Basketball Intelligence for 1/10/24

Trae Young, Erik Spoelstra, Ja Morant, surging Knicks, and more

TEAM STORIES

ATL: Can the Atlanta Hawks Salvage the Trae Young Era?
Danny Chau, The Ringer

Murray’s reputation as a havoc-creating defender has become even more illusory than Young’s reputation as a lights-out shooter; combined with a noticeable decline in Capela’s play as a rim deterrent, a teamwide allergy to recognizing back cuts, and a defensive game plan that allows a ton of attempts both at the rim and in the corners, Atlanta is flirting with some of the worst defense in NBA history.

(In an almost pointless display of irony, Young is having the best defensive season of his career. He’s already drawn as many or more charges this season—six—as he had in each of his past three seasons. And he’s actually been solid navigating screens, with his encyclopedic knowledge of pick-and-rolls from the other vantage as his guide. Unfortunately, there is only so much a 164-pound guard can do to drastically improve the margins on that side of the ball.)

DAL: Still only 24, ex-Wildcat Brandon Williams latches on with Mavericks
Bruce Pascoe, Tucson.com

DAL: Injury woes? Luka Doncic, Mavericks were disjointed in loss to hobbled Grizzlies
Shawn McFarland, The Dallas Morning News

DET: Detroit Pistons lead by 20, lose by 21 in 131-110 collapse to Sacramento Kings
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press