Basketball Intelligence for 12/21/23

The joy and pain of dunking, Zion's contract, and much more!

LEAGUEWIDE STORIES

Dunking hurts: Why players hate — and love — the NBA’s greatest feat
Tim Cato, The Athletic

In the modern NBA, the dunk’s frequency has been increasing, going from 8,254 in the 2002-03 regular season to 11,664 last year. The rise is mostly due to the 3-point revolution and the increased spacing and cleaner driving lanes that come with it. But the league also has taller, more explosive athletes entering every year. With them come even more spectacular aerial feats, ones that enrapture fans and wow even the players who witness them.

…“When you’re first dunking, your fingers are full of blood because of the (contact),” Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum recalls. “But you get used to it. You have so much joy of dunking. You’re one of the few people in the world that can.”

Writing Every NBA Team's Holiday Wish List
Staff, Bleacher Report

NBA OFFENSE ON RECORD PACE AGAIN. IS THIS A GOOD THING?
Lev Akabas, Sportico

NBA MVP straw poll: 100 league insiders on where Embiid, Giannis, Jokic and LeBron are in the race
Tim Bontemps, ESPN+

NBA Christmas Lists
Jacob Sutton, JSutt Hoops

Top Performers From Day One Of 2023 NBA G League Winter Showcase
Keith Schlosser, Who’s Got Next

X’s and Mo’s: Why selective pressing can be an advantage for NBA teams
Mo Dakhil, The Athletic

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