Basketball Intelligence For 3/24/23

Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis

Mar 24, 2023

TEAM-SPECIFIC STORIES

BKN: Why the Nets had zero interest selling Bridges
Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports

BKN: Nets fall out of top 6 in playoff race in crushing loss to Cavaliers
Brian Lewis, NY Post

BKN: Given What These Nets Have Become, Maybe A Play-In Exit Would Be Least Painful
Steve Lichtenstein

CHA: More injury woes pile up for the Hornets in their relentlessly unforgiving season
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer

CHI: Bulls have an easy schedule and a great situation in front of them
Joe Cowley, SunTimes

CLE: Okoro hits game-winning 3-pointer as Cavs steal win from Nets
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com

CLE: Okoro’s game-winning shot shows how far he’s come
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com

CLE: How Isaac Okoro’s game-winning shot lifted Cavs past Nets
Kelsey Russo, The Athletic

CLE: The Cavaliers have learned from last year's collapse
Jamal Collier, ESPN

DAL: 3 things from the Mavericks heartbreaking loss to the Warriors
Josh Bowe, Mavs Moneyball

DEN: Jokic doesn’t care about being MVP. How refreshing
Candace Buckner, Washington Post

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DEN: The Nuggets’ championship hopes rest on their starters’ shoulders
Harrison Wind, The DNVR

DET: Jaden Ivey’s development is a bright spot for the Pistons
Jackson Frank, SBNation

GSW: Kuminga is turning into one heck of two-way wing
Joe Viray, Golden State Of Mind

GSW: Kerr likens dependable DiVincenzo to MLB starting pitcher
Ali Thanawalla, NBC Sports

GSW: Poole stopped emulating Steph Curry and found his winning form against the Mavs
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News

IND: Diagnosing the sloppy play of the Pacers
Caitlin Cooper, Basketball She Wrote

LAC: The 5 Clippers who need to step up after Paul George’s leg injury
Law Murray, The Athletic

LAC: Clippers take control in second half to beat Thunder without Paul George
Andrew Greif, LA Times

LAL: After overcoming his latest storm, Anthony Davis is ready to get to work
Dave McMenamin, ESPN

LAL: The Lakers Great Reimagining
Greg Brueck-Cassoli, High Off The Glass

LAL: The story behind Anthony Davis' 'dominant' third quarter in Lakers' win over Suns
Broderick Turner, LA Times

MIA: Butler leads Heat past Knicks. Takeaways, details and what it means for playoff race
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald

MIA: Playoff Jimmy Butler has arrived early for the Heat
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald

The Miami Heat’s playoffs started early, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that “Playoff Jimmy” also arrived earlier than expected. With the Heat needing every win it can get with less than three weeks left in the regular season just to avoid the play-in tournament, Butler has turned up his aggressiveness and assertiveness over the last month in an effort to lead his team up the Eastern Conference standings. Butler was already playing at an elite level before this stretch, but he has been playing at an all-time level since the All-Star break. In 15 games since the break, Butler is averaging 26.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting an incredibly efficient 60.5 percent shooting from the field, 10 of 19 (52.6 percent) from three-point range and 85.1 percent from the free-throw line on 11.2 foul shots per game. On the defensive end during this eye-opening run, he’s averaging 1.6 steals per game and limiting the player he’s guarding to just 42.8 percent shooting from the field (4.9 percent worse that those players’ overall combined shooting percentage this season), according to NBA tracking stats.

MIN: Film Room: Inside Jaden McDaniels’ Offensive Evolution
Tyler Metcalf, Canis Hoopus

MIN: Why talkative Karl-Anthony Towns went silent about his injury
Chris Hine, StarTribune

MIN: KAT returns, hits free throws with 3.6 second left in Timberwolves win over Hawks
Chris Hine, StarTribune

MIN: Kyle Anderson's Impact On Jaden McDaniels' Blossoming Game
Jake Paynting, Howls And Growls

MIN: The Wolves found an identity without KAT. Now they have to build on it
Joe Wolfond, The Score

NYK: IT’S TIME TO ADD MILES MCBRIDE BACK TO THE ROTATION
Jake Brown, The Knicks Wall

NYK: The Knicks showed fight, but lost their third straight in ugly fashion
Jonathan Macri, Knicks Film School

NYK: How Immanuel Quickley has inserted himself into the Sixth Man of the Year race
Jake Fischer, Yahoo Sports

OKC: Thunder vs. Clippers takeaways
Joe Mussatto, The Oklahoman

OKC: SGA has become a problem for NBA foes
Mirjam Swanson, OC Register

ORL: Magic fight off the Knicks
Philip Rossman-Reich, Orlando Magic Daily

PHI: The Sixers have rolled through their grueling March road schedule
Gina Mizell, The Inquirer