Basketball Intelligence for 9/6/2023
The Day's Best Basketball Reporting And Analysis
TEAM-SPECIFIC STORIES
BOS: Jayson Tatum & Derrick White: the making of a two-man game
Adam Taylor, CelticsBlog
CHA: Hornets’ PJ Washington: ‘I think it’s going to be big things here in Charlotte’
Roderick Boone, The Charlotte Observer
DAL: Between a Rock and a Hardy Place
Jacob Sutton, JSutt Hoops
GSW: Trayce Jackson-Davis gives the inside story on how he fell to GSW in the draft on purpose
Eric Apricot, Dub Nation HQ
IND: PODCAST: 1-on-1 with Pacers rookie Jarace Walker
Scott Agness, Fieldhouse Files
LAC: 30 teams in 30 days: Clippers hope healthy star tandem translates into success
Shaun Powell, NBA.com
LAL: Lakers add a big man to their bench, agreeing to deal with Christian Wood
Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times
MIA: Heat’s Nikola Jovic to continue busy summer in World Cup semifinals. A look at his production
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald
MIN: How Jaden McDaniels can become a star
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
In office drone terms, the Wolves have a bit of a circular reference problem. McDaniels’ entire trajectory could change depending on what Minnesota does with Karl-Anthony Towns…which could change depending on McDaniels’ development.
NOP: Pelicans' Trey Murphy suffers left knee injury during workout, will undergo further testing
Christian Clark, Nola.com
ORL: 2024 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Jett Howard fills the shooting need
Alfred Ezman, Orlando Magic Daily
PHI: Promises, sacrifices and betrayal: Inside the feud between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers
Ramona Shelburne, ESPN
But Harden had also come to Philadelphia thinking he would be compensated like he used to be. After his first season in Philadelphia, Harden took approximately $14 million less than what he was due in a player option so the team could sign veteran forward P.J. Tucker away from the Miami Heat.
It was sold by the Sixers as "sacrifice" to both Harden and the public -- a line he dutifully repeated throughout the season…
This wasn't so much a sacrifice as mutual unspoken recognition. The dream of recreating the glory days in Houston had probably already passed them by. But they played it out anyway, the Sixers never quite sure Harden was worth the max he sought, and Harden suspecting they felt that way.
So the "sacrifice" narrative was created. And it worked for everybody -- until it didn't.
What Harden didn't realize was how little he'd be left with when it all came apart.