Basketball Intelligence For 4/17/26, Part Two
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
THE PLAYOFFS
Anthony Edwards. Nikola Jokic. How do you guard them? There isn’t an easy answer
Chris Hine, Star Tribune
2026 NBA playoff X-factors
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo Sports
18 thoughts and tidbits on Sixers vs. Celtics 1st-round series
Noah Levick, NBC Sports
THE PLAY-IN
Breaking down Phoenix Suns vs. Golden State Warriors Play-In game
Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
TEAM-SPECIFIC
BOS: How are Jaylen Brown’s numbers looking since Jayson Tatum returned
Julian Benbow, Boston Globe
CHI: Reinsdorf’s Super Telling Requirement for the Chicago Bulls’ Next Front Office Face
“I want someone who is really strong in communication. Not just internally within the organization but also externally when he is talking to people like you, when he is talking to our fans. What are we trying to accomplish? What is the plan? Our fans have a right to understand what we’re trying to accomplish. So, I think that is incredibly important.”
Karnisovas repeatedly failed to outline a course of action to the general public, making many on the outside worry that there were similar problems behind the scenes. It sure feels like Reinsdorf’s brutally honest assessment essentially confirms that was the case. If the previous front office had a roadmap they were trying to follow, it sure sounds like many of their colleagues couldn’t read it.
You can be an excellent talent evaluator or a financial guru, but how is that going to be put to proper use without everyone being on the same page? The fact of the matter is that it takes more people than ever before to operate an NBA team successfully. Everyone needs to be steering the ship in the same direction and be well aware of the expectations. What happens when that’s not the case? You end up as a middling mess!
DEN: Nikola Jokić Makes Everything Look EASY
NBA.com
LAL: How LeBron James sets the tone for Lakers entering playoffs
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, LA Times
NYK: Healthy Mitchell Robinson ready to have say in Hawks playoff series
Brian Lewis, NY Post
NYK: Q & A: Wally Szczerbiak
Steve Serby, NY Post
OKC: Will Thunder’s intentional instability create adaptability or distortion?
Maxwell Ogden, Thunderous Intentions
OKC: The Thunder Just Notched a Huge NBA Draft Lottery Win Thanks to Clippers’ Play-In Exit
Brigid Kennedy, Sports Illustrated
PHI: Kelly Oubre, once a ‘crazy, wild-haired kid,’ has undergone a career renaissance as a dependable, do-everything Sixer
Gina Mizell, The Inquirer
LEAGUEWIDE
The Smartest Plays of the Season: Part 2
Ben Taylor, Thinking Basketball
THE DRAFT
Evaluating Kingston Flemings
Derek Parker, Sports Illustrated
Best Game Series: Mikel Brown Jr. Video Breakdown
Bryce Simon, Game Theory