The combination of a strong halfcourt defense, elite one-on-one offense and championship experience of Tyronn Lue and Kawhi Leonard is a formula that makes the Clippers legitimate contenders in the West. Read more »

You don't have to squint too much to see how, through all the deflated hype and underwhelming results, Zion Williamson remains indomitable enough pull his team through the postseason. Read more »

On Nikola Topic, Zaccharie Risacher, Bobi Klintman, Tidjane Salaun, Melvin Ajinca and Juan Nunez. Read more »

Here we are, at the start of something, which one of the greatest players of all time felt strongly enough about to make it an important conquest in his shockingly lengthy farewell cruise. Read more »

Once the Pacers get opponents to play their style, the bet is that they'll be better at playing that way. This is partly because of the hours of logged practice time, but mostly because they have Tyrese Haliburton.  Read more »

In a draft that doesn't have any clear future franchise players, Alexandre Sarr's ability to play the defensive end, combined with all the tools he has to work with offensively, makes him a swing worth taking. Read more »

The Warriors famously built their dynasty through the draft, but the franchise has had very little success selecting players over the past decade. Read more »

Draymond Green appears to believe that his whole act is a net positive. He's probably right about that, but it's been a point of debate not just in the press over the years but within the Warriors organization. Read more »

On Jalen Suggs, Jamahl Mosley, Tyrese Haliburton, De'Aaron Fox, plus notes on the Thunder, Clippers and Pelicans. Read more »

Nick Nurse has pulled pages out of Denver's playbook, remaking Philadelphia's offense in the image of last year's champs. Like any sport, the NBA is a copycat league. Read more »

The relationship between Zach LaVine and the Bulls has seemed to always be about business rather than preference. Read more »

This season the Bucks have been reckless, questionable, and stressful, which also describes Giannis. This squad is now more like him than any Bucks assemblage before it. Read more »

In the grand scheme, a Scottie Barnes ascent changes everything. It's a worthwhile exercise to make everything about him this year, to see if he can be this guy for real and The Guy of their future. Read more »

Victor Wembanyama is not a remixed version of another player, nor is he a combination of previously seen skills coming together in one person. He is something entirely new.  Read more »

Expectations are high for Oklahoma City in the tuned-in hoops dork demographic, with some predicting a premature competitive uptick drastic enough to take them deep into the postseason. Read more »

It still feels strange that Chris Paul has allowed himself to choose the Warriors. It speaks to both to his desperation and his competitiveness. Read more »

How does one project the Pelicans season with any sense of certainty? They are either a team with one of the brightest futures in the league or a team bound to be mired in mediocrity, taunted by unfulfilled hope and the too-frequent absence of its best player and cornerstone. Read more »

Teams tend to replace coaches with an opposite type with tacticians and motivators being the broad categories. Read more »

Getting a player who can open the championship window is what all the draft-pick hoarding, roster shuffling and salary cap finagling is for. Then, it's about knowing when to take the next step in the team-building life cycle. Read more »

The Heat felt like they deserved Damian Lillard; the Bucks acted like they needed him. Is there really any harm in borrowing against your future when the alternative is having no future? Read more »