Basketball Intelligence For 3/11/25, PART ONE
Today's Best NBA News And Analysis
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
Sixers rookie Justin Edwards is guarding the NBA's best players, and 'he's not backing down at all'
Adam Aaronson, Philly Voice
TEAM-SPECIFIC
ATL: Three observations on the post trade deadline Hawks
Hassan Ladiwala, Peachtree Hoops
ATL: Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher shine, Hawks rack up assists in win over the 76ers
Bradley Rowland, Fansided
After the game, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder spoke on what those 34 assists signaled about the health of Atlanta's offense, even on a night without Young and LeVert.
“It's something we talked about this morning," Snyder said. "I think the thing that gets us sometimes is, when we don't space properly, it's hard to pass the ball to someone that's not spaced or not ready for it. Our guys really embraced that tonight, and it's an unselfish group. Running and spacing sound really simple, because they are in theory, but when you get out there, there is a level of discipline and commitment that you have to play with in order to make those things happen. And we were spaced. Guys are willing to pass to each other and make an extra pass if that's the case, and it's good basketball.”
BOS: Jordan Walsh lost his hair at just nine years old. But when he dominated on the basketball court, nothing else mattered.
Noa Dalzell, Celtics Blog
BOS: Hauser's Big Night Powers Shorthanded Celtics Past Jazz
Adam Taylor, The Celtics Chronicle
DEN: Michael Malone lauds Nikola Jokić as MVP
Fred Katz/Tony Jones, The Athletic
GSW: Warriors continue their ‘sprint to the finish’
Anthony Slater, The Athletic
GSW: Draymond Green is back to being the Warriors’ center of attention
Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic
IND: Pacers have struggled recently but won’t sneak up on anyone in this year’s NBA playoffs
Law Murray, The Athletic
LAL: Dissecting the Lakers' top-ranked defense
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
LAL: JJ Redick laments ailing Lakers’ effort in potentially costly loss to Brooklyn
Jovan Buha, The Athletic
MEM: Zach Edey isn't allowed to set screens
Logan Adams, Prospects & Concepts
One of the best screen-setters and roll men in the league is in an offense that hates setting screens, and it works. So how does he fit?
MIA: Heat’s nightmare continues, blowing another big lead in home loss to struggling Hornets
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald
NYK: Knicks 133 - Kings 104
Tommy Beer, Knicks Centric
"The overall defensive activity, being tied together," coach Tom Thibodeau said after the win. "You have to fly around, have to make a second and third effort. When you do that, and for us, that's got to be our way. We're not replacing Jalen individually. We can't. But we can do it collectively. If we play like that, we'll have a chance."
NYK: The Knicks find the blueprint to win without Jalen Brunson
James Edwards III, The Athletic
NYK: The Knicks get a much-needed win
Jonathan Macri, Knicks Film School
NYK: P.J. Tucker a ‘realist’ about spark he can give Knicks after long wait for NBA return
Stefan Bondy, NY Post
PHI: Sixers rookie Justin Edwards is guarding the NBA's best players, and 'he's not backing down at all'
Adam Aaronson, Philly Voice
Edwards was a high school student in Philadelphia two years ago. Now, the Imhotep Charter product is not just playing for his hometown Sixers, but routinely finding himself matched up against the best basketball players in the world as one of the defensive aces of an NBA team.
In the last three months, Edwards has gone from an undrafted lottery ticket on a two-way contract to a fringe rotation player to a consistent, all-around contributor on the wing, earning a standard NBA contract in the process. His strongest skill at this juncture is clearly defending; the 21-year-old can guard across the positional spectrum thanks to a strong frame, long wingspan and good quickness. Edwards has displayed the requisite feel for the game to earn the trust of his coaching staff to take on some of the toughest assignments the NBA has to offer. In just a few months as a rotation player, Edwards has assembled quite a list of players he has gone up against.
PHI: The Sixers are rightfully losing plenty of games, but this tank job doesn’t have anywhere near the gleeful joy of the original Process.
Sean Kennedy, Liberty Ballers
SAC: Kings’ chances of automatic playoff bid take another hit in ‘embarrassing’ loss to Knicks
Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee
TOR: AJ Lawson gives tanking Raptors something to be proud of
Louis Zatzman, Raptors Republic
UTA: Celtics champion Mykhailiuk embracing ‘different’ role with rebuilding JazzCeltics champion embracing ‘different’ role with rebuilding Jazz
Zack Cox, Boston Herald
PODCAST
Heart and Hustle w/David Rushing
Aaron Bollwinkel, Live. Breathe. Ball
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