Basketball Intelligence for 3/13/24
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Deni Avdija, D'Angelo Russell, and more
LEAGUWIDE STORIES
NBA Power Rankings: Trey Murphy III leads Pelicans up the West while SGA drives OKC
Staff, ESPN
NBA Power Rankings: Nuggets rise to top spot; clutch-time analysis for each team
Zach Harper, The Athletic
Evaluating Ausar and Amen Thompson as their rookie seasons come to close
Kelly Iko/James L. Edwards III, The Athletic
TEAM STORIES
WAS: The Wizards' Deni Avdija has found himself
Mike Shearer,
Avdija uses his shoulders like sweaty, pasty battering rams. Even in a half-court setting, he is hunting weaker players and running them over like so much roadkill.
TOR: His brother's keeper: How Michael Porter Jr. helped younger brother Jontay hold onto NBA dream
Vinny Benedetto, The Denver Gazette
SAS: Vic-and-Roll Mailbag: The Branham Hot Streak, Making Room for Barlow, and Thoughts on Rob Dillingham
Noah Magaro-George,
SAC: Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis break records as Kings blast Milwaukee Bucks by 35 points
Jason Anderson, The Sacramento Bee
PHI: Sixers-Knicks takeaways: Recent win looks like a mirage; Tobias Harris can’t be a bystander
Keith Pompey, Philadelphia Inquirer
OKC: SGA might be the 82-game MVP, but can he be the best player on a 16-win team?
Marc Campbell,
OKC: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and the Thunder combo’s chase for historical rarity
Anthony Slater, The Athletic
[SGA’s] 64.5 true-shooting percentage is jaw-dropping for a high-usage perimeter scorer. Anthony Edwards, for example, is at 57.8 percent. Jayson Tatum is at 60.4 percent. Stephen Curry is at 61.8 percent. Luka Dončić is at 62.4 percent.
“A lot gets made of the consistency (of his 30-point nights),” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “But to me, the most comforting thing is the efficiency behind it. Whatever possessions he’s using on almost every single night, you’re dealing with a guy who is really strong (points per attempt) and low turnovers. So you know however many possessions he’s using, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. That’s most comforting.”