Basketball Intelligence for 8/8/23

The Day's Best Reporting and Analysis

Team-Specific Stories

BKN: Nets “D” Can Be Elite If They Successfully Addressed a Pair Of “S’s”
Steve Lichtenstein, Steve’s Newsletter

DET: Is Jalen Duren Poised for a Breakout Second Season With the Promising Pistons?
Jackson Frank, The Analyst

IND: Jannero Pargo gets valuable head coaching experience for Indiana Pacers Summer League team
Tony East, All Pacers

MEM: Will Jake LaRavia be the Grizzlies' next sophomore leap?
Parker Fleming, SubTsakalidis

So again, easy to pinpoint Jake LaRavia as the Grizzlies’ next sophomore leap, especially considering his Summer League performance too. He led the team in scoring, answering the call from the coaching staff to be more assertive hunting his shot — while also setting a personal side quest to attempt a poster dunk on anyone near the rim. He fired 8.8 threes per game, showcasing a willingness to let it fly when he saw a shot he liked.

MIA: Did Miami Heat just find their next development success story in this 3-point specialist?
Wes Goldberg, All U Can Heat

OKC: Josh Giddey is awesome. He needs to change.
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry

Despite what the narrative suggests, however, Giddey’s outside shot isn’t his only concern — when he gets close to the hoop, the bugbear bites. He hit 62% of his attempts at the rim last season, a respectable number for a typical 6’4” shooting guard but a poor mark for a 6’8” ox masquerading as a wing. He has no problem using his size to get to the paint but seems to shy away from contact at the last minute despite acceptable free throw percentages.

Giddey averaged a paltry 1.9 free throw attempts per game, a jarring number for someone who shot 40% of their attempts at the rim.