Basketball Intelligence For 1/2/25
Sarr raising the bar, are the Nets as bad as they need to be?, taking a look at the rooks, and more...
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
Many of the NBA’s Problems Are Structural to Basketball
Neil Paine, Neil’s Substack
TEAM NEWS
ATL: 5 reasons why Atlanta Hawks can make a deep playoff run
Tristan Rawcliffe, Sportskeeda
ATL: Hawks’ winning streak ends at four games with road loss to Nuggets
John Riker, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BKN: Brooklyn Nets forfeit defense against Toronto Raptors, lose 130-113
Lucas Kaplan, Netsdaily
BOS: 10 takeaways from the Celtics’ New Year’s Eve blowout against the Raptors
Azad Rosay, Celtics Blog
BOS: Celtics win vs. Raptors was encylopedia for their widely-hated offense
Jack Simone, Hardwood Houdini
BKN: The Brooklyn Nets Are Still Dreaming Big, Despite All the Nightmares
Danny Chau, The Ringer
Call it an artifact of nostalgia; Russell’s first stint with the Nets was meaningful for both parties. DLo became an All-Star in 2019 as the offensive focal point in what might be the only pure and joyous season the Nets have had in more than a decade. Just as corporate profits are a leading indicator of inflation, Russell’s presence historically signals a change in the air in Brooklyn. His re-arrival (and Cam Johnson’s impending departure) gestures toward a clean break from the past half decade of a Nets team held hostage—again.
BKN: First Impression Of Russell’s Second Nets’ Run: Still Might Be Too Good To Tank
Steve Lichtenstein, Steve’s Newsletter
CHI: Bulls coach Billy Donovan explains rookie Matas Buzelis' minutes
Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun-Times
CHI: Entitled Bulls show lack of readiness in loss to lowly Wizards
Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun-Times
CHI: 8 New Year’s resolutions for Chicago basketball, including a Bulls decision on Zach LaVine and steps forward for Sky’s frontcourt
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune
CLE: Cavs ring in New Year with 122-110 win over LeBron James and Los Angeles Lakers
Chris Fedor, Cleveland.com
DAL: Mavs Game Observations: Game 34 at Rockets
Iztok Franco, Diggin Basketball
DAL: Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall leaves with respect, positive impact on organization
Marc J. Spears, Andscape
DAL: Mavericks End Road Trip 1-3 After Turnover-Plagued Loss Against Rockets
Grant Afseth, Dallas Hoops Journal
DAL: 3 thoughts after Dallas falls to Houston, 110-99
Kirk Henderson, Mavs Moneyball
GSW: Warriors hoping to leave shooting slump in 2024
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News
On the shot quality front, the Warriors have slipped slightly. In December, they generated 18.9 “wide open” shots per game, as defined by field goal attempts with the nearest defender at least six feet away. That figure ranks 18th in the league and is two shy of their November performance.
Losing De’Anthony Melton to a season-ending injury (and then the trade for Schroder) has been the biggest event of the season so far. He was one of few two-way players on the roster who could also be dynamic with the ball in his hands.
GSW: Preview: Warriors finding no easy path to improvement
Eric Apricot, Dub Nation HQ
MEM: Jaylen Wells’ Massive Rookie of The Year Chances, Klay Parallels
Nasser Kiragga, Last Word On Sports
MIA: Coup’s Takeaways: HEAT Lead Wire To Wire In Earning Professional Win Over New Orleans
Couper Moorhead, NBA.com
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