Basketball Intelligence For 1/15/25
Warriors seems to be losing their fight, the Wolves may be regaining their bite, Jamal remembers how to ball, and more...
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
What the Data Reveals: The NBA's Epic MVP Battle, According to Advanced Stats
Jeremias Engelmann, 5x5
LEAGUE NEWS
PODCAST: Jimmy Holds Grudges…
Evan Kuck/Aaron Bollwinkel, No Gimmes
NBA Power Rankings: Pistons, Cavaliers, Rockets among league’s top overachievers
Law Murray, The Ahtletic
This Cavaliers team feels like Steve Kerr’s first Golden State Warriors team — that is, a playoff team that changed coaches and went from run-of-the-mill in their conference to league juggernaut. And like that 2015 Golden State team, it’s the offense that has been special. The Cavaliers were not known previously for overwhelming offensive performances. Now, they’ve hit 130 points 10 times already this season, after only four instances all of last season.
It's an NBA Power Rankings Tuesday
Marc Stein, The Stein Line
How twins Amen, Ausar Thompson defy basketball logic
Desmond Novack, Yardbarker
NBA News and Rumor Roundup 1/15/2024
Jacob Sutton, JSutt Hoops
10 things we’ve learned halfway through 2024-25 season
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com
Lakers, Warriors and rest of NBA’s Pacific Division find themselves in rough waters
John Hollinger, The Athletic
NBA Power Rankings: Kings, Pacers and Wolves catch their groove
NBA Insiders, ESPN
2025 NBA trade deadline: Five offers that would change the title race
NBA Insiders, ESPN
The 25 Best NBA Players Under 25, Ranked
Aaron C. Mansfield/Mark Elibert/Peter A. Berry, Complex
The Offer Sheet
The Ringer
Some teams are smarter than others, of course. The Phoenix Suns are very interested (i.e., deliriously desperate) but can’t do anything unless Bradley Beal waives his no-trade clause. And even if Beal does that, Phoenix would then have to find a third team that’s willing to take his contract because Miami wants zero part of it. (The Heat would be way better off letting Butler walk, clearing max cap space a couple offseasons from now, and going big-game hunting in free agency.) If all this doesn’t sound complex enough, an ESPN report says that Beal would “never give up the no-trade clause” before his current deal expires in 2027, per his agent, Mark Bartelstein. Translation: Not only would a potential deal need Beal’s blessing, but any mystery third team willing to step into the fray would also have to be cool knowing it’s stuck with a cap-clogging max deal unlike any other in the entire league. Easy peasy!
NBA DRAFT
Eric Dixon, heart and soul of the Villanova men's basketball team, is destined for the NBA
Don Bell/Andrew Greth, CBS News Philadelphia
TEAM NEWS
ATL: Trae Young and Onyeka Okongwu's Big Performances Lift the Hawks Past Phoenix 122-117 at Home
Jackson Caudell, SI.com
ATL: Trae Young pours in 43 points to help power shorthanded Hawks over Suns
Lauren Williams, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BKN: From Newcastle to New York - the Geordie basketball player starring in the NBA for Brooklyn Nets
Owen Younger, Chronicle Live
CHI: Zach LaVine’s Incredible Start to 2025 Deserves Even More Attention
Elias Schuster, Bleacher Nation
The jaw-dropping numbers don’t stop there. Among the five players averaging 30.0 points per game to begin 2025, LaVine also leads all with a 58.0 percent success rate from the field. The next closest field goal percentage is owned by Jokic and Jalen Green, who are shooting a distant 51.2 percent. How remarkable is that?
To be sure, we have seen some pretty epic scoring stretches from LaVine before, but there is something particularly astounding about this six-game run. He isn’t merely beating up against bad opponents or dominating behind the arc. Half of these games have been against teams that currently rank Top 15 in defensive rating. LaVine has also sunk more than three shots from downtown in only one of the performances. Instead, he has been hunting high-percentage looks at the rim and forcing his way to the free-throw line. LaVine is averaging nearly 6.0 FTAs per game, which is roughly two more attempts a night than his season average.
CHI: Lonzo Ball continues to be comeback story of year for Bulls
Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun-Times
CHI: Bulls fall to Pelicans and big man Zion Williamson as season stalls
Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun-Times
CLE: The old Donovan Mitchell returns, leading Cavs to 127-117 bounce-back win over Indiana Pacers
Chris Fedor, Cleveland.com
DEN: Jamal Murray scores season-high 45 in Denver Nuggets' win
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
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