Basketball Intelligence for 4/3/24

Joel Embiid's return, Zion Williamson's evolution, Wembanyama vs. Jokic, and more

LEAGUEWIDE STORIES

NBA Power Rankings: Mavericks near contender status; one favorite player on each team
Zach Harper, The Athletic

Inside the NBA’s Twin-flux
Alex Schiffer, The Ringer

TEAM STORIES

WAS: Wizards find the ‘good stuff’ in a surprising win over the Bucks
Ava Wallace, The Washington Post

The Wizards are whatever lies beyond injury-riddled, whatever exists beyond depleted near the end of a long rebuilding season. After center Marvin Bagley III left the court in the second quarter with what interim coach Brian Keefe later called a knee sprain, they were down to eight players. They went on to beat the second-place Bucks, 117-113, not with a deep bench but with mettle, scrap, self-belief and some very sharp basketball.

UTA: The Triple Team
Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune

SAS: 3 takeaways as Spurs push Nuggets to limit as Victor Wembanyama flirts with a quadruple-double
Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News