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Basketball Intelligence For 3/30/23

www.basketballintelligence.net

Basketball Intelligence For 3/30/23

Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis

Basketball Intelligence
Mar 30, 2023
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Basketball Intelligence For 3/30/23

www.basketballintelligence.net

TEAM-SPECIFIC STORIES

ATL: Q & A: Onyeka Okongwu
Brett Siegel, Sports Illustrated

BKN: Day’Ron Sharpe emerging as true backup center for Nets
Kristian Winfield, Daily News

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BKN: Cam Johnson, Jacque Vaughn vocal on Nets’ ‘identity’ after avoiding disaster vs. Rockets
Erik Slater, Clutch Points

BOS: X-Factors Making and Breaking Boston Celtics' NBA Championship Case
Mo Dakhil, Bleacher Report

CHA: What's the buzz with the Charlotte Hornets' defense?
Nekias Duncan, Basketball News

CHI: Lakers exact revenge on Bulls in Chicago
Darnell Mayberry, The Athletic

CLE: Sam Merrill is taking his NBA journey one day at a time
Jackson Flickinger, Fear The Sword

CLE: Jarrett Allen sets the tone on the inside
Dan Gilinsky, King James Gospel

DAL: Mavs GM Nico Harrison Q&A
Callie Caplan, Morning News

New to BI? Sign-up for a low-cost - $5/month or $50/year (that is 14 cents per day!)- paid subscription for access to the full BI newsletter, including the team-specific and league-wide stories sections as well as free agency news, draft insights, and takeaways from the previous day’s games. *** If you are a free subscriber, please consider upgrading to paid status, entitling you to the entirety of BI ***

DET: Ivey’s career night highlights his tremendous growth as a rookie
Jack Kelly, Detroit Bad Boys

DET: A tip-in beats the Pistons at the buzzer in OKC
Keith Langlois, Pistons.com

DET: Pistons bested by buzzer-beater again
Omari Sankofa II, Free Press

GSW: Draymond is still an All NBA defender
Rohit Naimpally, From The Logo

GSW: Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole power huge comeback against Pelicans
Eric Apricot, Dub Nation HQ

GSW: Wiggins' absence affecting more than the Warriors' title chase
Connor Letourneau, SF Chronicle

HOU: 3-point math adds up to big deficit in loss to Nets
Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle

HOU: An appreciation of KJ Martin
Salman Ali, Red Nation Hoops

IND: Even in shutdown mode, Pacers still play well enough to impress the NBA's best
Dustin Dopirak, Indy Star

LAC: Clippers find winning blueprint against Grizzlies. This time, without Kawhi Leonard
Law Murray, The Athletic

LAL: Lakers show postseason promise with dominant win over Bulls
Dan Woike, LA Times

LAL: Lakers believe they have ‘all the right pieces’ to go on a run
Jovan Buha, The Athletic

MIA: Takeaways and postgame reaction from loss to Knicks, as Heat sinks deeper into play-in territory
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald

MIL: Jrue Holiday scores career-high 51 points in Bucks’ win
Jim Owczarski, Journal Sentinel

MIN: Healthy and together, Karl-Anthony Towns-Rudy Gobert duo eyes big things
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com

MIN: Timberwolves are finally whole again, but will it be enough?
Kendra Andrews, ESPN

MIN: Finch: Adding Mike Conley means Timberwolves no longer have to 'hide players' on defense
Chris Hine, Star Tribune

MIN: Jaden McDaniels Is Blossoming Into Exactly What The Timberwolves Need
Mark Schindler, DIME

NYK: Heroes Abound in Huge Win over the Heat
Tommy Beer, What’s On Tap

NYK: Knicks’ postseason hopes will hinge on Julius Randle’s health
Ian O’Connor, NY Post

OKC: Thunder Victorious on Game-Winner
Nick Gallo/ Paris Lawson, OKCThunder.com

OKC: Jalen Williams lifts OKC past Detroit with last-second shot
Joe Mussatto, The Oklahoman

PHI: Sixers get their stars back, snap losing streak
Noah Levick, NBC Sports

PHI: Harden says sore Achilles has bothered him off and on for months
Kyle Neubeck, Philly Voice

PHI: Sixers Overcome Slow Start To Defeat Mavericks
Matt Gregan, Sports Talk Philly

PHI: Q & A: Tyrese Maxey
Jackson Frank, DIME

PHO: Durant rusty in his return, but Suns find a different way to win
Doug Haller, The Athletic

PHO: Kevin Durant returns, scores 16 points in home debut
Nick Friedell, ESPN

PHO: Q & A: Kevin Durant
Shams Charania, The Athletic

PHO: Q & A: Devin Booker and Chris Paul on what KD’s return means
Sam Amick, The Athletic

SAC: Kings of the Dribble Handoff. Inside the play powering the most efficient offense in NBA history
Zach Kram, The Ringer

SAC: Inside Mike Brown’s quest to rediscover the franchise’s soul
Jason Quick, The Athletic

Of the NBA’s 16 postseason berths this season, none will be celebrated as deeply and passionately as by the Kings and their community. In a city that so closely identifies with its only professional sports team, Sacramento hasn’t just lost for the past 16 years. They have done so in embarrassing fashion. They have spectacularly bungled draft picks and churned through head coaches. The on court product was so bad, the most significant accomplishment was earning the crown once worn by the Clippers as the NBA’s laughingstock.

That pain –that embarrassment – had gone on for so long and run so deep that when Mike Brown was hired as head coach last summer, one of the first things he observed was that the franchise had no soul. So he made finding and nurturing the soul of the franchise his top priority.

Now, nine months later, after some sharp moves by second-year general manager Monte McNair, along with the implementation of Brown’s fast-paced offense and hard-hat culture, the Kings are not only 46-20 and in third place in the Western Conference. They have also found their soul, one framed by hard work, fostered by family and fed by having fun. And that soul shines so bright, it sprouts out of Golden1 Center in downtown Sacramento in the form of a purple beam.

So how did the Kings do it? There was no aha moment. No turning-point speech. No moment of adversity to overcome. This was a slow burn, a gradual building of habits, and a steady belief. And most of all, there was a balance between work and fun.


SAC: Why Sacramento’s playoff berth means so much
Sam Amick, The Athletic

SAC: Kings claim 1st playoff berth since '06
Marc J. Spears, ESPN

SAC: Kings clinch first playoff berth since 2006
Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee

(NOTE: We’ll have much more on the Kings clinching in tomorrow’s BI)

TOR: Raptors need to turn around their clutch offence to thrive late in season
Eric Koreen, The Athletic

UTA: Horton-Tucker goes for career-high 41 points in win vs. Spurs — can he learn to shoot consistently?
Andy Larsen, Salt Lake Tribune

UTA: Horton-Tucker has a career night as everybody eats for the Jazz
Sarah Todd, Deseret News

UTA: Horton-Tucker tallies a career-high while learning to play point guard on the fly
Tony Jones, The Athletic

THE DRAFT

Scoot Henderson left a lasting impression with G League Ignite
Marc J. Spears, Andscape

Mock Draft: The First 14 Picks
Rafael Barlowe, NBA Big Board

Who are the Final Four’s top NBA Draft prospects?
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic

Scouting report: Anthony Black
Christopher Kline, The Step Back

Scouting report: Brandon Miller
Christopher Kline, The Step Back

Sleeper Deep Dive: Isaiah Wong
Nick Agar-Johnson, No Ceilings

A deeper look into Hood-Schifino’s freshman season and looming NBA draft decision
William McDermott, Inside The Hall

Top 10 pending 2023 NBA Draft decisions to watch next month
Tristan Freeman, Busting Brackets


YESTERDAY’S GAMES

Scores and recaps
Will Bjarnar, SBNation


FROM THE ARCHIVES

THREE YEARS AGO TODAY

Basketball Intelligence Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Basketball Intelligence For 3/30/23

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