Basketball Intelligence for 2/15/24
A quartet of great Pacers stories, Jalen Brunson, Deni Avdija, and much more!
LEAGUEWIDE STORIES
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Paolo Banchero among 7 most improved All-Stars
John Schuhmann, NBA.com
The two-time MVP might be having his best offensive season.
Antetokounmpo has registered a true shooting percentage of 64.8%, the best mark of his career and up from 60.5% last season.
His 2-point percentage is a career-best 64.8%, up from 59.6% last season, and more of his shots have been 2s. He’s taken just 9.4% of his shots from 3-point range, his lowest rate since his second season in the league.
X’s and Mo’s: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a decoy, Steph Curry as a late-game weapon and more
Mo Dakhil, The Athletic
Pod: Analytics storyteller Neil Paine
Lessons from sports psychology research
Tom Siegfried, BigThink
The life of an NBA beat writer
Jake Uitti, HoopsHype
2023's surprise NBA dunk contest champ reaped many rewards. But not the one he wanted most
Jeff Zillgitt, USA Today
NBA Players Who Need More Minutes Starting Now
Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report
Cunningham is best with the ball in his hands, as is Ivey. And Thompson's wretched three-point shooting means he, more than either of the other two, almost has to be on the rock to have any offensive value outside of second-chance points on the glass and the occasional transition breakout.
We're dealing with a subtle but critical distinction here. Some teams need to see their best young players prove they can work together. The urgency is greater in this situation because the Pistons' top three youngsters essentially need to disprove the well-founded notion that they can't function cohesively.
Who's afraid of the big, bad Warriors?
NBA Game Notes (Feb. 14, 2024)
Another NBA All-Star Game change? Why this time it's probably best
Brian Windhorst, ESPN
TEAM STORIES
ATL: Hawks fall to Hornets in final game before All-Star break
Lauren Williams, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BOS: Jordan Walsh gets surprise opportunity in Celtics win over Nets
Brian Robb, MassLive