PORTLAND – More than 100 NBA scouts and executives packed the Coach K gym on the Nike campus this past week for the Nike Hoop Summit to watch not only 12 of America’s top players practice and scrimmage, but also 12 international players from twelve different countries, including Qatar. Lithuania, Ghana and the Bahamas. To… Read More »
In the span of a few weeks this past fall, the Milwaukee Bucks traded for perennial All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and signed two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to a three-year contract extension, establishing themselves as the betting favorite for the 2024 NBA. championship and possibly beyond. Nothing has gone right for the Bucks since then,… Read More »
It was early March 2023, and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s broad smile filled a box during a video call. The two-time MVP had joined us from Milwaukee’s practice facility, relaxed and contemplative as he rocked back and forth in a chair in the conference room, answering questions ranging from his secret pre-draft visit to Atlanta a decade… Read More »
CLEVELAND – The Eastern Conference is tossed with teams that have a degree of dominance mixed with periods of confusion and inconsistency – yet the optimism remains. The Cleveland Cavaliers fit neatly into both categories, sometimes enchanting and sometimes confusing. They’re better built than the pack that meekly fell to the New York Knicks in… Read More »
It’s March Madness in the NBA! With only two weeks left in the regular season, many teams are still vying for play-off placement. Which East prospect can avoid the Celtics side of the bracket? Will the Rockets bounce the Warriors out of the play-in tournament? Our NBA writers break down the playoff races to take… Read More »
Even after takeover OG Anunoby and run through the league with a January 14-2, the general consensus on the Knicks‘ The hope for the championship is that they are just one piece away from a real battle. Many expect them to pursue that final addition this summer, likely by trading their many draft picks and… Read More »
In the midst of “the most difficult transition of my life,” Damian Lillard continues to face his biggest on-court challenge yet. The 33-year-old veteran will be held responsible for the outcome of this Milwaukee Bucks season, for better or worse, whether he deserves it or not. That’s what happens when a front office trades a… Read More »
Each week during the 2023-2024 NBA season, we’ll dive deeper into some of the league’s biggest storylines in an effort to determine whether the trends going forward will be more based on fact or fiction. [Last week: Is Nuggets-Celtics the NBA Finals we deserve?] This week’s topic: The Thunder don’t need any playoff scars There… Read More »
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell celebrates after making a three-point shot while scoring a season-high 44 points against the Bucks on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press) D’Angelo Russell walked back to the court where an hour earlier he had just finished his best basketball game as a Laker. He grinned… Read More »
NBA Power Rankings: Where Warriors, Kings Sit with 22 Games to Go originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Two things 28 other NBA teams don’t want to see: the Bucks and Nuggets finding rhythm late in the season. Milwaukee and Denver have each won six straight in early March, a possible sign of things… Read More »