What makes Luol Deng special, what is finally being noticed in these playoffs, is that he is the rare veteran player whose game has grown perfectly in sync with the evolution of the NBA. The smart teams know this and will target him in free agency. Read more »

The default post-mortem on this Hawks' season is an argument about whether they should blow up their roster or keep its core intact and retool. There has been little consideration of what they are and a lot of noise about how they should become different. Read more »

If the Bulls are to get back on top, they need to keep the long view in mind. Making a questionable series of moves this offseason to salvage the last year of Derrick Rose's run could yield a short term gain while harming the future. Read more »

Frank Vogel preferred to play with two bigs while Larry Bird dreamed of getting up-and-down quickly to play at a faster pace. That and Bird's overriding philosophy on the tenure of coaches led to the parting. Read more »

With a smart front office led by Dennis Lindsey and Kevin O'Connor and a good young coach in Quin Snyder, in addition to their solid asset base and cap space, Utah is positioned to add a piece or two and finally take the last step back to the playoffs. Read more »

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook bounced back in Game 2, LaMarcus Aldridge remained on fire and the series is tied 1-1 but the insanity of the final 13.5 seconds was what everyone was talking about. Read more »

The Wizards having so few players under contract while chasing the biggest free agent target, puts Washington in a hard to read situation even if they've already added Scott Brooks. Read more »

By creating open shots (and hopefully knocking them down by loading up with their best shooters), the Blazers at least give themselves a tiny chance to make this series mildly competitive. Read more »

Errant passes, a questionable shot selection and complete defensive ineptitude stymied the Raptors' quest for victory No. 4 in Game 6. Read more »

The only Neil Olshey acquired players left on the Clippers are Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Meanwhile, Portland is full of the type of players the Clippers should have been targeting. Read more »

Whether or not Sacramento wants a return engagement for Rajon Rondo is likely tied to their most important decision of the offseason, hiring a coach. Read more »

The fact Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are MVP candidates when they don't share the floor and diminished when they're together is indicative of an intractable problem. They just can't make each other as spectacular as they seem like they should be when you watch them play by themselves. Read more »

The Heat have the deepest collection of wings in the league, and the Hornets were now scrapping along with one of the weakest. What the Hornets did have, however, was an assortment of big-men, and a head coach that has established a sound defensive system and an ultra conservative offensive style. Read more »

Masai Ujiri had the foresight of bringing in Cory Joseph, who could be paramount for the Raptors slashing their label as annual postseason washouts. Joseph has been worth the money thrown his way; he needs to be the backcourt hero Toronto has been clamoring for in the series. Read more »

The Magic improved by 10 wins but still didn't reach the playoffs. With the potential to add two maximum salary players to an exciting young core, it is easy to see Orlando getting in the postseason next year. Read more »

Paul George will have to continue to be brilliant and get at least some help from Myles Turner and the rest of the Pacers' frontcourt to beat the Raptors. Read more »

The Wolves have reached the point in their rebuild where, if they nail their choice of who to run the Karl-Anthony Towns' show, there's no ceiling on how great they can become. Read more »

Denver betting on being healthier might not be smart given the track record, but it is the best way to go for 16-17. That approach would leave flexibility for the future, while allowing for development this year. Read more »

The partnership of Dwight Howard and James Harden is ending and was never really a partnership to begin with. In order to succeed alongside Harden, a big man needs to do the little things and Clint Capela could be that big man for the Rockets. Read more »

To get back in the series, Toronto needs DeMar DeRozan to hit shots and start resembling the efficient monster he's become. Here a few adjustments Dwane Casey can make to get him going. Read more »