Basketball Intelligence For 2/2/24
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
TEAM-SPECIFIC
BKN: Kevin Durant and the Wake of a Failed Superteam
Howard Beck, The Ringer
BOS: Celtics put on an embarrassing display in a stunning loss to the shorthanded Lakers
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe
BOS: Against a Lakers team missing its star performers, Celtics act up and lose on ‘tough night’
Adam Himmelsbach, Boston Globe
CLE: Donovan Mitchell shows why he’s an All-Star in Cavs’ win over Grizzlies
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com
DAL: The Tim Hardaway Jr. dilemma persists, but it doesn’t help to set him up for failure
Mette Robertson, Mavs Moneyball
DEN: Games without Nikola Jokic are rare. Denver Nuggets frontcourt can learn from them
Bennett Durando, Denver Post
GSW: Kuminga’s inspired play has validated the Warriors’ faith in him and cemented his place in the team’s future
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News
IND: On the Pacers' "garden" variety rebounding struggles. And the double-edged sword of doubling
Caitlin Cooper, Basketball She Wrote
IND: Why isn’t Tyrese Haliburton playing in the fourth quarter for the Pacers?
Dustin Dopirak, Indy Star
IND: PODCAST: Kings-Pacers preview
Tony East/Ray LeBov/Nick Agar-Johnson, Kings Weekly Podcast
LAL: Austin Reaves scores season high as Lakers stun Celtics without LeBron and AD
Dan Woike, LA Times
LAL: Lakers stun Celtics without LeBron James and Anthony Davis
Jovan Buha, The Athletic
LAL: Lakers stun Celtics without LeBron James, Anthony Davis
Khobi Price, OC Register
LAL: Is Austin Reaves Good? Or Should the Lakers Trade Him Now?
Dean Oliver, 5X5
MEM: Grizzlies burned from Cleveland's 4th-quarter shooting, lose 108-101
Parker Fleming, SubTsak
MEM: Grizzlies battle, fall late in fourth quarter in loss to Cleveland Cavaliers
Damichael Cole, Commercial Appeal
MIL: Doc Rivers’ biggest challenge with Bucks, through the eyes of his chief protégé
Joe Vardon, The Athletic
MIN: The Wolves Are Trying To Be Like Water
Tom Schreier, Zone Coverage
Anthony Edwards is the superstar, and Rudy Gobert anchors the defense. Everyone else has a malleable role around them. Karl-Anthony Towns is a versatile big man who has adapted to Gobert’s game. Naz Reid slimmed down and provides an offensive spark off the bench. Conley tries to accentuate everyone’s strengths, and McDaniels can guard anybody.
“Be like water” is martial arts legend Bruce Lee’s famous quote. Lee believed that people should be “formless,” meaning they shouldn’t trap themselves in a certain mindset. Instead, they should adapt to certain situations, grow, and change. By doing so, they are taking on the qualities of water. Lee’s “be like water” mantra enabled him to become a world-famous martial artist and movie star.
Chris Finch runs a free-flowing offense. He believes that Minnesota’s offensive creativity is more difficult to guard when he isn’t constantly running set plays. To maintain their status as the league’s best defense, Finch and his staff create a detailed, bespoke defensive game plan for each opponent they face.
“With the way we’re built, every day we have to think about how we’re going to approach this with matchups and coverages and stuff like that,” he said after beating the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. “A lot of teams kinda roll out the same defense every night. But we’re not built that way, so we gotta really kinda pick out certain points of emphasis that we’re focusing on.”
Finch’s defensive methodology has worked this year because his players have bought in
MIN: Anthony Edwards’ run-in with referees exposes flaws in NBA’s system
Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic
OKC: Thunder wills its Way to a Win vs. DEN
Nick Gallo, Thunder.com
OKC: Holmgren is tired, but chasing perfection
Joel Lorenzi, The Oklahoman
PHI: 3 observations after incredible Maxey scores career-high 51, Sixers edge out Jazz
Noah Levick, NBC Sports
PHI: Maxey scores career-high 51 points to lead Sixers over Jazz
Keith Pompey, The Inquirer
PHI: Maxey scores 51 points in big Sixers win over Jazz
Kyle Neubeck, All PHLY
PHI: What is a meniscus injury like Joel Embiid suffered?
Sarah Gantz, The Inquirer
SAC: PODCAST: Kings-Pacers preview
Tony East/Ray LeBov/Nick Agar-Johnson, Kings Weekly Podcast
SAS: Wemby transformed after just 25 games
Ben Taylor, Thinking Basketball
SAS: Spurs guard Tre Jones on what it's like to play with Zion Williamson and Victor Wembanyama
Andrew Lopez, ESPN
TOR: Bruce Brown’s Unique Contract Gives Raptors Leverage Ahead Of Deadline
Esfandiar Baraheni, Forbes
TOR: To be a better leader with Rockets, Fred VanVleet is learning from his Raptors ending
Eric Koreen, The Athletic
UTA: Lack of awareness from the Jazz leads to career-high 51 for Tyrese Maxey in Sixers win
Sarah Todd, Deseret News
UTA: Where were the Jazz’s best defensive players in fourth quarter of loss to Sixers?
Andy Larsen, Salt Lake Tribune
UTA: Despite Markkanen's Monster Fourth Quarter, Utah Falls in Heartbreaking Fashion
Ryan Kostecka, Jazz.com