The standards for player effectiveness have shifted so remarkably that entire typologies of the game are fading from existence during this stylistic hegemony. Read more »
NBA Analysis
The Modern NBA Hegemony Of The Three-Pointer
Kyrie Irving's Oddly Familiar Leadership Traits
It's strange yet predictable that Kyrie Irving fancies himself the NBA's most creative thinker, but is falling back on the old Treat The Young Guys Like Idiots strategy. Read more »
The Ballad Of Boogie Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins now single-handedly provides a reason for fans otherwise tired of Golden State's dominance to cheer for the Warriors, adding a patina of fun and joy to their seemingly inevitable Finals triumph. Read more »
Lonzo Ball And Dennis Smith Are Just Trying To Grow Next To Greatness
Not only are Lonzo Ball and Dennis Smith Jr. going to be better than they currently are, but the greatness of their greatest skills have yet to be debunked or diminished. Read more »
The Timberwolves Rediscover Fun, Happiness, And Freedom Without Thibs
The process of moving on does not always pan out, but in the in-between stage, there is at least, a profound feeling of relief. The Wolves are free, and they'll play like it. Read more »
The Spurs Against Three-Point Conventional Wisdom
Basketball has changed drastically over the last decade-plus, and the Spurs have been right there at the forefront of the movement the entire time. But now they're pivoting away from the three-point trend. Read more »
A Final Appreciation Of The Wizards' Fascinating, Disastrous Season
The Wiz are not, like Orlando or Phoenix, a lousy young team that is a little bit interesting on the basis that they are still figuring stuff out. No, they are fascinating in a painful way. Read more »
The Maximum Available 2019 Cap Space For All 30 NBA Teams
The NBA's salary cap is projected to jump from just under $102 million for the 18-19 season to $109 million for the 19-20 season. Read more »
Steph, Kyrie And Their Contributions To The Crumbling Of Reality
When Steph Curry says he doesn't think we landed on the moon, and Kyrie backs him up, it is, on its own, just two famous people saying stupid stuff, but it also contributes to a larger societal problem. Read more »
How LeBron Made Winning Harder For Himself While Improving Life For The Stars
In freeing himself from old concepts about franchise loyalty and how you're allowed to move around the league, LeBron James has forged his own kind of kingdom that other ad-campaign-worthy stars see and want for themselves. Read more »
Enjoying Dame And CJ In The Rings Or Nothing Era
Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are very good, very entertaining and win a lot of games. But in 2018, the gut reaction is to view them through particular lenses: That they aren't good enough. Read more »
Marc Gasol And The Grizzlies Have Rediscovered Their Purpose
Here is maybe the simplest way of putting it: the Grizz want to feel, on a nightly basis, like they've done their job. That's what Marc Gasol was missing last season, why he cut such a bereft figure. Read more »
DeMar DeRozan: The All-Star Anachronism
There's something almost admirable about DeMar DeRozan's distinctiveness, his apparent desire to refine his own style rather than attempt to fit into the prescribed idea of who he, or any modern guard, should be. Read more »
How Dirk Will Fit Onto A Mavs' Team That Now Belongs To Luka
The Mavericks have always been innovative when it comes to Dirk Nowitzki. Read more »
The Complicated Admiration Of Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson emphasizes over and over again the importance of being yourself, which is literally the moral of every other Disney movie, but coming from him is more political argument than feel-good sentiment. Read more »
Lauri Markkanen Is Already an Offensive Weapon
What exactly Markkanen can become in the future is hard to say, but and at seven feet tall that makes him something the Bulls can put a high value on: an offensive weapon. Read more »
Kyle Korver Never Left Utah But Now He's Back
Don't look now, but is Kyle Korver one of the NBA's few remaining specialists? There aren't many single-skill guys kicking around these days; almost everybody is expected to do a few things well. Read more »
The Evolution Of NBA Star Jerks
Without intending to, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler both show us how limited our patience today is for players acting like jerks, unlike in the Jordan/Kobe eras, how we now believe such behavior may be entertaining without being edifying. Read more »
Markelle Fultz Living Under Himself
Markelle Fultz's troubles aren't really his fault- he's the plaything of the cosmos at the moment- but they aren't Brett Brown or Elton Brand's either. Read more »
Luka Doncic's Earned Confidence
Luka Doncic's games haven't been statements or declarations of fact. They've just been reality playing itself out. He plays like he's exactly as good as he knows he is. Read more »
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