Basketball Intelligence For 11/14/23
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
TEAM-SPECIFIC
BOS: As Jrue Holiday hits career points milestone, the only thing that matters is winning
Jared Weiss, The Athletic
BOS: KP has seamlessly and smoothly reinvented the Celtics on both ends of the court, and this is only the beginning
Robbie Hodin, Celtics Blog
BOS: KP’s newfound perspective includes a refined view on his impact, and role, on a stacked Celtics team
Kristian Winfield, NY Daily News
Porzingis says he’s “much more effective” as a third or fourth option on a true contender in Boston than he was as No. 1 and 2 options in previous stints in New York, Dallas and Washington, D.C.
“Honestly, I still play pretty much the same. There might be some games when I don’t get as many shots or things like that, but honestly I’m much more effective now than when I was shooting 18 shots per game,” he said on Monday. “So I’m comfortable in this role also. And there’s going to be different games and different situations, and I’m going to be ready to step up or be there support these guys, and that’s why I’m here.”
The No. 3 is more true-to-size than the No. 1 ever was for Porzingis, who is a natural fit as a floor-spacing, rim-protecting stretch five for the Celtics alongside All-Star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and an All-Defensive Team back court in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.
BOS: Celtics proudly show off their bruises after battling past the physical Knicks
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe
BOS: Celtics surge behind physical play and Jayson Tatum’s late scoring, push past Knicks
Adam Himmelsbach, Boston Globe
BOS: The Celtics may have (finally) found that offensive spark of the bench in Sam Hauser
Sherrod Blakely, Full Court Press
CHI: Bulls through 10 games: 10 things we’ve learned about the team
Darnell Mayberry, The Athletic
CHI: 7 takeaways from the Bulls’ loss toBucks
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune
CHI: 10 observations: Bulls fall to Bucks as shooting woes continue for DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine
KC Johnson, NBC Sports
CLE: Time for Cavs to hit the panic button? Not yet, says Donovan Mitchell
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com
CLE: Defensive woes, LeVert on fire, Warriors sweep
Josh Cornelissen, King James Gospel
CLE: This from Caris LeVert should continue to pay off for Cavaliers
Dan Gilinsky, King James Gospel
DEN: The Nuggets youth and flattening the curve philosophy
Jeff Morton, Denver Stiffs
GSW: How rookies Jackson-Davis and Podziemski have earned Warriors’ respect
Shayna Rubin, Mercury News
GSW: What went wrong in the Warriors’ loss to Timberwolves despite Curry’s 38 points
Shayna Rubin, Mercury News
GSW: The Warriors can’t wait on Andrew Wiggins much longer: Steph Curry still needs a No. 2
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News
GSW: The Warriors Without Steph: The Dubs have out-scored their opponents in the non-Steph minutes
Jared Dubin, Last Night In Basketball
HOU: This Rockets win streak is no fluke. The Rockets have won by playing team ball on defense and offense
Lachard Binkley, The Dream Shake
HOU: Why it’s safe to believe in the Rockets
Michael Saenz, Sir Charles In Charge
HOU: Houston, You Are A Problem. Unlike last season, that's a good thing
Jacob Sutton, JSutt Hoops
On the defensive end, the Rockets are allowing ten fewer points per game when Brooks is on the floor than when he’s off it. Those ten points are crucial, especially when you consider that the top two leaders in per-game margin of victory this season (Boston and Philadelphia) usually beat opponents by around 10 to 11 points each game. Simply put, Brooks’ defensive intensity is helping the Rockets discover an identity that previously did not exist.
According to the NBA’s leaguewide stats page, players defended by Dillon Brooks average a -12.1 in plus-minus, which, to be put frankly, is downright horrendous. Additionally, when Dillon the Villain is guarding guys on the perimeter, they… shoot 4% less on three-pointers than they would normally. When every bucket counts from beyond the arc, especially in today’s game, that 4% is all too crucial.
When Jalen Green is on the court, the Rockets are scoring 16 more points per 100 possessions and are scoring 20 more assist points per 100 possessions. The stats and the film both say the same thing: Green is playing both on and off the ball better than he ever has and with lower volume to boot. The streakiness is still there but the decision-making processes are churning in Green’s head. Ime Udoka inevitably has a lot to do with that, but Green finally settling down and not trying to do too much is doing wonders for this team.
LAC: Don’t Throw Dirt on the Clippers Just Yet
Michael Pina, The Ringer
LAL: Are the Lakers too reliant on LeBron James? Plus, 9 other early-season takeaways
Jovan Buha, The Athletic
LAL: Inside Anthony Davis and the Lakers' vision for their latest big-man trio
Dave McMenamin, ESPN
MEM: At the 10-game mark, what are some Grizzlies numbers that are intriguing or dismissive? Will any of these numbers hold, improve, or regress?
Parker Fleming, Sub Tsak
MIA: From Adebayo’s dominance to Robinson’s growth, 10 Heat observations from first 10 games
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald
MIL: 10 Takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks First 10 Games
Brian Sampson, Dairyland Express
NOP: Zion Williamson’s comments hint at bigger problems he and Pelicans must solve
William Guillory, The Athletic
NYK: Is RJ Barrett tricking us again?
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
NYK: Without RJ Barrett, the Knicks played tough but were eventually overwhelmed by a dominant Celtics team.
Jonathan Macri, Knicks Film School
OKC: Checking in with Chet Holmgren and Thunder: ‘There’s great energy’
Anthony Slater, The Athletic
ORL: Q & A: Joe Ingles
Eric Nehm, The Athletic
PHI: Appreciating Tyrese Maxey’s incredible start to the season, by the numbers
Sean Kennedy, Liberty Ballers
PHI: How Maxey ‘changes everything’ for the Sixers
Paul Hudrick, Liberty Ballers
It took the Sixers a mighty long time to find Joel Embiid’s perfect running mate, but as his 50-point night illustrates, Tyrese Maxey has arrived
PHO: Even without Devin Booker, the Suns' 4th quarter woes are inexcusable
Gerald Bourguet, Go PHNX
SAC: Defense on Donovan Mitchell shows why Keegan Murray could be ‘huge’ for the Kings
Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee
SAC: Win No. 400: Kings crown Mike Brown after huge NBA milestone
Tristi Rodriguez, NBC Sports
TOR: Raptors’ defensive plusses and minuses evident in comeback win over Wizards
Eric Koreen, The Athletic
TOR: The Raptors are still one the NBA’s better defensive teams.
Doug Smith, Toronto Star
They’re a little more controlled under Rajakovic than they were under Nurse. But they still have the bodies to defend.
WAS: Anthony Gill on his NBA journey, and advice for others on a similar path
Andrew Bernucca, The Step Back
Links to Wembenyama/Holmgren stories, extensive 2024 draft coverage and a podcast with analytics guru Dean Oliver follow for paid subscribers