In seven of the eight first round series, the winning team either had the better point guard or had LeBron James. Read more »
Houston Rockets Analysis
The Best NBA Teams Can Now Both Inflict And Endure Pain
What The First Round Told Us
Through one round, Hyperball seems to have been supplemented by a potent dose of Bruiserball. Critical games are giving us shockingly low numbers, with some box scores looking like stuff we haven't seen in twenty years. Read more »
The Rockets Discover The Pitfalls Of 'Defense First'
Weighing how much to stick to the principles that got you here versus making the ad-hoc adjustments needed to survive is one of the trickiest things about the playoffs. Read more »
The NBA's Youth Shift, Playoff Mode
It’s too soon to say, for sure, but the transitional Era of Parity of the past half-decade may be giving way to the Hyper-Young Times that round out the rest of the 2020s. Read more »
Ten-Year NBA Net Rating Rankings (Infographics For All 30 Teams)
The Thunder once again led the NBA in Net Rating with the Celtics not far behind, while the Spurs, Pistons and Hornets made significant year-over-year jumps. Read more »
Thunder, Rockets Start Things Off Right
What was one of the best rivalries in the league last season looks to be even more interesting as a new one begins as they needed two overtimes to decide it. Read more »
The Rockets Just Needed Kevin Durant To Be A Bucket, Now They Need Him To Do It All
By rediscovering the parts of himself that he's shed with time, Kevin Duran can make the Rockets a great team. Read more »
Post-Lottery 2025 NBA Mock Draft: Best Fits For The First 14 Picks
This mock draft strictly focuses on the best prospect each team can draft when thinking about how a new player would look in that setting. Read more »
Ten-Year NBA Net Rating Rankings (Infographics For All 30 Teams)
The Thunder finished the 24-25 season with the best Net Rating in the NBA, ahead of the Cavaliers who jumped from 13th a season ago. Read more »
The Thunder And Rockets: A Prescription For NBA Depression
Both the Thunder and Rockets are frenetic, physical, and new in a way that quickly washes the rubbish from your mind when you're watching them, if you care at all about the real physical pleasures of the sport. Read more »
Rockets Join Thunder In The New Western Vanguard
The Rockets passed a big test with their win on Sunday over the Rockets. It might take a few more signature wins for the whole basketball world to notice, but plenty more newcomers are already looking into Houston today. Read more »
The Realest: Amen Thompson And The Houston Rockets
To grow into a star, Amen Thompson needs the opportunity to fail. If the Rockets want to win games, it makes sense for Thompson to do less. If they want to win championships, they need to let him be so much more. Read more »
It's Easy To Find Good Players, But Hard To Construct A Great Team
Most teams don't a have single young guy as promising as the Rockets' cache of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard. Read more »
Ten-Year NBA Net Rating Rankings (Infographics For All 30 Teams)
The Celtics finished in the top spot in Net Rating for the second straight season, while the Thunder jumped up from 28th to 14th to second. Read more »
The 2023-24 HAGS (Have A Great Summer) Team
The season is over for Cade Cunningham, Devin Vassell, Vince Williams Jr., Deni Avdija, Alperen Sengun and Collin Sexton, but their play and promise for next season are very encouraging. Read more »
Ime Udoka And His Quartet Of Vets
Winning is happening, but so is development, and the Rockets are showing why adding veterans to a young roster is essential to the team-building process. Read more »
NBA's Top Wing Trios Ranked
We've ranked every team's wing corps from 1 to 30 based on the top three wings' production, upside and versatility. Read more »
The NBA's Most Talented Also-Ran
James Harden's options are trying to win a title with the Sixers or semi-retirement back in Houston. It's assumed the former path will be roughly as consequential as the former. Read more »
Ten-Year NBA Net Rating Rankings (Infographics For All 30 Teams)
The Celtics finished first in Net Rating ahead of the Cavaliers, who jumped up from 13th last season and 28th as recently as 2021. Read more »
The Rockets Of Then Become The Sixers Of Now
In Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and De'Anthony Melton, the dashed dreams of the 2018 Rockets have found new foundation. Read more »
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