Basketball Intelligence For 3/22/25
The Cavs are skidding, the Heat are frigid, The Beard is balling, and more...
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
The 2024-25 NBA season's happiest surprises
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
TEAM NEWS
ATL: Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher making a statement in competition for NBA’s top rookie
Lauren Williams, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“I think, there’s two types of young players, right?” Niang said. “Ones that want to know everything, and others that think they know everything, right? And Zacch has clearly shown that he’s someone that wants to learn as much as possible. And you think about that through the language barrier, through being young, it’s impressive to see where he started and where I was, in Cleveland, and what your thoughts were from an opposing-team aspect, to where we are now and how much he’s grown.
BOS: Celtics open six-game road trip by tuning out Jazz
Adam Himmelsbach, The Boston Globe
BOS: BSJ Game Report: Celtics 121, Jazz 99 - Tatum, Porzingis, C's defense fuel blowout
John Karalis, Boston Sports Journal
CLE: Hall of Famer now gunning for Cavaliers star for Defensive Player of the Year
Josh Cornelissen, King James Gospel
CLE: 3 critical playoff lessons the Cavaliers must learn from losing streak
Caleb Cowley, King James Gospel
CLE: Game Night Observations: Is It Time to Worry?,
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot
CLE: What’s wrong with the slumping Cavs? It starts with Donovan Mitchell
Chris Fedor, Cleveland.com
CLE: Cavs hit new low in 123-112 loss to Suns
Evan Dammarell, Clutch Points
DAL: In game of teams with diverging paths, Mavs avoid fifth straight loss with win vs. Detroit
Mike Curtis, The Dallas Morning News
DEN: Michael Malone Rips Into Nuggets After Embarrassing Loss, Warns Team Could Slip Into Play-In Tournament
Vishwesha Kumar, Fadeaway World
DEN: Denver Nuggets fall apart in second half, lose to Portland Trail Blazers in blowout
Ryan Blackburn, Mile High Sports
DEN: Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers | 3 takeaways from Denver's disappointing loss in Portland
Vinny Benedetto, The Denver Gazette
DET: The Detroit Pistons aiming for Nets' spot in the history books
Tyler Dutton, Pistons Powered
DET: Detroit Pistons close road trip with stumble in Dallas, fall 123-117 to Mavericks
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
DET: Bad timing, Tim Hardaway Jr's injury and who is going to replace him
Aaron Kellerstrass, Pistons Powered
The Pistons are getting ready to enter the final 11 games of their schedule, eight of which are against teams headed to the playoffs, including conference leaders OKC and Cleveland to go along with Minnesota, Memphis, Sacramento, New York and Milwaukee (x2), not an opportune time to have to absorb an injury to a starter.
GSW: Explain: Jimmy Butler and Draymond are the Block Brothers vs Raptors in another cliffhanger ending
Eric Apricot, Dub Nation HQ
GSW: Preview: No structural damage, but Curry ruled out
Punk Basketball, Dub Nation HQ
GSW: Rookie Quinten Post no longer a surprise for Warriors, just a ‘game changer’
Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle
Post’s positioning around the parabola, passing, physicality and passion to play as the 52nd pick in last year’s draft are invigorating the surging Warriors.
GSW: Jimmy Butler may give the Warriors the solution to a decadelong problem
Nami Sumida, San Francisco Chronicle
IND: Explain One Play: How Bennedict Mathurin takes up residence in "Omaha"
Caitlin Cooper, Basketball, She Wrote
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