Basketball Intelligence For 12/29/25

Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis

Basketball Intelligence

Dec 29, 2025

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FEATURES OF THE DAY

Taking a “stab” at what’s nagging a pick-and-roll duo for the Pacers
Caitlin Cooper, Basketball She Wrote

Film study with Jalen Brunson: Knicks star breaks down five of his plays
James Edwards III, The Athletic

Heat’s message to Andrew Wiggins: ‘An aggressive me is the best version of myself’
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald

The Spurs Have Suddenly Made the Thunder’s Title Defense a Lot More Interesting
Neil Paine

LEAGUEWIDE

NBA While You Were Scrolling
Michael Pina, The Ringer

Before the season started, Doug Christie sat down with ESPN’s Tim Legler for a broad discussion about his upcoming first full season as the Kings’ head coach. At one point, Legler asks Christie about the areas of growth he wants to see from his team this year. “Not areas,” Christie clarifies. “Area. Defense. You know me. I’m defense. I want to punch people in the mouth.”
Instead, the poor souls who’ve subjected themselves to more than a handful of Kings games this season have watched a team that likes to sock itself in the face. The Kings are 7-23, rank 28th in defensive rating, and are allowing about four more points per 100 possessions than they did last year. They’re steamrolled at the rim, vulnerable on the glass, and due for regression from the corners. It’s a disastrous development, spearheaded by an inexplicable roster and some schemes that are seemingly designed to smear grease on an uphill climb. The Kings switch screens quite a bit, which by itself is fine. But even when they give the offense a blatant mismatch, support rarely comes. There’s no double-team, early rotation, stunt, or dig. The result, often, is malpractice
Where is the help? Why aren’t any Kings even pretending the sport is five-on-five? How does Christie justify doing this over and over and over again with the same results? The effort is atrocious, sure. But what they’re being asked to execute wouldn’t make sense even if Sacramento didn’t have the worst collection of perimeter defenders in the league. It’s almost like Christie is playing a game of chicken with his players, or trying to punish them. I don’t get it, but I am here for the carnage.

Can NBA’s new proposals fix tanking? Is it even worth it for the league to try?
Eric Koreen/Mike Vorkunov/Tony Jones, The Athletic

Power Rankings, Week 11
John Schuhmann, NBA.com

NBA Power Rankings
Law Murray, The Athletic

NBA Power Rankings
Clemente Almanza, USA TODAY

NBA Stock Report
Zach Harper, The Athletic