways from Friday’s frustrating defeat
Tommy Beer, Knicks Centric
OKC: Thunder Rookie Aday Mara Reflects on Facing Wembanyama and Jokic
Anthony Halkias, heavy.com
OKC: Two games into Thunder career, Aday Mara looks like he belongs
Joe Mussatto, The Oklahoman
ORL: Banchero turned in one of the best games of his career Wednesday. If that is a preview of what he has in store for the season, it will be a big season for him and the Magic
Philip Rossman-Reich, Orlando Magic Daily
PHI: Now healthy, Joel Embiid is rediscovering the nuances of the game
Chris Hine, The Inquirer
PHI: What We’ve Learned From Our First Looks at the Sixers
Zach Lowe, The Lowe Post
PHI: The Sixers passed a major test against the Cavaliers
Bryan Toporek, Liberty Ballers
POR: Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and a scene the Trail Blazers hope defines their season
Jason Quick, The Athletic
POR: Blazers Survive Shaky Outing, Defeat Kings
Dave Deckard, Blazer’s Edge
SAC: Big nights from Sabonis & Acuff aren’t enough as Kings fall to Blazers
Frankie Cartoscelli, Sactown Sports
SAS: Spurs have plenty to figure out after 0-2 start
Kelly Iko, Yahoo Sports
SAS: Spurs’ back-to-back losses to start reveal nature of a new season
Jared Weiss, The Athletic
SAS: The Rockets showed that opposing defenses are going to try to make the Spurs beat them from three with the new 3-guard lineup
Paul Garcia, The Spot Up Shot
TOR: Kawhi Leonard, back in Toronto, hopes to help these new Raptors get to where he’s been
David Aldridge, The Athletic
UTA: 3 takeaways from Utah’s first win of the season
Shreyas Laddha, Salt Lake Tribune
WAS: The Wizards lose to the physical Raptors, but in fighting back, they see signs of progress
Josh Robbins, The Athletic
WNBA
WNBA Finals: Will Golden State Recover in Game 4?
Bob Bellotti, Basketball Points
Today’s BI is dedicated to the memory of Dale Brown
Dale Brown, LSU’s winningest basketball coach, dies at 90
ESPN News Services