Basketball Intelligence For 3/4/25
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
Can the Magic Bend the NBA Game Before It Breaks Them?
Rob Mahoney, The Ringer
TEAM-SPECIFIC
ATL: Dyson Daniels letting his play take care of talk about best defensive player
Lauren Williams, AJC
ATL: How Caris LeVert and the Hawks pulled off a comeback victory in Memphis
Bradley Rowland, Fansided
BOS: Why These Celtics Made the Captaincy Into a Thing of the PastWhy These Celtics Made the Captaincy Into a Thing of the Past
Bobby Manning, The Ringer
For most of Boston Celtics history, the franchise has designated an official leader—legends like Bill Russell, John Havlicek, and Larry Bird. But today’s team has broken from this storied tradition. “Adults don’t sit down and talk about, who’s gonna be the leader?” says Jaylen Brown
BOS: The absences of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have been glaring against two visiting contenders.
Bill Sy, Celtics Blog
BI Comment: Who will win the NBA title this season? As (almost) always, it will be the healthiest of the elite teams.
BOS: Jaylen Brown is finding his groove
Jacob Issenberg, Celtics Blog
CHI: Buzelis understands what's needed to be special
Joe Cowley, SunTimes
Buzelis, with 10 starts under his belt, and coach Billy Donovan know there have been games in which he has been physically overwhelmed by stronger, more experienced players. The rookie is ready to address the problem with hard work in the summer
CLE: Kenny Atkinson doubles down after scare vs. Trail Blazers
Evan Dammarell, Clutch Points
Atkinson wasn't afraid to foul the Trail Blazers while up by three points.
When you’re up three with the game on the line, coaches face a crucial decision—do you trust your defense to get a stop, or do you take matters into your own hands by fouling and eliminating the chance for a game-tying three? For Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, the choice is clear: if advanced metrics say it's safe, you foul. Every time.
BI Comment: Some irony here: his choice in this instance was beyond what those metrics say - the foul was committed with more time left on the clock
DAL: Kyrie Irving out for the season with ACL tear
Steven Rosenbaum, CBS
DET: Pistons annihilate Jazz as Jalen Duren dominates again
Omari Sankofa II, Free Press
DET: Harris and Hardaway, both in their 30s, have embraced their roles as mentors, offering advice on and off the court.
Omari Sankofa II, Free Press
GSW: Steve Kerr continues crusade against NBA’s lack of travel calls: ‘Everyone is seeing it’
Anthony Slater, The Athletic
“Everyone sees it,” Kerr said. “I just think we can do a better job. It’s about the way we are teaching it. These (officials) are awesome. They have brutal jobs and they have a million things to watch. But footwork is the entire basis of the game and we need to call traveling. It will be a much better game if we clean it up.”
GSW: Butler-Warriors union still work in progress, even after another win
Dalton Johnson, NBC Sports
GSW: Film Breakdown: On Steph Curry and Buddy Hield performing a ‘Twirl’ to bring the Warriors’ offense to life
Joe Viray, Golden State Of Mind
HOU: Jabari Smith Jr.’s rhythm, Cam Whitmore’s big night vs. Thunder: Rockets takeaways
Kelly Iko, The Athletic
HOU: Rockets' makeshift rotation not enough vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Danielle Lerner, Houston Chronicle
The rest of the team-specific stories as well as leaguewide, draft and fantasy stories follow for paid subscribers