Basketball Intelligence For 4/23/26
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
FEATURES OF THE DAY
Jalen Brunson is causing two huge problems for the Knicks, and only one is solvable
Eamon Cassels, Fansided
2026 NBA Draft Data: Introducing Creation Score, Off Ball Gravity, Stopper Score, and Translation Score
Tyler Metcalf, No Ceilings
THE PLAYOFFS
Recapping Wednesday’s Games
Dustin Brewer, HOOPS
Scoring is way down in the NBA playoffs. Here are the 3 possible reasons why
John Hollinger, The Athletic
ATL-NYK
3 things to watch in Game 3
John Schuhmann, NBA.com
How can the Knicks get back on track in Game 3?
Jonathan Macri, Knicks Film School
Hawks are attacking the Knicks’ weak spots. New York needs to reciprocate
Fred Katz, The Athletic
Jalen Brunson is causing two huge problems for the Knicks, and only one is solvable
Eamon Cassels, Fansided
Brunson’s defensive limitations might be an unsolvable problem
Towns’ lack of rim protection only hurts things. The Knicks’ best two players not being able to defend has always been the biggest concern with the team, and it’s quickly proving to be problematic.
While finding ways to rely less on Brunson’s offense is a fixable issue, surviving on defense with him might not be because of the Knicks’ roster construction and his physical limitations.
The Knicks should still be favored to get past Atlanta. Regardless, it’s far from a guarantee, and the Hawks are proving that they have the goods to pull off an upset.
Ultimately, to maximize their chances of advancing in this round and to have any chance of making a deep playoff run, the Knicks have to be less reliant on Brunson’s offense. And for the defensive side of the ball, these playoffs could prove that a Brunson-KAT duo is flat-out untenable for a championship team, and force New York to trade Towns this summer.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks face major stakes
Vincent Goodwill, ESPN
BOS-PHI
Joe Mazzulla looks beyond Celtics’ shooting discrepancy to clean slate for Game 3
Jay King, The Athletic
The Celtics need to adjust
Adam Taylor, The Celtics Chronicle
CLE-TOR
Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley are already stars. But can they take the next step?
Eric Koreen, The Athletic
3 things to watch in Game 3
Shaun Powell, NBA.com
DET-ORL
Pistons dominate Magic, notch first home playoff win since 2008: Game 2 takeaways
The Athletic
Cade Cunningham’s dominance exemplifies NBA at its best
David Aldridge, The Athletic
LAL-HOU
Lakers’ early ascendency
Juri Bilcich, Draftscape Chronicles
MIN-DEN
The Jaden McDaniels-Donte DiVincenzo-James White bond quietly fueling the Wolves
Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic
After years of getting cooked, Gobert is finally making Jokic adjust
Michael Pina, The Ringer
3 things to watch in Game 3
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com
The Wolves and Nuggets Are Perfect Foils Trapped in a Loop
Danny Chau, The Ringer
OKC-PHX
Jalen Williams was a 1st-half force, and now Thunder wait for positive injury news
Joel Lorenzi, The Athletic
Thunder cruise past Suns, but Jalen Williams’ injury could be a major blow
Jack Maloney, CBS Sports
Thunder pull away to take Game 2 against Suns: Takeaways
The Athletic
POR-SAS
See Scoot Score: The Leap We Didn’t Expect
Con Brennan, Wait For The Score
From ‘bust’ to breakout: How Scoot Henderson is thriving in the 2026 NBA playoffs
Brad Botkin, CBS Sports
TEAM-SPECIFIC
GSW: Steve Kerr can leave the Warriors, but can he leave Steph Curry?
Nick Friedell, The Athletic
SAC: PODCAST: Draft Lottery Odds Discussion and ex-Kings in the playoffs
Ray LeBov/Nick Agar-Johnson, Kings Weekly Podcast
Nick and Ray discuss the recent 2026 NBA Draft lottery news for the Kings, some ex-Kings currently active in the NBA Playoffs, and wrap up with song title picks to describe the Kings’ 2025-26 season. They open with the news from Monday that the Kings lost the coin flip with the Utah Jazz for the 2026 NBA Draft, with the Kings ending up with the fifth-best odds heading into the draft lottery. They discuss some of the point guard options who will be available for the Kings if they don't end up jumping into the Top 4 in the lottery, including Darius Acuff Jr. and Kingston Flemings. Then, they talk about some of the former Kings who are active in the NBA playoffs. They wrap up with their song title picks for the week.
SAS: Keldon Johnson found joy in sacrifice. Now he’s NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year
Jared Weiss, The Athletic
THE DRAFT
2026 NBA Draft Data: Introducing Creation Score, Off Ball Gravity, Stopper Score, and Translation Score
Tyler Metcalf, No Ceilings
Best Game Series: Bennett Stirtz Video Breakdown
Bryce Simon, Game Theory
Draft Video Series Breaking Down the Top Prospects Part II: A Closer Look at Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff Jr., and Keaton Wagler
James Barlowe, NBA Big Board
AI predicts first round
Mark Gionnotto, USA Today
Scouting Report: Guard Mikel Brown Jr.
Derek Parker, Sports Illustrated
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