Basketball Intelligence For 11/29/24, PART ONE
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
In keeping with the holiday, BI is overstuffed today as we play catch up. Today’s menu includes links to stories about Wednesday’s 14 games. So much good reporting today that we will have a Part Two this afternoon with more (including the games we couldn’t fit here in Part One)
TEAM-SPECIFIC
BKN: Nets’ let-it-fly mentality has been key to unexpected start
Jared Schwartz, NY Post
CLE: Cavs have no answers for Trae Young and Atlanta Hawks, lose first home game of season
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com
CLE: The Cavs are going through defensive growing pains as they’re adjusting to a new defensive system
Jackson Flickinger, Fear The Sword
DAL: Mavericks find recipe to beat Knicks without Luka Doncic
Shawn McFarland, Morning News
DET: 3 reasons behind Pistons' improved start
Omari Sankofa II, Free Press
DET: Pistons stumble in Memphis
Omari Sankofa II, Free Press
GSW: Missing Steph Curry, Warriors go cold in crunchtime and lose to Thunder
Antony Slater, The Athletic
GSW: Warriors' comeback falls short in loss to Thunder
Michael Wagaman, NBC
GSW: Warriors rediscover fire but fall short without Curry
Danny Emerman, Mercury News
HOU: Rockets needed a response. Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green delivered for second OT win in a row
Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle
IND: Quenton Jackson Stepping Into Role Amid Injuries
Tony East, Forbes
LAC: How Norman Powell is making an NBA All-Star case
David Aldridge, The Athletic
LAL: Balanced Lakers beat Spurs to end 3-game skid
Khobi Price, OC Register
LAL: Lakers' lineup changes pay off with a convincing win over the Spurs
Dan Woike, LA Times
MIA: Heat survives Hornets’ comeback attempt to earn bounce-back win
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald
MIA: New Butler-Adebayo connection, plus 2 more Heat observations from loss to Bucks
Wes Goldberg, All U Can Heat
MIA: Q & A: Pelle Larsson
Cyro Asseo de Choch, Hoops Hype
MIA: Heat stave off disaster, blowing 20-point lead before pushing past Hornets
Ira Winderman, SenSentinel
NOP: From 920 days away to 21 assists: How Elfrid Payton earned his NBA comeback moment
William Guillory, The Athletic
NYK: No D in Dallas
Tommy Beer, Knicks Centric
The Knicks certainly need to make schematic adjustments (such as less drop coverage), but they also need better 1-on-1, on-ball defense from the player they traded five first-round picks to acquire
NYK: Knicks’ previously potent offense flops in ugly loss to Mavericks
Stefan Bondy, NY Post
PHI: Leaks, team meetings, losses: The factors driving the Philadelphia 76ers' dreadful start
Ramona Shelburne, ESPN
PHI: The Sixers have slowly improved their effort, but the NBA’s second-worst team has a long way to go
Keith Pompey, The Inquirer
The Sixers, losers of seven of their last eight games, are trying to find small wins and turn the tide of their season.
PHI: 3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following overtime home loss to Rockets
Ky Carlin, USA Today
PHX: Suns lose focus against depleted Nets in poor home loss
Kellan Olson, Arizona Sports
SAC: Jae Crowder goes straight ‘in the fire,’ starts for Kings hours after signing is official
Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee
SAC: Kings vs. Blazers gameday: DeMar DeRozan, Jerami Grant injury news and 3 things to watch
Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee
SAC: Kings overcome disastrous third quarter to fend off Timberwolves, end 4-game losing streak
Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee
TOR: Raptors finally show they can get up 3s at a modern rate in win over Pelicans
Eric Koreen, The Athletic
Links to Leaguewide stories follow for paid subscribers